I got a new MacBook Pro, I got loads of questions. I will keep them to this thread.

[rp2000]

"Word",

I got the middle MacBook Pro today. My only previous experience with a Mac is my 1.83 coreduo macmini which is used to view videos on my LCD TV. Mainly that is just using Front Row and downloading the odd HD trailer from Apple's site.

Normally I use a Windows Laptop on a day to day basis and over the next couple of weeks this will probably replace that machine.

Here is a picture of it, and the 5 yr old laptop it is replacing (camera phone).

Questions

1) What (is there?) a Mac equivalent of Hibernate? (ie copy system state HDD and power off fully)

2) Firefox or Safari? I have used FF for a couple of years on Windows. Safari feels a bit similar (and weird at the same time). However I already notice nice touches like the Search, Is it just a basic FF with a few OSX features or something more?

3) The MBP feels much hotter on my lap than the machine it replaces (although I guess I am using almost the fastest possible laptop CPU atm (2.5ghz c2d). My old machine was a 1.6ghz Pentium-M. Is there a way in software I can monitor the temps? (Just for curiousity, I know it is hotter cos it is more powerful and also aluminum chasis)


I will think of more later, I am a bit sidetracked today as Sport Relief is on the TV, (which you can donate to by way of a link in my sig).


"rp2000"

 

[rp2000]

..
2) Safari is a lot better, use it if your cool enough.
..

"Word",

OK, I want to be able to just press a button or click somewhere for a new Tab (can that be done?). Here is a screenshot of my Windows Firefox. Is there ways to emulate the stuff I have here (very basic). You can guess where I double click to create a new tab, and also the button I added.

"rp2000"

 

[rp2000]

Just press Command + T.

"Word",

Indeed, but I mean am I able to "visually" make it similar to the above. (The shortcut works and sometimes I use it in FF as well (ctrl+t is new tab).

i.e. The "favicons" in the bookmark toolbar. (Maybe it is just colour I am missing in general as the whole interface in Safari is grey).


"rp2000"

 

[rp2000]

"Word",

Also can you stop that sound that occurs when the machine is turned on? (I find it annoying and it is very loud!)


"rp2000"

 

[rp2000]

You can use this little tool to kill the startup sound:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/23141

Install it and then navigate to system preferences where you will find it at the bottom in 'other'. Just click mute and you're sorted

This will mute the startup sound but keep your volume setting as it was when you shut down (rather than actually muting your sound).

And yes it is annoying! I think Apple should have included the option to turn it off somewhere. I also think you should be able to change the search engine on Safari and not just have it set to google.com

"Word",

That sounds just like what I need, except the 1st 2 comments on that page imply problems with Leopard!!! (I should have mentioned I have Leopard).

Anyway thanks for all the help so far guys. I will look at this more tomorrow, but impressed with the MBP so far.

Quickie before bed, what is the best equivalent of "tweakui" on windows for Mac OS X (I am sure there must be loads of hidden settings for Leopard).


"rp2000"

 

[rp2000]

That would be OnyX:
http://www.titanium.free.fr/pgs2/english/onyx_leopard.html

Perfect!! I am fairly sure I have that on my macmini with Tiger, but never dd much with it.

No problems using startupsound pref pane on my Macbook running Leopard, I didn't even read the comments!

To those saying to mute before shutdown, yes you can do that, but why should you have to? I'd rather kill the startup sound and leave my volume settings alone. Sure it's not much effort, but it wouldn't have been hard to include it in the OS to begin with.

I'll give it a try I think. It is a small niggle, but like you I don't think I will be bothered/remember to mute each time!!

...
Use safari, i use webkit which is a modded version of safari thst is extremely quick! Love it!

Josh

I will do some searching for it. It's just little things I have noticed after 1 days usage tbh. Main thing is that Safaris sticks to HTTP 1.1 protocols and makes 2 connections per http sever. Historically in IE and FireFox I have upped this to make pages load faster. ( I know it puts a "strain" on webservers, but I don't care tbh).
p.s. Why haven't you replied to my Tekken 5 Online Tournament thread for PS3? Surely you have got better by now

...
As for the "Hibernate" problem, just shut the lid and watch your baby sleep. When the battery gets too low it won't wake up as it has gone into "Safe Sleep" until you get it connected to a power source where she wakes up just like you had left her.

Aren't Macs the greatest?

This is what I meant, a Windows machine in standby (eventually will lose the system state of the battery dies whilst in standby. I imagine this "Safe Sleep" must act like hibernate, in that when the battery is critical in standby mode, the OS dumps the contents of RAM to the HDD I guess, and then the components power off.

Pressing the power button also brings up the Sleep / Restart / Shutdown prompt.

Or if you're feeling particularly brave, press ctl+alt+cmd+eject for an uber-shutdown

I am a keyboard shortcut freak in Windows (Start+L/R/E/D are my faves). You got some useful Leopard ones?

Finally in Windows my Power key is set to Hibernate. In Leopard I get a "what do you want to do choice". How can I make the power button a standby button?


"rp2000"

p.s. If anyone needs any Console/Games related help/advice I can be found in the Consoles section. I very, very rarely wander out of that section, so am grateful for all the help and assistance I have got here, so far.

 

[rp2000]

Theres also smartsleep http://lifehacker.com/367911/speed-up-sleep-mode-on-macbooks

Some usefull keyboard shortcuts are
Command+Tab for app switching (bit like alt tab in windows)
Command+H to hide apps
Command+Q to quit apps
Command+space to bring up the spotlight , fromt here you can type in stuff and hit enter to open it
Command+V Command+C those are your copy and paste shortcuts
Command+~ (the key next to the Z) this will cycle between windows within your currently focused app
Ctrl+Option+Command+8 Everything turns funkeh
To type a hash(#) its Option+3
Command+R Use this to reload a webpage, or reload widgets in dashboard which arnt behaving
Command+O To open files (coming from windwos its somthing I had to get used to as pressing Enter puts it into filename edit mode)
You prolly know this already but pressing Spacebar with any file selected will openit using Quicklook so you can quickly see what the file is.

Play around with trackpad gestures (in preferences you can see example vids) e.g three finger swipe to the right will move you Forward in web browser and to the left will take you Back.


Thats about all i can think of for now, have fun with your new MBP!

"Cheers",

I have picked up some of those as they are all displayed in the file menus I noticed.

I use the three finger swipe a bit and use the 2 finger tap for right click as well as for scrolling in web pages. Quite natural feeling after a while.

I am quite impressed with the power off this thing. I have opened 2 quicktime 720p trailers from Apple's site and 2 Safari windows. I play them all and keep tapping the F3 button (Expose?) and it re sizes everything, continues to play and doesn't skip a beat.

"rp2000"

 

[rp2000]

arpee, how's she handle the 1080p trailers?

I'm going to be going for the base model pro, when I've got the funds together.

With ease. I loaded Indiana Jones and Iron Man trailers in 720p in that above shot and they were fine, even while I kept flipping the F3 key. Then I did the same trailers 1080P, when I flipped the F3 it skipped the odd frame. But playing a single file with the other one paused was fine in window and full screen mode (bearing in mind my screen is the 1440x900 so it scales down when playing 1080P fullscreen.

I have XP SP2 Bootcamed on it at the moment and that flies compared to a lot of machines I have used it on (desktops/servers/laptops). Will maybe replace it with Vista Ultimate in a few weeks, (maybe).

Are you eligible for the student discount by the way?


"rp2000"