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#16 2006-11-21 14:53:06
- masa
- Member
- From: North Wales, UK
- Registered: 2005-11-25
- Posts: 1,095
Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
Destry wrote:
With respect to MAMP, does it make more sense to do more of a Mac/Linux split so I can locally run things like Txp natively in Linux (could be fun), or is it just easier/safer to use MAMP?
MAMP is blissfully easy to install and it even comes with the GD graphics library, which, from what I’ve gathered, can be a real pain to install manually.
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Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
I went through the same considerations as you a couple of months back. I use windows with it too regularly and mostly task-oriented so that in practice I don’t switch back and forth. I find the boot camp configuration works well (except that it seems you can’t change the partition size afterwards). Excepting some keyboard anomalies it is then no different to a windows machine. Each update brings driver improvements – the most recent allows two-finger trackpad scrolling on windows (not seen that on other laptops) – but everything works better, more intuitively, faster or more subtly on os-x.
If you want to go for more RAM, buy the standard 1-slot RAM config and buy the rest of the RAM elsewhere – you can get the same spec RAM much much cheaper through other outlets and you don’t invalidate any warranty. If you are affiliated with an educational establishment there are further significant academic discounts.
As it seems all the machines are shipped from Shanghai I imagine you can order the US or (canadian-french for that matter) keyboard variant, though you may have do that through the hotline instead of online.
TXP Builders – finely-crafted code, design and txp
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Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
jakob wrote:
If you want to go for more RAM, buy the standard 1-slot RAM config and buy the rest of the RAM elsewhere – you can get the same spec RAM much much cheaper through other outlets and you don’t invalidate any warranty.
Definitely can’t stress this enough. The ram I got from Crucial is identical to the chip that was OEM (down to the crucial sticker) and it cost half as much. Other then having to procure some tiny,tiny screwdrivers it was extremely easy to install.
Shoving is the answer – pusher robot
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#19 2006-11-22 00:03:52
- marco
- Member
- From: Montreal
- Registered: 2004-02-24
- Posts: 62
Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
Destry wrote:
One last stickler, perhaps, is finding an English OS version. I’m in France, but I don’t want a French OS, and the idea of shipping a nice machine overseas is a little discomforting. I’ll have to see what I can do there.
Don’t worry about that; unless you buy it from a local store, your MacBook will likely be shipped to you straight from China; even if you buy it in a store they will get it from China anyway. So either way it will travel a long way. I bought mine from Apple and it shipped via Fedex (free shipping) from China to Alaska, from there to the States, then finally to Canada. I got it in 3 days. These days you can hardly buy an electronics product manufactured locally in any Western country, most of that stuff is manufactured and assembled somewhere in Asia.
So, I think you can safely buy your English version from the Apple store on the web.
One word of advice, if you get the macBook Pro, get the matte screen; the new glossy screen will strain your eyes more if you use it all day long.
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Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
Wow, more excellent feedback, you guys. Just when I thought I might have the bases covered…
Excellent tip on the RAM, I’ll do that (I just bought a little laptop toolkit, so I have those tiny screwdrivers). So do I need to ensure there is a blank slot for additional RAM cards, or is that standard manufacturing and you just buy the card in GB that you want? (For example, are there two card slots and to get 3 GB I would get 1 and 2 GB cards to fill the slots and reach the max?)
Thanks for the tip on the glossy screen, marco, I was wondering about that and forgot to ask. Does the glossy screen really make a major difference in screen appearance? I’ll probably go with the matte, but just curious what people think in terms of visual quality.
Oh, about the keyboard, I’m a touch-typer so having a french keyboard doesn’t bother me, in fact, that would be good because I’m working more in both French and English these days, and it’s easier in French if I have the keys that show the letter accents (those I always forget). However, that brings up a question that I’m sure is easily answered…can I easily switch IMEs (input method editors) between French and English, etc? Since I am a touch-typist, that has to be there or I am lost on a French keyboard (the “a”, “m”, “q”, and “z” in particular are different, and a few symbols) That has to be a given, yes?
Thanks again for all this fantastic information. I’m really quite excited now. I’ll generate a list of all the good points presented here as a last post, so if there’s anything to add… (The Mac is my X-mas gift to myself.)
Last edited by Destry (2006-11-22 07:24:04)
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Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
RAM: you can specify that I believe on the online form (it tells you the slot arrangement). If you order by phone you can ensure that. Mine came with 1GB in one slot. You only need the screwdriver to open the cover plate, the rest is just slot and click (pics at ifixit).
keyboard: I did the same. I live in Germany but am English. It’s useful to have the direct accent keys available without having to use a modifier. IME keyboard switching is possible. BTW the store says:
Your MacBook Pro typically ships with an operating system and keyboard that match the official language of the country in which you purchased it. However, you can also choose an operating system and keyboard that displays information in a different language, if available in your country. If you select another language, you will also receive supporting software manuals and other print materials appropriate for that language.
Note: Your computer always comes equipped with cables, manuals and other items appropriate for the country in which you purchased it.
TXP Builders – finely-crafted code, design and txp
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Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
As you know I got the MacBook … but if I could justify it I would of gotten the Pro. I actually don’t mind the 13” screen … I think my last laptop prepped me for that, but my designer friends … couldn’t even dream of something so small .. they think 17” … for me it’s all about portability and saving the good ‘ole back … Pro has a better graphics card…
Parallels is the way to go … I am still recovering from buying the machine … but I will soon get that. Figure i can use my old Dell Windows XP .. and make those computers defunct.
RAM RAM RAM …. max it out …
You can look into the refurbs … although I hear the Core 2 Duo kicks ass compared to the Core Duo … but I can’t say I have looked upon it. You can save allot of money getting a refurb from apple.. comes with same warranty and you can still buy apple care.
Apple care .. expensive .. i like having the safety net .. maybe you could get a battery in the future through the warranty to help offset the cost. it’s peace of mind.. but i wish the default warranty was better.
They are solid machines .. and you won’t regret it …
My decision now is TextMate or BBEdit … TextMate is cheaper and the demos online look great .. and they have (or available) .. TxP integration tools .. BBEdit .. been using for 9+ years ..
nuff-respec ::: dannyb
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Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
Destry wrote:
(The Mac is my X-mas gift to myself.)
Better late than never. Thanks again for all the great advice.
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#24 2007-04-06 14:59:43
- marios
- Archived Plugin Author
- Registered: 2005-03-12
- Posts: 1,253
Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
Wellcome to the Club then.
( I have already been wondering where you where )
As a windows switcher myself, for about a Year, I found these two books indespensible , to work, learn, configure and tweak the OS of my mac:
- David Pogue Mac-OS-Tiger The Missing Manual
- Running OS X Tiger by James Duncan Davidson.
The first Book is perfect for Beginners/Windows Switchers, and the second one is more aimed at Intermediates/Advanced Users/Fanatics
In retrospect, I would say, that the switch hasn’t been easy. It has consumed large amounts of my time, and didn’t come without problems. In general I am satisfied.
regards, marios
Last edited by marios (2007-04-06 15:02:28)
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Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
Excellent, Marios.
(I’ve been very busy with work and family)
I’ll start with that first book straight away.
I’m feeling a little (lot) disoriented. For example I need to install MAMP, but I don’t know if I can work outside of the htdocs folder (for virtual directories) or if there is an equivalent of a Windows “hosts” file I have to modify.” I think I understand well what you mean about “has consumed large amounts of time”.
P.S. In case anyone feels compelled to suggest I install local dev components by scratch or use VMware or whatever…I really don’t have the time for the learning curves right now…I just need to get my sites local so I can work, and I know the XAMPP stack well already…except not the Mac architecture. Yes, large amounts of time indeed.
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Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
Destry wrote:
I’m feeling a little (lot) disoriented. For example I need to install MAMP, but I don’t know if I can work outside of the htdocs folder…
Hi Destry,
You can have any docs folder you wish with MAMP.
Open MAMP
Click on preferences
Then Click Apache
Type the route you want
The limitation is that it can only work from one folder…
Yiannis
——————————
NeMe | hblack.art | EMAP | A Sea change | Toolkit of Care
I do my best editing after I click on the submit button.
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#27 2007-04-07 10:48:40
- masa
- Member
- From: North Wales, UK
- Registered: 2005-11-25
- Posts: 1,095
Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
You can also create any number of symbolic links for various root folders and place those inside the HTDOCS folder.
SymbolicLinker is a nice context menu plugin that makes creating symlinks a snap.
Cheers Martin
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Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
Nifty, thanks guys, that should help get me going.
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Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
Also Netinfo Manager let’s you create local domains names like you would with the hosts file.
Open NetInfo Manager, click on machines in the middle column, Duplicate localhost and give it whatever name you want. I use that to create .test virtualhosts for local testing.
Shoving is the answer – pusher robot
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Re: So I'm about to buy my first Mac and need Mac user advice....
Ah, thanks hakjoon, that looks like what I’m after.
Mainly, anywhere I have a live site, I want a local version that has a very similar url, e.g.:
site1.com
local.site1.com
…so that when I upload a db dump to live (or visa versa), all the root-relative links are intact. In windows this never worked when working out of the htdocs folder, but it did just fine when working from the c:\ root, like c:\_txp\site1; basically like it’s described here in TextBook.
Oh, hey, I guess I should give the TxB MAMP instructs a look, for kicks.
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