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View Full Version : Help, I've got a new iMac



Lory
29th-January-2008, 12:56 PM
Ok, its out of the box and I'm on it NOW.. :waycool:woo hoo


So, here's my first stupid question.. how the hell do you copy and paste something quickly:confused:

I'm used to right clicking.. Is there somewhere I can find a list of shortcuts?

Sorry in advance, I know i'm going to be a pain..:blush:

ducasi
29th-January-2008, 01:04 PM
You can turn on right-clicks in the Keyboard & Mouse panel of the System Preferences.

You can cut/copy/paste using the command key (with a funny pretzel or apple symbol on it) and 'X' to cut, 'C' to copy, and 'V' to paste.

You'll see these shortcuts on the right-hand side of entries in menus. There's lots that are fairly standard between applications.

You can find out more by typing "shortcuts" in the Finder "Help" menu...

Lory
29th-January-2008, 01:06 PM
Thanks, i'll have a go at those now! :cheers:

Dreadful Scathe
29th-January-2008, 01:35 PM
So, here's my first stupid question.. how the hell do you copy and paste something quickly:confused:

I'm used to right clicking.. Is there somewhere I can find a list of shortcuts?

right clicking to copy and paste ? how could you be bothered :eek: :)

Lory
29th-January-2008, 01:59 PM
right clicking to copy and paste ? how could you be bothered :eek: :)
I've never thought about it :)
Next thing.. its underlining 'my many' spelling mistakes as I type :blush: but when I click on the word (right or left), the line disappears but doesn't correct it offer alternatives?


Also, I've just spoken to my brother, who informs me that 'iMovie 8' is rubbish (according to those in the know) :tears: So apple have offered a free download of iMovie 6 for us new customers.. its a bit naff, having to take a step backwards, isn't it?

Anyway, I've just d/l mine! :rolleyes:

ducasi
29th-January-2008, 02:12 PM
.. its underlining 'my many' spelling mistakes as I type :blush: but when I click on the word (right or left), the line disappears but doesn't correct it offer alternatives?
Right clicking on a word should offer alternatives. If you haven't turned on right-clicks, control-clicking is the same thing. (If control-click is doing things that "right-click" isn't, you don't have right-clicks turned on.)

To make sure you get British spelling, rather than US, make sure that British English is at the top in the "Languages" list on the "International" control panel.

ducasi
29th-January-2008, 02:14 PM
Also, I've just spoken to my brother, who informs me that 'iMovie 8' is rubbish (according to those in the know) :tears: So apple have offered a free download of iMovie 6 for us new customers.. its a bit naff, having to take a step backwards, isn't it?
As I understand it, iMovie 8 is actually a totally new and different program to the previous iMovies. As such, it does some things better than the old ones, but it isn't as mature, and people used to the old ones miss some of the old features not yet available in the new one yet.

Hopefully iMovie 9 will have the best of both worlds when it comes out.

straycat
29th-January-2008, 02:19 PM
I've never thought about it :)
Next thing.. its underlining 'my many' spelling mistakes as I type :blush: but when I click on the word (right or left), the line disappears but doesn't correct it offer alternatives?

Is this when you're using Safari? Try right-clicking on the word, and choose Spellling & Grammer -> Show Spelling & Grammar



Also, I've just spoken to my brother, who informs me that 'iMovie 8' is rubbish (according to those in the know) :tears: So apple have offered a free download of iMovie 6 for us new customers.. its a bit naff, having to take a step backwards, isn't it?

I really like iMovie '08 - and I think it's in many ways the better product.
BUT
Apple did seriously mess up with this one. The problem is that it's not an upgrade to the previous version - it's in many fundemental ways a completely different project, bearing little resemblance to the previous version, and even more stupidly, missing some features that were in the '06 one. Plus - it locks you into a way of working which, while based on some great ideas, may well not suit everyone. Many people who are used to the old one were quite rightly up in arms about the whole thing.

As a newcomer to the system though, it's worth giving the latest version a try before ditching it.

Lory
29th-January-2008, 02:30 PM
Right clicking on a word should offer alternatives. If you haven't turned on right-clicks, control-clicking is the same thing. (If control-click is doing things that "right-click" isn't, you don't have right-clicks turned on.)

To make sure you get British spelling, rather than US, make sure that British English is at the top in the "Languages" list on the "International" control panel.Ive looked at the system preferences/mouse and it doesn't appear to offer 'enable right click' :confused: Its got lots of other options but none seemed to be appropriate.


Is this when you're using Safari? Try right-clicking on the word, and choose Spellling & Grammer -> Show Spelling & Grammar

Right clicking doesn't offer up anything, anywhere?


I really like iMovie '08 - and I think it's in many ways the better product.
BUT
Apple did seriously mess up with this one. The problem is that it's not an upgrade to the previous version - it's in many fundemental ways a completely different project, bearing little resemblance to the previous version, and even more stupidly, missing some features that were in the '06 one. Plus - it locks you into a way of working which, while based on some great ideas, may well not suit everyone. Many people who are used to the old one were quite rightly up in arms about the whole thing.

As a newcomer to the system though, it's worth giving the latest version a try before ditching it.
Well, I tried importing some clips in the '08 and was thinking I' was doing something wrong as it would only let me import photo's, not movies clips.. then I've just tried with '06 and hey presto, its sooo simple! :clap:

ducasi
29th-January-2008, 02:34 PM
Ive looked at the system preferences/mouse and it doesn't appear to offer 'enable right click' :confused: Its got lots of other options but none seemed to be appropriate.


Right clicking doesn't offer up anything, anywhere?
I'm going from memory here...

In the Mouse preferences, you should see a picture of your mouse with menus attached to different parts of it. I think Apple use the terms "Primary" and "Secondary" for what is normally left and right buttons.

So, the menu attached to the right-hand side of the mouse will say "Primary something". You should change it to "Secondary something"...

Let me know if I'm still not helping...

Lory
29th-January-2008, 02:39 PM
I'm You should change it to "Secondary something"...

Let me know if I'm still not helping...

BINGO!:clap::cheers:

straycat
29th-January-2008, 02:40 PM
Well, I tried importing some clips in the '08 and was thinking I' was doing something wrong as it would only let me import photo's, not movies clips.. then I've just tried with '06 and hey presto, its sooo simple! :clap:

Aye - well one of the daft things they seemed to have done is offer less of a range of file formats you can import. Not sensible, I admit.

Lory
29th-January-2008, 04:57 PM
Grr, my movies clips, have no sound, in iMovie :rolleyes:

I think the reason maybe cos they're shot with my little Sony T50, which (if I get this right?) save the sound on a different bit?


Anyone know a way around this?

David Bailey
29th-January-2008, 05:19 PM
Another tip, if you want some decent office software, is to download OpenOffice:
download: OpenOffice.org 2.3.1 Downloads (http://download.openoffice.org/2.3.1/index.html)

- it does all that MS Office does and more, and it's free :)

ducasi
29th-January-2008, 07:02 PM
Another tip, if you want some decent office software, is to download OpenOffice:
download: OpenOffice.org 2.3.1 Downloads (http://download.openoffice.org/2.3.1/index.html)

- it does all that MS Office does and more, and it's free :)
No, for the Mac, OpenOffice is not what you want. If you are looking for a free office package though, try NeoOffice (http://www.neooffice.org/). It's OpenOffice re-worked for the Mac.

Apple's iWork package though is much nicer. :)

David Bailey
29th-January-2008, 09:03 PM
No, for the Mac, OpenOffice is not what you want. If you are looking for a free office package though, try NeoOffice (http://www.neooffice.org/). It's OpenOffice re-worked for the Mac.
I thought OpenOffice was available for the Mac? Is it no good, then? :confused:

ducasi
29th-January-2008, 09:48 PM
I thought OpenOffice was available for the Mac? Is it no good, then? :confused:
It only runs inside X11 and doesn't have the Mac look'n'feel, doesn't use the Mac menu bar, doesn't do Mac fonts, etc, etc...

NeoOffice is much better, though I believe it uses a Java front-end. Much better, but still not great compared to Microsoft Office or Apple's iWork (which is pretty fab.)

Wikipedia has the scoop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeoOffice).

straycat
29th-January-2008, 10:03 PM
NeoOffice is much better, though I believe it uses a Java front-end. Much better, but still not great compared to Microsoft Office or Apple's iWork (which is pretty fab.)

Fully agree about iWork - great package... and far, far cheaper than Office.

Oh - and your iMac should have come with a demo of it pre-installed, so you can try before you buy. If not, you can easily download the demo from the Apple site.

mick s
30th-January-2008, 02:40 PM
Thought you were talking about hair removal for a minute! Have'nt been on for awhile and wondered what had happened.

Caro
7th-May-2008, 08:36 PM
Well I have a new macbook thingy and I'm useless so I need help :(

Can you get msn messenger other than the web-based version ? (I don't seem to be able to download a mac version of it ?)

sorry if that's a dumb question, any help appreciated :flower:

pmjd
7th-May-2008, 09:27 PM
here's the link you need Download details: Microsoft Messenger for Mac 6.0.3 (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2FCB0152-CAEA-49A5-8BDC-DB3D9FD2F006&displaylang=en)

Also this one is quite handy to have as it'll make quicktime alot better Perian - The swiss-army knife of QuickTime® components (http://perian.org/)

ducasi
7th-May-2008, 09:34 PM
Can you get msn messenger other than the web-based version ? (I don't seem to be able to download a mac version of it ?)
Adium (http://www.adiumx.com/) makes a good multi-protocol IM client. It can do MSN, Googletalk, Yahoo, AOL, and loads more. Great if you need to talk on more than one network. It also can be less obstrusive than the official clients for each network.

It doesn't do things like video and audio yet though.

straycat
7th-May-2008, 10:45 PM
Adium (http://www.adiumx.com/) makes a good multi-protocol IM client. It can do MSN, Googletalk, Yahoo, AOL, and loads more. Great if you need to talk on more than one network. It also can be less obstrusive than the official clients for each network.

:yeah:
I use Adium. Excellent program.

pmjd
7th-May-2008, 11:44 PM
I use Adium too:grin: spotting a trend here:rofl:

Dreadful Scathe
8th-May-2008, 07:57 AM
Well I have a new macbook thingy and I'm useless so I need help :(

Can you get msn messenger other than the web-based version ? (I don't seem to be able to download a mac version of it ?)


whats wrong with web based ? used MEEBO.com it supports googletalk,msm,icq,aol,yahoo and it "pops out" from the page so it behaves as a regular desktop application - without you having to install anything.