What software should I purchase with my new imac?

I'm in the market for an imac and will be switching from PC's which I've been using for 10 years (I have an original mac but that's another story). What software would you recommend I purchase at the outset? I'm thinking of Office 2004 but what else do I need? Do I need iLife? Thanks for your assistance!

Hello and welcome to the wonderful world of the Mac!
I just recently switched 2 months ago to the new iMac 20" and couldn't be happier!
The keyboard and mouse are the best I've ever had (and I usually buy the custom built systems where I have kept my old keyboard since the 90's and my mouse is a trackball - nothing like it.
I actually don't miss using them anymore.
I have found widgets to be very useful and there are many free widgets on the web.
I will concur that NeoOffice is the way to go.
Right now, Microsoft Office 2004 is not free and does not run natively on the new intel processors for optimal performance.
When Microsoft releases Office 2008 for the Mac, they will drop script support - which means no VBA - or more importantly - those Excel macros will not work.
I found that the process of switching is much easier if you have an external hard drive because not only can you use it to transfer your files, but you also can use it as a backup for the times you download those many free apps.
When OS X: Leopard arrives, you will enjoy it even more.
I certainly do not miss the headaches of keeping the Norton Antivirus up to date, doing the weekly scans, worrying if I will wind up having to wipe my hard drive because of some adware - it happened to me - I don't ever wish to experience that ever again.
Here's a tip from someone who switched - if you order online, you can select a software app at a discounted price.
I managed to get Final Cut Express (normally $299) for $99 when I ordered my iMac.
You mentioned iLife - it comes with every Mac for free.
If you will be printing, be sure to look for a nice printer.
If you will be scanning, look for a combo printer/scanner.

Similar Messages

What drive should i put in my new imac if im running logic x? Help

hey peeps
gonna buy a new imac to run logic X...please help with advice on which drive i should load it with....my cpu is 5 years old and im lost...typicl sesion includes 15 audio track, 3 midi tracks, and 4 software ist. tracks....and lots of plug-ins....not sure about fusion vs. ata. vs flash.... thanks so much in advnce!!!!
grant

kcstudio wrote:
No intention to dispute your advice here Pancenter, but just out of interest, what kind of problems are you referring to?
Thanks in advance!
Since it was a new iMac he was going to purchase, there is the huge iMac/Fusion Drive Thread.
The other thing is... the Fusion drives offer no improvement over standard drives for audio, in fact performance may be less, plus there is an additional software layer installed to mange the Fusion Drive... and to top it off, the the regular spinning disk of the Fusion Drive is only 5400RPM.
Here's the thread.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/23790322#23790322

What bluetooth speaker will work with the new IMAC 27"?

Is Bose better than JamBox? Can someone recommend one? Is the speaker built into the new IMAC 27" good enough without external speaker?

I would expect the Yosemite list to be about the same as what is well-supported today.
This guy (Mac Gizmo guy) has done some research and lists on his site cameras that work with Macs AND are available on amazon.com.
I believe his recommendations are accurate, BUT -- Full Disclosure: gets some payments from amazon for his service.

Need software to print on my new PIXMA PRO-100 does anyone know what software should I use?

Need software to print on my new PIXMA PRO-100 does anyone know what software should I use?
Any help or link will be great appreciated.
Thanks.
Solved!
Go to Solution.

A DVD caame with the printer. Why not use it? Lost it, just d/l another copy from Canon. It' free.
But the best is Photoshop Elements.
EOS 1Ds Mk III, EOS 1D Mk IV EF 50mm f1.2 L, EF 24-70mm f2.8 L,
EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS II, Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 EX APO
Photoshop CS6, ACR 9, Lightroom 6

What software should I upgrade to on an iBook G4 running OS 10.4.1 that is still capable with the computers hardware capabilities?

What software should I upgrade to on an iBook G4 running OS 10.4.1 that is still capable with the computers hardware capabilities?

The reason I ask is that I have just gotten an iPhone 4S and with the 10.4.1 software I'm running now, it doesn't allow my iTunes to update to the newer version. Therefore, being stuck with an older version of iTunes, it refuses to recognize the new iPhone and will only charge it rather then be able to add music to it.

I bought the new ipad (ipad 3) in July 2012. what software did it come with and does it have siri?

i bought the new ipad (ipad 3) in July 2012. what software did it come with and does it have siri?

The new iPad comes with iOS 5.1.1.
To get all new functionality and Siri, you need to update to iOS 6.
Be aware that if you were a Google Maps App user this has been replaced by version 1.0 of Apple's own new Maps App.
From the many user reviews, Apple's Map App is still a work in progress.
You can still access Google Maps from the Safari web browser.
Also, the YouTube app has, also, made a disappearing act.
You can use mobile YouTube from Safari to still view YouTube or a YouTube client app called Jasmine or download the Google YouTube App for iPhone. Google is working on a new YouTube App for iPad and isn't available, as yet.

HT1923 what software should download for iPOd classic in a computer with windows 8

what software should download for iPOd classic in a computer with windows 8

Not sure what you mean?
Software for what?

Does anyone know why or what is the reason when starting a new iMac with Lion a gray bar sometimes appears when loading software?

Does anyone know why or what is the reason when starting a new iMac with Lion, sometimes a gray bar appears under the Apple that begins to shade to dark as it loads OS? It does this on occasion. One time the system loaded was VERY slow and terrible colors. Pulled the plug, re-started the computer and it did not do this. As I say, its only on occasion, not every time. I noticed in the discussion page there were problems listed for 10.6 nothing for Lion.
Please advise, if possible.

You should see this 4 option menu. Click on Disk Utility:
In Disk Utility, Select FIRST AID and then VERIFY and then REPAIR the disk.
Ciao.

What type of repeater should I use with my new Airport Extreme?

what type of repeater should I use with my new Airport Extreme? Thanks.

If you want to repeat both bands of your dual band AirPort Extreme, another AirPort Extreme would meet these requirements.
If you only need to extend one of the bands that the AriPort Extreme provides, then an Airport Express would do that nicely.

What Mac should I purchase for our large iPhoto library?

My name is Mike. We have an iMac from ~ 2005/2006. It's the first one wit hthe Quad-Core CPU from Intel. It's body is white.
It is still solid for everything but iPhoto; iPhoto's now quite slow and frustrating to use.
iPhoto is generally ok viewing photos, but it's really slow when I add text descriptions to the pictures. I add the text to help find the photos later... mostly via Smart albums, and also via the Search function within iPhoto.
We are still on iLife 09 (maybe 08... before Faces & Places).
Given the following iPhoto specs, what minimum Mac machine tech specs do I need?
We have 27,000+ photos, consuming 105 GB disk space.
We have almost 800 events.
We have 500+ smart albums and approximately the same number of regular albums. Purpose? Make photos easier to find on the iPod, when showing others via output to their TV screen.
Do we need the max of:
- RAM?
- Video RAM
- CPU
- Other?
Can any of the Apple laptops support our needs (with a big enough hard drive assumed)?
Thanks,
Mike

They didn't have any quad core iMacs in 2005/06. The just switched them from PPC to Core Duo/Core 2 Duo chips.
All the modern Macs come with 4GB RAM standard and most of them discrete graphics chips. If you were to purchase even the newer iMac base model, it is way ahead of the early Intel Macs. Infact, I am running a new i5 Quad Core iMac. It's the base model with only a 500GB HD. I use professional apps like Final Cut and Logic Studio on a daily basis. I don't use iPhoto anymore, but my Aperture library is about 80GB so it is close to your iPhoto library. My iMac opens everything instantly. I can browse my photo library by albums, faces or all events and it never even slows down.
If you were interested in a notebook, I would recommend the 15" or the 17" Macbook Pro with quad core i7. Since you work with a lot of photos, the base model doesn't give you enough native pixels on the screen and uses dual core CPUs, and only the higher end models have a discrete graphics chip with 1GB or more of dedicated graphics memory.
So what I am saying is any modern iMac, or Macbook Pro 15" or higher should suit you well. Stay away from the Mac Mini or Macbook Air because the CPUs are slower, the new ones rely on HD 3000 integrated graphics, and you will run out of hard drive space faster!
My base model iMac only has a 500GB HD, but all other models have 1TB standard. All the audio and video files I do not store on my internal disk, I always put them on an external RAID array through firewire. But my Aperture photo library is stored locally and is super fast browsing. But I only have about 20,000 photos right now.

My MacBook purchased in May 2009 has OSX version 10.5.8 What version should I purchase to upgrade?

My MacBook purchased in May 2009 has OSX version 10.5.8 What version should I purchase to upgrade?

Start with Snow Leopard:
Upgrading to Snow Leopard
You can purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.
After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download Mavericks if your computer meets the requirements.
     Snow Leopard General Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel processor
       2. 1GB of memory
       3. 5GB of available disk space
       4. DVD drive for installation
       5. Some features require a compatible Internet service provider;
           fees may apply.
       6. Some features require Apple’s iCloud services; fees and
           terms apply.
Upgrading to Mavericks
You can upgrade to Mavericks from Lion or directly from Snow Leopard. Mavericks can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for FREE.
Upgrading to Mavericks
To upgrade to Mavericks you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Download Mavericks from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Mavericks is free. The file is quite large, over 5 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
    OS X Mavericks- System Requirements
    Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mavericks
         1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 7,1 or later
         2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 5,1 or later
         3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 2,1 or later
         5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         7. Xserve (Early 2009) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.
     Are my applications compatible?
         See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps.

HT1338 I have a Mac OS X Version 10.5.8. Just updated my iphone 5 & can not back anything up from itunes because my software on my mac is not up to date. What software should I now have to be up to date? Im so confused by all that is offered! PLEASE HELP

I have a Mac OS X Version 10.5.8. Just updated my iphone 5 & can not back anything up from itunes because my software on my mac is not up to date. What software should I now have to be up to date? Im so confused by all that is offered! PLEASE HELP ME.

Hi
You need to upgrade to the next OS 10.6 Snow Leopard by purchasing the DVD online.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard
and once installed, use Software Update
- to update to 10.6.8
- and update your iTunes.

What software should I use to create a family budget?

I use my Mac mostly for internet and word processing so I know I'm not touching 90% of the functionality. I want to create a household budget but the template in my ('09?) version of Numbers is not robust enough. Are there any suggestions on how to create a household budget? What software should I use? Thank you!

There are dozens of apps designed to help with household budgets, but few are free. May I suggest you look for apps that have a free trial version, and try them out before spending money on something you may not like:
http://mac.appstorm.net/roundups/finance-roundups/15-personal-finance-apps-for-t he-mac/

What software can I use on my new Mac that no longer supports "AppleWorks"? To easily transfer my database for mailmerge.

What software can I use on my new Mac that no longer supports "AppleWorks"? To easily transfer my database for mailmerge.

Two thoughts:
(1)     It is possible that your Adobe software was the result of belonging to a now-discontinued Adobe Print Service Provider program where for a certain annual membership fee, print service providers were provided with (a) both a Windows and Macintosh license to the Adobe print-oriented software products (such as InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat) and (b) special direct product support as well as the ability to put your name on Adobe's website as a member of this program. The program ended over a year ago if I remember correctly.
(2)     You may wish to contact Adobe Customer Support (not Technical Support) and see if they can track down any and all licenses associated with your company. If you have the names of the former employees who worked with this software, it would be helpful. Likewise, if you were a member of the discontinued Adobe Print Service Provider program, you may have some options for upgrading/updating the software you have.
Unfortunately, you cannot get any more definitive information about your situation on these forums.
Good luck.
          - Dov

What software can I update with on my powerpc g5. Running Mac osx 10.4.11, What software can I update with on my powerpc g5? Running Mac osx 10.4.11

What software can I update with on my powerpc g5. Running Mac osx 10.4.11, What software can I update with on my powerpc g5. Running Mac osx 10.4.11. Since it doesn't have Intel dual core processor, can't do Snow Leopard right? Is there anyway to upgrade the software?

Snow is Intel only. You could get Leopard 10.5 by purchasing a Retail (black) Disk off eBay or calling Apple Service and ordering one from them. That would allow you to run Safai 5 and iTunes 10, I believe, but would lose Classic support in the process.

What software should I purchase with my new imac?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for