First Time MAC user - OS questions.....
Im awaiting the arrival of my first ever Mac system - a Macbook Pro 13.
As far as Im aware it comes with Snow Leopard OSX.
Since I come from a PC/Windows background, whenever I purchased a system in the past my first job was to always reinstall the OS, so I could create my own partitions, and to clean out any of the manufacturer installed rubbish I dont need! The latter was the main reason for re-installation.
Will my MacBook come with bloatware installed - or is it a clean OS install to begin with??
Would it be worth reinstalling the OS?
Also, if I reinstall the OS, will I need to install all drivers etc - just like on a Windows machine? If so, does the MAC have anything similar to the 'Device Manager' in Windows, so I can see my hardware and which drivers need installing, etc?
Thanks in advance for any response.
Hi and congratulations on your new 'best friend'
The OSX that is on your new MBP is OSX Snow Leopard version 10.6.3
And it does not contain any bloatware as with most of the Windows PCs you can buy.
Apart from the OSX itself you get the 2009 full version of Apple iLife suite plus a 30-day trial version of Apple iWork suite (which can easily be deleted if ou don't like it).
Nothing else on it.
While others round here might do a complete reinstall of OSX on a new Mac, I myself have never done that and have no problems with my Mac.
Device Drivers are part of OSX and updates to them are released as system updates from Apple with their own installer program.
In OSX there is a 'System Profiler' application, which lists all devices of your Mac plus the full software environment.
May I suggest to have a look here for beginners
http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/
http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/
http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/
Have Fun
Stefan
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Hey guys
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After using iPhone and iPad,I was expecting the same experience with MBA but...
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@brodeyo
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@lupunus
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Hi there Macbook world:
I've been a Windows kid for most of my life, and my familiarity with Macs has been virtually nil. Until now, that is, when my parents and I were looking into laptops for college and we decided to get a Macbook rather than dealing with Vista for four years. So I've got three weeks to get acclimated -- I haven't managed to screw anything major up yet since it just came out of the box today, but I do have a few questions:
1. Is there a shortcut to maximize windows so they fill up the entire screen? The green plus in the top left corner resizes the window, but doesn't maximize it.
2. For some reason, certain applications on my dock won't open -- normally the icon bounces a few times while the application loads, the taskbar on top changes to match the application, and then the application window comes up. But for a few applications (specifically, iChat and Preview), the taskbar changes up top, but nothing else happens. Is this an application-related issue (I opened iChat, but declined to do the preliminary registration -- maybe I screwed something up there?), or is this just a Mac thing?
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4. Lastly, is there a better way for me to find out any of this information?
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1. Is there a shortcut to maximize windows so they fill up the entire screen? The green plus in the top left corner resizes the window, but doesn't maximize it.
No, this is how Apple has designed it.
2. For some reason, certain applications on my dock won't open -- normally the icon bounces a few times while the application loads, the taskbar on top changes to match the application, and then the application window comes up. But for a few applications (specifically, iChat and Preview), the taskbar changes up top, but nothing else happens. Is this an application-related issue (I opened iChat, but declined to do the preliminary registration -- maybe I screwed something up there?), or is this just a Mac thing?
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Just wanted to get your opinion.
This comment applies to malicious software ("malware") that's installed unwittingly by the victim of a network attack. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an attacker who has hands-on access to the victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files. The recognition database is automatically updated once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders. In most cases, there’s no benefit from any other automated protection against malware.
Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there is another layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications that are downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Applications certified in this way haven't actually been tested by Apple (unless they come from the Mac App Store), but you can be sure that they haven't been modified by anyone other than the developer, and his identity is known, so he could be held responsible if he knowingly released malware. For most practical purposes, applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed can be considered safe. Note, however, that there are some caveats concerning Gatekeeper:
It doesn't apply to software that comes packaged as an installer. Treat all third-party installers with caution.
It can be disabled or overridden by the user.
It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets (see below.)
It only applies to applications downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
For more information about Gatekeeper, see this Apple Support article.
Notwithstanding the above, the most effective defense against malware attacks is your own intelligence. All known malware on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. If you're smarter than the malware attacker thinks you are, you won't be duped. That means, primarily, that you never install software from an untrustworthy source. How do you know a source is untrustworthy?
Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is untrustworthy.
A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. [Some reputable websites did legitimately warn users who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.]
“Cracked” copies of commercial software downloaded from a bittorrent are likely to be infected.
Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. No intermediary is acceptable.
Java on the network (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related) is always a potential weak spot in the security of any operating system. If a Java web plugin is not installed, don't install it unless you really need it. If it is installed, you should disable it (not JavaScript) in your web browsers. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This setting is mandatory in OS X 10.5.8 or earlier, because Java in those obsolete versions has known security flaws that make it unsafe to use on the Internet. The flaws will never be fixed. Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java can never be fully trusted, even if no vulnerabilities are publicly known at the moment.
Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can reasonably be.
Never install any commercial "anti-virus" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use the free software ClamXav — nothing else.
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