I have gone and done the inevitable. I purchased an iMac. I have to admit, when they went to the Intel chip and I realized for any legacy Windows needs I could just dual boot, I was sold. My old Dell was about 6 years old and after the final reformat and install, it was not coming back to life. Windows and all of the software I chose to install on it just couldn't cut it on the 1.6 GHz Pentium 4. Mind you, that was the first foray into the Pentium world, so to say that I am an early adopter is a bit of a misnomer. I used to build my own systems but went to a Dell for an assumed level of compatibility and less hardware conflicts.
First Time Mac Owner
I chose to purchase a refurbished iMac from the Apple Store because I did not need a new model, nor did I need to upgrade any of the components just yet. I presume I will go and get some additional RAM in the future, but not yet. I purchased the 24" LCD, 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Extreme. Another first in my computer purchasing history is that I have never purchased the best computer on the market (in its class). I typically figure that I don't need the fastest and greatest computer, but this round I chose otherwise. I wanted the 24" screen, which is a fantastic display, and the additional computing power to last me a bit longer before it becomes obsolete. I also purchased a refurbished AirPort Extreme router/print/data server. Figured it would link up easily with the iMac and allow my external hard drive and printer to be used by everyone in the house.
For those who don't know about the refurbished section of the Apple Store, go to www.apple.com/store and look down to the bottom left of the page. There is also links to purchase as a government employee or student. You can receive up to 10% off all products through this route.
The computer came yesterday in a non-descript cardboard package, weighing in at around 30 lbs or so. Easy to lift, easy to unpack. The iMac is an all-in-one, literally. It only has a power cord, a keyboard, and a mouse. They give you a manual and some disks, but they take up minimal space in the box. I plugged it all together, turned it on, and was off. There were a few settings regarding where you are in the world and what language you speak, and then Apple takes you into a fantastic welcome video. It is an animation through space and says "welcome" in probably 20+ languages. It was fantastic. A sight for the eyes. Apple exceeds in making me as a user feel like part of a community. I must disclose that I have three iPods (3G 15 Gig, 5G 30 Gig, and a 1G 1Gig Shuffle) and my wife has a Mini and a Shuffle as well. They are works of electronic art.
One important note when starting to use a Mac compared to Windows. Macs are Unix based and does a much better job of allowing users to run as non-Admins. Set up your Mac and install all of your desired programs as Admin (the mode that you start as), and then go to User Accounts and add yourself and family members without Admin rights. This will help minimize malware and viruses gaining full access to your computer as easily.
I first installed the software that came with the AirPort Extreme and used it to wirelessly connect to the internet. Very simple indeed. You just go into Applications, Utilities, AirPort Utility and run through the settings. For those who are not so network savvy - MAKE SURE YOU SET UP SECURITY ON YOUR ROUTER. Too many people fail to do this and think it is too complicated. It is not complicated at all. Just follow the steps in your router's manual. My iMac was now securely connected to the internet via the AirPort Extreme, and on came the updates. It took about 3 hours to download all of the updates for the preinstalled software. No worries there. Part of installing or using a new OS. During the update, I went and immediately downloaded Firefox at www.firefox.com. This browser is more secure than Safari and allows for really cool add-ins. I then googled top 10 Mac apps and found the following webistes:
http://paulstamatiou.com/2005/12/19/10-apps-every-new-mac-user-should-download
http://lifehacker.com/software/mac-os-x/keiths-top-10-mac-applications-124876.php
http://gigaom.com/2005/09/03/10macapps/
Out of these sites I recommend most Adium. It is a sleek instant messenger tool that can load your accounts from pretty much any chat software. I don't think it integrates into iChat but that is no biggie. I also recommend BitTorrent and OpenOffice. OpenOffice is a great, and free, open source alternative to Microsoft Office.
Installing software is a bit unusual....at least for a PC user. You download the software as a dmg file. You download the file, run it, and then it pops up this odd graphic. You take the icon within the graphic, and drop it into your Applications folder. From there you can drag it onto your Dashboard, the useful "start menu" replacement. I guess it is more of a Quick Launch toolbar for windows users, but much more aesthetic.
I will post more details as times goes on and I come across good websites or tricks for new Mac users.
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