Switched to Mac - need some iAdvice

[new2BMW]

I did it!
My wife and I have been talking about it for two years and yesterday we finally did it.

We are now the proud owners of a MacMini computer. It is very cool for such a small package.
1.425Mhz G4 processor
80GB hard drive (I already have a huge external drive. (no pun intended...))
Combo Drive (I already have a double layer external firewire DVD burner)

After a lot of research, we couldn't justify the need for a iMac with the G5 processor. Basically all we do is use the internet, e-mail, music storage for the iPods and light to medium MS Office type work.

So far, so good. It runs great and adjusting to the MAC operating system seems very easy.

I have a few questions for you experienced Mac users.

1) What is the best e-mail software to use? Of all MS programs, Outlook is the one I use to its fullest potential. I would like a Mac e-mail program that is powerful and easy to use.

2) Is virtual PC and MS Office for Mac worth the cost? Alternateively, is there a Mac "Office Suite" type software available and is it any good?

3) I am lost without keyboard commands. I find that the shift key helps to select multiple files, but how do I select all? Copy? Paste?

Basically, where do I go to learn Apple keyboard commands?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Regards,
Jeff in japan

[Biff's R]

Jeff,

The keyboard commands are listed next to the items in the drop down menus.

I use yahoo, so my email is mostly web based. The mail, ical, and address book all seem to work fine for me.

Appleworks is okay, but Office for Mac is better than the PC version in my opinion.

Jeff

[arkline]

I have a few questions for you experienced Mac users.

1) What is the best e-mail software to use? Of all MS programs, Outlook is the one I use to its fullest potential. I would like a Mac e-mail program that is powerful and easy to use.

2) Is virtual PC and MS Office for Mac worth the cost? Alternateively, is there a Mac "Office Suite" type software available and is it any good?

New2,

OSX comes with a mail program that is fairly good, but might be a pain to set up. Office 2004 comes with a mail program called Entourage which pretty much recapitulates the functionality of Windows Office versions of Outlook. The Mozilla organization has something called Thunderbird which might be something you'd like to try if you have a high-speed internet connection.

Virtual PC is a wart. If you don't have an incredibly large investment in PC software it probably isn't worth it. Office 2004, mentioned above, is a reasonable facsimile of Windows Office for the PC.

Hope this helps.

[Camfarm]

Welcome. Made the switch a year ago after many years of UNIX, Solaris, Windows, etc, etc, etc.

1. E-mail - I find the functionality of the Mail program adequate. It self-integrates with iCal, Address Book, iSync (if you spring for a .Mac account) and both the print or cut and paste across Apple foundation apps is seamless and brainless (drag and drop).

2. Office 2004 for Mac - just got it after a year. Appleworks was/is fine for me but I cannot interoperate with clients as smoothly, especially with Powerpoint becoming the attachment crutch of the business world.

3. Virtual PC 7 - Just installed after living a year without it. I am using MS Streets and Trips and MS Money (and MS Project is looming). Very smooth operator (on a G5 with 1.5 RAM). Replaced Quicken with Money since it projects the future better; replaced Route66 (the only functional Apple/Mac mapping program) with Streets - I like the Look and Feel better.

4. Never used nor relied on keyboard commands, so I can't help you there.

Overall, the miniMac is a solid performer (I have 2). It will be limited in overall power and memory if you go the upgrade route. It is noticeably slower than the G5 1.5 RAM system but not aggravatingly so.

I would go slowly with after market apps. Give yourself time to like or hate the multiple included Apple/Mac stuff - it really is functional, integrated, and nearly seamless.

Best endorsement I can give is that I replaced a 5 PC office network with a 4 Mac network and have much less downtime, virtually no maintenance nor upgrade time (it is set for me automatically via software update-needs an always on connection) and fewer system/operator/software headaches.

[new2BMW]

Thanks guys. So far I love the Mac.
The Mail 2 that came with it seems to be sufficient. At first, I thought is was missing some key elements that I used in Outlook, but now I know that the calendar, address book and task list features of Outlook are handled by other Mac programs.

My only complaint is that I have more than 600 contacts in Outlook and I can't figure out how to import them into the Mac Mail 2 software becaue it won't import .pst files.

Does anyone know the best way to move contacts (and saved mail hopefully) from Outlook to Mac?

The Safari browser is really cool.

As for Office for Mac, my MacMini came with the test drive. At first, I thought that I needed virtual PC to operate the Office for Mac, but now it doesn't appear to be true. At this point, the only thing I might need Virtual PC for is for my Adobe Acrobat software.

[Biff's R]

You should be able to use Acrobat for Mac, or Preview.

I also loaded up all of my Outlook info from my Palm that was synced with outlook at work to my my mac at home. I will look tomorrow night to see how I did it again.

[new2BMW]

Ah Ha! I never thought of the palm thing.

I just bought a $10 PC program called outlook2Mac that seems to be working as i type this. If it works, I'll report later. It seems that the Outlook conversion is a common issue.

As for Acrobat, I use the full version for making pdf files. I realize I can buy a new Mac version, but I would prefer to use the PC version I already own. Anyway, i knew there would be some software losees going in. My biggest issue is that I don't want to retype all of my contacts.

[popgazer]

My only complaint is that I have more than 600 contacts in Outlook and I can't figure out how to import them into the Mac Mail 2 software becaue it won't import .pst files.

I amange servers running linux, 20 workstations running XP, and 25 Macs.
Recently I started switching users to descent open standard apps.
Firefox, browser,
Thunderbird, email
Openoffice : office suite
Are all free, if you like them, first you will save some money.
And best of all, and this is why I like to use them, they don't lock you in some specific format so you have to stick with them.
YOu keep the freedom to switch to something else and take all your data with you.

Anyway, I try to bring people's attention that software is a big scam, and the users need to react to it !!
Here's an illustration: between 1997 and 2005, a PC has gone from 150MHz to now 3.5GHz (or more) 16MB RAM to 512MB, 4GB HD to 120 GB all these improvement required R&D and each computer is fully manufactured. Yet, the price has gone from $2000 to about $500.
MS-Office Suite does not have that many more functions than 97 version. Yet, the price has gone from $300 to $400. And all they have to do is print an extra CD!!!!

Price gouging

[MattPie]

Firefox, browser,
Thunderbird, email
Openoffice : office suite
Are all free, if you like them, first you will save some money.

Links:
http://www.mozilla.org/
http://www.openoffice.org/

Looks like there's two versions of Mac OpenOffice, one that uses X11 (like the LInux and UNIX versions), and NeoOffice.org, which uses the Mac native tool kit. If none of that makes any sense to you, try NeoOffice first, it'll look like a regular Mac app.

MS-Office Suite does not have that many more functions than 97 version. Yet, the price has gone from $300 to $400. And all they have to do is print an extra CD!!!!

Amen, bother. (As I type on a Linux PC)

[new2BMW]

I'm learning day by day.

Since my PC has the new "tiger" operating system, it came with the Mac Mail 2 program which actually works pretty good for home use.

The address book feature in Tiger is fine just as it is (once I figure out how to get my 600 contacts imported.)

Being a stock machine, I've been browsing with Safari RSS. So far, it is very fast, easy to use and hasn't created any issues. Apple claims that Safari runs more than twice as fast as the others.

http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/safari/

The good news is I can try other software and delete it if I don't like it without messing up the works like in Windows. It is nice to be free from the grip of Eivl Bill and his killing machines.

[arkline]

New2Dude,

Please understand, you may install and try out tons'o'software for the new macs, but getting rid of all the bits and pieces is no easier on a mac than it is on a Winders machine. It all happens with that guy behind the curtain to whom you should pay no attention. Seriously...it is a marketing thing...

[new2BMW]

Ark;
I'm still high on the experience. Don't bring me down like that.

Now I need another hit off the old Apple store pipe! (The Apple store here in Tokyo is four floors of whores............no wait, that's the Orchard Towers in Singapore............. the Apple store is just four floors of really cool stuff.

The really cool thing is that Apple products are the same price in japan as in the US. You can't say that for PC stuff, especially since it is difficult to find English PC software in Japan. The Apple stuff (so far) seems to have all the languages built in.

Thanks for all the advice.
Regards,
Jeff

[new2BMW]

Hey;
If anyone is interested, I found a really functional PC software that actually works to crack open an Outlook "Contacts" (.oab) file and converts it into a folder full of vCards that can be directly dumped into a Mac address book. It is called "You Perform" and can be ttrialed or purchased here:

http://www.yousoftware.com/perform/

It does a lot of other neat things for Outlook as well.

Now I have converted all of my 600 Outlook contacts to vCards with ease.