New Macbook Pro / New to OSX - Dont feel that I'm getting the best out of my machine?

Joined
Sep 8, 2007
Messages
41
Reaction score
0
Points
6
I just recently got a macbook pro, 2.4 ghz intel, 2gb ram, 160gb hd, 15" screen, etc etc..

I dont feel as if im using this computer to its full potential, or really using it much at all, what are some things I can do to enjoy my new macbook pro?


I'm a student in college, but college stuff isnt fun.
 
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
1,186
Reaction score
73
Points
48
Location
New Orleans, LA, USA
Your Mac's Specs
13" Macbook Pro 2.26Ghz Unibody 4G RAM 160G HDD Superdrive
Well, you can use it for what I use my Macbook for:

Get Parallels and run Windows so you can do Windows like things. (I don't do that often, have a Windows laptop for that.)

Record iTunes/Streaming radio from internet radio stations with Audio HiJack pro. (I'll probably get an infraction from that statement...fair use guys.)

Use Audacity or Garageband to break the songs up and tag them to import into iTunes.

Make Silly little videos that you can post on YouTube for your friends to enjoy, and your enemies to mock you for with iMovie.

Work on your resumé with iWork to get a better job than the seagull micromanager you currently work for.

Pick up chicks at the Starbucks because they'll be all "oooh, and aaaah" that you're using a Mac. Or perhaps get a small dog. Maybe that might work better.

Use the iSight camera to video iChat with your other Mac owning friends.

Download and use Google Earth to locate places you might need to visit. Good for when you're gonna travel in your next job for figuring out where the hotel is. Helps if you have a GPS receiver.

Use the iSight camera (again) to take silly/goofy pictures of yourself for your Myspace page.

Use the iSight camera to take silly/goofy pictures of yourself for your Facebook page.

Use iWeb to gussy up your website for your friends or mocking enemies.

Refine your UNIX command line and shell programming skillz by running terminal and running scripts you wrote when you were a Linux user. (May not apply.)

Get an Epson printer that prints on printable CDs to make CDs and DVDs from those recordings you made earlier that you burned (have I gotten my infraction yet?) I was using my own photographs, but iTunes has a dandy printing function that makes great CD/jewel case labels with the album art.

Put on Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of The Moon", or even better "The Delicate Sound of Thunder" on iTunes and turn on the visualizer. Veg out. Try not to have a seizure. Might want to get some mind altering substances, like V8 low sodium vegetable juice.

Use Bitpim with the built-in bluetooth to create your own custom ringtones and download pics you take with your cell phone.

Musician? My brother-in-law is. He uses his Macbook to make his own music and publish it (no infraction here, he's not signed and it's his own stuff.) Do that. Perhaps learn the guitar. Been meaning to do that.

You have in your posession the best notebook computer known to man. I think you can figure out what you can really do with it. These are just a few mild suggestions. :Evil:

Revel in the fact that you no longer need to worry about whatever Microsoft might be doing. You won't care. I don't.
 
OP
B
Joined
Sep 8, 2007
Messages
41
Reaction score
0
Points
6
What program is best for installing windows? and do I need a separate windows CD?..

How easy is it to really run windows? I wanted to maybe set up CS:source with half-life..?

When I was in class my wireless wouldnt find the network, when the windows pc next to me had internet..and it seemed a bit laggy on the desktop..

I dont understand why, I still have 111 gb of hd space, and its brand new.

Also, how do I make video's with my isight, does it record video?
 
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
116
Reaction score
2
Points
18
Location
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Your Mac's Specs
PowerBook G4 15" 1GHz 768MB 60GB
You're looking for Boot Camp. And yes, you need a valid Windows installation disc and license to run it. Once it's installed, you can boot into Windows and it's just like you're sitting and working at a PC. As for the networking issue, I really don't know. I think Macs conform to wireless standards and a lot of other devices don't. I'm not an expert though :)
 
Joined
Nov 7, 2005
Messages
23
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Your Mac's Specs
Intel Mac 17" 1GB RAM
I dont understand why, I still have 111 gb of hd space, and its brand new.

Couple of reasons for this:

1. OS X takes up some space on your HDD

2. HDD manufacturers 'lie' about the space on your disk. There are 1024 MB in a GB but they tend to round it down to 1000 and then figure out how many GB are on your disk.
 
Joined
Sep 2, 2006
Messages
400
Reaction score
11
Points
18
Location
London, England
Your Mac's Specs
iMac Pro 2017 3GHz 10-core 128GB RAM MacBook Pro 13-inch 2.3GHz i5 16GB RAM
Pick up chicks at the Starbucks because they'll be all "oooh, and aaaah" that you're using a Mac. Or perhaps get a small dog. Maybe that might work better.

Download and use Google Earth to locate places you might need to visit. Good for when you're gonna travel in your next job for figuring out where the hotel is. Helps if you have a GPS receiver.

A baby works even better than a small dog....:)

Also try out the flight simulator in the latest version of Google Earth, Alt-Apple-a.
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2007
Messages
2,641
Reaction score
134
Points
63
Location
Durtburg, WV
Your Mac's Specs
Sooper Fast!
play games...yep...it'll do that just fine.

Also, if you don't have it, search google for quicksilver. Amazing little app that works wonders. Download all the free stuff you can. There's a sticky at the top of the switcher forum that has some great free software.
 
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
180
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
London,UK
Your Mac's Specs
13.3" MacBook Black
I don't see the point of buying a Mac, and then INSTALLING WINBLOWS???
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2007
Messages
2,641
Reaction score
134
Points
63
Location
Durtburg, WV
Your Mac's Specs
Sooper Fast!
I don't see the point of buying a Mac, and then INSTALLING WINBLOWS???

Because some people use applications that only run on Windows and no matter how much disdain you have for an operating system does not mean that it's still not something millions of people use and most business run their software off of.

I think that accurately sums up why some one would install Windows on a Mac. Then again, some people actually use Apple computers for something besides graphic design, believe it or not.
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2007
Messages
2,641
Reaction score
134
Points
63
Location
Durtburg, WV
Your Mac's Specs
Sooper Fast!
Couple of reasons for this:

1. OS X takes up some space on your HDD

2. HDD manufacturers 'lie' about the space on your disk. There are 1024 MB in a GB but they tend to round it down to 1000 and then figure out how many GB are on your disk.

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say lie, even if in quotes. It's just a different standard of interpretting measurement of size. Manufactures use Base 10. Computers aren't capable of that. They speak in binary.

Having a manufacture telling you you were getting a 113.768(for example) gb drive and then having to do conversions with a long formula and a calculator wouldn't be easy of convenient for anyone.

It's just easier if we continue to use 1tb=1000bg=1,000,000mb=1,000,000,000kb and so on. instead of 1gb=1024mb etc...
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top