[cmeisenzahl]

Quick update!


I forgot a few things I like, I'm sure there are more:


A.
It's UNIX under the hood!

B.
The fact that I can print directly to PDFs (but the fact thst screenshots are nativly PDFs instead of a true image format irks me a touch).

C.
Painless wireless connectivity.




###########


I just made a part-time switch last week! Just a got a 1.2 G4 12" iBook. 1GB stick should arrive today. I've got Panther on the iBook w/ the latest 10.3.8 updates.


*** Things that seem odd so far: ***

1.
Lack of a Delete key. I'm getting used to useing the "splat" or Command key to toggle the use of other keys like Home, End etc. But on my PCs I often use the Delete and I'm constantly looking for it on the Mac. Any good reason why there isn't one?

I do have a 3 button mouse which makes my life easier on the Mac.


2. Some apps have an installer. I much prefer the apps that just tell me to drag one item to my Apps folder. So clean and easy to get rid of down the road. I'm a little leary of some of the installers as I'm not yet that familiar with the modern Mac OS and architecture.

3.
I'm not clear yet on exactly when to use the Option button.


4. When I look at the high level folder structures it's not quite clear to me yet. Is everything I see all under my Home folder? Am I seeing my own Applications folder and not a global one?


5.
I haven't tried it yet, but how do I copy or burn a CD w/ my ComboDrive? What app(s) do I use? Any tips?





*** Things I love so far: ***

1.
D@mn, the interface is beautiful.

2.
Expose is like a dream come true. And I'm glad the Command-Tab switching remains too.

3.
Stability.

4.
At first the launch bar didn't wow me, but I'm kind of getting into it now w/ a few customizations.

5.
Mozilla 1.01

6.
Thunderbird

7.
The little pulse light on the front of the iBook when it sleeps.

8.
The lit up apple on the case lid.


9.
I can't remember where but I recently saw a thread about advanvced scrolling or something on the iBook trackpad. What's the story w/ that? I didn't quite undertstand what the advantages were.





*** What are your favorite freeware/open-source apps? ***

I've got GraphicConverter, MacJanitor or somethign like that, and GmailStatus. I have iStumbler (http://www.istumbler.net/) do you prefer that or MacStumbler?

What other must-haves are out there that don't make a mess of the system and are really useful?


THanks very much in advance everyone, it's good to be back to the Mac! :-)


Chris

[mbryda]

Originally posted by cmeisenzahl:

1.
Lack of a Delete key. I'm getting used to useing the "splat" or Command key to toggle the use of other keys like Home, End etc. But on my PCs I often use the Delete and I'm constantly looking for it on the Mac. Any good reason why there isn't one?

Fn - Backspace will give you the forward delete you are looking for.

2. Some apps have an installer. I much prefer the apps that just tell me to drag one item to my Apps folder. So clean and easy to get rid of down the road. I'm a little leary of some of the installers as I'm not yet that familiar with the modern Mac OS and architecture.

With the apps with an installer, unless they put an uninstaller in your apps folder, you can just drag to the trash to uninstall.

4. When I look at the high level folder structures it's not quite clear to me yet. Is everything I see all under my Home folder? Am I seeing my own Applications folder and not a global one?

Things that are in your home folder are only visible to you. Things that are in the main folders are visible to all that use the computer. Stick an app in your home/applications folder and you will only see it. Other accounts will not see it. Stick it in the /applications folder and everyone can use it.

5.
I haven't tried it yet, but how do I copy or burn a CD w/ my ComboDrive? What app(s) do I use? Any tips?

Insert blank CD
Drag files to blank CD
Click Eject or Burn.

Or get Toast or NTI Dragon Burn for better options.

Hope that helps!

[SMacTech]

What is the key in the upper right of your keyboard labeled? My PowerBook and Desktop have a delete key. I wouldn't think they would leave it out of an iBook.

Your user account can have its own Applications folder. The one you see in the Finder sidebar, assuming you have it setup to display, is the global Applications folder.

There is built in help in the system that will enable you to search for how to burn a CD or DVD. Go to the Finder, the most right hand menu is Help. There is a field where you can type in " how do i burn a CD " and it will display the various help subjects available.

The option key is used for various functions, similar to how the ALT key is used in Windows.

[Millennium]

Originally posted by cmeisenzahl:
I just made a part-time switch last week! Just a got a 1.2 G4 12" iBook. 1GB stick should arrive today. I've got Panther on the iBook w/ the latest 10.3.8 updates.


*** Things that seem odd so far: ***

1.
Lack of a Delete key. I'm getting used to useing the "splat" or Command key to toggle the use of other keys like Home, End etc. But on my PCs I often use the Delete and I'm constantly looking for it on the Mac. Any good reason why there isn't one?

Admittedly, I'm not sure. OSX certainly supports the Delete key -the desktop machines all come with keyboards which have it-

2. Some apps have an installer. I much prefer the apps that just tell me to drag one item to my Apps folder. So clean and easy to get rid of down the road. I'm a little leary of some of the installers as I'm not yet that familiar with the modern Mac OS and architecture.

This is wise, particularly with Apple's own installer. Apps with installers tend to need to install stuff all over the hard drive. In some cases, there are legitimate reasons for this (case in point: apps which install fonts or drivers), but installers on the Mac are usually poorly written. Apple's own Installer technology is, sad to say, the worst of the bunch, both for its tendency to mess with file permissions unless the writer is very careful (even Apple isn't that careful) and the fact that unlike all of the other installers out there, Apple's own technology has no Uninstall.

You can get around the worst problems of Apple's installers by using CharlesS' excellent software "Pacifist". However, being wary of installers is still wise, because they are not

I'm not clear yet on exactly when to use the Option button.

The Option button is most commonly used when typing special �h�ract�rs. For example, to type �, you would hit option-N and then N again (� is option-N then O, � is option-N then A, and so on). To type �, it's option-E then E, � is option-E than A, and so forth.

Apple used to have a small app called Key Caps which made it very easy to tell what the option button could do. Sadly, that app seems to have been ditched in Panther, and there is no sign of its return in Tiger.

4. When I look at the high level folder structures it's not quite clear to me yet. Is everything I see all under my Home folder? Am I seeing my own Applications folder and not a global one?

Everything you see as in your Home folder really is in your Home folder. Everything outside it really is outside it. /Applications, for example, is global.

5. I haven't tried it yet, but how do I copy or burn a CD w/ my ComboDrive? What app(s) do I use? Any tips?

OSX does not come with any apps to actually copy existing CDs, though such apps can be found. Burning new CDs is easier, though. To burn a CD with files, just put the CD into the drive, drag whatever files you want onto the CD, and eject it; it will be burned before being given back to you. The process is similar for music CDs, but you use iTunes to do it, rather than the Finder.

There are other apps you can use to burn CDs with files and music, but the Finder and iTunes will be sufficient for most users.

I've got GraphicConverter, MacJanitor or somethign like that, and GmailStatus.

GraphicConverter is shareware, not freeware, though Apple has been including registered copies with their machines for some time now. I'l agree with you, however, that it's one of the best shareware programs out there for the Mac (if not on any platform).

This said, while GC is wonderful for converting graphics and doing batch jobs, its capabilities for actually creating new graphics are a little weak (which is fine; that's not what it's made for). If you need something stronger, you can try out Seashore, which is based on the GIMP; it's nowhere near the GIMP's power yet, but it's quite good for what it is. You can even use the GIMP itself if you need lots of power, though the Mac installation process is a little hairy since you need X11 installed.

[JKT]

Originally posted by Millennium:
Apple used to have a small app called Key Caps which made it very easy to tell what the option button could do. Sadly, that app seems to have been ditched in Panther, and there is no sign of its return in Tiger.

"Key Caps" is still there in Panther only not as easily accessible to the novice user.

Go to System Preferences>International>Input Menu and check the Keyboard Viewer option. The Keyboard Viewer (formerly called Key Caps) window can then be opened via the "flag" menu in the menubar.

[monkeybrain]

Originally posted by Millennium:


OSX does not come with any apps to actually copy existing CDs, though such apps can be found. Burning new CDs is easier, though. To burn a CD with files, just put the CD into the drive, drag whatever files you want onto the CD, and eject it; it will be burned before being given back to you. The process is similar for music CDs, but you use iTunes to do it, rather than the Finder.

There are other apps you can use to burn CDs with files and music, but the Finder and iTunes will be sufficient for most users.

You can also use Disk Utility to burn CDs. It's in your Utilities folder within your Application folder. You can use it to copy a cd: 1)put in the cd to copy and select it in Disk Utility. 2) make a disc image of that cd. 3) burn the disk image as a new disc using Disk Utility. Also use Disk Utility to check your hard disks for problems and to repair permissions (do this before and after any update to the OS).

And to clarify the folder struction for you:

Your Hard Drive/Applications (in here is all your apps and any other users of the computer, by default all apps go in here.

Your Hard Drive/Users/Your User Name (this is your Home folder where all your files are, normally apps aren't kept in here).

[wataru]

Originally posted by Millennium:
You can even use the GIMP itself if you need lots of power, though the Mac installation process is a little hairy since you need X11 installed.

Installing X11 is very easy, and installing the GIMP itself is a no-brainer if you use Gimp.app. I highly recommend it.

By the way, MacJanitor is not necessary if you install and set up anacron. You can do this with the fink package or Alastair's package.

[Superchicken]

Oi vey don't use the GIMP, just buy PS elements it'll save you a ton of hassel. That said, some of the best freeware apps, Cyberduck for FTP, Adium for IM, VLC for viewing media files. And I can't think of any others off the top of my head

[Brass]

Originally posted by Superchicken:
Oi vey don't use the GIMP, just buy PS elements it'll save you a ton of hassel. That said, some of the best freeware apps, Cyberduck for FTP, Adium for IM, VLC for viewing media files. And I can't think of any others off the top of my head

The GIMP causes no hassle for me, is free, and is more powerful that photoshop elements. Being X11, it's not entirely Mac OS X Aqua-savvy, but I've not had any hassles with that.

Gimp.app, is an excellent build of the GIMP and very Mac OS X friendly.

[wataru]

Ignore the chicken idiot. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Gimp.app is free; even if it doesn't meet your needs, you might as well give it a shot.

[wadesworld]

I love ShadowClipboard for multiple clipboards.

Wade

[Sophus]

Originally posted by cmeisenzahl:

9.
I can't remember where but I recently saw a thread about advanvced scrolling or something on the iBook trackpad. What's the story w/ that? I didn't quite undertstand what the advantages were.

Chris [/B]

The advantage is that you control the mouse pointer with one finger on the pad. With two fingers on the pad, you may scroll the document viewed witout moving the pointer. This means that there are no zones reserved for scrolling as with the conventional solution. Two finger scrolling is truly handy and effective. Can't live without it once you have tried it. As for the iPod-scrolling option (circular movements) I haven't tried it, as several people commented on having this function enabled together with vertical and horizosontal scroll made scrolling a bit jumpy.

The hack now comes with an installer that preserves the original driver. It also has a pref pane. Try it out if you have a compatible iBook or PB. Search the powerbook forum if you need more info.

Sophus

[monkeybrain]

Originally posted by Sophus:
The advantage is that you control the mouse pointer with one finger on the pad. With two fingers on the pad, you may scroll the document viewed witout moving the pointer. This means that there are no zones reserved for scrolling as with the conventional solution. Two finger scrolling is truly handy and effective. Can't live without it once you have tried it. As for the iPod-scrolling option (circular movements) I haven't tried it, as several people commented on having this function enabled together with vertical and horizosontal scroll made scrolling a bit jumpy.

The hack now comes with an installer that preserves the original driver. It also has a pref pane. Try it out if you have a compatible iBook or PB. Search the powerbook forum if you need more info.

Sophus

You might also want to check out this program: http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/12800

[Big Mac]

Originally posted by wataru:
Ignore the chicken idiot. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Gimp.app is free; even if it doesn't meet your needs, you might as well give it a shot.

Kind of harsh, wataru, no? I tried Gimp under X11 and was not too impressed. Its interface did not seem particularly intuitive or powerful, but perhaps I did not give it enough of a chance.

The OP was asking about forward delete, not the regular delete (that PCs refer to as backspace). The option key is similar to the PC's alt. It is used to type characters, and it is also used in keyboard shortcuts for menu commands. The command key (the Apple logo/clover key) is very similar to the PC's control key. You'll see that Microsoft copied many Mac keyboard shortcut conventions into Windows (command+w = control+w for close window and command+c = control+c for Copy). You'll become familiarized with OS X's folder structure soon enough. Files that program create for your user (preferences and various support files) are stored in your Home's Library (~/Library). Files installed in your Home Library are only available to you, so if you install fonts, desktops, screen savers etc. in the appropriate subfolders of your Home Library, they will only be available to your user. If you install them in the appropriate subfolders of the global Library (/Library), they will be available to all users. Congratulations on switching to the Mac!

[jasong]

The delete key on Power/iBooks is really a Backspace key. Holding down function while hitting it will give you a true delete function. Get uControl to remap the delete key if you don't want to do function+delete.

Also, as recommended previously, SideTrack is the indispensable Power/iBook utility. It lets you map trackpad tapping to Expos� functions, vertical/horizontal scrolling, adds a "snap-to" feature (cursor moves to the default button), remap the trackpad to be a right-click (or the button to a right-click), and set different clicks or actions on a per app basis. SideTrack is the best Power/iBook enhancement out there.

Have fun with the partial switch.

-- Jason

[theolein]

Originally posted by cmeisenzahl:
Quick update!


I forgot a few things I like, I'm sure there are more:

...

B.
The fact that I can print directly to PDFs (but the fact thst screenshots are nativly PDFs instead of a true image format irks me a touch).

...

Chris

If you do a screenshot to clipboard (Cmd-Ctrl-Shift-3, Cmd-Ctrl-Shift-4 and Cmd-Ctrl-Shift-4-Space) instead of directly to a file (Cmd-Shift-3, Cmd-Shift-4 and Cmd-Shift-4-Space), opening Preview and typing Cmd-N will give you the screenshot in pict format and you can export it to any Quicktime supported format by simply typing Cmd-Shift-E in Preview.

[wataru]

Originally posted by Big Mac:
Kind of harsh, wataru, no? I tried Gimp under X11 and was not too impressed. Its interface did not seem particularly intuitive or powerful, but perhaps I did not give it enough of a chance.

Even if the interface isn't the best in the world, it's still
1. free, and
2. powerful.
Therefore, you might as well give it a shot, no matter what people say. And second, SuperChic[k]en is well known for being uninformed at best, and often downright idiotic.

[paul w]

Originally posted by wataru:
Even if the interface isn't the best in the world, it's still
1. free, and
2. powerful.
Therefore, you might as well give it a shot, no matter what people say. And second, SuperChic[k]en is well known for being uninformed at best, and often downright idiotic.

Indeed, before I had access to a - erm -copy of Photoshop I used the gimp, and really it can do everything I need it to do. I think it's a bit less of a memory hog then Photoshop, as well.

It's not "intuitive" for those used to Photoshop, but after a bit, it becomes as easy, or easier to use. Photoshop is hella daunting for first time users as well, for that matter.

[Millennium]

Originally posted by Big Mac:
Kind of harsh, wataru, no? I tried Gimp under X11 and was not too impressed. Its interface did not seem particularly intuitive or powerful, but perhaps I did not give it enough of a chance.

"Not particularly intuitive", indeed. The only program with a worse interface than Gimp 1.2 is Gimp 1.0. The interface skips past "not the best in the world" to outright horrid.

This said, it's tough to deny that it's the most powerful freeware or shareware graphics editor out there. To get any better at this stage, you have to go commercial. That's not an option for most people out there, though.

There are, as far as I'm aware, no active projects to put a native Mac interface -Cocoa, Carbon, or otherwise- onto the GIMP. There have been several, but all of them stalled. Seashore, which I mentioned previously, was originally envisioned as a Cocoa port, but the author got bored with porting and decided to simply roll his own codebase. That project also appears to be stalled.

[wataru]

Originally posted by Millennium:
"Not particularly intuitive", indeed. The only program with a worse interface than Gimp 1.2 is Gimp 1.0. The interface skips past "not the best in the world" to outright horrid.

Just a note: Gimp.app is currently The GIMP 2.2.3, not 1.2. The interface certainly takes a bit of getting used to, but I wouldn't call it horrible.

[Millennium]

Originally posted by wataru:
Just a note: Gimp.app is currently The GIMP 2.2.3, not 1.2. The interface certainly takes a bit of getting used to, but I wouldn't call it horrible.

Um... whoa. Clearly I've missed something. The GIMP's interface is mostly tolerable now, and I don't say that to belittle the multiple quantum leaps forward that it's taken. It's now merely bad instead of mind-numbingly horrid.

However, my point that GIMP 1.0 had one of the worst interfaces ever to grace a computer screen still stands.

[jzdziarski]

Photoshop's not exactly the sexiest either. Photoshop for mac annoys me with all the separate windows, rather than having one large workspace like in Windows (or under wine, which is how I used to run it).

[PurpleGiant]

Originally posted by jzdziarski:
Photoshop's not exactly the sexiest either. Photoshop for mac annoys me with all the separate windows, rather than having one large workspace like in Windows (or under wine, which is how I used to run it).

Photoshop for Windows also has 'All the separate windows' (pallettes) that you speak of. In fact, it works in exactly the same way, except that it puts a big grey box behind everything, so you cannot see any other apps at the same time.

If you really don't want to see other apps while using Photoshop, use the 'Hide Others' option from the photoshop menu. However I don't see why you would want to do this, since the whole point is that you can see other apps for drag and drop, or just to multitask.

[Brass]

Originally posted by jasong:
The delete key on Power/iBooks is really a Backspace key. Holding down function while hitting it will give you a true delete function. Get uControl to remap the delete key if you don't want to do function+delete.

Actually, I think the delete key on Power/iBooks is really a delete key. It is the Backspace on Wintels that is misnamed. Backspace, literally means to move the cursor back one space, and in some old systems this was what it did (similar to the left arrow on most current systems). So on Windows, it doesn't really back space, it really does delete.

The question is whether it is a normal (back) delete or a forward delete.

[Big Mac]

No, the delete key on every Mac that has ever been produced functions the same way: (backward) delete. Unless you press the function key on an iBook or PB, which turns it into forward delete.

[Brass]

Originally posted by Big Mac:
No, the delete key on every Mac that has ever been produced functions the same way: (backward) delete. Unless you press the function key on an iBook or PB, which turns it into forward delete.

So what is it that you're disagreeing with then?

[Gavin]

Originally posted by PurpleGiant:
Photoshop for Windows also has 'All the separate windows' (pallettes) that you speak of. In fact, it works in exactly the same way, except that it puts a big grey box behind everything, so you cannot see any other apps at the same time.

If you really don't want to see other apps while using Photoshop, use the 'Hide Others' option from the photoshop menu. However I don't see why you would want to do this, since the whole point is that you can see other apps for drag and drop, or just to multitask.

Sometimes when working with graphics, colors in the background can be distracting. They can throw off your eye and even change the perceived color. Not good if your are making with zee Arrrt. That's why photoshop's tools and pallets are all black and white. Rumor is that's why OSX has the graphite theme, Aqua with it's bright colors was pissing off the graphic artists.

[littlegreenspud]

In Photoshop pressing 'F' will cycle from normal to Full Screen Mode with menu bar to Full Screen Mode back to normal mode.

[NeilCharter]

The old Key Caps can now be accessed in the Font book program. Open Font Book, go to Edit, then Special Characters and a new window will appear. Unfortunately the program doesn't seem to give the keyboard shortcut ie � is option m (useful if you are a scientist like me).

[Big Mac]

Originally posted by NeilCharter:
The old Key Caps can now be accessed in the Font book program. Open Font Book, go to Edit, then Special Characters and a new window will appear. Unfortunately the program doesn't seem to give the keyboard shortcut ie � is option m (useful if you are a scientist like me).

The Edit menu's Special Characters gives you Character Palette, and that menu item is available to any application that has an edit menu. Key Caps has been renamed Keyboard Viewer, and it's available from the Input Menu (the flag menu).

[CaptainHaddock]

By the way, anyone who needs to type special characters and doesn't use a foreign keyboard should consider the Mathias Tactile Pro. (http://matias.ca/tactilepro/)

It has indicated on every key what the alternate characters are. It also has great mechanical feedback if you're picky about that.

The local Mac dealer always has several in stock, so I assume it's a fairly popular and easy-to-find peripheral.

[theolein]

Originally posted by jzdziarski:
Photoshop's not exactly the sexiest either. Photoshop for mac annoys me with all the separate windows, rather than having one large workspace like in Windows (or under wine, which is how I used to run it).

If you want the same effect on your Mac just hit "F". Voila, instantaneous monolithic grey background for thta image window. You can hit "F" on any image to do that, and switch between them with "Cmd-<". You can also get rid of the menu bar by hitting "F" again on an image, and if you then hit "tab" you won't see the palettes either. The "F" key works in a cycle from normal to full screen with grey background to full screen with no menu bar. It does that on windows as well.

FWIW, I also like the large grey background on Windows Photoshop, as it aids one by hiding visual distractions. The funny thing is that the large window with smaller palettes and stuff was originally a hack written by adobe on Windows IIRC as there was no control that would allow them to have all the palletes and image windows in one item in the task bar at the time.

[Detrius]

Originally posted by wataru:
...And second, SuperChic[k]en is well known for being uninformed at best, and often downright idiotic.

Dignity and respect is all I ask. We are all real people here. You can disagree with someone, but just because you think that an argument is ill-informed and illogical doesn't mean you have to make blanket statements about the value of the person.