Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Geeky stuff
Original poster

Newbie Mac user - need some direction please!

28 replies

TheHollyandMcDreamy · 29/12/2007 19:53

I had a wonderful surprise on Xmas morning when I opened my present from my husband and found he had bought me a Mac laptop.

I am gradually finding my way around but it is so different frm windows! Just wondered if you could point me in the right direction for a good book or web site for a newbie like me to get the most out of this computer in the quickest possible time!!!

Thank you very much

OP posts:
LyraSilvertinsel · 29/12/2007 19:58

I don't know about books but just keep messing about with it till you get the hang of it. You'll do it quicker than you think. I use a PC at work and a Mac at home and both are second nature now. Good luck!

McDreamy · 29/12/2007 20:07

Thanks Lyra you're probably right I'll keep at it!

KITTYmaspudding · 29/12/2007 20:09

yeah,just keep fiddling. I love my mac. If you have any specific questions why not ask here?
What a lovely bloke you have!

McDreamy · 29/12/2007 20:28

Yeah he is lovely, a totally unexpected present!!!

I'm sure I will be on asking loads of questions! Good to know yo experienced Mac users are out there.....goodness knows I need you lol

coby · 29/12/2007 20:42

Macs are so much more user friendly IMO, I find Windows seems to do everything backwards, or slowly, or both and there is much unnecessary fiddling to do a simple task. All the best bits of windows have been stolen from Mac OS over the years.

Happy Mac using, just keep messing is excellent advice - you won't kill it - honest

KITTYmaspudding · 29/12/2007 22:52

yes windows are SOOOOOO slow

McDreamy · 30/12/2007 15:16

Great advice I know so much more today than I did this time yesterday! I am so impressed too!

Do you ladies use .mac? Is it worth it? I am on a 60 day trial at the moment but DH says go for it (£68.99) if I think it is worth it.

Also do you have extra security on your Mac, you know the Norton or Macafee type thing like you might have on windows?

yurt1 · 30/12/2007 15:19

I have had .mac for a few years. I think its quite pricey but I'm due to renew and will.

I've used macs for years have never had any security on them but have been thinking I probably need to think about it. I think macs are becoming more vulnerable and I think I'm a bit daft not to have (and without tempting fate have perhaps been lucky up until now). I did download a free worm detector or something a while ago but not sure where it is now..

andaRubberDuckinapeartree · 30/12/2007 15:24

The Mac Switcher forums are excellent (but be warned, they're really strict against swearing there - I slipped up on the first day )

I switched in October and haven't looked back - I'm really enjoying computing again, rather than constantly doing battle getting the damn thing to work (I so don't miss vista!)

Useful programs I'm using:

adium - it's a free instant messenger that uses all of the messenger things (MSN, ICQ, Yahoo etc) in one interface... plus it's a duck! And it flaps its wings when you get a new message! (I'm easily pleased!)

MacJournal - not free but only $35 and is a great notekeeping/diary/random stuff app which I find endlessly useful.

VMWare Fusion - run windows programs at the same time as all your mac os stuff.

Endless amounts of silly games that I can list if you're interested

Oooo and AppZapper - cleanly uninstalls mac osx aps. Very handy.

andaRubberDuckinapeartree · 30/12/2007 15:25

I don't use .mac, the only thing I sync is calendars between my and dh's computer and we use BusySync for that very effectively. Much much cheaper.

Don't use antivirus or anything, but obv have the firewall on the hardware router we use - check the sticky in the mac switcher forums which explain why they're not worth using.

andaRubberDuckinapeartree · 30/12/2007 15:27

Mac Antivirus and Firewall FAQ - long thread, but extremely useful.

McDreamy · 30/12/2007 18:07

Thanks rubber duck I have downloaded the duck and the app zapper!!

PrismManchip · 30/12/2007 18:11

You can get a book, my MIL told me about it. It's about all the things you need to know about Macs, but are not going to trawl through the manual to find out (mainly because you don't know they exist).
If anyone knows the title...
THere is a new edition for every different model.
Apparently. I have always used mac and really know very little (dh is a whiz). I also have .mac though on the back of his subscription iyswim. I have no idea what it can do.

McDreamy · 30/12/2007 18:13

ooh the book sounds good, hopefully someone might know it!

PrismManchip · 30/12/2007 18:14

Will email MIL

McDreamy · 30/12/2007 18:16

Thank you, that's really kind

andaRubberDuckinapeartree · 30/12/2007 18:18

Is that The Missing Manual? It's OS specific rather than machine specific but I have heard it recommended from several sources.

PrismManchip · 30/12/2007 18:20

Yes! It is. I have just found it on amazon.
MIL told me it was for each machine but yes it is for each new OS.

andaRubberDuckinapeartree · 30/12/2007 18:27

MacFormat podcast (free) and magazine (not free but in WHSmiths, hopefully) are also pretty good, although tbh you could probably pick up most from the internet. There's another mac magazine that was good, but I can't remember its name.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog is a good blog to read, especially when they do their Mac 101 articles. Is rather biased towards the iPhone atm, unfortunately, but still worth wandering by now and then.

Great thing about the macs seems to be that they have really strong shareware/freeware/open source communities and there's some fantastic little programs out there for free or for only a small cost, when the equivalent windows version would be £60+.

Have you got iWork, btw? Have been using Pages extensively recently as I have some training documentation to write and it's a dream to use in comparison to Microsoft Word. Just dragging and dropping images around, text wraps automatically. Dropped in a glossary page and an index and it worked it all out for me. Absolutely brilliant.

McDreamy · 30/12/2007 18:37

Yes I have got iwork but I haven't used it yet. Have you got leopard? I have Tiger and DH and I are just discussing wether or not to upgrade to leopard, what do you think?

andaRubberDuckinapeartree · 30/12/2007 18:42

We got leopard disk in with our purchase as we bought the same weekend it came out. We had to do an upgrade (from a fresh install of Tiger) and it was a dream, but I have heard of some issues (particularly if you've installed any Logitech drivers, apparently) upgrading from a non-fresh Tiger install, iyswim. Then again, nowhere near as bad as the issues we had with Vista!

Time Machine in Leopard is fab - great backup system. Spotlight is much improved and I pretty much dump everything in one folder and let spotlight find it. The dock seems to be a love/hate thing but I love it

Of course, I've never used Tiger to compare it to.

If you upgrade, make sure you do a backup of everything first - but then that's second nature for ex-windows users, right?

McDreamy · 30/12/2007 18:47

Yes you're right about the back up thing! You've just jogged my memory though talking about extra disks in a box! I've just found my leopard upgrade disk that I carefully put away on Xmas day - d'oh! How stupid am I, I clearly have alot to learn! Well I'm off to upgrade to Leopard

PrismManchip · 30/12/2007 18:50

Rubberduck thanks for those links.
DH has been using Pages too and I am about to start learning it. He loves it.
He is a Proper Mac Geek btw
The only thing he lacks is an iPhone and this pains him so

jINGLESbells · 30/12/2007 18:54

Hi McDreamy.we use macs prof and at home and they're fantastic! Had to use a pc the other day with vista and it was sooooo sloooowwww...
Anyway my dh (bless him) is a bit of an oracle on macs (he even reads macuser in bed ) says...
Yes upgrade to Leopard, as if you are going to learn the system you might as well learn the latest, just check you have 512mb Ram
Yes,..get .mac we use it and it's been great. It integrates with the rest of the mac software
You shouldn't need any extra security, it's all in the tiger/leopard software
There is a magazine called icreate which has lots of creative info in it and beginners guides or look on amazon for starters guides.
You won't believe how simple it is though...

McDreamy · 30/12/2007 19:29

Thanks jingles. I am going to get the Missing Manual that has been recommended. My mac is currently installing the Leopard system - can't believe I missed it on Xmas day!