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Help me out! I just got a Mac

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purplejumpsuit
Posts: 2208 - Karma: 157
Okay I just got a mac and I am actually rather scared by it haha.
People always say mac's cant get viruses and jazz like that.. does that actually mean I can go about and download whatever and it will be fine? I don't plan on doing that, I just want to know how safe it really is.

Also I have an external hard-drive.. it has all my photos and music and a few other little things from my other computer. I'd rather only take stuff off it and put it on the computer when I need it/am in the middle of a project using the stuff, but about my music I'm thinking it may be nice to have all that on the computer, is it a bad idea to put that much on all at once tho? (4000 + songs) will it slow my computer down?

also if you guys have any helpful advise for taking care of a mac, or just a laptop because its my first one, I feel out of my element with this one and its a big investment.

so far all I've done is watched some quick start stuff, and downloaded skype because I know that is one thing I will use.

And sorry for asking a for help on a topic I know has been asked about before.. I tried hunting a little but I didn't really know what to look for.
Aug 17 2010 8:22PM
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eheath
Posts: 61475 - Karma: 122,089
Put as much on your HD as you want, just make sure there is always 1 or 2 gb free.
Aug 17 2010 8:45PM
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purplejumpsuit
Posts: 2208 - Karma: 157
Very good to know.. Is it easy to check how full it is?

Aug 17 2010 8:47PM
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.steezymcgoose.
Posts: 310 - Karma: 72
just got a mac as well, i tansferred all my music, pics, movies/vidoes onto it using as external and it didn't get slower or anything.

i have also heard they generally don't get viruses but im not sure how true that is, sorry wish i was more help!
Aug 17 2010 9:13PM
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.Max.
Posts: 2930 - Karma: 701
Clean the screen regularly, get a hard cover for it if it's a regular Macbook and don't drop it anywhere, like even from a foot up onto a couch. Just be as gentle as possible. Mine is not in perfect condition anymore due to a little bit of that...
Aug 17 2010 9:14PM
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.Max.
Posts: 2930 - Karma: 701
Click for larger image

This is kind of hard cover I have and it works very well, it's also cheap and comes in a wide range of colors.
Aug 17 2010 9:18PM
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purplejumpsuit
Posts: 2208 - Karma: 157
im buying a bag to carry it around in tomorrow.. can I get one of those covers for a 17 inch macbook pro?
Aug 17 2010 9:28PM
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.Max.
Posts: 2930 - Karma: 701
I would assume so. You won't need it as much as you would a regular macbook due to it being made out of metal but every line of defense counts.
Aug 17 2010 10:27PM
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miroz
Posts: 10333 - Karma: 3,945
The reason Macs don't get viruses isn't because they are better equipped to deal with them; its because the people who design viruses direct their attacks at PCs - it is still a PC world, and PCs are the biggest pool of targets. To be fair, even though its way easier to get a virus on a PC, the technology people have developed some pretty pimp ass security shit - you don't get that for Macs. Technically, a PC is WAY safer due to this - the simple fact that there aren't many viruses for Macs makes them safe.

As for the HD, just do what you gotta do - leave some space open, like Heath said, just in case, but I found that all my music and even all my videos (even the .avi) played fine on my Mac. No problems at all.

Buy a mode of transportation for it. I have a backpack that I'm going to use. You can buy locks for them too - I plan on getting one before I go away. Macs, and especially MBPs, are really attractive to people looking to steal, and carry a pretty high resale value - keep yours under lock and key.

On a side note, has anyone bought that neoprene case they offer with it? Was it a good buy or just a bulky anti scratching device?
Aug 17 2010 10:34PM
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