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funkboy · Jan 20, 2005, 11:27 AM

I just got a brand new 1 GHz iBook, and I'm wondering how to best setup the machine. I'd really like to get this machine into top performance, so I was wondering what the best way to do it in software is.

Should I totally format the drive to zeros and re-install Mac OS X? I've heard some people think doing this is good practice, but does it really give speed/performance/stability gains? I've always left the OS as installed and had no problems.

Is it smart to use the Setup Assistant that transfers information via a Firewire cable? Does it copy over a lot of unnecessary junk?

What other steps could help me improve the performance right away of my iBook?

Thanks for everyone's input.

Hi I'm Ben · Jan 20, 2005, 01:06 PM

Just make sure the Energy Saver options are the way you want them..

There's no real reason to reformat it. If there is software on there you didn't want make sure you delete all traces of it. Use Monolingual(look for it at version tracker) to remove extra langauges.

No. There's no reason you should have to reformat it. It will not make it -faster-. This isn't a dell.

brettcamp · Jan 21, 2005, 02:57 AM

Repair permissions. Every month and every time you install or update software.

ghporter · Jan 21, 2005, 06:53 AM

Out of the box an iBook is great. OS X optimizes the hard drive every time you install something new, and it doesn't get fragmented the way that Windows drives do anyway-the OS uses a different disk usage strategy. As Ben said, establish the Energy Saver settings that work for you, and you're probably going to have fun!

DO MAKE SURE you calibrate the battery, though. It helps the laptop keep better track of the remaining charge. That's just about the simplest thing to do, too. You just use it on battery power until it poops out, then plug it in and let it recharge. Read the instructions-they go into more detail about specific steps to take, but it's really, really simple.

MARINEOSX · Jan 21, 2005, 03:57 PM

there are a few things that I would download and install to make surfing the web better in safari.

WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER

REAL PLAYER for the occasional video format.

VLC
VLC is for the files that quicktime real or window mediaplayer can't play.

Also if you like to rip dvd's and you wan't to compress them look for mac the ripper and ffmpeg. Only use these to make backups of your dvd's as for copyright laws.

Hi I'm Ben · Jan 21, 2005, 05:06 PM

I dunno if you guys caught this part. But the guy posting this has over 2000 posts. I'd (hope) he had an idea on how to use macs, just not a new iBook =).

Mojo · Jan 21, 2005, 06:17 PM

The Setup Assistant worked great transferring data between a 600MHZ G3 iBook and my 1 GHZ G4 iBook. Only a couple of applications that reside in the Finder menu bar did not get transferred and I had to change a couple of preference settings.

All-in-all the Setup Assistant saved me hours I would have spent transferring data and configuring the new iBook.

I would NOT use CarbonCopyCloner to attempt the same data transfer. Cloning between two different Mac models can cause big problems; I hosed the G4 drive trying it. For more info check out the CCC web site. It may work okay for cloning a Firewire drive, but Macs are a different kettle of fish!

ghporter · Jan 21, 2005, 08:01 PM

Originally posted by Hi I'm Ben:
I dunno if you guys caught this part. But the guy posting this has over 2000 posts. I'd (hope) he had an idea on how to use macs, just not a new iBook =).

Good call. Fortunately my reply didn't sound-even on rereading it-like I was talking to a neophyte.

So funkboy, have these replies been helpful?