Ready to hang it up!

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Well guys, I'm about ready to hang my new MBP back out on the tree!!!
I'm having problems that I never thought I would have with a Mac.
iPhotos sucks for one, and the internet connection to my wireless router/modem is not to the MBP's liking and only wants to connect to the internet when it feels like it. Sometimes I can't send e-mails without a drop-down error message telling me that my mail server is not connected. Probably do to the connection problem.
I know the problem is not all with the Mac. I also know that is way more of a computer than what I need for what I use a computer for. But I've always wanted to try one and see what they were like. Now that I have, I'm ready to go back to a PC.:Angry:
I do appreciate everyone's help here though. I guess it's true that you can't teach an old dog new tricks......:\
Russ
 
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Sorry to hear about your experience. Im new to Mac myself so cant offer much in the way of solutions. I must say though that my recent experience has been almost exactly the opposite of yours. I have had absolute no problems network or otherwise. As a matter of fact I've been amazed at how easy everything has worked. One piece of advice I did get from a Mac friend was to "stop thinking in PC". He told me to trust the OS and the basic software and let it do what it does. It was a challenge for a couple days but once I gave in a bit and stopped trying to make my Mac work like my windows laptop I found that it works even better. Everything isn't for everyone though.
 
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21" iMac 2.9Ghz 16GB RAM - 10.11.3, iPhone6s & iPad Air 2 - iOS 9.2.1, ATV 4Th Gen tvOS, ATV3
WOW that was a big purchase to wanting to try the Apple OS X.
Dont forget you could use the B/S/T forum to sell it off to another member. With you connection problem i cant help, but in Mail, if your email is a .pop3 account ie; .live or .hotmail then you will have problems. For a reason im not sure of my .pop3 account all times has problem sending.

I find it hard to understand that just because of the connection and iPhoto your ready to hang up your Mac Boots :( Is there another reason to why its such a bad experience. If its just iPhoto sucks and your connection then i think you had already talked yourself into not liking it. As you said the connection isnt all Mac and my guess is its not Mac related at all, or its been set up poorly, then that leaves 'iPhoto sucks'.

If your willing to give up bc iPhoto sucks then mate go back to the Windows Box you so muchly want.


LOL i find it funny on a $2000 odd machine bc iPhoto sucks you are getting rid of it

I, if it was me would be giving it another go, but as i said i think you have your mind set now.

Cheers
 
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OP, have you tried your MBP on any other wireless routers? You could simply have a hardware issue on one side or the other that could easily be fixed with either a new router or taking your MBP in for warranty repair / replacement.

As for iPhoto, there are plenty other programs out there you could use instead. Just because it came with the MBP, doesn't mean you can't skip it.

Try not to make any hasty decisions. You've made a significant investment here. I would think that giving it more of a chance might help.

-MikeM
 
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chas_m

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First off, iPhoto doesn't suck. It's actually fabulous. BUT just like poutine, it's not for everybody! :)

If you've given it an honest try (have you checked the tutorials on Apple's site, at least?) and it's not meeting your needs, fine. There are plenty of alternatives, here are just a SMALL handful of other options:

a. Picasa (I'm not a fan of Google but hey, it's there and it's free)
b. JAlbum (again, free)
c. ACDSee Pro for Mac (probably more than you need and not free, but awesome for RAW)
d. Aperture (Apple's "pro" photo program, not free but there's a free trial)
e. Lightroom (Adobe's "pro" etc etc free trial)

Second: wireless connection. I'd wager good money this has absolutely f-all to do with your Mac and everything to do with your router, but there's a quick way to find out: head to the nearest Starbucks (or better yet, independent coffee house of your choice) and jump onto their free internet. Same problem, or no?

If no, the problem's not the Mac. Simple as that.
 
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I think your issue is you are expecting iphoto to be something it is not. iphoto is not high level photo editing. And it will never be. It is basic photo management/organisation and slight editing ie. redeye removal, colour balance tweak etc etc. If you think of it this way then iphoto is good at what it is designed for.

If you want a more meatier photo editing app then try some of the above apps or you can try Pixelmator (not free though).

And there's no need to buy new hardware. You can use bootcamp and boot into windows on your Mac. And later down the track you can re-enter the world of OS X. But if you move back to a windows box you lose the ability of using OS X ever if you want or need to.
 
OP
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First of all let me say that the best thing about owning a Mac has been this forum!!!
Everybody has been just great! And you have all been a big help too.
My issue with iPhoto is that it won't let me store my photos like my pc will do.
All I want to do is to be able to sort through all my 7000+ photos of trains, scenery photos, and my model RR photos. Nothing fancy, just store the photos and allow me to e-mail them when I want to.
I have a friend who is coming out today from Chicago who is a die-hard Mac person and he tells me that when I see how easy it is to do what I want to do, I will poop!!!!
And he does NOT use iPhoto at all except to d/l photos from a SD card into his Mac.
But if this is true why have the folks at the Apple store been trying to teach me all about iPhoto and nothing else? I've told them several times when I go to one of the 1 on 1 classes what I want to do and they still insist on doing it with iPhoto....???

My other problem has been not being able to connect with the Internet and AT&T and the folks at 2-Wire have tried to help, but all have told me that my modem/router is one of the older "G" types of wireless modems and the Mac's like the newer "N" models....?
I have tried changing the speed and channels and right now it is set as fast as it will go and I still have problems. My MBP is only about 20' from the modem/router.
But when I connect my old PC everything works fine with the speed dialed back to about 30% less. This setting also helps my modem power supply run a little cooler too.

Don't get me wrong, I love this new MBP, but it's way more computer than what I need to do what I want to do. It's a shame that I can't use it as you folks do because then I would realize the beauty that lies within. Does this make any sense?

I haven't totally given up yet as I don't like to admit defeat.... So I'm still trying and hoping I can find a solution so I can make this beautiful machine live with me.

Thanks again to everyone for all your help!!!

Russ
 
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2019 27" iMAC 3 GHz Intel Core i5, 1TB HD, Radeon Pro 570X 4 GB graphics card, 8 GB DDR4 RAM
I've had some technical glitches with my new iMac and in all but one instance the AppleCare folks solved my problems. My 6 week old iMac still is finicky about making an internet connection after I open Safari. It's a crap shoot if I'll have a connection. When I don't I close Safari, wait a minute or two and it's back.

I need some Windows apps for work so I Bootcamped Win7. Before throwing in the towel I'd suggest:

1. Call AppleCare
2. Consider Bootcamping Windows for those apps you want/need. Having both OS's on ONE sexy PC is icing on the cake for me and allows me to do things I could never do with just one OS. Be different - run BOTH OS's.

Good luck

Tom
 

chscag

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My issue with iPhoto is that it won't let me store my photos like my pc will do. All I want to do is to be able to sort through all my 7000+ photos of trains, scenery photos, and my model RR photos. Nothing fancy, just store the photos and allow me to e-mail them when I want to.

Even some of us old die hard Mac users do not like iPhoto. You either love it or hate it... :) It takes getting used to and regardless of what others may say about it, it does take awhile to understand how it organizes and stores your photos.

I personally do not like or use iPhoto instead choosing Picasa for working on what photos I do have. I'm not big on photos and do not have that many.

As for your other problems with the internet, perhaps your friend can help you out with that in person. Macs are as easy to setup for the net as PCs so there may be other issues in play that you're not aware of.

Let us know if we can be of further help, and stick with your Mac. I'm sure you'll be happy you did.
 
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chas_m

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My issue with iPhoto is that it won't let me store my photos like my pc will do.

Yes it will. iPhoto will sort photos by absolutely ANY criteria you can dream up. You just don't know how yet, and more importantly haven't learned how to "let go" of the micro-management and let iPhoto do it, that's all.

Nothing fancy, just store the photos and allow me to e-mail them when I want to.

Take a look at this post:
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/sw...sed-about-photo-management-2.html#post1205338


But if this is true why have the folks at the Apple store been trying to teach me all about iPhoto and nothing else?

Because iPhoto can do what you want to do, most likely -- and their other option (as Apple Store employees) is going to be to recommend Aperture, which costs $200. They're actually trying to save you money.

My other problem has been not being able to connect with the Internet and AT&T and the folks at 2-Wire

You can just stop there. 2Wire=junk. Replace with something good.

but all have told me that my modem/router is one of the older "G" types of wireless modems and the Mac's like the newer "N" models....?

Um, no. While YOU would benefit from an "N" router, the Mac flatly doesn't care one whit whether you use "G" or "N" (or "B" for that matter).

But when I connect my old PC everything works fine with the speed dialed back to about 30% less. This setting also helps my modem power supply run a little cooler too.

?! :Confused:

Please see my above comment regarding 2Wire.
 
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2010 17" MBP |core i7 2.66|4gb ddr3|500gb 7200rpm|snow leopard|
There are 22 videos on this link right on Apple's site. How cool is that? A company that gives you TONS of video on how to do everything on the mac, for people just like you!

(I'm not being sarcastic or mean lol I am actually this excited about this stuff)

Apple - Find Out How - iPhoto - iPhoto

Just that link alone for iPhoto has 22 seperate videos, which includes printing, publishing to facebiin, emailing, etc.

Please let us know if you need any other help and just about anyone who this site who even reads the thread will always post their advice/help.
 

BrianLachoreVPI


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There are 22 videos on this link right on Apple's site. How cool is that? A company that gives you TONS of video on how to do everything on the mac, for people just like you!

(I'm not being sarcastic or mean lol I am actually this excited about this stuff)

Apple - Find Out How - iPhoto - iPhoto
.

Hehe - I can relate to that :) - seems like a year ago already (even though only 2 months :) ) - but I remember watching a ton of those videos while waiting with great anticipation for my MBP to arrive as I was making the switch. To the OP there really is a lot of good info there - and it'll only cost you about an hour of your time give or take...
 

cwa107


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Please see my above comment regarding 2Wire.

I honestly wish I knew how all of these people end up with these off-brand, no-name routers. I'm guessing they're ISP-supplied.

gtir: Just FYI, there are about four main companies that make wireless networking products that are worth their salt - those would be (in no particular order), Linksys, Netgear, D-Link and Apple. Belkin makes routers, but I have not been impressed by them.

Anything else you buy is going to have a manual written in Engrish by some Chinese conglomerate that knows about as much about networking and RF as your average toddler. They're mostly knocking off someone else's product.

With that said, while I would agree with Chas that you may want to just go out and buy a "big boy" router to save yourself some headache, here's some things you can do to optimize it for your Mac:

1. Enable SSID broadcast (if it is currently disabled)
2. Set security to WPA (or better yet, WPA2)
3. Get the router up as high as possible and as central to your home as possible. Worst place for it is in a basement or around other devices that emit RF (baby monitors, cordless phone bases, microwave ovens, etc).

Once you've done those things, I'd be willing to bet a dollar or two that you're no longer having issues with your Mac.
 

pigoo3

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I know the problem is not all with the Mac. I also know that is way more of a computer than what I need for what I use a computer for. But I've always wanted to try one and see what they were like. Now that I have, I'm ready to go back to a PC.:Angry:

I know that you mentioned some specific reasons why you're having trouble...but are you 100% sure that we aren't dealing with some "buyers regret"?

We know that the initial purchase price of a new Macintosh computer can be a "big ticket item". If this is the case...then go ahead and return it. If you would really like to stick with Macintosh computers & the Mac OS...you could consider a used Macintosh computer or purchase a lower spec. refurbished MacBook from the Apple Store (which still has a 12 month warranty)...such as this $849 refurbished MacBook:

Refurbished MacBook 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo - Apple Store (U.S.)

HTH,

- Nick
 
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3.4 Ghz i7 MacBook Pro (2015), iPad Pro (2014), iPhone Xs Max. Apple TV 4K
a. Picasa (I'm not a fan of Google but hey, it's there and it's free)
b. JAlbum (again, free)
c. ACDSee Pro for Mac (probably more than you need and not free, but awesome for RAW)
d. Aperture (Apple's "pro" photo program, not free but there's a free trial)
e. Lightroom (Adobe's "pro" etc etc free trial)

You forgot:

f.Graphic Converter.

Does everything you want and more.Not free but worth it. Been using it for years the developer continues to improve and update.
 
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Well I don't know much about router issues, but you don't HAVE to use iPhoto to manage your photos on your Mac, just as you don't have to use Outlook to manage your mail on a PC. You can just put all your photos in the Pictures folder in your Documents folder and manage them just like you do in Windows.

I used to do this and avoid iPhoto entirely because I too was used to the old PC way of doing things. But not I use iPhoto all the time, it's incredibly handy. If you don't like the way iPhoto works specifically, you can try one of the many other free photo applications that are out there for Macs. But you don't even have to use those, of course. There is no reason why you can't manage your photos the way you did in Windows. Certainly there's no reason to chuck your Mac here.
 
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I have a friend who is coming out today from Chicago who is a die-hard Mac person and he tells me that when I see how easy it is to do what I want to do, I will poop!!!!
And he does NOT use iPhoto at all except to d/l photos from a SD card into his Mac.
But if this is true why have the folks at the Apple store been trying to teach me all about iPhoto and nothing else? I've told them several times when I go to one of the 1 on 1 classes what I want to do and they still insist on doing it with iPhoto....???


My guess woud be because they work for Apple. I wouldn't expect them to give up on thier own product as quickly as you seem to have. My second guess is because iPhoto will actually do everything you are asking if you take the time to learn to use it. It's a neat little program for organizing and very light editing. That said, I only use it for importing and organizing shots I take with my iPhone. For shots I take with my DSLR I use the software that came with it (Digital Photo Professional and Image Browswer). They work much better than iPhoto for handing files from my 50D. For heavy editing of jpegs I use Gimp which is free. iPhoto is great but you don't have to use it if it dosen't work for you. Did your camera come with any software?
 
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@gtirr
I just got my first mac-iMac 21.5 3.06 8gb ram, and its great.

Iphoto is great, except at the beginning i tried to run the faces option on all 7000 pictures.I had to do force quit, and I tried to open iphoto again and it said I didn't have access or something to the drive. A restart fixed that.

Facetime is great, safari is great, my 4 year old loves photobooth, and my wife hasn't yet had the chance to fall in love with it yet.

I have the exact opposite story regarding my router. It dropped all the time with my old dell inspiron laptop. The iMac has not dropped a connection once, youtube streams great, and I actually have a refurbished Airport base station coming soon. It was like 120 from Bestbuy, and apple has them refurbished online as well. Maybe get a new (replacement) one, and if that does not work out you could always take it back.

@ChasM
Aperture 3 is 80$ in the M.A.P.

Don't give up yet.
 
OP
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Golly guys, where to I start? First of all thank you all for being so patient with me and trying so hard to help me through this. I really appreciate it.
I'm going to try and touch on some of your comments and then tell you what I plan to do.

MikeM: The only other wireless connection that I have been hooked up to has been at the Apple store and everything has worked well there. But I intend to try others located close by and see what happens. One solution I have come up with is to run a Ethernet cable from my modem/router through a wall and into my living room to my desk where the Mac resides on. This should eliminate all problems.

Chasm: Thanks to all of you who have suggested that I give Apples Tutorials a try, I have started watching them today. Thanks for that suggestion.
And I'm trying to dump my pc bad habits but it's been hard since they seem to do just what I want. But Im still trying. < : )
As far as the folks at the Apple store trying to sell me something, this has been just the opposite, they have actually talked me out of buying something I didn't need.
And when a good friend of mine recently bought his iMac, they suggested he buy the base 21" unit instead of going to the next one. They said the base one would do what he wanted and more.

And to those of you who wondered where I found my 2Wire modem, it DID come with my at&t connection. Up to now it has worked as good as can be expected going with at&t. Although it has been replaced once. Unfortunately for me it is a router/modem combination.

Pigoo3:"Am I 100% sure I'm not dealing with buyers regret?" Only when I have yet to see where my MBP is going to work better for me than any pc I can buy at Staples.
But I have not given up yet, and thanks to everyone on here I'm trying my best to make this work. But remember what I said about "Old dogs?"

My buddy came out today from Chicago and brought his 2 yr. old MBP with him and a big hammer to teach me how to store my photos. All of his photos are in his Document folder. All are listed by name and there are folders within folders which is what I've been trying to do. I am going to give this a try.

I'm also going to my nest 1 on 1 class on Tuesday and I'll see what they say.
At this point I have deleted all of my photos from iPhoto and my computer. Everything is backed up on my USB Thumb drives and on another computer. So we'll see what happens.

Thanks again to everyone who has responded. I really appreciate all your help.

Russ
 
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MikeM: The only other wireless connection that I have been hooked up to has been at the Apple store and everything has worked well there. But I intend to try others located close by and see what happens. One solution I have come up with is to run a Ethernet cable from my modem/router through a wall and into my living room to my desk where the Mac resides on. This should eliminate all problems.

My instinct is telling me that your router is the fault here. I recently upgraded my router from a wireless G to a Wireless N (Linksys) as the G router was starting to get flaky. Not one problem with any of my computers now (I run a mixed network with both PCs and Macs). It just happens. Electronics have a much shorter lifespan than most other things we buy.

And to those of you who wondered where I found my 2Wire modem, it DID come with my at&t connection. Up to now it has worked as good as can be expected going with at&t. Although it has been replaced once. Unfortunately for me it is a router/modem combination.

What you can do is pickup a new router and just plug it into your router/modem combo device directly and then use it's wireless independently. It actually gives you a stronger security aspect because you are then running behind two firewalls (That's if the original one has a firewall). I would then move all your devices to the new router and just let the original one act as a modem only. That way, there are no issues with communications between the two.

-MikeM
 

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