Shiny, New and Requires a Little Learnin’ - First Time on a Mac

With 1.33 GHz Power PC processor, 512 MB RAM and 40 GB hard disk and Slot-Load Combo Drive DVD-ROM/CD-RW, the ibook G4 is a sight to behold. Other features includes a 12″ display, 2 USB and 1 firewire ports. For internet, you have the option for dial-up, 10/100 Ethernet or go wireless through Airport.

The only thing left now is using it. I’ve been a PC guy all my life.

Plunging head long thinking that this will be a cinch, I felt pretty cocky. After all, I’ve learned how to operate a PC, how different could this be?

Way different.

First off, I didn’t know how to open the closed iBook. There were no sliding slots at the sides like most PC notebooks. The technician had to show me how (I was forcing it open by the hinges) I didn’t know which was the front and which was the side.

I turned it on and was playing it coy though a question kept popping in my head: “what have I gotten myself into?!)

IT’s time to try OS X TIger and iLife 2006 (as if I knew what they could do). So I clicked the mouse and sorely missed the PC right click function which showed Properties. I opened applications on the taskbar (which in Mac term is the “Dock”) and poked around. I tried typing and doing some deleting and was amazed to find that the Delete button is the equivalent of the PC backspace. And I have not found a way to delete the complete word before or after my cursor (Ctrl-Backspace and Ctrl Delete in the PC).

Clicking on the lower left-hand corner (a blue-faced thingy) where the Start button should have been if I were in XP, brought out some cool “utilities” (Widgets, I think they’re called): a Calendar, Clock and a Sticky-notes-like pad. And the way they appeared was awesome, flying in with finesse that catches your eye.

Next, I tried the green button on the upper right hand corner where the Exit button would have been only to find that the screen just resizes. And why is it that it does not fill the entire screen?

Ah the exit button. Why is it at the upper left hand corner, I wondered?

Maybe I’ll find out as the days go by. Let me just check my email. So to a Safari (browser) we go. Immediately, I missed Firefox with its Tabs and extensions (which I have since installed).

And I have not made any podcast yet which is the reason I got a Mac. (Another story).

But it’s a Mac! It’s cool, it’s hip, it has great graphics, a great reputation, plenty of pogi points even if I have not learned how to use it yet (just give me a little more time. And tips).

So now, how do I shut down this thing …..

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