I'm completely new to Macs. I wish to use one offline to be completely safe and free from constant updates. I know this may seem daft to some of you!. My intention is to buy the Mac with preloaded software suitable for my future needs. It's been suggested to me that if in the future I wish to go online to update the software I may have problems. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Using a Mac offline
- Thread starter davidm1
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What thoughts are you looking for? Do you want us to agree that you're "daft"...or disagree that you're "daft"??
LolIt's totally your decision to purchase a computer & not take it online. Of course this course of action is highly unusual...but your choice.
- Nick
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Wasn't so unusual before the internet... and we coped perfectly well I managed hundreds of users running Lotus 123 and WordPerfect on original IBM PCs. Couldn't order cheap book on Amazon though
I managed hundreds of users running Lotus 123 and WordPerfect on original IBM PCs. Couldn't order cheap book on Amazon though 
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Simple. Turn off WiFi and don't plug in a Ethernet cord.
You've been misinformed about how things work, but you don't want to be convinced otherwise, so I'll table that.
You've been misinformed about how things work, but you don't want to be convinced otherwise, so I'll table that.
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"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you..."
Seriously, there's no point spending a lot of money on a Mac, or any computer come to that, if you are not going to take advantage of online opportunities. Sure, you can play around with photos and videos without an internet connection but you won't get email, news, ebooks, shopping (online groceries saved my life!) etc, etc. A Mac is bomb proof as far as viruses are concerned and loading apps such as (all free) AdBlock, Onyx, Malwarebytes (the free version) and Ghostery will take care of unwanted ads and pop ups. As for updates, they don't happen automatically unless you set it that way and no one forces you to update; however, some in-built apps will not work to their full potential if you don't eventually update.
I'm cautious and have not yet updated to High Sierra which was introduced a few weeks ago, nor iOS 11 on my phone and ipad - but I will as soon as the bugs have been ironed out.
Seriously, there's no point spending a lot of money on a Mac, or any computer come to that, if you are not going to take advantage of online opportunities. Sure, you can play around with photos and videos without an internet connection but you won't get email, news, ebooks, shopping (online groceries saved my life!) etc, etc. A Mac is bomb proof as far as viruses are concerned and loading apps such as (all free) AdBlock, Onyx, Malwarebytes (the free version) and Ghostery will take care of unwanted ads and pop ups. As for updates, they don't happen automatically unless you set it that way and no one forces you to update; however, some in-built apps will not work to their full potential if you don't eventually update.
I'm cautious and have not yet updated to High Sierra which was introduced a few weeks ago, nor iOS 11 on my phone and ipad - but I will as soon as the bugs have been ironed out.
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Hi davidm1
Welcome to our Forums and thanks for your post.
How you use your Mac is your business.
One thing not mentioned, I think, is that when you first start up your Mac, you will be invited to create an Apple ID. Presumably, you will be wish to bypass this option - if that's possible - I think it is. Of course you would need one if ever did consider updating/upgrading.
I do just wonder who told you this or where you read it? What sort of problems were you concerned about?
All Apple apps are updatable only through Apple's own "App Store app" which is one of the "preloaded" pieces of software to which you alluded. You can't get much safer than that. This also applies to updates and upgrades to the Operating System.
Your choice if and/or when you choose to do this (as mentioned by Sue in post #5).
Whatever; I hope you enjoy your new Mac and that it fulfils your needs.
Ian
Welcome to our Forums and thanks for your post.
How you use your Mac is your business.
One thing not mentioned, I think, is that when you first start up your Mac, you will be invited to create an Apple ID. Presumably, you will be wish to bypass this option - if that's possible - I think it is. Of course you would need one if ever did consider updating/upgrading.
I do just wonder who told you this or where you read it? What sort of problems were you concerned about?
All Apple apps are updatable only through Apple's own "App Store app" which is one of the "preloaded" pieces of software to which you alluded. You can't get much safer than that. This also applies to updates and upgrades to the Operating System.
Your choice if and/or when you choose to do this (as mentioned by Sue in post #5).
Whatever; I hope you enjoy your new Mac and that it fulfils your needs.
Ian
M
MacInWin
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Welcome to the forum!
Sounds like you are coming from a Windows environment when you say, "I wish to use one offline to be completely safe and free from constant updates." In a windows environment, those two items are genuine concerns. However, in the Mac environment there are simply NO viruses at this time at all, and the malware that does exist is pretty easily blocked with the tools Sue pointed to in Post #5. I, for example, have no antivirus software, run Onyx about once every other month or so, malwarebytes maybe once or twice a year. I do use Adblock and Ghostery to block annoying popups and some malware. I've been in the Mac world now 9 years, never had an issue.
Updates I have set to prompt me when one is there. I do NOT have autoupdate turned on and never will. But on my wife's system I do have it on, as she never remember to update her software, so it's just better to let it self-tend. But it's YOUR choice.
As for working off-line, you can do that, too. And when you decide to go online there shouldn't be any issues with updating whatever you want, as long as you don't wait so long to do that update that the vendor has moved on 4-5 versions and it's too large a jump for your system. Particularly with the operating system itself, I would recommend that you at least download the installer for each version once, just to have it in a backup somewhere just in case you do need them. Apple is now removing installers for older versions as the new ones come out, so having those installer files can be critical if your Mac gets to the "vintage" state where it is no longer supported by the most recent version of the OS, but you aren't on an updated version at all.
Sounds like you are coming from a Windows environment when you say, "I wish to use one offline to be completely safe and free from constant updates." In a windows environment, those two items are genuine concerns. However, in the Mac environment there are simply NO viruses at this time at all, and the malware that does exist is pretty easily blocked with the tools Sue pointed to in Post #5. I, for example, have no antivirus software, run Onyx about once every other month or so, malwarebytes maybe once or twice a year. I do use Adblock and Ghostery to block annoying popups and some malware. I've been in the Mac world now 9 years, never had an issue.
Updates I have set to prompt me when one is there. I do NOT have autoupdate turned on and never will. But on my wife's system I do have it on, as she never remember to update her software, so it's just better to let it self-tend. But it's YOUR choice.
As for working off-line, you can do that, too. And when you decide to go online there shouldn't be any issues with updating whatever you want, as long as you don't wait so long to do that update that the vendor has moved on 4-5 versions and it's too large a jump for your system. Particularly with the operating system itself, I would recommend that you at least download the installer for each version once, just to have it in a backup somewhere just in case you do need them. Apple is now removing installers for older versions as the new ones come out, so having those installer files can be critical if your Mac gets to the "vintage" state where it is no longer supported by the most recent version of the OS, but you aren't on an updated version at all.
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What constant updates?
What future needs?
M
MacInWin
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Y'know, the OP may not be back to read any of this if he's gone offline.
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HAHA, true enough. Otherwise, they're been hypocritical about going (and staying) offline..
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You got that right Jake! Lol
Definitely hard to communicate with someone who posts a question online...then doesn't go back online ever again!
- Nick
Definitely hard to communicate with someone who posts a question online...then doesn't go back online ever again!
- Nick
Thank you for your replies. I seem to have created a bit of confusion though. I am, of course, online right now. I have full access to email and shopping etc using my PC and it's working reasonably well, at the moment at least. I don't want to just dump it but will switch over to a Mac when it dies. As for the Mac I have plans for a big maths book project, probably using LaTeX (via MacTex?) and Inkscape. I simply didn't think I had the slightest need to be online for this and, given a few difficulties I've had with the PC, I thought about being a partial cyberhermit. I take the point made by several of you about the superior functioning of Macs though.
M
MacInWin
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You might also think about putting a backup copy of the book online in a cloud storage somewhere. I would want to have something stored off-site for a project like that.
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