Question from a prospective Mac purchaser...

I'm planning on getting a new Mac in May...Is that a good time to get one? Will it be the same ol 08 Garage band that comes with it? When does '09 come out?
Would it be smarter to wait til later in the year?
I have about a 1600 budget.

For timing a mac purchase, this may help:
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/
Me personally, I hate waiting once I've decided I'm going to get a new computer

Similar Messages

Very important Battery Question from a prospective Mac buyer...

Hi, guys!
I am thinking of purchasing a Macbook Pro and just read that the battery is sealed-in. I know that I am able to buy a replacement battery, but I would also like to find out if I can still use the Pro even after the battery is broken?
I have no problems with only being able to use the Pro when plugged into an outlet, but is it possible? Can I still use it in Plugged Mode even if the battery is long gone? Or do I really need to have a working battery in order to be able to use it (plugged or not)?
Im a bit strapped for cash so I just wanna make sure to cover all bases before making a purchase.
Thanks!

I think it's pretty much been covered with everything. You have 2 options:
1) Buy a replacement battery once yours is dead.
2) Don't buy a replacement battery and work off the mains.
And if you find out your processor is too slow if you go with option 2, then switch to option 1. You may be strapped for cash now, but if you save pennies for the next five years, you'll cover it. Probably if you do get five years' life out of your battery, your Pro will be an old 'just in case' laptop by that point anyway.
You might want to research how you can make your battery life last longer as well. Like how charged up you should keep your notebook, whether or not to drain the battery completely and for how often etc. Can't remember the MBP's battery type off the top of my head.

May be slightly simple question from a new Mac user: Why can't I quit safari? I cannot quit it from top menu bar neither to do it from dock? All other apps are working normally.

May be slightly simple question from a new Mac user: Why can't I quit safari? I cannot quit it from top menu bar neither to do it from dock? All other apps are working normally.

Or you can actived the right button on your magic mouse and click on they icon in the dock. then you select "stop" and it's out of your dock.
Greetings
*update: Sorry, my mistake! I didn't read your message correct! Sorry for the inconvience!

Test question from firefox nightly mac for finitarry

text of test question from firefox nightly mac for finitarry

the link is actually
http://wiki.apache.org/spamassassin/SpamAssassinon_Mac_OS_XServer
what you have posted takes one to a "page does not exist yet" error page

Missing artwork when xfer from PC to MAC - purchased music

So here is the story...
New iMAC... old PC... iPOD 80GB
All my music is music I either own or purchased through iTunes... ALL my album art was there on my PC and on my iPOD...
Since moving the library to the MAC... SOME of my album art is missing... and when I select to find album art... it says it cant find any... the thing is... its music I bought through iTunes... so I know there is album art available..
It has only happened to about... say maybe 20 or 30 songs / albums...
Any idea on how to get the album art back ??
I dont sync with the PC anymore... and have formatted the iPOD for MAC and it only syncs with my iMAC now.
Cheers

Geek to Live: How to move an iTunes library from a PC to Mac (and back)
http://lifehacker.com/software/itunes/geek-to-live--how-to-move-an-itunes-librar y-from-a-pc-to-mac-and-back-242468.php
Migrate Your iTunes Library from Windows to Mac (and keep your ratings, play counts and date added)
http://www.tunequest.org/migrating-your-itunes-library-from-windows-to-mac/20061 105/
HOWTO: Move your iTunes music while preserving library data (when you don’t let iTunes manage your music library)
http://hifiblog.com/past/2006/05/11/howto-move-your-itunes-music-while-preservin g-library-data-when-you-dont-let-itunes-manage-your-music-library/
Good luck,
Patrick

Two questions from a perspective Mac Book Air purchaser . . . .

1) How warm does the computer get after extended use? I saw one review that the reviewer said "it was a delight to use in your lap." The Mac Book Pro is use gets too warm to sit in your lap after about 15 minutes.
2) It was my understanding that it is impossible to boot from a hard drive connected via USB. What then do you do when the internal drive fails or gets corrupted? Is there some kind of unique connection to the Air external Optical drive that allows it to boot from it? I back up all my Macs by cloning the drives to external firewire drives so that if there is an internal drive failure, we can boot from the clone and be back in business. Is this not possible on the Mac Book Air?
Thanks
GFB

you can boot from a drive connected via usb, whether it be a usb hard drive with a bootable clone, or the MBA usb superdrive.
I know because not only have I read it, I have done it. I love my MBA and use a WD Passport usb drive to clone and backup the MBA. I did the bootable backup via CarbonCopyCloner. I have the MBA usb superdrive and did an experimental OSX install from the Install disc on a second partition that I created with that disc without erasing the first partition. Both worked.
I use the MBA primarily on my lap on the sofa -- no heat problems. Just follow directions and don't set it down on pillows or cushiony soft surfaces that block the heat exhaust vents on the bottom.
It is too easy to use on the lap, why bother sitting at a desk or table.
Yup, luv the air.

A few questions from a prospective GarageBand user...

My sister got a new Mac last year, and I love messing around on garageband, but I had a few questions.
I have only recently started to mess around with the non software instruments (i.e. playing an instrument or singing into the microphone that is built into the computer)...I was wondering, is there any way to hook up a better mic to the computer so that I could get better sound quality??
Also, instead of using the keys on my computer, is there any way I could buy a synthesizer at a place like best buy and hook it up to the computer and play it with Garagebad??? Would I be able to use all the "software" sounds that come with the synthesizer as well as the ones on the computer? Could it hook straight up to the computer, or would I have to use a microphone to get the sound off the synthesizer??
Thanks for the help!!

I need a "controller" keyboard in order to play with garage band
a controller to record MIDI (play GB's instruments), if you want to use GB like a tape recorder you could record the audio from a synth (keyboard) into GB
I can't plug in an electronic drum kit that I physically use drum sticks to hit
if it's a MIDI controller drum kit, than you should be able to do so with a MIDI interface. if not, like above, you could use GB liek a tape recorder and plug an audio out of the kit into the Line-In on hte mac.
playing the guitar on garage band as one of the external instruments, what is the best way to do it??
use an audio interface:
http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/GBFAQ.html#interfaces
some people find pugging a guitar directly into the mac, though most do not:
http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/GBFAQ.html#pluginguitar
(you can certainly try, it's nearly free, so why not)
Would I have to buy a good external microphone and just put it in front of the amplifier that the guitar is plugged into to get the best sound??
that's the way i do it, and to really capture that amp sound, I think it's best, though it's a little more complicated because you can't really plug a mic into a mac, again you need an interface/preamp

2 questions from a new Mac owner

Hello everyone,
I just recently purchased my first Mac (Macbook Pro) and am really enjoying it. I have 2 questions that I cannot seem to find an answer for.
1: Is there a way to reverse the FN keys ( I dont like having to hit FN + F9 to use expose, i hardly ever use the those keys except for volume). Is there a way to make it so when i press the keys i get the normal key and if i want to use the features of the key hit FN + Key? I cant find any way to do this, weird because the documentation for Leopard never mentioned anything about me having to hit FN+F9 etc to use the features
2: Whenever i reboot into bootcamp and start to play a game, the notebook fans start going crazy and it heats up considerably fast. I usually stop playing after half an hour out of fear i will overheat. Is this normal behaviour for this to happen or could there be something wrong with my notebook?
Sorry if these sound silly, I am new to all this

1. I don't think you can since the keys serve two purposes. However, an intrepid programmer may have written a utility for that sort of thing. One never knows. Search at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
2. Yes, that's normal because Windows does not have any fan control implemented. I don't think there's a solution for this common problem.

Basic time machine question from a new mac owner

Hello. I have an icon on my computer that says time machine and when i select the open time machine preferences, it takes me to my set up for my airport extreme.. is this correct or is time machine something additional that i would purchase to set up?

Thanks for the star and no problem, I would recommend that you get yourself an external drive though for backup. With any computer not having a backup system is gamble and sooner or later you will lose. If you do decide on a TM backup drive it would be wise to get one that has Firewire or Firewire 800 connections (for speed) and it should be about 2x the size of your interal drive if possible. Once you connect one TM will automatically back up your system and continue to back up every hour only backing up changes and addtions. So for example if you keep music and pictures and are continually adding material to your computer those are memories that you don't want lost if your machine has a failure, TM will help prevent that from occuring. It is one of the coolest features of Leopard. Two pieces of good news, TM is simple and external hard drives are fairly inexpensive these days.

Questions from a prospective MBP buyer

Hey all,
I'm going off to college next month, and my dad decided that I needed a laptop before I go. He and I looked into it, and we agreed that I could get a MBP. Thus far, I've decided on the 2.0Ghz 15.4" model, and I want to upgrade it to 1Gb (2 x 512Mb) RAM.
Due to a couple of factors, I was wondering about some of the other options I should choose. I'm going to be double-majoring in Informatics amd Biology, so I'm going to be doing computer programming on it, as well as other school-related tasks. I'm also somewhat of a gamer, but not a completely hardcore one. Also, this will by my first Apple computer. Based on those things, here are my questions:
1. Hard drive size. As I said, I'll be an Informatics major, so I'll have to have a number of school-related programs loaded for class. I'll almost definitely load up Boot Camp once I get the MBP so that I can play some of my favorite PC games, and have two or three recent games loaded on the computer at a time. I will also probably use GarageBand for personal music recording purposes and iMovie for recreational stuff. Also, my music collection is under 3 Gigs. I'm wondering if I'll be fine to just get the 80Gb hard drive, or does it sound like I need a larger one?
2. Display type. My second question is whether I should get a glossy display or a matte display. I know that glossy has better color quality, but suffers from glare, and matte has less glare but less brilliant color. My first instinct is to go with the glossy because I like the sound of the color quality. I realize there are discussions dedicated just to this topic, so feel free to skip this question unless you feel that there is an obvious choice based on the information I've given.
Sorry that this is kind of long, but I wanted to get those couple of things cleared up. Thanks in advance to anybody who takes the time to help.

Sorry, too many typos, rewrite: The hard drive is not an actual 1:1 ratio in terms of usable space. My 100gb 7200 drive has an actual capacity of 93.16. Following basic installation with modest programs such as Office, Filemaker and a few utilities, etc., I currently have 71gb available. You may very well be fine with something less although your field of study may require some hefty programs. Also, MP3 files, Windows and associated core software will eat up your available drive space sooner than you may think. Now, you may be just fine with only 1gb of memory for now, but again, your science core software may be better leveraged with additional RAM. If you want to lower your initial acquisition costs, then let that be your guide although I wouldn't recommend a drive smaller than 100gb.
Regards,

Really embarassing questions from a new Mac user

Okay, I have my new Mac Mini up and running and thought I'd test drive it by creating some simple holiday cards, recipe cards, gift tags, etc.
What application do I use for this? I found text edit, but that doesn't seem to have any graphics or clip art so to speak and I don't want to use photos.
Am I stupid? Or is there really no program for this sort of simple thing?
If I need to purchase additional software, what should I get?
Thanks.

I'm not sure which stationaries you're talking about, although it's been a while since I used Microsoft Windows in a production environment. I know that Microsoft Works includes quite a few of them, but while it is bundled with many PCs, it's not part of Windows.
I think iWork features templates for CVs and so forth, and it's supposedly very good for creating stylish documents. FWIW, iWork is usually released at MacWorld San Francisco in January, so you may want to hold off to see if iWork '07 is released (after all, it's just a month away).
Also, while Pages can import and edit MS .doc files, it's not as good as some other applications. NeoOffice, which is based on OpenOffice.org, is free, Intel-native, and has good compatibility with MS Office documents.

Questions from a Prospective Buyer Regarding Calendar and Contacts

Hi. I am interested in buying a new IPod Nano, largely for its Calendar and Contacts features. I am replacing a Palm PDA that I accidentally lost earlier this week.
I looked at some Nanos in the Apple Store near me but there were no calendar items or contact entries in any of the Nanos. I therefore have a few questions that weren't answered for me at the Apple Store.
Regarding syncing with Address Book and ICal:
1. If you have multiple Groups in Adress Book, will all the groups show up in the Nano? Or does the Nano lump all the contacts into one group?
2. Similarly, if you have multiple calendars in ICal, will all the calendars show up on the Nano as separate calendars?
3. Do all alarms set in ICal, for both calendar events and to-dos, show up in the Nano?
Lastly, a few questions about the calendar view in the Nano:
4. Does the Nano's monthly calendar view somehow indicate which days have events? I couldn't tell at the Apple Store because there were no events in the Nanos there.
5. In general, do people find the Nano's calendar view sufficient? From what I could tell, you can view a full monthly calendar and then click on a day to see that day's calendar items. But I couldn't tell if there was a larger day view. Also, it didn't seem to have a week view. So, I'm just looking for general opinions on the calendar's overall usability.
Thanks a lot in advance for all replies.
David

+1. If you have multiple Groups in Adress Book, will all the groups show up in the Nano? Or does the Nano lump all the contacts into one group?+
It's just one big group.
+2. Similarly, if you have multiple calendars in ICal, will all the calendars show up on the Nano as separate calendars?+
You can view as All or select on one Calendar. If you view as All you don't get to see which calendar an entry is for. It's just one big group.
+3. Do all alarms set in ICal, for both calendar events and to-dos, show up in the Nano?+
Not sure on this. I don't think it includes to-dos. Also the nano does not make much of a noise. It does have a full speaker on it. I don't hear the alarm on it.
+4. Does the Nano's monthly calendar view somehow indicate which days have events? I couldn't tell at the Apple Store because there were no events in the Nanos there.+
Yes, there will be a dot on a day with an entry.
+5. In general, do people find the Nano's calendar view sufficient? From what I could tell, you can view a full monthly calendar and then click on a day to see that day's calendar items. But I couldn't tell if there was a larger day view. Also, it didn't seem to have a week view. So, I'm just looking for general opinions on the calendar's overall usability.+
When selecting a day you get a list of the items for the day. You can then select one to see more details. There is no week view.
You do realise it is read only. You can't edit at all. If you are expecting alarms then you will be disappointed with the nano.
If you were relying on an iPod for calendars you would be better served by the iPod touch. The calendar on the nano is useful for seeing if you are doing something on a day, but not great for reminding you that you have something happening in a few minutes.

Questions from a prospective Zen g

Hi to you and thanks to all who help out here!
I am VERY interested in getting a Zen xtra but would like to ask a few questions before I do. For some context, I will be going overseas soon and will not always have access to a puta let alone my own computer.
. Do I need AudioSync or any other software to upload or manage data files on the Zen xtra? -- Can I do it merely through Windows Explorer? (read the manual and nothing said you cant, hoping to get lucky)
2. Can the Zen xtra plug in directly with a digital camera via USB or something else? (very unlikely but worth asking) Ie, for times when i dont have access to a computer but need to get pics off my digital camera.
Thank you VERY much for your help

Greetings.
. Yes and no. If you install a driver and the NOMAD Explorer application, you can transfer files to and from your player with drag and drop in Explorer.
2. No.
Regards,
Mattias.

Questions from a prospective buyer regarding the Zen To

I have a few questions..
) Can you transfer music *to* and *from* your computer, or only *from* it, like the ipod?
2) What files can it store? That is to say, to what extent does it act like a hard dri've? Could I copy avi files onto it, and then copy them onto another hard dri've? How much freedom do you have in copying files?
Thank you for your time.

Hey,
You can transfer TO and FROM without any problems from the zen on ANY computer that has the software installed. There is basically a data foler and a music foler and you can store ANY type of file in the data folder and only the supported music types for playing on the Zen. I love my Zen, I hope you will get one and enjoy it for years!
Wilco

Questions from future New Mac User

I am planning to get a Mac in the following month.
However, I read the reviews about Leopard and got kind of mixed feelings.
Are there really a lot of problems atm? or those problems just simply caused by misuse?
Another question is, is iWork a replacement for Microsoft office (really dont want to touch micrsoft products anymore)?
Thank you for your time

I agree with everything Kappy said, most importantly Macs are great. I have two, a MacBook and an iMac, and have few minor problems on occasion. I can always find a solution though, there's usually a fix. I love iWork, although it does not take the place of Office, it's much more enjoyable. Any document, presentation, or what have you, can be exported in all the popular formats. This includes, Word, PDF, HTML, RTF...Pages, the word document app in iWork is excellent, I write on it exclusively. Keynotes will make the best presentations you could imagine. Numbers, I barely use, it's more for spreadsheets, (work stuff) overall, the experience between the two is beyond comparison. iWork is the better product, and half the price. This is only my opinion, and I write at least 5000 words a day.
Ray

Question from a prospective Mac purchaser...

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