Call all Mac users

[WillP]

Definately get you a Time Capsule - will make you life much easier!

Great MAC recource - http://www.danrodney.com/mac/index.html


I switched about a year or so ago - SO glad I did - never go back! Good luck and enjoy!

 

[HappyGrumpy]

Welcome to the dark side

Please listen to the advise of so many others and get a time capsule/any external HD formatted for the Mac and do regular back ups! Even look into Mobile Me for extra storage! It is heart breaking when people come in wih failed HD or logic board and they have no backup

I have had people weep in front of me after a thunderstorms rolled through the night before or the kiddo spills their juice all over it. Accidents or AOG are not covered under the manufacturers warranty

My favorite thing right now is iphoto! We just made our second Disney Album and ordered it from Kodak! I love how iphoto organizes and lets me make simple edits! Love it!

 

[mesyjesse]

wow this is great info and am loving my mac and its just so easy

 

[WillP]

My favorite thing right now is iphoto! We just made our second Disney Album and ordered it from Kodak! I love how iphoto organizes and lets me make simple edits! Love it!

Me to - I've ordered prints a couple times and its just great! You can even order up 30"x20" prints - I printed one of my illustrations up that size for $15 - awesome!

 

[guynwdm]

First thing I did is download firefox to replace the horrible safari browser.

I tend to use firefox more because there are sites with work that don't jive with safari. I am fortunate to be both mac at home and work. It makes life much easier. I am able to make my mac mail, calendar, addresses, all sync through .mac and appreciate being able to access work at home and not have to take the lap top with me. I also use the office suite for mac and find it helpful. I am lucky in education to be able to get some discounts on the software so it is not costing an arm and a leg to get as well.

Iphoto and itunes are so awesome with the ipod touch to keep everything handy too. I just like how things work with each other rather than having to run 10 programs to do one thing.

I am appreciating all the sites advice too. I am learning a lot on here and I have been using macs since they started. I think that makes me old now....

 

[Disneybridein2k3]

I do believe I am getting sucked in. But I need one more thing before I pull the trigger. When I build the Mac Book Pro one of the software options it gives me is Final Cut Express 4 pre-installed for $179. One of the reasons I want to buy the computer is to take the video off of my 60 GB HD camcorder and make dvds but it is AVCHD video which is a pain. It looks like Final Cut will do everything I want but I was wondering if it is necessary. Is there are software already pre-installed that will turn videos into dvds (and even burn blu-ray)? Or is the software a good deal? I checked elsewhere and the software is $199 for the full version so $179 pre-installed isn't bad but I didn't want to buy it if it wasn't necessary.

 

[sarahsar]

I do believe I am getting sucked in. But I need one more thing before I pull the trigger. When I build the Mac Book Pro one of the software options it gives me is Final Cut Express 4 pre-installed for $179. One of the reasons I want to buy the computer is to take the video off of my 60 GB HD camcorder and make dvds but it is AVCHD video which is a pain. It looks like Final Cut will do everything I want but I was wondering if it is necessary. Is there are software already pre-installed that will turn videos into dvds (and even burn blu-ray)? Or is the software a good deal? I checked elsewhere and the software is $199 for the full version so $179 pre-installed isn't bad but I didn't want to buy it if it wasn't necessary.

I don't know much about AVCHD video, but I have imported digital tape and burned it to DVD using the built-in iMovie and iDVD that come with iLife (didn't need Final Cut). I don't think there's anything that will let you do Blu-Ray on a Mac, though.

 

[dpuck1998]

I do believe I am getting sucked in. But I need one more thing before I pull the trigger. When I build the Mac Book Pro one of the software options it gives me is Final Cut Express 4 pre-installed for $179. One of the reasons I want to buy the computer is to take the video off of my 60 GB HD camcorder and make dvds but it is AVCHD video which is a pain. It looks like Final Cut will do everything I want but I was wondering if it is necessary. Is there are software already pre-installed that will turn videos into dvds (and even burn blu-ray)? Or is the software a good deal? I checked elsewhere and the software is $199 for the full version so $179 pre-installed isn't bad but I didn't want to buy it if it wasn't necessary.

I'd work with iMovie and see how you like it before getting Final Cut

 

[Jonereno]

I'll second what dpuck1998 said... try using iMovie an iDVD first and see how that combination works for you. iMovie handles AVCHD just fine.

As for Blu-Ray... don't hold your breath. Apple doesn't support it natively.

 

[Dismom+two]

My step-daughter was over for dinner last night and mentioned she bought a Mac and was having trouble...not knowing how to "use" it. My hubby asked her what kind it was and she replied.....

"a white one."

 

[DSNY4ever]

I married a mac man, so I had to figure it all out and it's been pretty easy. I also like Imovie. I am usually pretty terrible at programs like that, but it is so easy to use and we have made plenty of nice vacation video that look professional...other than our shaky filming

 

[princessbride6205]

A really simple feature I love is the Dashboard. If you don't have one in your dock, just push F12 and it should pop up. You can customize it with all kinds of widgets, like your weather, post-it notes, calc, Disney trip countdown, stopwatch - tons of things really. Any info you would want to access with one-click.
I've had a Mac laptop for over 5 years now - I couldn't go back to a PC.
As for video editing, I much prefer the previous incarnation of iMovie as the latest one is really geared towards posting clips online.

 

[Disneybridein2k3]

Thanks so much for the advice everyone! I think I will hold off on the Final Cut Express for now until I can play around with the software the book comes with. I'm so excited to get my Book ordered and to get some videos edited

 

[sshaw10060]

The mac is my best computer purchase ever. Kicks my old PC's butt. On my computer the dashboard in F4.

 

[Michele]

I married a mac man, so I had to figure it all out and it's been pretty easy. I also like Imovie. I am usually pretty terrible at programs like that, but it is so easy to use and we have made plenty of nice vacation video that look professional...other than our shaky filming

You know, if you have the latest version, iMovie '09, they have added a feature to stabilize shaky video. Just choose the video, click file, then analyze for stabilization.

 

[Michele]

My step-daughter was over for dinner last night and mentioned she bought a Mac and was having trouble...not knowing how to "use" it. My hubby asked her what kind it was and she replied.....

"a white one."

One great thing about Mac is the video tutorials. Tell her to go to apple.com, click on Mac at the top. In the middle of the page it says "Learn your way around a Mac in minutes". This section has tons of video tutorials, they are quick, easy to understand, very helpful.

 

[Disneybridein2k3]

One great thing about Mac is the video tutorials. Tell her to go to apple.com, click on Mac at the top. In the middle of the page it says "Learn your way around a Mac in minutes". This section has tons of video tutorials, they are quick, easy to understand, very helpful.

Those little video tutorials is what sold me! I'm like a crack addict - I keep going back to that site and watching the videos over and over till my book arrives. I just can't get enough. They had me at "recongizes multi-touch gestures" on the trackpad. I'm in love.