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Mac OSX Noob thread of OSX noobs

X

xelv

Member
I just wanted to add to this thread a little program that I found a few days ago. It's called Right Zoom(Mac Update link). It basically lets you use the green "zoom" button in the way that Windows uses the maximize button. I'm all for there being options for everyone, and so far this program has worked pretty well. I mainly use it on Safari though, as I was getting tired of the sometimes weird "fit to screen" resizing. Sorry if this has already been posted. I searched for these keyboards in this forum using Google and I didn't find anything. Enjoy!
 
B

Blindfutur3

Member
Dax01 said:
All right, back on topic. What sort of routine maintenance (weekly, monthly) should I be performing on my Mac in order for it to be working as efficiently as possible?
Click to expand...

I've always used MainMenu and just ran Batch tasks every month or so. It was free up until version 2.0, but it's still well worth it.
 
D

Duderz

Banned
Well GAF, my 2005 iMac seems to not be working anymore, because apparently I need a logic board replaced, and that costs ~$800. Crap.

Anyway, I guess I'm in the market now for a new computer, and since my previous iMac died so suddenly and quickly (a little over four years seems pretty short), I'm curious what GAF has to say / recommend. I set an appt. up with a Mac Specialist to see if there's anything I'm missing, otherwise, what can I do as far as moving all my files over to whatever it is that I buy next?

So sad. :(
 
A

Anso

Member
Dax01 said:
Ooh. This looks interesting.
Click to expand...

Has worked great for me. Saved two of my harddrives and fixed a few errors I had with incorrect ownership of files and similar. Also, it's free AND user-friendly.
 
J

Jel0man

Junior Member
It's such a shame that Panic doesn't accept paypal for Unison, an awesome usenet reader. They do accept it for Transmit (which I did buy) and Coda, but not for Unison, which is creditcard only. I already e-mailed them about this, but still no response:(.
 
Smiles and Cries

Smiles and Cries

Member
I finally transfered the accounts on my old laptop to my new macbook

Ah the old admin password is not something I can remember so the keychain is freaking out at me when I use that account

the whole thing is a mess with two admin

the macbook admin and the old admin from the old mac

every app in the old account is asking me for keychain access cannot remember the password and cannot reset the password it seems

halp
 
B

Burai

shitonmychest57
robertsan21 said:
I just have a question, why is there no HDMI output on a Macbook pro??
Click to expand...

Because there's no need for one? You can buy a Mini Display Port to HDMI adapter.
 
P

Pristine_Condition

Member
Boards of Canada said:
I found that running any of these maintenance scripts like Onyx slowed my computer down. Not even kidding.
Click to expand...

How often do you plan on running it? It's not like you need it running every day in the background or something. This is for the rare times you feel the need to do cleanups.
 
L

Lourio

Member
Hey guys, full MAC noob here..

I inherited my sister's last gen MacBook Pro while she got herself this gen's . Does it take long to format; anything special I need to know beforehand?

Can I use the OS DVD that came with her newer machine or should I stick with the original DVD we got with last gen's MacBook Pro?

I will be doing a straight up format and reinstall of the OS - she already backed up whatever she needed.
 
L

LCfiner

Member
Patrick Roy said:
Hey guys, full MAC noob here..

I inherited my sister's last gen MacBook Pro while she got herself this gen's . Does it take long to format; anything special I need to know beforehand?

Can I use the OS DVD that came with her newer machine or should I stick with the original DVD we got with last gen's MacBook Pro?

I will be doing a straight up format and reinstall of the OS - she already backed up whatever she needed.
Click to expand...
You can't use the OS disc that came with the newer mac as it will be looking for the newer hardware and will give you an error message before you start.

You can use the old disc or a retail copy of the os (leopard, OS X 10.5), if you happened to have one.
 
L

Lourio

Member
LCfiner said:
You can use the old disc or a retail copy of the os (leopard, OS X 10.5), if you happened to have one.
Click to expand...

Awesome thanks for the info. Another quick Q... would I still be able to upgrade to MAC OS X Snow Leopard when it releases in September?
 
M

mrkgoo

Member
Patrick Roy said:
Hey guys, full MAC noob here..

I inherited my sister's last gen MacBook Pro while she got herself this gen's . Does it take long to format; anything special I need to know beforehand?

Can I use the OS DVD that came with her newer machine or should I stick with the original DVD we got with last gen's MacBook Pro?

I will be doing a straight up format and reinstall of the OS - she already backed up whatever she needed.
Click to expand...

The last gen MBP should have the same operating system (10.5) after updating (10.5.8). The disc that comes with her new computer, while not technically any different, is locked to her model. Shouldn't be a problem, as the versions should be the same.

If she just bought the new one, she should be entitled to 10.6 for like $10. That may just simply check for 10.5, so it's possible you can use this as well, although you'd be breaking license agreement.

The upgrade to 10.6 from 10.5 is only $29 anyway.

If you have 10.4, then I suggest the MacBox, when 10.6 hits - you'll get 10.6, iLife 09, and iWork 09, which is like a $290 value for like $170. Unless you already have those apps. It's a good price, and they're all good apps.
 
K

Kryten

Member
Just been put onto Fluid, which is basically the best thing since sliced bread. The app lets you create individual applications for websites and treat them as applications, i.e. cmd-tab works between and such things. Gmail is pretty damn neat with it.
 
L

LCfiner

Member
Patrick Roy said:
Awesome thanks for the info. Another quick Q... would I still be able to upgrade to MAC OS X Snow Leopard when it releases in September?
Click to expand...
Yes. All machines called MacBooks have intel chips and can run snow leopard.

I assume you'll be running leopard after the clean install. Snow leopard will cost ya 30 bucks next month. You'll get a nice little speed boost.
 
A

Ashhong

Member
LCfiner said:
Yes. All machines called MacBooks have intel chips and can run snow leopard.

I assume you'll be running leopard after the clean install. Snow leopard will cost ya 30 bucks next month. You'll get a nice little speed boost.
Click to expand...

or 5$ if he splits the upgrade disk with his sister yea?
 
D

DeathbyVolcano

Banned
When we can buy the Snow Leopard upgrade, will we have the ability to choose whether or not we want a 32 bit/64 bit system? Or is that entirely dependent on the machine we have? I have a mid 2008 15 inch Macbook Pro, if that helps.
 
L

LCfiner

Member
BrandNew said:
When we can buy the Snow Leopard upgrade, will we have the ability to choose whether or not we want a 32 bit/64 bit system? Or is that entirely dependent on the machine we have? I have a mid 2008 15 inch Macbook Pro, if that helps.
Click to expand...
No choice. It's machine dependant.

You have a core 2 duo in your machine so everything will run in 64 bit

only core duo and core solo machines will be in 32 bit mode
 
J

Jasoco

Banned
Boards of Canada said:
I found that running any of these maintenance scripts like Onyx slowed my computer down. Not even kidding.
Click to expand...
It cleans the cache. Which makes your computer like new. Cache makes the computer load stuff faster. By clearing the cache, you are resetting it to a clean state. Of course it's going to go slow for a while, but it will speed up as cache is recreated.

Only run it once in a while when you are having problems or just to maintain things once a month or every couple weeks.

That's what I do. The OS seems more lively after a good enema.
 
J

Jasoco

Banned
Ashhong said:
nothing special to know before hand. takes an hour or 2 to fully install and setup i believe.
Click to expand...
Snow Leopard, upgrading from an already existent Leopard install, takes 30-45 minutes.

I am dead serious.

And there is no setup. It's all instant. Takes all your settings and uses them like they were its own. The SL WWDC build doesn't even have an Archive and Install option, it just does it automatically. And it has way less options before it actually starts the install.

Snow Leopard's install is the most streamlined thing ever. I hope it stays this way for the final release.
 
A

Ashhong

Member
Jasoco said:
Snow Leopard, upgrading from an already existent Leopard install, takes 30-45 minutes.

I am dead serious.

And there is no setup. It's all instant. Takes all your settings and uses them like they were its own. The SL WWDC build doesn't even have an Archive and Install option, it just does it automatically. And it has way less options before it actually starts the install.

Snow Leopard's install is the most streamlined thing ever.a I hope it stays this way for the final release.
Click to expand...

but hes installing leopard after formatting the HD, not SL
 
J

Jasoco

Banned
BrandNew said:
It won't erase over any of my settings, including dock position, icons, wallpapers, etc?
Click to expand...
No. That stuff has nothing to do with the OS.

Just make sure you don't store your custom wallp--Desktop Pictures in the main /Library. I keep all my custom DP's in my Documents folder under a folder called "My Desktops", but you could also keep it in your personal /Users/****/Library. Because the install will not touch your User folder. Only the /System and /Library folders and the /Applications folder to put updated versions in there.

The installer did not archive my old OS, at least the second or third time I installed Snow Leopard, and I don't remember deleting an old System folder the first time, so remember that just in case. One simple rule to remember: DO NOT STORE IMPORTANT FILES OUTSIDE THE USER FOLDER. Simple as that. Remember that one rule and you will be fine. Any hacks you did to system files will be replaced, like if you made your Dock black and shiny or something, but that stuff can be easily restored to your custom look later.


Ashhong said:
but hes installing leopard after formatting the HD, not SL
Click to expand...
My mistake. Carry on. Guess the point is Snow Leopard will be a lot faster when it comes out so look forward to that. And my point above applies to Leopard too. Don't store personal stuff outside your User folder and you're gonna keep all your settings.
 
D

DeathbyVolcano

Banned
If I end up DO losing something I need through the update, will I be able to restore something through Time Machine? Or will that assume that I need to be on regular Leopard to restore settings?
 
J

Juice

Member
Jasoco said:
Snow Leopard, upgrading from an already existent Leopard install, takes 30-45 minutes.

I am dead serious.

And there is no setup. It's all instant. Takes all your settings and uses them like they were its own. The SL WWDC build doesn't even have an Archive and Install option, it just does it automatically. And it has way less options before it actually starts the install.

Snow Leopard's install is the most streamlined thing ever. I hope it stays this way for the final release.
Click to expand...

30-45 minutes is hardly an instant. What is there to do other than this:

Code: 
$ rm -rf the-PPC-party/**
$ cp GrandCentralCoolness /
$ 64bit -on
$ export SNAPPY=$SNAPPY+1
 
J

Jasoco

Banned
BrandNew said:
If I end up DO losing something I need through the update, will I be able to restore something through Time Machine? Or will that assume that I need to be on regular Leopard to restore settings?
Click to expand...
Chances are you won't, but yes. Time Machine will have whatever you have it backing up.

LCfiner said:
speaking of SL, looks like it might have gone GM. build 10A432.

the deed is done

http://www.9to5mac.com/snow-leopard-10A432-gold-master
Click to expand...
Only 11 higher than the current build. Sad, that means no more surprise updates and we have to wait a month and a half. Unless they surprise us by giving it to us EARLY September instead of at the end. I mean the date wasn't even said yet. So how long would it take to make all the DVD's and packages? What could be the earliest we see it? They still haven't announced a final date yet.

Juice said:
30-45 minutes is hardly an instant. What is there to do other than this:

Code: 
$ rm -rf the-PPC-party/**
$ cp GrandCentralCoolness /
$ 64bit -on
$ export SNAPPY=$SNAPPY+1
Click to expand...
I didn't say the install was instant. The setup after the reboot is. Since it doesn't make you do the full registration and setup. It shows the Setup Assistant window which plays the video and intro song, but on your desktop, and all it has is a single button saying "Welcome! Go enjoy!"
 
J

Juice

Member
robertsan21 said:
I just have a question, why is there no HDMI output on a Macbook pro??
Click to expand...

Actually, there is HDMI output. I use it daily. Bought from Monoprice here:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10428&cs_id=1042802&p_id=5311&seq=1&format=2

Cable/adapter works fine, but you'd be surprised how freaking awful most TVs are at handling computer resolutions over HDMI. Was surprised to find that my 1080p set can't even handle any actual resolutions of height 1080.

Bit of a depressing purchase.
 
A

Ashhong

Member
my only complaint is that i wish the miniDP supported audio as well (obviously with a different name). its difficult setting up different TVs to accept video through HDMI and audio through a different source. not to mention having to have 2 sets of cables.
 
J

Jasoco

Banned
My HDTV doesn't want to accept the native resolution as a choice from my Mac mini. A few months ago the only resolution I could use was 1024x768, but now a Leopard update seems to have enabled higher ones and it actually lets me use 1280x1024. On a 720p TV. It shrinks the pixels down like Photoshop but it works. But it doesn't have any widescreen resolutions....

Except for one. 854x480. On OS X, that means you can't actually do anything. But I guess it could work for a FrontRow interface. But why bother? If I can't watch my 720 videos on a 720 TV. I even tried DisplayConfigX. Though this is all through VGA on a first generation mini. I don't know if it would work better on an HDMI converter. (My TV doesn't have DVI)
 
S

SnakeXs

about the same metal capacity as a cucumber
Why the hell does Safari need a restart when it's updated? Webkit doesn't. >=[
 
M

mrkgoo

Member
SnakeXs said:
Why the hell does Safari need a restart when it's updated? Webkit doesn't. >=[
Click to expand...

Safari changes things within OSX. It updates a bunch of apis or something that other things use.
 
S

SnakeXs

about the same metal capacity as a cucumber
mrkgoo said:
Safari changes things within OSX. It updates a bunch of apis or something that other things use.
Click to expand...

B'ah. That and gifs are it's 2 only flaws.

I wonder what Apple would do if the EU made it illegal for them to package Safari. :lol
 
G

giga

Member
SnakeXs said:
Why the hell does Safari need a restart when it's updated? Webkit doesn't. >=[
Click to expand...
You're not updating the entire system WebKit.framework when using a Webkit nightly.
 
J

Jasoco

Banned
Jill Sandwich said:
I use SwitchResX to display my Mac Mini in 1080p on my Samsung TV . Try the demo. (DVI>HDMI adaptor)
Click to expand...
Wow, that developer seems to have issues. "It's try and buy if it works, not try and throw it away! Pay me money! Now!!!"

Jill Sandwich said:
http://www.elgato.com/elgato/int/mainmenu/products.en.html
Click to expand...
I wish they made a USB box that I could plug into my MacBook that provided me with both Component and HDMI input. All I ever see is freaking S-Video or Composite. Doesn't anyone make a Component-in capture box for Macs?
 
C

ChiboSempai

Neo Member
Current setup:
300GB HD with WinXP
750GB HD

Aiming for:
Tripple Boot
300GB HD with WinXP
750GB Partitioned to 160GB for OSX, remaining for various data
74GB Raptor (which I have but didn't install yet) with Win7

Had the 750 partitioned. Had a bunch of stuff on the data partition.

Went into OSX's Disk Utility to format the 160GB Partition to be able to install OSX on it. It says all data on this volume will be deleted, but no other data on other volumes on the same disk will be modified. I agree, it starts, then errors.

Go back into Windows, the drive isn't recognized at all. Go into Partition Magic, it says it's a bad partition. All my data is gone...

So now I've spent the last 36 hours (not continuously, a lot of it was running while I slept, had classes, etc) retrieving the data, which has proved to be tough... However I'm almost done with it.

Bottom line. I hate OSX.

I'll get this Triple Boot down soon.
 
K

Kimosabae

Banned
Can someone give me a quick rundown of iDisk and Time Machine? Are they useful? I've had my Macbook for a year and never messed with them.

-Kimo
 
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