New 2.4 MBP...Slow super drive?? and wifi ?

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ok. heres the deal. im a switcher (even from a thinkpad) and im on my second MBP today. brought the first one back due to an extremely slow super drive. first one was a matshita...this one is a HL-DT-ST DVDRW GSA-S10N.
they both sound horrible when loading disks, and it seams both are slow. takes 12 minutes to burn dvd iso's. image is only 3.4gig.

anyway i bring this up as coming from windows im used to fast burns. this is almost unacceptable. are there any utilities to test the drive or show speed that its burning at???

-using disk utility to burn
-used activity onitor to try to gauge but need something idiot proof to show me the speed

a little off topic, but again, new to mac. how do you set the speed of the airport card. what if i only want to connect as b, g or n???? and is the card that comes in the new mbp A also?

sorry for the long post but im a new mac guy, used to all the windows utilities
 
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mine works alright
 
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the superdrive in my MBP (matshita) is a bit noisy when it loads discs. but works fine.
burn speed seems normal to me.

the airport card thing, i havent seen an option like that for the card itself, only on my wireless router.

is it a normal option on PC wireless cards?
 
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well i guess its just me maybe. anyway yes, in a windows machine you can specify to connect as b or g so just wondering if this card was capable. maybe it just defaults to the highest speed possible.

i relly dont want to use windows anymore and im really trying to make a full switch. maybe ill load boatcamp just to test as being a windows person so long i know what to expect.

gotta say, i am likeing the machine so far....
 

bobtomay

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The super drive is only an 8x dvd-r / dvd+r writer. 12 minutes is about right for that size file.


So, if you're use to a 12x - 16x writer - forget it, not going to get that speed with it.
 

dtravis7


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The Airport in your Macbook Pro connects at the fastest speed possible. I know of no way at least in Stock OSX to change it. I always want it to connect as fast as possible.

For an 8X Drive your times sound about right. I have an 8x in my AMD64 notebook and it takes around that at max speed.
 
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thanks for your help guys, i apreciate the comments. like i said maybe its in my mind but ill live with it and adjust i guess. all in all im really happy with this laptop. especially when i brought it to work and all the guys (i-t people) are like ohhhh ahhhhh droool! it definately has the wow factor!

i may load up boot camp just to see what its like in windows cause again, this is my first mac. but im really enjoying osx and want to get away from windows all together. so it may be a shortlived dual boot
 

bobtomay

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Have been a semi-hardware enthusiast for years, so I did the same thing when I first got my MBP. Us switchers, we're always wanting to compare our new one to the old one. So, I loaded up one of my existing copies of XP I had already slipstreamed. Mainly wanted to do some comparison testing of the new C2D processor against my over-clocked P4, and have some windows programs to use until I found crossovers for everything. Figured a month (before I had to actually activate it) would give me enough time to know if I wanted to invest in a copy of XP for my MBP or not. Here is one of the test comparisons I ran and posted in the forums the first week I had my new machine.

Two months after my initial installation of XP, found that I hadn't booted back into XP since I finished my comparison testing. So, it was Windows be gone.

After about 5 months, still had 3 or 4 pieces of software (online poker, etc.) that I use on occasion that I still had to use my XP system for. When I bought a back-up drive decided I should go ahead and take the opportunity to get an OEM copy of XP Pro. Have to tell you, it sat unopened for at least 2 weeks while I weighed the thought of sullying my OS X machine with an installation of XP.

Well, my fondness for being able to lie back in my recliner with my MBP and watching TV on my big screen in the Fam Rm finally won out over having to go back to the office to use my desktop (and it sits attached to a 26" screen). I still have those same 3 or 4 programs I use, but it seems that I only grudgingly boot into windows for them when I have to.

If you find OS X as enjoyable to learn and use as I have, and really want to get away from that other OS as I did, you may find you won't even need that other thing on your new MBP at all.

I do have to suggest, hang out around here for awhile. There are a couple of very knowledgeable switchers from around the same time as myself and quite a few long time Mac users here all too ready to help. There is a lot that can be gleaned just by reading as many threads as you care to. And while I confine myself to the more technical side in my posts (most of the time), there is a thriving social community with some really nice folks also. I think you're going to like it here.
 
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thanks bob, thats pretty much my feelings on the install of windows to a tee. while im new to OSX im fairly knowledgable in linux however, and once i get a grip on this osx at the top i would like to delve deeper into BSD and how the 2 interact.
i looked around a little and BSD is a bit different than linux, but i should be able to pick it up.
So another question Bob. where should i start to look for tech info to make the technical transition where i can get my feet wet without being over my head? (books, sites etc)
 

bobtomay

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I haven't gotten as deep into it as you're talking about. And haven't played with BSD for 6 or 7 years probably.

First stop is to check out the sticky by eric in the Switcher Hangout area. That will get ya headed in the right direction with some of the typcal stuff that's asked.

Best book is Mac OS X Tiger Edition - The Missing Manual. Since you're into the tech side, it'll be worth the investment even though Leopard should be out in the next 2-3 months.

Here are some sites I checked out when I first got my Mac.
howdoimac
What is Mac OS X by Amit Singh
The basics from Apple

That should be enough to keep ya going for a little while.
 

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