Want to make the switch back... have some questions

back2macback2mac
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
My first experience with personal computing was with an Apple IIe, double floppies, 80 column card, etc. (Gives you an idea about how long I've been around.)



In college I had a Performa 636CD. While my wife was in graduate school we got a Power Book 1400cs. Then I entered the business world and made the plunge into winworld. Started with a Dell Inspiron that croaked about 3 years into its service life. I needed a replacement immediately so I ran out and got the cheapest thing I could find at Circuit City (something to be said about 0% interest for 18 months...). Wound up with the HP 4420 with an Athlon processor from which I write this.



Then this past Christmas my mother-in-law had me do some gift shopping for her. She bought herself a G5 with a 20" Apple monitor for her business as well as a 15" iMac for her youngest daughter. I set everything up for her after Christmas and was really taken with the beauty, stability, speed and overall "Appleness" of these products. On top of this, Santa was very kind to me and delivered a 40GB iPod, which I've been running with iTunes.



The upshot of all this is that I feel it's time to go back. I'm about to finish law school, which I've been attending at night. Therefore, I'm elegible for the edu discount and great Apple financing. Here's what I'm thinking:



15" Al Powerbook, 1.25GHz, 1x512MB RAM (will supplement with 1x1GB aftermarket), super drive, 80GB 5400RPM HD



Apple bluetooth keyboard and single button mouse (not 100% sure on the mouse...)



Griffin iCurve stand



Lacie 120GB firewire external drive



MS Office, X-Plane, wireless Logitech joystick





So, finally, here's my question(s):



Given that I'm going to be working and interacting in a windows based environment, how compatible will the PB be, especially email server?



Is there a way to configure the PB to receive the corporate email? That's really my primary concern. If I'm supplied with a corporate windows laptop, I'd still like to be able to configure the PB to get my work email as well as other accounts. Is this feasible?



Lastly, are the Mac Office docs truly cross platform compatible? Even down to document formatting?



Any other comments to questions I haven't thought to ask would be greatly appreciated. (That of course assumes you can read minds, but from my lurking around here you guys seem pretty smart so I won't put it past you.)



Thanks for reading what has turned out to be quite a long post.



Regards to all,

Jason

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Welcome back into the fold!



    I had a Performa 638CD; it was a great computer. I loved it.



    So, to your questions...

    Quote:

    Originally posted by back2mac

    Given that I'm going to be working and interacting in a windows based environment, how compatible will the PB be, especially email server?



    Apple's built-in Mail program works with POP, IMAP, and Exchange accounts. I doubt you should have any (or much) trouble getting your mail working. You should try to find out which protocol your current e-mail client is using and the addresses to the mail servers.



    Apple's Mail will happily handle multiple accounts. I have four in mine and it works seamlessly; three are IMAP accounts and one is POP.



    Alternatively, there is also Microsoft Entourage and other third-party clients.



    Quote:

    Lastly, are the Mac Office docs truly cross platform compatible? Even down to document formatting?



    Yes and yes. It's Microsoft's own product. The developers would have to be complete buffoons to make MS Office not compatible with MS Office.



    I have never had problems with Office:Mac opening files from a Windows version of Office. At worst, I might not have a font that the original author used.



    I hope this helps! Feel free to post any other questions here. You may find Apple's switch pages to be useful. Top 10 Questions, More FAQs, Can I run Microsoft Office?, How will I get and send email?



    Cheers,

    Brad
  • Reply 2 of 14
    jadejade Posts: 379member
    Also panther has a built in VPN client that maybe useful in your situation. The toughest things to crack in the corporate environment are those relying on exchange servers for calendaring and email. The email is no problem, the calendar may serve to be tricky. Fairly easy to get around if you don't need access to everyone else's calendar constantly. Or pick up outlook 2001 and run it in classic mode.



    You can always check with the IT guys and see what kind of stuff they have in ther server room, if they are linux depepndant as many companies are, they will love the unix underpinnings of OS X.



    Enjoy your new computer!
  • Reply 3 of 14
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    Hey man, it's what I have and I love it. I think it's a good ideas adding more RAM as I think the HD is what slows down my computer the most, when it has to page and I only have a 4200. Not that it matter too much, but I'd suggest going with a 2 buttons mouse. Logitech makes some very nice wireless two button, and perhaps you can even find a bluetooth logitech or microsoft mouse to use. I just find it a lot easier to do multiple things. But it isn't needed.



    Welcome back, and your going to love your computer
  • Reply 4 of 14
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    If you get a PowerBook you should try to make it as ergonomically sound as possible. It sucks hunching over the screen and typing on the little keyboard and mousing around with the little trackpad.



    Get a Griffin iCurve to raise the laptop off the desk to a normal height. Also get an external keyboard and mouse because it's pretty difficult to type with the laptop on the iCurve. You could look into one of many wireless sets available from Logitech or Microsoft, although if you want to bring your mouse on the road with you, you'll want a corded mouse so you don't have the bulk of the base station.
  • Reply 5 of 14
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    Did you read his post?



    Quote:

    Originally posted by Luca Rescigno

    If you get a PowerBook you should try to make it as ergonomically sound as possible. It sucks hunching over the screen and typing on the little keyboard and mousing around with the little trackpad.



    ?Get a Griffin iCurve to raise the laptop off the desk to a normal height.



    ?Also get an external keyboard and mouse because it's pretty difficult to type with the laptop on the iCurve.



    ?You could look into one of many wireless sets available from Logitech or Microsoft, although if you want to bring your mouse on the road with you, you'll want a corded mouse so you don't have the bulk of the base station.



    Quote:

    Originally posted by back2mac

    ?Apple bluetooth keyboard and single button mouse (not 100% sure on the mouse...)



    ?Griffin iCurve stand





    If you go with a bluetooth mouse, depending on the model you won't have to worry about a the wireless transmitters because it's built into your computer. I'd ask or make sure the model works with your internal bluetooth first.







    Edit: I however have a wireless mouse with an annoying thing and wish I would have gone with bluetooth. I don't have an iCure, and don't find it to be a problem, although I probably should have one, but I'm young and stupid.
  • Reply 6 of 14
    tacojohntacojohn Posts: 980member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by back2mac

    My first experience with personal computing was with an Apple IIe, double floppies, 80 column card, etc. (Gives you an idea about how long I've been around.)



    In college I had a Performa 636CD. While my wife was in graduate school we got a Power Book 1400cs. Then I entered the business world and made the plunge into winworld. Started with a Dell Inspiron that croaked about 3 years into its service life. I needed a replacement immediately so I ran out and got the cheapest thing I could find at Circuit City (something to be said about 0% interest for 18 months...). Wound up with the HP 4420 with an Athlon processor from which I write this.



    Then this past Christmas my mother-in-law had me do some gift shopping for her. She bought herself a G5 with a 20" Apple monitor for her business as well as a 15" iMac for her youngest daughter. I set everything up for her after Christmas and was really taken with the beauty, stability, speed and overall "Appleness" of these products. On top of this, Santa was very kind to me and delivered a 40GB iPod, which I've been running with iTunes.



    The upshot of all this is that I feel it's time to go back. I'm about to finish law school, which I've been attending at night. Therefore, I'm elegible for the edu discount and great Apple financing. Here's what I'm thinking:



    15" Al Powerbook, 1.25GHz, 1x512MB RAM (will supplement with 1x1GB aftermarket), super drive, 80GB 5400RPM HD



    Apple bluetooth keyboard and single button mouse (not 100% sure on the mouse...)



    Griffin iCurve stand



    Lacie 120GB firewire external drive



    MS Office, X-Plane, wireless Logitech joystick





    So, finally, here's my question(s):



    Given that I'm going to be working and interacting in a windows based environment, how compatible will the PB be, especially email server?



    Is there a way to configure the PB to receive the corporate email? That's really my primary concern. If I'm supplied with a corporate windows laptop, I'd still like to be able to configure the PB to get my work email as well as other accounts. Is this feasible?



    Lastly, are the Mac Office docs truly cross platform compatible? Even down to document formatting?



    Any other comments to questions I haven't thought to ask would be greatly appreciated. (That of course assumes you can read minds, but from my lurking around here you guys seem pretty smart so I won't put it past you.)



    Thanks for reading what has turned out to be quite a long post.



    Regards to all,

    Jason



    I have almost the exact same setup at you want! I just got the powerbook on Tuesday of this week.



    I also got a LaCie 120 gig firewire drive, and the apple bluetooth mouse and keyboard. I LOVE THIS MACHINE and also worked in an all windows environment last summer just fine- not really any problems (except the exchange server thing- but I guess this is worked out now with 10.3).



    I'll never go back to windows as long as Apple still makes OS X and there is software available for it!
  • Reply 7 of 14
    rokrok Posts: 3,519member
    bah, everyone loves the icurve. glad to see griffin has gotten people to invest in a piece of bent acrylic. i have some old books i don't read anymore if anyone wants to buy them off of me. $10 each, and four stacked on top of each other will raise your powerbook in a graceful and sturdy fashion.







    but seriously, if you want to raise the powerbook, get either of the allsop metal art monitor risers. both fit the powerbooks just fine, and are approximately 7912% more sturdy (sturdier?).



    Metal Art Jr.



    Personally, i prefer the slightly-more-expensive and aluminum perforated design of the Metal Art Plus Stand.
  • Reply 8 of 14
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ast3r3x

    Did you read his post?



    Haha! Whoops... I skimmed it, didn't read it in detail though.



    Yeah, old books should work fine. One advantage to the iCurve is that you can store stuff underneath it, and it allows for air flow. However, $40 is quite a bit to spend on a piece of plastic, so if you can live without the air circulation and the slight amount of extra space, using phone books should work great. I'm spoiled by my desktop because I don't need to mess around with stands, trays, and the like.
  • Reply 9 of 14
    mccrabmccrab Posts: 201member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by back2mac

    Given that I'm going to be working and interacting in a windows based environment, how compatible will the PB be, especially email server?



    Is there a way to configure the PB to receive the corporate email? That's really my primary concern. If I'm supplied with a corporate windows laptop, I'd still like to be able to configure the PB to get my work email as well as other accounts. Is this feasible?



    Lastly, are the Mac Office docs truly cross platform compatible? Even down to document formatting?



    Any other comments to questions I haven't thought to ask would be greatly appreciated. (That of course assumes you can read minds, but from my lurking around here you guys seem pretty smart so I won't put it past you.)



    Thanks for reading what has turned out to be quite a long post.



    Regards to all,

    Jason



    First off, congratulations on the decision - the Mac & OSX are truly remarkable.



    Check out what type of Mail Server is being used at work - Lotus Notes, MS Exchange etc. Lotus Notes has a Mac OSX client - MS Exchange has very dubious support.



    Mac Office (as far as Word and Excel are concerned) are fully compatible (and quite reliable). PowerPoint is OK, but the Mac version converts "MetaFiles" - at times the conversion is not 100%, but it is close (and tolerable so long as you are not a publisher!)
  • Reply 10 of 14
    back2macback2mac Posts: 13member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by McCrab

    First off, congratulations on the decision - the Mac & OSX are truly remarkable.



    Check out what type of Mail Server is being used at work - Lotus Notes, MS Exchange etc. Lotus Notes has a Mac OSX client - MS Exchange has very dubious support.



    Mac Office (as far as Word and Excel are concerned) are fully compatible (and quite reliable). PowerPoint is OK, but the Mac version converts "MetaFiles" - at times the conversion is not 100%, but it is close (and tolerable so long as you are not a publisher!)



    ___________



    My current environment uses MS Exchange server. Will this pose a problem, even if I'm using Entourage?



    Thanks to all for the replies. They are much appreciated.
  • Reply 11 of 14
    back2macback2mac Posts: 13member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Luca Rescigno

    Haha! Whoops... I skimmed it, didn't read it in detail though.



    Yeah, old books should work fine. One advantage to the iCurve is that you can store stuff underneath it, and it allows for air flow. However, $40 is quite a bit to spend on a piece of plastic, so if you can live without the air circulation and the slight amount of extra space, using phone books should work great. I'm spoiled by my desktop because I don't need to mess around with stands, trays, and the like.



    Point well taken... however, it seems like sacrilege to put that beautiful PowerBook on top of a heap of old phone books! Call me a slave to the beauty of Apple's industrial design wizzards, but I MUST HAVE that $40 piece of curved plastic.



    Thanks for the repsonse... I think I'm going to order it today!
  • Reply 12 of 14
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by rok

    but seriously, if you want to raise the powerbook, get either of the allsop metal art monitor risers. both fit the powerbooks just fine, and are approximately 7912% more sturdy (sturdier?).



    Yep, I use that baby for my iBook. I have a pic in the setup thread here.



    I was surprised to see that retail price though - I saw it for the first time at a Costco and got it, along with a metal mouse pad, for $15-20 CDN.



    Anyway, it's stable as hell, and has a lot of room under it for crap - I keep my FW CD-RW drive and a stack of CD-Rs under there. If my iBook ever falls off this stand, it's because my whole desk has been tipped over.
  • Reply 13 of 14
    billybobskybillybobsky Posts: 1,914member
    I'd like to see that...
  • Reply 14 of 14
    rokrok Posts: 3,519member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by murbot

    Yep, I use that baby for my iBook. I have a pic in the setup thread here.



    I was surprised to see that retail price though - I saw it for the first time at a Costco and got it, along with a metal mouse pad, for $15-20 CDN.



    Anyway, it's stable as hell, and has a lot of room under it for crap - I keep my FW CD-RW drive and a stack of CD-Rs under there. If my iBook ever falls off this stand, it's because my whole desk has been tipped over.



    yeah. sorry about the original tone -- i was feeling a little abrasive for some reason.



    anyway, yeah, the allsop listed price is a wee bit high. office max and office depot sell them from their web site under the allsop or their own brand name. in fact, i think the large version (with the integrated shelf) can not only hold a 17" powerbook WELL, but allow for the apple keyboard underneath. it certainly looks that wide in person, though i haven't actually gotten out the measuring tape to check. plus the look matches well with apple's current look and feel.
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