Some dumb questions from a MAC Virgin

Firstly let me thank you for help you are going to give me.
I have thought for many years about switching to a MAC from my PC.
At the moment I a wireless network comprising my desktop (which is the one I would like to replace with a MAC system) and downstairs a Sony Vaio laptop. I use a Netgear Router and for the upstairs computer a usb wireless dongle to connect to my network.
First question.
1. If I buy a mac desktop and set it up upstairs how do I connect it to my wireless network? Is it possible? Is it easy? Will it just find it as my PC does and allow me to gain access via my WEP key?
Second Question.
I maintain daily two websites. I know the FTP access won't be an issue as far as I can see but what software is available for web design and maintenance - doesn't need to be fancy I can code HTML by hand.
Third Question.
My printer is connected to my desktop upstairs assuming I can access and maintain a wireless connection will my printer work with the laptop?

1. Yes, yes and yes.
2. Lots can be found at versiontracker.com and macupdate.com
3. If there are Mac drivers for your printer, yes it will work. To setup, see this page:
http://www.ifelix.co.uk/tech/3015.html

Similar Messages

Some basic questions from a mac newbie

hi,
i have been using linux and windows all this while, and recently began using an apple too. have some simple questions here that i hope to get some answers for.
1. is there something similar to /etc/hosts in linux where i can add the IP address of a server? this is for me to use the 'ssh' command in the terminal
2. when i open up an application, say safari or chrome, i want the window to fill the entire screen automatically, instead of having to drag the bottom right of the window to fill the screen. how to configure that?
3. when i close an application by clicking on the 'x' at the top left, why is it that it still appears in the list when i press command+tab? to remove the application from the list, i have to right click on its icon on the dock, then click 'quit'. this is rather troublesome.
appreciate any help!

1. is there something similar to /etc/hosts in linux where i can add the IP address of a server? this is for me to use the 'ssh' command in the terminal
The /etc/hosts file is there, but the /etc/ folder is hidden. You can use the Terminal (in /Applications/Utilities/) to access it via Unix, or could enter "open /etc" in the Terminal to open that folder in the Finder.
However, I'm not sure how this relates to ssh... I have not needed to modify that file, yet I can ssh all I need to. Are you trying to connect to your new Mac via ssh, or connect to other machines from the Mac via ssh?
2. when i open up an application, say safari or chrome, i want the window to fill the entire screen automatically, instead of having to drag the bottom right of the window to fill the screen. how to configure that?
Just drag the window out to full-screen and the browser should remember and open new windows at that size in the future. There are also some utilities (one called "Right Zoom" IIRC?) that will make the zoom button (green + button) behave more like the Windows zoom button.
3. when i close an application by clicking on the 'x' at the top left, why is it that it still appears in the list when i press command+tab?
Applications shouldn't quit just because you close their last window, unless the application's entire user interface is contained within that window. That is the case with ALL Windows apps, since there's no global menu bar, but only in some Mac apps. This is something that always ticked me off big-time with Windows... there have been times when I carelessly closed a window I didn't need anymore, but wanted to keep using the app, and then had to wait for it to load again. That won't happen on the Mac.
If this bothers you, just use the key combination command-Q to quit apps.

Time Capsule question from a Mac virgin

Hi
I am something of a luddite when it comes to computers but have just purchased a Time Capsule as an easy way to ensure that I am constantly backed up. I currently access the internet via the "wireless box" (which I now know to be both a modem and a router) provided by o2 when I signed up to their broadband. I would REALLY appreciate some advice.
From a quick scan of these boards it seems that I have a couple of choices:
1. Use the o2 wireless box as a modem only and connect the Time Capsule to it via an ethernet cable to act as the router.
2. Ditch the o2 wireless box entirely and purchase a specialist modem to use with the Time Capsule.
Is one approach likely to be better than the other? In both cases do I need to physically connect (via an ethernet cable) the modem to the Time Capsule? Or is it possible to keep the two separate (e.g. if I keep the wireless "switched on" and the Time Capsule connects "remotely"?
(I suspect that last question is possibly a stupid one...)
Anyway, any help or advice would be very gratefully received. Thanks in anticipation.
Jay

Hello JayH_Mac. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
You actually have a third option and that would be to connect the new Time Capsule (TC) by Ethernet to the o2 gateway device. You would just need to reconfigure the TC as a bridge to allow the gateway to continue to provide both NAT & DHCP services for all network clients connected to either router.
You would reconfigure the TC as a bridge by using the AirPort Utility: AirPort Utility > Select the TC > Manual Setup > Internet > Internet Connection > Connection Sharing = Off (Bridge Mode))
This third approach would be the simplest to configure. It would also provide you with the option to disable the wireless function of the gateway or leave both to provide wireless in a "roaming" network configuration.

HT5312 This whole security question crap is a hassle. If I wanted to talk to someone one the phone to have some dumb questions reset, I would call them. Why can't they just send it in my dang e-mail. So forget it. I'll just forego the purchase.

This whole security question crap is a hassle. If I wanted to talk to someone on the phone to have some dumb questions reset, I would call them. Why can't they just send it in my dang e-mail. So forget it. I'll just forego the purchase.

Then call iTunes Support and get them reset:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5699?viewlocale=en_US
or by email:
https://ssl.apple.com/emea/support/itunes/contact.html
If you have another iOS device or another SMS-capable device, you can use this method:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5570
Read the entire article carefully to see if this method would be a preferable approach for you.
Cheers,
GB

Internet/General questions from a Mac newbie

Hey there. Well, after spending my whole life on a PC, I've decided to switch over to Mac. I'll be going off to college in the fall, and so I went with the Macbook Pro.
Alright, to the questions. I've always only had ONE computer in my house. And so, I have one cable modem attached to it, no router. I want to get on the net on my MBP just in the upcoming months before I'm off to college, where they'll have plenty of net connection options.
So my question is: should I go with wireless? If I do this, would I need to get a wireless router? How exactly does it work, i.e. do I plug just any cable cord into it, and bang, wireless throughout my house? I was looking into the Linksys WRT54G for this, but I hear mentions of Airport Extreme. I guess I'm just pretty confused by routers in general.
Now, my main computer is downstairs, but I'll want to use the laptop upstairs. There's a cable cord up there...can I somehow use that to connect to a box or anything to connect as an ethernet plug? Will that be much faster than wireless?
I have an EVDO phone with DUN that I plan on using if none of those options work out. Will the previous methods be much faster than using the phone via bluetooth or USB?
I'm obsessed with speed.
That's it for the internet portion...but I'm going to throw in a few extra questions instead of starting a whole different thread; they're pretty miscellaneous.
If I want to transfer files from my old computer to this one, what's the best way to do that? Could I (or should I) just access them remotely? You can point me to a thread where this is located if that's easier and already answered.
Last one. I want to use boot camp. I have a Windows XP Home CD...but I've heard you NEED the CD to have SP2 on it. Mine does not. Could I just use the one I have, and install sp2 once windows is installed? If not, I'd need to get a brand new copy of Windows Home or Pro? Are there advantages to Pro over Home, if I go that route (I hear talk of dual-core...)?
Thank you so much, these are very important (yet way too plentiful) questions.

This is really very simple despite the fact that the others dragged the thread off in some direction.
So my question is: should I go with wireless? If I do
this, would I need to get a wireless router? How
exactly does it work, i.e. do I plug just any cable
cord into it, and bang, wireless throughout my house?
I was looking into the Linksys WRT54G for this, but I
hear mentions of Airport Extreme. I guess I'm just
pretty confused by routers in general.
Apple sometimes makes up their own cutesy names that are confusingly different than what everybody else calls something. AirPort Extreme is merely Apple's brand of 802.11g, which is a standard all new wireless routers support, including Linksys.
If you have a cable modem, you can use an Ethernet cable to plug in a wireless router, which will take your cable modem signal and blast it all over the house. At that point, you are like an internet cafe. Your Mac or PC laptop should recognize the signal and you're off and running (subject to the limitations of wireless, which you should know about since you're obsessed with speed).
I very much doubt that a second cable modem is a practical option. You will probably have to pay for a second cable account. The router is the standard solution, because it takes one connection and routes it to multiple computers.
Now, my main computer is downstairs, but I'll want to
use the laptop upstairs. There's a cable cord up
there...can I somehow use that to connect to a box or
anything to connect as an ethernet plug? Will that be
much faster than wireless?
A good wireless router like the Linksys WRT54G also has wired Ethernet ports. You can plug your desktop into that. Your desktop and cable modem are downstairs, so it will make sense to plug the wireless router into the cable modem and connect the desktop to the router. That way, the router will do the job it's designed for: routing the cable modem signal to both the desktop and the wireless transmitter.
You could possibly plug and play, but it will be best for you to read the router manual to learn how to open the router's internal home page in your Mac or PC web browser and look through the router settings. If you are concerned about network security, then you will also want to turn on the password for the wireless portion of your network.
I'm sure you could use that EVDO phone...but wouldn't the Internet airtime cost a lot of money? The speed depends on your phone connection. I hear it varies. The cable modem is almost certainly faster, though.
If I want to transfer files from my old computer to
this one, what's the best way to do that? Could I (or
should I) just access them remotely? You can point me
to a thread where this is located if that's easier
and already answered.
You can use the network wizard in Windows to set up a share and then get to it from the Mac, or turn on file sharing on the Mac and get to it from the PC. My Macs and PC can all share files when needed.
Last one. I want to use boot camp. I have a Windows
XP Home CD...but I've heard you NEED the CD to have
SP2 on it. Mine does not. Could I just use the one I
have, and install sp2 once windows is installed?
This is not official word but I hear you MUST have SP2 on the CD.
not, I'd need to get a brand new copy of Windows Home
or Pro? Are there advantages to Pro over Home, if I
go that route (I hear talk of dual-core...)?
Try this comparison.

A Dumb Question From A New CS3 User

I am in the process of building a new site using CS3. This is
my first experience with this product and I have what I am sure is
a remarkably dumb question. I have an image (a banner ad) centered
on one of the pages and would like to insert a table to the left of
the image without the image moving (i.e. down) from it's current
location. How can this be done?
Thanks!

Thanks!
That worked perfectly.
quote:
Originally posted by:
Newsgroup User
Hi Big,
>I am in the process of building a new site using CS3.
This is my first
> experience with this product and I have what I am sure
is a remarkably
> dumb
> question. I have an image (a banner ad) centered on one
of the pages and
> would
> like to insert a table to the left of the image without
the image moving
> (i.e.
> down) from it's current location. How can this be done?
An easy way is to make your table with two cells, then put
the banner in the
right cell - if you need more subdivison of the left cell,
you can put a
table in it.
Aloha,
Jerry

2 questions from new mac owner

Hello all,
I've found some good information on these forums and there seems to be a good community here, I'm glad I finally bought a mac. I have two questions:
1- When I copied many digital photographs from dvd's to my hard drive, all of the directories and files are read only. How do I change permissions to many files at once? Right now I am using 'get info' and changing pulldown to read & write. There has to be an easier way.
2- I use photoshop, dreramweaver, flashpro, blender, etc. Since these are demanding graphics programs, what should I do on a regular basis to keep things running at the best possible speed. I've read about setting up a few things to do automatically each month, but haven't found details. I'm an EX-windows user so I'm used to having to defrag, and do reinstalls from time to time, etc. Thank you and hello everybody.
Matt

1- When I copied many digital photographs from dvd's
to my hard drive, all of the directories and files
are read only. How do I change permissions to many
files at once? Right now I am using 'get info' and
changing pulldown to read & write. There has to be an
easier way.
You can use "Get Info" on the enclosing folder and change the permissions on the folder and all enclosed items in one shot. With the "Get Info" panel open, click the little disclosure triangle next to "Details" under "Ownership & Permissions". Select the desired permissions and then click the "Apply to enclosed items..." button.
2- I use photoshop, dreramweaver, flashpro, blender,
etc. Since these are demanding graphics programs,
what should I do on a regular basis to keep things
running at the best possible speed. I've read about
setting up a few things to do automatically each
month, but haven't found details. I'm an EX-windows
user so I'm used to having to defrag, and do
reinstalls from time to time, etc. Thank you and
hello everybody.
The only thing you normally have to worry about is keeping a few GB of free space on the boot volume for swap files, etc. Mac OS X maintains its filesystems in such a way as to minimize fragmentation, so defragging is not normally needed.

Quick question from future mac user

Hi there.
Just a quick question about the Intel iMacs.
Total noob with Macs so please forgive me, I'm looking to get away from Windows and PC's but not sure what I would need exactly.
Would the 24":3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac with 4GBs of RAM and 1TB hdd be more than enough to handle video/audio editing with Final Cut Pro Studio, some gaming (such as newer MMO games or RPG/FPS games) and maybe running VMware Fusion for running Windows apps and games that I have/use that are either not available or not yet supported by Apple?
Or would I be looking at goin with the Mac Pro?
I'd rather shoot for the iMac because I'm SO tired of PC's and boxes and would like my computer to actually look nice as well as kick butt. But I'm just worried that if I got with the iMac I won't be able to perform those functions well or at all.
I love the look and feel of the iMac although I don't think you can get more than 4GBs of RAM or more than ONE hard drive inside (which isn't a big concern as I can always use external drives) so I'm just wondering if upgrading to the extra ram and hdd space from the get go would be a great help without having to worry about adding more later.
I'd like to be able to just use the iMac than the Mac Pro because the price difference seems to jump up quite a bit between iMac and Mac Pro. I'm just worried if that type of iMac setup wouldn't be enough for what I need.
Any suggestions or information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Janin

The iMac in general is more than enough to perform those tasks well however the Mac Pro still has it's advantages. Lenn already went over those so take a look at these speed scores as they may help you to make your decision.
http://www.marketingtactics.com/Speedmark/
Either way I recommend getting the base RAM configuration from Apple and purchase RAM from OWC.
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/6400DDR2S4MP/
http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upgrades.cfm?sort=pop&model=284&type=Memory&TI=0 655&shoupgrds=Show+Upgrades
George

A few questions from a Mac newbie

1. What kind of maintainence should I be doing on the mac? Do I need to defrag or run system cleaners (like ccleaner for windows)?
2. Will it eventually get messed up like Windows, or should be running as good as new years from now without reformatting?
3. Am I correct in assuming Software Update only updates the System and the official mac applications (iChat, iMovie etc.)?
4. I know viruses aren't as much of a threat, but should I install antivirus just to be on the safe side?
5. When I install new software, I'm assuming settings are saved somewhere else besides the Applications folder. Do these remove themselves when I delete the software?
6. If I eventually update to Leopard, will that do a clean install over Tiger, not corrupting anything? On Windows I know that upgrading Windows basically screwed over everything and messed up the registry permanently, and I'm hoping this isn't an issue with Mac OS.
7. Lastly, I've noticed that the longer the system is running for, the more memory is used (according to iStat at least), regardless of how many programs I'm running. Is this normal behavior, and is it slowing down the system?
Thanks, and I'm loving Mac OS, my only regret is that I didn't switch years ago.
Macbook (2 GHz Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM) Mac OS X (10.4.9)

1. What kind of maintainence should I be doing on the mac? Do I need to defrag or run system cleaners (like ccleaner for windows)?
After any system update or security update, use DiskUtility to repair permissions. Maybe/maybe not necessary in all instances, but a good plan. You may also boot from an installer disk and run DiskUtility to repair the disk, maybe twice a year. You can also run fsck with the same frequency
http://macs.about.com/od/osx/a/running_fsck.htm
I follow the repair permissions rule, but seldom run fsck unless I notice problems. Opinions may vary.
2. Will it eventually get messed up like Windows, or should be running as good as new years from now without reformatting?
I lost my crystal ball
Seriously, disk corruption is a cross platform issue. If you're not the type to install every shareware app you can find, and don't mess around with stuff unnecessarily, or fool around with files you aren't familiar with, you should be OK.
3. Am I correct in assuming Software Update only updates the System and the official mac applications (iChat, iMovie etc.)?
Yes.
4. I know viruses aren't as much of a threat, but should I install antivirus just to be on the safe side?
Again, with the crystal ball
At this point, it's probably not necessary. However, you may wish to consider some course of action if you swap files with Windows users on a regular basis. Your Mac will be happy to host malware through infected emails, flash drives, web sites, etc...
Many folks recommend ClamAV
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/24449
There are commercial apps available, but IMHO, they're not the most polished apps, possibly because there's no real demand for a reliable av app for OS X at this point.
5. When I install new software, I'm assuming settings are saved somewhere else besides the Applications folder. Do these remove themselves when I delete the software?
Yes, no, and sort of. Most of apps are contained in a package. Control-click on an application's icon, and you can view the stuff in the package. Deleting the app's icon form the Application folder will get rid of most of it. There will be preference files, mostly in youruserfolder/Library/Preferences. There may be scattered files elsewhere, but generally, none of them are big files, nor should they hurt performance if they stick around.
6. If I eventually update to Leopard, will that do a clean install over Tiger, not corrupting anything? On Windows I know that upgrading Windows basically screwed over everything and messed up the registry permanently, and I'm hoping this isn't an issue with Mac OS.
In the past, OS X has allowed you to perform a simple upgrade when going from 10.x to 10.y
I usually perform an archive and install, but that's just me.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107120
7. Lastly, I've noticed that the longer the system is running for, the more memory is used (according to iStat at least), regardless of how many programs I'm running. Is this normal behavior, and is it slowing down the system?
Yes, and maybe. OS X likes memory. I recommend 1 GB for 10.4. 10.3 seemed pretty good with 512 MB. Apple Discussions policy says I shouldn't speculate about memory requirements here for Leopard, so I won't, but you can think about the possibilities. More is better. If you fire up activity monitor and notice that you're down to 10 MB of free memory, I'd consider adding more.
hth
Jeff

Question from a Mac Newbie Regarding Managing Photos

Hi all,
I just moved to Mac so I moved all my pictures from my external HD to iPhoto. Now, after I have done that I realized that iPhoto doesn't give you the option to easily access your pictures and make changes or delete like when using Windows, unless it's thru iPhoto. Im serious photography hobbyist and im between buying Lightroom or Aperture. I like iPhoto and its ease of use but Id like to edit my pictures on a serious software so I setup iPhoto to edit pictures on a trial version I have for LIghtroom. I guess my question is, would it be easier to manage my pictures on iphoto and aperture instead of lightroom? Also, which software (lightroom or aperture) will allow me to have a backup of my pictures in the way they were on my Windows PC?
Thank you in advance for all your help

Yes, if you do "referenced" files in Aperture, and are using the latest versions of Aperture (3.3+) and iPhoto (9.3+) then they'll all be visible in the Finder.
They're not all in one big folder in the Finder. Aperture has lots of options (and I mean LOTS of options) for how and where it stores the files on disk. You can choose the folder naming structure, all sorts of subfolder options, etc. Honestly, there can be an overwhelming number of options. Easiest for your sanity is to choose Finder folder names that match your project names in Aperture. I have mine organized in subfolders by year/month/date, but that's Aperture 201 and I'm offering 101 advice because you're a new user and it can be complex. Aperture makes it trivially easy to move from one naming structure to another in Finder whenever you want... the only issue with that is if you're pointing Lightroom at the same files on disk, if you move them in Aperture, Lightroom will totally freak out.
Basically you NEVER want to change the folder structure on disk via Finder... EVER, if your're using iPhoto, Aperture, or Lightroom. You should always use the application to do that. And if you're using Aperture and Lightroom, and use one to change the folder structure, it will break the other. So be careful with that.

Question from a Mac-ignorant Boyfriend...

Thank you in advance if you bother to read this and provide any advice...
So, I have never owned a Mac and have used them on an extremely limited basis, thus my ignorance. My girlfriend, however, has expressed interest in Mac's in the recent past. Her birthday is coming up and she just graduated from college, so I'm thinking about getting a Macbook or Macbook Pro as a gift. The reason for this is that she has an ancient IBM laptop right now that has given her some trouble. She's starting a grad program and will be earning her PhD over the next 5 years, so I figure she needs a reliable laptop.
Now, I know Mac's are media-intensive computers...she won't need to be doing any video editing or gaming and very limited photo editing. She'll mostly be doing word-processing, presentations, and internet. I realize a PC can do this just as well at a fraction of the cost, but dammit if those Mac's don't look freakin' awesome both in presentation and performance.
So...I'd like to know if anyone has an opinion on the Macbook vs. the Pro. The Macbook seems the obvious choice since my g/f won't need all the extra processing and graphics card of the Pro...but I do not like the glossy display a whole lot and I'm also not a fan of the white plastic casing. Nitpicky, I know. Can anyone give me additional reasons for getting the Pro? I'm basically looking for either an enabler or someone to kick me in the ba**s and prevent me from throwing money away.
Any and all opinions are more than welcome. Thanks in advance!!!

John,
You might be overlooking what is possibly the most powerful factor in all this...
You mention that you have fallen in love with the physical design of these Mac portables, but have you actually used one yourself for any length of time, and to do anything of substance?
Once you purchase one, regardless of which one, and both you and your girlfriend use it a bit, you will have truly experienced what it means to have and use a Mac. Put simply, you're going to fall in love with the way it works. Most of all, you will want one for yourself.
What will you do then? How will this possibility figure into your decision regarding your first purchase? I recommend that you take this into consideration.
Nevertheless, I also think that you should find out which one she would prefer to have. Perhaps she would prefer a Macbook, in which case the problem is solved for you. If so, and if you do decide at some later time to get one yourself, you could go with the Macbook Pro. Between the two of you, you would then have one of each, and either one of you could use the machine that is most appropriate at any given time.
Speaking from my own point of view, my wife currently has a G4 iBook that she uses much as you report your girlfriend will use hers: internet, word processing, email, etc. I am the one in my family that does all of the "heavy lifting" such as video editing, etc. It's not that her machine can't do it, but that mine can do it much faster (17" Macbook Pro).
This last may be important for you; that her much less powerful, and aging, machine can do almost anything that mine can do, just not as fast. Applied to your situation, this should indicate that the Macbook will be robustly "future-proof" for quite some time, even if not as long as a Macbook Pro. I really don't think you should consider this as a deal breaker.
However I will say that my wife, if asked about the Macbook, would claim a preference for the Macbook Pro. Not because the Macbook wouldn't work well enough to suit her needs, but becasue she prefers a bit larger display. On this score, much will depend on your girlfriend's preference in this regard. Make sure she will be happy with the smaller display! If so, there should be no barrier to getting her the Macbook.
Scott

Yet Another Hard Drive Question from a Mac Newbie

I apologize in advance for the length of this post -- as I state in the subject line, I am a complete Mac newbie.
I just took delivery yesterday on a new (early 2008) Mac Pro. I purchased and installed an additional 8GB RAM, and ordered it with a 500GB HD (Seagate, it looks like) and purchased two 750GB Hitachi HDs for bays 2 and 3. I will be doing a fair amount of photo editing, and also plan to partition the OS drive to run XP using bootcamp, but also plan to use VM Fusion.
I am thinking of partitioning the boot drive with 250GB for OS X and apps, 150 GB for XP and apps, and ~66 remaining possibly to be used as scratch memory for CS3, though it sounds like this may not be enough. The bay 2 Hitachi would be used for all my user data (photos, music, docs, etc.) bay 3 would be for backup initially, possibly using Time Machine? (other recommendations welcomed). As space becomes an issue in the future, I will invest in a fourth internal HD, and at least 2TB external HDs for backup.
Does this seem like a reasonable plan? If so, how do I go about formatting the drives and installing boot camp, Fusion, etc., and in what order? Also, how best do I organize my existing files from my current Windows machine as I copy them to the new user data HD, so they can be accessed as needed by both OS X and XP?
Thanks for your help.

I like the boot volume to never get beyond 50% used. Enough room for burning dual-layer DVDs can be 50GB for best results. And to force the system to use the first outer tracks.
I hope you are concurrently zeroing both drives. SoftRAID is my choice for driver for RAIDs and you can cancel safely at any time. There are also excellent tools for checking sectors and mapping out bad blocks.
I put Vista on its own 10K Raptor. I had it on the boot drive but I am always changing my mind, my drives and setup. Vista needs at least 40GB and that is with all my major documents and files on another drive which holds 150GB out of 450GB.
You set the preference for what drive to use as scratch in CS3 or other programs. And you want to disable Spotlight indexing on any scratch or editing partition. Scratch can be a drive, a volume, a stripped array. Any 'normal' partition though don't use the default (journaling) feature is all.
How large? I'd have to see and know how large files, work flow, and how long you work between projects. The nice thing, erase the scratch volume between projects but it is possible to use 300GB when you work on 1.5GB files and above.
One early Mac Pro owner wasn't able to work as they wanted until they had 10-12GB RAM, boot RAID0, and RAIDs for scratch and data (saving 2GB files and not having to wait forever, which even a minute can feel like forever).
Disk Utility: Partition. You can even partition 2+ drives, just make them the same, and first create 2 partitions (100GB on each?) and then stripe the first "Untitled 1" of each into 100GB x n array. Stripe or mirror the "Untitled 2" or leave those are two unique non-RAID volumes. Sounds harder than it is.
Scratch = temp space and designed to not be saved, to be erased as needed.
SoftRAID.com 3.6.6 makes it easy to create, delete, erase volumes and arrays as needed. Leopard has improved on non-RAID but not with RAIDs (for those that change their minds).

HELP - Dial Up Download Question from a Mac Mini Tiger OS X 10.4.6 Newbee??

There are hugh download files (133 Mb for 10.4.7 for example) that appeared when I ran Software update the first day I got my Mini. This would require 10 to 12 hours download on my Juno account. One solution I saw in these forums was to have a neighbor with High Speed connection download and burn a disc. My NEWBEE question is... Can you go to the Apple OS X download page and successfully download the 10.4.7 update (and others) using a Windows machine with Windows software?? Then have that Windows PC burn a disc that can transfer the update to my Mini?? I'm breaking new ground in my neighborhood and appear to be the only one with a Mac. These forums are great - Thanks Addie
mac mini Mac OS X (10.4.6) first time user

Thanks to you and Sig for the response. We have NO APPLE STORE/OUTLET within a four hour drive, therefore your input that a PC can burn the disc is the best alternative I have. BUT what do you mean by a "hybrid" data CD? I'm a NEWBEE, so could you give me a little more specifics, i.e., what package/brand & model should I buy? I was thinking any CD-ROM would work! Thanks & sorry for my lack of experience, Addie

Some (dumb) questions re the TB display

Have just connectewd a new TB display to my late 2012 mac mini.
It is awesome.
Gigabit ethernet port
Just wonder why one would connect the screen to the Gigabit ethernet port?
I have the MM connected to the DSL modem so why do the screen?
I can understand it being used if you have a laptop with no ethernet port but as of now it is not useful?
Thunderbolt Port
I was sold a TB to TB cable as well, even though the screen comes with a TB (in) cable.
So I suppose I can use this for another screen or some backup kit
Can I connect another computer through this port?
Thanks

I connect my router to the ethernet port on the TB display so my desk is cleaner since my Mini is off to the side and the back is open to view. Makes no difference as to function. You can use the extra TB cable to daisy chain another TB device to your TB display. Not sure what would happen if you connected another computer to this port (my guess is that it would not work).

Question from a graphics virgin

Hi,
this is a very basic question, but could somebody possibly answer it anyway?
When you use Java 3D, does the language automatically use the full hardware capability of your graphics card? How does it do this? Does it somehow interrogate your card?
Because, correct me if I'm wrong, graphics cards when involved in gaming and various image processing activities actually do quite a lot of number crunching themselves, don't they? i.e. trigonometry, rendering, etc...
anyway, can anybody point me to a source of info about how this all works in java?
Thanks,
Mike

I'm a basic java3d programmer so I'm quite well equipped to answer this one :)
Yes it does- Java3D breaks the old "platform independance" thing down slightly and uses some native code to interface with your hardware- when you download the windows version, for example, there is a J3d.dll that is installed with it and that then talks either to OpenGL or to Direct3D, depending on what version you are looking at.
Java3D is not designed to perform as one of those two, but to provide a user-friendly api to go over either of them.
For more info about java3d generally http://www.j3d.org is a good source.

Some dumb questions from a MAC Virgin

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