Hello From the Mac

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2 February, 2008 (21:46) | Computers

Well got the Mac up and running about 10pm last night and have been spending most of the time since then trying to get myself familiar with out they work. Most it had been changing how I interact with GUI there are things I have been doing on the PC that you just have to come at in a little different way in a Mac. Most I have been just playing around while it may not be the most efficient way to go about learning the details, I find it is the quickest way to familiarize myself with the overall system, the details can wait until I am more comfortable.

One thing that I love about the Mac has nothing to do with OS X at all, it’s how damn quite the computer runs. For the first time ever I was able to sleep in the same room as a running computer and not have it disturbed my sleep. I need it to be pretty quite in a room to sleep decently and with my old computer there was so much fan noise I HAD to turn it off to sleep well. But, with the Mac now the loudest thing in the room at night is the disk drives on my hacked TIVO. The only time the Mac makes any real noise it when the CD/DVD dive is spinning up. Thou the other thing that helped was getting rid of the speaker system that I had on the old computer that sucker had quite the transformer hum going.

I haven’t really done anything with it so far to experience the speed the dual quad cores can do. That is going to have to wait until after I get Parallels installed and Windows running as a VM. I am going to have to do this as there are a few things that I will need Windows for and a few of the more demanding programs I used in Windows I can’t afford to re-buy for the Mac just yet as I don’t have the student discount I had when I bought them for the PC. Thou the one thing I have notice speed wise is that while I have been sitting here typing this I have ripped almost seven or eight CDs worth of music into iTunes a process that would have taken an hour or more on the old PC.

So far I have been very happy with the switch so far and can’t wait to see what I really make this baby do.

Comments

Comment from Danny Choo
Time 2008, February 3 : at 4:07 am

Congrats on getting the machine up.
if its not on you read list then check this mac blog > http://www.tuaw.com/

Comment from Danny Choo
Time 2008, February 3 : at 4:08 am

And remind me where that wallpaper came from ^^;

Comment from JB
Time 2008, February 3 : at 9:45 am

Hi,

How is your experience with this machine so far? I am just looking to order one. Will be upgrading my 8 year old mac I’ve always bought the desktops for ease of updating and am not a fan of the iMac although lots of people advise me to buy the 24″ iMac. I primarily use it at home for graphic design and photoshop work etc..

btw, what display are you using with this & where did you get that awsome WP?

Thanks and congratulations on getting it.

Comment from JB
Time 2008, February 3 : at 9:49 am

I forgot to mention it, but I ran into your blog while searching for “Claymore No. 47 Clare Figure”. Thanks for that review. I’m just watching the anime and looking to pick up the figure at a local store (I see a lot of fake figures for this one on ebay… the base is painted with red lettering). I’ll be taking a very close look before I buy her.

Comment from The Geek
Time 2008, February 3 : at 10:30 am

@Danny, @JB
The wallpaper is from Chu Chu Idol as is avaible here http://www.softpal.co.jp/unisonshift/products/project15/project15.htm
and thanks for the link Danny.

@JB So far I have nothing but good experiences with it. I went with a MacPro for several reasons. 1. I just don’t like the concept of a computer that integrated with the screen. I like to be able to get inside my computers. 2. I all ready had a 20 inch Samsung LCD that I got a really good deal on during the Black Friday sales where I work. 3. I am not going to be buying a new computer again anytime soon so I wanted to have an easy upgrade path. For $500 more then a 24″ iMac you get a lot more CPU power. Dual 2.8 quad cores vs a single 2.8 dual core.

I will most likely upgrade the ram in mine sometime in the next 6 months or so and maybe get an bigger display or add a second one with next years tax return.

Comment from Edward
Time 2008, February 3 : at 5:52 pm

Glad you are up and running! Good thing Danny thought of tuaw. It’s a regular read for me as well.

I agree, one of the things I like most about my Macs is the lack of fan noise.

If I can make a software suggesting… Try out Quicksilver when you get a chance. http://www.blacktree.com/ It a wonderfully simple but powerful interface access tool to everything on your Mac. I don’t think there is any limitation to what it is capable of doing.

Thanks for the wallpaper link! I’m a wallpaper junkie. ^^;

Comment from The Geek
Time 2008, February 3 : at 6:38 pm

@Edward
Thanks for the link will check it out. As one wallpaper junkie to another you wouldn’t happen to know if there is a application that will auto change the wallpaper for the Mac?

Comment from JB
Time 2008, February 4 : at 11:07 am

Have you had any issues regarding the Macpro freezing or not coming out of sleep mode. Having to restart itself and or not finding the system folder…. been reading up at macrumors and see a lot of reports regarding these problems with the Macpro /ATI. Just wondering if you encountered any. From what I gathered it’s either Leopard 1051 or bad batch of the ATI card or firmware to that.

Comment from The Geek
Time 2008, February 4 : at 6:12 pm

@JB
Haven’t had it in sleep mode much the few days that I have had it and it hasn’t froze at all. So far it’s been all good.

Comment from JB
Time 2008, February 5 : at 9:31 am

@The Geek

Good to hear, I was very concerned about what I have read with other users problems. I am looking forward to getting one soon. Thanks