[Janaka Cooray]

With many people 'switching' from PC to Mac with the arrival of the mini, I wondered what these new computer-literate users make of the platform? Hoping to get a thread not biased by Mac zealots - but an unbiased opinion on the platform.

Here's my take...

Mini arrived last week (1.25GHz, 512 MB, 80GB, SuperDrive, Bluetooth, Airport Extreme with Apple Pro Wireless mouse and keyboard.)

Connected it to my iiyama 19" CRT.

Wasn't quite as 'plug and play' as I thought. After switch-on, could not get the past the language-selection screen as the mouse and keyboard weren't recognised. No 'quick-start' pull-out and only a reference in the printed user-guide to 'refer to the documentation with the wireless mouse and keyboard'. These advised bringing up 'system preferences' - which I could not access.

...had to call Apple Technical Support (5 mins waiting time only) to be told that the Mac OS X setup disk had to be in the drive when the mini booted first time - this wasn't mentioned clearly enough in the printed user-guide (if it was mentioned at all.)

The iiyama monitor is detected very well by OS X - a resolution of 1152 x 864 at 75 Hz is chosen. The manual states that 1280x 1024 is the 'preferred resolution' (this is the maximum true resolution possible given the dot-pitch of the monitor - though it will render up to a dizzying 2048 x 1600.) Since 1280 x 1024 is a 5:4 ratio resolution - and the monitor is a 4:3 resolution, the choice OS X makes is very good indeed.

Running 'Display Calibration Assistant' shows that the monitor is very close to passing all the tests to ensure a target gamma of 1.8 - only a minor tweak to the black level is required (possibly due to the fact the monitor is nearly 2 years old now.)

So overall, the Mac runs a fully-callibrated display as default - compared to Windows XP default choice of 800x600 (with a pop-up bubble changing the resolution to 1024x768 on this same monitor) and the Mac clearly is superior.

Impressed by Safari's choice of large fonts for screen reading - browsers should optimise for screen reading and not have to worry about true print WYSIWYG.

Unimpressed by Safari's speed - going to try out Firefox and Camino to see if the rendering speed is Safari-specific.

Internet Setup Assistant at first setup immediatelt recognised by Netgear Wireless router - no problems wth Airport capability, and surfing in 15 mins.

Transfered all by pictures taken on Nokia camera phone to mini via bluetooth - fancy, but not impressed by speed (7k/sec, when each picure is arond 300k, and there are 185 pics to transfer!.) Bluetooth functionality is easy to use though.

Very impressed by iPhoto slideshow of pics, with various effects and music picked from music folder done in literally minutes.

Not impressed by downloading on OS X - files appear on the desktop without anouncing download finished - many times download a file multiple times to the desktop thinking the link is broken.

Find myself dragging a lot using the mouse - windows don't maximise to the whole screen making the whole environment more 'windowed'. The Apple mouse stops the context menu being used so much - so I find I literally drag to the trash can, to folders etc. The Apple mouse encourages a more-ergonomic position of holding the mouse (the wrist moves less.) So I guess that's a better arrangement.

Installed route 66 - only to find that the icon wasn't put in the 'Applications' folder or the Dock. I can see many newer users getting confused by aplciations not appearing immediately in the Dock.

Notice tool tips take longer to appear - maybe to keep the screen from 'cluttering' easily during normal use - but make discovering program features longer.

Notice 'home and 'end' keys don't move to the beginning and end of a line as in Windows - I miss that.

My sister bought an eMac recently. This was an attempt to get her an easier computer to use in the hope she wouldn't keep calling me to repair it. A month after getting it, she reports unusable icons all over the desktop, unable to install WMP 9 and increasing frequency of 'hangs'. OS X seems to be less wizard-driven than Windows - and usability suffers as a result in my opinion.

Impressed by how OS X never seems to slow down, regardless of the number of apps running.

Enough for now - overall, I'm pleased with my purchase. The ergonomics of my new system are better than they are on the PC - and tha's a big plus point. I don't think that the Mac is really easier for a complete newb to use though compared to Windows.

Anyone else's thoughts on 'the switch'?

[discotronic]

I never had a problem with my Apple wireless keyboard and mouse on my iMac G5. It was recognized without having to put a disk in. Hopefully Apple fixes this in the next update.

The next update to Safari should speed everything up but until then try a program called SafariSpeed. It will speed the browser up quiet a bit. Here is a link:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/24331

As far as downloading goes, is the Download Manager coming up at all?

Most people don't want every application that is installed to show up in the Dock. If you want it there you will have to drag it in yourself. Most applications should end up in the Applications folder unless you specify otherwise.

Bluetooth is slow no matter what platform you are using.

What kind of icons does you sister have on her desktop? Installers and whatnot can just be dragged into the trash. OSX doesn't put icons on the desktop. That is up to the user. I stay away from Windows Media Player and use VLC unless I don't have a choice but to use it. Microsoft doesn't keep it up to date like it's Windows counterpart. Also, how much memory does your sister's eMac have? If she only has 256MB that could be the "hanging" problem. 512MB is the least amount that OSX needs to actually run efficiently.

I use both platforms on a daily basis and I have to say that I am more biased towards the Mac but I wouldn't consider myself a zealot. I can't see where Windows is easier to use. Any computer will be a challenge for someone that hasn't used one before. I have seen many people try to use Windows only to get frustrated and give up. Put a Mac in their hands and they are up and going in no time.

My advice is to try and set your Windows mindset to the side. OSX isn't supposed to behave like Windows. That is the whole point in it not being Windows.

Congrats on your new mini and welcome to the community

[Janaka Cooray]

Thanks for the welcome Discotronic!

The link for the SafariSpeed app - user comments report that it isn't compatibile with the version of Safari that I have though (1.2.4). Also there is a link explaining why Apple put the delay into Safari - now that I know, I can see their rationale for doing it (especially since the delay actaully speeds up the absolute time it takes to display a page and eliminates flickering.) I have been impressed by the accuracy of rendering in Safari.

Route 66 (which I purchased from the Apple store) gives me the option of installing to 'Macintosh HD' as default - a much more sensible default would be to install to the Applications folder. I have also installed 'OSS3d' for itunes (a surround sound enhancer for itunes) - I cannot even find where this has installed, and have had to write an email to tech support. I do not see how the current download options of dmg, pkg etc and manual dragging of an application icon to the dock is 'easier' than a wizard-driven interface.

It seems that the G5 ships with the bluetooth assistant set for startup - it seems the mini does not ship expecting to pair with a wireless keyboard as default - a big omission really.

The download manager does come up - but I feel that sometimes it may be obscured by other windows (the download manager should be always on top - even if it is not modal - and can be obscured later.)

I agree with your statement that, in reality, any computer is challenging to use for the beginner - but since my sister is expereincing problems using the Mac, I feel it is right to challenge the Mac's reputation as being so much easier to use.

My sister does have 512 MB RAM - I reckon the 'unusable icons' on her desktop may be Windows executables - the freezing sounds like a real issue though.

The reason I'm writing this topic is to stimulate real debate and observations on the switch. I'm not looking to put the Mac platform down - I'm happy with my purchase. It maybe that I am missing out certain features and tricks that others will enlighten me about.

Other experiences?

PS As I'm typing this in safari, the Mac can barely keep up with my typing speed. I have a couple of other windows open and displaying content - has anyone else expereinced this slowdown when typing with several (about 4) windows open?

[discotronic]

Originally posted by Janaka Cooray:


PS As I'm typing this in safari, the Mac can barely keep up with my typing speed. I have a couple of other windows open and displaying content - has anyone else expereinced this slowdown when typing with several (about 4) windows open?

For some reason animated GIFFs give Safari a hard time. Especially while trying to type here on MacNN. Some users are reporting this is fixed in the Tiger builds. I don't have any real information beyond that though. Firefox is a great browser and might be more along the lines of what you are looking for. I use it all the time myself and it is definitely faster than Safari.

As far as SafariSpeed goes it should work with no problems. I'm using it with the same version of Safari as you without any problems. If it isn't working for you and you don't mind going into the command line you could try this:

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.p...50118152940322

The omission of the bluetooth setup assistant isn't cool at all

I can kinda see where you are coming from with the installation of programs. Most programs on the Mac are installed by just dragging the application to the Applications folder. The installers should automatically send it into the Applications folder. Some installers give you the option of putting an icon in the dock but I've only come across a few that do this. Since the OSS 3D is a plug-in you might want to look in Macintosh HD>Library>Preferences or Macintosh HD>Library>iTunes. If not just do a search. Under the Finder click on File and then go down to Find. Search "Everywhere" for something with OSS 3D.

There is a book by David Pogue called OSX: The Missing Manual. It is a great book for anyone (switcher or long time Mac user) to have. I have to say that it is probably the easiest book to follow. It has a ton of neat tips and it tries to get away from the geek talk.

Can you go into more detail about the freezing? What application is she using when it happens? It could be something simple or a known problem with whatever application she is using.

[icibaqu]

Re: your typing question. the answer on this board to stuff like that seems to lie with teh RAM? so...could be a ram thing. maybe not though. you have 512...have you noticed it slower in other areas also?

[Pierre B.]

Originally posted by Janaka Cooray:

PS As I'm typing this in safari, the Mac can barely keep up with my typing speed. I have a couple of other windows open and displaying content - has anyone else expereinced this slowdown when typing with several (about 4) windows open?

As already said, this is a known bug in Safari and has nothing to do with the number of open windows. When it loads a page with animated gifs, it ups CPU usage to full blast. Many say it can make even a G5 crawl to its knees, but I have not seen it personally on a G5 to tell.

I would suggest to use Camino (a much nicer browser than Firefox I think) and install the ExtraPrefs from here. You can then tell Camino to animate the gifs once, the only workaround for now. You can also enable http pipelining. With this enabled, Camino destroys Safari in speed. Literally.

[Pierre B.]

Originally posted by Janaka Cooray:

It seems that the G5 ships with the bluetooth assistant set for startup - it seems the mini does not ship expecting to pair with a wireless keyboard as default - a big omission really.

I think I have read reports saying otherwise, but I don't have a link right now. Perhaps others here can share with us their experience on this one.

[Pierre B.]

Originally posted by Janaka Cooray:

The download manager does come up - but I feel that sometimes it may be obscured by other windows

That's why you have the F10 key, when your browser application is the front-most. Just learn to use Expose. It is quite trivial to learn it and it will help you and simplify very much locating a single window.

(the download manager should be always on top - even if it is not modal - and can be obscured later.)

This is just personal preference I think. And personally I would find it annoying.

[discotronic]

Originally posted by Pierre B.:
That's why you have the F10 key, when your browser application is the front-most. Just learn to use Expose. It is quite trivial to learn it and it will help you and simplify very much locating a single window.



This is just personal preference I think. And personally I would find it annoying.

I set hot keys for Expose. I find it easier than using the function keys. I have the bottom left set for Desktop and the bottom right set for Windows. I do so much switching between apps that I have found this to be the fastest way of doing things. Of course it is all about personnel preferences.

[Pierre B.]

Originally posted by Janaka Cooray:
I do not see how the current download options of dmg, pkg etc and manual dragging of an application icon to the dock is 'easier' than a wizard-driven interface.

First you don't *need* to drag an application to the dock; you would do that for applications that you use frequently and you do want a quick access to.

And second, drag-an-drop installation is much easier and clean. You just see and know exactly what has been placed and where. When you need to "uninstall", you just drag-and-drop the thing to the Trash (and empty it). Some preference files that will remain on your home directory (in ~/Library/Preferences or ~/Library/Application Support), are just... files eating up some KB of disk space, and you can throw them as well. They are completely harmless if they remain there.

I don't see how would you prefer an installer or wizard, that will put files in the system, god knows where, that the unistall procedure may fail to remove. And I am not talking about benign preference files, which are created in known places after having run the application.

I agree with your statement that, in reality, any computer is challenging to use for the beginner - but since my sister is expereincing problems using the Mac, I feel it is right to challenge the Mac's reputation as being so much easier to use.

My sister does have 512 MB RAM - I reckon the 'unusable icons' on her desktop may be Windows executables - the freezing sounds like a real issue though.

I cannot know of course what happens on your sister's eMac. However, there are some simple general guides you can follow to keep a machine in good shape. In your case, I would suggest the next time you see her, to backup any documents she has and reinstall the system from the beginning. Then, you can create a normal account (the first one that sets up the system has administrative privileges) and let her use this account. In this way she cannot screw up the system by misuse of the administrative power she has (I assume) right now.

The general consensus about Mac's ease of use is that it is generally easy and intuitive to new users, and often quite hard to old Mac users, from the MacOS 7-8-9 days, which have already a well developed and different sense of ease-of-use.

[Pierre B.]

Originally posted by Pierre B.:
First you don't *need* to drag an application to the dock; you would do that for applications that you use frequently and you do want a quick access to.

Alternatively, you can always put all your downloaded applications in a sub-directory that you will create inside the /Applications directory, and drag the Applications directory to the Dock. This way, with right-click, if you use a two-button mouse, or ctrl-click, if you use the Apple one, you can reveal the contents of the "Applications" directory from the Dock, and launch an application from there.

[hldan]

Originally posted by Janaka Cooray:
Thanks for the welcome Discotronic!




I agree with your statement that, in reality, any computer is challenging to use for the beginner - but since my sister is expereincing problems using the Mac, I feel it is right to challenge the Mac's reputation as being so much easier to use.


The reason I'm writing this topic is to stimulate real debate and observations on the switch. I'm not looking to put the Mac platform down - I'm happy with my purchase. It maybe that I am missing out certain features and tricks that others will enlighten me about.

Other experiences?

PS As I'm typing this in safari, the Mac can barely keep up with my typing speed. I have a couple of other windows open and displaying content - has anyone else expereinced this slowdown when typing with several (about 4) windows open?

I think you may be misunderstanding the whole concept about the Mac having a reputation when it comes to ease of use. This is very true, it is the easiest computer to use. The one feature that convinced me is the reality of just dumping an unwanted program in the trash and that it! I didn't have to uninstall it like Windows and sometimes uninstalling would still corrupt other programs. That was the biggest seller for me.
The thing is "ease of use" and "perfect" are not the same words and I think this is where you are misunderstanding. Macs don't go without their problems and certain things about them can be irritating but try and put this into perspective. Your best day on Windows is your worst day on the Macintosh.
Safari is a fast browser but it's not completely ready for primetime. I still cannot uses it to do my online banking but Firefox can. However sufing on Safari can be a lot smoother than Firefox. I like Firefox for the cool graphical themes and I can do more on the web with it but at least Macs don't need it for the same security reasons as Windows machines.
Safari does lag on the typing when on "this forum" for some reason. Again, it's not ready for primetime.
Any computer new to someone will take getting used to. Just because Macs are the easiest computer to use and learn doesn't mean even a computer nerd can learn the OS in 10 minutes flat.
Otherwise enjoy your new Mac.

[scottiB]

Originally posted by Janaka Cooray:
Installed route 66 - only to find that the icon wasn't put in the 'Applications' folder or the Dock. I can see many newer users getting confused by aplciations not appearing immediately in the Dock.

Route 66 is kind of goofy in its install. Mine (Route USA) left an alias (shortcut in Windows terminology) of it on my Desktop--it was installed in my Applications folder (can't recall if I had to specify it to do so). By default, newly installed apps don't get placed in the dock. It's up to the user to decide what to place there.

Welcome to Mac, and don't be a stranger to these boards--cheers.

[hldan]

Originally posted by scottiB:
Route 66 is kind of goofy in its install. Mine (Route USA) left an alias (shortcut in Windows terminology) of it on my Desktop--it was installed in my Applications folder (can't recall if I had to specify it to do so). By default, newly installed apps don't get placed in the dock. It's up to the user to decide what to place there.

Welcome to Mac, and don't be a stranger to these boards--cheers.

What sort of program is Route 66?

[Janaka Cooray]

Thanks all for the corrections and advice in this thread.

I was getting ease of use mixed up with perfection - good point to make.

What I am reading here is that it seems to be harder to screw OS X up - just dragging an applcation's icon to the trash can will renove it and won't screw up other applications (unlike Windows where removing one application can remove the installer for a related application.)

Discotronic - did you mention setting up hotspots with 'Expose'? I think Expose really is a swish feature of the Mac (almost like a sci-fi special effect!) - the ability to activate it by just moving the mouse would really kill the impression I got that Microsoft had the better user interface element with the Task bar (don't flame me for that last thought - just my opinion at the time.)

I'm not exactly sure which application my sister's emac hangs under - but I would bet it's almost certainly Safari - when trying to view a video or something like that. I once got a spinning beachball for ages and actually killed safari off. It didn't bring the system down. I think she may be confusing hanging with freezes. I once just left safari to it's own thing - and control was restored.

BTW - if Safari is so slow - why is it so lauded on the Mac? When IE 1 and IE 2 were bundled with PC's, people just used Netscape - because it was better. People only started to use IE again when it caught up in terms of speed and features. It was this fact that caused Microsoft to sit up and take heed. We wouldn't have the likes of Firefox, Opera etc, if the market hadn't been made so competetive by the users.

How's this for a useabilty enhancement? A 'Tip of the Day' feature on startup? It could be turned off - but would provide help to newbies on the purpose and usage of the Dock, Expose, Finder etc.

Remember, for a newb it is more explanatory to have a name for a function such as 'My Computer' than 'Finder', and 'Internet Explorer' rather than 'Safari'. The difference lies in naming something according to its fucntion rather than just branding it.

Please don't think that I am being antagonistic with my comments - it's just that I believe that us 'switchers' can add something useful to the user requests for functionality by taking some of the best bits of Windows and adding them to what seems like a better multi-tasking OS.

[CaptainHaddock]

"BTW - if Safari is so slow - why is it so lauded on the Mac? "

Well, if you're up to date on system updates, Safari is actually pretty snappy. It has some nice usability features (like full access to the system menu and smart auto-fill on forms) that other browsers lack.

Safari is also minimalistic. It does one thing, and does it well.

By the way, your sister with the eMac should (in my opinion) learn to use the Finder and stop letting stuff accumulate on the desktop. I keep my desktop absolutely clear, there's no need to use it as a dumping site for links and files like the Windows desktop.

If she learns how to use the Finder, how to launch applications from the Finder, and how to keep her dock organized (it's super-simple), she'll be way better off.

And the reason the Mac doesn't have a lot of wizards is that it uses intuitive drag-and-drop methods for most tasks. Windows prefers installers and wizards that put files in secret places and screw up your registry.

If an application can't be installed by dragging an icon to "Applications", it's probably not worth having. The only exceptions are special pro-applications from Apple and Adobe.

[discotronic]

Originally posted by Janaka Cooray:


Discotronic - did you mention setting up hotspots with 'Expose'? I think Expose really is a swish feature of the Mac (almost like a sci-fi special effect!) - the ability to activate it by just moving the mouse would really kill the impression I got that Microsoft had the better user interface element with the Task bar (don't flame me for that last thought - just my opinion at the time.)

BTW - if Safari is so slow - why is it so lauded on the Mac? When IE 1 and IE 2 were bundled with PC's, people just used Netscape - because it was better. People only started to use IE again when it caught up in terms of speed and features. It was this fact that caused Microsoft to sit up and take heed. We wouldn't have the likes of Firefox, Opera etc, if the market hadn't been made so competetive by the users.

If you want to make hot corners (sorry I said hot keys in my original post) with Expose you just go to System Preferences and select Expose. You have the option to set the 4 corners of your screen to "Active Screen Corners." This is in my opinion the way that Expose was supposed to work.

Here another cool but useless trick. Minimize an application into the Dock. While holding down the Shift key click (with your mouse) in the Dock the application that you minimized.

I really don't think Safari is slow. It still has a few bugs that need to be worked out but it is coming along fairly well. It hasn't been around very long at all. It was introduced January 2003 and even then it was in Beta form. I think it was introduced as a full 1.0 in June or July of 2003. That makes it a very young program.

One poster already mentioned that it does what it does and it does it well. Tabbed browsing, pop-up blocker, easy bookmarking and the right balance of features make it a very nice browser. If you want a crappie browser try IE for Mac

Is you sister having a problem with eBay by chance? Recently they did an update to their site and something "broke" with Safari. I don't know if the issue ever got resolved. Basically when trying to do a search the spinning beach ball would come up and take forever to go away.

[f1000]

Originally posted by Janaka Cooray:
Mini arrived last week (1.25GHz, 512 MB, 80GB, SuperDrive, Bluetooth, Airport Extreme with Apple Pro Wireless mouse and keyboard.)

I'm surprised you went with an Apple Pro Wireless mouse. A two-button Logitech scroll mouse is far better in my opinion. You can set any extra mouse buttons to work with Expos�.

If you insist on using a one-button mouse, then learn to use the command key as a modifier. It'll make life easier.

[Janaka Cooray]

Thanks Discotronic for the expose instructions - now I am switching betwen apps faster than if I were using the Windows taskbar (or even virtual desktops.)

I went with the Apple Pro Wireless Mouse simply becuase it is Apple hardware - and I've always been impressed with Apple hardware. (I remember being impressed by the first touchpad on one of the first Powerbooks years ago.) One of the things I said in the first post in this thread was how I was pleased with the physical ergonomics of the system. The Apple Pro Wireless Mouse seems to encourage the 'correct' ergonomic way of operating a mouse - which is by resting the whole palm on the top and moving using gross arm movements (and keeping the wrist immobile.) Not to mention that it is an absolutely gorgeous interpretation of a mouse - truly form follows function!

And believe it or not, I'm finding the absence of the right mouse button not as crippling as I thought it might have been. Thinking about it, I used the right mouse button in Windows for: deleting files, minimizing all windows (i.e. showing the desktop), copying and pasting files. I seem to be accomplishing all this functions by dragging on the Mac (which is again more ergonomically correct than pressing mouse buttons would you believe.)

I care about ergonomics because my father has had several operations recently due to 'Carpel Tunnel Syndrome' (i.e. RSI) - so I actually admire Apple's attention to detail when it comes to ergonomics - I'm sure things are this way because they have been designed to be this way.

Point taken about Safari being young - I learnt yesterday (but soon forgot) than Safari has a 'perceived' rendering time which is way slow - but that is a designed-in delay to increase 'actual' rendering time (it doesn't have to re-render the screen after a stylesheet has been downloaded.)

Again, Apple are acually doing things the 'proper' way - and the associated flickering with the redraw gave me the opinion that Firefox may not be rendering quite accurately on the PC (though it probably was). I've already mentioned that my initial impression of Safari was that I was pleased with its rendering accuracy.

As I update this thread with my impressions of the Mac Experience, I've forgot to mention that I've left the mini on for 3 whole days (it's so quiet I can't hear it in spite of the fact it's in the same room I sleep in.) - and it hasn't hung! Don't think I ever managed that with the PC.

PS I read on the news pages of MacNN that the next update to OS X might be released as early as next month. I only just got this system last week - would I qualify for a free / reduced uprade do you think?

[PBG4 User]

Most likely you won't be eligible for a free* (*US$19.95 s/h fee) upgrade to Tiger. When they announced the last OS X upgrade (Panther) only people who bought systems on the day of the announcement or later were eligible for the free* upgrade.

As far as Safari goes, the animated GIF problem is the whole page is forced to reload for each frame of the GIF animation. This is why Safari bogs down when animated GIFs are on screen. This will peg the CPU on just about any Mac available today.

To see this in action, open the CPU monitor (or alternatively, run 'top' in a terminal window). Then open a page with many animated GIF files (the post page for this forum works nicely). Now, scroll the animated GIF portion off screen (shrink your Safari window if necessary). See how low the CPU usage is? Now, scroll the animated GIFs back onscreen and watch the CPU start smoking from working so hard! Scroll the GIFs back off screen again so you can see the CPU usage diminish back to normal levels.

This problem has been fixed in the Tiger builds of Safari, at least from what I've heard. I don't have a copy of Tiger so I'm not breaking any kind of NDA or what have you in relating this information. (The preceding announcement brought to you by the words 'Law' 'Suit' and 'Apple' )

[scottiB]

Originally posted by hldan:
What sort of program is Route 66?

http://www.66.com/route66/index.php

[legacyb4]

Argh, not meaning to jump on your back, but pop-up tips, dialogs, etc. a la Windows XP is enough to drive anyone absolutely bonkers... 10.3 has a reasonably easy to understand Help system which is a mouse-click away by the user rather than having it forced onto the user. Much more preferable, IMHO.

Originally posted by Janaka Cooray:
How's this for a useabilty enhancement? A 'Tip of the Day' feature on startup? It could be turned off - but would provide help to newbies on the purpose and usage of the Dock, Expose, Finder etc.

[Stecchino]

The last post in this thread was almost 1 month ago, but my question relates specifically to this discussion...does SafariSpeed still help with the new version of Safari (1.3), which is a much-improved version?

[stavrosbezas]

I got my mini earlier this week and had hardly ever touched a mac computer before (not in at least 10 years!)

I plugged my Logitech MX Wireless Keybaord and Mouse and it was flawlessly detected, no software set up. When I set it up I initially chose the filevault option, but disabled it after noticing how much it slowed it down while my encryption needs are quite low. I was amazed at how well the Mini worked and quickly everything moved. I began to personalize it and although it took sometime to figure out how to do things overall it was painless. While setting it up my fiance needed to print something out and we share the printer that I hooked up to the Mini. Within 2 minutes I had the printer shared and ready to print, I was shocked at how easy it was. The hard part was getting the Windows XP to print to it, not the mac!

I did the putty knife tricked and upgraded the ram to 512, gonna buy a gig shortly and that whole process was painless.

Importing all my photos and music was seamless as well. I'm happy as hell with this little machine, consider me a convert.

[csi95]

Originally Posted by Janaka Cooray

Notice 'home and 'end' keys don't move to the beginning and end of a line as in Windows - I miss that.

Unless I missed it, no one addressed this issue.

I also got my first Mac recently. I bought a mini two weeks ago. Overall I like it, but this is one of the more annoying things for me. I use these keys constantly in Windows, as well and pressing CTRL + Left Arrow to be able to move back one word in a sentence while I'm typing. The Mac doesn't react the same way.

Are there equivelant keys combinations in OS X? What about a way to map my keystrokes to match what I expect them to do?

[stavrosbezas]

Originally Posted by csi95

Unless I missed it, no one addressed this issue.

I also got my first Mac recently. I bought a mini two weeks ago. Overall I like it, but this is one of the more annoying things for me. I use these keys constantly in Windows, as well and pressing CTRL + Left Arrow to be able to move back one word in a sentence while I'm typing. The Mac doesn't react the same way.

Are there equivelant keys combinations in OS X? What about a way to map my keystrokes to match what I expect them to do?

ooooh..i completely forgot about that. The little things like that bug me a bit

[discotronic]

Originally Posted by Stecchino

The last post in this thread was almost 1 month ago, but my question relates specifically to this discussion...does SafariSpeed still help with the new version of Safari (1.3), which is a much-improved version?

I haven't used it since 1.3 came out. I didn't see a need for it. The new version was faster than the old one that I had run SafariSpeed on. You might want to check the developer site to see what it has to say.

[Stecchino]

I agree. The new version (1.3) is really quick. The developer's site doesn't mention anything about it, however. He'll probably wait until Tiger's out to either mention something or release an update.

[Raining Down in Texas]

Originally Posted by csi95

Unless I missed it, no one addressed this issue.

I also got my first Mac recently. I bought a mini two weeks ago. Overall I like it, but this is one of the more annoying things for me. I use these keys constantly in Windows, as well and pressing CTRL + Left Arrow to be able to move back one word in a sentence while I'm typing. The Mac doesn't react the same way.

Are there equivelant keys combinations in OS X? What about a way to map my keystrokes to match what I expect them to do?

Option + Left Arrow moves back a word, and Command + Left Arrow moves to the beginning of the line.

[Commodus]

Originally Posted by csi95

Unless I missed it, no one addressed this issue.

I also got my first Mac recently. I bought a mini two weeks ago. Overall I like it, but this is one of the more annoying things for me. I use these keys constantly in Windows, as well and pressing CTRL + Left Arrow to be able to move back one word in a sentence while I'm typing. The Mac doesn't react the same way.

Are there equivelant keys combinations in OS X? What about a way to map my keystrokes to match what I expect them to do?

There are - I'm not on my Mac right now to test, but I believe Option-left/right moves back and forth per word, while Cmd-left/right moves to the start or end of a line.

[Link]

Control a to beginning of line, control e to end of line also works for a few apps..

command + backspace will trash things, command shift backspace will empty trash.

[AppleJockey]

I switched from winDOZE just 1 month ago.
I got a imac g5 at a sweet deal because the new ones(front row isite)were coming out

I have also found the switch painless for the most part.

before I even bouht themac I bought a logitech mouse.Im sory but I just could not see myself playing with that annoying 1 button.I used it once just so I could install the software for the logitech.after that I threw it in a closet.
consider himself lucky he didnt find his way on ebay

OSX was easy enough to set up and run.
Once I got a few tips from "mac friends" and sights like this I was well on my way.
Once it runs it does just that.no blue screen very stable the only app to crash was adium.but thats 3rd party and not systemwide......


Now aesthetically os x wins hands down.
I have yet to see xp on any screen that is 1/2 as pretty os osx on this little imac.
its to the point where using the PC at work is a bit annoying


Only issues I have come across was is
1 viewing imbedded wmv clips on websites....still cant get that to work
&
2 I dont know how to lock the screen when Im not using it.With windows xp server its was alt+ctrl+del and thats was that.
When I just log out or put osx to sleep it shuts down apps as well.
(or maybe its just me)

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Janaka Cooray

The iiyama monitor is detected very well by OS X - a resolution of 1152 x 864 at 75 Hz is chosen. The manual states that 1280x 1024 is the 'preferred resolution' (this is the maximum true resolution possible given the dot-pitch of the monitor - though it will render up to a dizzying 2048 x 1600.) Since 1280 x 1024 is a 5:4 ratio resolution - and the monitor is a 4:3 resolution, the choice OS X makes is very good indeed.

Pull out a ruler. I've seen plenty of 1280x1024 'optimal' monitors that actually have 5:4 geometry. Otherwise they should say 1280x960 as optimal.

[Apfhex]

Originally Posted by AppleJockey

Only issues I have come across was is
1 viewing imbedded wmv clips on websites....still cant get that to work
&
2 I dont know how to lock the screen when Im not using it.With windows xp server its was alt+ctrl+del and thats was that.
When I just log out or put osx to sleep it shuts down apps as well.
(or maybe its just me)

1. Microsoft's WMP 9 for Mac has problems with Tiger, I believe (though I haven't even bothered to install it since upgrading to Tiger), but the Flip4Mac WMV Player comes with a plugin that works in Safari, though not very well. Too bad it's not free, either.

2. From Keychain Access.app, if you go the the Preferences you can check a box to "Show Status in Menu Bar". From the menu bar item you can lock your screen. Alternately, with Fast User Switching enabled, you can just go to the login screen (without logging out). You can also add password protection to the screen saver.

3. Since 10.3, if you enable Fast User Switching, you can log out and it will leave everything running. OS X does not close apps when you put it to sleep, so I don't know why you're seeing that behavior.

[Zubir]

To speed up Safari's rendering, open the terminal (Applications>Utilities>Terminal) and enter the following line:

defaults write com.apple.Safari WebKitInitialTimedLayoutDelay 0.001

Also, if you don't want things downloaded to the desktop, you can choose a folder for downloads on the first page of the Safari preferences.