I've gone Mac! And I have questions!!!

Okay, I've been using Macs for years for my studio. But this is different. We just got an iMac 20" for doing websites and getting on the internet (I've typically kept my audio computer offline)...so it still really feels like I've gone Mac after using PCs all this time. And not worry, we still have our laptop PC...

So this iMac was the first computer I've ever had to look at the manual to figure out how to simply turn it on!!!

It has a Magic Mouse. How do you enable a USB mouse instead? Mine doesn't seem to work so far, but it works on my other Mac. And yes, I've tried a couple of USB ports.

And what's a good FTP program for Mac?

I've never used anything but a USB mouse and never had to do anything special to get it working, but open up System Preferences and go to the Keyboard & Mouse part. See if there's anything there.

I don't know if it's good, I don't use FTP much, but I use Fetch.

Thanks!!!! Same here regarding the mouse. And System Preferences only seems to have stuff about the Magic (wireless) Mouse.

FTP stuff: I used to use Transmit a loooong time ago and had good luck with that. Looks like Fetch is highly regarded too.

I just downloaded Filezilla, a free FTP client, and so far it works great and is easy to use. It looks like the one I was using on the PC, so there's no learning curve at all.

So far, I'm enjoying this computer...once I figured how to turn it on!!

What mouse are you using? You should be able to plug in a regular Apple mouse and it should just work. Why don't you like the Magic Mouse?

Oh, I don't know anything about FTP.....but if it is the same type of thing (doubt it...lol...) I use YouSendIt for sending large files.

Oh, try turning the Magic Mouse OFF and then plug in the USB one. Don't know for sure........just a thought.

I use a program called Fetch. It was low cost shareware I probably found at versiontracker. It does the job probably as good as any other and as a bonus has this cute little dog that runs along while files are transferring.

It's too small for me. Also, I have a Zero Tension mouse that I love, and for some reason, it's no longer working even though it works fine on my Mac Pro. I'll figger it out hopefully...

I tried that, but yes, that would seem logical, eh?

FTP is something that a lot of people use for websites.

But yes, for sending larger files, yousendit.com is great. And I just started using dropbox.com too, which also works really well. I just mixed an album for a client and had to send several gigs of files over the course of a week, and dropbox worked really well for that.

Give it a few days Ken but eventually you`ll scratch your head and wonder why you didn`t make the move sooner to an Apple for everyday use.

I used PCs for 13 years before my first Apple... the first few weeks were rough as I made my way through the OS w/o a manual but you`re already familiar so you`re probably already rolling right along.

I still have to use PCs at work and cannot believe how counterintuitive they are. I know that the majority of people still use and swear by their PCs but I think...

1. they never used an Apple

2. too cheap to buy one

3. can`t afford it

or

4. they have used one but in denial

I know thats going to rattle some cages around here and I know the politically correct among us will state that "both platforms have their strengths" but honestly, I`m still trying to figure out what a PC can do better than an Apple.

I don`t have any stock in Apple so I`m just going on my own experiences from having worked with both platforms in my creative work and business.

"CyberducK" is free (though they prompt you for donations occasionally) and works fine. As far as an ftp server, I use "1 & 1". Not expensive and never had a problem with them.

Best, John:cool:

I have been using Cyberduck for years as well. I really like it. Can not say its better or worse than anything else but it works for me.

Oh, okay. The mouse always worked fine out of the box, and the computer's already on 10.6.6. I'll give it a try soon. Thanks.

I like Macs. Most of the time.

EB, the reason we didn't switch on our online computer is that we take care of some websites using FrontPage 2002. It's a very crude, archaic WYSIWYG software, but it's worked for us. I've been using it since 1995, so there's a real comfort level. Coupled with that was a fear that it we would not be able to port the website over to Dreamweaver or another web designing software. What I mean by that is that, although the website exists independently of the web designing software, we were concerned that the new software would not be able to "interpret" the site properly. It's still a concern, but because I coded in very basic HTML or DHTML, did not use FrontPage Extensions or Shared Borders, or have much of anything else that was complicated, we feel that it will be able to port over and have gone and made the plunge.

We also have a huge comfort level with PCs, having used them for eons.

That said, the absolute inelegance and stupidity in which Windows XP can have was confounding. I wiped the HD and reinstalled XP on the PC just so I could have a "back up" in case we needed do the websites, and the aggravation in XP not installing properly (long story, but trust me, it's not user error) and its inability to recognize that it was online when compared to the installation of the iMac could not have been more glaring. The PC never recognized the server despite being connected via ethernet and despite multiple attempts to get the OS to recognize the broadband connection; the iMac was...well, I didn't even have to do anything, or attempt to have to "guide" the OS through. It simply was online. All we had to do was open Safari. There are several more examples like this just in the installation and initial process, but you get the idea.

Could I have figured it out? Sure. I did it before. But user-UNfriendly crap like this is part of the reason we decided to get a Mac even though it's a little more expensive (although surprisingly, not really that much more when you count the quality of the monitor and the horsepower that it has).

And when you count the hassle factor of constantly waging battle with keeping viruses off our PC, we decided it was worth it. We had a firewall and supposedly highly regarded virus protection software and we still had issues.

Now, like I said, we're really comfortable with PCs. We have used them constantly here at the house and at work since the '80s. But we decided it was worth it. This is not PC-bashing. PCs have some advantages, including (often, anyway) cheaper prices to their Mac counterparts and a larger list of software to choose from as well as our familiarity from having worked with them. The iMac is a new world for us, but so far, we're already quite happy with it.

I run a Mac as my audio computer, which I usually keep offline. I just haven't done much else with it, and usually have slightly older computers (I have a Mac Pro which is four years old for the studio, but it runs everything very well).

That came up in my search as something that worked quite well. And you can't beat the price. I considered that, but ended up going with Filezilla because the interface was very familiar to CuteFTP from our PC, which I like and had been using.

Remarkably...the version of CuteFTP I have is about ten or eleven years old. I keep reinstalling it on newer computers, and it keeps working. I've never updated the original file or anything, and it keeps working, and doing so very well. Now THAT is something!!!!!!

Okay, I've been using Macs for years for my studio. But this is different. We just got an iMac 20" for doing websites and getting on the internet (I've typically kept my audio computer offline)...so it still really feels like I've gone Mac after using PCs all this time. And not worry, we still have our laptop PC... So this iMac was the first computer I've ever had to look at the manual to figure out how to simply turn it on!!! It has a Magic Mouse. How do you enable a USB mouse instead? Mine doesn't seem to work so far, but it works on my other Mac. And yes, I've tried a couple of USB ports. And what's a good FTP program for Mac?

The magic mouse takes a bit to get used to but once you do it's KILLER! I suggest you use it as it will become very intuitive. I plugged a standard USB mouse into my imac and it worked perfectly so maybe you just need to plug it in and restart or get another one..no worries. I have one plugged in at all times because there are times when the magic mouse wasn't seen or the batteries died etc and I needed another one to access the computer..So I have backup.

For FTP Filezilla is free and it's the SHIZZ! I use it to upload/download files for collaborators and clients. Works like a dream! You'll get used to the mac fast ken:) Have fun bro.

I use a Logitech trackball with my Macs. It works in a very limited way if you just plug it in without a driver. However, in order to do things like set tracking speed or define the several buttons, it is necessary to download a driver from Logitech. Once installed, this appears in your Mac's System Preferences. So, perhaps you need additional software?

Sounds kind of like me. I don't know what's counter-intuitive about a PC though other than clicking on the Start button to shut it down, but then I think that anything but pushing the Power button (wherever it is on a Mac these days) to turn it off is counter-intuitive. I have my PCs set up more logically, but I'll admit that it took about 15 years and at least five versions of Windows (or maybe BIOS) to figure out how to do it. It's not like the manual says "If you want to use the Power button to turn your computer off, do this . . . "

I just find the vocabulary for the Mac to be counter-intuitive. It was the first place I heard a directory referred to as a "folder" but now it's everywhere. And "Magic Mouse?" It sounds like a comic book character. Macs are too visual for me. My eyes just aren't good enough to work that way very quickly. And FTP isn't built into the Mac? Heck, I was telling people who wanted to access the FTP server in their Mackie hard disk recorders more than ten years ago how to do it from Windows Internet Explorer, though a real FTP client is better if you need to do more than move a couple of files.

But I suppose there will come a time when I'll have to move to the next version of Windows and then I'll be as confused as I would be if I had bought a Mac instead.

Good news. So far, Dreamweaver opens up my Eleven Shadows website and the Los Angeles Friends of Tibet website without a hitch. Everything seems to be "interpreted" correctly. We installed Photoshop CS4 with Nik Software bundle, Color EFEX 3.0, and Dreamweaver yesterday. So far, I'm really enjoying this computer. The screen looks amazing, everything works really intuitively, everything is extremely EASY to do, and it just works.

Like I said, I've used PCs since the '80s. I know how they work and am used to them, and use them at work as well. But compared to this new iMac I've been using, they seem inelegant, clunky, and sometimes illogically designed. It doesn't always seem like they were designed with end users in mind. And this is true even when installing the OS, the very first opportunity that a computer has to make a good impression on its new user. It's sort of funny that I haven't thought about this so much before since I have been using Macs since 2001 for audio computers. But really, I never did anything else on those computers. I only did audio, and therefore never really got on the internet or poked around to see what else it would do. But so far, I'm impressed and can see why people abandon PCs and never look back.

You don't. You turn it off by telling it to turn off, much like a PC.

Contrast that with me. I've never used an iMac before. In maybe a few hours' worth of use, I already have it set up more logically, and have figured out how to do things just by poking around and seeing what's there. It's extremely user friendly and a joy to look at, and the big luscious screen brings this to life.

I never knew that a PC had a built-in FTP. Where is it located? Anyway, for the iMac, Filezilla is free and works great. For the PC, I've used CuteFTP (the same version!!!) for maybe 12-13 years or more, now that I'm thinking about it, and love it.

Magic Mouse sounds stupid. And so does, quite frankly, iThis and iThat. But you know what? I'd rather have something that's named something stupid but works well than something that is illogical and has a stupid paper clip idiot with wiggling eyebrows pop up when I open a text document, or something that seems to collect internet viruses like a dust broom.

At any rate, I'm impressed by how easy it is so far to figure out what I want to do on this machine. The only hardship I've had so far is hot having my old mouse work, and figuring out how to turn on the computer the first time (the button is located just to the back of the screen; it's easy to reach, but if you don't know where it is, it's time to RTFM! ).

Yup. Just a matter of getting used to things, I suppose. That said, this adjustment period of...well, hardly any time at all is going extremely well so far. While I'm not going to "join the Mac community" (whatever the f*ck that means) or start pasting Apple stickers on my car or getting all snobby because someone prefers PCs (there's still plenty of good reasons to use a PC, and that ain't gonna change any time soon), I can see why people like these things.

At this point in my life, I have equal time on both platforms so I`m really not about bashing one over the other but I just found much of my PC days frustrating. Granted, software has come a loooooong way. I just feel an Apple is an extension of my thoughts. The visual/click-drag of the Apple really works for me.

As I mentioned, I still use PCs at the office but things just take a lot longer to do and its a lot of unnecessary scrolling. I sincerely believe if the price of both platforms were equal, PCs would go out of business. Just my O.

So here's another question: what's a good anti-virus software for Macs?

Is this a rhetorical question or are you trying to make PC users feel better?

Viruses are becoming a concern on the Mac ever since a) they threw in the towel on RISC and went with Intel, and b) they kept bragging about how Macs were virus-free...might as well have put out a sign saying "Hey hackers, here's a challenge for ya!"

Right now my Windows machine is running Sonar on my left monitor, and my Mac is running Open Office on the right monitor. I really don't see that much difference between them any more since upgrading to Windows 7 and Snow Leopard.

I think part of the ease of use deal has to do with the typical environment. With a Mac, you can format a hard disk in seconds. With a PC, you have to go through a LOT more steps...but I think that has more to do with not wanting the average person using a PC in their office to wipe the hard drive.

The biggest difference is if you're a hot rod kinda person. PC hardware has power user technology before the Mac. The Mac gets it not too long after, and charges a little more, but then you get the Mac OS. for which some people really have an affinity. But honestly, I think that using a Mac and using Windows for what I want to do, they're 95% identical. For the other 5%, one might have an advantage over the other on some tasks.

No, actually not. I mean, the mere fact that I ask indicates that it's a much better situation than PCs. With PCs, of course you're going to use antivirus software. That's a given. And so that's what I've been used to. I see that Sophos is recommended, and that some people use iAntiVirus (you knew there had to be something that started with a lower case "i", right? ).