Pre-purchase questions...
Greetings all.
After many years of being a frustrated PC user, I think I'm ready to make the switch to mac. Before I do, I have some questions about what to purchase and how it all works. Here goes...
Here is what I'll be using it for...
1. Email/web surfing and other general web apps
2. Lots of home publishing work. Wife absolutely loves taking digital pictures, movies, ect..
3. Also semi-professional web/graphic editing. Apps like PhotoShop and Flash.
4. Watching DVDs. Sounds silly with the other dvd players in the house, but sometimes it's nice to be able to use a computer.
5. The little one likes to play her pre-school games on it.
6. Can't wait to get into music with iTunes.
Now with all those things in mind, I'm leaning towards a powerbook. For one, I need to have the super drive. Secondly, I really like the idea of it being portable. Tired of having to sit at my desk for hours. Finally, it just seems powerfull enough to do everything I need. However since I have never owned a laptop, I'm worried about the touch pad. Not for me, but for the little one. She's good with a mouse, but I wonder if she can switch. Maybe I should go with iMac, but that doesn't seem to have as good reviews.
Another big question is making the switch. I'm a vetern pc user, but my wife isn't. I want her to be able to get very comfortable with using everything. How good is the ease of use for OS X? From everything I've seen and read, it just seems to run and work smoothly. Plus iLife seems to be just the thing for my wife. Anyone familiar with iLife and have opinions on it?
Finally, what is needed for a wireless connection if I go with the powerbook? I've never even gone wireless with my PC, but I understand what is involved. Is it similar for apple? Or do I need to get all this Airport stuff? I really don't get what airport is all about. Is that just Apple's name for their wireless card?
Other than that, I would like to get any other thoughts you have on purchasing and making the switch.
Thanks!
*Please excuse any poor grammer. It's been a long nite at work.*
After many years of being a frustrated PC user, I think I'm ready to make the switch to mac. Before I do, I have some questions about what to purchase and how it all works. Here goes...
Here is what I'll be using it for...
1. Email/web surfing and other general web apps
2. Lots of home publishing work. Wife absolutely loves taking digital pictures, movies, ect..
3. Also semi-professional web/graphic editing. Apps like PhotoShop and Flash.
4. Watching DVDs. Sounds silly with the other dvd players in the house, but sometimes it's nice to be able to use a computer.
5. The little one likes to play her pre-school games on it.
6. Can't wait to get into music with iTunes.
Now with all those things in mind, I'm leaning towards a powerbook. For one, I need to have the super drive. Secondly, I really like the idea of it being portable. Tired of having to sit at my desk for hours. Finally, it just seems powerfull enough to do everything I need. However since I have never owned a laptop, I'm worried about the touch pad. Not for me, but for the little one. She's good with a mouse, but I wonder if she can switch. Maybe I should go with iMac, but that doesn't seem to have as good reviews.
Another big question is making the switch. I'm a vetern pc user, but my wife isn't. I want her to be able to get very comfortable with using everything. How good is the ease of use for OS X? From everything I've seen and read, it just seems to run and work smoothly. Plus iLife seems to be just the thing for my wife. Anyone familiar with iLife and have opinions on it?
Finally, what is needed for a wireless connection if I go with the powerbook? I've never even gone wireless with my PC, but I understand what is involved. Is it similar for apple? Or do I need to get all this Airport stuff? I really don't get what airport is all about. Is that just Apple's name for their wireless card?
Other than that, I would like to get any other thoughts you have on purchasing and making the switch.
Thanks!
*Please excuse any poor grammer. It's been a long nite at work.*
Comments
Originally posted by Overworked_Dad
Greetings all.
After many years of being a frustrated PC user, I think I'm ready to make the switch to mac.
Congrats! Good choice
Before I do, I have some questions about what to purchase and how it all works. Here goes...
Here is what I'll be using it for...
1. Email/web surfing and other general web apps
2. Lots of home publishing work. Wife absolutely loves taking digital pictures, movies, ect..
3. Also semi-professional web/graphic editing. Apps like PhotoShop and Flash.
4. Watching DVDs. Sounds silly with the other dvd players in the house, but sometimes it's nice to be able to use a computer.
5. The little one likes to play her pre-school games on it.
6. Can't wait to get into music with iTunes.
Now with all those things in mind, I'm leaning towards a powerbook. For one, I need to have the super drive. Secondly, I really like the idea of it being portable. Tired of having to sit at my desk for hours. Finally, it just seems powerfull enough to do everything I need. However since I have never owned a laptop, I'm worried about the touch pad. Not for me, but for the little one. She's good with a mouse, but I wonder if she can switch. Maybe I should go with iMac, but that doesn't seem to have as good reviews.
No worries about the touch pad. It does take some getting used to, but you can hook up a USB mouse without a problem. Just plug it in when your daughter is using it and you're all set. If you're doing any sort of pixel-pushing, you'll want to have one anyway. The trackpad is good for general use, but if you need precision, you should get yourself a good mouse. I like the Logitech brand - in particular the Mx700. It may be overkill for your uses and probably too large for your daughter's hands. You can't go wrong with any of their products, really.
Another big question is making the switch. I'm a vetern pc user, but my wife isn't. I want her to be able to get very comfortable with using everything. How good is the ease of use for OS X?
If your wife doesn't have baggage from previous PC use, she might be better off than you think, maybe better off than you even.
From everything I've seen and read, it just seems to run and work smoothly. Plus iLife seems to be just the thing for my wife. Anyone familiar with iLife and have opinions on it?
iLife is great. Honestly, it makes life so much easier. It's a great set of programs for managing content. If you've ever used iTunes you'll know how good it is. iPhoto has it's detractors, but it's a good application for what it's intended to do: organize your photos. I'm not as familiar with iMovie or iDVD since I don't have a DV camera but they're best in class. Garageband? What can I say but it's absolutely awesome.
Finally, what is needed for a wireless connection if I go with the powerbook? I've never even gone wireless with my PC, but I understand what is involved. Is it similar for apple? Or do I need to get all this Airport stuff? I really don't get what airport is all about. Is that just Apple's name for their wireless card?
All you need is an Airport Extreme card. You can get them from Apple or a reseller. Airport is just 802.11g so it works seamlessly with most wifi networks.
Other than that, I would like to get any other thoughts you have on purchasing and making the switch.
Thanks!
I can't think of anything else you need. A powerbook and a good book are all you need. You might want to look into getting a monitor/keyboard so that you can plug in and have a more ergonomic workspace at home. I do it and I find it helps my productivity when I'm at home. Good luck.
The other thing is, about the touch pad...if you get a PowerBook with a built in bluetooth card, then you can get a wireless bluetooth mouse. No need to even use a touch pad.
Just a couple things to add to torifile's post.
First, yes Airport is just Apple's name for 802.11. You need to buy Apple's card for your computer because, since Apple makes competitively priced cards, no one else bothers to write Apple drivers for theirs. However, it should be compatible with any router.
One annoyance you might have as a switcher is the lack of a two button mouse (hold down the control key when you click if you want access to what should be under the right button). This isn't such a problem with desktop models since you can replace the mouse, but you can't replace your trackpad
I think most of the detractors to iPhoto had problems with its speed in version 2. Version 4 is much faster and is really pretty nice as an organizational tool. Look elsewhere if you want to edit or retouch your photos though.
Now it's off to the apple store to get a hands-on look at the powerbook. The closest store is like 2hrs away, but it will be worth it.
What is a good dvd decoder/player app for apple? The only half-way decent one I found for PC is PowerDVD.
Another thing that brings a simle to my face when I think about switching is using quicktime. I love quicktime so much more than Media player, but the two keep fighting for association on my PC. LOL, I tried removinf Media player once....bad idea. The system became even more unstable, if that was possible.
Originally posted by Overworked_Dad
Whoops, thought of another question that kinda goes along with my previous ones....
What is a good dvd decoder/player app for apple? The only half-way decent one I found for PC is PowerDVD.
Apple's built-in DVD Player will handle all your playback needs in true Mac fashion - no installation, no configuration, just put in a DVD disc and it will auto-launch, that's the out-of-box default settings. Pre-installed on all Macs, it's a default component of the OS.
If you are looking for a decoder for the purposes of making "backup copies" of DVD movie discs, you will have to look around for one of a handful of shareware apps. Apple tends to not ship anything that can potentially aid in copyright violation....
You CAN get a two-button mouse. It works seamlessly, too.
Although your Powerbook WILL require an Airport Extreme CARD, you can buy any brand of 802.11b/g wireless ROUTER. I recommend netgear.
Apple's built-in DVD Player will handle all your playback needs in true Mac fashion - no installation, no configuration, just put in a DVD disc and it will auto-launch, that's the out-of-box default settings. Pre-installed on all Macs, it's a default component of the OS.
Excellent. The way it should be.
The default player should be fine. I don't have any interest in making backups right now, just watching movies.