My Mac - Getting Started
After watching a promotional video of Leopard a few weeks ago, I´ve made the decision to join the fun - Get a Mac.
But it was not quite as simple as that as I had to find a way to integrate it in my personal workflow. Being a passionate PC sim racer, I was not willing to give up my Windows PC at all.
After quite some thinking back and fourth, I decided that going with a KVM switch would be the best route. It allows me to share a set of Screen, Mouse and Keys with two computers.
The decision which Mac to get was not a pretty hard one. Since I did not need another screen and don’t like glare type displays either, the iMac was out of the question. I wasn’t really keen to spend that much on my first Mac either, there was the possibility that I don’t enjoy it.
With those factors in mind, the Mac Mini was the way to go. I opted for the 1.83 Ghz one and did not mind the rather small 80 GB harddrive since most of my data is stored on USB drives and network devices.
The only modification I needed was more ram. With lots of Windows experience, I figured that 1 GB could be a little small, especially when working with applications such as Photoshop. And with another 1 GB, there is more to be eaten up by mallware and stuff like that….wait no, that’s the Windows user speaking…. I would actually be able to use the additional memory 
Because of the recent price drop, I was able to pick up my 2 GB Mac Mini for very reasonable 529 Euros.
Along with the Mac, I bought the Apple Wireless keyboard since I would need all the fancy special Mac keys.
Taking it all home, I was facing the challenge to connect both computers with the KVM switch. To my surprise, it all went rather smoothly and now I´m able to switch between the Mac and the PC with the click of a button.
But who wants to think about the old PC when Leopard is booting up for the very first time…
MacRookie - It All Begins
So this is it - The very first posting of the MacRookie. Hopefully many will follow in the coming months as I try to make my way through the jungle of Mac software and knowledge.
After using the Amiga and Windows PC ever since kindergarten age, I finally decided to try something new - Get a Apple Mac. As a Windows user, you always here about Mac OS X being much quicker, safer and more convenient. But there are doubts too: Will I find an Mac equivalent for all my favorite software? Can I even adjust to a new system after spending years with Windows?
Despite those doubts, I went ahead and got me a Mac to see what the all the fuss is about - And if it’s a serious Windows alternative. For me, there were two main reasons for the switch:
1. Windows Vista
While Windows XP is a quite solid operation system, it’s not the freshest looking thing. Micosoft always promised that Vista would be the next best thing, making a real step forward.
I never expected too much but I didn’t expect such a hunk of crap. Vista is an awful piece of software, no wonder the sales numbers are disappointing. It hardly offers any new features (yes yes, DirectX 10) and a dreadful copy of the Mac OS user interface. I really tried to get used to it but after two days, Vista vanished from my drive - I just couldn’t cope with it.
2. My Apple iPod
It may sound weird but my iPod had quite a big influence of getting a Mac. After using a Creative MP3 player, I got me an iPod last year and I quickly got used to all the comfortable features it offers. iTunes is a brilliant application to work with and that got me thinking… Would it be the same with most Mac OS X software?
I´ll try to find out in the coming weeks….
