Forums > Help! > apple mac owners
Login/Join to Participatebig and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom
so i'm finally thinking of buying a mac
i'm looking at an imac g4 (1.25ghz) with a 17" screen:
Non-Https Image Link
i'll be using it for layout and graphics mainly (running quark and adobe cs2) but would like it to completely replace my pc if at all possible.
i currently use my pc for video editing, watching videos, watching dvd's, playing music and browsing the net, so i don't think a g4 should have any problems doing all that stuff!
the problem is, the last time i used a mac was in 1997 so its safe to say i don't know that much about them...
will i need to look out for one with a hardcore video card if i want to edit video?
how much memory is sufficient to run say illustrator and quark at the same time with a few files loaded?
how easy would it be to replace the hard drive with a larger one?
can i convert my current hard drive to a usb external drive and use it?
will pc peripherals work with a mac (hp scanner, sandisk card reader, svga monitor/projector)?
how much cooler will my ipod look next to an imac?
should i keep my pc anyway cos all my friends have them and its easier to have one around than mess about converting files?
can i get good thirdparty software for free like firefox and thunderbird, a download manager, anti-spy/adware, virus checkers and a multi-region dvd player hack so i can play any dvd form any region (this one is *really* important for me)?
i'd also like some general advice please, especially anything important that i should look out for when buying a mac.
if anyone has any experiences that they'd like to share of going from using a pc to using a mac as their main home computer, i'd love to hear about them too.
cheers,
cole. x
"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood
5 posts
We cant seem to drag files from garageband,mainly.Was wondering if it was a fault with the computer?or is it a peculiarity to garageband.....no option to send to trash....ta for your help,btw.
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia
It is unlikely to be a fault with the computer. Deleting is very simple. THere are usually at least two ways to do it, as well as any 'delete' function within a particular application.
To delete files, select them wherever they are stored. If you can't find the file, click on the desktop (so you are in finder rather than an application) Hold down appleF (the button with the little apple on it to the left of the space bar, next to option and the f key) That will bring up a search box. Type in the at least one word from the name of the file you are looking for (whatever you called it)
Drag it into trash.
Otherwise select it (one click, two clicks would open it) then press apple-delete.
SOunds like you are not very used to computers, or else just PCs. There are a few differences to using a PC and a Mac in terms of file management, but the Macs are very easy. Get someone, like whoever you got the mac from to show you a few shortcuts and stuff. Probably easier than trying to understand instructions here!
.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....
and behold!
464 posts
Location: Liverpool, United Kingdom
What's the hold up with Leopard! I am waiting for that as my system upgrade. I am still using Panther at the moment and more and more programs are becoming "Tiger or above".
So what do you guys expect of Leopard? High hopes or ready for disappointment?
Why let your body be a temple? When it can be a theme park?
Wii Console Number: 3294 0297 7824 7498
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom
Got a new Mac yesterday off eBay with Panther on it (and some other software like adobe and office). Booted it up, thing worked OK, so I formatted it and stuck Tiger on it.
I'll probably wait until 10.5.3 before letting Leopard loose on any of my Macs. I think the wait is to make sure it's better than Vista. It's not needed in my opinion. Vista is so bad (DRM, resource hogging) it made me change to Macs. Tiger is good enough for me for the moment. It beats the pants off Windows XP.
So 6 Macs, 2 OpenBSD boxes, and 1 Windows XP PC in daily use in this house.
You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.
Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.
5 posts
" Probably easier than trying to understand instructions here!" Actually,you helped more than google.....as you guessed i am wildly inexperienced with macs but willing to learn..problem solved
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia
Oh cool, glad it was useful!
Happy maccing!
.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....
Gromit's Humble Squire
4,496 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia
So. An order's been placed. My new laptop's on its way..
2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
3GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 1x2GB, 1x1GB
160GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
MacBook Pro 17-inch Widescreen Display
This looked like the place to mention it
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia
OOh Ry, are you going Maccy then?
Cool! Hope you find everything to your liking!
.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....
Gromit's Humble Squire
4,496 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Maybe..
Maybe I'll end up using Parallels to use Windows 2000 pro on it 
.. what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia
OK simple question for you good geeks...
I have a .jpeg that is 3Mb. How do I reduce it to something more manageable for inserting in docs or emails? What application to I use? iPhoto? something else?
I thought I was clever a few weeks ago for realising I could crop photos in Preview... that's how little I know about it, blush.
I don't particularly love iPhoto.. is there another photo handling program that is good?
.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....
Gromit's Humble Squire
4,496 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia
iPhoto would work, so would Photoshop, Aperture, Lightroom, Elements..
I thought you could do it in Preview though? "Save As"?
Else XnView :
https://perso.orange.fr/pierre.g/xnview/endownloadmacosx.html
I'm a bit worried personally at there not being an ACDSee Pro for osx.. my workflow's going to have to change a bit
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom
GraphicConvert
You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.
Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.
and behold!
464 posts
Location: Liverpool, United Kingdom
Written by: Ry
So. An order's been placed. My new laptop's on its way..
2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
3GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 1x2GB, 1x1GB
160GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
MacBook Pro 17-inch Widescreen Display
This looked like the place to mention it
Oh Gawd!!!! Someone get me some tissue!!!!!
Why let your body be a temple? When it can be a theme park?
Wii Console Number: 3294 0297 7824 7498
veteran
1,247 posts
Location: lost, Canada
dumb question, sorry, but what is the equivelent of "right click and save" for a mac with just a trace board thingie and no mouse? !
"God *was* my co-pilot, but then we crashed, and I had to eat him..."
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom
Hold down the CTRL button and click.
You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.
Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.
Gromit's Humble Squire
4,496 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Written by: Lowan
Oh Gawd!!!! Someone get me some tissue!!!!!
Might have forgotten to mention the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 SDRAM graphics card..
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom
Yup, sure is nice playing BF2 at 1680x1050
You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.
Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.
veteran
1,247 posts
Location: lost, Canada
Polarity, control ad then " click" do you mean tap? There is nothing to click? Sorry, I really am a luddite, yeesh. I shall also experiment a bit and see what happens...
I am also trying to figure out the reducing photo thing. I have preview and Iphoto to work with. I cant see a function in either of them that indicates how to reduce something to a particular DPI. I am told I need the photos to be 300dpi, tiff files. I can figure the save as to get them from jpeg to tiff, but how do I know the dpi and change that?
Help file on the computer is useless on this subject, alas.
much love, thanks for your help
ps am getting adobe photoshop installed soon, but need to do this tonight with what I have available!
xoxo
a
"God *was* my co-pilot, but then we crashed, and I had to eat him..."
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia
Written by: BansheeCat
Polarity, control ad then " click" do you mean tap? There is nothing to click?
There is something to click... it is below what you are calling the 'traceboard', where you run your fingers to move the mouse... a rectangular panel that makes a little noise if you press it. THose two items together do the functions of a mouse.
As Polarity said, hold down the button *ctrl* (bottom left, next to *option*) and click, or press.
I also can't find a way to reduce dpi in either preview or iPhoto. (Crop or resize, yes but that's different)
Thanks Polarity, I downloaded a free demo version of GraphicConverter, I just haven't had time to figure out how to use it! One thing they don't give you with the freebie is a tutorial...
Cheers
G
.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....
veteran
1,247 posts
Location: lost, Canada
Thanks guys!
"God *was* my co-pilot, but then we crashed, and I had to eat him..."
water based
5,125 posts
Location: melbourne, Australia
hmm, i figure this would be the most appropriate place to ask this question, so.. would you be able to plug a mac mouse in a pc?
"you know there are no trophys for doing silly things in real life yeah pete?" said ant "you wont get a 'listened to ride of the valkyries all the way to vietnam' trophy"
*proud owner of the very cute fire_spinning_angel, birgit and neon shaolin*
water based
5,125 posts
Location: melbourne, Australia
hmm, dont worry bout it, just found out it works, but the functions i want dont work
"you know there are no trophys for doing silly things in real life yeah pete?" said ant "you wont get a 'listened to ride of the valkyries all the way to vietnam' trophy"
*proud owner of the very cute fire_spinning_angel, birgit and neon shaolin*
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom
You can get some software to make it work better. I'm using a Logitech MX-1000 (with 10 buttons), and a piece of software called USB Overdrive to program all the buttons.
You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.
Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom
Ooops, wrong way round
but I'm pretty sure someone's done the same to use Mac hardware on PCs, maybe as part of the Bootcamp drivers. The one button track pad can emulate a double click in windows by holding down the right apple key and clicking the track pad. You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.
Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.
1,363 posts
Location: Nuneaton
Pete,, if you mean the MightyMouse then Apple have 'apparently' released windows drivers although i *think* they may only be for XP,, although i couldn't find them when i had a quick look though....
Some men see things and say why....
I Dream of things that never were and say Why Not....?
Oh No I'm going to get Shot Alive if he finds out - DA
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia
Written by: Ry
I thought you could do it in Preview though? "Save As"?
Phew I finally got around to that. How simple! Cheers
.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....
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