Just got my new MBPro

I only have a couple questions. I know my other questions are all learning-curve related, so I'll just do a lot of reading and learning over the next few weeks.

I've had the thing turned on and gotten up and running.... but I'm just wondering how hot is too hot? This machine is VERY hot on the left side, too hot for sitting in my lap, and almost too hot for the touch. I mean, I can lay my hand on it, but it's *almost* uncomfortable.

It's quite warm on the left side wrist rest area as well, but I'm not too concerned about that, as it's not as hot as my last machine was on the bottom.

I guess I've heard they run hot, but I wanted to know how hot is too hot? My hubby is kinda worried.

Me, I'm gonna Mac my brains out.

The second question I have is: is the account that you set up in the very beginning a regular user account, or is it the "administrator" account that you should not use (to avoid screwing up your system)?

Thanks for helping a Mac Newbie! This is one sleek and beautiful machine, and I love the graphics and the kb so far. That ambient light sensor/light up keys thing is pretty cool, as well.

 

The first account thats setup is an administrator account, go to the account panel in system preferences and hit the + button to add a new account (make sure the checkbox for the administrating thing is not checked in this account) That will make a standard account, this is what you should use for everyday use, if you gotta install something or whatever it'll just ask for the admin password to do it.

It's gonna get really hot there because its a faster processor than the macbook, and because thats where the power adaptor is located, most people usually have their notebooks sitting on a table than their laps the majority of the time, for me it was pretty warm at first but I got used to it.

I like to think of it being initially hot at first as one of them "just breaking it in period" it seems to me after a week now that area by the power adaptor on the top case is pretty cool now, the bottom however is still very warm.

There are things out there such as notebook cooling pads you can use that sit between your lap and the notebook, but its just a matter of finding a comfortable one. Please try not to let the heat discourage you, because the real gem of anything Mac is OS X. I'm sure after a week of use, you'll never want to use a Windows machine again.

Do a search on Google for CoreDuo Temp, its a dashboard widget you can use to find out the temperature of your notebook. Remember Apple states that 100 C is the highest their notebooks can operate safely, your temps should average around 50-65 C.

If you really wanna learn all you can about your new OS X, go to a bookstore and get this book 'Mac OS X Tiger Edition. The missing Manual' By David Pogue. Its an excellent book that teaches you everything about Mac OS X, and David Pogue is one of the more famous mac users out there.

 

Thanks for the heads up on the OS X book by Pogue. I'll definitely check into it. Right now I'm just having fun fumbling along and getting used to doing things differently. So far the right click is the only thing I'm having difficulty with, and just trying to learn how to close/minimize/switch tasks. I am liking the Dashboard and Mac's version of the toolbar though.

This is a gorgeous machine. The heat doesn't bother me, it's just upsetting to my DH. I'll just make sure that it's normal (i.e. computer doesn't start melting or smoking). It's all good!

 

You can always hook up a mouse to it that has two buttons, I have my Logitech MX1000 connected, it seems that two button mouse is something I have a hard time without as well.

 

Nah, I'm gonna try and wean myself from the three button scrolling mouse. I just need to learn this system and OS.

So far I'm fumbling around kinda OK. I've learned how to use the menu bar on the top of the screen to close apps, at least. One problem I used to have with Macs was I would never shut anything down and the ram would fill up really fast.

One question I have is I downloaded a few widgets and expanded them. They expanded into my Downloads folder that I created (after accidentally installing Firefox on the desktop - that took me a while to correct). Where do I put them so the Dashboard sees them? Do I drag them from Downloads to Applications, or do I have to take it a level further and drag them onto Dashboard withing applications or something?

And is there a similar function to the windows Maximize function? When I hit the + button on my active window, it will only stay a certain size unless I manually enlarge it by dragging the corner.

Thanks!

 

Why should you create another user account for everyday use? I just switched to mac too so im curious. right now I'm just using the original account. If i make a new user acount will i have to transfer my files again?

 

Think of it this way, if something bad happens to your mac such as I don't know really bad software or whatever...just something bad.

Only your files would be affected, not the systems or other users even if your the only user. Plus if you were to run something it wouldn't be able to install anything without an administrator password. Under administrator it could install something, now not EVERYTHING asks for admin password under the admin account.

It's just good practice. Macworld magazine recommends users doing this.

No, you don't have to transfer your files exactly, just go to your Macintosh HardDrive, than Users and move your files into the shared folder, after you do that select all the files in it and do 'get info' and find Owners and Permissions and for the others put in "Read and Write" now go to your new Standard account and then it'll be there for access, you can than use your programs to add those files to the library and delete the originals in the Shared folder to get your space back. Also make sure if there are any files you don't use in some program to copy them somewhere else before you delete them.

You don't have to do this, its entirely up to you. I did it because Macworld recommended it and also because I found that sometimes I can install stuff and make changes without an admin password. This way in standard account if something malicious should happen it won't install because it requires that password anyways to make the change.

Now if you got to make a system change, just hit that padlock in the lower corner of system preferences and enter in the admin password and it unlocks everything so you can change it, afterwards just make sure to lock it up again.

 

What if I select the option in the Security window of System Preferences to "Require password to unlock each secure system preference"? Would that have the same effect or would programs still not require passwords? thanks for these tips

 

And also, would I lose my firefox bookmarks?

 

Well, I should have explained more than I did, yes thats a good thing to have on, but its also more than just system preferences stuff, as an administrator you can make changes to almost everything, except there are only a few things that the root account can do (Superuser account; it controls ultimate power on the system)

Now I don't know if you have more than one person using this computer if not, than having you might think its pointless than, its really up to you.

When microsoft came out with the feature of having a limited account along side an admin account, its aim was to prevent anything important from being tampered with, however when microsoft made this, they made it WAY to limited causing you basically no powers at all, Mac OS X fixes this issue by giving you just the right amount of control in its own version of 'limited account'.

Really the thing for this is security, thats pretty much it. This will ensure that if something does go bad, only your home directory will be affected, like if a wild virus were to ever come out for OS X. Such as malware too, Malware will attempt to install itself on your computer but it can't without your admin password, this is also when you will know something funky is going on if all the sudden a window popsup asking for your password when your just browsing the net reading some articles. Anyways under an Admin account it will install silently without asking for your password.

The way Mac OS X is designed is that once you login OS X (keychain to be more accurate) goes "hey, you gave me the master password to your account, I know this is you so I'll enter in your passwords on everything for you"

So in theory and practice of safe security, the idea is a good one that should be followed. Thats why David Porgue and MacWorld suggested this.

Now for your firefox, no its not gonna save your bookmarks because your going to a new account where you start fresh on everything. So yes your gonna have to setup things again, but hey maybe this time you can do it in an even more organized fashion since you got a better idea of how it goes now. So in firefox save your bookmarks, do this by using the bookmark manager, and also place this into the shared folder. remember to change the permissions so that the new account can open it.

GeorgineVJ. Sorry that we kind of hijacked your thread here.

I forgot to answer your questions as well above.

Well, it seems that your using firefox here for browsing, I believe when you use safari (OS X's browser) and download a dashboard widget it asks you to install the widget after it expands so it shows up in your dashboard list.

If it did ask you to install it after you did the widget, you should be able to hit the + in the bottom left corner in the Dashboard mode and select the widget from the bottom bar or hit manage widgets if it doesnt show in the bar, if it doesnt show in the manage widgets either, than it wasn't installed correctly.

Far as I know there isn't an maximize button, what you do is just look at the bottom right corner of the window and drag it out to the size you want, OS X will remember this size everytime you open the application, so basically its set default to that after you do it. Now hitting the + again would set it back to the real default.

Maybe someone else knows a lil trick or something and can tell you.

 

ok i guess theres not much excuse not to do it. thanks for the help