Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with mac and imac

A real Apple TV.

malaprohibita — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:14:10 -0800

Is it crazy and/or overkill to consider getting a 27 inch imac to replace my tv? I have a 10 year old 27 inch Sony CRT that still works well, but I'm running into its limits for adding peripherals (DVD player, xbox, etc.). I know I can probably get a mac mini or other small form factor pc plus an HDTV for less, but I'm really intrigued by the imac's possibilities. What little tv watching I do is usually Hulu, streaming Netflix, and dvds. I am not interested in Blu-Ray capabilities, as I see the format becoming obsolete sooner rather than later.

Pros:
--2560 x 1440 resolution led lcd.
--can add a tv tuner via usb if I really wanted to.
--a built-in computer and dvd player (convergence!)

Cons:
--may not be able to connect the xbox without some kind of adapter voodoo (although Crossover+Steam is possible).
--there are some issues reported regarding flash playback( = Hulu problems), which may be indicative of other system issues.
--diy repairs and upgrades may be difficult.

I don't really need a bigger display. My wife and I will be sitting > 8ft away, but not by much, and any HD resolution will be better than what I have now.

I'm looking forward to your pros, cons, and even any alternatives you might have.

How do I rescue files from an internal drive when OS X won't boot?

wheat — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:26:26 -0800

OS X won't boot. Time Machine stopped working at noon. How can I nab some files before I reinstall Leopard? Due, I think, to my son playing with the power strip one too many times, my iMac will not boot. I can boot from the Leopard system disc, and I've run Disk Utility. It repaired problems, but it still won't boot.

I run Time Machine, so I'm willing to restore from that and/or reinstall Leopard. But I got a lot done today and would like to copy some PDFs I crated today. The last Time Machine backup was at noon. But I worked until five. I don't know why Time Machine stopped backing up.

When I use the "burn" option in Disk Utility, I can see the files I created, including the ones that are not in the most recent Time Machine backup. Is there a way to get them? This is my only Mac, so target disk mode isn't an option. What should I try?

Please help resurrect my iMac?

mordecai — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:52:25 -0800

My iMac's seemingly gone kaput :( I'm getting a flashing folder icon with a question mark on bootup. Please help me save my iMac? It all started when my iMac hung. I got the spinning beach ball of death and I couldn't do anything except do a restart. And then, this flashing folder with a question mark came up and it refuses to boot into the OS.

I tried connecting my iMac to my Macbook via firewire target mode and I can access the drive, so I'm guessing it's not a hard drive problem.

I searched for solutions online and they mostly require me to do a clean install of Leopard, but the thing is, my Superdrive on my iMac is dead. I tried to install the OS via firewire target mode using my Macbook, but the Install Disc doesn't let me install the OS on the drive. My iMac's drive doesn't show up there.

I'm kinda in a fix here. I don't know what to do :( Please help?

2 Macs 1 HD

Aya — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:45 -0800

How can I connect 2 Macs to 1 HardDrive So I recently bought a new Macbook Pro and I would like to be able to have wireless access to the files in the external 200gbs usb hard drive connected to my old iMac G5.

Looking for a printer without the problems of finicky ink.

blueberry — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:36:09 -0800

[MomFilter] Looking for a reasonably cheap, reliable printer (for printing text) for an iMac. Leaning towards laser as the experiences with inkjets have been that bouts of little use lead to still full, yet dry and thus worthless ink cartridges. Looking for a printer for my Mom's iMac. She is wanting to print up a bunch of stories she has written, so the printer will only be used for text.
(No need for color, an attached scanner, or anything else)

She's had two cheap inkjets in the past where they were cheap to buy, but then you got gouged on the ink cartridges. These printers would up being a bit like "disposables" or white elephants—either getting gummed up after a while, or she'd not print anything for a month or two by which time the ink would have dried up or otherwise stopped working.

Fellow MeFites, do you own or know of any reasonably cheap (both pre- and post-sale), reliable b/w laser printers that you can recommend out there? Also, am I correct in guessing that laser toner has a longer "shelf life"?

Or, if lasers are too spendy, do you own or can you otherwise recommend an über-reliable inkjet that, say, you can just buy black ink for, and you've never had gum up or dry up on you?

Thanks all!

Cookies and Apple Juice

trueluk — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:47:58 -0800

I've been debating with myself for the last week or so about which Mac I should buy and when I should buy it. My brain could use a break from the back and forth, and that's why I'm asking for help. I recently sold my Asus laptop (offer was too good to refuse), and I've been computer-less now for about two weeks. I bought the Asus in December 2008, and during the six months I owned it, I rarely took it out of the house. This is partly due to the fact that I'm a programmer, work on a computer all day at work, and often have free time while there to do my 'browsing.' I don't have a current desktop computer, so anything I buy will be my main computer.

I like the idea of portability, but with a $2500 laptop I can't imagine I'd let myself take it out of the house during the first 6-12 months out of fear of breaking it.

I mention the MacBook Pro for $2,500 because the RAM is upgradable to 8gb in that model, and not in the $2,000 2.4ghz model. However, besides that fact, there is no other reason that I can think of for me to buy the $2,500 model (the extra vram is useless, minimal upgrade in processor speed, starts with 4gb RAM but I can upgrade the 2.4ghz model cheaply).

I've done a lot of thinking and have concluded that I could buy a 24" iMac (2.93ghz, 4gb ram, 512mb vram in the ATI card) for just over $1,800. And then also buy the smaller, 13" MacBook for just over a grand in a month or two if I feel like I need the portability. Or, I could buy a MacBook Pro now, and then buy an external display for that down the road if I feel like I need the screen space and am using the computer mostly at home. Those two options are practically identical in price when buying both components, however, in the first I'd have two computers, and in the second I'd have only one. I've also thought about buying a cheap netbook instead of a MacBook with the iMac, and that seems to make more sense financially.

The thing is though, money isn't an issue. But I am extremely cheap, and have a hard time making myself spend money in excess. And I have a history of being incredibly indecisive. Can anyone help me out here?

Oh, and should I wait until after the WWDC? What's the chance of Snow Leopard being released and for its distribution to start immediately? I don't want to buy a new computer and then have to upgrade the OS if I can help it.

Don't look into the light!

nam3d — Mon, 18 May 2009 10:14:12 -0800

I currently have an iMac 24" (early 2008). If you are acustom to the iMac you'll know that the brightness setting is extremely high. Unfortunately everytime I boot the computer up the brightness settings reset and I have to go through the hassle of lowering the brightness. Why is the keyboard/mac doing this? and can it be fixed?

Disk Utility error: false alarm, or bad omen?

so_necessary — Sat, 02 May 2009 16:26:36 -0800

In OS X on my iMac, Disk Utility asserts that my main, internal hard drive is "about to fail" and has been asserting this for several months. But my computer is running just fine... should I worry? The S.M.A.R.T status is failed, and the various helpful sounding options, like First Aid or Verify, are all unclickably greyed out. Using Boot Camp and HD Tune under windows, I can see the "bad" attribute is:

ID (01) Raw Read Error Rate
Current: 11
Worst: 1
Threshold: 51
Data: 59669
Status: Failed

A different utility just names the fields slightly differently...

1, Raw Read Error Rate
Raw value: 59699
Status: FAIL
Value: 11
Worst: 1
Threshold: 51

All the ther attributes (things like "seek error rate" and "spin up time" and stuff) are normal.

But my computer is running just fine. I can't work out if this is just some freaky one-time error that happened to the hard drive once which it won't forget about, reflects an existing (if seemingly benign) state of affairs, or is a sign of impending doom. This error has been present for several months now, perhaps even from The Beginning - the iMac is only 6 - 8 months old. The Man From Apple suggested I format my entire drive but that sounds pretty tedious if I don't really need to do anything / insufficient if my hard drive is actually about to die from mechanical failure.

Obviously I'd love for you all to tell me how I can safely ignore this, and even how I might be able to disabuse Disk Utility of the notion that things are messed up. On the other hand, if you think there might be trouble ahead, then do snap me out of my complacency and I'll promise not to shoot the messenger.

iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, what's a designer to do?

Bunglegirl — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:48:33 -0800

Time to replace the Mac. Should a graphic designer go for the economical iMac or is splurging for a MacBook Pro and external screen worth it? I desperately need a new computer and have been putting it off until the new Mac models came out. I have a G4 tower that's probably from 2002 or so and a cheap 17" screen. This is my work computer (I'm a print & web graphic designer —self-employed) but, since this is my only computer, it's my personal computer too.

I miss my old 12" iBook which died a few years ago. Ideally I would have a desktop with a big screen for work and a small laptop for personal use but I really can't afford two computers (and wouldn't want to deal with syncing). My screen is way too small when working in CS3. Please don't suggest any non-Apple solutions. I just keep going back on forth on a desktop vs a laptop. I'll be using Adobe CS4 most of the time and usually need to quickly switch between Illustrator, Photoshop & InDesign and also have mail, Firefox, iTunes running at once—sometimes Acrobat or another small program will be running as well.

The way I see it I have two options:

1. 24" iMac. This gives me a huge screen and a powerful computer and seems like the best value for my money. I don't work with video and don't use millions of layers in Photoshop so a Mac Pro tower is overkill. The only drawbacks to the iMac is portability and the glossy screen. It would be nice to have the option to bring it to client meetings (although this would probably be a rare occurrence), work on invoices etc. in a coffeehouse or hook it up to my TV.

iMac 24"
2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRam
640 GB Serial ATA Drive
ATI Radeon HD 4850 512 MB
iWork & Applecare
$2,217

Pros: economical, powerful, good value
Cons: portability, glossy screen

2. MacBook or MacBook Pro and an external screen. This gives me the portability I like but is significantly more expensive. Its also less powerful and just seems like an extravagance. Most of the reasons I really want a laptop are for personal use (hooking up to my TV, working away from home). I can certainly get around not having a laptop and I'm seduced by the huge iMac screens with isight built in. I haven't figured out if I can use iSight on the laptop with an external (non-Apple) screen.

Buying an external screen would probably be a good idea because I've heard all of the complaints about the glossy iMac screens. I don't sit in front of a window but 50% of my work is print and color calibration is already a mess without adding in a glossy screen. I've really been leaning toward an iMac but I keep going back and forth about the screen and the convenience of a laptop. I have looked at the screens in the store but I can't know how the glossy screen will work for me until I get it in my house and work with it a bit. It also seems that any non-Apple screen that's 24" and decent quality is going to be pricey. If Apple just made a non-glossy screen I would happily get it so everything works well together and isight is built in.

MacBook 13" (if I have a laptop I prefer a 13" or smaller but MacBook Pros don't come that small, arg!)
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRam
320 GB Serial ATA Drive @5400
iWork & Applecare & adapter
$2,130 + screen (24" Apple cinema screen = $899)

--

MacBook Pro 15" (this is pretty big to be portable in my eyes)
2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (-$300 for a 2.66GHz)
4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRam
320 GB Serial ATA Drive @5400
iWork & Applecare & adapter
$3,255 ! + screen

Pros: portability, pick any screen I want
Cons: expensive, more money for less power

I tend to keep my computers for a long time so I want something that can grow with the next Adobe CS update. My friends seem to think the iMac is the obvious choice, but I'm not so sure. Obviously this is tax deductible (I'm in the US) but money is money. Please help me with my indecisiveness and give me some solid arguments for either option. I also welcome any comments on the specs I've chosen.

Can I rebuild it? Better than it was before? Better, stronger, faster?

jammy — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:54:17 -0800

iMacFilter: Upgrade or find something new? That is the question. But, as is often the case, there's a bit more... I have an iMac G5, 1.8 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB, OS 10.3.9 - capacity is 72GB, currently 8GB available. As you might expect, it runs a bit slowly, especially when multiple programs are running. Lately too, the fan has been running high, wheezing in a manner reminiscent of my even older car.

I'm hoping to use some upcoming time off from my job to improve my computer and web skills. Besides making my understandings of basic web design more systematic I'm going to begin looking into things like Content Management Systems (specifically Drupal). Maybe also start wading into Wordpress as well.

So, can I upgrade this old machine, enable it to deal with the new stuff I'm going to be throwing at it? And if so, what's best for the money? Add more memory, update the OS, upgrade the drive, get an extra drive to use in some clever way, some go-faster racing stripes?

Or should I sell/donate/use as a backup drive and bite the bullet and buy something newer? If so, what would be a wise choice? I have read in the news of folks buying models at the wrong time - how do you know when a given model isn't about to be outmoded? My pockets aren't all that deep (& mostly have lint in them) so stretching the dollar is what I'm looking for in terms of options.

Please note: I'm sure there are good options in the PC realm but I want to stick with Mac for now so I'm not having to learn too many new things at once. Also, my knowledge of computers and the web is still somewhat patchwork so beginner-ese is always appreciated.

(I did see this question and it provided some information but I'm hoping for a bit more specifics...)

MobileMe ftw

mds35 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:46:48 -0800

Make me love MobileMe. How do YOU use it? I'm half-way through a 60 day free trial of MobileMe. So far I'm not really impressed. Convince me to stay with it. Tell me why I need it.

I tried it not because I see any need but because I was curious. I have a very established Flickr page that I am not unhappy with in the least. I have my own domain and know how to use FTP so when I need to move large files around, I have a way (although MM does make it pretty easy).
I can sync contacts and calendars between my iPhone with my iMac using iTunes (and have yet to successfully do so using MobileMe--very buggy or disabled?). I have no need/desire to sync my personal machines with my box at work.

I think I don't need this, but I'm very curious to see whether & how any of you tech-savvy folks have put MM to good use.

Mac Gaming Suggestions?

jammy — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:29:05 -0800

MacGameFilter: Please help me find a new action/adventure game to play on my iMac. I don't care if it's recent or older - just that it has good gameplay.

Games I have liked: Deus Ex, Halo, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Unreal Tournament, Quake 1-3, Doom 1-3. Also, a long time ago I played Myst briefly while housesitting & remember it as interesting.

So, some kinda FPS/RPG, maybe flavored with either scifi or fantasy motifs (though that's not really necessary), maybe some puzzle-solving... something like that? I do like a good story...

I'd prefer something that has a good single-player mode. I'm not much for multiplayer.

iMac G5, OS 10.3.9 - 11gb currently available

Is It Time to Give My I-Mac the Boot!

goalyeehah — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:56:54 -0800

Where can I go to rehab my I-Mac? It's pretty old and just recently began to freeze a lot. I am debating whether to take off files and programs donate it or get it repaired. Repair costs at Staples are $369.00 with data transfer and backup an extra $69.00. I'd like to keep it for at least another year but I am not sure whether it is worth repairing.

FWIW, I live in Los Angeles

The problem with Preview

jammy — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:47:42 -0800

MacFilter: How do I get Preview back? I recently got an iBook G4 to complement my iMac G5. While transferring files from the G5 to the G4 I noticed that the laptop had a newer version of Preview than the one on my G5.

Without really thinking about it I moved the one from the laptop to the G5, replacing the older version. Now, Preview won't work at all on the G5 (error code -34). It still works fine on the laptop.

I still have my startup disks, but they only allow one the option to re-install all the original G5 software as a bundle. I'm worried this will overwrite existing files (e.g. my photos) in the current software so I don't really want to do that.

Anyone know how I can get Preview to work again on my iMac? Alternatively, is there a program out there that performs similar functions that I could get in its stead?

Got them low down dirty Kernel panic blues

cosmicbandito — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:55:19 -0800

Mac OS X kernel panic shortly after boot on G4 iMac. How do I troubleshoot this? Every time I boot my G4, it kernel panics after about 5 minutes. Doesn't seem to matter what's running. I tried reading the kernel panic log, but don't see anything helpful. What's the best way to go about getting this fixed? I'm a Mac noob, but am good with Windows and reasonably proficient with *nix and command line stuff.

I want to recycle and be secure!

6:1 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:33:10 -0800

iMac G5--how do I wipe the drive prior to recycling? Apple will recycle, but I want to make sure all data is off or "secured" prior to handing it over. How do we go about doing this? FWIW, I searched under G5 and hard drive without finding anything that helps.

What Mac should I buy if I want to play games on it for the next 3 years?

so_necessary — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:50:57 -0800

It's time to get a new computer. I'd like some kind of Mac. What's the smart thing to buy? I'm switching from a PC that's just got to the point where it can't meet run new games. My first choice would be to get an iMac, but really I want something that will be able to run (most) new games for the next three years or so. I'm not a total framerate obsessive - if it can meet minimum spec I'm happy enough.

So what I'm asking is: is Boot Camp up to snuff for running games alright? Will an iMac handle it? Friends reckon I should get opt for a Mac Pro instead, especially with it being upgradeable and components being replaceable. Is it alright to downgrade the Mac Pro to just one quad-core processor rather than the standard eight (eight!) cores? Because that saves 320 quid so it's only a bit more than the iMac then... (sans screen, though.) And I guess there's no real reason to buy the display from Apple, right, or even the RAM? Or will third-party RAM cause my Mac to burst into flames? Is it worth getting the NVIDIA Geforce 8800 for the Mac Pro rather than the default ATI Radeon one? Finally, according to Macrumors I shouldn't buy any of 'em because an update might come out ANY SECOND... but how likely is that, really?

Basically, the rational and thrifty part of my brain is annoyed that the marketing-susceptible part has fallen for the Apple spell - help me appease the former by getting the best value for money I can. Any advice welcome!

Which speakers should I get for my Mac?

OmieWise — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:17:32 -0800

I'm going to be relying on my iMac and the music stored on it for a while. I would like to get a set of speakers so that the computer sounds better. What reasonably-priced powered speakers have folks had success with? I'd rather not get a separate subwoofer. I'd be willing to get a small amp and use my small stereo speakers if all the other options are too crappy. Thanks.

DeadMacFilter: Will Target Disk mode screw up my healthy computer?

neroli — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 08:22:49 -0800

Dead hard disk on a G3 iMac. Seemingly healthy 2nd-hand G4 iMac. If I try to access data on the dead machine via target disk mode, is there a chance—any chance at all—that I could screw up the healthy machine? (Note: I’m a total computer illiterate. Or rather, I have been a total computer illiterate—I don’t want to be any more. So, apologies in advance for obvious dimness.)

My long-ailing ancient iMac finally bit the dust. Can only boot from the (OS 9) system disk; hard drive won’t mount. Ran Disk Repair: “MountCheck found serious errors.” Tried to repair many times: no go.

Now, this isn’t a terrible tragedy. I knew the old guy was on its last legs. I have back-ups of pretty much all my important files—on CDs and on my work computer. It isn’t worth it to me to pay for a data recovery service. I don’t even want to spend the money and the effort to get Disk Warrior. But there were some photos and documents on the G3 that I don’t have a copy of. Nothing essential, but it would be nice to have them back.

I hadn’t saved up enough to buy to the new machine I wanted, but I got a really good deal on a refurb G4 iMac (800 MHz, PowerPC, running Tiger), which I figured would keep me going for the time being. And actually, I like this computer a lot. I want to keep it healthy as long as possible.

So: I have a working computer, a dead computer, and a FireWire cable. Trying to mount the hard disk on the working machine with target disk mode looks relatively straightforward, even for someone like me. I’m not holding out much hope that I’ll be able to get the files, but I’d like to try one more thing before I give up.

But before I do this, I want to be totally, absolutely sure that this won’t cause any unforeseen problems on the healthy machine. I know it’s no spring chicken itself. I have a 60-day hardware warranty and no system disk for the G4. I really, really don’t want to screw it up. (I don’t care what happens to the G3, and I’ve pretty much given up the data for lost, so no worries on that end.)

Can someone who knows something about all this either reassure me or warn me off? Many thanks.

What are the Mac Software Must Haves

arniec — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:00:21 -0800

I just switched to Macs and I was a Windows power user (video editing, audio editing, scanning, graphic design, presentations, flowcharting, spreadsheets, databases, web design). What software can I absolutely not live without for the Mac? Being a fan of Open Source software (and excessively cheap) I'd prefer open source apps when possible.

'Genius' is being used with increasing sarcasm around my house

These Premises Are Alarmed — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:52:57 -0800

My 6-week-old refurb iMac has an intermittent high-pitched whine. Help me guide the Geniuses to a fix. I bought a refurb 24" iMac in early April. It was the most recent rev at the time (a newer model has come out since).

Since I bought it it has produced an intermittent high-pitched whine. The system doesn't need to be taxed - it can be completely idle with the screen blanked. It's not coming from the speakers, but seems to be coming from the back of the system. Sometimes it will go away if I do anything - just wiggle the mouse - but sometimes not.

The sound is high-pitched and can vary in volume and pitch slightly. It sounds like microphone feedback -not as high-pitched as a CRT whine (which I can also hear). The machine doesn't have to be on for a long time for the sound to occur -it has happened less than an hour after bootup -but it does seem to occur more often when the machine has been on for several hours. I've made sure all peripherals are off, it is definitely coming from the Mac.

I took the machine to the Genius Bar a week ago and described the problem. The Genius thought it was 'CPU whine'. We got a kernel panic when running a load test, so he prescribed a new logic board.

With the new logic board, the sound persists (although it seems less frequent). Additionally, it no longer sees the audio output (neither built-in speakers nor headphones, although USB speakers will work) so they failed in hooking up the new board.

So I've got another appointment with the Geniuses tonight, to get the audio fixed and try to have another spin at this problem. I will ask them (again) to leave the machine on for a few hours and wait until the store is quiet to replicate the sound, but I'm worried they won't be patient enough. A second new logic board seems unlikely to solve the problem to me.

Any idea what would cause this sound? It can be loud enough to wake me from the next room. I'd like to go in there with a specific plan to get the problem solved. Or, is it too soon to ask for a replacement machine with a new serial #? I work in IT and understand the parts in the guts, but hate to do tech support for my own computers on the weekend.

Previously, but doesn't seem to have a solution.

mumble grumble curse

Pants! — Sun, 11 May 2008 19:17:29 -0800

I use iTunes Alarm, or used it anyway... I need help with getting rid of it and finding a replacement First, the program froze a few days ago, won't quit (even with force quit), and continues to run after shut downs. Actually, it cancels shut downs, so I have to do a hard shut down with the on/off button, and not shut down through the Apple menu.

First, if it is running, how do I remove it?

Second, does anyone know of a stable mac-based alarm clock that interfaces in some way with iTunes?

End of product cycle iMac

corpse — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:08:30 -0800

May have bought an iMac a week too early, can I upgrade or at least get a refund of the price difference? So I just ordered a new iMac on Sunday and it shipped a couple of days ago, but is still in route. Rumor has it, that new iMacs will be unveiled on Tuesday. Now according to Apple's sales and refund policy, my iMac is not eligble for return because it has be personalized (I got the terabyte hard drive).

I'd really like to have the latest and greatest. If I contact customer service right now, do you think I have a chance being able to return it if I don't open it or at the very least, get a refund of the price difference? Yes, it was stupid to buy one at the end of the product cycle, but that's the pickle I'm in.

unlocking the magic box

kerning — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:21:42 -0800

my work threw out an old g4 imac (the dome with the flat-panel type) and i took it home (with their permission). unfortunately, when i boot it up, the only option it gives me is to sign in under the admin, and i don't know that password. our IT guy wasn't too much help. how can i reset this imac? the IT guy seems reluctant to give me the pw, which i can understand. he's also pretty busy, so i can't really bring it in and ask him to do anything to it. i mean, i got it for free. :)

i have an os X install disk from my old g3 ibook (it's just 10.1). i'm also using a windows keyboard with it. i don't want to spend a lot of money trying to get this to work -- we're only using it until april, when we get our tax returns back and we can go buy a new imac. i tried holding down the "c" key while restarting with the os X install disk in the drive, but it didn't boot from the install disk like it's supposed to. what other options do i have? i can't even get past the login screen!

mac in the box

Pants! — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:11:18 -0800

So i just got myself an iMac yesterday. Of course, I like it. But what cool things can I do with it that I probably don't know about? Also, what should I be concerned about or not do? I know a lot about Windows and PCs, but next to nothing about this fancy new machine on my desk.