The Official Apple Thread: Introducing the new, thinner, lighter...

[[DT]]

Figured most of the Apple folks would be interested in this:

The Lost Steve Jobs Tapes
A treasure trove of unearthed interviews, conducted by the writer who knew him best, reveals how Jobs's ultimate success at Apple can be traced directly to his so-called wilderness years.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/...s-legacy-tapes


(I realize it’s two posts in a row, but I figured it would bump the thread so people notice. )

[PeanutButterMunky]

Mac users should check System Update, Apple has released a two software options for removing the Flashback malware. One Java update for people with Java installed. One regular update for those without Java installed but infected via other means.

Or people just shouldn't be morons clicking and opening everything they see and punching in the admin info anytime the computer asks. This Trojan couldn't be any easier to avoid. But these types of people exist on every platform. There should be an intro video on every new computer giving people the basics of not getting infected through idiocy and practicing common sense. These same practices apply to Windows as well.

[Tutankhamun]

Or people just shouldn't be morons clicking and opening everything they see and punching in the admin info anytime the computer asks. This Trojan couldn't be any easier to avoid. But these types of people exist on every platform. There should be an intro video on every new computer giving people the basics of not getting infected through idiocy and practicing common sense. These same practices apply to Windows as well.

You can't really expect normal users to understand what they should trust and not trust though. Especially not Java since Apple keeps its own bundle which they update at their own discretion. OS X could also be better at not asking for the admin password as often to really make people notice when it does ask. As it is (maybe more true before the Mac App Store) the admin password dialog appears quite often for quite mundane tasks. Flashback in particular I imagine could be confusing for normal, non geek, users since they may not be the type of person to really pay 100% attention to the GUI mechanics of OS X and thus could be confused by a malicious Adobe Flash installer masking itself as an legit one.

Apple are doing a lot to make OS X more and more secure but nobody can really be pleased with the time it takes for them to push out patches to know vulnerabilities in some of the code they use. That's definitely something they can do a lot better, both on OS X and iOS.

[PeanutButterMunky]

You can't really expect normal users to understand what they should trust and not trust though. Especially not Java since Apple keeps its own bundle which they update at their own discretion. OS X could also be better at not asking for the admin password as often to really make people notice when it does ask. As it is (maybe more true before the Mac App Store) the admin password dialog appears quite often for quite mundane tasks. Flashback in particular I imagine could be confusing for normal, non geek, users since they may not be the type of person to really pay 100% attention to the GUI mechanics of OS X and thus could be confused by a malicious Adobe Flash installer masking itself as an legit one.

Apple are doing a lot to make OS X more and more secure but nobody can really be pleased with the time it takes for them to push out patches to know vulnerabilities in some of the code they use. That's definitely something they can do a lot better, both on OS X and iOS.

Yeah, that's the sad truth, unfortunately. They're taking a step in the next direction with Mountain Lion in terms of the average user not installing something stupid, but we'll see how things pan out.

[Hitomi]

Hello everyone=)

Can someone help me please?

Im looking to buy a macbook pro but i never used Mac OS before

I got 2 choices :

1: macbook pro 13 inch Intel i5 [with Lion]
or
2: macbook pro 15 inch Intel i7 [with snow leopard]

which one is better?

also does Mac OS have a magnifier like in windows?

Thx =)

[ps3isawesome]

Get the 15 inch of course

[uofmtiger]

It only costs $29 to upgrade to Lion.

DT, congrats on your new ventures!

[Tutankhamun]

Hello everyone=)

Can someone help me please?

Im looking to buy a macbook pro but i never used Mac OS before

I got 2 choices :

1: macbook pro 13 inch Intel i5 [with Lion]
or
2: macbook pro 15 inch Intel i7 [with snow leopard]

which one is better?

also does Mac OS have a magnifier like in windows?

Thx =)

If you can afford the 15" that's the more powerful machine. But you also have to count in what screen size you want? If you plan on taking it with you a lot, maybe a "13 would be better due to it being more portable.

If you do get the "15 I'd upgrade it to Lion right away. Lion is only $29 so it is very affordable.

OS X doesn't have an exact replica of the magnifier but you can easily zoom in using the multi-touch trackpad on the notebooks just like on an iPad. This works even better in Lion. There's also a lot of accessibility features built right into the OS that you can take advantage of, if needed.

[Hitomi]

Thanks for the replies guys =)

So the 15 inch is better...

but how do I upgrade the OS? do I do it online ?

Also do i need antivirus software?

Thx again ^^

[PeanutButterMunky]

I'd get the 15" with the dedicated graphics card. You update to Lion via the Mac App Store. You'll need an Apple ID, which is simple to get. Lion is 30 dollars. I would wait, however, as Mountain Lion is due out in a few months, so you might as well save your money and buy the new OS instead.

No, you don't need an antivirus. You can use ClamXav, which is a free antivirus and you can just use it to manually scan every once in a while. There are currently zero viruses for Mac, but there are Trojans, but using common sense will prevent you from getting them.

Good luck!

[Tutankhamun]

Even if you wait on Mountain Lion, you'll still need Lion to be able to upgrade. So I'd go ahead and get it right away.

[PeanutButterMunky]

I'd recommend a clean install instead of an upgrade. He wouldn't need to buy Lion if he clean installs Mountain Lion.

[Tutankhamun]

I'd recommend a clean install instead of an upgrade. He wouldn't need to buy Lion if he clean installs Mountain Lion.

That's not necessarily true. The only way to upgrade to Lion from Snow Leopard (from the start) was to do an upgrade via the Mac App Store. I'm assuming the same will be true for Mountain Lion. I don't think they'll sell those USB sticks with the OS on as they did for a while with Lion because Schiller confirmed they sold very poorly. But we'll know for sure closer to the release.

[Hitomi]

I'd get the 15" with the dedicated graphics card. You update to Lion via the Mac App Store. You'll need an Apple ID, which is simple to get. Lion is 30 dollars. I would wait, however, as Mountain Lion is due out in a few months, so you might as well save your money and buy the new OS instead.

No, you don't need an antivirus. You can use ClamXav, which is a free antivirus and you can just use it to manually scan every once in a while. There are currently zero viruses for Mac, but there are Trojans, but using common sense will prevent you from getting them.

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply =)

yea i do have apple ID as i use it on my iPhone and iPad 2 =)

thx =)

Even if you wait on Mountain Lion, you'll still need Lion to be able to upgrade. So I'd go ahead and get it right away.

okies thanks =)

I'd recommend a clean install instead of an upgrade. He wouldn't need to buy Lion if he clean installs Mountain Lion.

Im not a he =P

but Thx =)

That's not necessarily true. The only way to upgrade to Lion from Snow Leopard (from the start) was to do an upgrade via the Mac App Store. I'm assuming the same will be true for Mountain Lion. I don't think they'll sell those USB sticks with the OS on as they did for a while with Lion because Schiller confirmed they sold very poorly. But we'll know for sure closer to the release.

Thx for the information=)

[[DT]]

Another vote for the 15” for a few reasons:

* Dedicated GPU (that can be toggled off for long battery life or on for external displays, GPU intensive apps, etc)
* Option for high[er] resolution display and/or anti-glare display
* Quad Core CPU

The upgraded display is very nice, 1680x1050, and I’m a big fan of anti-glare on notebook displays (since they get moved into non-optimal lighting situations).

Personally, I’d go with an Air over a 13” MBP. It’s a little more money but you get SSD standard, higher resolution display, thinner, lighter ... just a loss of an internal optical drive, smaller storage and no user RAM upgrade option.

FWIW, I’m running a 15”, high-res, anti-glare, 8GB RAM, 500GB 7200RPM HDD, i7 2.3 GHz quad/8MB, 6750 1GB GPU

DT, congrats on your new ventures!

Thanks! Still running my company (just got another funding round for a major project), CTO of another, and now Dir. of Engineering for a 3rd. Woot! Going to be fun and crazy for the rest of the year

[PeanutButterMunky]

That's not necessarily true. The only way to upgrade to Lion from Snow Leopard (from the start) was to do an upgrade via the Mac App Store. I'm assuming the same will be true for Mountain Lion. I don't think they'll sell those USB sticks with the OS on as they did for a while with Lion because Schiller confirmed they sold very poorly. But we'll know for sure closer to the release.

First of all, that was never the only upgrade option. Don't know what lead you to that conclusion. It's extremely easy to make a DVD or USB stick with Lion or Mountain Lion on it using the downloaded installer you get from the Mac App Store using Disk Utility. I've done it about 20 times now and quite a few times with Mountain Lion because I've been toying around with the Developer Preview which I've installed on a second partition. If she wants to do that I can post a very simple how-to on the matter. Plus the USB stick from Apple cost twice as much, so making your own USB stick is more sensible.

So yes, I still recommend a clean install. I've done many upgrades and they never turn out as stable as reformatting.


@ Hitomi: Are you buying this laptop new or used? I ask because not only is Mountain Lion coming out in a few months, but so are all the new laptops... including the Airs. You might want to hold off until then. The new laptops are going to have USB 3.0, thanks to the Ivy Bridge boards from Intel. Ivy Bridge will also allow better battery life, among other things.

I'd wait it out. Don't want a case of buyer's remorse when new laptops come out right after you get yours.

[Hitomi]

Another vote for the 15” for a few reasons:

* Dedicated GPU (that can be toggled off for long battery life or on for external displays, GPU intensive apps, etc)
* Option for high[er] resolution display and/or anti-glare display
* Quad Core CPU

The upgraded display is very nice, 1680x1050, and I’m a big fan of anti-glare on notebook displays (since they get moved into non-optimal lighting situations).

Personally, I’d go with an Air over a 13” MBP. It’s a little more money but you get SSD standard, higher resolution display, thinner, lighter ... just a loss of an internal optical drive, smaller storage and no user RAM upgrade option.

FWIW, I’m running a 15”, high-res, anti-glare, 8GB RAM, 500GB 7200RPM HDD, i7 2.3 GHz quad/8MB, 6750 1GB GPU

Great info Thx =)

[Tutankhamun]

First of all, that was never the only upgrade option. Don't know what lead you to that conclusion. It's extremely easy to make a DVD or USB stick with Lion or Mountain Lion on it using the downloaded installer you get from the Mac App Store using Disk Utility. I've done it about 20 times now and quite a few times with Mountain Lion because I've been toying around with the Developer Preview which I've installed on a second partition. If she wants to do that I can post a very simple how-to on the matter. Plus the USB stick from Apple cost twice as much, so making your own USB stick is more sensible.

So yes, I still recommend a clean install. I've done many upgrades and they never turn out as stable as reformatting.

Are you sure that'll be the case this time around though? Seems like a bit of bet to take. I wouldn't necessarily recommend reformatting for novice users either. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the system requirements to download Mountain Lion will be a Lion machine.

I did an upgrade from Snow Leopard on my MBP when Lion was released and that worked fine, but my machine was only 2 months old at that time. But for most use cases I wouldn't say you need to do a clean install, it is really only necessary if you have made some kernel modifications or want to "spring clean" your Mac.

But it sounds to me like she's going for a refurb or a used machine in which case you'd have to assume it will come with a clean install.

[PeanutButterMunky]

Are you sure that'll be the case this time around though? Seems like a bit of bet to take. I wouldn't necessarily recommend reformatting for novice users either. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the system requirements to download Mountain Lion will be a Lion machine.

I did an upgrade from Snow Leopard on my MBP when Lion was released and that worked fine, but my machine was only 2 months old at that time. But for most use cases I wouldn't say you need to do a clean install, it is really only necessary if you have made some kernel modifications or want to "spring clean" your Mac.

But it sounds to me like she's going for a refurb or a used machine in which case you'd have to assume it will come with a clean install.

Yes it will be the case next time around... and the case after that. I would bet my left kidney on that. It's the same InstallESD.DMG image that's been used in every release of OS X for the last decade. They have to do it this way. It's how the Operating System installs. You simply use the Restore function in Disk Utility to put the InstallESD.DMG image onto a USB stick and it becomes a bootable installer. FYI, if you put it on a USB stick it boots and installs 10 times faster than if put it onto a DVD, so I can't recommend burning it to a DVD unless that person enjoys waiting. 8 GB USB sticks cost like 8 bucks or so anyways. A decent investment.

Doing a clean install is not some advanced technique that only experts can use. It can be explained in a few simple steps.

People really make a big deal out of clean installs over upgrades and it is the simplest process on the planet. You shouldn't shun other methods of installing an Operating System out of fear that the end user may be completely retarded. You should give people more credit. Once they do it, they'll know how from that point on. And if they're confused, well I'm more than willing to help that person out to get things going.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the system requirements to download Mountain Lion will be a Lion machine.

No. It's already been confirmed by Apple that you just need Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or above to download/install Mountain Lion as an upgrade.

[uofmtiger]

I have my iTunes library on a drive connected to the USB input on an Airport Extreme. Is there software that will copy this drive to another drive on the network automatically once a week or when something changes? I was thinking about getting a NAS for redundancy, but since I have issues connecting my old NAS to my Macs, I would rather just get another drive and hook it up to a Mac Mini.

[PeanutButterMunky]

I have my iTunes library on a drive connected to the USB input on an Airport Extreme. Is there software that will copy this drive to another drive on the network automatically once a week or when something changes? I was thinking about getting a NAS for redundancy, but since I have issues connecting my old NAS to my Macs, I would rather just get another drive and hook it up to a Mac Mini.

http://www.bombich.com/

Oh and it's free.

[uofmtiger]

http://www.bombich.com/

Oh and it's free.

Looks perfect! Thanks for the link, I will try it out.

[squirrelbo1]

My housemate has become a macfag - 11" MacBook air- for some reason. Think it was shiny and expensive. You know what girls are like

Seriously though anything you would recommend her to get software wise both free or paid that would enhance her experience. (im going to install the obligatory office and things like vlc but anything OSX specific im not really knowledgeable)

Thanks guys.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

[R3D D3V!L]

My housemate has become a macfag - 11" MacBook air- for some reason. Think it was shiny and expensive. You know what girls are like

Seriously though anything you would recommend her to get software wise both free or paid that would enhance her experience. (im going to install the obligatory office and things like vlc but anything OSX specific im not really knowledgeable)

Thanks guys.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

So you trying to get into her knickers or what?

[[DT]]

Xcode
Develop iOS app
Sell to Facebook
Profit



I totally dig on the 11” MBA, it’s super portable, has plenty of computing power, beautiful display, SSD standard. Good stuff.

Once you have all the iLife apps like iMovie, iPhoto, combined with the apps included with the OS (Mail, Safari, iCal), you don’t need a ton extra for most “personal productivity”. I’ve got a ton of apps for development, design/diagram, etc., but those are all very specific to my professional needs.