Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your...

12
Buying a Mac the BMUG guide to getting started Introduction — the first Macintoshes .................... 2 1. What do newer computers offer? ...................... 5 2. Questions to ask the seller ................................... 6 3. How much do I need to spend? .......................... 7 4. A laptop or a desktop? ......................................... 8 5. Where can I buy? ................................................... 9 6. Transferring files from your previous Mac ....... 11

Transcript of Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your...

Page 1: Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your previous Mac.....11 . 2 Introduction — the first Macintoshes ... We also need to ask

Buying a Mac

the BMUG guide to getting started

Introduction — the first Macintoshes ....................2 1. What do newer computers offer? ......................5 2. Questions to ask the seller ...................................6 3. How much do I need to spend? ..........................7 4. A laptop or a desktop? .........................................8 5. Where can I buy?...................................................9 6. Transferring files from your previous Mac .......11

Page 2: Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your previous Mac.....11 . 2 Introduction — the first Macintoshes ... We also need to ask

2

Introduction — the first Macintoshes Many BMUG members, having heard about the incredible range of creative activities the newer machines can be used for, are developing an interest in upgrading by buying a new computer or a newer second-hand Macintosh. Hopefully this manual will provide worthwhile tips to help you get the best computer available for your budget, however modest it might be. But first a little history... The first Macintosh 128k from 1984 came in a small beige box with a built-in 9” screen, and had a separate keyboard and mouse. It cost $5,000 approximately, a vastly greater sum then than now. In 1987, Apple introduced the first really expandable professional Mac, the Macintosh II, which had many interface slots, a separate screen, mouse and keyboard. It cost about $10,000.

In 1989 came the Macintosh Portable, sometimes called the luggable, as it weighed 7.5 kg! It had an integral keyboard and trackball, and cost a staggering US $13,000. In essence, those three machine configurations have been the basis for all subsequent models, and a direct line of descent may be followed to the choices available today. A big difference is that all Macs now have a flat LCD screen, since Apple has abandoned the bulky and obsolete cathode ray tube screen. These are the three principal types of Mac on offer today, but most members would only be interested in buying iMacs or laptops.

Page 3: Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your previous Mac.....11 . 2 Introduction — the first Macintoshes ... We also need to ask

3

iMacs iMacs integrate the screen and all the works in a compact box. The only early iMac worth buying now resembled a thickish screen/box on a lamp-stand base, more recent computers have a thin plastic screen/box on an aluminium stand. Presently it is an even thinner aluminium screen/box on a similar alloy stand.

Towers, Servers, Mac Pro Whatever they may be called, these are big, heavy, expensive boxes to which we cable a separate screen. They have numerous slots and bays into which interfaces, accessories and pieces of ancillary equipment may be installed, and are used by professionals in publishing, graphic design, animation, and so on.

MacBooks and MacBook Pro These machines are laptops, mostly compact, and they all have integral keyboards and trackpads — the current equivalent of the traditional mouse or trackball. They have undergone minimal external design change since their introduction in 1991, but incredible developments in capability.

Page 4: Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your previous Mac.....11 . 2 Introduction — the first Macintoshes ... We also need to ask

4

MacBook Air Presently, the Air, a very slim and sexy laptop, is rather over-priced, and many potential buyers are waiting to see the evolution of the machine, fully expecting to get more features for your money in the future. It does, however, give us a glimpse into the future, as it is available with either a small conventional disk drive, or an even smaller a solid-state flash memory drive. Eventually we expect to see all small disk drives in iPods and MacBooks replaced by the new form of memory storage, as demand drives prices down. They will undoubtedly be more ‘drop-proof’ and more reliable.

Apple Mini The Apple Mini consists of the compact processing and disk drive parts of a MacBook fitted into a small box to sit on your desktop. To this you may connect your own keyboard and mouse, if you already have one, and if not, you need to buy suitable ones. Designed to appeal to PC switchers, who simply unplug their bulky old CPU and replace it with this slim unit, the Mini, which costs roughly $1,100, might be regarded as a cheap way to get into the Apple world. Although they are compact, they take up more desk space than a standard iMac. There are one or two in the club, but personally, I don’t think they are the answer. Steve Craddock, 5254 2576, for BMUG. Feel free to make copies, but please acknowledge the source

Page 5: Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your previous Mac.....11 . 2 Introduction — the first Macintoshes ... We also need to ask

5

1. What do newer computers offer? The computer business is one of the most rapidly developing and competitive areas of manufacturing. Don’t get too excited by trying to have the latest, the best computer available at any time. The day a new model goes on sale, it is about to be made obsolete by the next model, already being manufactured, now just weeks away, which will undoubtedly be superior in many ways. Nevertheless if you are currently using an old machine, there are incredibly significant improvements on offer... Value for money Computers are falling in price exponentially. Every new model is either cheaper, or offers many more features for the same money, and you will be able to do many new things for less expenditure. Speed The processing chips get faster and faster, so every process you undertake, from opening a web page to processing an image, takes place faster. The ability to run the latest software From time to time, Apple makes a huge advance by introducing a new generation of system software. System OS X was just such a breakthrough, but there are still plenty of Macintoshes around that can’t run it. This is a major reason for buying a newer machine. If you can’t run OS X, you are really missing out! Presently, the system software is called Leopard. Leopard is faster and better in may ways. The ability to write to the latest kind of storage media Once, we saved files to a floppy disk with a capacity of 400k. Today we burn files to CD’s with a capacity of 600 Meg, or DVD’s with a capacity of 8.5 Gig. Tomorrow, there may be Blu-ray or high density DVD disks holding 25 to 50 Gig. Whatever the latest format is, you really should try to get a machine with that type of drive. More RAM, more hard disk storage The Classic Mac in the first illustration had 128 KB of RAM. Current machines are sold with 2 Gig or more! Now RAM equals horsepower in many ways, and more RAM means easier handling of big graphic files, faster processing, and a generally better quality of life. Along with more RAM, newer machines have bigger and bigger hard disks, so they are also able to store more and more big files. Easier, faster connections One of the ways computers change constantly is in the kind of connections provided for add-on’s such as cameras, scanners, printers, or separate hard disks. Without going into technicalities, and discussing USB II, Ethernet or the like, invariably the newer connections are simpler, faster, cheaper, and more suitable to the latest generation of accessories. Bigger, brighter screens The original Mac had a 9” monochrome screen, the latest, biggest iMac has an incredibly sharp and beautiful 24” colour screen. Since the screen is what we are working with, quality really matters, and screens are getting better all the time.

Page 6: Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your previous Mac.....11 . 2 Introduction — the first Macintoshes ... We also need to ask

6

2. Questions to ask the seller So you’ve decided to buy a better machine, maybe a second-hand one. What should you ask the seller? • What is the model, when was it produced, how big is the screen, how fast is the processor?

Call up ‘About this Mac’ in the Apple menu on the machine and find out the answers to most of the above questions.

Incidentally, every so often, Apple takes a big step forward, and you don’t want to buy a machine that leaves you stranded. For example, a few years ago now, the DVD burner was introduced. Tip: don’t even consider buying a computer without a DVD burner. Similarly, all recent Macs have had Intel chips. Any computer without this processor should be seriously cheap. And laptops now offer ‘two-finger scrolling’. Don’t buy a laptop without it!

• What is the price, is it negotiable, and is there a reduction for paying cash? • Don’t be too interested in what the machine originally cost. Any machine more than a year

old is worth much less than half-price, as the new machines are so cheap. Shops selling second-hand machines charge up to $200 more than you might pay a private seller, but they will probably offer support and a warranty. It’s hard to imagine spending more than a few hundreds on a second-hand machine if it’s not nearly new!

Compare the price to a vaguely comparable new machine to get an idea of the value. I have seen ridiculous Internet prices for second-hand machines within dollars of the price of a superior brand new machine!

• Is it running OS X? Can it run Leopard? • How much RAM does it have, what would it cost to add more? • How big is the hard disk, what would it cost to upgrade with a bigger hard disk? • Is the machine covered by the AppleCare Protection

Plan, a transferable extended warranty? • Does the DVD burner work? Test the drive by playing and burning a CD and a DVD. • Is the machine equipped to run a wireless network, for example to link to a laptop in another

room? • Does the seller have all the original disks and documentation?

Page 7: Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your previous Mac.....11 . 2 Introduction — the first Macintoshes ... We also need to ask

7

3. How much do I need to spend??

I only want to write and file letters and use the Internet for emailing and surfing… There is absolutely nothing wrong with having modest ambitions and such needs are easily satisfied. The amount of RAM and the size of the hard disk in the machine is not particularly significant. Any older iMac that will run OS X is fine, and many suitable machines are given away to grandchildren or left at the holiday home. I’m thinking of a ‘lamp-stand’ iMac. You might pay under $250, but it could be hard to find such a machine as people imagine there is no demand for them. If you have one you would like to get rid of, give Steve a call and we will quickly find a new home for it.

I want to do the above, plus I want to use a digital camera on my holidays, do some digital imaging, save my pictures in iPhoto, and print my own shots…

Images take up space and need horsepower to process, so RAM and hard disk space begins to matter. We also need to ask if modern photo-quality printers will connect to the computer. Here, we are talking about spending, say up to $750, and looking for an early aluminium stand iMac. These are less likely to be given away, and they occasionally turn up on the Internet.

I have been doing all those things and now I’m getting interested in making home movies on DVD…

Now we’re in the market for a ’near-new’ computer, ‘one with the lot’. We will really need RAM, a big hard disk, and the fastest processor we can find. We might spend $1,000 - $1,250, and at the top end of the range we will really need to do our homework, as we are now so close to new machine prices. Buyer beware, because prices are still falling with each new model.

I want the best, most up-to-date computer I can buy… New Macintoshes fall in price with every new model, or at least you get much more for similar amounts to the previous model. They start at about $1,600 and go up into the $3,000’s. Presently, you get a very, very powerful Apple for about $2,000.

Page 8: Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your previous Mac.....11 . 2 Introduction — the first Macintoshes ... We also need to ask

8

3. A laptop or a desktop? Now I haven’t said much about laptops. Laptops are always dearer than comparable desktop machines, and they are typically used as ‘second’ machines. They are dearer because all the components are miniaturised, and because of the battery and power supply. Nevertheless, a laptop isn’t always on display like a desktop, and of course you can use it absolutely anywhere.

Laptops • are always more expensive; • the screen is always much smaller, and provides much less space for having several

windows open at once; • the keyboard and screen are not so well-placed for hours of continuous work; • a trackpad is more fussy than a mouse; • they may easily be put away, and used anywhere, you don’t need a desk for them; • may be easily connected to a wireless network, and used anywhere around your home; • can be taken on holiday, and used for photo editing; • can easily be transferred from place to place.

Desktops • offer much better value for money; • easily form the hub of a study work area, with printers, scanners, external drives and other

accessories connected; • generally have much bigger hard drives; • enable less fatiguing continuous use because of the better ergonomic relationship between

the secreen, the keyboard, and the user. In our household, we use the iMac in the study for all general work. It is connected to: • a flatbed scanner and a slide scanner; • a router; • two external hard drives; • three printers; and • there are also leads and docks for the iPod and our digital camera. The laptop is much less complicated. It is wirelessly connected to the Internet. My wife uses it for her personal writing, as she likes to write away from the study situation. I use it (very irritatingly) to research news stories in Safari while watching TV.

Page 9: Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your previous Mac.....11 . 2 Introduction — the first Macintoshes ... We also need to ask

9

4. Where can I buy? BMUG, is obviously not going to get into trouble by recomending one shop over another. Here in Geelong we can buy new Macs at Computers Now, at Dick Smith Powerhouse, and other chain stores. In Melbourne, all the big retailers, including Designwyse and Streetwise, as well as the Apple centres, offer excellent service and prices. BMUG runs free advertisements in the club enewsletter, and we charge just $5 to place an advertisement for non-members. You might be surprised how many machines have changed hands between members. Some of the committee members are always in the market for the latest kit, and their machines go before they can get into the newsletter, so it’s always worth asking them if they would consider selling, on the off chance! Used computers Few of the regular Apple stores are interested in trade-ins or selling second-hand machines, but there are specialists in used computers. Check out: • Next Byte • Computer Change • New Wave • Computers Now, Malvern Here is a typical Internet advertisement:

Tip: when you are looking at a PDF on a website, and the text is too small to read, as they often are, right-click on it (control click) and zoom the page.

Page 10: Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your previous Mac.....11 . 2 Introduction — the first Macintoshes ... We also need to ask

10

eBay eBay is another great buying resource and can be a lot of fun, just as long as one uses a lot of commonsense. Here you are buying “sight unseen” so it is absolutely essential to have done all your homework before you bid. Remember if you are lucky enough to be the winning bidder you must purchase. Most items are sold via an online auction but it is also possible for sellers to nominate a “Buy it Now” price and if you really want the item and are prepared to pay that asking price, the item can be yours instantly. You will need to register with eBay to be able to bid or buy. Many “semi commercial “ sellers advertise on eBay and some even have online “eBay shops”. Of course there are many overseas sellers who use the service and here great care is required regarding Australian import regulations, delivery costs and such things as power supplies being the right voltage etc. The novice eBay buyer should perhaps stick with Australian sellers, and only proceed after reading all the feedback left by others. Where possible purchase new goods and take delivery options into consideration. The main things to remember if you are about to take the eBay plunge, are — research, comparison, care and above all common sense. Below we see a typical eBay screen:

Page 11: Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your previous Mac.....11 . 2 Introduction — the first Macintoshes ... We also need to ask

11

6. Transferring files from your previous Mac Don’t be daunted by this aspect of buying a new or second-hand computer, because Apple software makes it really easy. You will not only be able to transfer your files and your applications, but you will also transfer your Preferences, settings and other details so that the new computer will be quite familiar right from the start. Tip: Macs that lack a FireWire port will not be able to transfer files in the way described below. You will need to get your files across by CD or other form of disk transfer.

!"##$%&'#()*+,-).'#/00)0-,'-#.'#-1&#'&2#(,3#

This piece of software lives in Applications — Utilities. From now on, simply follow the directions, screen by screen.

4"##5,67)'*#

You will be invited to join the two computers with a FireWire cable. The FireWire ports on the computers are indicated by this icon:

#

8"##9&0-,+-#-1&#.7:#(,3#

The ‘old’ computer is the one from which you wish to transfer files. Hold down the ‘T’ key during the restart for a second or two until a big FireWire symbol appears on the screen. The old computer is now in file transfer mode, and will just sit there while you initiate the transfer by clicking various screens on the new computer

;"##<&--)'*0#,':#-+,'0=&+#-1+.>*1#()*+,-).'#

/00)0-,'-##

You will probably check ‘From another Mac’ and then you will get the opportunity at every stage to be specific about which user accounts and so on you want transferred. Most people will want everything, and the process will be initiated in just a few minutes. The actual transfer will take some time, so go and have a cuppa. Tip: as an alternative, for example in the situation where your old internal hard disk had crashed, you could clone your stuff over from a Time Machine backup on an external hard disk.

Page 12: Buying a Mac - Internodekrobinson/Mac Help/Buying Guide.pdf · Transferring files from your previous Mac.....11 . 2 Introduction — the first Macintoshes ... We also need to ask

12

BMUG manuals include:

• Beginners guide

• Connecting your Mac

• Backup your Mac

• Apple Mail essentials

• Safari with your Mac

• iPhoto with your Mac

• Scanning with your Mac

• Basic image adjustments

• Music & listening with your Mac

• iPod with your Mac

• iChat with your Mac

• iWeb with your Mac

• Advanced iWeb with your Mac