[HeldUp]

Hi, all

I just bought my first Mac laptop ever (17" MBP C2D) and my first new Mac in nearly 10 years (G3). Working on a PC these past few years, I'm starting from scratch as far as software and fonts are concerned. I feel like a Mac newbee again, and the world of Mac seems to have changed greatly in that span.

I need your recommendations on what to put on this baby.

• Anti-virus? Norton Utilities? Disk Warrior? I'm all ears.

• I do mostly Web development, photography and photo re-touching (Photoshop), video editing and page layout work (Quark).

• I heard about needing Universal software, but waiting until next spring is too long to wait for Adobe. Will everything from the Adobe Web Bundle (CS+Studio 8) work?

• I will definitely need an external HD. I assume I should get one with Firewire instead of USB? How about an NAS drive? Suggestions?

• I have a wireless network at home with a PC base. The MBP picks up the network just fine but locating the printers is another issue. Is it worth the hassle or should I just connect the printer directly when it is time to print (I bought the new HP Photosmart C3180)?

Anything else I might need is greatly appreciated.

[ONG]

i would be interested as well. same boat but have yet to purchase mine.

heldup, can u use your old fonts on this MBP? i have quite a collection of fonts and if i can i rather have them.

[workerbee]

So far, you don't need Anti-virus software on OS X.

CS 2.3 and Studio 8 should all work: I have Photoshop and Illustrator as well as Studio 8 working on my MBP; InDesign also works. However, come April '07, you'll probably have to pay a lot to upgrade to CS3, it'll probably cost you the same as if you came from CS1. Since you come from a PC, I would (very unenthusiastically) maybe consider using Adobe CS2 and MM Studio 8 under Win XP (Parallels) until a Universal binary version is ready.

LaCie Firewire800 drives are really neat, and nicely quiet.

Anything else? Well, I could not live without LaunchBar (others prefer QuickSilver)...

[HeldUp]

Originally Posted by workerbee 

So far, you don't need Anti-virus software on OS X.

CS 2.3 and Studio 8 should all work: I have Photoshop and Illustrator as well as Studio 8 working on my MBP; InDesign also works. However, come April '07, you'll probably have to pay a lot to upgrade to CS3, it'll probably cost you the same as if you came from CS1. Since you come from a PC, I would (very unenthusiastically) maybe consider using Adobe CS2 and MM Studio 8 under Win XP (Parallels) until a Universal binary version is ready.

LaCie Firewire800 drives are really neat, and nicely quiet.

Anything else? Well, I could not live without LaunchBar (others prefer QuickSilver)...

Thanks, workerbee. I want to keep this Mac as clean as possible (sure, I say that now...) so I will take my chances with the current version of CS2 and Studio 8 and stay far away from Windows (I still use a laptop PC at work). I qualify for the university version, though I know I'll want the Universal versions when ready. Maybe I'll buy the university bundle and in the springtime buy Photoshop and keep the rest...

I've now got my eye on a LaCie Firewire drive. I already own 2 of the USB drives. Maybe I'll find some bargains the day after Turkey Day.

Not sure what's LaunchBar, but I'll look it up. I've already downloaded Mac the Ripper for making DVD backups.

ONG, I think only TrueType fonts work with OS X. Not sure if the older TTFs work, though.

[furio]

One app I find real handy is AppZapper. It's a nice little uninstaller to keep your Mac clean when you demo and subsequently remove apps.

AppZapper - The uninstaller Apple forgot.

Free alternative:
Reggie Ashworth - AppDelete

Mentioned earlier, I can't live without Quicksilver. The learning curve is a little high, but with some practice it'll feel like an extension of your brain.
quicksilver: procrastinate faster

Tutorials:
Quicksilver Tutorials Round-up at The Apple Blog

Good intro video:
YouTube - Quicksilver Tutorial Mac OS X