[Heavy Fluid]

I am a new user, fresh from Windows XP, and I have a few questions, hopefully I am posting in the correct forum. Please forgive my lack of knowledge about Mac, I am new to it, like 1.5 weeks into it. Heh.

1. When you drag something to the trash, and empty it, is it really gone off of the hard drive?

2. When using Safari, if you choose to surf with cookies/history in the off mode, is any trace of any website registered on your computer? Like if I visit this site, with that turned off, will my wife or anyone be able to tell that I have been here?

3. I'm intrigued by the "Stickies" on my G5. Can anyone point me in the direction on how to use them? I tried searching, but I guess I don't know what to search for.

One last thing. A lot of Windows users have told me that OS X will be obsolete in a year, and that I will be S.O.L., and my computer will be a perfect door stop. Are they right?

[warra]

How would it be obsolete? 10.5 (leopard) is already scheduled for release when MS Vista is released in about a year. Are you referring to the fact that vista and leopard can both use an intel processor? Dual boot systems will be the result of a software hack, there will be no official release since it would not be good for business.

[sodamnregistered2]

Originally Posted by Heavy Fluid

One last thing. A lot of Windows users have told me that OS X will be obsolete in a year, and that I will be S.O.L., and my computer will be a perfect door stop. Are they right?

Apple is moving to Intel chips. You will have to upgrade all of your software to run on Intel chips or use the Rosetta translator/emulator whatever it is.

OS X will still be the OS, but your iMac will very likely have very poor resale value.

[Jerommeke]

1. When you trash it and empty the trash, it is removed from the index. To "totally" remove it from your drive, put it in the trash and choose Secure Empty Trash.

2. To visit pages without people able to trace it, disable cookies and put Safari in private mode.

3. If you mean the Stickies on Dashboard, you can drag a sticky out of the Dashboard dock and type the info you want into it. To change font or color, flip the widget by pressing the small "i".

[icibaqu]

Originally Posted by Heavy Fluid

One last thing. A lot of Windows users have told me that OS X will be obsolete in a year, and that I will be S.O.L., and my computer will be a perfect door stop. Are they right?

HAHAHAHAHAHAH.......no.

osx 'tiger' will still be a more effective, better designed, more secure and overall more advanced/better operating system than windows' "vista". Also, if you upgrade to 10.5 you'll be that much further ahead (depending on what 10.5 holds in store).

as to obsolete b/c of the intel chips. chill chill chill. you're powerpc mac will be supported and will have universal binary coded software for at least a few years (i.e. pretty much until you want to switch away based on average computer lifespan).

[ApeInTheShell]

A lot of Windows users don't like that
a) People have been switching since the release of Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar.
b) They have to wait for technologies that are already implemented in Tiger
c) Mac OS X will not be supported on their cheap white boxes
d) iTMS has 82% marketshare and iPod has 70% marketshare

Your system will not become obsolete in a year. Steve Jobs has made it clear that this is a gradual change to the Intel architecture. The iMac G5 will be one of the computers listed under the system requirements for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. So don't let it worry you.

[Helmling]

The only possible fallout from the Intel switch for PowerPC users like you (and me!) is that there might not be as much new software available at some point in the future that will run on our chips. There are two important things to consider, though:

1) It'll be a long time before the softwae market is impacted.

2) Who cares? Your Mac came with the best software already installed!