Just Switched and Having A Lot of Trouble

Adjusting that is.... I don't seem to have any real problems with the system or anything but I am having a lot of problems adjusting to this. I was really excited about upgrading my machine and then we got a killer deal on a brand new (the newest one out there) iMac and I made the switch. I have iMovie and iPhoto and I miss Photoshop something fierce. I can't seem to get the xvid component to work and now any video I have that is avi won't run right. We tried to put Windows XP onto my system so that I would have the best of both worlds, but it won't get past the blue screen to install. I heard so many good things about Macs and now I am wondering what the **** I was thinking.

Talk me down folks....I don't think that going back to Windows is an option.

#1, is the version of Windows you are using a legit boxed-copy? If not, it will not work correctly, it has to be an SP2 or SP3 boxed copy or the install will fall flat on it's face and not boot. #2, while iPhoto and iMovie are GREAT pieces of software, they are by no means meant to replace Photoshop. Buy Photoshop for Mac, it's pretty sweet software and works better on a Mac than it does in WinXP, it's some mega $$ though! As for Xvid problems, I have a licensed copy of Divx for Mac so AVI files are no issue for me at all, I did however have to get the AC-3 codec for Quicktime so I could view AVIs in FrontRow, just google it it's easy to find and install and it's free. I would delete the Xvid components and reinstall them, something went wrong there.

Thanks! Yes it is a licensed box copy. Maybe buying Photoshop for Mac is the answer...I didn't even think of it, to tell ya the truth!

Macs have a learning curve to them there is no doubt, you will get the hang of it though and wonder why you ever dealt with the vague and awkward ways that Windows does things Try launching the Bootcamp assistant again and repartition the space back to Leopard, then try the sequence over from scratch and PRINT THE DIRECTIONS AND READ THEM, those directions are great and there for a reason!

We printed and read the directions and did everything correctly...but still wouldn't work. How do you repartition?

Oh and for the xvid stuff...I downloaded perian and it worked like a charm!!

Did you run the Bootcamp Installer?

kristieh said:

Adjusting that is.... I don't seem to have any real problems with the system or anything but I am having a lot of problems adjusting to this. I was really excited about upgrading my machine and then we got a killer deal on a brand new (the newest one out there) iMac and I made the switch. I have iMovie and iPhoto and I miss Photoshop something fierce.

Click to expand...

If you have a licensed version of Photoshop, they will allow you to cross-grade. Check with Adobe.

I can't seem to get the xvid component to work and now any video I have that is avi won't run right.

Click to expand...

Not sure what you're referring to there, but make sure you download Perian, Flip4Mac (for WMV support) and VLC Media Player. Must haves, in my opinion.

We tried to put Windows XP onto my system so that I would have the best of both worlds, but it won't get past the blue screen to install.

Click to expand...

It has to be a retail copy of XP with SP2 integrated. If it doesn't have SP2 integrated, you'll need to slipstream it into a new disc.

I heard so many good things about Macs and now I am wondering what the **** I was thinking.

Talk me down folks....I don't think that going back to Windows is an option.

Click to expand...

Take it easy, we can work through everything - just takes a little time and patience

Don't worry....it took me 3 or 4 tries before I was able to partition my HDD correctly and get Windows installed. Then when I finally did get it right, I didn't leave myself enough room for the program and expansion packs I wanted to install so I had to do it all over again! :facepalm:

You'll get there.

You may also want to consider getting Perian to help with codecs for quicktime (Perian - The swiss-army knife of QuickTime® components) and VLC to play all those "other" formats. I happen to enjoy watching quite a few things that are in formats other then quicktime, and having VLC sure has made my life a lot easier.

The initial transition I think is always the hardest. I just finally, after now having my box for several weeks, I've got it in place and my windows only box ready for final decomissioning (basically they switched rooms, my pc is in my old staging area. To make my life a little easier in the transition, I have both Bootcamp (for some games I just can't get for mac, like EQ2 and COD5) and vmware Fusion (to run a virtualized version of my previous box) for access to some of my software I can't afford to replace yet (ie: Lightroom, Photoshop, DVDProfiler, etc.) Eventually I hope to be fully mac with only a select few games in win. But, stick with it, over the long haul, I thin you'll find it enjoyable.

kristieh said:

We tried to put Windows XP onto my system so that I would have the best of both worlds, but it won't get past the blue screen to install.

Talk me down folks....I don't think that going back to Windows is an option.

Click to expand...

You should seriously consider run VMWare Fusion instead of Bootcamp. There are very few things that cannot be done in a virtual machine. You can get a copy of Fusion for $20 after rebate from Macmall. Download and install the current trial version of Fusion. When you get the boxed version from Macmall, use the serial number that comes with it to register the current version. I have six virtual machines on my MBP:

2 copies of WinXP
1 Windows 7
3 versions of Linux

kristieh said:

Talk me down folks....I don't think that going back to Windows is an option.

Click to expand...

Then why are you intent on installing Windows on your Mac?

I've heard the "best of both worlds" reason before and to be honest, I don't get it.
What do you really need Windows at all for, if you have a Mac?
I mean no disrespect, this isn't directed at anyone personally and I'm not meaning to sound like some pompous, overbearing Apple Zealot (which I am certainly not)... but I really don't understand it.

I don't understand how some people will smack-talk Windows left and right... profess how they don't want to 'go back to it' or 'ever use it again'....Use terms like "Windoze", "Microsnot", "Micro$oft" or "M$" ... then when they finally do get a Mac, one of the first things they do is become borderline militant on using Parallels or Boot Camp to install Windows on their Mac.

There's nothing wrong with using Windows, if you prefer it then use it.
But unless there is some program that must be run under Windows, and has no alternative version for Mac, then I don't see much reason to install Windows on a Mac.

Just switched and having a lot of trouble

NO NO NO NO NO... I have been a Windows user since way back when the first home computers came out (tells ya how old I am...) and just switched to an iMac as most of my computing is done in the area of graphic design and the Mac is still pretty much the industry standard in this. IT IS THE MOST FANTASTIC PIECE OF MACHINERY/TECHNOLOGY that I ever owned. I don't know what you use your computer for, but the Mac is sooooo far and beyond Windows, that it makes good old Microsoft look like a dinosaur. I would be happy to help you with anything that I can, and the folk on the Apple help line are really quite wonderful. Just give it chance, you will never want to go back.
If you do most of your computing in a office application however, iWorks is great, but has quite a steep learning curve I think, and if you communicate mostly with people who are working in Microsoft office, then maybe Office for Mac might be a better option for you, although I have created documents in Pages and sent it to folk with PC's and they opened them perfectly well.

Just switched and having a lot of trouble

Sorry - just read your post again, and I use Photoshop on a daily basis. I actually downloaded a trial version while waiting to get my cross-platform switch from Adobe, (now THAT was the nightmare!) and had/have no problem with it. I even installed me plug-ins and fonts with no problem.
Hang in there

Nethfel said:

You may also want to consider getting Perian to help with codecs for quicktime (Perian - The swiss-army knife of QuickTime® components)

Click to expand...

Got it and it works! Problem solved! Thanks!!!!!

D3v1L80Y said:

Then why are you intent on installing Windows on your Mac?

I've heard the "best of both worlds" reason before and to be honest, I don't get it.
What do you really need Windows at all for, if you have a Mac?
I mean no disrespect, this isn't directed at anyone personally and I'm not meaning to sound like some pompous, overbearing Apple Zealot (which I am certainly not)... but I really don't understand it.

I don't understand how some people will smack-talk Windows left and right... profess how they don't want to 'go back to it' or 'ever use it again'....Use terms like "Windoze", "Microsnot", "Micro$oft" or "M$" ... then when they finally do get a Mac, one of the first things they do is become borderline militant on using Parallels or Boot Camp to install Windows on their Mac.

There's nothing wrong with using Windows, if you prefer it then use it.
But unless there is some program that must be run under Windows, and has no alternative version for Mac, then I don't see much reason to install Windows on a Mac.

Click to expand...

Well, first off I am not militant about anything. It's a freaking computer OS for pete's sake, not the cure for cancer. Second, I want to run Premiere Elements and Adobe does not make a Mac version so either I don't use the video editing software I want or I get Windows on my machine.

So now that we've both gotten that off our chests....any advice for a newbie?

rsmithgi said:

You should seriously consider run VMWare Fusion instead of Bootcamp. There are very few things that cannot be done in a virtual machine. You can get a copy of Fusion for $20 after rebate from Macmall.

Click to expand...

... or you can download VirtualBox 2.1.4 for OS X Hosts for $0 before rebate: Downloads - VirtualBox

I recently got a new hard drive and had to reinstall Leopard and repartition and even the second time around it was quite an arduous task. But I finally got it, you just gotta dig around for answers.

For instance, reinstalling Windows got confusing when it came to choosing a format: FAT32 or NTFS... apparently the former is good for a 32GB partition or less, while the latter is best for larger partitions (don't ask me why). Eventually I got it and I hope I don't have to go through it again, but if I do, I think I've got it down.

Oneironaut said:

I recently got a new hard drive and had to reinstall Leopard and repartition and even the second time around it was quite an arduous task. But I finally got it, you just gotta dig around for answers.

Click to expand...

It depends on how you do it. With a program like SuperDuper, it's a snap.

For instance, reinstalling Windows got confusing when it came to choosing a format: FAT32 or NTFS... apparently the former is good for a 32GB partition or less, while the latter is best for larger partitions (don't ask me why). Eventually I got it and I hope I don't have to go through it again, but if I do, I think I've got it down.

Click to expand...

FAT32 is an older file system that dates back to Windows 95, version b. It is actually capable of partition sizes much larger than 32GB, but Microsoft has imposed an artificial limit of 32GB in an attempt to force users into NTFS, with is the newer filesystem. Fortunately, every other OS, besides Windows is able to format larger partition sizes in FAT32. FAT32 is ubiquitous and universally compatible, so it is preferred when you're sharing a drive between multiple OSes. It's one major limitation is that you can not store a single file that is larger than 4GB on it.

Ah, so that's what the problem was. See, it's this kind of information that's hard to come by. I tried installing with FAT32 and just could not figure out why it wasn't working out... I scoured help pages and searched high and low and no Boot Camp-related threads seemed to really explain that. Somewhere along the way I heard that you should try NTFS, but the reasons why were pretty vague, so thanks for clearing that up for me.

A lot of these kinds of details are missing from many sources concerning Boot Camp. I feel it should have been easier to find, and I'm pretty resourceful, inquisitive and patient when it comes to computers. I can't imagine how confusing and frustrating it must be for people who are just trying to set up and get on with the process.

Not that it matters now, but how does Super Duper work? I didn't see that mentioned anywhere either.