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Brenda dear, you make me smile. 
I see so much of myself in you. I now see a part of me in Us Bears too! Lists....I live by lists or nothing would get done.
Unlike you Brenda, I am unable to read manuals. Oh...my...gosh. You should have seen me yesterday trying to read the instructions on how to put the crib together. I might as well have been trying to read Chinese! It's like those awful story problems in math class. Oh, how I struggled with those! Thank heavens for pictures in the instruction booklet and the help of my son and son-in-law. They understand my difficulty with staying on task and are so very patient with me.
Anyway, I'm glad you're getting it sorted out. You'll be zipping around that Mac in no time!!
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Little Bear GuyBrenda did you use your new mac to order the books from Amazon 
heehee. Sorry couldn't resist my dear. the books will be very helpful I'm sure but also take the lessons they certainly can't hurt.
big hugs
Shane
Newcastle, OntarioAleta,
I wish you lived closer - I live for putting things together and the more complicated the better! I would have had that crib together in no time 
I also love. love love complicated jigsaw puzzles. I now have hubby trained to let me read ALL instructions and check all parts, BEFORE we start putting something together! It took years of training He wants things done NOW and he never reads instructions! Now I think he has me trained, as I bought two new smaller computer desks of the same design, so I could put the Dell and the Mac in the same space as my old huge desk. I ended up doing everything myself, while he watched TV, but there were no arguments :crackup:
hugs,
Brenda
Newcastle, OntarioHi Shane,
Nope, I'm happily typing away on my Dell - don't you see the hugs I'm sending. Still can't make the tab button work. I'm leaving the Mac until I know more about it and I will take the lessons, but AFTER I know my way around. I want to use them to fine tune any real problems I run into. Trust me, I'm doing that fellow a huge favour :crackup: !
hugs,
Brenda
PennsylvaniaA lot of people say that Macs are easier to use but that's not exactly true.
It would be better to say that Mac OS has a more natural user interface design. But a person who doesn't read and follow directions will have trouble using ANY computer system, regardless of how well the user interface is designed.
If you have a Mac, take a look at your screen...
The menus are laid out across the top, from left to right, the natural way most Western users tend to read and organize things. The hard drive icons are on the right. The trash can is at the bottom. It's all laid out the way most people tend to organize their real-life desktops. (Assuming they are right handed.)
Apple spent a lot of money to buy the rights to the graphical user interface from the Xerox corporation and they spent millions more to research and refine things to the state you see them in today. Even now, Apple maintains very strict rules as to the manner in which programmers are to set up their programs and make them operate.
When Microsoft created Windows, they had to make a lot of changes to the way things worked in order to get around Apple's copyrights. They rearranged things on the screen and altered the inner workings of things. Where Apple's main thrust in designing their systems was to create a natural user interface, Microsoft's main thrust was to make things different enough that they wouldn't get sued.
Consequently, you'll find a lot of brain dead concepts in Windows...
Menu items that don't make sense.
Trash can (Recycle Bin) that floats around on the desktop.
You have to click on the "START" button to shut down your computer... How brain dead is that? Which are you doing? Starting? Or shutting down?
People can learn arbitrary ways of doing things. They can learn the "Windows Way" or they can learn the "Apple Way." They can learn any way they put their mind to understanding. People who learn Windows first will either always be "Windows people" or they will be able to make the switch after some work.
The overwhelming number of people I taught to use Macs of Linux after coming from Windows have the same reaction.... "That was EASY!"
The most difficult thing I have to teach Windows people to use another system is to UNLEARN all the bad habits they have been taught.
I get a lot of people who don't understand how to "Map" a remote hard drive volume to their Windows computer via network sharing. When I teach people to use Mac OS, all they have to do is select the remote volume from a menu list. Most of the time, I get a reaction like "Now what?" When I tell them, "That's it. You're done!" they usually stare at me in disbelief.
If I had to characterize the experience of migrating from Windows to Macintosh or Linux I would say that it is like walking around for your whole life with a stone in your shoe when somebody comes along and takes it out for you.
Case in point: My mother has been a Windows user for more than 10 years. I recently converted her computer to Linux.
She called me a few days ago complaining that her display wasn't behaving as she expected. I told her that it was a simple setting that needed to be changed. I said that I wouldn't be able to come to her house to do the job until next week. She sighed and complained. I said, "Sorry... I can't make it! I have to work all week."
Just two days ago, I e-mailed her the solution. I gave her the instructions, click-by-click to change the setting and make her display work the way she wanted.
I spoke to Mom on the phone, this morning. She fixed the problem herself! "Wow! That was EASY!" she said!
As I said before. If my Mom can do it, anybody who puts their mind to it can learn how to use another system besides Windows.
All you have to do is try!
Bears by EdieP.S. I'm no longer signing "hugs" as it takes too damn long to get to the middle of the page !
Brenda
Brenda, I don't have any help to offer on the computer problem but as for signing your name on TT, why don't you make your "hugs, Brenda" part of your permanent signature and then you woudn't have to type it each time! Just go into your profile, and personality, and add it to your custom signature.
LuxembearsHi Brenda,
I don't consider myself computer savy but my dad gave his 2007 Macbook an he bought one of those thin AirMacs. I have to say I find it pretty user friendly and have not had any problems at all. No viruses either. We have a band new pc but 99% of my computer time is on my Mac.
So for my two cents it all boils down to a personal choice. Both work but ....once you try Mac you'll never go back.! 
tEDDIE bearsI bought an iMac 2.8 GHz (24") back in June 2008, I still have my Systemax 3.6 GHz up and working to maintain my website and I spent $$$ for Adobe Photoshop CS4, Flash and Illustrator CS4 and I didn't want to buy MAC versions. In Oct. 2008 after trying to sell the Mac on eBay, I packed it up and donated it to La Familia Senior Center. I figured they accept any "donations", so that would be a good place for it. Since then, I bought a Linux machine trying to get away from Windows Vista (I've had Vista removed and I am back to Windows XP Pro now). Linux was actually worse than the Mac, it's like a maze of tunnels with no rewards at "Door Number 2". After reading this thread, I think it's time to take the Linux down to La Familia S.C. and if they won't let me in, I know they're still trying to figure out the Mac.
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Brenda- Bobbie here - I'm VERY LATE to this ParTy!!! I haven't been around much for the past few months - never even got to today's email but decided to take a few minutes for TT instead.
AND YOU ALL HEARD SUE ANN - she popped up SECOND and said Bobbie will be checking in: THAT GIVES ME FIRST DIBS ON BRENDA'S MAC!!!!!!
Let's just skip all of the rhetoric about who loves what, I can't read it all because I'm falling asleep in my chair: your signature -
I feel that you are talking about (in WORD) a Center Justification in order for your letter to place your name at the center of the page (or Right, Left or Full Justification.) Have you done those on Word on your PC? LMK and I'll step you through it tomorrow.
Serously, yes there is a learning curve. I thought of these as "Mac = Toy" and laughed (behind my hand) at our youngest who was so impassioned about them. About the 17th time I lost an important document on our PC, to The Dreaded Blue Screen Of Death, I was too numb to even put my foot through the monitor.
I just wanted that machine G O N E.
We bought our first Mac the next day & I haven't looked back.
Now we each have our own, with mine being the newest/best in the house. Server probs yes, but the Apple store is exactly 2.27 miles away and they are unfailingly kind and cooperative. I think we are the only ppl they've ever seen trundling their HDs in in luggage. (We cannot carry them into a major mall)
You have one-on-one training? You Lucky DUCK!!! I've always wanted to sign up for those!! You can ask them ANYTHING!! Even how to get your signature where you want it and how to get your Font size to become the default size YOU want.
THAT is what they're there for: to help YOU understand YOUR machine/software/hardware/whatever one-on-one help you want. If you want to run a movie camera to film your sessions for playback at home or an audio recording of your session or just have them pause to let you write everything down, they do that!!!
I'll read everyone's input later - keep your chin up (ooops.. well I guess it is with that monitor!! You need a lower desk I guess.... ) This will work out. Appts in the AM early or I'd stay on here now..... More to follow
hggzzz, B
I think that what's being
Newcastle, OntarioHi Bobbie.
We've been away for a few days with intermittent internet use, and I just saw your post. My books came today and I am over the moon - hubby (who never reads) grabbed one of them and solved a password problem on his Macbook in two minutes, so that's promising LOL! One is "The Missing Manual" for Mac computers and the other helps with "Transitioning from a PC to a Mac". Now I just need to have some time to go through them. Hubby is on holidays this week, so probably not until the weekend. I'm feeling better about things, although haven't had any time to play with my Mac. I also got a new Cannon Pixma 850 printer to go with my computer and it's a Scanner, Copier, Fax Machine and Printer all in one. It's got a zillion buttons, so I will concentrate on the Mac first. My poor brain is tired - didn't know there was so much left to learn, whem you are my age :crackup:
hugs,
Brenda
Newcastle, OntarioEd,
I'm so sorry you ended up getting rid of your Mac. I have a new enthusiasm and will try and stick it out until I am comfortable with it. If all else fails, I can have Windows loaded on it Take care.
hugs,
Brenda
PennsylvaniaYes, you can have Windoze on your Mac but, if you do, you will not be immune from viruses any more.
If you get a virus in the Windoze partition of your computer it can also take out the Mac partition as well.
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Thx to Gijzette, for remembering the book I forgot!! The "Missing Manual" -
I too found answers in there that were not given elsewhere.
Software updates come out so quickly; the only way books work for me is if they are THE book for the the EXACT version I happen to be running: currently V 10.4.11. Fortunately one DOES get to the point of not needing manuals as the updates are just refinements of what you're already familiar with.
And the manuals aren't cheap, but I needed to purchase the newest manuals in order to have the one that matched our updated software version, so that when they described a feature and showed what it looks like, on your monitor, I need the illustration in the book to match! That got costly...
Good Luck if you've got a DH who likes to keep updating to the latest; it's fine after you become familiar with MACs but initially you need EVERYTHING in your book to match what the book is showing. I drove our son crazy with the need to write long lists of every single keystroke and action ("No, clicking ENTER/COMMAND/ALT + SHIFT is NOT instinctive to me right now...") Good thing he's got tons of patience!
Are you going to be using Mac Mail as your mail program? There is no way to Save Mail, unless you take out am Apple/Mac subscription for Back-up: and I'm VERY unhappy about their 'Back-up' system. The smallest pkg is $99 a year it's VERY limited in size when you want to start saving mail. And to Save emails and other data, it merely assigns them chronological numbers. Tell me what good that is, when you have saved something because of its importance and need to find it again??
What I've done is open a private, unlisted Yahoo group, a group of one—Me—any information that I don't want to lose, I sent to myself as a post/message to that 'list'.
That way it is stored externally and I can easily retrieve it as well as easily surf through it to choose the post that I need.
We've had external hard drives that backed up our new input nightly, and for some unknown reasons, both of these have failed and we didn't find out until months later. These back-up systems are costly and even more costly when you lose your work: two years worth of my manuscript research was entrusted to one of the external HD—I would have been better off going with the old-fashioned method of printing it out and shuffling piles of paperwork!
We also have a Canon Pixma printer - iP4300. They were recommended for output, in terms of # of pages per month. As I print my own kits, as well as refill the ink cartridges, this works out well. It's our 3rd Canon Pixma and they're little workhorses!
PennsylvaniaAre you going to be using Mac Mail as your mail program? There is no way to Save Mail, unless you take out am Apple/Mac subscription for Back-up: and I'm VERY unhappy about their 'Back-up' system.
I would recommend that you use an e-mail client program called "Thunderbird."
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/
It is made by the same people who make the Firefox web browser.
It has a similar design to other e-mail programs you may be familiar with such as MS Outlook. It is also cross platform. You can get versions of Thunderbird for Windoze, Mac OS, Linux and several others.
This is important for me. I use computers on several different operating systems, virtually, on a daily basis. It makes using the computer a lot easier because I don't have to remember every little "trick" for getting my e-mail or browsing the internet or doing other things. I can use one program and learn it well. Then when I go from work to home I can do all the tasks I need to get done with a minimum of fussing around.
The reason you have difficulty saving your mail with "Apple Mail" is because your "dot-Mac" account works on a system called "IMAP." (Internet Message Access Protocol) (Usually pronounced "eye-map".)
With IMAP, all your messages are stored on the central server. When you connect to the server with your computer, you are only viewing the contents of your mailbox from afar. You do not actually have your mail stored on the local comptuer.
This is a GOOD thing for most people. That means that they don't have to worry about getting their e-mail when they move from place to place. They can access their mail from home, from work or from a hotel (on a business trip) and they don't have to fuss around to get it. Your e-mail is always available anywhere you go.
IMAP contrasts with the other system of handling e-mail, known as "POP." (Post Office Protocol) (Sometimes pronounced "pop". Sometimes spelled out "P-O-P.")
In POP your computer connects to the remote e-mail server and downloads all your messages then saves them on your hard drive. This can be convenient for people who don't move around very much but, if you need to access your e-mail from two or more places (home, office, etc.) there can be difficulty unless you know how to set up your e-mail client program the right way.
This is not a Mac-specific problem. It has to do with the way e-mail is handled by the two protocols.
There IS a way to download your mail from an IMAP server but it depends on the client program you use to download your e-mail.
In Apple Mail there is a command to "Archive" your e-mail from the server but I don't know much about it because I don't use that program very often. (See my above comments about uniformity across different computer systems.)
In Thunderbird, saving your e-mail can be as simple as "drag and drop."
I think you would benefit by using Thunderbird for your e-mail client.
I switched my mother over to it about two years ago. She had some difficulty at first but, once she got used to it, she likes it better than her old program.
Even if you don't end up using Thunderbird you should at least read about it. Knowledge is a good thing.
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Thank you for your tome, US!! I WILL look into that software.
At present we've just shifted all of our TV, cable & phone (we already had AT&T) into one pkg, with more benefits in all 3 arenas, for less than we were paying AND GETTING from Comcast.
But it IS a whole new technology to learn (I can no longer just push ON and switch to the channel I want on the TV...so I've figured out how to 'Record Series" and am letting them pile up until I find the shop that sells T I M E.....)
And after one of the service calls that AT&T had to make, because the new set-up didn't like our having one cordless phone and one plugged into the wall phone—for back up—it was summarized that our answering machine and plug in were 'old technology' and 'really should be replaced' if we wanted them to work with our new server. So a new phone was purchased, a Master & 2 slaves (my term) and there again is a whole different set of instructions. My brain is befuddled and pixelated enough from the meds I'm on, it's too much to absorb sometimes......
Anyway, all of our accts (e addies) are POP accts. We have them set so that they are held on the server until we access them the first time from the home computers.
When we're in AZ next month, I'll read my mail at the host site (att.net) delete what I don't want and the first time I open Mail after returning home, all of the Read & Held Mail plus the New mail while we were in transit, will empty into our Inboxes and the host will be blank again. We like that set up.
Bobbie
PennsylvaniaAnyway, all of our accts (e addies) are POP accts. We have them set so that they are held on the server until we access them the first time from the home computers.
That's the way I do it too. :)
I have one computer that acts as the "master" for getting e-mail. This is the one that is set to delete upon downloading. All the others are set to leave messages on the server unless deleted manually. (e.g. To delete spam, etc.)
I set the main computer at my office to be the "master" and all the others to leave mail on the server.
That way, I can work at home and know that mail won't be deleted until I get back to the office.
