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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > I just switched!

I just switched!
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rocketscience
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Virginia
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May 28, 2003, 08:44 PM
 
I work as a computer systems analyst (2k server/ 2k PC based network) for a major General Contractor. At about 11:00 today I received a page to come to the receptionists desk, this usually means that they have a problem with one of the high speed scanners. Much to my suprise, the Fed Ex guy was up there with my new 1ghz 17in Imac! Cooool... I was destined to be worthless for the rest of the day. When I got home tonight, I set up my Imac and started playing with it. I havn't had much experience with Apple since I sold my ][c when I was 13. I have a few questions if you guys don't mind...

1) Where do you go to change themes? (I want the brushed metal look)

2) If you use the option to change backgrounds every so many seconds does this eat lots of processor cycles and available memory? This option is way cool...

3) So my list does not reach the hundreds, What is a good OSX book for people new to the operating system.

Thanks!
Learn to share and we all learn!
     
alien
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Trondhjem, Norway
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May 28, 2003, 09:00 PM
 
1) The GUI forum here at MacNN and http://www.resexcellence.com/ would be a start.

2) The best way to see what's processes are running, how much cpu time they are grabbing, and how the memory is being used, is to open /Applications/Utilities/Terminal and type top -s8 -u (Return) , this will give you a list over processes running, with the most "processor hungry" at the top, updated every 8 seconds.

3) The Missing Manual, David Pogue could be the one, I haven't read it though. Read about it at Amazon.com

BTW, Congrats with your 17" iMac! They are nice machines, I use one at university.

[Edit: fixed typo with top command.]
( Last edited by alien; May 29, 2003 at 05:32 PM. )
     
drcarl
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May 29, 2003, 01:56 AM
 
I read the book (The Missing Manual) that alien recommends and think it probably has what you are looking for.

Isn't that iMac beautiful!
--Dr. Carl--
iMac 800MHz 17"FP 80G HD 1G RAM
PowerBook G4 1.33GHz 15" 60G HD 768M RAM
     
drcarl
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May 29, 2003, 02:03 AM
 
Originally posted by alien:
[B]
2) The best way to see what's processes are running, how much cpu time they are grabbing, and how the memory is being used, is to open /Applications/Utilities/Terminal and type top -s8 -u (Return) [/]B , this will give you a list over processes running, with the most "processor hungry" at the top, updated every 8 seconds.
The hypertext formatting kind of messed up the command you should type. It should look like this:

top -s8 -u (Return)

As a computer systems analyst, you probably have some knowledge of unix and already figured that out, but a lot of other people will be reading this too.
--Dr. Carl--
iMac 800MHz 17"FP 80G HD 1G RAM
PowerBook G4 1.33GHz 15" 60G HD 768M RAM
     
Sander
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May 29, 2003, 09:06 AM
 
Welcome Rocketscience. Once you go Mac, you never go back. Very sweet machine you got there.

The only advice I have is to totally "think different." You cannot think PC. It will make your switch easier.

Cheers.
Have a nice day!
     
rocketscience  (op)
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May 29, 2003, 03:27 PM
 
Here is a screen shot of my XP desktop at work... Should let you know how I think...

Thanks!




Originally posted by Sander:
Welcome Rocketscience. Once you go Mac, you never go back. Very sweet machine you got there.

The only advice I have is to totally "think different." You cannot think PC. It will make your switch easier.

Cheers.
Learn to share and we all learn!
     
bstieritz
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May 29, 2003, 04:38 PM
 
Originally posted by rocketscience:
Here is a screen shot of my XP desktop at work... Should let you know how I think...

Thanks!

Rocket

I LOVE your desktop! I'm curious where you downloaded the program to do dock feature in xp. I work with xp at university and would love to alter my desktop to look more like a mac. Also, where did you get the Angie Joli pick . . . did you do that yourself or download it . . . great job on the background.

cheers,
brian
     
AssassyN
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May 29, 2003, 11:24 PM
 
Whoa, first off, BEAUTIFUL XP desktop, that's incredible!

And WELCOME to the MacNN boards & to the Mac world!

I think your Q's have basically been answered, but just wanted to compliment your desktop work & say congrats!
5G 60GB video iPod
512MB iPod Shuffle
Westone UM1 Canalphones
     
rocketscience  (op)
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May 30, 2003, 10:56 AM
 
The dock is called YZDock and you can get it for your XP boxes at:
Yz Dock

It uses .png icons and does very nicely on my Toshiba(1.8ghz 512mgs ram 16 megs video ram).

The Background I got from:
ThemeXP.org

Thanks...

Originally posted by bstieritz:
Rocket

I LOVE your desktop! I'm curious where you downloaded the program to do dock feature in xp. I work with xp at university and would love to alter my desktop to look more like a mac. Also, where did you get the Angie Joli pick . . . did you do that yourself or download it . . . great job on the background.

cheers,
brian
Learn to share and we all learn!
     
   
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