VisorCentral.com - Want to add MAC to my home life...

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Posted by mrstream on 04-21-2001 02:53 PM:

I ocassionally use Macs here at work, and we are getting a new G4 from Apple that I'm excited about and will probably make me want to use it more. I am thinking of buying a Mac for home this summer...it seems from what I hear on this and other boards the best thing to do will be wait until late summer after most announcements are made. Which is a good thing since I need to save up some money first, especially if I'm to buy the Powerbook like I want. I was just wondering what people would suggest to new Mac converts. I am learning a lot on my own but have a way to go before I can break my Windows (or windoze what ever you prefer ) habits. Any suggestions are GREATLY appreciated.
Looking forward to the switch,
Brian in ATL

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Posted by dvd on 04-22-2001 09:40 AM:

get a g4 like i am, but u should wait until may 1st to see does apple release anything new.

Posted by mrstream on 04-22-2001 11:41 AM:

I thought about a G4, probably the cube though, but I decided I just don't need another desktop. plus the powerbook is like having a G4 right in your briefcase.....and it's just so darn cool lookin :-)

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Posted by foo fighter on 04-22-2001 02:29 PM:

MEE TOO!

Welcome to the club! I'll be getting my first Mac in July, just after MacWorld New York. At that time, new (faster/cheaper) G4s will be announced, possibly sporting a totally new design. Apple will also be releasing a completely redesigned iMac that features a wide ratio 15" LCD display, similar to the one on the new PowerBook. So, if I were you, I would defineately wait until then.

If your interested in emulating the MacOS look and feel on your Windows PC, go to Hotfiles.com, and download a program called WinMac. It adds the MacOS toolbar to the top of your screen. It won't operate like MacOS X, but it will work like OS 9.

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Posted by mrstream on 04-22-2001 04:04 PM:

Thanks for the advice all!
I am really looking forward to buying my TiBook. Finally played with one at CompUSA yesterday. The screen size is really cool, and they had OSX on a G4....pretty cool, but still buggy as I read on othe boards. The main reason I am buyin a Mac is because I feel it is in my best interest to do so. Doing what I do (web video, done on NTs now) the Macs are just better it seems to me. And if I can learn mat home as well as at work, well that's a big plus to me.
p.s. - Foo.......I graduated from Art School last year with a Video degree. I used My Hero as the track for my "Quick Clips" on my reel because of the DOPE drum solo at the begining...I love that song =)

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Posted by lennonhead on 04-22-2001 05:25 PM:

Hi! I'm not too sure when the TiBooks will be updated, but I wouldn't think for a while since they just came out in January. I could be wrong though, and if you have to wait until summer you might as well see what comes out. Hope you enjoy your Mac experience as much as I do, Good Luck!

Also there are a few threads in this section talking about various key shortcuts and tricks of the Mac OS that you might want to check out.

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Posted by mrstream on 04-22-2001 05:36 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by lennonhead
Hi! I'm not too sure when the TiBooks will be updated, but I wouldn't think for a while since they just came out in January. I could be wrong though, and if you have to wait until summer you might as well see what comes out. Hope you enjoy your Mac experience as much as I do, Good Luck!

Also there are a few threads in this section talking about various key shortcuts and tricks of the Mac OS that you might want to check out.

Thanks man, I'll check them out!

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Posted by DarkVisor64 on 04-23-2001 11:17 PM:

I've been born and fed Macs since day one, so I applaud your decision. I would definitely wait on getting anything.

However, there is a downside. Apple will be preinstalling OS X on all machines sometime in the near future. Wait until the next expo for anything new, then you need to act fast. Or wait until about July to get one, so that when you DO have OS X, there will be some useful apps for it.

So: Either wait till the next showing and get one soon after, or wait until July.

Hope that helps...

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Posted by mrstream on 04-23-2001 11:30 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by DarkVisor64
I've been born and fed Macs since day one, so I applaud your decision. I would definitely wait on getting anything.

However, there is a downside. Apple will be preinstalling OS X on all machines sometime in the near future. Wait until the next expo for anything new, then you need to act fast. Or wait until about July to get one, so that when you DO have OS X, there will be some useful apps for it.

So: Either wait till the next showing and get one soon after, or wait until July.

Hope that helps...

Thanks.
yeah I've decided to wait until after Macworld in July...plus I have to save up the money for it as well...that's gonna take a bit

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Posted by dvd on 04-24-2001 03:41 AM:

dont get the cube it sucks. i think you should go for the tibook if u want mobility ..and get g4 if u gonna use it at home. also the app to have that start bar thing u can get one called gomac ..by action

Posted by homer on 04-24-2001 04:53 AM:

quote:
dont get the cube it sucks.

I love Macs. And I hate the cube too.

I have one at work. It's nice to look at, and it is certainly a engineering feat, but it IS a pain. It's a pain to restart it when it crashes, it's a pain to upgrade ANYTHING. It's a pain to hook up peripherals. It's a pain to open it up. It only properly works with the new (expensive, albeit cool) monitors.

I think it was a good experiment, but, alas, not very succesful.

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Posted by sowens on 04-24-2001 04:26 PM:

quote:

homer wrote:

I have one at work. It's nice to look at, and it is certainly a engineering feat, but it IS a pain. It's a pain to restart it when it crashes, it's a pain to upgrade ANYTHING. It's a pain to hook up peripherals. It's a pain to open it up. It only properly works with the new (expensive, albeit cool) monitors.

While I might agree about the restart button being in an awkward location, I haven't had that much ocassion to use it. As for the upgrades, I've added memory and changed the hard drive on mine. Didn't find it any more difficult than the typical PC (the only problem I had was the Torx screws holding the drive in place, and that whas because they overtorqued them at the factory so the heads stripped. A drill and some 6-32 button head screws fixed that.

).

As far as hooking up peripherals and the monitor issue, I don't have any problem. Firewire and USB make it easy to hook up peripherals, and the Cube has a standard VGA port built right into it and supplies a great little right angle adapter for it as well. Works great with my Hitachi 19"

Steve (who is quite happy with his Cube, Thanks.)

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Posted by homer on 04-24-2001 05:19 PM:

Steve:

Well, to be fair, I am trying to do more with my cube than what it was intended for.

I use two monitors. The cube does not support that. So, I had to go and get a 3rd-party card. Which works, accept that it does not support Apple's new monitors.

Also, the right-angle monitor cable is NOT a part. You can NOT order it from anyone. If you want a second one, you need to order another Cube. Ugh. So now my cube is sitting up on bricks so that I can get the monitor cable under it.

Well, the third-party card will not support sleep mode. So if my computer sleeps, I can't get the monitors to come back on. So I have to restart the machine.

On top of that, apparently there IS a company that has an adapter ready to manufacture to hook up the new monitors to older video cards, but Apple has not authorized it yet.

So, if you DO use the new monitor, a lot of my problems are remedies (you can hook USB up to the monitor...which is pretty slick, actually.

As for ease of getting into the cube, yea, you are right...it isn't THAT bad...I guess I was comparing it to the G4...which spoils you in term of being able to get inside it easily.

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Posted by sowens on 04-24-2001 08:05 PM:

Homer,

Gotcha. I agree that, for what you're trying to do, the Cube doesn't seem to be the best design, but if you can live within it's limitations it's a decent machine.

Instead of using bricks, you might want to try one of those wire shelving units. Not only do you have better access to the connectors on the bottom, but you get better cooling as well (IMHO). Got mine @ Kmart for $30 (rolling cart with 3 shelves).

And I love the G4 towers for the access (had one at work for a while). Best chassis I've ever seen on a PC, but it still requires a fan.

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Posted by Potus on 04-24-2001 08:44 PM:

The cube is definitely on my horizon. Although I prefer the dvd version to the cdrw. I will probably buy a cd burner sometime but right now the ability to watch dvd while others about me are watching something else is highly appealin. My preferred set up includes the 15 " flat panel monitor.

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Posted by D ev R ay 4Real on 04-25-2001 08:20 PM:

Man there is so much talk about macs in this forum! James should rename it to the Mac Forum

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Posted by dick-richardson on 04-25-2001 09:48 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by D ev R ay 4Real
Man there is so much talk about macs in this forum! James should rename it to the Mac Forum

No. Macs suck.

j/k

Actually it works out pretty nice. I go to work and have my opinion of Windows devices lowered as I repair them and then come home to my oh, so stable mac. Of course, to be fair, the same would be true if I worked on repairing macs and had a windows machine at home.

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Posted by JHromadka on 04-25-2001 10:49 PM:

We've talked about having a HotSync Troubleshooting forum, and if we did, we may have separate Win & Mac forums, but to be honest, I haven't seen many Mac synchronization questions.

All I know is Palm better release a carbonized Mac Desktop soon.

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Posted by dick-richardson on 04-25-2001 10:54 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by JHromadka
We've talked about having a HotSync Troubleshooting forum, and if we did, we may have separate Win & Mac forums, but to be honest, I haven't seen many Mac synchronization questions.

All I know is Palm better release a carbonized Mac Desktop soon.

Allow me to put a vote in for the hotsync forum. I've been having a couple of problems recently, but I'll post in the troubleshooting forum.

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