Never realised how I would miss internet connection

[Benchwayze]

For some reason my PC decided it didn't want to talk to t'interweb.

Number One Son wasn't available, so after six days of trying to sort the problem I decided to buy a cheap laptop to get online.
I duly attended at PC World, and had a sort through what they had in stock. It was rather like an Axminster moment. You know; when you go in just for some clutch-tabbets for a slip-lock whatch-ya-ma-call-it and you come out with a new planing machine.

Of course; I came out of PC World with an iMac Desktop set-up. No problem getting it home and inside BTW!

Wow! Should've done it years ago!

I am finding it quite a learning curve. One or two strange difference immediately presented themselves. There doesn't appear to be a delete button; just a backspace which is awkward when you accidentally hit the return button. I can't just delete the return and have to retype sentences after manually positioning the cursor.

The scroll on the mouse is back to front!

I also couldn't find way of copying and pasting my emergency password into UKW, 'cos I forgot mine of course!

Oh well, I suppose I will sort these things eventually.

Overall impressions so far. Where have I been all my life! What a revelation!

Cheers John

 

[Zeddedhed]

John, welcome to the light!

Leaving the Darkside can cause some temporary confusion and mild disorientation but ultimately you are now on the path to fulfilment and happiness.

New iMacs come with a cordless keyboard which if I'm not mistaken is a cut down version of a standard keyboard, more akin to a laptop.

You can replace this with a normal keyboard (Apple or otherwise) for the good old 'delete' experience.

The mouse scroll action can be changed in settings.

All passwords can be stored in Apple Keychain so you don't need to remember anything.

I'm sure that the Sith will be along soon decrying Apples greatness, maybe even some Apple users (remember Chancellor Palpatine).

Just ignore them and get an iCloud account and an iPad and you will achieve Jedi mastery.

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

I recently changed from an Android phone to an iPhone (new job, new company mobile) and I was astounded at how much less integrated the iPhone is. If you type in a phone number, then decide you'd rather send a text message, you can't just send a text message with the number you've typed in - you either turn it into a contact first, or dump it and try again in messages. Except that you can't, by default, send a text message to someone who doesn't have an iPhone - you have to turn off iMessage, which isn't in messages, it's in the main settings section. You can't swipey-type without a third party keyboard, which needs settings changed in three different places to be the default keyboard, and then still isn't always the default keyboard. It doesn't charge from a standard USB cable - and, even worse, you can't necessarily borrow a charging cable from another iPhone user because the connectors have changed at least once! You can't combine contacts, so if you have the same person several times you can link the details between the entries, but you then end up with multiple entries all showing the same information, and deleting any of them removes the information from all the linked entries too.

I was genuinely astounded at how poor the interface design is (and I come from an interface design background). Android isn't perfect, and the iPhone has some nice features (the voicemail handling is very neat) but I'm stil baffled that so many iPhone users seem to think it's a brilliant bit of interface design. You can't even arrange the app icons freely!

And relax...

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Mmm...I have both IOS devices....a long time windows user for business and more recently some android devices. For basic simplicity I like IOS. But I don't like being tethered to the app store as I'm used to the (chaos) flexibility of PC. Android is scoring more points with me as I get used to it as a compromise between the two and there is no way on God's Green earth I will pay the price Apple wants for the iphone 6. In fact I have to say that the pricing of the 6 seems to have marked a point in Apple's history where their marketing folk have finally lost it. For me anyway but given the huge volume of pre-orders for the 6S it appears there is a veritable army of buyers lining up to have the mickey taken out of them so roll.....bring on the mortgage for your phone era! I may be in danger of entering rant territory so I think I'll shut up and take the kids to school!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

And before someone starts justifying that price tag with...yeah but you don't need to buy a camera and....you don't need a laptop and......you don't need a music player and......just shut it

 

[RogerS]

I recently changed from an Android phone to an iPhone (new job, new company mobile) and I was astounded at how much less integrated the iPhone is. ....
And relax...

I have to agree with you there (even as a dedicated Mac-ophile). I can't get on with iOS at all. Give me Android any day. Having said that I wouldn't use my Android phone for anything sensitive like banking online. Android security compared to iOS is shot-to-hell.

John....if you make a mistake then usually CMD-Z will reverse it. Not always but worth a try. Glad you are pleased with your purchase!

 

[RogerP]

The OP was actually talking about a desktop system not a phone. :shock:

 

[Benchwayze]

Great! I logged in this morning, and the machine didn't work. Contacted support and 3/4 of an hour later I am finally back online. Something was awry with 'Keychain'. They advised me to take the machine back to the supplier at first, but after a load of jiggery-pokery it's working again.

All I need now is to find out how to enlarge the text in the reply box, and how to make the dictionary learn new words and I am golden!

Thanks Folks. Maybe it will settle down after a nice cup of Earl Grey, sans milk! (For me, not the machine!) :mrgreen:

 

[RogerS]

John, can you tell us a bit more about the symptoms you had? When you say 'switched it on'....do you mean from the back button or waking it from sleep? My advice is to leave it in sleep mode and not keep switching it on. I find it strange that keychain was the culprit but without knowing a bit more about your symptoms difficult to say.

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi Roger,

When I shut down last night all was apparently well.

This morning I was asked for a password, which I didn't have, as I was under the impression I had 'instructed' the system to allow password free logging on. Apparently not. I spent a good 90 minutes trying to access the net, via my phone, to make a new password. This I did, eventually. Wrote it down this time!

When I finally logged on, the 'keychain' program came in, asking for passwords for all of the programs on the machine.
I don't know the reasons other than the helpful guy at the other end of the phone said there was a glitch in the software. So he took me back to 'new machine' state, via screen to screen, and reopened the set-up. He also made me an 'administrator!), Touch wood All ist in ordnung! I hope it's now just a case of user familiarisation.

(And I swear the text is changing when I look away. I hope there's not some arcane 'text predictor' involved. ) :mrgreen:

Cheers

 

[Benchwayze]

And before someone starts justifying that price tag with...yeah but you don't need to buy a camera and....you don't need a laptop and......you don't need a music player and......just shut it

TBH Bob, I almost went for the next model up; but the differences were slight; and I didn't really need them anyway. The bigger screen would've been a bit of a gloat though! :lol:

 

[RogerS]

Most strange, John. It's always a good idea for the main user to have Admin status (with a log-on password if there are any other potential 'eavesdroppers' around!). You will also find that often when you are installing or trying to install a new program or update to an existing one that you will be asked for your admin password. This is all good security but make sure you develop a healthy 'Now why is it asking me for my password?' attitude just in case you inadvertently stray into some website trying to get you to instal a dodgy program (about the only way a virus etc can get onto your Mac). You will also find that some programs out there that are not part of the App store will be blocked from being installed unless you specifically tell your Mac it's OK.

Another useful trick is to have an extra 'test' user. If you do develop a 'funny' in the future then having this simple 'test' user lets you log in to that account to see if it also has the same 'funny'. If it does then the 'funny' is overall system related. If it does not then the 'funny' is specific to your main account and often can be cleared up with erasing the relevant preference file....but you're not going to need that for ages, I'm sure. At least the 'test' account elimination approach is a useful diagnostic.

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks Roger. I still have to find out how to copy and paste! For such things as URLs and text from a WP to a forum...
Nothing is intuitive. Clicking the mouse garners nothing!

 

[RogerS]

Just click your mouse button and hold it down and drag across your text, CMD-c (same as a PC IIRC) and then CMD-V to paste it in. Or do a CMD-A which may.may not select all the text or URL then the CMD-C (copy) CMD-V. Mind you I guess it depends on your mouse type. I don't use an Apple mouse but a Logitech one with scroll wheel which is good for SketchUp.

Double click should select a word. Triple click - the paragraph (usually!)

Which version of the OS are you using. I would guess Yosemite (got to the Apple icon top lh and click on it > About this Mac. It will say 10. something)

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks again Roger.

Proved to be simple, but not so instant as the old left-click.

Highlight the URL, press control, select copy, and then click the url. Same thing to paste into a form or Forum reply box.

I think the picture of El Captain on my screen must mean I am on Yosemite.

Got it as you can see by my thumbs-up!

Cheers

 

[JSW]

Sorry to go off-topic, just browsing the forum and came across ...

Double click should select a word. Triple click - the paragraph (usually!)

I never knew that! And I thought I knew shortcuts (on a PC) Cheers!!

 

[petermillard]

Proved to be simple, but not so instant as the old left-click.

If you're using the standard Apple Mouse you can set up the right (secondary) click from System Preferences > Mouse > Point & Click; there are no buttons, you just click on the right-hand side of the mouse - works a treat.

I think the picture of El Captain on my screen must mean I am on Yosemite...

More likely that you're on OS X 10.11 - El Capitan As Roger said,  (top left) > About This Mac will confirm it for you.

HTH Pete

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks Pete.
And yes, like I said; El Capitano! :lol:

I knew there was an auto-correct in my spell checker! At least, that's my excuse!


Cheers

 

[woodpig]

We've had our iMac nearly six years now and it's not missed a beat but these days we use our iPads most of the time. I normally pick things up pretty quick, I certainly did with the iPad but a friend wanted help with their Hudl which I found very unintuitive. :roll:

 

[woodfarmer]

You guys are lucky.
August 22nd our telephone line was killed in a storm.
No phone or internet until Sep 9th when they eventually installed a temporary line ( waiting for trees to be pruned on government land before installing new correct cable)
Sep 17th new temporary line cut by council trimming hedges. They call telephone company after I make temporary repair. telephone company install another temporary line.
Monday 21 sep, ditch cleaning by the council destroys temporary line again. Re installed.
29 sep temporary line breaks and repaired again by me.
Heavy rain today, internet off for 4-5 hours.

The good news, the trees will be pruned next week !!! but we will be away visiting grand kids.

I do wish I could get ADSL . (Live too far from exchange to have broadband).