MacBook

[maisiemog]

So, after nearly a year of debating it I finally bit the bullet and brought a macbook. It’s a second hand refurbished one as I still can’t justify the £1000 for a new one. It’s a 2018 model so still fairly new And got it from Curry’s with my work employee perks discount.

Give me your best advice for the transition from a rubbish old windows laptop over to Mac. Any handy hints and tips, good software to get, advice etc?

I am hoping it will be a good investment as I make so much of my money through my laptop. Plan is to now squirrel cash away to get a brand new one next year and give this one to my daughter as she’s starting secondary school soon.

hope they live up to the hype now I’ve spent all this money!

 

[Jon]

So, after nearly a year of debating it I finally bit the bullet and brought a macbook. It’s a second hand refurbished one as I still can’t justify the £1000 for a new one. It’s a 2018 model so still fairly new And got it from Curry’s with my work employee perks discount.

Give me your best advice for the transition from a rubbish old windows laptop over to Mac. Any handy hints and tips, good software to get, advice etc?

I am hoping it will be a good investment as I make so much of my money through my laptop. Plan is to now squirrel cash away to get a brand new one next year and give this one to my daughter as she’s starting secondary school soon.

hope they live up to the hype now I’ve spent all this money!

In the last few years myself, @katykicker and @Chammy have all been through this journey!

I’ve got a 2015 one but it’s still rapidly fast!

I would just say accept anything you class as different to windows. On the whole the experience is the same it’s just much more quicker because her Apple operating system is written for their hardware and there is only about 5 or so MacBook configurations so everything works very well

my advice would be to pay the 79pa month or whatever for decent iCloud storage. I have NO local files on my MacBook, everything is in iCloud and I can access to files anywhere no matter which device I am using!

 

[Chammy]

In the last few years myself, @katykicker and @Chammy have all been through this journey!

I’ve got a 2015 one but it’s still rapidly fast!

I would just say accept anything you class as different to windows. On the whole the experience is the same it’s just much more quicker because her Apple operating system is written for their hardware and there is only about 5 or so MacBook configurations so everything works very well

my advice would be to pay the 79pa month or whatever for decent iCloud storage. I have NO local files on my MacBook, everything is in iCloud and I can access to files anywhere no matter which device I am using!

I don't personally have one, the husband does. I personally don't get on with Macs/Macbooks - I'm a windows gal through and through. I have an iPhone but only because the OS is better than Android lol.

 

[Jon]

Just been looking at the sort of apps I use on my mac.

For editing HTML or PHP I use SubeThaEdit

‎SubEthaEdit

‎The powerful plain text and source editor thats native on macOS. Free and open source. The app that started the collaborative editing revolution is back. Write articles, code, notes or meeting minutes with friends – wherever they are. Ideal for extreme programming sessions. SubEthaEdit...

apps.apple.com

FileZilla for FTP

‎FileZilla Pro - FTP and Cloud

‎FileZilla Pro is a fast and reliable FTP, FTPS, SFTP, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Box, Dropbox, Google Cloud Storage, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Azure Storage, OpenStack Swift (using Keystone v2) and WebDAV client with lots of useful features. FileZilla Pro comes with an intuitive...

apps.apple.com

SimpleMind for Mind Mapping

‎SimpleMind Pro

‎Mind mapping helps you organize your thoughts, remember information and generate new ideas. We've created a beautiful, intuitive app, so you can mind map wherever you are and whenever you want. SimpleMind Pro is designed to synchronize your Mind Maps across platforms. For example (as a separate p…

apps.apple.com

The rest of the software I use is very Internet based and is available on both platforms like Grammarly

Sophos is my AntiVirus of choice

If you have an iphone connect the same icloud account on your Mac. You can then take advantage of 'Photos' On the Mac so you take pictures on your iphone and they appear instantly on your Macbook!

 

[Jon]

Oh yeah and spotlight is your BEST FRIEND on the macbook!

Cmd + Spacebar

you can type in files you want to find

or even things like 100 usd as GBP and it will show you

if you want to do quick calculations you can type them in there as well!

It uses 'natural speak' so if you type 'Weather in Leeds' it will show you etc

Spotlight Secrets: 15 Ways to Use Spotlight on Your Mac - The Mac Security Blog

Do you use Spotlight on your Mac? Chances are you aren’t aware of everything Spotlight can do. This guide showcases 15 things you can use Spotlight for on your Mac.

www.intego.com

 

[Jon]

One more

System Preferences > Desktop & Screensaver

Choose one of the dynamic backgrounds. This will change over the course of the day to darker colours at night

System Preferences > General > Turn Dark Mode On

It will save your eyes in the long run!

 

[maisiemog]

Thanks for all the advice. Think I really need to dedicate a day to just play with it. I can already tell that it’s going to have been an amazing investment and I will really be able to up my game and earn more! Slightly regretting taking so long to do it!

 

[The Reverend]

I have a 2014 MacBook Pro and the only thing ‘wrong’ with it is the battery is no longer as good as it was.

things of note.

1) use the optimised software. Safari/Mail are designed to run on macs well, Google Chrome is a resource hog - ditch it if you can.
2) embrace the change. Mac is not Windows. It will do most of what you need easily, with no hassle.
3) Learn the new keyboard shortcuts. It will save you time in the long run.
4) don‘t keep it plugged in 24/7
5) buy the USBC Hub now.

Hopefully I’ll replace mine either this year or next (it might be 7 or 8 years old when I replace it!) and I paid £1000 brand new for an i7, 16gb, 500gb ssd, 2gb graphics 15“ MacBook Pro.

I certainly feel I’ve had my money’s worth from it.

 

[Jon]

I have a 2014 MacBook Pro and the only thing ‘wrong’ with it is the battery is no longer as good as it was.

things of note.

1) use the optimised software. Safari/Mail are designed to run on macs well, Google Chrome is a resource hog - ditch it if you can.
2) embrace the change. Mac is not Windows. It will do most of what you need easily, with no hassle.
3) Learn the new keyboard shortcuts. It will save you time in the long run.
4) don‘t keep it plugged in 24/7
5) buy the USBC Hub now.

Hopefully I’ll replace mine either this year or next (it might be 7 or 8 years old when I replace it!) and I paid £1000 brand new for an i7, 16gb, 500gb ssd, 2gb graphics 15“ MacBook Pro.

I certainly feel I’ve had my money’s worth from it.

Google chrome is a huge resource hog ain’t it! Battery drain line nobodies business!

why shouldnt I leave it plugging in 24/7. I just hibernate when not using it but I leave the laptop plugged in all the time upstairs

 

[MIch21]

My old MacBook pro lasted me for about 6/7 years. It just became really slow. I would never use any thing but Mac now.

I always let my MacBook drain in battery before recharging its never left plugged in. I think someone once told me this in the apple shop, keeps the battery in good nick.

 

[Jon]

My old MacBook pro lasted me for about 6/7 years. It just became really slow. I would never use any thing but Mac now.

I always let my MacBook drain in battery before recharging its never left plugged in. I think someone once told me this in the apple shop, keeps the battery in good nick.

Was that not the problem with old phone batteries though which is why you had to let them drain all the way down before charging again ideally

didn't know this was a thing for current Macbooks as well as I thought batteries had improved!

 

[MIch21]

Was that not the problem with old phone batteries though which is why you had to let them drain all the way down before charging again ideally

didn't know this was a thing for current Macbooks as well as I thought batteries had improved!

Im not sure - I think I'm just stuck on old habits.

 

[Jon]

Im not sure - I think I'm just stuck on old habits.

old ways are the best ways lol

 

[The Reverend]

Google chrome is a huge resource hog ain’t it! Battery drain line nobodies business!

why shouldnt I leave it plugging in 24/7. I just hibernate when not using it but I leave the laptop plugged in all the time upstairs

Its not good for the battery if it is constantly connected to power. You need to use the battery to maintain the battery.

 

[maisiemog]

I am in love! Never ever going back now! It’s amazing! Already know it’s going to be a worth while investment! I’m already more productive and I haven’t even figured out how to do half the things it’s capable of! Why did I wait so long?

 

[Jon]

I am in love! Never ever going back now! It’s amazing! Already know it’s going to be a worth while investment! I’m already more productive and I haven’t even figured out how to do half the things it’s capable of! Why did I wait so long?

Great to hear you are enjoying it!

Another good app I use is ToDoIst for keeping myself productive

‎Todoist: To-Do List & Tasks

‎Ranked as “the best to-do list right now” by The Verge, Todoist is used by 25 million people to organize, plan and collaborate on projects, both big and small. Use Todoist to: • Capture and organize tasks the moment they pop into your head. • Remember deadlines with reminders and due dates. •...

apps.apple.com

you say what took you so long to make the change, well if it was anything like me I was at the point of my existing laptop just getting SO slow and giving up the ghost and I figured since buying a new laptop is a business expense there was nothing to be gained by going cheap and getting another £300 windows laptop

As time goes on you may want to do what I have done which is buy an HD monitor + Apple Magic Keyboard + Apple Magic Mouse and plug your MacBook into all that so you can use a full-sized screen when you work!

 

[The Reverend]

As time goes on you may want to do what I have done which is buy an HD monitor + Apple Magic Keyboard + Apple Magic Mouse and plug your MacBook into all that so you can use a full-sized screen when you work!

This. They are great laptops but well worth using as part of a 2 screen setup with an external keyboard & mouse.

 

[maisiemog]

This. They are great laptops but well worth using as part of a 2 screen setup with an external keyboard & mouse.

I can’t do this. I have to work from my dining table at the moment so need to stick to a laptop. Eventually aim to set up a mini office in the recess but needs time and money! Sounds good though!