iMac up and running

[eytonxav]

After procrastinating for several weeks after purchasing an iMac, I finally installed it yesterday and transferred files from my PC, with help from DS. I purchased a program called O2M to convert my Outlook files to mbox format that can be used by Apple Mail. Very easy to use, but converting 5000+ messages took several hours. After that, I took DS's advice and used dropbox to move the PC files to the iMac. This turned out to be a very easy process. I was not that confident about using Apple's migration assistant and didn't want to buy an external hard drive to handle the data transfer. Everything (word, excel, ppt, pics, music, emails) ported over perfectly.

Now the big challenge will be learning how to use all these Apple apps and features.

 

[Midpack]

Congrats! I seriously considered an iMac recently, but went with a Dell mostly because I was too cheap and used to the Microsoft ecosystem. However, the iMac is an elegant machine, and as they say with Apple products everything "just works." I have found my (gift) iPad to be just wonderful, exceeding my expectations. I suspect you'll find the iMac to be very intuitive/user friendly though different from MS or Google worlds.

 

[ERhoosier]

Congrats on your new iMac! I regularly use both Windows & Mac's, but have been Mac user for 25+yrs. I think you'll find most Mac features/programs are logical & intuitive.

Might want to consider getting a copy of Parallels to continue running Wndows programs you might still want/need. I've been using it for a few yrs & it works pretty well.
http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/

BTW- You prob should invest in that external HD for back-ups. Time Machine is Mac OS's free back-up program, and it works nicely. Recommend getting ext drive at least 2x the size of your Mac's internal drive.
https://www.apple.com/support/timemachine/

 

[FIREd]

Congratulations on the new iMac. I bought my first ever iMac in 04/2011 and, 3 years on, I still believe that this is the best computer I have ever owned. I was not always partial to Macs, but I have no doubt that my next computer will have a little apple on it.

 

[Ronstar]

Congrats! You'll love the imac once you get used to it. I'm on my third imac and I'm still learning new tricks. Good thing that I can find help by Googling whatever is stumping me. Like ERHoosier said - get Time Machine backing up your mac to an external drive. This has saved me a couple of times, and I used my time machine backup from my previous imac to fire up my new one with all my apps and settings. I really like the integration between imac and TV/music system using Apple tv.

 

[eytonxav]

Thanks for the recommendations and well wishes. It is kind of exciting learning something new. I had a 512K Mac when they first came out, but no carry forward knowledge from that.

The wireless key board is smaller than I am used to and will also take me a while to get used to, although the touch is quite good.

 

[nash031]

You're hooked and will never go back. I have been fully assimilated by Apple: iMac, MacBook, two iPads, two iPhones, Apple TV.

I love the seamless interplay between all of them, and I get a hell of a lot longer out of each individual device than I ever did out of my Dells, Gateways, Motorolas, etc.

DW and I are both still on iPhone4 (not even 4s), and my iMac is about to turn 6 and still runs like the day I got it.

 

[Tailgate]

love Apple and my iMac.. I think you will too once you gain a little time on the machine.... Steve Jobs was our era's Leonardo Da Vinci.. hate that we lost him. I'd probably buy a toilet from Apple if they made one.

 

[MichaelB]

We got DW a MacBook last Christmas. She is definitely not a techno-fan and windows was always a struggle. She took to the iPhone so easily I figured the Mac would be just as easy. Not quite, we've had a few challenging moments, and it's more difficult for me to help because I still use a windows PC.

I do agree with Ronstar that it has been easier to google and find solutions

 

[stepford]

I'm curious what motivated you to leave Windoze and join the Legion of Steve? Not trying to turn this into one of the Apple vs. Windows wars for which the net is infamous, but as a Mac user for about 12 years and then a Windows user for another 10 (and then most recently a mixture of Linux/Windows) I haven't felt much pull back toward the I-World. I'm just wondering if I'm missing something.

 

[Chuckanut]

I was pulled into the Mac world when I started having to many problems getting my various Windows equipment to all work properly together - desktop, laptop, router and some assorted wireless stuff. Since I was about due to get a new desktop I opted for an iMac and an Airport Extreme router (I gulped at the price), but, the router immediately fixed my 'dead spot' problems I has having around the house , and even my balky laptop was connecting again without dropping the connection from time to time.

When the Windows laptop died, I got a MacBook (about 6 years ago) and that guy still runs fine, though a bit slow.

However, the idea that 'IT JUST WORKS!' is an exaggeration. I've had my share of small problems, usually wireless issues with older equipment. And my current wireless printer won't work wirelessly anymore because the manufacturer has not updated the driver to reflect the new OS. It's only three years old, not so good. However, things are certainly a lot smoother with ALL Apple equipment than with a hodge-podge of assorted Windows equipment. The fact that Apple controls both hardware and software does make things easier for the user, IMHO.

 

[eytonxav]

I'm curious what motivated you to leave Windoze and join the Legion of Steve? Not trying to turn this into one of the Apple vs. Windows wars for which the net is infamous, but as a Mac user for about 12 years and then a Windows user for another 10 (and then most recently a mixture of Linux/Windows) I haven't felt much pull back toward the I-World. I'm just wondering if I'm missing something.

I liked the simplicity of the iMac as a desktop system. No big mess of wires like my Dell XPS410, plus DS and DD's macs have had zero malicious attacks over many years of use, unlike my PC. Also, I was motivated by Microsoft dropping support for XP and given my PC is almost 8 yo.

 

[Meadbh]

After a lifetime of PCs, I bought a MacBook Air about 2 years ago when my 10 year old PC was clearly on life support. I chose a Mac because of the positive experience I had with the iPad 2, and my imminent ER. While I was working in academia, I would not have made this change, because I saw too many Mac devotees under stress when their computers would not talk to the AV equipment at conferences and presentations.

I transferred my data from the PC to the Mac using a Seagate hard drive, which I keep connected and use for ongoing backup. I like the ease of portability of the MacBook Air compared to my old Toshiba laptop, and I do not miss the Blue Screen of Death, but I do miss the "structure" of the PC. I am still learning. There are still things I don't know how to do with my Mac that I knew how to do with my PC. Likewise, I recently got an iPhone after two Blackberries. The iPhone interface is very user friendly, but I do miss my Blackberry keyboard and some of the neat things you could do, e.g set up repeating appointments. I think every technology has its pros and cons. Nothing is perfect for every purpose.

 

[Chuckanut]

After reading this article we can assume you made a good choice in purchasing the iMac.

it’s hard to miss the fact that the Mac has been on the rise for years. Whether at the office, at a coffee shop, a college campus, an airport or a conference, Macs seem to be everywhere today.

How the Mac went from obscurity to ubiquity | Re/code

 

[W2R]

Congratulations on your new iMac! I'm glad the transition went so well.

Activities like exploring a new computer system are fun and also keep us mentally young and adaptable.


EDITED TO ADD: Oops!!! I didn't notice that this is an old thread. Sorry for the much belated congratulations.

 

[braumeister]

and some of the neat things you could do, e.g set up repeating appointments.

FWIW, you can do that in the current calendar app.

 

[Lsbcal]

Would be nice to hear from DFW-M5 (the OP) about his (her?) current thinking on the switch to the Mac.

 

[eytonxav]

Would be nice to hear from DFW-M5 (the OP) about his (her?) current thinking on the switch to the Mac.

My experience has been very positive for the most part. The only real frustrations that I have was learning the Apple applications vs having used the Microsoft Suite for so many years at work. That said, even after several months of use, I am by no means proficient on Numbers, Keynote, or Pages, and I suspect there are many other features of the OS that I am unaware of and will probably never learn. I really appreciate all the wires that are gone off my desktop, which allows me more room to spread out paper clutter vs the Dell desktop system I replaced.

 

[Lsbcal]

My experience has been very positive for the most part. The only real frustrations that I have was learning the Apple applications vs having used the Microsoft Suite for so many years at work. That said, even after several months of use, I am by no means proficient on Numbers, Keynote, or Pages, and I suspect there are many other features of the OS that I am unaware of and will probably never learn. I really appreciate all the wires that are gone off my desktop, which allows me more room to spread out paper clutter vs the Dell desktop system I replaced.

If I bought a Mac then I'd probably want it to connect to my 23 inch monitor via a docking station. This would be for spreadsheet applications mostly. I'd not want to give up Excel particularly since I use some limited Visual Basic with it.

So I guess for me a replacement system for the desktop PC would be:
1) Macbook Pro or maybe Mac Air with 8GB memory
2) docking station
3) Add in the MS Office to at least get Excel
4) Anything else? Not sure.

Someday maybe.

 

[Life_is_Good]

I was a paid IT consultant in an all Microsoft environment before early retirement.

Then........ got a Mac

... ain't never going back!

 

[eytonxav]

I was a paid IT consultant in an all Microsoft environment before early retirement.

Then........ got a Mac

... ain't never going back!

That sums it up pretty well