Sage advice for the new Mac switcher

I often tell my students that it's like an interior designer broke in to your house, brought in brand-new beautiful furniture, and rearranged everything more tastefully. It's all there, it's just quite different than what you were used to!

Thanks, Chas-M. The info you posted is very useful and inspiring.

cwa107 said:

Also, the pinch gesture zooms in and out (like the iPhone). Oh, and twisting switches tabs. Three-finger swipe goes back and forward too.

Another one I love: Hit the / key and then start typing and it searches within the page for the terms you type.

Have a news site you like? Click the RSS button in the address bar and then add it to your Bookmarks toolbar. Then, click the entry for it and it will drop down a menu with titles of the latest stories.

I could go on and on....

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As a Switcher I am working through this Thread - Do go on and on and on........

I am SnagIt grabbing all of these tips and creating a, what else?, Tip Document~!

Edit:

Guess what? I just reached my own post working from the beginning of this wonderful thread - and, I will not even touch my MAC until Oct 15!

1. Word: With literally a 100GB in my very expanded My Documents Folder - which is also a general storage folder, is there any practical way to switch to Pages? Does the MAC have a similar tree folder system? Will my .doc and .docx documents be recognized in Pages? And, if I started to use pages and send .PAGES documents (I do not know the extension) are they going to be easily read by someone running Office?

2. Outlook: I not only save hundreds of Outlook emails in organized folders, I archive older emails in .pst files "just in case". If I started using Apple Mail, similar questions to the above. I am not concerned with Calendar and Contacts; that can easily be reinstalled.

3. When I first take delivery of my MAC it will have the 5400 rpm stock drive; that is the drive that will be used for the initial setup - unless after reading this you tell me I should do it differently. I am going to purchase 1 to 1. Today's plan: 15th - setup and take delivery at Apple Store; 16th - install the OWC upgrades (two SSDs and 16GB RAM); 17th & 19th 1 to 1 lessons; 20th - off to Hawaii for 3 weeks which includes a week long photography workshop with lots of MAC/iPhonography Geeks (that is why I want to get the MAC ASAP. Alternative is to simply pick up the MAC on the 15th, do the upgrades on the 16th, and do the setup on the 17th.

Your thoughts on the better procedure. How do I move the OS X from the stock drive to my new 240GB SSD. Other questions I cannot even think of!

Yes, I am an anal planner!!

4. Perian is not longer going to be supported.

5. The most important question I always ask: What didn't I ask that I should have asked?

Cheers, Luvntravln

Luvntravln said:

1. Word: With literally a 100GB in my very expanded My Documents Folder - which is also a general storage folder, is there any practical way to switch to Pages?

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Sure, if you want to. You don't have to ... Word was originally a Mac program before it was a Windows program, and you can use the Mac version of Word if you like. Or use Pages.

Does the MAC have a similar tree folder system?

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Kind of. It's available, it's not much-used by Mac people. PS It's Mac, short for "Macintosh." It's not an acronym.

Will my .doc and .docx documents be recognized in Pages? And, if I started to use pages and send .PAGES documents (I do not know the extension) are they going to be easily read by someone running Office?

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Yes to the first part, no to the second part. Pages is a Mac (and iOS) only program. It can export documents in Word format of course, as well as PDF -- but if you're routinely trading Office files with Windows users, I'd suggest ponying up for Microsoft Office (or cheaping out and using LibreOffice).

2. Outlook: I not only save hundreds of Outlook emails in organized folders, I archive older emails in .pst files "just in case". If I started using Apple Mail, similar questions to the above.

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Mail is fantastic for filing emails in folders, and for archiving old mail you want to keep around but don't need right at the forefront. The Business version of Office for Mac includes Outlook, but frankly I think Mail is way better since it's less cluttered, and its method of integrating Calendar and Contacts is more elegant IMO.

4. Perian is not longer going to be supported.

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A very sad thing. However, it still works fine in Mountain Lion, so I don't see any immediate need to change recommendations on it. Hopefully someone else will pick up supporting that project.

5. The most important question I always ask: What didn't I ask that I should have asked?

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Resist the temptation to overthink things. The Mac is very "zen" by comparison with PCs. Enjoy it.

The Cloud!

Let's talk cloud; and in my case a very limited cloud usage.

I am a traveler 100% of the time. We only own what fits into two 50lb rolling duffels; a 15lb backpack, and our new Apples under our arm along with iPhones and iPads.

Sometimes we are lucky and rent a unit with wifi - that is like going to a candy store for me as I have saved up lots of photography videos and other stuff I want to download.

However, sometimes we are limited to prepaid relatively small data plans for the computer or phone.

Ideally I want to be able to sync with my wife all six of our devices for calendar and contacts.

I would never use the cloud for documents/storage as the costs unless you have an unlimited data plan is simply prohibitive.

So, with that preamble....

1. Calendar:

Currently I am syncing my PC outlook calendar through USB with my iPad calendar. Will Apples (generic for pad, puter, and fone) sync Outlook calendar through the cloud so that all six devices (mine and my wife's) can be synced? To sync all six devices, do my wife and I have to share one cloud account; how does that work?

If too cumbersome for six, we want to at least sync our own three devices which if not automatically through the cloud could be done manually through USB, right?

A lot of Mac friends indicate that they use Google for their email, addresses, and calendar and sync in that manner; thoughts pro/con.

iCal - even if I am using Outlook for emails is it reasonable to use and synch iCal on our six devices? Currently I do sync my PC Outlook calendar with my iPad.

2. Address book:

Even thinking about addresses/contacts causes me to ponder that it is too much of an ask for wife and I to share contacts. That then suggests that putting all six devices on one cloud account is over the top. Who sync all data with their wife; does it work reasonably well?

Any other thoughts/tips on the cloud appreciated.

Backup

Yes, I have time on my hands!!

I read Pts 1 & 2; 1 had lots of comments and 2 none.

I do a manual PC backup; I do not use any particular software. This is what I have been doing for years in the event of a crash; will it work with my Mac?

1. I have a copy of every program including the operating system. I will have a copy of 10.8 as well as all of the installed programs.

2. I maintain two separate 1T external hard drives that are independently stored. Up to now I lived in a caravan/trailer and one drive was in the caravan and one in the tow vehicle.

3. Frequently, not as often as I should, perhaps that will change with SSDs and Thunderbolt, I manually copy all data from my computer to one hard drive. Then after making sure it is all there I delete the old copy on that drive. I then copy the new copy to the 2nd drive and delete the old copy from the second drive.

The data: My Documents, Pictures, Music, profiles, cookies folder, Outlook.pst, and the largest folder - my Lightroom images folder that contains all of my fine art images from the original capture to a master processed file. The Lightroom folder is double backed up most often.



Will this work; suggested better way?

Will using Time Machine simplify what I have been doing?

Thanks,

Planning the 'switch' shortly as my current laptop is on its way out, this thread is brilliant and helped a lot.

Love Apple, already got iPod, iPhone, iPad, AppleTV so just needing a mac lol

Luvntravln said:

Let's talk cloud; and in my case a very limited cloud usage.

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Let me suggest that you put what you wrote above into a new thread that deals specifically with this topic: you'll get more and better answers that way. I have some things to say on this issue but that's not really what this thread is about.

Luvntravln said:

I do a manual PC backup; I do not use any particular software. This is what I have been doing for years in the event of a crash; will it work with my Mac?

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The short answer is you have total flexibility on how you back up your machine; you can do it manually if you like (but really, isn't this the sort of thing a computer should handle on its own?). You can opt for automatic. You can opt for semi-automatic. Whatever you prefer.

I was terrible at backing up for years because I always resented any "chores" associated with managing a computer; I did *not* buy a Mac so that I could spend more of my time doing routine maintenance!

When Time Machine (and Carbon Copy Cloner and other tools like that) came along, I felt much more liberated. Now, most maintenance is done automatically and I don't have to spend time doing it or even thinking about it; I can just get on with what I actually bought the computer to do.

Carbon Copy:

When you make a clone is it a super-compressed bootable image?

The new Retina has a 750GB drive; my new Mac is going to have a 240 and a 480. I suspect that the 240 might be a bit crowded; the 480 will use 400.

How large does the item where the clone resides have to be to hold a mirror image? I am imagining something significant, e.g., a dedicated 1T USB 3.0 drive. To most of you that is a little piece of nothing; to US that is another item to carry forever!

Do you clone "everything" including data, or if you maintain all of your data (documents and images) on a separate hard drive as I intend to do, do you only clone your "program" hard drive and backup using Time Machine the data hard drive?

How often do you do a new clone?

Using Time Machine, how often do you do a full-back up to avoid wading backwards for dozens of incremental backups?

Thanks, other suggestions appreciated.

Luvntravln said:

Carbon Copy:

When you make a clone is it a super-compressed bootable image?

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Nope. Not compressed at all.

How large does the item where the clone resides have to be to hold a mirror image?

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See above.

Do you clone "everything" including data, or if you maintain all of your data (documents and images) on a separate hard drive as I intend to do, do you only clone your "program" hard drive and backup using Time Machine the data hard drive?

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IMO you are waaaay over thinking this. I have two backup external drives: a TM backup, and a clone (done with CCC). Both are set to a schedule, and do everything. No fuss, no muss.

How often do you do a new clone?

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TM is done every hour as it normally does; the clone is set for three times a week at present.

Using Time Machine, how often do you do a full-back up to avoid wading backwards for dozens of incremental backups?

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You need to read up on TM and understand how it works better. Doesn't work like that.

Thanks, other suggestions appreciated.[/QUOTE]

IMO you are waaaay over thinking this. I have two backup external drives: a TM backup, and a clone (done with CCC). Both are set to a schedule, and do everything. No fuss, no muss.

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No waaaa over thinking; simply thinking a lot and getting the answers from you and others to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Your two backup drives: what size? I have two 1Ts USB 3.0 that I carry. Within the manner in which TM and CCC operate, can I designate a Master Folder/Partition on each 1T for TM on one and CCC usage on the other. That would allow the remaining space for other storage purposes.

TM is done every hour as it normally does; the clone is set for three times a week at present.

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For TM to occur every hour means it is almost permanently plugged into you Mac; for CCC to operate every week same requirement.

My Mac is on the move a lot of the time as I am. I assume that if hard drives are not plugged in, when they are both programs do a catch up; correct?

When CCC clones the disc and there is already an existing image, does it make a new image in a separate folder so that you have to opportunity to test the new image before the old image is manually deleted, or dies it simply over write the old image?

When TM does it's first backup, I assume that this first full backup is an uncompressed duplicate. If you backup 300GB you have a backup = 300GB. Over time TM backs up the changes only. How often do you do a new full backup to allow you to discard the old full + incrementals?


Clearly this is the way for me to try.

Mr. Sage, thank you for the sage advice!!

Luvntravln said:

For TM to occur every hour means it is almost permanently plugged into you Mac; for CCC to operate every week same requirement.

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No, not at all; as you suggest, the programs will just pick up again when the drive is connected. I do assume you will, at least occasionally, plug the drives in. You said you had periods without internet access, but I assumed you have at least periodic access to electricity.

Since you are on the move so much, I would think backups and syncing would be a top priority for those times when you have power and internet, so I commend you for thinking about this.

chas_m said:

No, not at all; as you suggest, the programs will just pick up again when the drive is connected. I do assume you will, at least occasionally, plug the drives in. You said you had periods without internet access, but I assumed you have at least periodic access to electricity.

Since you are on the move so much, I would think backups and syncing would be a top priority for those times when you have power and internet, so I commend you for thinking about this.

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Thanks Mate; we will always have electricity!

Pending: Your two backup drives: what size? I have two 1Ts USB 3.0 that I carry. Within the manner in which TM and CCC operate, can I designate a Master Folder/Partition on each 1T for TM on one and CCC usage on the other. That would allow the remaining space for other storage purposes.

I'm not as mobile, so I have my desktop units beside me: one is a dedicated TM, the other is a dedicated CCC clone.

Both are slightly larger than the drives they are backing up; in TM this allows for crucial historical versioning, in CCC it just give me some space (without partitioning) to stash files temporarily.

Your plan sounds like a good one except for one problem: how do you back up the extra material you've put on the storage partitions?

chas_m said:

Your plan sounds like a good one except for one problem: how do you back up the extra material you've put on the storage partitions?

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Hi, if I am understanding the TM/CCC two-step, this procedure results in a double backup! Since I am using two 1T hard drives, and my largest SSD is 480, I have 500GB on each hard drive for a double back up of misc storage stuff.

Good essay, overall. The main thing about it that rubs me the wrong way, a little, is the notion of "switching," as if Windows is altogether a bad habit and Mac is entirely good. This I find, not only in your essay, but more generally in the Mac crowd.

A few years ago, I learned my way around Debian Linux, and I still use it today, where it makes sense for me to do so. I didn't "switch" from Windows to Debian (or Ubuntu, or any other distro). I added to my knowledge, and gained some proficiency with a different OS. It's not "either/or," it's "both and." I pick Debian when I want to set up a rock-solid, light footprint server at home, for example. I use Windows at my clients' sites, which are almost invariably Windows shops, and often at home.

Now that I've bought a Macbook, I'm learning OS X, but I'm very comfortable continuing to do stuff in Windows via Parallels, particularly since my machine is powerful enough that I don't even notice any performance penalty with the virtualization. I have no intention of "switching" to Mac, as if I needed to get rid of the Windows disease. More tools in my toolkit, says I.

Why is this notion so prevalent in the Mac community? Why do so many Apple enthusiasts feel the need to disparage Windows users (not just the OS, but the people using it) as being "in the stone age," and worse? It makes as much sense as my friend who drives an Odyssey calling me names because I drive an Escape.

J

jtucker said:

Good essay, overall. The main thing about it that rubs me the wrong way, a little, is the notion of "switching,"
...

I'm very comfortable continuing to do stuff in Windows via Parallels, particularly since my machine is powerful enough...

J

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Hi, Without directly answering your question since I am a fetal (I will not have my Mac for another two weeks) Mac person, and you apparently are a reasonably knowledgeable person, I will ask you a different question based upon what you have written.

I am "switching" and in doing so I am going out of my way to avoid Windows programs for one reason, if what is written here is true.

If I run parallels and Windows programs, it has been suggested that I would need to run some form of anti-virus program.

For example, I am a photographer and the all-time best quick review program is Breeze Browser. It quickly opens your RAW files - hundreds of them - in a heartbeat, and you can quickly grade and/or discard. No Mac version! Nero Burning; no Mac version.

If I ran Parallels, I could run these programs. Does that open me up to the possibility of a virus? If there is even the mere possibility; I will find a workaround rather than having to run an anti-virus program just to use a few Windows programs.

Make sense?

Thanks,

Luvntravln said:

Hi, Without directly answering your question since I am a fetal (I will not have my Mac for another two weeks) Mac person, and you apparently are a reasonably knowledgeable person, I will ask you a different question based upon what you have written.

I am "switching" and in doing so I am going out of my way to avoid Windows programs for one reason, if what is written here is true.

If I run parallels and Windows programs, it has been suggested that I would need to run some form of anti-virus program.

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Yes, you will - within the Windows install on Parallels. I recommend Microsoft's own Security Essentials, which is free.

For example, I am a photographer and the all-time best quick review program is Breeze Browser. It quickly opens your RAW files - hundreds of them - in a heartbeat, and you can quickly grade and/or discard. No Mac version! Nero Burning; no Mac version.

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What about lightroom, Aperture or ACDSee?

If I ran Parallels, I could run these programs. Does that open me up to the possibility of a virus? If there is even the mere possibility; I will find a workaround rather than having to run an anti-virus program just to use a few Windows programs.

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Windows is Windows whether you run it in a VM or on a physical PC. Running it as a guest OS on a Mac doesn't somehow make it impervious to viruses. Nor is a Mac impervious to malware (the broader category term which encompasses viruses, spyware, adware, trojans and the like).

Make sense?

Thanks,

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I think you have a few misconceptions that might be best explored in their own thread.

Luvntravln said:

If I run parallels and Windows programs, it has been suggested that I would need to run some form of anti-virus program.

[snip]

If I ran Parallels, I could run these programs. Does that open me up to the possibility of a virus? If there is even the mere possibility; I will find a workaround rather than having to run an anti-virus program just to use a few Windows programs.

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The short answer is "Yes," you would have to run a **Windows** anti-malware program in your **Windows** virtual machine, but that would impact your Mac OS X experience very, very little, if at all.

Would you then have to run a **Mac** anti-virus program in OS X? I highly doubt it.

Windows 8 has more-than-adequate anti-malware built-in now, and it doesn't bog down your system. Microsoft Security Essentials is free, works with the other still-useful versions of Windows and, again, is not a resource hog.

Bottom line: so long as you install decent anti-malware in your Parallels virtual machine (which is relatively pain-free) you should be fine.