How do I work a MAC ?
 

As a user who has only used Windows in the PC arena, I have 'aquired' (legally) an old Apple Mac.
I can get it to power up and open the menus, I have absolutely no idea how it all works and what I would like to know is are there any sites out there where I can get info on how it works etc, basically an idiots guide to Macs.
Any help would be appreciated.

SLF,

It's not unusual to feel 'blinkered' when crossing over from one platform to another, but you'll find the Mac really easy when you get used to it.

It really is as simple as 'point and click'. Post the model of the Mac, operating system, processor speed and memory, and we'll be able to take it from there.

All the info you need for this can be found under the apple menu (top left) in the apple system profiler.

Good luck!

Thanks Ill post that tonight when I get home.

FYI, I am and have been a Mac user for as far back as I can remember (Mac Plus 128k!) and PPRuNe was concieved and and is still run from my Mac (G4 384Mb). PPRuNe Towers has finally been converted by the evanglisers opf the Mac and now uses his new iBook for his PPRuNe duties.

Having watched Windows mature from DROSS into its latest incarnation I can but only pity those who still live by the argument that Mac doesn't have the range of software available for it. Unless you are involved in some incredibly complex task involving nuclear reactors or obscure scientific equipment and even then I would question it, ther is no reason not to use a Mac.

You pay more initially but you get quality and by the time you add on the included features of a Mac to a PC you end up having paid the same if not more for a lower quality system.

Not being sponsored to write this but as you can tell I do like the Mac and refuse to be a PC conformist just because everybody else has one mindset! Off soapbox.

Any help would be appreciated.
The model is a Performa 5260
Sysyem Software is B1-7.5.3
System 7.5 Update B1-2.0
Built in Memeory 12288K
Total memory 24660k

It has a CD rom and a Colour Stylewriter 2500 and a Personal Laserwriter.

Can someone tell me what I need to make it reasonably up to date in terms of memory, software,o/s etc.
If its going to be easier to mail me then please go ahead.
Thanks in anticipation :)

SLF,

Invest a few hours with a search engine.

You'll be able to find second hand books covering that version of the Mac's operating system. I'd recommend 'The little Mac Book.'

There are many sites and chat boards out there. Bookmark them to return after you've devoured their FAQ sections.

The only clue I can give to switching over to the Mac way of doing things is to adopt the state of mind that you form the machine to do what you want it to do. It's anarchic compared the DOS/Windows world. Just make what you want where you want it.

If that doesn't seem terribly useful advice it's because everyone's Mac is totally different. They're designed to meld into what you do the way you want to do it. It's also the reason users are so fanatical about them.

I haven't returned to the Mac world for that reason particularly. I used them in the early 128 days like Danny. The system with two floppies and a laserwriter cost as much as a new Mini.

I've only come back into the fold because they do what they say on the tin. So far I've plugged in printer, scanner, digital stills, digital video, extra hard drive, graphics tablet, cordless mouse, speakers and voice dictation headset without a single IRQ clash, error, conflict, driver problem or lock up.

That's what sold me - your mileage may vary.

Regards from the Towers
Rob Lloyd
[email protected]

[ 17 July 2001: Message edited by: PPRuNe Towers ]

I'm willing to help any PPRuNer with a Mac query - I've been using them for years both professionally and at home, and like Danny, see no reason whatsoever to move to Windoze.. in fact the Mac platform is more successful than ever right now; it is setting the agenda and leading the industry.

Email me at the address shown in my profile.

WxJx :)

PS Danny - a great deal of scientific applications are catered for by the Mac - e.g. a Geneticist friend of mine runs a highly sophisticated DNA Sequencer on an ancient Mac LCIII I gave him
years ago!

That's it. You all saw it in black and white. Weather Jinx offered.

24 hours to withdraw it or we make you chief guru for Mac queries.

Now the secret is out - the press gang lives on at PPRuNe. How else do you think we get any moderators???

Thanks for the offer, a mail is on its way.

Go on then Towers....I'll take the Mac Guru role..

(..just off to Terms & Endearment to check the package ;))

WxJx

SLF999 - temp email probs on the Freeserve address...pls. resend your mail to:

[email protected]

[ 19 July 2001: Message edited by: WeatherJinx ]

Many thanks indeed WJ,

Danny is very good on all things Mac - doesn't brag but managed an Apple mainline retailer (No, that isn't like choosing between community service or a job in Dixon's you PC types) in his life pre-flying.

Running the site means he just doesn't often get time help out with the queries here. I'm shouldering the e-mail burden while he's on a trip and I'm upto e-mail No.47 in the can't get in/password won't work pile.

We really appreciate your offer - normal terms apply........

Regards from the Towers
Rob Lloyd
[email protected]

My 2 cents worth:

First decide what you want your computer to do for you. If you just want to browse the web, email, use a word processor, etc, your present machine will do just fine (I myself have an old Peforma 5300 to go along with my iMac). However, you should shop around for a 56K modem if you have a slower one (I believe these machines shipped with a 14.4 model). My second suggestion is: get more RAM. Upgrade to 128 MB, it's worth it. RAM is dirst cheap nowadays. Check the mac-specialty web sites to make sure you get the right kind for your machine or try http://asu.info.apple.com/swupdates.nsf/artnum/n10084. By the way, you should not upgrade beyond your current OS, or maybe up to 8.1, due to your processor and RAM limitations. There are plenty of sites and other resources with advice on upgrading older macs. The first that comes to mind is the July issue of MacAddict magazine which I happen to have on my desk as I speak.

On the other hand, upgrading that old Mac to a standard comparable to todays machines will be far more expensive than getting a brand new one. If you want to run the latest software (or Mac OS X, which is spectacular) I would suggest any machine with a G3 of G4 processor running at 350 Mhz or more (think iMac, Powerbook, iBook or PowerMac G4). With a good amount of RAM, any one of these babies ROCKS!

Hope this little info helps. Best of luck.

A.O.

------
Once you go Mac, you never go back!

I am a little surprised to learn the PPRuNe staff are Mac centric. :eek: I too am a long time Mac user. I have encountered a great deal of difficulty with this board using PBG3 / MacOS 9.1 / Netscape 4.77 (broadband & dial up access). While the board can be accessed with this combination, it is only a short time before pages will stall and not paint up. Once this occurs, no web site can be viewed, they all stall, quit and restart Netscape clears it up - as long as I don't log on to PPRuNe. If I avoid PPRuNe with this combination, then I can successfully surf other sites without difficulty. This includes other sites utilizing ultimatebb software, no problem with them. Note, using Internet
Explorer avoids this problem - arrgh, software from the evil empire! My best guess is the offending code is coming from the ads, possibly java related, but I haven't found a way to confirm that. So while the board in general is Netscape friendly, some of your advertisers may be using web creation tools from Microsoft!

And of course, this is an old Microsoft paradigm - take possession of standards by offering "compatible" tools, then add a little here or there that breaks everyone
else's software, but runs fine on Microsoft products. Goes back to the days of DOS
when the Microsoft credo was " no new version of DOS that doesn't break Lotus 1-2-3, but runs fine on Multiplan" (Multiplan is Excel's predecessor)

Standards(??) do make a mess of things don't they.

Sorry to see your problems with Netscape. It isn't a reverse engineering problem at our end. All the graphical addons created for PPRuNe over and above the basic ubb forum code are done on a G4 then tested on a PC to ensure compatability for all browsers and OS's.

If I had to point the finger it would be our adverts, kept on their sites and not being tested with browers other than Explorer. That's lazy and annoys the target audience.

The java side of things make life complex and it's going to get worse. This week Microsoft announced there would be no Java support in the new operating system XP or in future versions of Explorer. They're going full bore at pushing their .net extensions.

Many argue Redmond had already corrupted the entire Java concept with their in house Microsoft only interpretation and development of Java leaving Netscape and other browsers like Opera always playing catch up. They've announced a complete halt to all Java work.

The next 18 months are going to be very unpleasant as far as compatiblity issues are concerned, especially for PC users.

Oh, you can add Sick Squid to your roster of Mac types here at the Towers. His recording studio is entirely Mac based - I can hear the thumping somewhere in the lower catacombs. Damn the person who sent him those techno loops ;) ;) ;)

Makes sense, MS lost a lawsuite to Sun related to their MS only extension - they were ordered to cease and desist, although no damages were awarded. Reference: MS Java apps must follow Sun standards. Doubt Sun wants to license new versions to MS after that. MS will make Java available to XP users as a download. reference: Windows XP to be Java-free following dispute

Nice to see that not everyone uses Windoze. Are there any Acorn users out there?
:D

Mmm...obviously not.
:(

SLG, I try to test everything before it is launched on both a PC and on the Mac. I cannot understand the reason for your problem though.

I have run Explorer and Netscape on an old LC475, PowerBook 1400, Motorola StarMax, iBook and G4 with various operating systems with no problems. Currently running on the G4 with both Netscape 4.76 and Explorer 5.0 with MacOS 9.1 and Explorer 5.0 with MacOSX and no problems. I can only assume that the problem you are experiencing is something to do with the way your browser is set up for java.

There is a new Mac OS Runtime for Java MRJ 2.2.5 which you can download from Apple at http://asu.info.apple.com/swupdates.nsf/artnum/n11927

Also you should try the iCab browser. You can download that at http://www.icab.de/. This takes up a tiny amount of memory when loaded and has numerous features.

Thanks for the tip! Will give it a go and report back to this thread.

Apple TIL 75097 - Mac OS Runtime for Java 2.2.5

[edited pesky UBB]

[ 30 July 2001: Message edited by: SLB ]

Can't say that the new Java update did much. The problem persists with PPRuNe. It appears to be lest common than before, but it has still occurred (most recently 5 minutes ago). Go Figure.