New Computer!

[Westi]

I finally bit the bullet and bought a new Apple iMac. (Don't send begging letters, I've not won the lottery, got it interest free & had vouchers off as well). Anyway I have had 2 useless but quite expensive computers in the last 5 years & others in the family have had their Apples for 10 yrs+

What a strange beast it is! It is very fast, but nothing like my phone or tablet in how it operates. It's like being spoken to in a foreign language where you only pick up the odd word so I can use it but so much to learn. Set it up in the evening and sent hubby down to the News Agents the next morning to get the manual!

Anyway Day 4 - I've managed to bookmark the forum so don't have to sign in each time! Cause for celebration I thought!

Westi

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Westi, i have got to get a new computer too, as everytime i touch the front panel on my laptop it turns itself off.....very annoying.

I'm dreading the setting up and getting to find my way round the thing.

[Monika]

Westi, congratulations! I am green with envy, too!

I have only ever worked on AppleMacs, first at work in the late 1980s, then when I retired we bought our first AppleMac, followed by an iMac when they came out. Our current one is 13 years old and I would love to replace it because the screen has developed a large number of vertical stripes (a well-known fault of that particular model), but I dread having to transfer all my data (addresses, favourites etc) onto a new computer. My dear OH never uses the computer other than for photos, using iPhoto which is brlilliant.

So, do enjoy it , Westi - it's so much more fun than a PC.

[JohnN]

Westi: Congrats on converting to a decent computer. I've used Macs since 1989 but also a PC, which my son gave me 10 years ago "to try out". Still got the PC - for playing Freecell on
There's a very useful manual for Mac OSX by Pogue Press, called 'The Missing Manual".
Monika: See if there is a "Mac Group" in your area, they'll have someone who will help you transfer all your data over.

[Primrose]

I always dread having to change a computer or update to new software. Something always works differently and completely foxes you.

I am now firmly in the group of-people who ask "why don't they wait until all the old people have died off before they make all these changes ?

[Geoff]

I must admit I have never managed to make sense of the supposedly superior interface on Apple machines. I can't even make basic things work that I use everyday like highlighting a bit of text and copying or cutting it then pasting it to somewhere else - so simple with a mouse and Ctrl C Ctrl V but I find it almost impossible with a navigation pad. Never mastered the difference between scroll and zoom either but I guess that would come with time. The number of emails or posts I see that come from iPads with an apology about typos and spelling errors is ridiculous, totally unnecessary and just demonstrates the basic weakness of the system.
The easy way to look after you data is not to use the default directories of whatever operating system you are on but create a Data directory and stick everything in there, in a structured way of course, then you can simply dump it on a pen drive for backup or transfer.
Simple solution, install Windows 10 and Classic Shell - you get the intuitive interface you are used to, proper pinning to Start Menu or Taskbar with simple access to last used files.

[Westi]

It's just so different - the speed is amazing! I've got an iPhone & an iPad so thought I would be familiar with how to operate it, but this beast is so different from either of them. I've not read the manual I bought yet - thank you JohnN & am just learning by playing with it, but will definitely read through it to get the most out of the computer.

Unlearning things from the old computer is like breaking bad habits - I automatically go to the top right for the delete etc, taking ages to go to the top left automatically - same with the on / off button! I'm not ready for downloading photos yet, especially to post on here as was pretty rubbish at that on the old computer! That will definitely be after a read of the manual!

Westi

[Monika]

Geoff, I always use a mouse on our iMac, no problem!

[Westi]

Sorry but back to this again! So much to learn for my frazzled brain!

Been trying to change my avatar, pick a nice pic & crop it down, but even post cropping it shows the same larger size on the little info button. Then think I'll just try it as it has to be smaller, the profile page here says nothing selected! Actually even on my previous computer I could never change my avatar either regardless of how much cropping I did, but there was an actual option of different pixels & stuff. Did't have a clue about this either but could post pics so felt clever!

Can anyone talk (OK type) me through this? I've looked in the wee (read massive) idiot's guide but doesn't actually touch on this.

Cheers Westi

[dan3008]

i posted a guide not long ago, when i get home tomorrow, ill look it up and link you to it. I would tonight, but im having a (well deserved) brief holiday without the little one, and am about to go to sleep lol