Got an iMac...Any secrets I need to know?

Welcome new convert.

Safari Sucks, use Firefox.
CTRL-C/CTRL-V is now apple-C/apple-V
Home/End are not what you think
iPhoto is cool
your iPod will be faster

Enjoy

-dsd

 

Welcome to the dark side! I have a BUNCH of Macs and I LOVE THEM ALL! I am currently on my 24" iMac... Have a G5 in the living room and a Mac Mini in the master bedroom that I can play with while laying in bed!

Concur on Firefox. That is my #1 browser. If something does not work with FF then I try Safari.

I use the included "Mail" program as well as iPhoto, iTunes, created my current web page with iWeb, have used iMovie too... I added MS Office suite and life is good!

Welcome Chris we are glad to have you! Here is your Kool-aid! LOL!

James

 

Good move. You'll love it! When typing Fn+Delete = backspace. Apple+H to hide application. Apple+R to reload/refresh. Apple+Q to quit an application. Apple+Z to undo. Expose and screen corners are very useful - I like Dashboard widgets and All Windows. I use Entourage for email. Works fine and looks and feels like Outlook, no surprise since it's the MS version of Outlook for Macs. Firefox and MS Office also. The best part? Everything works as advertised... my PowerBook G4 is somewhere near 4 years old and it's like new. No problems.

Is that a BB? If so, the bad news - I've read DM isn't supported on Macs.

 

There are now viruses for Macs. Get antivirus software, as advised by Apple.

 

When in Firefox, Apple+T to open a new tab. And ctrl+mouse click is like the right click on a PC, say to fix a spelling error. You probably have the new Mighty Mouse with the right click function built in.

 

Hey,

Firstly, welcome to the world in which your computer will work, reliably, without rebooting every day. Don't worry, you'll get used to it

I've actually grown to like Safari, but for sure FF has a great reputation.

Unless you're a real Entourage "power user" I'd suggest starting off with good ol' Apple Mail - Works fine for most people.

However, my main reason for posting is Neooffice (www.neooffice.org) - No affiliation, just a *very* satisfied user - It's a complete Office suite (ala Micro$oft Office), based on Openoffice but running natively on the Mac. It's rock solid and deals with all the M$ formats (including the new spreadsheet format that virtually no one can read!). It will save into those formats as well so no one needs to know you haven't lined Bills pockets.....

As to viruses (etc), yes,*theoretically* you could be infected and there have been a few "proof of concept" types written. However, I switched when OSX came out many years back and have never encountered anything and have never installed any anti-virus (etc) S/W. IMHO, these things create more problems than they fix and simply aren't required as long as you keep your machine up to date (Mines set to automatically check for updates every week) and have your router firewall enabled (Typically, the default).

Good luck. The biggest "danger" you face is pi$$ing off your buddies with your new-found zealotry for the Mac [I never expected to become a "fanboy", but confess I have.....]

Cheers,
Ian

 

BB = Blackberry and DM = desktop manager (for the BB).

 

I now have Leopard, but with Tiger and using Apple Mail the text in the emails was so tiny it was a pain to read. I couldn't figure out how to make it bigger so I fired up Entourage. I haven't tried the new and improved Mail in Leopard.

I have the same thoughts as Fast_ian about viruses. I don't use any s/w and in years haven't had any problems. Even on my PC is was such a pain to deal with I uninstalled it. Just back up data on a regular basis! I'll have to check out neooffice.

 

Get an external hard drive or a .mac account (are they still doing that even?) and you will be able to use Time Machine! Freaking awesome program built right in to the computer. It will automatically back up your computer for you all along the way... Works GREAT!

I had a hard drive die (it was 5+ years old) on my G5 (why are G5's so HOT and LOUD with fan noise??? DAMN) and when I replaced the drive (did it myself after buying a 1 Terabyte drive a Fry's) the Apple store loaded the Leopard software back on for me and I used my Time Machine drive that was backed up to my iMac to reload ALL applications and info back on to the G5! Freaking AWESOME!

Good luck Chris!

James

 

I've been noticing more "incoming" in alarmingly small sizes recently. I think many more people are "messing" with fonts these days, and my eyes aran't as good as they were....

Anyway, and this works in pretty much any active window:

Apple-key and "+" key: Increases font size.
Apple-key and "-" : You'll figure it out

Note, although not required here, Apple and "a" key selects everything.

Time Machine is awesome! - I have a 1TB drive that simply "hums along" whenever I'm jacked in. It doesn't do "bootable replicas" however.

And yeah - My "group" has been using it for about 3 years now - It really is awesome, and their support forums are also righteous. (Neo I mean)

Cheers,
Ian

 

Even at work folks are getting too creative with fonts in email - colored signatures, different sizes. Whatever. I tried the +/- keys but for every email it was too big a pain. In the airport once I saw a guy using an Apple then saw his screen - Mail and yep, really tiny font.

Love the time machine commercials.

 

Ian

Thanks for that...Im going to look into it !

You are always a wealth of Mac info.



To the OP....I suggest getting the extended Applecare. My newest Mac - 13 months old - just fried. Getting a new motherboard...Im very glad I bought the extended care.

 

Going to check out neooffice as well. Many thanks, Ian.

I still hate the fanboy attitude, though. My six PCs have not needed a reboot--in months. PCs, Macs, they all work and they all break. And the software that I really want to be expert in is always insanely complicated or just too big to wrap my head around. I can't wait for robots that understand what I tell them to do and then simply go and do it. Oh, wait, is that what they call an employee?

Currently struggling with solidworks and rhino3d.

 

I'll add another +1 to using firefox.
Safari has a hard time with flash sometimes.
Apple + E to eject harddrive/flashdrive/CD (whatever you have selected)
Apple+Shift + T re-opens last closed tab in firefox.
Apple+1 or 2 or 3 etc in firefox will witch to the number tab you select.
Apple + option + right or left arrow will switch tabs left or right in firefox.
Apple + Tab will switch between the programs you have open
Don't try using AIM, Importing your AIM account to IChat is FAR easier.
Corners is awesome.
Download a program called "onyx" (freeware) and run it on the automated setting about once a week... It takes a while to run but it will clear out all the crap you don't need and make things a LOT faster each time you do. It will require a restart which is a good time to reset your PRAM. Do this by holding Apple+option+P+R... it will start the start-up and then turn off and restart the start+up... Hold these keys untill it Re-boots 4 times... this will help speed as well.

Good luck! Enjoy your new computer!

-Thomas

 

Welcome to the world of computers that make sense! As for browsers, ours runs better on Safari than Firefox, which seems to be having issues lately.

 

You're (all!) welcome..... Anything that means the Evil Empire doesn't get any more of our $ is great with me

One additional note - If you do need questions answered, the most active support forums are at the Openoffice site (The underlying code is Openoffice) - Some very, very good FAQ's etc - The empire like to serve up FUD (as always), and there are "stories" of some, eg, Excel macros not working when imported into Neo/Openoffice - I'm by no means an SS power user, but I bet $ to donuts that if you run into this kind of problem (unlikely), someone on the Open office forums has already solved it.....

+1 I did put a "smiley" in there after my fanboy comment!..... But, seriously, I honestly believe that the "Apple experience" is simply superior to the M$ one. This is the main reason I *strongly* recommend Mac's to my non-geek buddies (The ones who turn to me for support!)

As to reboots, it obviously all depends on what you're doing with 'em, but 6 months suggests you haven't been keeping 'em up to date with patches etc - Slapped wrists! [mind me asking which OS BTW?]

Understood! - That's a couple of pretty serious apps you got there! - Good luck!

Cheers,
Ian

 

I'm new to Macs also. Been using them for about a year and very happy. Thought all of the suggestions were really good. One that I don't think was mentioned was the genius bar/one to one training. I don't know where you are located, but if you are near a Mac store, for something like $99/year, you can spend an hour or so we these guys/gals, as many times as you want in a year, and they will sort out your problems for you. A friend made a good suggestion. Create a text file in word, or whatever, that contains any questions you come up with. Then once a week/month, whatever, go in to the mac store with your questions and get them sorted out.

They can also train you to use at least Mac software, like Final Cut. You can also just go listen to them give presentations on the use of the mac, or final cut or whatever. That's free.

Finally, I really like a program called Voodoopad. It is very similar in functionality to a program called infoselect that I used for 15 years on the pc, and was my main reason for avoiding the Mac. Voodoopad is a program where you can put in all kinds of random bits of information, mostly text, as separate pages. Then you can search this one document, with thousands of pages, for that information. So dumb example, if someone on the forum mentions a great restaurant in milan. You copy and paste that post into Voodoopad. Then months later, when you type milan into the search box, up pops the 1 or more references to milan in your thousands of pages. You can also do boolean searches, so milan and restaurant, in case you have a lot of references to milan. I find it's a great place to keep passwords, notes on ferrari's etc.

 

I want a mac but as far as i'am aware they don't support most of the programs that i use, and i have alot of films/videos that are in the avi format that only MS use. Plus macs are pretty expensive when you can get a decent PC laptop for around £300 about half what i payed when i got my laptop 3-4 years ago. There are so many macs i don't know which one to consider buying. But from what i understand they are a fantastic machine.

 

You are SOOOO HOOKED Chris!! LOL! Love them too! Wife has a MacBook Pro 15.3" screen, I normally use the iMac 24", and I have also been using my G5 w/ a 23" screen, and I have a G4 with a 22" screen and an old iBook 366 from 6+ years ago! Not to mention my still functioning Performa 3600 from 15+ years ago and my two still functional Newton's!!!

Give me some more of that Kool-aid!! LOL!!

Almost forgot 2 iPhones, and 6+ iPods! Ha Ha!!! CRAZY! Wait, I gave away an iPod the other day, maybe I only have 5 now!

James

 

I'd like to get the MacBook Air. Use web mail for work and keep it simple - hate dragging around the HP with it's giant brick. Even new it's archaic.