Well…I’m getting ready to switch. I was offered some work for a software company that is a Mac only company…so I am going to go for it.
Do any of you use Macs?? If so, what do you like, what advice can you give me, and do you have a few favorite features, programs, or websites that I MUST have if I am going to get the most out of my Mac?
FWIW, I am buying an iBook G4 14 inch, with a Super Drive. OS X (Tiger) and iLife software is included.
I know there has to be Mac guys on this forum, because their language support stuff has been outstanding for a long time.
Oh…and for those who are interested the company that I will be working work for is here.
Become familiar with the “International” section of the System Preferences tool. You will want at least Greek and Hebrew keyboard layouts available to you easily. With that set up correctly you can just bounce on APPLE-SPACE to switch between different unicode sets. You may need to override the default “keboard shortcuts” on the newest release - APPLE-SPACE now starts the vexing Spotlight gizmo. It’s beautifully easy.
You’ll want to go to apple.com and search for and then install “SophoKeys” for your Greek keyboard layout - it lets you type betacode, and is makes a lot more sense than the default Mac polytonic one.
Install the SIL Gentium fonts! The default polytonic unicode fonts are oooooogly. My browser uses that by default.
I could suggest a slew of other useful things, but I rely almost entirely on the Unix side of the OS X world, not something most sensible people want to dabble with.
My life depends on Devonthink (note taking app) . I also use Sophokeys to type polytonic Greek. Try Launchbar for fast access to applications and websites: I use it on my iBook and everytime I switch to my desktop (where I didn’t install it yet), I am totally lost.
Well, there are lots more interesting apps. It really depends on what kind of things you want to do. I am ‘software-ready’ for example for historical research (Bookends for bibliographies, Devonthink for storing all kinds of notes, Mellel for writing).
I was rather disappointed with the iPod (not a Mac, of course, but still an Apple product). Its excellent design was soon ruined by all the scratches it got, even in its (horribly expensive) pocket. I have nothing but trouble using it with iTunes (possibly because I am a PC user, but still). The recording feature (you have to use an external mike) is not very good, considering all the noises the disk drive makes. My iPod has broken down completely twice and I have had it replaced by the retailer as many times. I now have my third iPod, - but it is still unused. I consider getting rid of it before it becomes a mess again. Sorry for this unenthusiastic rant about an Apple product. I guess I just won’t ever make it and become a happy member of the Apple Crowd.
You can view most formats using that, including Windows Media Player. (this is a problem for many new apple users who can’t get “pc” files to play on their Macs, so I thought I’d mention it)
I don’t know if you store your music on the computer, but if you do iTunes is fantastic (and yes- better on a Mac than Windows, I think so anyway) and there’s lots of cool little freeware apps that work with it.
A good publication to buy is MacWorld- chock full of useful info. MacWorld also has a podcast availble for free through the iTunes Music Store. http://www.macworld.com/
As for the ipod- amans, you’re right- the recording for the ipod is pretty low quality. However if you have a 3rd generation or earlier iPod (not mini/shuffle/nano/photo/video.. just one of the older basic white ones) you can install Linux on it. Apparently the recording quality from that is extremely high. http://ipodlinux.sourceforge.net/index.shtml
Thanks for all of the input guys…I got my iBook today (actually my wife picked it up for my while I was at work), and I am unpacking it as I type…looks pretty cool!
Bert, I haven’t officially started working for the Mac company yet, I used to be affliliated with their Windows counterpart.
Well, I’m typing my first official post on my new Mac. So far I really like it. It was beyond a breeze connecting to my schools wifi network…no wizards, or aggrivating processes to go through to get it to work. The intergrated AirPort has waaaaaay better range than my windows card also. Right now I’m getting about 75-80% signal at a place where I usually only get about 30% with my PC card.
I really like a lot of the features that Mac has. Some of them are so “well that’s a good idea” that I can’t believe Windows doesn’t offer them. Simple things like the pallette, and the active corners on the desktop. Little stuff that makes accessing your data much easier. I’m sure that after a little while I will be able to be more productive on this than I was on my PC. Plus, the other really big plus is the synch option that you have with Tiger. I am a 2 computer guy, dividing my time pretty equally between a laptop and desktop. I hate having to move files around, and I do a lot of it. With the synch option I can always sit down at the exact same computer (once I get a desktop that is). I’m thinking about getting a mini Mac, so that I can use all of my other desktop peripherals.
Also, I love the two finger scrolling, the trackpad on this is much nicer than my Dell.
That was actually the first app I downloaded, it’s what I’m doing all of my DB editing with. Pretty nice program…REALLY nice program for free :^)
I’m not nearly that hardcore! Plus, the software I am working on is designed for OSX as it’s optimal platform, while it can run on other platforms (even Windows with an emulator), you don’t get the “Full Monty” unless you’re running it on OSX.
Right now one of the biggest pluses is the keyboard layout. I absolutely love where the command key is. Stretching with your left hand to hit control with your pinkie finger is so unnatral…with command, it’s just nestled right underneath my thumb. Oh yeah…it was just today that someone pointed out to me the nifty little return key under your right thumb. I like that too.
Only problem is now when I’m working on my windows machine, I keep hitting alt+C to copy stuff, and it doesn’t want too…guess it’s time to remap some keys
BTW…do any of you find my new signature even slightly funny??
Do any of you guys have experience working with iMovie?? I have a bunch of video I imported from my DV Camcorder, but I don’t know how to properly shrink it down so that I can stick it on a DVD. Right now it is about 10Gigs worth of stuff (oh yeah…I’d really like to reclaim the space on my harddrive too)…any hints would be great
Two questions…first…where is there are really good mac board that I can post a bunch of irritating questions and be answered by people who know what they’re talking about (kinda like Textkit, but for Mac)
Second…what is the one widget you couldn’t live without? Or do you hate widgets?? I think they’re pretty slick. I love sudoku, and wikipedia, dictionary, and translate. Those are ones I use quite often.
I don’t use widgets I have to interact with. So I don’t use the wikipedia one, since I can more easily direct my browser there directly.
I do use the weather map, CPU temperature (just because), an armillary so I know what’s going on in the heavens, and the egg-timer widget which I use to make sure I don’t under- or over-steep my tea.
on Devonthink (note taking app) . I also use Sophokeys to type polytonic Greek. Try Launchbar for fast access to applications and websites: I use it on my iBook and everytime I switch to my desktop (where I didn’t install it yet), I am totally lost.