Mac Help

meme
meme Posts: 4,695
edited April 2008 in Technical Stuff and Help
Hi,

I am ready to take the plunge and move to a Mac!

I have decided to go for a MacBook 2GB memory, 160GB drive.

I mostly do word processing and music listening, so I figured that's enough.
I am at the high end of my price range, and I have two questions:

should I go for the 3 year Protection plan for 183 bucks?
what software do I need to start word processing and transferring my Word documents from day one?

Thanks :)
... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • LightYears55
    LightYears55 Posts: 47
    I just bought that exact same cpu today...I can't wait.
    Sorry, don't know the answer to your questions though...
  • meme
    meme Posts: 4,695
    One more specific question... I see that there is a regular office 08 version on sale for 399 and a home and student edition for 149.95, but can't tell the difference.
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • meme
    meme Posts: 4,695
    LightYears55 wrote:
    I just bought that exact same cpu today...I can't wait.
    Sorry, don't know the answer to your questions though...

    I'm excited, it looks so pretty :o. Is it your first Mac?
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • norm
    norm Posts: 31,146
    meme wrote:
    Hi,

    I am ready to take the plunge and move to a Mac!

    I have decided to go for a MacBook 2GB memory, 160GB drive.

    I mostly do word processing and music listening, so I figured that's enough.
    I am at the high end of my price range, and I have two questions:

    should I go for the 3 year Protection plan for 183 bucks?
    what software do I need to start word processing and transferring my Word documents from day one?

    Thanks :)

    i didn't get the protection plan (couldn't afford it after buying the computer)but i believe you can buy it later

    i'm not on the mac side of my macbook right now but i believe it comes with a trial version of office for mac.....microsoft is not longer support it though so you will want to get iWork which includes a word processor, spreadsheet etc - just like office

    :)
  • meme
    meme Posts: 4,695
    cutback wrote:
    i didn't get the protection plan (couldn't afford it after buying the computer)but i believe you can buy it later

    i'm not on the mac side of my macbook right now but i believe it comes with a trial version of office for mac.....microsoft is not longer support it though so you will want to get iWork which includes a word processor, spreadsheet etc - just like office

    :)

    Thank you... will pass on the protection plan then. I absolutely need to have a very smooth transition of my Word documents to the Mac. Do you think it could work with... iWork? :)
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • norm
    norm Posts: 31,146
    meme wrote:
    Thank you... will pass on the protection plan then. I absolutely need to have a very smooth transition of my Word documents to the Mac. Do you think it could work with... iWork? :)

    http://www.apple.com/iwork/pages/#compatible

    :)
  • meme
    meme Posts: 4,695
    cutback wrote:
    http://www.apple.com/iwork/pages/#compatible

    :)


    I was looking at the exact same thing... this is what worries me:

    Getting the word out.
    When it’s time to share Pages documents with friends and colleagues, you can export them as PDF documents, in Word .doc format, as RTF, or as plain text documents. Or send your documents to iWeb for publication on your website as Pages ’08 or PDF documents. (For the former, readers will need a copy of Pages; for the latter, Preview or Adobe Reader.)

    I don't seem too seamless...
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • norm
    norm Posts: 31,146
    meme wrote:
    I was looking at the exact same thing... this is what worries me:

    Getting the word out.
    When it’s time to share Pages documents with friends and colleagues, you can export them as PDF documents, in Word .doc format, as RTF, or as plain text documents. Or send your documents to iWeb for publication on your website as Pages ’08 or PDF documents. (For the former, readers will need a copy of Pages; for the latter, Preview or Adobe Reader.)

    I don't seem too seamless...

    well that's to export files......if this is a concern then you'll have to break down and get office for mac.....unless anyone else has a way around this
  • meme
    meme Posts: 4,695
    cutback wrote:
    well that's to export files......if this is a concern then you'll have to break down and get office for mac.....unless anyone else has a way around this

    I'll ask around. I just don't want to pay for the iWork and then have to buy some version of Office later on.

    Damn, whenever I think I'm all ready to click the buy button a thousand questions come up :o

    But thanks for your help, you have been very kind :)
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • chiquimonkey
    chiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    i'd go with the student license of the office software just to be safe. i ws able to get the adobe creative suite through my work, they had a sale where staff could get the student license....saved a bunch of money and it was the exact same software, so i'm sure the office suite should be the same way, just ask to be sure.

    i LOVE my macbook to pieces....it rocks!
  • meme
    meme Posts: 4,695
    chiquimonkey wrote:
    i'd go with the student license of the office software just to be safe. i ws able to get the adobe creative suite through my work, they had a sale where staff could get the student license....saved a bunch of money and it was the exact same software, so i'm sure the office suite should be the same way, just ask to be sure.

    i LOVE my macbook to pieces....it rocks!


    Nice, thank you!

    I can't wait :D
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • chiquimonkey
    chiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    meme wrote:
    Nice, thank you!

    I can't wait :D
    once you go mac..... :D heehee i have one at work, and went with the laptop for home. i love it. it's just so much more intuitive a system...have fun!
  • GoingToLukins
    GoingToLukins Posts: 232
    Macs no longer come with the 30 free trials of iWork or Office, but you can download a trial version of iWork from Apple.com/iWork, that way you can test its ease-of-use. Documents from iWork are cross compatible with microsoft if they are saved as .Doc or .Rtf formats.

    As far as the warranty goes, you have within the first year to buy it. It covers any technical issue with the computer, but not accidental damage, like having it drop or liquid spilled on it. The extended warranty also covers phone support ; which Apple normally charges $50 a call for.

    Also, ask about their .Mac service, you save 30% when you buy a new computer. It offers some pretty useful features. They are also having a promotion where you get a $100 mail in rebate toward the purchase of a printer, so you might want to ask about that too of you need a printer.



    Three crooked hearts, swirls all around

    You can't spell Gossard without G-O-D
  • zacman13245
    zacman13245 Posts: 294
    you may wanna look into the protection plans, Mac hardware and screen replacements/batteries can get kinda pricey.
    I'm spinning, oh, I'm spinning

    6/30/2008 - Mansfield, MA.
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  • meme
    meme Posts: 4,695
    Thank you guys!

    I'm going to ask a few questions to colleagues to check on Word compatibility in a university environment and then I'm set!

    I need to get more life out of my old old printer, since I'm really stretching my budget. But I may go for the protection plan after all.

    Thanks again!
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • Slip Kid
    Slip Kid Posts: 1,175
    I have a MacBook Pro.. it's fucking amazing
    I just don't trust anything that bleeds for five days and doesn't die.
  • faithful227
    faithful227 Posts: 352
    I love my MacBook. I've had it for a few months now and once I got past the learning curve of using Windows for so long it has been amazing.

    As for Word documents, I bought the $149.99 version on Office 08 for Mac. It came with Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Messenger, and Entourage. I have been more than satisfied transferring files from my Windows laptop. The biggest pain in the ass was transferring my iTunes though. That took some time.

    Anyway, feel free to PM me with any other questions you may have and enjoy your Mac :)
    VHC member #155***

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  • meme
    meme Posts: 4,695
    faithful227 wrote:
    I love my MacBook. I've had it for a few months now and once I got past the learning curve of using Windows for so long it has been amazing.

    As for Word documents, I bought the $149.99 version on Office 08 for Mac. It came with Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Messenger, and Entourage. I have been more than satisfied transferring files from my Windows laptop. The biggest pain in the ass was transferring my iTunes though. That took some time.

    Anyway, feel free to PM me with any other questions you may have and enjoy your Mac :)

    Thank you so much :)

    This may have been the tipping point. I was a little concerned about file transfers, but my old Dell is so overloaded I am actually thinking about starting over and copying directories on a need-to-have basis.

    I also plan on starting over with Itunes and manually update my Ipod.

    So you don't have any issues sending and receiving word files from PC users, correct?

    Thanks again :)
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • Slip Kid
    Slip Kid Posts: 1,175
    meme wrote:
    Thank you so much :)

    This may have been the tipping point. I was a little concerned about file transfers, but my old Dell is so overloaded I am actually thinking about starting over and copying directories on a need-to-have basis.

    I also plan on starting over with Itunes and manually update my Ipod.

    So you don't have any issues sending and receiving word files from PC users, correct?

    Thanks again :)

    I would recommend a USB hard drive with the MacBook. Time Machine won't run on the hard drive that you have installed.

    I have had no problems reading documents in iWork that were created in Word. I have old school reports that I had done in Word and I've easily opened them in iWork.

    If you are worried I'd go with Office 08
    I just don't trust anything that bleeds for five days and doesn't die.
  • meme
    meme Posts: 4,695
    Slip Kid wrote:
    I would recommend a USB hard drive with the MacBook. Time Machine won't run on the hard drive that you have installed.

    I have had no problems reading documents in iWork that were created in Word. I have old school reports that I had done in Word and I've easily opened them in iWork.

    If you are worried I'd go with Office 08


    It has horrible, horrible reviews. I'll try iWork and see if it's enough. Perhaps by then the glitches in Office 2008 will be solved.

    Thanks again everyone :)
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.

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