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Questions from a MAC newbie
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Brooklyn
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Hi all,
I hope you will have some patience for a newbie like me. I am one of those who have been using PC all my life until a few days ago when I got my first PowerBook. I feel like I've joined a cult...in a good way...and I'm happy I did. Any help, tips will be much appreciated.
1. Running video files - I have videos I downloaded from my PC. I have them on CDs. The only ones I can play at QuickTime are mpg or mpeg files. None of them can run in the DVD Player in MAC. Is there a way for me to convert these files so that they will run in the DVD Player? I prefer not to play them in QuickTime because it does not does Full Screen. For now, I'm trying to avoid buying the Pro version. If not, is there any other software out there I can use? Free, preferably. =)
2. Video screen darkens - The Video Screen darkens so fast. This is especially a problem when playing videos. My solution so far is to go to Energy Saver and choose Never for both in the Sleep option. But it gives this Yellow Triangle that scares me saying this will not prolong the life of the Display. Should I be concerned of this?
3. iPod - I have had my iPod with no problems with my PC. Now that I have a PowerBook, I am hoping that I can do all my synchronization there. But my MAC does not seem to recognize it. When I connect them and go to the properties, the Update and Restore button are not active. It also says that the format is Windows. When I disconnect it also, the iPod itself does not remove that blinking message of Do Not Disconnect. Is there something that I can do or just do what I do before, that is, use my PC for this?
4. Eject button? - I thought the button beside the F12 button on the upper right of the keyboard is the Eject button. But when I have a CD or DVD in my PowerBook and press that button, it does not come out. The only way I can do it for now is to drag the icon from the desktop into trash. Is this the only way?
5. Warm on left side - is the left side of my Powerbook being warmer than the right part (where my wrists are resting when typing) normal?
Thank you!
Rich
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Status:
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VLC will play anything, and play it full screen for free.
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Automatic
Status:
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Originally Posted by richardv
Hi all,
I hope you will have some patience for a newbie like me. I am one of those who have been using PC all my life until a few days ago when I got my first PowerBook. I feel like I've joined a cult...in a good way...and I'm happy I did. Any help, tips will be much appreciated.
Sure, is nice to have more PC guys coming to the Mac world.
1. Running video files - I have videos I downloaded from my PC. I have them on CDs. The only ones I can play at QuickTime are mpg or mpeg files. None of them can run in the DVD Player in MAC. Is there a way for me to convert these files so that they will run in the DVD Player? I prefer not to play them in QuickTime because it does not does Full Screen. For now, I'm trying to avoid buying the Pro version. If not, is there any other software out there I can use? Free, preferably. =)
What mduell says, VLC is great. MPlayer is another good option. Then you could install the free WMV plug-in to play some typical windows movie formats under QuickTime also.
VLC here:
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/5758
WMV plug-in here:
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/17787
MPlayer here:
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/18580
2. Video screen darkens - The Video Screen darkens so fast. This is especially a problem when playing videos. My solution so far is to go to Energy Saver and choose Never for both in the Sleep option. But it gives this Yellow Triangle that scares me saying this will not prolong the life of the Display. Should I be concerned of this?
I wouldn't worry about it. Just turn the brightness off/down if you are not using the PowerBook for a while.
3. iPod - I have had my iPod with no problems with my PC. Now that I have a PowerBook, I am hoping that I can do all my synchronization there. But my MAC does not seem to recognize it. When I connect them and go to the properties, the Update and Restore button are not active. It also says that the format is Windows. When I disconnect it also, the iPod itself does not remove that blinking message of Do Not Disconnect. Is there something that I can do or just do what I do before, that is, use my PC for this?
I think you just need to download and run the 'Apple iPod Updater' app to let it apply the Mac format to the iPod. Please note you would have to store your music in some safe place since I guess the iPod Updater is going to delete the iPod hard disk content.
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/14826
4. Eject button? - I thought the button beside the F12 button on the upper right of the keyboard is the Eject button. But when I have a CD or DVD in my PowerBook and press that button, it does not come out. The only way I can do it for now is to drag the icon from the desktop into trash. Is this the only way?
You have to hold it (F12) down until the disk comes out.
5. Warm on left side - is the left side of my Powerbook being warmer than the right part (where my wrists are resting when typing) normal?
I guess it could be related to being the hard disk placed there.
You welcome. 
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: 888500128
Status:
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Originally Posted by richardv
4. Eject button? - I thought the button beside the F12 button on the upper right of the keyboard is the Eject button. But when I have a CD or DVD in my PowerBook and press that button, it does not come out. The only way I can do it for now is to drag the icon from the desktop into trash. Is this the only way?
The eject button will generally not force a disk to eject if it is in use.
E.g., if it's currently playing in iTunes, or the DVD is still open in DVD player.
Both of those applications have eject buttons, as well, though, and the key next to F12 will work when the disk is not in use.
Press and hold it a little bit.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Staffs, UK
Status:
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Oh, and 1 more thing: It's "Mac", not "MAC". "Mac" is short for "Macintosh", "MAC" is an acroynm for "Media Access Controller", amongst other things !
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Feb 2001
Status:
Offline
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Originally Posted by richardv
2. Video screen darkens - The Video Screen darkens so fast. This is especially a problem when playing videos. My solution so far is to go to Energy Saver and choose Never for both in the Sleep option. But it gives this Yellow Triangle that scares me saying this will not prolong the life of the Display. Should I be concerned of this?
Another thing you can do for this is going into System Preferences -> Energy Saver -> the Options tab; then under "Other Options" there should be something that says, "Automatically reduce the brightness of the display before display sleep." Uncheck the box next to that.
This will allow you to set a time for the display to go to sleep without darkening the screen prior to it going to sleep.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Seattle
Status:
Offline
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4. You will run into several things like this. The Mac will try to err on the side of caution. So you can't just eject a disk if something is using it. pc's used to let you eject a floppy while it was being written to, yikes!
the hot spot is probably the processor. It will get hotter the longer you run it - especially with video.
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You can take the dude out of So Cal, but you can't take the dude outta the dude, dude!
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