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#1 2007-05-01 4:39 pm
- mjs012
- Member
- Registered: 2007-05-01
- Posts: 8
Newbie
Just bought my first imac. I got the 17" core duo 2 2.o with 1gig memory and the ati radeon x 1600 video card. I plan on adding memory and upgrading the video card eventually.I have bought and built PCs in the past and I am adept a tweaking them but I dont know much about my mac yet. Can you make some suggestions for tweaking for maximum performance, what software, antivirus, adblockers, firewalls, spyware and utilities are essential to maximize security, performance, privacy and minimize clutter. I will be using the imac for basic home use, some gaming, managing photos and music and eventually some photo editing.
Thanks
P.S. I hope I am happy with the big switch or my flip to the darkside as my father put it.
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#3 2007-05-01 10:33 pm
- FutureDreamz
- 1.1.2.3.5.8.13.21.34.55
- From: カナダ
- Registered: 2007-01-07
- Posts: 4511
Re: Newbie
tweaking for maximum performance: Onyx or IceClean
what software: Pure Mac is one of the biggest yet well organized sites for software.
antivirus: ClamXav, but there are no viruses (yet) for Macs
adblockers: there are no popups (yet) for Macs
firewalls: The built-in one is good, but try Little Snitch for outgoing pings or whatever
spyware: None for Mac
utilities: Take your pick
Thanks for clicking.
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#4 2007-05-01 10:35 pm
- FutureDreamz
- 1.1.2.3.5.8.13.21.34.55
- From: カナダ
- Registered: 2007-01-07
- Posts: 4511
Re: Newbie
Recommendations:
Vienna
LiveQuartz
NeoOffice
Google Earth
Shiira
Plasma Pong
Journler
MacSwear
The Unarchiver
Image Tricks
Seashore
SketchUp
AppDelete
MagiCal
TigerLaunch
Frostwire
SMARTReporter
Transmission
Ejector
XShelf
VirtueDesktops
Pref Setter
SaverLab
Jumpcut
sidenote
ByteController
Compress
Mactracker
Changes Meter
Keyboard Cleaner
Otis
Alarm Clock
AppFresh
LiquidCD
Check Off
Thanks for clicking.
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#5 2007-05-01 11:47 pm
- ABigSmall
- Member
- Registered: 2004-03-13
- Posts: 4245
Re: Newbie
I don't know much about adblockers, besides that they depend on your primary web browser. And there are "pop-ups" for Macs. It's not like pop ups are OS-dependent.
Basically for everything else, I use OnyX (which FutureDreamz has provided a link to). Hmmm... Put up your firewall in System Preferences -> Sharing -> Firewall
Not much else to tell you. No viruses for Mac OS X that are out in the wild. And you'll have trouble upgrading that video card; I'm not even sure if it's possible.
About the OnyX thing, just run the Maintain and Cleaning actions every month or so and you'll be fine.
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#6 2007-05-01 11:57 pm
- NightCougar_37
- For Gallia!!
- From: The back of my Twilight Drake
- Registered: 2001-07-22
- Posts: 9142
Re: Newbie
Ok take that huge list, and ignore it for a moment.
If that doesn't work, picture your dad in a tutu...ok now that you are screaming and emotionally scarred for the rest of your life...
Get Diskwarrior. Its $99 worth of save yer HD's ass in a box!
Ok now you can go back to checking that list. And again, no need for anti virus or spyware stuff on the Mac. Firewall might be it but OSX's built in firewall works good. The most important thing about the Mac experience for you now is, breathing easy. You don't need to worry about AV subscriptions or worms or any of that stuff people pay hundreds of dollars to get their PC's fixed for. Really some of these AV companies are the biggest crooks around.
Welcome to the nether regions of the PC world!!
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#7 2007-05-02 1:02 am
- ABigSmall
- Member
- Registered: 2004-03-13
- Posts: 4245
Re: Newbie
Hehe, I'm cracking up at that mental image.
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#8 2007-05-02 2:21 am
- Bat
- Flawless Cowboy
- Royal Wombat
- From: Björk, Björk
- Registered: 2001-05-14
- Posts: 28541
Re: Newbie
True dat, there's no real reason for a long list of utilities unless you like complicating your life. You might want to keep up with developments in the AV field; it's likelier when than if- it's just not pressing. Probably eventually, Mac viruses will start surfacing, and better to be ready. If not, there's little lost.
As to the video issue, it's always been the case that, for reasons of cost, size etc, iMacs have not had videocards per se, but video chips soldered onto the logic board. Unless something has changed, they're non-upgradable. IMacs are not real gaming machines and can't be taken far down an upgrade path- they're not PCs nor current Mac Pros.
They can sometimes acquit themselves decently on games, depending. Win some, lose some.
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion - George Bernard Shaw
"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."
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#9 2007-05-02 5:13 am
- mjs012
- Member
- Registered: 2007-05-01
- Posts: 8
Re: Newbie
Thanks all. I appologize for my ignorance. I took the thing out of the box and just started asking questions. Im going to the gym now to work that image out of my head. Thanks again.
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#10 2007-05-02 9:24 am
- LLEVIATHANN
- Itch you can't scratch
- From: 22 Acacia Avenue
- Registered: 2001-03-14
- Posts: 7158
Re: Newbie
You can however overclock it. Look for the Mac ATI Tool. Same rules apply when you O/C anything. Do at own risk and take baby steps.
Let us be thankful for the fools; but for them the rest of us could not succeed. - Mark Twain
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#11 2007-05-02 10:25 am
- Nefarious
- Tuning Fork
- Moderator
- From: 45°22"N 84°57"W
- Registered: 2002-09-30
- Posts: 7998
Re: Newbie
mjs012 wrote:
Thanks all. I appologize for my ignorance. I took the thing out of the box and just started asking questions. Im going to the gym now to work that image out of my head. Thanks again.
No need to apologize.
Adblockers come in 5 types depending on the browser or OS
1. System wide --- add sites to the hosts.txt file. Occassional overkill.
2. Adblock firefox extension for Firefox
3. PithHelmet for Safari.
4. Camino the browser (once upon a time related to Firefox) has a simple thing to enable adblocking
5. Omniweb -- the browser with the best adblocking and best customization to block or allow ads on individual sites. Extensive features without resorting to extensions a.l.a. Firefox http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omniweb/
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#12 2007-05-02 10:26 am
- Nefarious
- Tuning Fork
- Moderator
- From: 45°22"N 84°57"W
- Registered: 2002-09-30
- Posts: 7998
Re: Newbie
Unless you're running Windows on your Intel Mac, there's not much danger at all from viruses and spyware on a Mac. For details, we can start a new thread in the Balloon Help section, unless someone can find a good thread to revive.
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#13 2007-05-02 10:28 am
- Nefarious
- Tuning Fork
- Moderator
- From: 45°22"N 84°57"W
- Registered: 2002-09-30
- Posts: 7998
Re: Newbie
Little Snitch is a relatively popular little program (not free) to detect spyware.
For your download needs, www.macupdate.com is the best site. It's chief competitor is www.versiontracker.com (which seems to live in the 1950's black and white).
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