Apple computer questions.

4

4skizzle

Active member
Can AIM and MSN messanger be loaded on Macs? Also, what kind of virus protection/spyware/addware programs do you run on a Mac? How difficult is it to switch from PC to Mac?
 
yea you can get msn to.. and i dont think macs have the same issues with virus and spyware etc because not many people bother to make viruses for macs as not many people have them. Though im still pretty sure you can get virus protection programs
 
both aim and msn are available for a mac. i know that virex is pretty good for virii protection, but not sure about an open source / free alternative; i only support them at work. i recommend you also get a firewall if your on high speed, the os x included packet filter / firewall is not sufficient IMHO.

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how about making the switch from pc to mac? Will I be able to figure out how to use all of the mac applications with a little poking arround or is there a book anyone could recomend?
 
Apple's are easier in general, they are considered user friendly. Designed for the most basic to most advanced user. Of course with anything new, some tinkering is necessary. But I can't think of any good book, the computer will help you to learn through the basics. I reccomend going to an Apple Store and just fuck around on their computers before you buy one.
 
So next question is 12 inch powerbook with the superdrive or 15 inch with combo drive? What's the difference?
 
if you got the dvd burner then you can get a dvd ripping program and just rent disks and then have your own copy. i think the processing speed on the 15 inch is larger. if so and you want to do some editing and such get something with a higher processor speed.
 
the superdrive allows you to burn dvds/cds but with the combo drive it only allows you to burn cds, not dvds, but you can watch dvds.
 
antivirus software on a mac is about as necessary as ski's in florida! OS X is built on unix (over 20 years old, extremely well tested, secure, and solid)...i'd be surprised if you ever got a virus for a mac
 
You really ougtta wait until the new models come out if at all possible. The mac laptops are kind of behind the times in speeds and hardware performance compared to their PC counterparts. In early '06 the new processors are due to be out.

I own a very nice dell machine, a Powerbook, and a Dual Processor Powermac. It's extremely easy to make the switch and you'll never look back if you are a person who uses computers on a daily basis. The software on Mac's is just sooo easy to work with, and you don't need a computer science degree to keep yourself out of trouble.
 
so the 12 inch with the superdrive is the way to go? I"ll be doing a little bit of music, picture, and video editing (a very little bit) but i'll probably get a seperate monitor for home use.
 
No problem with the switch.

You don't need to worry about spyware/adware so much because macs don't allow applications to be loaded without administrator (your) authorization and a password
 
A decent program for virus protection is Virex. I have version 7.2 and it will automatically look for updates. I have not had any problems as of yet.
 
If you are going to do that you really need to purchase the upgraded video card at the time of purchase in order to have everything performing properly.
 
for anti virus/virus scanning there is a free program called clamx or clamav or something with "clam" in its name
 
as for learning...mac offers a free online video workshop...its really cool cause you just open the link and watch whle they explain how to use tiger. it helped me with a few interesting things.
 
whatever you do wait til after oct. 12th...they're holding a press conference aka releasing new updates and rumor pages are saying new powerbooks
 
shit man I thought you were steezepatrol with that icon. I was like how does sheldon know this, he is a dumbass when it comes to computers. I would recommend changing that icon before he e-murders you.
 
it's a tough decision right now cuz the G4 is still a tank of a chip, but within a year there will probably be intel powerbooks...and they will rock.

I am all about the compact notebooks and i was seriously considering getting the 12' ibook before i jumped on my 14' widescreen Turion 64. The lack of widescreen on the ibooks was the deal breaker. I'd love a powerbook but over two large on a notebook is a little steap considering that for 1300 or so now you can get a pretty well spec'd XP portable.

OSX is great, a little bit of a learning curve but in the end it's worth it. The suite of app's it ships with is mint.
 
question...do mac's need to be cleaned like pc's?...i mean disk clean-up, and scan-disk? or is that not necessary? if so, how do you do it?
 
there are programs that do it, but like AV, it is not nessisary because of the file catalogueing system in osx. infact, often times, running these programs will screw up your os.
 
Get a used 15" powerbook or a leftover 15 from powermax. Also check on Apple.com in the store where they have the SAVE icon and you'll find some factory refurbs for cheap.

Definitely get the 15. The 12 is too small for anything but email and posting on this forum.

Also, the 10/12 event was just an iPod and iMac event. Apple is going to wait until the 19th to release minor updates on their other machines like the G5 and the powerbook.

Also, also, why do you want a laptop? Are you really that mobile? If you're just going to use it 99% of the time at home, look at a iMac G5... they're dope and way snappier than the powerbook.
 
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