Mac Help For Me

Well, here we go.

So my home/work computer took a large, large dump today. Dump as in the mobo wont post. Therefore, my work bit the bullet and bought the MacBook Pro that we've been planning to buy as my work computer.

This is however, my first Mac experience, and it is going to be a trial by fire I feel. So, I'm opening this thread with some questions and I'm sure more questions will be coming (hence the reason for this thread).

I'm gonna install boot camp. Does anyone know exactly how this process works, or have you done this already? Any tips on how to, or things to make sure and do so as not to screw things up, would be greatly appreciated.

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From what I've read, Boot Camp is an entirely guided process, so I assume it's a hard thing to fuck up.

As an alternative, you could install virtualization software on it, which will run Windows simultaneously with Mac OS X. I assume since MacBook Pro's run on Core Duo's, it should be very smooth.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Merv Burger

As an alternative, you could install virtualization software on it, which will run Windows simultaneously with Mac OS X. I assume since MacBook Pro's run on Core Duo's, it should be very smooth.

I do this on occasion, and it works quite well. I never bothered with Boot Camp.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'm currently planning on buying parellel's desktop and also having boot camp. I figure they should be able to run off the same windows install. I realize this might be more complex than running one or the other, but i like options .

Another quick question. Safari or Firefox? I've grown VERY fond of Firefox, and I'm not sure I want to stick with safari... Any thoughts?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I'm quite the one to say to go with what's familiar. Firefox runs pretty much the same on OS X as it does on Windows or Linux.

This isn't to discredit Safari, though. It's just a matter or personal preference, really.

I was speaking idiomatically.

When I got my Mac it took a little bit to get used to Safari (lack of the extensions I was used to). But I started to really like it and stopped using anything else. It is not as full featured as Firefox but it is is simple and fast. Currently switching back to Firefox I think, just mixing things up.

I'd suggest having both of them on there and switch back and forth until you decide which one you preffer.

Overall I'd say that Firefox is 'better', but Safari has a nicer 'feel' to it. You might want to try other browsers such as Camino which is Gecko based, and Shiira which is Web Kit (Safari) based.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I love Safari. It helps that I use PithHelmet with it, and there are a lot of people who enjoy Saft. The former is an ad removal plugin, the latter is a general collection of enhancements—it doesn't match the breadth of extensions available for Firefox, to be sure... but it's also a true Cocoa app, and I will take a truly integrated OS X interface over "extensibility" any day. That's why, if I absolutely need a Gecko renderer-based browser, I have Camino as backup.

As for Boot Camp, yeah, it's pretty much completely guided—it'll burn your driver CD, let you non-destructively re-partition, and then reboot to install off the XP SP2 CD. Not sure about running Parallels from the same installation—I was under the impression that it was designed to behave like other virtual machines, in that it ran off an image file, not an actual partition. But if you've done the reading and it's possible, more power to you. I don't own an Intel-based Mac, so it's all an academic exercise for me, which is to say I haven't fully explored all the options available.

Other basic software recommendations I'd make: Transmit for FTP, Colloquy for IRC, Adium for AIM/MSN/Yahoo/ICQ/Jabber/GTalk/blahblahblah, iChat for AIM if you really need audio/video (or reliable file transfer support)

FELIPE NO

Safari is definately faster than Firefox on Mac and has much better CSS support. You can't go wrong. I also support of all of killmoms' suggested programs even if Transmit can be slow.

Pro tip: Change the window veiw to columns. It's just so much better.

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I'm a bit swamped with stuff to do and few tools.

Is there a freeware PaintShop/PhotoShop type software for Mac? Secondly, is there any DVDShrink type software out there?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Photoshop is easy. Just download the trial version, use a keygen (which will probably require Windows to use,) and use the phone activation to register it.

Even though you need to use Windows for the keygen, it will still work for the Mac version.

If you want to stick to legal, well, there's the Gimp, but that's gonna be a little aggravating to use because of it's major usage of right clicking (which is no problem though if you're used to using command (I think?) to click.)

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Merv Burger

If you want to stick to legal, well, there's the Gimp, but that's gonna be a little aggravating to use because of it's major usage of right clicking (which is no problem though if you're used to using command (I think?) to click.)

I don't understand this stereotype. It is very easy to get a multi-button mouse for a Mac. Also, it's Control-Click if you have a one button.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Every USB mouse works on a mac. Apple make 4 button mice. Is this still 1998 or what?

Regardless, I thought everyone just bought Education copies of Photoshop thee days. Save hundreds.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I'm guessing DVDShrink is an app intended to make a set-top playable single-layer DVD out of a dual-layer DVD movie? i.e. Re-encode to a smaller MPEG-2 file with no menus and whatnot? I don't have a whole lot of experience with that end of things (since I've never done it). I believe Roxio's Popcorn is intended to do this, maybe? I've always just used MacTheRipper and ffmpegX or Handbrake to do my DVD compression duties (since my target format has always been a video file for computers).

As for Photoshop... yeah, just use MervBurger's trick to steal it. The only real alternative on the Mac is GIMP and it requires X11, which is annoying.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by RABicle

Every USB mouse works on a mac. Apple make 4 button mice. Is this still 1998 or what?

Regardless, I thought everyone just bought Education copies of Photoshop thee days. Save hundreds.

Originally Posted by knkwzrd

I don't understand this stereotype. It is very easy to get a multi-button mouse for a Mac. Also, it's Control-Click if you have a one button.

I'm just going based on the fact that he bought a laptop, which could mean he can be put in the situation where he can't quite plug in a mouse, so he'll have to use the touchpad. Don't bitch at me about stuff I already know, because I know Mac's can use almost every single USB perhiperal that a Windows computer can use. I'm just describing an entirely possible situation.

How ya doing, buddy?

Yes we all THROW AWAY our old mice when buying a new computer.

FELIPE NO

Nothing I have ever said has even implied that.

Read what I said again.

Or if you still don't get it, just stop even reading to stop further confusing yourself.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

An ENTIRELY POSSIBLE SITUATION you say. A situation where you've bought a laptop and CAN'T PLUG IN A MOUSE.

WHy don't you read what you said.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I guess you've never used a laptop before then.

I hear you can use them in places where you don't have space to use a regular mouse.

How ya doing, buddy?

Do yourself a favor and get a wireless mini mouse that you can carry with you in your laptop bag. Awesome piece of hardware to have for the mobile warrior.

AFAIK, the current release of Parallels workstation cannot boot from a Boot-Camp Windows setup. This might change by the time the final release is out.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by killmoms

I've always just used MacTheRipper and ffmpegX or Handbrake to do my DVD compression duties (since my target format has always been a video file for computers).

As for Photoshop... yeah, just use MervBurger's trick to steal it. The only real alternative on the Mac is GIMP and it requires X11, which is annoying.

That's the lead I needed. I'm not looking to make DVD's, just might need to rip them to HD for encoding to mp4/mov. MacTheRipper sounds like what I need. Thanks!

I'm gonna try GIMP to stay legit. Call me crazy, but this work computer I'd like to keep "proper".

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

BTW, I believe the latest OS update allows for the "two finger" right click on the 15" MBP that 17" MBP and 13" MB owners (and users of old PowerBooks and iBooks who've installed iScroll 2) have had for a while now. Should be in the Keyboard & Mouse prefpane someplace. Like two finger scrolling, if this option is enabled you can put two fingers on the touchpad and click the button, and it'll act like a right click. Easier than Ctrl+click.

I was speaking idiomatically.