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Hello, everyone!
I've been a Windows user for 15 years. I had the chance to try out a Macbook Pro recently and fell in love with it. Due to this I've decided to start the new year with a Macbook Pro 13-inch.
Once you've used something for such a long time you start to get accustomed to it. I know people have different philosophies on how to setup their computer, which is why I'd like to share my setup rituals with you all. I'm wondering if the same setup routines can be applied to a Mac?
Purchasing the Computer
My laptop came with a ton of bloatware when I purchased it. The first thing I did when I received it was save the "SWSETUP" files, then I formatted it. Once it got done formatting I installed Vista Ultimate (which I purchased separately). The reason for purchasing Vista separately was due to the fact that even if I had opted for it when ordering the laptop, I knew that they would install a copy of it with all their bloatware. I wanted a "fresh" install. The fact that the laptop doesn't come with an original OS disc had something to do with it as well.
Question:
Is this needed on a new Macbook Pro? Has anyone ever received their Macs and then did a complete reinstall of the OS to start "fresh?" Do Macs come with original OS discs? Does bloatware even exist on a Mac? What I'm trying to say is if I purchase a MBP from apple.com, will it come with a load of useless programs (kind of like HP Media Center, HP Webcam Center, etc.)? Would I need to purchase a separate copy of OS X Snow Leopard in order to do a fresh install?
BIOS Settings
I know some laptops have minimal BIOS settings that one can change. For a desktop computer I generally look through the BIOS before I start setting it up. My laptop didn't have anything that I found worth changing in the BIOS, so I left it as-is.
Question:
Do Macbook Pros have anything worth looking at / changing in the BIOS before setting them up? For instance, on a desktop PC I often disable the serial drivers since I don't use any serial devices. How do you even get into the BIOS of a Mac, anyway?
Hard Drive Configuration
For a Windows machine I generally like to have three partitions: C, D, and E. The C: partition is used for Windows system files, the D: partition is used for programs, and the E: partition is used for data (documents, photos, movies).
Question:
Would this be possible on a Mac? I know OS X is based on Unix, so I'm a bit confused as to how one can setup their partitions. For example I'm used to using GParted for partitioning under Linux / Unix. Do Macs come with a tool like this? Can it be done during the setup (when you first turn it on)? What I dislike the most when purchasing a new PC (especially one you didn't build yourself) is that they come with Windows pre-installed, so once you turn it on everything is installed on the main partition, which is usually C:, leaving no room for customization until after the OS is done installing, instead of before.
Running a Different OS
I hear that Macs have Bootcamp preinstalled. Has anyone tried running Windows 7 on their new MBPs? What version of Windows would you recommend for using Bootcamp? I think the only reason I'd still use Windows is solely for playing games like Guild Wars and Darkfall.
That's all that I can think of for now. I'm anxious to get started and have lots of questions. Thank you for reading this!
- z^2
I've been a Windows user for 15 years. I had the chance to try out a Macbook Pro recently and fell in love with it. Due to this I've decided to start the new year with a Macbook Pro 13-inch.
Once you've used something for such a long time you start to get accustomed to it. I know people have different philosophies on how to setup their computer, which is why I'd like to share my setup rituals with you all. I'm wondering if the same setup routines can be applied to a Mac?
Purchasing the Computer
My laptop came with a ton of bloatware when I purchased it. The first thing I did when I received it was save the "SWSETUP" files, then I formatted it. Once it got done formatting I installed Vista Ultimate (which I purchased separately). The reason for purchasing Vista separately was due to the fact that even if I had opted for it when ordering the laptop, I knew that they would install a copy of it with all their bloatware. I wanted a "fresh" install. The fact that the laptop doesn't come with an original OS disc had something to do with it as well.
Question:
Is this needed on a new Macbook Pro? Has anyone ever received their Macs and then did a complete reinstall of the OS to start "fresh?" Do Macs come with original OS discs? Does bloatware even exist on a Mac? What I'm trying to say is if I purchase a MBP from apple.com, will it come with a load of useless programs (kind of like HP Media Center, HP Webcam Center, etc.)? Would I need to purchase a separate copy of OS X Snow Leopard in order to do a fresh install?
BIOS Settings
I know some laptops have minimal BIOS settings that one can change. For a desktop computer I generally look through the BIOS before I start setting it up. My laptop didn't have anything that I found worth changing in the BIOS, so I left it as-is.
Question:
Do Macbook Pros have anything worth looking at / changing in the BIOS before setting them up? For instance, on a desktop PC I often disable the serial drivers since I don't use any serial devices. How do you even get into the BIOS of a Mac, anyway?
Hard Drive Configuration
For a Windows machine I generally like to have three partitions: C, D, and E. The C: partition is used for Windows system files, the D: partition is used for programs, and the E: partition is used for data (documents, photos, movies).
Question:
Would this be possible on a Mac? I know OS X is based on Unix, so I'm a bit confused as to how one can setup their partitions. For example I'm used to using GParted for partitioning under Linux / Unix. Do Macs come with a tool like this? Can it be done during the setup (when you first turn it on)? What I dislike the most when purchasing a new PC (especially one you didn't build yourself) is that they come with Windows pre-installed, so once you turn it on everything is installed on the main partition, which is usually C:, leaving no room for customization until after the OS is done installing, instead of before.
Running a Different OS
I hear that Macs have Bootcamp preinstalled. Has anyone tried running Windows 7 on their new MBPs? What version of Windows would you recommend for using Bootcamp? I think the only reason I'd still use Windows is solely for playing games like Guild Wars and Darkfall.
That's all that I can think of for now. I'm anxious to get started and have lots of questions. Thank you for reading this!
- z^2