What to do, when you first get a Mac, kinda depends what you’re going to use it for -- and how geek deep you wanna get into it.
It also depends whether you’ve used Windows computers before, and how deeply the Windows way has been etched into your mind and habits. For Windows users, I’ve bookmarked pages about switching to Mac, listed here, some explaining why you should switch, others with tips about how to adjust.
My recent Mac-related articles and lists, linked on the right, are full of Mac-specific suggestions. A few other general ideas are to...
Put as much memory (RAM) into your computer as you can afford, preferably as much as it can hold. This is easy (and cheaper) to do yourself, and makes a significant difference in performance, as I explain here.
Check out all the great software that comes loaded on your new Mac, full versions (not demos), easy to use, and most of it unavailable on Windows.
If you’ve ever smelled a rip-off when sales people pitched you on their extended warranties, know that AppleCare is different and worth a serious look.
If you wanna stay thoroughly in the Mac geek loop, find a Mac specific news and reviews source that you relate to, maybe The Unofficial Apple Weblog, Macworld, or listening to a good Mac podcast.
For serious technical troubleshooting, a good resource -- besides Apple’s own support pages -- is MacFixIt.
When searching for the latest versions, or specific types, of Mac software, you’ll find almost everything at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
You can subscribe to all the Mac-specific web pages that I bookmark. (Or you can join my network at del.icio.us.)
If you have other questions, I invite you to email me. If you have tips for first time Mac users, please add a comment below. (Or contact me via any social network we’re both on. Mine are listed on the Me page of this site.)
Most of all, have fun with your new Mac! Give it a good name, and just play around with your new software and the built-in camera. I can think of no better way to learn to use a Mac, and there’s little danger just experimenting. So start clicking on applications and menus, and see what you discover!
28 August 2007
