Lifetime Windows User... Soon to be a Mac User?

Hey all...

I've been a Windows user all my life, but after the whole release of Vista and it's pricing/DRM/everything else crap, I've decided to perhaps switch to Apple for my notebook needs (keep Windows for desktop since I like to build my own desktops).

Now, I have used Apple's off and on with school, but it's been a good 4 years since I've used a Mac system. Is there anything that has changed greatly since my last working with a Mac?

Also, I've got a few questions about the Macbooks when it comes to certain OS/software stuff and the like.

1, Bootcamp.

I'd still like to be able to have Windows as an option on my possible future Mac, but I'm not exactly sure how 'bootcamp' works. Are there any guides online that explain it and how to set it up?

2, Word, iTunes, and the like.

These may sound like really stupid questions, but...

Word. Are there versions for Mac? And will my current Word documents read correctly on a Mac (if it has Word)?

iTunes. I know iTunes itself will be fine, but will songs need to be converted or something to be able to run on a Mac, or do they work on both as long as iTunes is installed?

3, transferring files.

If I want to transfer files from my Windows system to my Mac system, will they work under OS X, or would I need to view/edit them while booting under Windows?



Thanks in advance!

And sorry for any stupid questions I may have asked! Coming from a Windows user and all... >_>





- Jon-Michael.

 

I have every similar questions actually, but with one major difference, I'm coming from Linux. I really like the idea of a MacBook as my university machine.

Does anyone know if Boot Camp can be used to install Ubuntu (or other varieties of Linux)? Or is it just limited to MS operating systems?

I know OpenOffice.org is available for Macs, so word processing and other office tasks are not a problem, but is it available as a universal binary yet?

And does anyone know if OS X has any sort of SMB compatibility? Or is there another method for network sharing?

Sorry for almost hijacking the thread, Jon-Michael, but I figured my questions were more of a bolt-on.

 

No need to apologize. I'm glad that we will both (hopefully) be able to benefit from my thread.

Not only will this save time for the people who know their stuff about Macs from having to work on two different threads, it'll keep it down to one thread.





Lysander, after some research of my own, I found an answer to one of your questions:

"Although intended for the installation of Windows XP, preview versions of Boot Camp have been used to assist in the installation of other operating systems such as Windows Vista[3], Linux[4] and Solaris[5]."

From this Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X_v10.5

Listed under 'new features,' for the new Leopard Mac OS.

Hope this helps.

 

Bootcamp is pretty straightforwards, at least for Windows. (I haven't tried Linux with it... thinking about it) What happens is, you run bootcamp, boot camp gives you the option of partitioning your hard drive for windows and making the driver cd. You do those two things, and then reboot and install Windows and then the drivers.

As far as files, there aren't "Windows files" or "OS X files" -- there're just files. Your only worry is a matter of having programs that understand said files. So you'll be fine with iTunes, fine with Word. Video... you might need to run Mplayer or VLC if you've got one of the cooler newer containers like mkv. I don't think I've tried ogm. That's not very popular these days...

And OS X does support smb. I've been using it heavily. It doesn't seem to handle weak connections as well as Windows though. Until I moved the router, I often thought of the spirit of the Macbook as constantly slipping on a floor made of banana peels, and then being unable to get up, like some nightmarish comedy sketch.

I'm not sure how you're "supposed" to utilize smb in os x, but I made an automator workflow (think "high-level script") that mounts my three shares. It makes it pretty easy.

 

1. Since Boot Camp is being designed by Apple, they'll fully support it and help you out if you need it. http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

2. Yes, there is MS Office for OSX. The current version is 2004 (comparable to Office 2003 for Windows), but the rumor mills says Office 2007 (like Office 2008 for Windows) should be out by summer. iTunes will work fine, with 100% file compatibility.

3. Like someone above mentioned, files are files. Finding a program to read them in OSX is the only difficult part. "Difficult" being quite relative here, since it's really not all that hard. Most third-party software that is Windows-compatible tends to have a Mac version or universal compatibility.

 

Coming from windows I'm pretty impressed. Anyway for MS Office they don't have the universal version yet, but I heard they were releasing it in Q3...maybe.

As for openoffice.org, the mac version is actually NEOOFFICE (neooffice.org) and that works really well for me. I use that and iwork. I might get rid of iwork since I almost never use it except as a publisher.

 

Ahh! Jon Michael's converting!

Haha, I'm a full-time Windows user but I know a lot about Macs, don't ask why. Anyways, your answers...

1. Boot Camp is software from Apple that allows you to run Windows on a Mac just like you would run Windows on any other computer. The entire guide and information about Boot Camp is in Apple's website. Just search Boot Camp. Also, Apple supports Boot Camp, but not problems with Windows, obviously

2. Microsoft Office for Mac is recommended even by Apple ! It is the same as Microsoft Office for Windows, just its Mac. The current version 2004, is not Universal Binary (Apple's switch to Intel makes some "PowerPC-based" applications run not as fast as it can, you have to wait for Universal Binary-certified products to achieve the full potential of the application).

The upcoming version, Office for Mac 2008 (actually releasing this year, its just called 2008) is going to be Universal Binary.

There's also the free NeoOffice, not as powerful as Office for Mac but free.

There's the "Authorize Computer" thingy-ma-jiggy related to iTunes, just authorize your Mac and it can play all the songs you have.

3. Most files will transfer to Mac OS X without problems, like photos, videos, songs, text documents, whatever. They'll be fine. Transfer them by flash drive, hard drive, CD/DVD, over the internet, etc.

Hope this helps, Jon-Michael! And coming from a Windows person, for some reason I know a lot about Macs.

 

Well, I'll still be using custom-built Windows desktops, but if my future MacBook pleases me, I may just stick with them for my notebook needs!



Haha, I'm a full-time Windows user but I know a lot about Macs, don't ask why. Anyways, your answers...

1. Boot Camp is software from Apple that allows you to run Windows on a Mac just like you would run Windows on any other computer. The entire guide and information about Boot Camp is in Apple's website. Just search Boot Camp. Also, Apple supports Boot Camp, but not problems with Windows, obviously

Okay, sounds good.

And what about drives when it comes to Windows on a Mac? How's the support of drivers?

2. Microsoft Office for Mac is recommended even by Apple ! It is the same as Microsoft Office for Windows, just its Mac. The current version 2004, is not Universal Binary (Apple's switch to Intel makes some "PowerPC-based" applications run not as fast as it can, you have to wait for Universal Binary-certified products to achieve the full potential of the application).

The upcoming version, Office for Mac 2008 (actually releasing this year, its just called 2008) is going to be Universal Binary.

There's also the free NeoOffice, not as powerful as Office for Mac but free.
Cool!

Do you have any idea when Office for Mac 2008 will be out?

There's the "Authorize Computer" thingy-ma-jiggy related to iTunes, just authorize your Mac and it can play all the songs you have.

Sweet.



3. Most files will transfer to Mac OS X without problems, like photos, videos, songs, text documents, whatever. They'll be fine. Transfer them by flash drive, hard drive, CD/DVD, over the internet, etc.

Cool again. I can use my WiFi network.



Hope this helps, Jon-Michael! And coming from a Windows person, for some reason I know a lot about Macs.

I know quite a bit about the 1997-2003-era iMacs, but that's when I stopped using Macs in class, so I don't know much about the Intel-based ones.

I'm learning, though!

Thanks again for you help, all who replied!

 

You could have a look at iWork by Apple. That's similar to office and is UB. (Doesn't have a spreadsheet application though)

 

And what about drives when it comes to Windows on a Mac? How's the support of drivers?

The Boot Camp download comes with drivers you burn into a disc and then put in when you're installing. All the drivers, Apple's already found for you! Even iSight (the integrated webcam on the Mac) is supported in Windows now. No actual right click button on the Mac yet though.


Cool!

Do you have any idea when Office for Mac 2008 will be out?

No set date, but Microsoft says about second half of 2007. Until then, you can live with NeoOffice .


I know quite a bit about the 1997-2003-era iMacs, but that's when I stopped using Macs in class, so I don't know much about the Intel-based ones.

I'm learning, though!

Thanks again for you help, all who replied!

The new Intel Macs don't look different, but its speed really improved. According to Apple, some applications run 5x faster on Intel Macs than PowerPC Macs.

Also, all the Adobe products aren't Universal Binary yet, but CS3 is releasing soon, and that will be Universal Binary.

 

The software that isn't UB runs pretty well under Rosetta too, just not "perfect speed".

On Bootcamp, having 2 fingers on the touchpad and clicking makes it right click, but there's no "touch-click" on the touchpad. (Where you tap the touchpad to click) But if you have an external mouse, then that right-click works just fine.

 

Awesomeness, then!



No set date, but Microsoft says about second half of 2007. Until then, you can live with NeoOffice .

Well, I probably won't be buying a Macbook until Santa Rosa and Leopard are out, so hopefully it'll be out by then.



The new Intel Macs don't look different, but its speed really improved. According to Apple, some applications run 5x faster on Intel Macs than PowerPC Macs.

Also, all the Adobe products aren't Universal Binary yet, but CS3 is releasing soon, and that will be Universal Binary.

Well, has the OS changed much since then?

That's really my only question.

If not, I a day or two with a new MacBook would get me back to my elementary/junior high days, where I knew quite a bit about Macs.

 

Read Apple's "Switch 101". Its really helpful.

http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/

Mac OS X hasn't changed that much. The graphics are better, and some extras like Spotlight, but the basic layout (the task bar along the top, etc.) hasn't changed. Its easy to learn even for someone who hasn't had "contact" with Mac OS X.

 

Thanks! I'll give that a read!



And this is probably a stupid question, but Apple's wireless card in the MacBook (AirPort Extreme, I think?), that will be compatible with my current Netgear router, correct?

 

Yep, its compatible with any wireless network.

 

Okay, good.

That's what I thought, but I wasn't quite sure.

Thanks again.

 

My Netgear Router had a bit of problem when setting up because of my WEP key, but try putting a "$" sign infront of it if you have any trouble. That's the fix. I don't know why, but it works.

 

WEP works differently on OS X than Windows and actually is more difficult to get up and running. My advice is not to use WEP at all and instead use WPA. WEP has been cracked and is easily circumvented, giving little added security. WPA is much easier to use and much more secure. Just be sure to use a strong passphrase. If your router does not have WPA, check the manufacturer's site for a firmware update that includes WPA. Odds are they will have one.

 

Yeah, I know for a fact my router has WPA, so I'm good to go once I buy an Apple.