Buying my first Mac and I'm deciding to get an iBook G4

Basically the title says it all. I've had the knowledge of how great Macs are for years but I've just now got a semi stable job to afford one. I am about to finish high school, so I need a laptop for college and I've already decided on the iBook G4 14 inch because it's perfect for my needs. However I had a few questions.
1. Should I order my iBook now or wait a couple of months? Keep in mind I would really rather not wait and have to buy a Mactel iBook. Maybe my desktop in a few years when Intel builds something exclusively and specifically for the Mac but not now.
2. Is virtual PC or a program like it still available to download to run Windows based programs?
3. If I order the iBook online, is white the only availabe color?
4. What is the .Mac subscription deal and is it worth it?

I didn't see the need for .Mac myself when I got my iBook last month. My mom bought an iBook shortly after me (copier!! ) and got a deal from the store she was in (I ordered online so no deal) and got a year of .Mac. She has yet to say it's changed her life or anything.
.Mac provides backup and some "goodies". The nice thing is it's easy to sync to and completely incorporated with the things it syncs with. As an example - you can backup your iCal I believe - so instead of taking your iCal stuff and backing it up in another form, you can just backup the exact iCal/Address Book info and never fear losing it or having to reinput it because it didn't save exactly as iCal. BUT - as a flip side to this - you can buy an external Firewire harddrive (look for sales you can get large ones pretty cheap) and make a clone. Then you can back up your ENTIRE internal drive - including all the programs, games, and documents you wind up setting up and using. Then, if your internal dies or something happens - you have an EXACT copy (as long as you keep it updated) on the external - which if you use it solely for storage should be stable and not have the same issues an internal might have from constant use after a number of years. Personally, this is what I plan to do as I'd rather have an exact duplicate of EVERYTHING then pay money to just back up a few important applications. The other things like webspace I already have and don't need another site or e-mail address, etc. But these things might be appealing to a user who isn't as computer saive and doesn't want to get into cloning - or has never had webspace and wants to make a site, etc. It's really up to you if you'd find it beneficial - but I for one feel the biggest benefit is backup, and for a set price I can get an external and backup MORE, so I can't see paying a yearly fee for that.
Rebecca

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I am about to buy my first Mac and I need advise.

So the main thing I want the Mac is for music production. I am unsure as to what size hard drive i should get and someone mentioned a solid state drive? I want one with enough memory? so basically anyone out there thats using a mac for this kind of work what would you suggest I go for? Im willing to pay what ever for it as I want to make a good investment!
Thanks

ds store wrote:
<SNIP>
If you get the non-Retina MacBook Pro, later on you can upgrade to a large SSD once the prices have come down a lot more.
The Retina MBP's you cannot later upgrade.
That was true when the rMBPs were initially introduced. It is no longer the case though and one can most certainly upgrade the SSD in a rMBP:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Aura_Pro_Retina_2012
Of course, unlike the normal MBPs, this is not a user replacement part as defined by Apple and higher capacity SSDs are expensive when compared to normal hard disks or hybrid hard disks, but it most certainly can be done.

Hello i bought my first mac and i want to become an iOS developer and creat app for iPhone iPad but now i have only iPad 4 and i want to buy iPhone 5s but I'm not sure to buy iphone5s now or wait for iPhone 6 because iphone6 may have bigger screen if i b

hello
i bought my first mac and i want to become an iOS developer and creat app for iPhone iPad but now i have only iPad 4 and i want to buy iPhone 5s but I'm not sure to buy iphone5s now or wait for iPhone 6 because iphone6 may have bigger screen if i buy iphone5s now can i creat app for iPhone 6 if it has bigger display without buying it just test it on iPhone 5s
thanks

One of my favorite things about developing for iOS using Xcode is the Simulator. It runs any of the iOS devices simulated right on your Mac. If you don't have a hardware device to test your application on, the Xcode simulator will surely be your best friend.
So to answer your question less vaguely, yes. You can own the iPhone 5s and develop for the 6. There is no real release information of the iPhone 6 at the time anyways, so I would not let it play too large of a factor in your decision.

I got my first mac and wonder what is the max ram capacity?

This is my first mac and I gotten it for school for my animation and visual effects. Since they like using tutorials that uses a lot of mac commands instead of windows so I am doing this so I can easily follow along. I gotten a Apple iMac MD063L from newegg it is coming with 8gb of ram and just wonder if it can go higher like what is the max it could do? I just want to make sure it can handle programs like Maya, adobe after effects but primarily Maya and related programs. When it comes to rendering a project.

That partial part number relates to 3 different refurbished 27" iMacs at NewEgg. All 3 can be upgraded to 32GB of ram. Only buy ram from either OWC http://eshop.macsales.com/ or Crucial http://www.crucial.com/ and avoid the bargain basement brands sold by other vendors. They're all mid 2011 models I believe.

Buying my first mac

Hi,
I'm going through some exciting times since I'm going to buy my first Mac (took me years of dedicated saving!).
My main hobby is photo editing and doing complex mixed media projects so of course I want the MacBook Pro WITH retina display.
A quick look into the specs learns that I have to choose among a version with an SSD of 256 GB or 512.
With the retina-upgrade and some additional RAM/video card (important since I almost live by the usage of photoshop filters), this is about as far as my budget stretches.
The upgrade to the 512 GB version would add an additional 300 euros to the bill which I, if I'm a bit sensible, can't afford.
But since I do a lot of photo projects, I fear that I'll run out of space quite fast.
My current Sony Vaio has a 512GB HDD and is filled up for 85%.
I have a NAS hooked up but this is for back-up purposes since I'm on the move a lot.
Working with an additional thunderbolt-connected external HDD seems impractical to me with the constant risk of damage and theft.
Has anyone some good advice for me?
Thanks a lot!

Hi,
You are absolutely right!
As far as the back-up goes, I have it covered with a subscription to backblaze (backs up entire HDD continuously in the cloud) and a NAS, set up to do the same but locally. I daresay this should do the trick (although -knock on a wood- I haven't had any major meltdowns to recover from so far)
For Photoshop I have a subscription to adobe's creative cloud. As a student, this comes fairly cheap compared to regular pricing.
One last thing: what do you mean with 'scratch disk for temporary storage'? Up until now, I simply created a temp-folder on my HDD...
Thanks already for your swift reply!

Buying my first Mac, Air or Pro with retina?

I am buying my first Mac. Undecided between new Mac Air or Mac Pro with retina? Any help?

Well if your computer needs are light weight and how light the computer is important for you then get the MBA
If on the other hand your needs are more heavy weight and the weight of the computer doesn't matter then get the MBA
Allan

About to buy my first Mac Pro

I would like to upgrade from a 24" Intel iMac to a new 8-core Mac Pro. This is my first Mac Pro so would appreciate a little advice. I'm an amateur videographer and this is a major investment for a computer for my personal use. The new Mac Pro will be used mainly for FCP 2.0. My plan is to get the 8-core, 2.8 GHz processors with 4GB of memory, a 1TB drive, a single ATI HD 2600 graphics adapter, and 2 monitors (one I already have). This pushes to price to close to $5K. I considered the faster processors and more memory, but this seems to a reasonable compromise of cost vs. performance. Agree?
The next question that comes to mind is how long will it take to move everything over from the iMac. As I understand it, Apple has a transfer utility that eliminates the need to re-install everything. Hopefully this includes FCP. I have about 500GB of applications and data that will have to be moved. Does the transfer utility delete the app from the source computer once it is installed on the target computer? Hopefully it doesn't so I'll be able to still use the iMac until the Mac Pro is fully configured and stable. Even though I don't make any money with this, I have several commitments and I can't afford to be shut down for long.
Lastly, I have a lot of trouble with firewire devices on the iMac. I have several firewire HDD's, a control surface for FCP, various capture devices, etc. with a mix of both FW400 and FW800. On the iMac, I've had nothing but trouble, especially when both FW800 and FW400 devices are used simultaneously. Anyone had problems like those I described with their Mac Pro? Can I add a firewire card to the Mac Pro to increase the number of FW inputs... perhaps run all FW800 devices on the card and all FW400 devices on existing FW inputs.

I had a small engineering / product development company that started out with a handmade 8080 computer and Dr. DOS. From there it was Win 3.1 and a 286 computer and so on. I was locked into the WinTel environment since I used several specialized programs and hardware cards that were only available with that platform. I promised myself that, when I closed the company and retired, I'd buy a Mac... and I did. I've purchased a pair of iMac's, a MacMini and a MacBook and am now shopping for my first Mac Pro. I've never regretted that decision and am sure I'll be among the Mac faithful for the duration.
My results have been somewhat different that yours. Yes, the Mac is more expensive than a comparable Windows machine, but now, with the Intel Macs capable of running both Mac and Windows software, its like getting two computers for not much more than a Windows only computer and you gain the ability to run both Windows only and Mac only applications. As far as reliability goes... I used mainly Enterprise versions of IBM and Dell computers in my company and they were far less reliable than my current Mac gear. I'd like to add AppleCare to the list of benefits, but since they started shipping the calls overseas, it hasn't been much better than what I was getting from Dell.

Looking to buy my first Mac computer product. . .

Hey there Mac support users! I'm looking to buy my first Mac computer product, and I am currently caught indecisive between the 13in and the 15 inch Macbook Pro. I have been over the technical specifications of both, and I do not really want to push out the 1700$ it would cost to buy the 15 inch if getting the 13 would be just as effective for my purposes. And of course, here is some background info on me:
I am currently a college student (hooray education pricing), and am also a musician who plays guitar, bass, some keys, and does vocals.
I will be using the Macbook for some light gaming (Diablo III with friends, maybe some other stuff later), but I am specifically wondering about which version to buy as concerns Pro Tools and audio recording -- something I plan on getting into after purchasing the Macbook.
I am aware that the 15 inch has a more powerful processor able to handle more things at once, which may come in handy while utilizing Pro Tools. In addition, I have noticed that the 15 inch Macbook version comes with two built in 3.5mm jacks on the side -- one for audio in, and the other for audio out (as compared to the standard headphone jack of the 13inch model). I am curious to know whether having the two separate jacks would be ultimately beneficial for music recording, or would it simply be better/cheaper to buy the 13 inch and get an adapter for the headphone jack?
I guess, in sum, I am just looking for some pointers in the best direction -- which would be best for a musician using Pro Tools: cheaper normal/super version of the 13 inch? Or the more expensive yet powerful 15inch model?
Any help is greatly appreciated
Thanks!

Hi Ziatheral, and welcome to the forums!
You've asked a lot of really good questions, and I'll do my best to be helpful.
For starters, you'll need to know that Pro Tools requires a 7200 RPM hard drive. Your standard off the shelf Mac ships with a 5200 RPM drive, so you will need to custom order a machine to meet specs.
Pro Tools is not yet officially qualified to run on Mountain Lion, although some users report it runs ok for them. It will take Avid a while to release an up-to-date version of Pro Tools.
You can NEVER have too much screen real estate. I've run Pro Tools on a 27" monitor, and even the 15" screen seems tiny by comparison. You get better graphics on the 15" monitor, too.
When recording, most artists use some kind of breakout box for mic preamping and monitoring. It's cool to think that the built in inputs and outputs will work, and in some cases they will, but that method is far from how pro recording is done. Many people like the Apogee Duet 2 for this:
http://apogeedigital.com/products/duet2.php
Personally, I'm kind of cheap, and if you're not going to be using MIDI, I like the Mackie Blackjack. I can at least afford one of those more easily:
http://www.mackie.com/products/onyxblackjack/
You have some time. It'll probably be a month or two before Pro Tools is ready to run on Mountain Lion. Keep looking. Do your homework. Don't just take somebody's word for it (including mine). And write if you have any more questions. The community is here for you.

I'm entitled to an upgrade as I have CS3 I want to buy a new mac and install the upgrade on the new computer. How do I do this?

I'm entitled to an upgrade as I have CS3 I want to buy a new mac and install the upgrade on the new computer. How do I do this?

Hi Ned,
Thank you for your help. I want to join creative cloud and when it check my system I told i can join for the discount price.
One Year, Paid Monthly plan — €36.89 per month, inclusive of VAT
My mac is Version 10.6.8 so I need to purchase two new mac creative cloud to run properly. I want to install the aps on both macs one for work and one for home use.
Will this work or cause me any problem?
Chris

I buy Office for mac and i need install it in mac air

I buy Office for Mac, and a new Mac Air ... how do I install it, with out the cd unit? ... there´s a link in apple.com where i can download it?

There isn't one on Apple's site, but if you have the product key, there's one on Microsoft's site. Click here.
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Hi i want to buy me a mac and do not know if I have a mac book pro or mac book are extrer with CD drive

hi i want to buy me a mac and do not know if I have a mac book pro or mac book are extrer with CD drive

Try posting in your native language, someone can probably translate.

I have just bought my first mac and have been told that i can get a free upgrade to lion but it seems that this is only an option in the us and canada, not the uk. is this true?

i have just bought my first mac and have been told in pc world that i can get a free upgrade to lion, but it would appear that this is only for those in the u.s. and canada. is this true? also from reading the discussions it seems that lion is not a good thing. i am already regretting my decision to go to a mac.

I have found that both Linux and Mac (unix) are capable of reading "deep" folders while win 32 will have issues, your it people are clearly wrong. I run a network with both win/mac. And as long as the win servers/pc's that have shares are set to allow apple file sharing in their folder properties. And the macs are set to allow smb there should absolutely no trouble with you accessing anything across the platforms, heck, from a Mac to a win pc on some occasions you don't even need to include a "domain" name to log on to, and you can create aliases and make your own shortcuts etc... So you don't have to manually connect each time you boot up etc... But that's all personal preferences I suppose.
All I can tell you is that, I do it on a daily basis managing a small business. So your answer is yes you can.

HT4796 will turbotax transfer from my broken hp laptop to a new mac or do I need to buy turbotax for mac and start over with my pc 2011 turbotax file

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Buying a new Mac and try to save all information from iPhone in new iTunes, is it possible? how?

Buying a new Mac and try to save all information from iPhone in new iTunes, is it possible? how?

The easiest thing to do is transfer the library from the old computer to the new one. Quick answer if you use iTunes' default preferences settings: Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its subfolders and files) intact to the other drive. Open iTunes and immediately hold down the option (alt) key (shift on Windows) so you get a prompt to choose a library, then select the copied iTunes folder. If this is to a new computer and you put the copied iTunes folder in the default location of Macintosh HD > Users > *User Name* > Music then you don't even need to start with the option key held down, iTunes will automatically look for it there. (Make sure there isn't anything already in the iTunes folder there that you want to keep since you will be replacing it with the one you are moving.)
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iOS: How to back up and restore your content - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766 - "Learn how to back up and restore the content on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch using iCloud or iTunes."
Your i-device was not designed for unique storage of your media. It is not a backup device and media transfer was planned with you maintaining a master copy of your media on a computer which is itself independently backed up against loss. To use a device with a new computer you transfer the content from the old computer (or its backup) directly to the new computer, not the device to the new computer. Media syncing is one way, computer to device, updating the device content to the content on the computer, not updating or restoring content on a computer. The exception is iTunes Store purchases which can be transferred to a computer.
iTunes Store: Transferring purchases from your iOS device or iPod to a computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848 - only purchases from iTunes Store
For transferring other items from an i-device to a computer you will have to use third party commercial software. See this document by turingtest2: Recovering your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3991

I just got a new iMac yesterday. I connected my Itouch and it would appear I have lost all my songs! Can anyone help? This is my first Mac and I am very intimidated by it.I

I just got a new iMac yesterday. I connected my Itouch and it would appear I have lost all my songs! Can anyone help? This is my first Mac and I am very intimidated by it.I

How did you get your songs onto your iPod Touch?
If purchase directly from iTunes you can download them again.
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http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/

Buying my first Mac and I'm deciding to get an iBook G4

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