New iMac owner (almost)

I am announcing that I am a new Intel iMac owner... Well, it is in the mail. This is a switch from a Win XP/Linux combo that I built myself. After a while, the big noisy fan box and the weekly (sometimes daily) maintenance on Windows gets annoying. I got a 17" with a new Canon Bluetooth All-in-One and a couple of games for the kids. I was close to getting the 20" G5 for the price, but I went for the technology and I will have the capability to expand my desktop if I need to. I understand the new Intel may have growing pains, but I am looking at future compatibility since I do not have any current software ties.
Any tips for a beginner who likes to be creative? I am looking forward to a more enjoyable experience with this computer!
Intel iMac 17" Mac OS X (10.4.4)

I switched over a year ago and me and my family are still spending around 8 hours a day on our MAC. I just purchased the new iMac and have had it for about one week. The MAC experience has been wonderful.
I had a friend and my brother purchase expensive Dells just before I got my iMac. Neither of them spend any time on their computers any more. My one friend put hers in the basement and never turns it on. However, like I said we spend at least 8 hours a day on the iMac and end up fighting each other to get on the machine.
I can't say enough about the iLife software. I've created a number of iMovies and GarageBand is a blast. My kids have learned so much from this computer. I feel the iMac is a bargin. I priced out a Dell that had similar hardware and software and the price was much higher that what I paid for the iMac. Everyone thinks PCS are so much cheaper, well they are if you get them bare bones, but then they end up in your basement. To get a PC with the same hardware and software that comes with an iMac you will spend more money.
The learning curve should be small for you. I work with about 250 PCs everyday and had never been on a MAC. After a few days I felt very comfortable with the O/S of which I'm very impressed with. The only thing that might have been a little hard getting use is that most software is written for PCs. You know, you get a free game disc in a box of cereal and it is only for a PC. However, there is a lot of software written for MACs and the software that comes with the machine is fun and useful.
Also, we got a MAC because we wanted a nice piece of furniture in our living room. We wanted the children off the basement computer where they were unsupervised. My wife wasn't going to allow an ugly PC in the living room. We the iMac makes for a nice looking piece of furniture and it gets noticed by guests and friends.
Like you I went with the upgrade to the 250 gig disk, but didn't get the extra memory. I will be upgrading memory at some point though. I hope you enjoy your iMac as much as I have. Good luck.

Similar Messages

New iMac owner - trouble viewing videos

Hi - I am a brand new iMac owner. Running OS 10.8.5 Mountain Lion I believe. What exact plug ins do I need to view videos? Nothing works through safari onn youtube or any other hosted video site that I've tried. Thanks

Well, as a matter of fact there is no need to have Adobe Flash Player installed to watch videos on YouTube.
Of course you can install it, but you can live without it and be able to watch YouTube videos altogether.
Open Safari, go to Safari's preferences, Advanced. Check "Show Develop menu in menu bar"
Now you have a new tag in the menu bar named Develop. From there you can select a new User Agent, for example "Safari iOS 6.1 - iPad". This, let YouTube's server believe that you are running Safari on an iPad and streaming the video on your Mac.

Mac to Windows ?'s - brand new iMac owner, Help please...

I am proud brand new 24” iMac owner (early Christmas present to myself), the first time I ever used a Mac was when I turned mine on right out of the box 2 days ago. I will be using my iMac mainly for basic Music/Pictures/Videos stuff like browse the web, downloading and to maintain my iphone and ipods.
I am having some trouble organizing all of my media about 300gb worth, I am so used to Windows and how I had everything set up and organized that my iMac feels out of control. Any suggestions on organization ideas/strategies would be very appreciated.
If someone would be so kind to please help me along with these Windows to Mac questions…..
I will gladly appreciate any and all feedback!
Thanks in advance
1.) Internet Security –
Q - I frequently download torrents and use Limwire. What is recommended for a Mac and are there any free anti-virus programs that work good?
True or False? – I have read that since there are no viruses made for Mac that this is not needed , unless you often share with a Windows computer or something along those lines….
2.) Windows Defrag/Disk Cleanup –
Q - Is this necessary for a Mac, if so does Mac have a similar process to cleanup unused space on the hard drive?
A – I have read that it is not necessary for a Mac, but some users still prefer to do disk cleanup (Any recommended disk cleanup programs? Preferably free).
3.) Installing programs on a Mac –
Q - Can I mess this up, or is it self explanatory like Windows?
A – I think I have figured this out. I have successfully installed MS Office, Adobe Premium CS3, etc… BUT in Applications in the finder, once the download is complete can I have just the App there or should I leave the whole folder and its downloaded contents? What I mean is if I were to delete the other misc downloaded files inside the folder would the program still run correctly?
Im not sure how to make myself clear on this, so if its way too confusing I can live with a few extra folders….
4.) Additional Programs –
Q - Are there any “must have” programs that do not come standard on an iMac?
FYI – I have brand new MS office, full Adobe Premium CS3, Toast, and Transmission torrent dloader (I think that’s what it is called)
5.) iTunes –
Q - Is it possible to import your iTunes library from Windows to a Mac?
- I think I am actually going to re-do my whole library manually, BUT can I somehow get all my playlists from my Windows laptop to my iMac?
6.) Folder Icons -
Q - On Windows you can change the basic blank folder or icon to a different icon or picture (thumbnail view), is this customizable on a Mac also?
- So far its looking like it is not possible… The only customization I can seem to do is to “label” with a color. I would really like to be able to customize that basic blue folder, any suggestions?
7.) Application Task Manager (Ctrl/Alt/Del) -
Q - Does Mac have a similar option if not, how can I view all current applications running on my iMac?
Thanks again, its such a relief to have a community like this

1. ClamXAV is the only free anti-virus software for the Mac.
2. OS X defrags all files under 20 MBs on the fly. Unless you have a lot of very large files that undergo frequent changes, there's little need to defragment the drive. For disk repair and other maintenance see my FAQ at the end of this post.
3. Programs are installed on a Mac much the same as on Windows. Some use installers while some you can just drag from the download file to the Applications folder.
4. There are thousands of programs. What's one person's must have is another's must not. Mac software can be found for download at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
5. Yes. See Macworld - How to transfer iTunes libraries between PC and Mac.
6. Yes. You can download sets of replacement icons from many different sites. Or you can copy an image onto the clipboard (COMMAND-C) then select the folder you wish to change, press COMMAND-I to open the Get Info window. You will see the icon in the top left corner. Click on the image to select it then press COMMAND-V to paste the image in the clipboard. You now have a new folder icon. You can do this for files as well. CAVEAT: Not a good idea to change any OS X system folders. Although you can the next time you upgrade the OS the custom icons will likely disappear. You will then have to redo them. There are certain utilities that can change system icons as well.
7. Yes. There are two different ones. The Application Switcher - press COMMAND-TAB to cycle through running applications. The Task Manager - press COMMAND-OPTION-ESC. The Task Manager can only be used to force quit running applications. If you want to view running applications then use the Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder.
Kappy's Personal Suggestions for OS X Maintenance
For disk repairs use Disk Utility. For situations DU cannot handle the best third-party utilities are: Disk Warrior; DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption; Disk Warrior 4.x is now Intel Mac compatible. TechTool Pro provides additional repair options including file repair and recovery, system diagnostics, and disk defragmentation. TechTool Pro 4.5.1 or higher are Intel Mac compatible; Drive Genius is similar to TechTool Pro in terms of the various repair services provided. Versions 1.5.1 or later are Intel Mac compatible.
OS X performs certain maintenance functions that are scheduled to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly period. The maintenance scripts run in the early AM only if the computer is turned on 24/7 (no sleep.) If this isn't the case, then an excellent solution is to download and install a shareware utility such as Macaroni, JAW PseudoAnacron, or Anacron that will automate the maintenance activity regardless of whether the computer is turned off or asleep. Dependence upon third-party utilities to run the periodic maintenance scripts had been significantly reduced in Tiger and Leopard.
OS X automatically defrags files less than 20 MBs in size, so unless you have a disk full of very large files there's little need for defragmenting the hard drive. As for virus protection there are few if any such animals affecting OS X. You can protect the computer easily using the freeware Open Source virus protection software ClamXAV. Personally I would avoid most commercial anti-virus software because of their potential for causing problems.
I would also recommend downloading the shareware utility TinkerTool System that you can use for periodic maintenance such as removing old logfiles and archives, clearing caches, etc.
For emergency repairs install the freeware utility Applejack. If you cannot start up in OS X, you may be able to start in single-user mode from which you can run Applejack to do a whole set of repair and maintenance routines from the commandline. Note that AppleJack 1.5 is required for Leopard.
When you install any new system software or updates be sure to repair the hard drive and permissions beforehand. I also recommend booting into safe mode before doing system software updates.
Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
1. Retrospect Desktop (Commercial - not yet universal binary)
2. Synchronize! Pro X (Commercial)
3. Synk (Backup, Standard, or Pro)
4. Deja Vu (Shareware)
5. Carbon Copy Cloner (Donationware)
6. SuperDuper! (Commercial)
7. Intego Personal Backup (Commercial)
8. Data Backup (Commercial)
The following utilities can also be used for backup, but cannot create bootable clones:
1. Backup (requires a .Mac account with Apple both to get the software and to use it.)
2. Toast
3. Impression
4. arRSync
Apple's Backup is a full backup tool capable of also backing up across multiple media such as CD/DVD. However, it cannot create bootable backups. It is primarily an "archiving" utility as are the other two.
Impression and Toast are disk image based backups, only. Particularly useful if you need to backup to CD/DVD across multiple media.
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance, optimization, virus protection, and backup and restore.
Additional suggestions will be found in Mac Maintenance Quick Assist.
Referenced software can be found at www.versiontracker.com and www.macupdate.com.

Leopard discount for new imac owners?

Just wondering if there is a discounts offer on the new OS for people who purchased the new imac in the last three months? Anyone know?

It's been covered here several dozen times already, but the standard Mac OS Up-To-Date upgrade package is available to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Mac system from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller on or after October 1, 2007 for a shipping and handling fee of $9.95 (US). See this web page for details:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate/
Note that the program ends on December 29, 2007. Your order must be postmarked or faxed by January 4, 2008, so if your system qualifies, don't delay in getting your order in.

New iMac owner, but a few questions!

Hey all, just got a Brand New iMac yesterday, first Mac computer owned and loving it so far, but I have a few questions.
iChat: I have my AIM name on there, but whenever someone sends me a message, a very small box pops up asking if I want to accept or decline, even if I have them in my buddy list. Any way to turn that off? I looked through the settings, couldn't find anything.
iTunes: Is there anyway to fully close out of iTunes? Whenever I X out of it, the music still plays, and it seems as though iTunes is still open until I hit the Command+Q. Then when I re-open it, it leaves off where it was. What I am wondering is if you are able to completely close out of it with Xing it out.
Preview: If I open a photo, it automatically opens with Preview, when I X out of it, Preview is still in the Dock until I right click and click "close." Anyway to get around that as well?
Also, what Application would you recommend for a College student typing term papers and whatnot? And are there Applications to download for free? Like....I cant think of an example.
I'm sorry for all the questions, but I've been a Windows user all my life, just trying to get used to the iMac.

Hi GeneticFusion: Welcome ot the world of Mac. I could tell by your description that you are an Ex-Windows user. You are on the right track with the Command Q idea. This is the proper way to completly close a program. You could also go to the name of the open program, click and select "Quit <Program>. As to a program to use to type term papers, check out NeoOffice. It is free, and available at http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php
Enjoy
Stedman

Basic questions from new iMac owner

What exactly should I buy for Time Machine backups (I have 27 inch iMac with 8 gb memory). Also can I migrate data directly to my iMac from my Dell All-in-One, including Itunes music library? What type of connector best to use?

You should buy an external disk that uses the usb3 interface (assuming your iMac is new). Use the disk first with your Dell. Format it as NTFS if required, put your itunes folder on it, put your documents folder on it, put your pictures folder on it, .....basically get your stuff on the drive.
Move the disk to the mac. Now, copy the iTunes folder in the Music folder. Place everything inside the documents folder inside the iMac's documents folder, put the pictures folder inside your iMac's pictures folder, ...basically move your stuff to the appropreiate iMac folder.
Now start up iTunes and it will see the old library and all will be fine. If any of your album, apps, movie artwork looks weird, simply close iTunes go into the cache folder inside the iTunes folder and delete the old cache files. Restart iTunes and the artwork will look OK.
You can also open iPhoto and import all the photos from your old picture folder.
Finally when you are happy that all your stuff is in the right place. Reformat the drive as hfs journaled, name the drive Backup, and point time machine to it from system preferences. You can format the drive using disk utilitiy which is inside your applications/utility folder.
It's really not that hard to convert. Don't worry about applications you had on the Dell. They won't work. You just need your data files. Data is data so all will be well.
Good luck

A new Imac Owner

Hey All,
Right i have becoem the proud owner of an Imac what i think is a G3. Just been browsing and picked up some tips for identifying it properly for me.
Any tips?
Currently on OS 9.1 and looking to go further up the OS chain. I am aware of the firmware update that i need to do first anything else i should be aware of??
More to ask once i have some actual usefull info for you for my questions. No piont in asking them untill i can give you the info for the help!!

Hi Bizaman! And Welcome To Discussions!
The previous replies are all great tips!
And once you determine which iMac model you have, you may find this additional info useful.
Enjoy your Mac!
Mac OS X Versions 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4, are complete system upgrades that must be purchased.
The point upgrades, such as 10.1.x to 10.1.5 (Final) 10.2.x to 10.2.8 (Final), 10.3.x to 10.3.9 (Final), and 10.4.x to 10.4.6 (Pending), can be downloaded for free.
Tiger is available for purchase at The Apple Store (U.S.).
Jaguar and Panther, are no longer available directly from the Apple Online Store, as Tiger 10.4.x is the most up to date OS.
Jaguar Full Retail Version CDs, a Full Retail Version, of the Panther Install CDs, or a Full Retail Version of the Tiger Install DVD, can be purchased rather inexpensively, at some online Apple retailers, Amazon, eBay, AppleRescue, etc.
Be sure not to purchase grey, upgrade or machine specific CDs or DVDs.
Jaguar and Panther are only on CDs, not DVDs.
More info here Tip: Using OS X Install CDs/DVDs On Multiple Macs
Once Jaguar 10.2.x is installed, you can use the 10.2.8 combo update,
or if Panther 10.3.x is installed, you can use the 10.3.9 Combo Update, to upgrade to the final edition of either OS.
If your Mac meets the System Requirements for Tiger, you could also consider installing that.
And then use the 10.4.7 Combo Update.
You'll find System Requirements in these links:
Panther
Tiger
Additionally,
"Tiger ships on a DVD, but if your Mac doesn’t have a built-in DVD-ROM player, you’ll need CD media. When you buy Mac OS X Tiger, you qualify to purchase Tiger CDs for only $9.95."
Download The order Form Here. Media Exchange Program
Shop Carefully, Examine All Documention, And Good Luck!
ali b

Newbie to Aperture and I am a new Imac owner who switched from a PC

I shoot with a Nikon D300 and I keep all of my photos on external hard drives. I perfer to keep my photos located on these drives. How do I move my photos into Apeture to work on my photos and then have them stored on my external hard drives. I use Photoshop CS4 and want to continue to make advanced adjustments within this software. So I do I work within both programs?
Thanks for the help and advice.

And in addition to William's advice, you should do all your photoshop adjustments from within Aperture using the external editor function. That way you can round trip and have the results appear in Aperture immediately after saving in Photoshop.
The one thing to remember is that Aperture is now your photo manager - if you start doing adjustments there and then opening the files independently to Photoshop from the Finder you could end up with quite a mess very quickly...

HT201342 what are the 2 slots called thunderbolt--are they the same as usb slots----new iMac owner

finally gave up on microsoft

No. ThunderBolt is not the same as USB.
I have asked the Hosts to move your thread to correct forum.
Read http://www.apple.com/thunderbolt/ to lean more about ThunderBolt.
Allan

What is likelihood of new iMacs anytime soon?

I'm in the market for a new iMac, but wonder if I should wait awhile for a possible upgrade? The 20" G5 iMac flat panel I bought several years ago (that came bundled with the newly released Tiger) was updated a mere month or so later. I read somewhere that this is a typical pattern.

The only way I'd expect a refresh of the new aluminum iMacs in the Jan-Feb timeframe would be if they determine the ATI video card issue they're having with the current iMacs mandates a hardware change.
It seems clear that at least a small percentage of new iMac owners are experiencing a video problem that is not resolved by software refreshes or updated drivers. ATI may have a hardware/firmware issue with the HD 2600 cards being used in the new high-end iMacs. Or, there may be a heat issue that is causing video cards with marginal hardware components to misbehave.
In support of the February timeframe for an update is Apple's historical behavior in updating the iMacs. Go to MacRumors where they keep track of Apple product update cycles:
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#iMac

Yes... There are issues with the new iMac, early adopters baby!

Hi, I am a new iMac owner.
Being a network engineer and having worked for the "devil" himself, let me tell you... I would rather be dealing with the tiny glitches with the new iMac than owning a Dell, Toshiba, HP but most importantly running Vista!
This is a new machine with new HW and drivers. I enjoy trying the latest and the greatest. I realize there will be hurdles to overcome with any new product, but come one people! Let's stop whining, and help everyone out here. We are all here to provide constructive feedback to Apple while helping everyone out.
Yes there Display issues.
Yes there are Keyboard issues.
Yes there are WoW issue and UT as well.
Target disk issues.. Yes
Lock ups.. sure!
My suggestion... If you think you are better off with a PC and Vista, well go to it mate!
Sorry for the ramble, but I just got tired of all the whiners thinking that buying an iMac was their solution to never having issues by leaving the PC world, or should I say MSWorld... LOL

I think few, if any people claimed they were going to ditch their new iMac for a PC. I like Macs, but I don't love them like I used to.
Half the reason people buy them, is because they think they can rely on Macs more. They are supposed to be stable, fuss free and easy to use. And they still are for the most part.
But these new iMacs make a complete mockery of that because they don't represent very well what Apple stands for. "If" I bought a PC I would honestly expect some problems here & there. Its just part and parcel of the PC package. And although I don't expect Macs to be 100% perfect 100% of the time, I certainly expect better than this diabolical shambles that is the new iMac.
Just as an example.. My 4 year old G4 powerbook.. Not 100% problem free, granted. But mighty close. However, it has not crashed once the entire time I have had it. My new iMac however, crashed 4 times yesterday alone, and it didn't even get used as much as my old powerbook.
Maybe now you get the picture a little better?
Just my 2 kernel panics worth...

New iMac - built in power adaptor?

Does anybody know if the new iMac has a built in power adaptor or does the power lead come with a small box at the end of it, like on a laptop? Sounds like a random question, but I think the new iMac is almost like a "easily portable desktop" with its slim keyboard.

The new iMacs, like the previous Intel-based iMacs, have a built-in power supply that is self-adapting 100-240V AC. All that you need is the proper power cord for the elecrical outlet configuration for the country you visit or an Int'l plug adapter kit.
For traveling, I use the iLugger.

New iMac 27 i7 and SMC Fan Control

Hi Folks,
As a new iMac owner can anyone tell me if SMC Fan Control should work ok, on my new iMac 27 i7?
Also what is the normal operating temps for this iMac?
Many thanks,
Jim

The first time that you start smcFanControl (smcFC) on a Mac it will read the fans and their base rpms. An iMac usually has 3 fans. I have not heard that the huge screen real estate 27" iMac has more or less. I have also not seen anyone claiming that smcFC "burned out" their fans.
I use smcFC on both my iMac Core Duo (3 fans) and my Mac mini (1 fan). I find it invaluable here where I cannot afford air conditioning. Macs tend to heat up when viewing any sort of video. I have created settings with smcFC that I use when viewing videos that keep the temps inside my Macs close to the operating temps of when I am checking email and surfing the web.
I believe that the above listed temps are the ambient environmental temps advised for using a Mac, not Mac's internal operating temps. 34°C is actually on the low side. My Mac mini runs around 48 usually. If a Mac overheats it will shut itself off. If you find that your Mac is shutting itself off often I would especially look into why. Is it overheating during a particular activity? Does smcFC perhaps help your Mac run cooler during that activity?
Keep your Mac in a well ventilated place with good air circulation, not cramped into a little cubbyhole of sorts. Every year or two have a Mac tech clean it out. They do get dirty inside, even in your clean home or office. That layer of dirt can add a lot to heating up your Mac.
Dah•veed

How can you rename your iMac owner's name after migration to new iMac?

I bought a new iMac and after the migration of old files etc to new one, it retained the owner name of the old one and I can't find out how to change it.
Thanks in advance for help.

Never mind, the solution came up after I submitted the question and all is fine.

I'm a new proud owner of an iMac 21.5

Hello, I'm a new proud owner of an iMac 21.5. Formerly G5 owner who frequently visited the
Power Mac forums. Due to finances it took a while to move on to a better computer and I was having so many issues w/my G5 that I couldn't stand to deal w/it anymore after several fixes resulting in more hassle.
So now, moving on I plan to take much better care of this baby and check up on any issues resulting from downloading, updating, n general maintenance.
I took it out of the box and have already updated to 10.6.3
So now what, (I'm seeing a huge list of software updates from the drop down menu)...

The only advantage to doing updates from Apple's website is if you have skipped multiple updates on the OS itself, in this case you would use the Combo update. For example if you got Snow Leopard which is 10.6 and skipped updates to 10.6.1 and 10.6.2 but wanted to go to 10.6. In that case you would download the 10.6.3 Combo update. The Combo update is recommended in this case because it includes information from 10.6.1 & 10.6.2. BTW it isn't necessary to do a Permissions Repair with every update, however it won't do any harm either. The only time it's really recommended when doing updates is if it's an update to the OS itself for example an update from 10.6.2 to 10.6.3, on other updates it's probably a waste of time.
If you follow Software Update you won't have any problems, just check it weekly, follow any update instructions and your system will run smoothly.

New iMac owner (almost)

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