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Swordmaker, aren’t you the Mac guy around here?
MarkL has the sort of questions I’d be asking in a similar situation.
We don't use McCain. McCain uses us....
Search the apple website for "retail stores".
2) How dangerous is using mail order to save some money on the MACs?
We've had no problems, though we haven't used the one you mentioned. You can order from apple, too.
3) Does the MAC come with a paint program? How does it compare with some of the freeware/shareware or even commercial PC programs? Are there any freeware/shareware "paint" programs for MACs? Any decent (but simple) commercial paint programs? She may eventually also get Photoshop Elements for the MAC, but I have no doubt that this would be WAY beyond her. As I said, she doesn't really know anything about computers, and she has a HUGE phobia about them.
Macs come with iLife which is iPhoto, imovie, iBlog, Comic Life (which, if she scrapbooks at all, she'll love), photobooth, etc. I highly recommend Photoshop Elements. It's not any more complicated than any freebie "paint" program.
4) How is file compatability between PCs and MACs? I figure that I'll either burn all of her work to CDs or maybe copy them onto a flash drive to move to the MAC. Are MACs OK with bitmap (.BMP) files? I'm sure that they're probably OK with TIFFs, PCX, GIF, and JPG (or am I assuming too much?)
It's the 21st century.
5) She would like to be able to use some of her existing hardware if possible..
Shouldn't be a problem. Macs and Wacoms go waaaaaaaaay back.
Hi MarkL,
Check this link to find an Apple Store near you:
http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=apple+store+yonkers+ny
I agree with the other poster’s comments (Lil’Freeper), Photoshop Elements is good for most types of users including beginners. There are freeware and shareware out there good for graphics, try this link:
http://www.versiontracker.com/macosx/graphics/image-edit
Versiontracker.com is a great place to go for safe, reliable and clean software downloads.
Filenames are not a problem...although each platform does have its limitations. Just don’t use puctuations, and you are usually okay.
The Wacom Tablet is probably a USB...I don’t know how long ago they stopped selling the serial port tablets, but that type wouldn’t work in any case.
All the included Mac Applications are wonderful for beginners, especially iPhoto...very nice app.
Lastly, you don’t really gain much buying from a third party. They really can’t mark the Mac down very much or even enough to make it worth it, though sometimes they will throw in a printer or some other thing to make it more worthwhile.
I would buy directly from an Apple Store. Go to one near you and speak with a representative, I have found them to be fairly good, but as with anything, you might get someone who is less talented. They will usually ask questions of their co-workers, though, if they don’t know.
#1) The best place is an apple store everything else it hit or miss
The Closest to Yonkers without having to go into Manhattan or Jersey would be
125 Westchester Ave
White Plains, NY 10601
(914) 428-1877
#2) I dont know I would be as careful as any other time you buy from a third party on line
#3) Im not sure about built in but there is a ton of freeware that is ‘paint’ or better like GIMP http://www.gimp.org/macintosh/ Gimp will also be as good as elements for all but a small minority of users.
#4) File Computability is fine especially the image formats you mentioned
#5) The only area that Mac hardware has ever wonked me is with printers but that has gotten worlds better in the past several years. If its serial you’re SOL but looking at their site I cant even find your model number. The few items I did look at all had osx drivers..
First of all, it's "Mac" not "MAC"... MAC is an acronym referring to a Media Access Card. ;^)>I'm very surprised at her not getting knowledgeable Apple reps in an Apple store... I suggest she try again at the White Plains store. My experience and the experiences of my clients at Apple Stores is that they are very helpful and are also very knowledgeable about the availability of Mac software. Every time I have been in an Apple Store the staff has been willing to spend as much time with me as I require... Clerks at places like Best Buy and CompUSA or independent Apple resellers will be much less knowledgeable.
She might want to try the Apple flagship store on 5th Avenue... it's the largest in the world and is open 24/7/365. All the Apple Stores have free introductory classes... and you can also purchase a year's worth of 1 on 1 training for $99.
Perhaps you should go with her and assist with the questions. It would help her and let you become knowledgeable as well.
2) How dangerous is using mail order to save some money on the MACs? Has anyone used dealmac.com? Are there any reputable mail order MAC dealers? Are there any issues to watch out for when buying a new MAC mail order? What about warranty issues? What about going with a refurbed system?
MacMall, the Apple online Store, SmallDog, Amazon are all safe to use. Refurbed Macs are generally only available from Apple and come with a full factory warranty. It matters not to Apple where you buy your Mac... you can still get full service and technical support as well as warranty exchanges, etc., at the nearest Apple Store.
3) Does the MAC come with a paint program? How does it compare with some of the freeware/shareware or even commercial PC programs? Are there any freeware/shareware "paint" programs for MACs? Any decent (but simple) commercial paint programs? She may eventually also get Photoshop Elements for the MAC, but I have no doubt that this would be WAY beyond her. As I said, she doesn't really know anything about computers, and she has a HUGE phobia about them.
There are large numbers of Mac paint programs out there, commercial, shareware and freeware. Remember, the Mac has been the pre-eminent graphics platform for over 23 years.
4) How is file compatability between PCs and MACs? I figure that I'll either burn all of her work to CDs or maybe copy them onto a flash drive to move to the MAC. Are MACs OK with bitmap (.BMP) files? I'm sure that they're probably OK with TIFFs, PCX, GIF, and JPG (or am I assuming too much?)
You will have no problems. As to getting her work from the PC to the Mac, you can take both computers to the Apple Store and they will migrate all your documents for you for free. There are also some commercial applications that will do it.
5) She would like to be able to use some of her existing hardware if possible. She's got an HP Office Jet 6110 "All in One" and according to the HP web site, it should work. She's also got a Wacom graphics tablet, a CTE-430/W. I really couldn't find anything much about this on the Wacom web site. I did find a reference to the Graphire3 in a google search based on the model number. However, I don't know if this is a USB or a serial interface model (the Graphire3 mentions USB), and that question is WAY beyond what my step mother is able to answer for me. She's afraid to follow the cable and tell me what the connector looks like. If it is a USB model, it should work with no problems. I don't know about a serial model.
That should be no problem if the device connects via USB. You usually can plug in any device and the Mac will recognize it instantly and start using it... without installing any drivers. The Mac is truly plug-and-play. If the device has Bonjour, it is even easier. If it is REALLY OLD and uses a parallel port, she should buy new equipment anyway.
Just started switching from pc(xp) last summer. bought an older mac-mini as a desktop replacement for my oldest daughter. She loved it, so did I.
Then in October I bought a macbook refurb from store.apple.com, and will do so again. Probably far too soon, we kinda fight over it...
I can’t much speak to the software you are looking for.
My 14-yr-old started creating dvd’s for friends and youth-group within a week of the mini’s arrival.
Safari is a nice browser, still need FireFox for some things. If you get somewhere and Safari isn’t doing what you want, try FF.
Good luck. (Oh, and you came to the right place. Swordmaker does a great job - get on his mac ping list!!!)
I seem to recall that there's a CompUSA near Central Ave and 119
. . . but I seem to recall that CompUSA went belly up.
i bought my girl a macbook last xmas and myself one this xmas. best thing i ever did.
ichat is the craziest thing ever! built in webcam right in the frame of the computer. when i'm away, my girl and i just visit on video and it's like i'm home. well, almost.
really though, i would definitely go to a MAC store. they are great people who actually know what they are talking about. and they are great about servicing stuff they sold. MAC's are more expensive soup to nuts. you have to buy word/excel/office if you want it. but it's worth it. good luck!
ps - apple.com has some refurbished stuff from time to time and they stand behind their stuff. it is the official site. about 200 bucks cheaper too.
My first bit of advice to her was to go to an Apple store, sit down with a sales rep, and see if the computer can do what she wants it to do.
That is IMHO exactly what she should do, after she takes inventory of everything she uses, hardware and software, with her PC.My experience is that they do have the ability to answer questions. The Apple Store has its own repair section and its own consultation section. It is unlikely that she will have a question that they can't answer, IMHO, among all those people. My experience at my "local" (50 minute drive here on Long Island) Apple Store was that they were quite good, and no pressure at all. They could probably have egged me on a little, and sold about $500 more computer to me, but they didn't. They can't possibly be on commission.
In addition, they offer a $100 contract to provide up to one (15 minute, I think it is) consultation a week for a year. If you think you need it, that might be right up her alley. Assuming the Apple Store is reasonably accessible. If it were next door, I'd probably have bought it myself. They also have free classes on the use of the mac for particular applications, if she can find one at a convenient time that she's interested in. I'd have more interest in that if it were closer, too.
If she's tech phobic and also artsy, I would not consider failing to get her to an Apple Store if she were my mother (besides, Apple makes money on their stores, and I own a few shares of AAPL because I think Steve Jobs can get to the nub of what computers and digital devices should work like, and profitably get people to make it happen).
As to file compatibility, I bought the iWork package because I don't think a computer is a computer without a spreadsheet and a word processing program - and because my wife wanted to be able to read some Office files. I have tested the capability to do that, and it works. Some nice features in iWork, slanted toward making pretty documents incorporating images.
My son-in-law has an art degree and is a serious photography hobbyist - and he loves his Mac laptop. Macs are not built with sub-$1000 specs, tho . . .
I use photoshop for the Mac and it works great!
I would stear away from Paint programs as the ones I have seen want to save files at Bitmaps.
I use photoshop for the Mac and it works great!
I would steer away from Paint programs as the ones I have seen want to save files at Bitmaps.
Got a MacBook refurb from www.macconnection.com with a warranty for around $800. Works great,using it right now and never going back to pc.
CompUSA does sell Macs, but the knowledge level of the staff is hit or miss. Most CompUSA stores have a section dubed the "store with a store" with Mac hardware and software.
I was surprised to hear that you had a bad experience at the Apple store. In my experience, the folks there have been knowledgeable and helpful. But I've been using Macs for 20+ years, so I wasn't very demanding. And I'm sure it varies depending on how busy the store is at the moment -- the sales reps can't always sit with a customer for several minutes straight.
My advice to anyone thinking about switching to a Mac is to sit down with one and take it for a spin. An Apple store is okay for that, but better would be if you have a friend who could bring one over and walk her through it, say, over lunch or dinner.
2) How dangerous is using mail order to save some money on the MACs?
Not dangerous at all. New or factory-refurbed Macs haven Apple warranty, and you can buy AppleCare, the extended warranty. I'm not usually a fan of extended warranties, but I'd recommend it for a laptop.
Has anyone used dealmac.com?
Many, many times. Note that dealmac is not a retailer -- just a price-comparison site. The sister site for stuff that isn't Mac-specific is dealnews.com.
Are there any reputable mail order MAC dealers?
Anyone listed on dealmac.com is probably a safe bet. They drop dealers from their listings if there are enough unresolved complaints. I've done business with smalldog and a couple of others whose names I can't remember at the moment.
Mac prices tend to be fairly uniform, but you can still save a considerable chunk of change with mail-order. The law is that if you have a "business presence" in a given stat, you have to collect sales tax. If you buy from a smaller reseller with no presence in your state, you can escape the tax.
I bought a G3 iBook a little over 4 years ago, factory refurb, and the price direct from Apple was the same as the price from a third-party reseller. About a thousand bucks. But by going with the out-of-state site, I saved nearly a hundred bucks in sales tax.
Are there any issues to watch out for when buying a new MAC mail order? What about warranty issues? What about going with a refurbed system?
I have had no problems with Apple refurbs. Just make sure that it's a factory refurb, and not a vendor refurb -- Apple's warranty only applies if they did the refurbing.There is a section on the online Apple store where they sell refurbs and discontinued models.
3) Does the MAC come with a paint program? How does it compare with some of the freeware/shareware or even commercial PC programs? Are there any freeware/shareware "paint" programs for MACs? Any decent (but simple) commercial paint programs?
I use Photoshop, and I don't know all that much about the competitors. But the GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a popular paint and photo-editing program. It made its fame on *ix, but it runs on OS X. Freeware, open source.
http://www.gimp.org/downloads/
4) How is file compatability between PCs and MACs?
Pretty much a non-issue these days. If her files are in a standard format, no worries -- and if they're in an oddball format, you can export from the PC or find a translator.
I figure that I'll either burn all of her work to CDs or maybe copy them onto a flash drive to move to the MAC. Are MACs OK with bitmap (.BMP) files? I'm sure that they're probably OK with TIFFs, PCX, GIF, and JPG (or am I assuming too much?)
No problem with any of those. And if you're comfortable with popping open the PC case, it might be less hassle to just buy a firewire or USB external drive enclosure and hook the PC drive straight to the Mac.
5) She would like to be able to use some of her existing hardware if possible. She's got an HP Office Jet 6110 "All in One" and according to the HP web site, it should work. She's also got a Wacom graphics tablet, a CTE-430/W. I really couldn't find anything much about this on the Wacom web site. I did find a reference to the Graphire3 in a google search based on the model number. However, I don't know if this is a USB or a serial interface
I had no luck with a model number search -- all the google hits are in Japanese. Did she get the tablet in Asia? The closest i got was the CTE/b1, and it indeed is supported on OS X. The printer/scanner should be just fine and dandy. I think all HPs are supported on the Mac.
