[Shantyman88]

If someone is getting a new Mac, what kinds of things should you do first? I mean in terms of getting the most out of the system, software updates, etc.

Thanks guys!

PS: It *is* a cube, so the first thing I think I'll do is look at it.

[firahs]

I actually think that the Cube is the worst mac you can get right now. It really looks like apple is pushing the mini-towers, and theyre a much better deal. A cube is not expandable, and you're basically stuck with everything you get. And it also costs more than the G4mini-tower with similar configuration. Sure its cute, sexy, quiet, but if you want a better computing experience, i'd go mini-tower...and as long as it has 128M RAM, you'll be fine.

[Shantyman88]

Uh, I already bought the system. I just wanted to know what experienced mac users would suggest I do when I get it as far as cool software, recommended updates, etc.

I knew what I wanted when I got the cube. That is why I bought it.

[NeoMac]

Ignore him, he is just jealous.

The Cube is upgradable, but not expandable. The RAM, hard drive and CPU are upgradable.

You bought a perfectly good Mac.

The first thing you should do is buy Mac OS X. Then, buy only software that is OS X ready or will allow you to upgrade to the OS X version for free.

For example, Office 2001 will have a $150 upgrade to OS X. Although, supposedly, it will include many new features.

Second, try some of the "iApps", like iMovie, iTunes, etc.. Try iTools.

Other than that, Macs are very hassle free computers and you'll just love it.

[This message has been edited by NeoMac (edited 02-19-2001).]

[NeoMac]

Updates to the OS are handled through the "Software Update" contol panel. Connect to the Internet and use the "Software Update" contol panel. It will tell you what the latest system updates are. Some of the updates can be very large, so check the size first or you could be waiting for a while.

[NeoMac]

Also, go to http://www.macdesktops.com/ and grab yourself some cool Mac desktop pictures.

[WDL]

Shantyman:

The first priority is relax and enjoy - don't make any sudden moves or start loading it
up with 3rd party software.

The biggest favour you can do for yourself is to get a couple of books to bring you
up to speed in the world of Mac. Strongly recommend:

MacWorld MacSecrets 5th ed - by David Pogue and Jospeh Schorr - IDG Books - very
informative and entertaining.

Mac OS 9 the Missing Manual - by D. Pogue - Pogue/O'Reilly Press - not as entertaining
but very informative.

Don't jump to OS X until you get some experience in 9.x. There are many of us who
are holding back on OS X until we see how it shakes out.

Don't be concerned about the negative post - there's always something bigger, better
faster in the world of computers each and every day - so what.

I have four Macs - and the oldest, a Centris 660AV is still in use. It's slow (27 mhz) and
the HD only has 230 megs of space - but how much speed do you need for word
processing.

Enjoy - and take your time.

WDL

[Shantyman88]

I might add that I am fairly experienced with the Mac OS, and furthermore have played around with the beta of OS X. I just have never had one as my primary machine

The cool thing is I work for a university, so they will provide me with a lot of software (including an upgrade to OS X and office 2001).

I appreciate all the suggestions.

[yoyo52]

I don't know about firahs, but I am jealous of your cube

This may be an obvious thing since here you are in the forum, but the best thing for you to do to keep up with new software as well as with problems and solutions is to come to the fora, read and ask questions. Also go to versiontracker.com for a daily accounting of all the new Mac software.

And, finally, welcome to Mac ownership!

[Jim Retzner]

As you use your Cube you will discover needs like virus protection as you use the internet. There are several available. Don't forget backup systems. Retrospect Express is probably most appropriate for you unless your Cube is networked. If that is the case talk to your network supervisor.

[Cipher13]

No no no.
First thing, initialise your hard drive.
Full erase.
Then install a new system.
Then update every one of its components.
And one by one, install your apps.
When you've done that, come back, and we can give some general tips.

Cipher13

[zigzag]

Congratulations - based on the previous thread you started, I think you made the right choice.

I wouldn't mess with OS X until you've gotten a handle on OS 9. IMO, why make life more complicated by installing an OS in beta form when there is very little native software for it? Even Steve Wozniak says he wouldn't bother. But if you're curious, suit yourself.

I compared all of the general Mac guides a year ago and I think "Mac OS 9: The Missing Manual" is the best overall. It will definitely come in handy if you're new to the system. I'm assuming you already know how to use a mouse, etc. - if not, there are plenty of books on the very basics (The Little Mac Book, etc.).

Read MacAddict, MacHome, and/or MacWorld. All have helpful features that will make your experience more enjoyable. I find myself referring to MacAddict the most, then MacHome, then MacWorld, which is more for power users.

You may want to install some utilities in case you need to recover some data or want to defragment your hard drive. Norton Utilities and TechTool are the leading Mac troubleshooting, drive maintenance, and data recovery suites. Norton SystemWorks includes Norton Utilities and adds some nice extras (Anti-Virus, Spring Cleaning, Retrospect) and might be worth the extra $.

There's a profile of the better-known Mac utilities in the current issue of MacHome. It's superficial, but it's a start.

If you get freezes and/or crashes, it's usually due to inadequate RAM (just add some) or software extension conflicts. You can learn about extension conflicts in The Missing Manual or any number of other books. You'll want to go into the extensions manager and turn off superfluous extensions. If one application conflicts with another, the extensions manager allows you to create separate extension sets for them.

Conflict Catcher is software specially designed to handle extension conflicts but I found that the benefits didn't justify the learning curve. You can usually figure out the conflicts on your own. Besides, OS X will eventually do away with extensions. In the interim, my advice is to keep things simple - turn off unused extensions, and don't install software you don't need.

If you're getting MS Word for free on the PB at work, you might as well use it on your Cube at home. If you don't have access to the discs, you can move it (and any other items) from the PB to the Cube via Firewire. You'll need a six-pin to six-pin Firewire connector.

The easiest alternatives are to install AppleWorks 6, or download WordPerfect 3.5 for free from Corel's website.

You can mount your PB hard drive on your Cube's desktop (or vice versa) anytime via Firewire. The current issue of MacHome has a feature on this, but the instructions are available in any number of places.

Software Update (in the Control Panel) is a nice feature but mine often freezes halfway through. Good alternatives for downloading software are versiontracker.com and macupdate.com. You can also go to the Apple website and pick and choose various updates.

Macintouch.com and macfixit.com are great troubleshooting resources, as is MacNN.

You indicated earlier that you want to get into digital video. This will really make you appreciate the Mac. To make the most of it, I'd suggest getting a Canon or Sony mini-DV camcorder with a Firewire port. Get your feet wet on iMovie2 and graduate to FinalCutPro if you want to do more advanced work.

For image editing, Adobe Photoshop LE is a bargain (or wait a month and get the new version that's coming out - Photoshop Elements).

Download iTunes for free from the Apple site to manage your MP3's.

Enjoy.

[This message has been edited by zigzag (edited 02-20-2001).]