[connollyck]

Well, it arrived today. I must say It wasn't as hard as I had worried. Minor stuff is annoying, like i dont know how to select all, cut, paste with key commands. Also when you select files with windows explorer you can hold down control and click to pick individual files, you can also do shift and pick a range of files, can a mac do this? Ive been looking, but i cant find it, wheres that post that says must have programs for macs. I already downloaded the touchpad scroller, its pretty good-if youre scrolling then you go to one finger to select something it still carries you a bit down the page before it stops scrolling. Can anyone tell me what are some things i shoudl do/programs i shoudl install. Also do you guys use mail and ical or entorage? Is there a was to set firefox to be the default brower, adn why is there a firefix icon all the time on my desktop under my ipod like its a portable device attached to my comp? inquiring minds want to know.

[Cadaver]

Command-A = select all
Command-X = cut
Command-C = copy
Command-V = paste

To select multiple individual items (like control clicking multiple items on Windows), use the command (Apple) key instead.

To get Firefox off your desktop, drag it into your Applications folder. But, just so you know, on the Mac, you can keep most applications anywhere you choose, including on the desktop. Files & folders, too, like Windows. Its not just for mounted devices like your iPod.

To set Firefox as your default browser, launch Safari, go to Preferences (Safari -> Preferences...) and the default browser choices will be the first item under the General options.

I haven't used the touchpad util you've got, but I find SideTrack to be an excellent touchpad utility. Horizontal and vertical scrolling, definable scroll edges, definable corners for right-clicking, etc.

I prefer using Apple's Mail, Address Book and iCal (mainly because of the .Mac sync features) versus Entourage, but its just personal preference.

As for other apps, I guess it depends on what you do with your machine. Transmit is an excellent FTP program. Unison is a good Usenet newsgroup reader. You've found Firefox... OmniWeb is also a very good "alternative" browser with some very unique features (per-site preferences, thumbnail drawers, savable workspaces, and many others). Keynote 2 and Pages (both part of iWork) are great programs for presentations and word processing/page layout. Mellel and Nisus Writer Express are good Word alternatives. Of course, there's the whole Adobe line for pro-level graphics and design apps. GraphicConverter 5.x is a great, low-cost, "poor man's Photoshop" type graphic editor & format conversion tool; in fact I believe your Mac came with it. OmniGraffle is a flow-charting and draw-type util, and OmniGraffle Pro is a Visio equivalent (more or less). OmniOutliner is a nice outlining application. Disk Warrior is great for hard drive repair/maintenance; my advise is to stay as far away from Norton applications as possible (OK on Windows, but the pits on the Mac).

[SSharon]

Originally posted by connollyck:
edit: some minor formatting for clarity.

1) I dont know how to select all, cut, paste with key commands.

2) Also when you select files with windows explorer you can hold down control and click to pick individual files, you can also do shift and pick a range of files, can a mac do this?

3) I've been looking, but I cant find it, wheres that post that says must have programs for macs.

4) Can anyone tell me what are some things I should do/programs I should install. Also do you guys use mail and ical or entorage?

5) Is there a way to set firefox to be the default browser, and why is there a firefox icon all the time on my desktop under my ipod like its a portable device attached to my comp?

1) These actions are really the same on Macs and PCs. On a PC you hold control-c to copy well on a Mac its command-c (command key has an apple logo). So hold command down and try out all the keystrokes you already know.

2) This is another action that is almost identical. Shift will grab an entire selection, command will let you choose individual files.

3) The Applications forum should be able to help you out here. Apple's downloads page, versiontracker.com download.com and macupdate.com are all good places to get mac software.

4) See #3. I use Mail, but try them out and see what fits you best.

5) This is kind of annoying. To set Firefox as your default browser you must open Safari and go through its preferences (the same is true for setting the default mail app except you do so in Mail.app)

Hope that helps.

[sminch]

there's a great thread over in the applications forum with everyone's favourite apps - when i got my 'book i just sifted around over there and downloaded everything people were recommending. there are apps for clearing the redundant language and printer driver files off your hd (there are hundreds of mb worth!), making your dock whizz-bang, adding a temperature or cpu usage monitor to your menu bar, and loads of other stuff. definitely check this out and have a play with what's available. it's all good.

seconding the vote for versiontracker, too. one buggeryload of stuff listed there.

sminch

[connollyck]

thanks guys. hey ive got one problem. sometimes when im typing on my laptop i accidently hit the trackpad and it moves my cursor and i (unbeknownst to me) start typing on the paragraph above. is there a way to fix this?

[SSharon]

System Preferences -> Trackpad
ignore accidental movement or something like that (I'm not on my ibook at the moment