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My New MAC... Episode One

By Karen Anne Stone

Real Estate Agent with New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County

December 06, 2007 11:59 PM

I have received many requests from Active Rainers about my new "adventure" in buying a MAC.

I am not sure if some folks had simply been thinking about getting a MAC, and wanted to see how things went with my purchase, or if their frustration with the new Windows Vista operating system had become the last straw for them... and that's why they were thinking about getting a MAC.

Either way, I am going to start a "new thread" sharing my continuing story about me and my new MAC.

* * * * *

Yesterday was my MAC class Number One. I have just been amazed at how the folks at the Apple Store seem to really bend over backwards to provide super customer service. It appears to rival the service Nordstrom provides their customersl. My "creative consultant" yesterday was a young man named Jesse.

He could not have been more wonderful than he was. He's young, he's a "techie"... but he is also a great teacher... great at one-to-one... and great people skills. He was easy to talk to, I didn't feel like a Numbie when I asked questions, and if I wanted him to totally repeat what he just showed me... he could not have been nicer. Thanks Jesse !

Three days ago I was invited to take my new MAC and my PC that I had been using to the Apple Store. One of the services they provide... free... is to take all the photos, documents, "favorite places," and whatever else I select... and transfer them from my PC to my new MAC.

Yesterday was double fun. My "transfer" was complete, and yesterday was also my first "one-to-one" lesson on how to use my MAC. What is even more astounding, is that with my first lesson being over... I still have fifty-one more one hour one-to-one lessons to go. How Cool Is That !

So at yesterdays lesson # 1, I was shown all the differences between the PC desk top and my MAC desk top. It was not as complicated as I thought. The PC Internet Explorer on my PC is the "Safari" on my MAC. I had no trouble accessing Active Rain on the new MAC. Making changes to my posts, or creating a new post... were pretty much the same on the MAC as on my PC.

The mouse works slightly differently on the MAC. I was shown exactly how it works... hands on... and that means "my" hands on "my very own" MAC. And... after the lesson was over, they carried my new toy back out to my car for me... and off I went.

My next lesson is next week. Another Hour... One-To-One... just me and my "Creative Counselor." I Can't Wait ! If you are thinking about getting a MAC... please comment below. If you have any specific questions about MAC... please ask below, and I will put your question on my list for my MAC class Number Two !

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You may visit Karen Anne's website at www.NewHomeHuntersOfTarrantCounty.com . Karen Anne can be reached at (817) 929-3400 . Her email is KarenAnneStone@gmail.com .

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TeamCHI - Complete Home Inspections, Inc.

Complete Home Inspections, Inc. - Brentwood, TN

Home Inspectons - Nashville, TN area - 615.661.029

I am not that familiar with a MAC! I have heard too many horror stories about Vista. I was reading the blogs about this system long before it was launched by MS. I purchased the last 2 remaining laptops with XP at my local store. I wish I could use a MAC but my inspection program used a VB shell and must run on a windows machine. BYW - I never purchase a now OS until they have come out with at least Service Pack 2!

Dec 07, 2007 12:11 AM

Patricia Kennedy

RLAH@properties - Washington, DC

Home in the Capital

Oh, Karen Anne! I'm so excited for you! By the way, I use Firefox instead of Safari - it's easier to download photos into my blogs. My big Mac is now about to celebrate it's 3rd birthday and still is as fast and adorable as the day I plugged it in!

Also, good move taking the classes - a Mac is not all that automatically intuitive after you've been using a PC.

So Congratulations!

Dec 07, 2007 12:46 AM

Karen Anne Stone

New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Real Estate

Hi Michael: Yes... I think the latest Windows Brainstorm... Windows Vista... has many, many detractors. I hate it. After I bought it, and worked with Vista for awhile, I went back and asked if they could delete Vista, and put XP in its place. Noper... No Can Do ! And, your suggestion about waiting for the issuance of Service Pack 2 before buying an new OS... Operating System... is a great idea. Thanks so much for sharing.

Dec 07, 2007 01:01 AM

Karen Anne Stone

New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Real Estate

Hi Patricia: Great idea. I will ask about Firefox during my next one-to-one lesson at the Apple Store. And... buying and playing with this new MAC has really boosted my energy level. My market is slower, and it's easy to lose one's energy when things slow down. Thanks so much for sharing. By the way... are ther any MAC groups here on Active Rain ? If so, please share the links with me for each of them, or any other groups you might think would benefit me. Thanks so much for sharing. Take care...

Dec 07, 2007 01:05 AM

Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman

Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI

(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE

My husband ran Vista on both his pc's and took it off and put XP back on...whenever there is a new operating system there are bound to be "bugs". I did not change on mine either because I bought an expensive laser all in one and it was not going to work right. I'll wait...no biggie...we wipe and reload at least twice a year anyway. (hubbie builds and upgrades our pc's :) I don't know much about MAC.

Dec 07, 2007 01:21 AM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Karen Anne, my daughter who is now a flight attendant but graduated from UNT as a graphic artist has a mac and loves it. She does not have near the spam that I get. I have been concerned that all my real estate programs are made for a PC so have stuck with the PC so will be curious how it comes along for you.

Dec 07, 2007 01:32 AM

Karen Anne Stone

New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Real Estate

Hi Sally: I just wrote this wonderful response to your above comment, and then clicked "submit comment"... and the entire thing disappeared. It went off into cyberland somewhere. I will try and re-create it. Here goes...

How nice to have such a wonderfully helpful hubby ! I wish I could remove Vista and replace it with XP... but the folks at Best Buy told me it took an incredible amount of work. So, I am thinking about selling the Vista PC. Wanna buy one ? LOL.

I didn't know very much about MAC's at all either. But... I had heard so many wonderful things about them from people who owned MAC's, that I started researching them on my own. The more I read, and the more I learned, the more convinced I was that I simply needed to give MAC an honest try. So, I took the plunge. My thoughts are that it will take anywhere from six months to a year of these lessons until I get "adept" at using my new lil MAC baby. I am more than OK with that. My PC knowledge is "adequate"... but I intend to learn how to use my MAC inside out and backwards. I feel a challenge, and I am in just the right mood to take it on. Take care... have a great day !

Dec 07, 2007 01:37 AM

Karen Anne Stone

New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Real Estate

Hi Marchel: My daughter graduated from UNT too. In 1996. And, in a similar vein... right close by to UNT... University of North Texas... the Mean Green Machine... is Texas Woman's University. Just yesterday I have finally made the decision to go back to school. I am going to enroll in the Graduate School at TWU... and pursue a masters degree in Women's Studies. It is something I have wanted to do ever since I got my undergrad degree in Psychology. That, by the way, has been a super resource for me throughout my real estate career.

As far as PC programs not running on MACs... I had heard that, too. I think it was more prevalent in earlier versions of the MAC... but has been somewhat taken care of since then. But, I will find out, and post here what I discover. I will gladly share. But, that for me is one of the goals of blogging... at least for me, anyway. Sharing, and letting people get to know me. Thanks for commenting. Take care...

From what I know about Spring, Texas... I think it's a great area. I wish I knew more about it. I have been to The Woodlands several times, and really like that area. Going further into Houston... ummm... I'm not so sure about... LOL. The Woodlands is just about a three hour drive from where I live. Again... take care, and have a great day !

Dec 07, 2007 01:46 AM

Susie Roscoe

Signature Realty Associates - Brandon, FL

Real Estate Specialist | Brandon, FL

I'll be watching these updates - I bought a new Dell a few months ago and Vista is good but doesn't always play nice with my other programs. Sooo....keep the info FLYING!

Dec 07, 2007 09:44 AM

Kathleen Lordbock

Keller Williams Realty Professionals - Baxter, MN

Keller Williams Realty Professionals

Karen Ann - I am jealous - I want a Mac baby too. In fact I want a lap top, period - I feel so tethered to this old thing. What color did you get, what size and what kind of screen?

Dec 07, 2007 10:26 AM

Karen Anne Stone

New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Real Estate

Hi Susie: Oh, you'll get updates alright. Lots of them, and good ones, too. I purchased a new PC last December... so I could squeeze it in as a 2006 deduction. It also has VISTA. I tried to get it with XP... but they said they couldn't do it. Phooey. I find it very annoying to try and work with it. And yes, it does not "play well with others." Again... Phooey ! So... yes... the info will be FLYING. And who else better to share the story... than moi... former junior high teacher for nine years. I am going to try and give updates after every single class I have with my one-to-one lesson with my "creative consultant" at the Apple Store. And... I get Fifty Two of those one hour lessons. How cool is that !

Dec 07, 2007 12:03 PM

Karen Anne Stone

New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Real Estate

Hi Kathleen: Yes... I just had a "baby." But my baby MAC isn't much of a baby. It has a 24 inch screen, it is speedy... 2.8 giga-whatever duo processor. 2 Gig of Ram, 500 Gig hard drive... more stuff, and lots of included software. After typing that, it makes me look like I know what I'm doing. I don't... yet ! But, I have become a woman possessed. With fifty-two one hour classes included with my purchase, I am guessing within six months I should almost be "dangerous." I will provide updates, pictures, and stories as I learn. Take care...

Dec 07, 2007 12:13 PM

Aziz Abdur-Raoof

RE/MAX Rewards - Columbia, MD

Howard Co. Real Estate Scoop

Karen Anne --congrats on your new purchase. I'll be on the lookout for your posts.

Dec 08, 2007 06:00 PM

Karen Anne Stone

New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Real Estate

Hi Aziz: With this past crazy year of 2007 finally just about over, I needed to get myself a Christmas present so it would end on a positive note. And, I will keep you posted. Thanks for commenting.

Dec 08, 2007 11:24 PM

Christina Bennani-Persechini

Keller Williams Realty Boston North West - Lexington, MA

Realtor - The House For You

I love my Mac, I know you will enjoy it. I use parallels so I have a PC side too for certain programs. It's the best of both worlds.

Dec 11, 2007 10:11 AM

Karen Anne Stone

New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Real Estate

Hi Christina: What is "parallels?" I have not heard that term before. Thanks in advance.

Dec 12, 2007 01:18 AM

Michael I. Pulskamp

Mainstreet Brokers - Jackson, CA

REALTOR, EcoBroker, GREEN Desingnee

Karen Anne, Congrats on your choice!

I have run Mac's for ever! My mother jumped into tech (she was a reading specialist, teacher) with the TI-99, yup, even before commodore 64's were popular. Think of the time when only the geeks even thought of having a tape drive, and you could only lust after a 5.5 in. floppy.

We switched to Apple way back in the day, and since that time I have had 9 of them myself. My wife has had one hard drive go bad, and back in the late 80's I got a virus (a few times) from kinkos, I had no printer of my own then and if you took a disc in to print from, and then reused that disc you got a bug that would not let you print at kinkos again. That is the extent of the real problems that I can complain about. The thought of a wipe twice a year is amazing to me. Almost unthinkable! I think I have had to wipe and reload, maybe one time per machine.

As for running widows apps, over the years this problem has gotten less and less meaningful, after all, how many different golf games do you need. Real estate is really the first time that this has been an issue for me, and I got a great fix for it with my newest mac. Parallels, I run XP-pro native on my mac. Parallels is a great app that lets the intel mac's run windows os or many other os's as if they were the real os on the machine. I only use it for a few R.E. things that just haven't caught up with web based tech, and as such are not cross platform. It works great. All but invisible.

Dec 24, 2007 06:29 AM

Karen Anne Stone

New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Real Estate

Hi Michael: I have very little idea about many of the things you mention. I am guessing they are all sorts of earlier Mac's. I think I can guess about wipe and reload... you had some sort of a virus infect it and had to wipe the hard drive clean and re-load all it's goodies ? Did I guess right ? I was pretty decent with XP, so I guess this Parallels program would be a good thing to get.

I am still working on getting the hang of it. I have had two classes since I purchased it, but the classes filled up pretty quickly as Christmas got closer. I will try and get into them further after the first of the year, although I am sure they will be pretty full then, too.

Thanks for your comments. From what you say I am sure that once I get to where I know what I am doing, I will enjoy my Mac much more than I ever did my PC's. Just like on the TC commercial. Thanks for sharing. Have a Merry Christmas.

Dec 24, 2007 07:39 AM

Eric Egeland

RE/MAX SUBURBAN - Libertyville, IL

SFR, e-PRO, CDPE

recently replaced my home office pc w/ an imac......It is awesome. Just plugged it in & everything works.

Apr 01, 2008 06:05 PM