OS X not what I expected

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Sorry, but I looked a few posts back and find nothing - although, I have been accused of being semi-blind at times.

Post 24 says you returned it and got your money back, #28 you're still talking about your disappointment in purchasing it and then in post 29 you're experimenting with the OS.

Yes that's right not one I own though. Will return back to orginal state when I have finished experimenting.
 
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Interesting.

Someone is letting you "experiment" with THIER Mac? Including downloading random apps to make it feel more like Windows?? Seems pretty odd… I'm just sayin'
 

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Interesting.

Someone is letting you "experiment" with THIER Mac? Including downloading random apps to make it feel more like Windows?? Seems pretty odd… I'm just sayin'

Ride, you need to move here to Central California! I have many old Macs I will let a person like you borrow and mess with. Just don't crack the old plastic case, blow up the Logicboard and you can borrow one and mod it and experiment with it to your hearts content! :D Grin

I have a nice G4 DA waiting for you! It's got 10.5 on it also with a 667Mhz G4 and 1GB ram. :D

Oh, and sorry. I am in a crazy mode. Lack of sleep working on Virus Ridden Windows systems will do that to a person. Just trying to have fun and unwind before I sleep. :D
 
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Back to my old 2.2GHz C2D MB after selling my MBP and wondering what my next Mac will be :)
This thread is killing me, kinda like that itch you know you shouldn't scratch because it's only gonna make it worse, but....... I'm going to add a little twist, because I kinda like the pleasure of the pain :D
To the OP, in all of this "expectation", do you realise that the Mac Mini is the bottom end of the Mac line as far as modern Macs go?
To really get the most out of OS X, without even getting into the ways you can use OS X, such as all the Mac tutorials on the Apple site, the missing manual, and the list goes on, when you mix all the many ways you can go about so many tasks to suit the user, with the different variations of the Macs above and well beyond the Mac mini, there is a much greater experience than I think that you have ventured into.
Expectations are always going to disappoint at some level, but an open mind, and a willingness to learn and understand can really bring a lot of joy.
I think that you have been very quick to judge, and state your case, without even getting your toes wet!
Just an observation after reading and reading and reading post after post after post here!
 
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Interesting.

Someone is letting you "experiment" with THIER Mac? Including downloading random apps to make it feel more like Windows?? Seems pretty odd… I'm just sayin'

There's no call to be deriding the generosity of others. If I had a good friend who wanted to try a Mac out, and I had a spare sitting around for some reason (like.. oh.. the Mac Pro I recently replaced and only more recently sold), I'd have no qualms about letting them have at it while and holding off selling it. What's the worst that could happen? I wipe the drive and reinstall OS X? Or recover it from a SuperDuper backup? I'd have to do that anyway.
 
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JP-ME: What's killing me here is that you're putting the most emphasis on the way OS X looks vs. the difference in its capabilities which make it a night and day different OS compared to Windows 7.

I was working on my cousins laptop the other day (fixing stuff for her) which is stock Win7, and I could not for the life of me believe just how sloppy, slow and inefficient it was. This is after having been a Windows user for pretty much my whole life up until the Summer of 2008, which is when I bought my first MacBook Pro. (well, I tried Linux first and that stint lasted for about 4 years, all while keeping up a Win machine)

As has been said, OS X's GUI can be tweaked if you need a different look, or larger fonts etc.. that's just basic stuff. But you don't seem to care much about (I've read your posts and this is the impression I've gotten) the real differences which will make your computer sessions a hellu'v a lot more fluid and actually enjoyable. Spaces and exposé to begin with, are two tools which are an invaluable resource.

I dunno, just seems to me that you've not given yourself enough time to even realize or care about how efficient OS X is (vs. Win) and that you're happy enough with how Windows performs. Were I you, I'd not be switching at all. You said you wanted something "different", right? Try Linux first. Something like Ubuntu. This way, you get to keep your PC, dual boot it and try out an Nix OS and then tweak it till your heart is content !

Otherwise, stop looking at OS X as if it were comparable to Windows in terms of how tasks are performed. That will forever be a crutch for you, and you will never be happy with it. You basically have to learn how to use a new OS.

Doug

Edit: By the way... Two third party apps I find to be gems:

MoveAddict (gives you the power of cut/paste for files and folders)
SizeUP: Customizable keyboard shortcuts which enable you to move application windows or Finder windows to either the left, right or any quarter of the screen with equal distance from one another, so that you can work with up to 4 windows at once and not have to search for a specific one being on top. Great for moving files and such.

I'd also get a Magic Track Pad and learn every keyboard shortcut if I were you. Makes things SOOOOO nice.
 
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This thread is killing me, kinda like that itch you know you shouldn't scratch because it's only gonna make it worse, but....... I'm going to add a little twist, because I kinda like the pleasure of the pain :D
To the OP, in all of this "expectation", do you realise that the Mac Mini is the bottom end of the Mac line as far as modern Macs go?
To really get the most out of OS X, without even getting into the ways you can use OS X, such as all the Mac tutorials on the Apple site, the missing manual, and the list goes on, when you mix all the many ways you can go about so many tasks to suit the user, with the different variations of the Macs above and well beyond the Mac mini, there is a much greater experience than I think that you have ventured into.
Expectations are always going to disappoint at some level, but an open mind, and a willingness to learn and understand can really bring a lot of joy.
I think that you have been very quick to judge, and state your case, without even getting your toes wet!
Just an observation after reading and reading and reading post after post after post here!

Yes of course I realise the endless permutations I could conjure up. I think what initially soured my view is the fact that the Mini was faulty. I spent days installing all my data, downloading progs and then fine tuning only to have to trek over 100 miles to return the product. I could of course had a replacement but opted instead for a refund. The reason for that decision being that if or when I do decide I want a fresh Mini it would be easier to order online... free shipping and easier to return if another unit proved faulty.

I'm also aware that the Mini is the entry level Mac. However, in all my years of computing ....... from Windows 3.1, I always end up over specifying my PCs. Take my present machine which is now 3 years old - Quad 6600 3 gig of RAM Nvidia graphics and twin 500 gig HDs OS W7...... that's a three year old spec so at the time was pretty decent. I have never really used that machine in anger and it's still a very good machine even today. Due to departmental moves at work I now do quite a bit of work at home but my main use now for a PC is Office apps, email, music, Youtube and web surfing etc. Now correct me if I'm wrong but the Mini should be more than up to the challenge of carrying out those partiuclar tasks?

As I said I always over spec and with age I am perhaps finally learning that I don't need all the extra power so that rules out a Mac Pro. That takes us to to iMac - well as nice as they look and I do think they look the business I do not like shiny displays plus points against - PC goes down then no screen, screen goes then no PC. Laptops........... oh how I hate Laptops Netbooks etc. whether Mac or Windows. That leaves? yep.... the humble Mac Mini, for me it ticks all the right boxes, versatile plus a nice balance of power with functionality.

Now then how's that itch of yours doing?
 
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I dunno, just seems to me that you've not given yourself enough time to even realize or care about how efficient OS X is (vs. Win) and that you're happy enough with how Windows performs. Were I you, I'd not be switching at all. You said you wanted something "different", right? Try Linux first. Something like Ubuntu. This way, you get to keep your PC, dual boot it and try out an Nix OS and then tweak it till your heart is content !

Otherwise, stop looking at OS X as if it were comparable to Windows in terms of how tasks are performed. That will forever be a crutch for you, and you will never be happy with it. You basically have to learn how to use a new OS.

Well I am giving myself that time now by playing around with OS X whilst I make my mind up whether to re-order another Mini.

Been dual booting with Hardy Heron for a few years now..... very impressive for something that's free. Mind you I downloaded Open Office for Mac as again for a free app Open Office is amazing (plus the UI is very recognisable to a Windows user :Cool:) I also prefer Thunderbird to the standard Mac email client, the main reason being the ability to request delivery and read receipts.

Some things are worth keeping from Windows though... for me at least is maximise/minimise and I explained my reasons for that in an earlier post.
 
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Yes of course I realise the endless permutations I could conjure up. I think what initially soured my view is the fact that the Mini was faulty. I spent days installing all my data, downloading progs and then fine tuning only to have to trek over 100 miles to return the product. I could of course had a replacement but opted instead for a refund. The reason for that decision being that if or when I do decide I want a fresh Mini it would be easier to order online... free shipping and easier to return if another unit proved faulty.

I'm also aware that the Mini is the entry level Mac. However, in all my years of computing ....... from Windows 3.1, I always end up over specifying my PCs. Take my present machine which is now 3 years old - Quad 6600 3 gig of RAM Nvidia graphics and twin 500 gig HDs OS W7...... that's a three year old spec so at the time was pretty decent. I have never really used that machine in anger and it's still a very good machine even today. Due to departmental moves at work I now do quite a bit of work at home but my main use now for a PC is Office apps, email, music, Youtube and web surfing etc. Now correct me if I'm wrong but the Mini should be more than up to the challenge of carrying out those partiuclar tasks?

As I said I always over spec and with age I am perhaps finally learning that I don't need all the extra power so that rules out a Mac Pro. That takes us to to iMac - well as nice as they look and I do think they look the business I do not like shiny displays plus points against - PC goes down then no screen, screen goes then no PC. Laptops........... oh how I hate Laptops Netbooks etc. whether Mac or Windows. That leaves? yep.... the humble Mac Mini, for me it ticks all the right boxes, versatile plus a nice balance of power with functionality.

Now then how's that itch of yours doing?

LOL, and that's all you took out of my post?
Now at page 4, feeling a bit of trolling going on here :p
 
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JP, I totally understand being frustrated that your machine didn't work. However, you can only judge an OS by how it functions on a working computer.

It's still hard to say because you don't really specify in which ways you wanted OS X to be different. I'm pretty sure whatever you want to do, it's possible on a Mac.
 
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I also prefer Thunderbird to the standard Mac email client, the main reason being the ability to request delivery and read receipts.

Any email I receive that has delivery or read receipts on it goes immediately into the trash and the sender is deleted from my address book.

I will answer your email if *I* want to, *when* I want to. It is not up to you, it is up to me.
 
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Any email I receive that has delivery or read receipts on it goes immediately into the trash and the sender is deleted from my address book.

I will answer your email if *I* want to, *when* I want to. It is not up to you, it is up to me.

Gosh darned skippy !
 
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Any email I receive that has delivery or read receipts on it goes immediately into the trash and the sender is deleted from my address book.

I will answer your email if *I* want to, *when* I want to. It is not up to you, it is up to me.

Well not much you can do about delivery receipts as they are automatic from the server. However, I do use them both but usually only for work related matters. Now I won't go into what my work is but suffice to say that we have an arrangement with our partner agencies that all our emails are acknowledged with a read receipt which we then print off as proof and we do the same back. I hope you realise now why having that facility is so important to me.
 
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LOL, and that's all you took out of my post?
Now at page 4, feeling a bit of trolling going on here :p

No I'm certainly not trolling and I appreciate everyone's input. I did take more from your post than what I replied with but let's be honest I could write pages if I answered every single point.

Similarly though I hope you noted my reasons for choosing the Mini and that I consider it should be more than a match for the tasks I want to use it for?
 
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JP, I totally understand being frustrated that your machine didn't work. However, you can only judge an OS by how it functions on a working computer.

It's still hard to say because you don't really specify in which ways you wanted OS X to be different. I'm pretty sure whatever you want to do, it's possible on a Mac.

You wouldn't believe how many times I have filled out the electronic order form on the Apple website this week for a replacement Mac Mini. However, up to now I keep losing my bottle when it comes down to clicking the "complete your order" button. I think the problem is that I should be excited at the prospect of a new machine whereas at present I feel apprehensive, no doubt because of my previous experience. I'm sure I'll work myself up to pressing that button in due course.
 
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LOL, and that's all you took out of my post?
Now at page 4, feeling a bit of trolling going on here :p

The only trolling I see are some folks criticizing the OP for his expectations, needs and wants out of his computer. Fer cryin' out loud, people… he's obviously not entirely closed-minded and is trying to work out using OS X to his liking. What works for some people doesn't always work for everyone else.

I'd like to suggest this thread get closed so we can be done with it and move on.
 

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