Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site

New Feature: SMS Notification alert

New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist

FM Forums | Post-processing & Printing | Join Upload & Sell

3 … 6 7 end

Mac for beginners ...

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Mac for beginners ...

Had my class ... instructor frequently stated "this is like that" in Windows.

Oddly enough, they couldn't figure out how to swipe advance pictures while looking at my SD card via Finder. Said I could import them, and then use photos to swipe ... or just click on the thumbnails one by one. They asked three different associates, with the last one stating that it seems like it should be able to do that, but there are lots of things that don't work the way you think they would.

Finally, just clicked on the thumbnail and used the arrow key on the keyboard to advance. Seemed like there was a bit of lag / wait time to advance for each image. Not sure if it is trying to render the full file or the imbedded preview (could make a diff on speed), but the notion of quickly swiping through the previews on my SD card, didn't really materialize ... using a M Pro 14".

Went to look at pictures on the photos, on one machine, and got the spinning wheel of wait. Asked an associate how to stop the wheel, and got a "I've never seen that before, I don't know."

No backspace key on the keyboard, only a delete key (which functioned like a backspace key).

Had trouble with the thumb and three fingers moves, and they had to google search how to use a key command to toggle to / from full screen viewing.

Seemed to have a few more quirks along the way ... I was kinda amused by the number of things that didn't seem to go as planned. I guess there's no panacea on the other side of the fence.

Display clarity seemed nice enough, and the knife edge didn't seem too bad while seated at the table. Not sure how that'll play when using on the lap.

Didn't get a chance to do anything to check out its processing power. I figure the SD card throughput may have been a bottleneck, so I won't hold judgment there yet.

Little things, I mention just for the humor of it. All in all, it was okay as they spent an hour with me and I'll likely take another class down the road. That and come back to demo one now that I have a clue how to navigate better.

May 22, 2022 at 10:14 PM

bobby350z
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Mac for beginners ...

I found this forum, maybe helpful.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/guides-how-tos-and-tips-for-new-mac-owners.2217520/

May 23, 2022 at 05:00 PM

rbf_
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Mac for beginners ...

Hi,

I switched a long time ago and I would advise keeping your PC until you are sure you can do all the things you need to do and have all the software you depend on. I was using both for a while and when I finally moved made sure I have Windows VM (I use Paralells it's quite good) for the last few things I needed Windows for. Good luck Macs are pretty easy to get used too.

May 23, 2022 at 05:15 PM

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Mac for beginners ...

Thanks guys.

A nice list of "how to's" ... which raises a question or two.

So, Parallels is different from dual boot, then? I was told that dual boot was no long an option with the new M chip.

May 23, 2022 at 06:05 PM

rbf_
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Mac for beginners ...

RustyBug wrote:
Thanks guys.

A nice list of "how to's" ... which raises a question or two.

So, Parallels is different from dual boot, then? I was told that dual boot was no long an option with the new M chip.

Yeah Parallels is virtualization software for running an operating system like a program on a different operating system. Parallels does Windows/Mac integration well and even has GPU support so you can run a full desktop. Virtualization can slow things down a bit but they are one of the fastest and have the best integration imo. The dual boot is gone with the M1 Macs but I run Windows 10 on a Mac with Parallels. Soon Windows 11 will have full support as well but didn't last time I tried it.

https://www.parallels.com/

Note: If you decide to try this I would go for 1 year subscription and get fixes and new features for a year. Last time I checked Windows 11 support was alpha or maybe just tech preview so it needs some "kaizen" there. Windows 10 is totally supported though.

May 23, 2022 at 07:17 PM

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Mac for beginners ...

Good to know ... I do have some programs that are not available for Mac.

rbf_ wrote:
Yeah Parallels is virtualization software for running an operating system like a program on a different operating system. Parallels does Windows/Mac integration well and even has GPU support so you can run a full desktop. Virtualization can slow things down a bit but they are one of the fastest and have the best integration imo. The dual boot is gone with the M1 Macs but I run Windows 10 on a Mac with Parallels. Soon Windows 11 will have full support as well but didn't last time I tried it.

https://www.parallels.com/

Note: If you decide to try this I would go for...Show more →

May 24, 2022 at 09:25 AM

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · Mac for beginners ...

Worked my way back to a retailer, borrowed a gamer chair, and parked it for about an hour, bouncing back & forth between the 14" and 16" ... with the Mac on my lap (how I really work). Really wasn't thinking about the 16", but the 14" seemed a touch small compared to my 15" Extreme.

Ergonomics were decent enough ... translation, the knife edge front didn't bother me too bad, once I got it positioned on my lap.

The lack of touch screen seemed to be manageable for browsing purposes. Still having trouble with the navigation gestures, but it seems like I can use my Windows keystroke navigation on par or faster than the Mac navigation right now. Learning curve and all that. But, I can certainly switch through multiple tabs much faster using Ctrl + PgUp / PgDn than I can repeatedly swiping my fingers. Different strokes, etc.

My early take away is that things are the same, only different, so far. Not sure how it'll be when I get to the where the rubber meets the road, though ... i.e. using PS, etc. Of course, that one might be tough to demo ... it'll probably be a "gotta buy, to try" kinda thing.

May 24, 2022 at 07:51 PM

bobby350z
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Mac for beginners ...

Personally in using MAC for work for last 8 yrs, all I say is they run a lot more stable. That's one reason I moved my family first to Chromebooks and now Apple. For personal photography work I have been a PC user till now. I am in the process of coverting to MAC Studio Max.

May 24, 2022 at 10:12 PM

NicolasBa
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · Mac for beginners ...

I switched to Mac two months ago. I was going to buy a new HP laptop, because I had HP products and I was always satisfied. Actually, I even bought a new HP laptop. It was delivered, so I switched on it afterwards and the screen was not turning on. Hopefully, when I addressed to hewlett packard customer service at https://hewlett-packard.pissedconsumer.com/customer-service.html, they made a return without any problems. So I've decided that was a sign that I need to finally let myself buy Mac. And I never regret that. That's true that it works intuitively. Everything is pretty simple and user friendly.

Edited on Jun 18, 2022 at 03:30 PM · View previous versions

Jun 02, 2022 at 03:32 PM

bjhurley
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · Mac for beginners ...

RustyBug wrote:
No backspace key on the keyboard, only a delete key (which functioned like a backspace key).

Pressing delete on a Mac keyboard has (as you discovered) the same functionality as backspace on Windows: it deletes text to the left.

Pressing fn-delete on a Mac keyboard has the same functionality as delete on Windows: it deletes text to the right.

Similarly if you don't have a two (or more) button mouse, control-click does the same thing as right-clicking.

There have been keyboard shortcuts for just about everything on the Mac since the begining; Windows actually copied most of them, just exchanging "Command" (Mac) for "Control" (Windows) and "Option" (Mac) for "Alt" (Windows). Some users rarely touch the mouse, and of course many Unix geeks simply use the terminal all day, never interacting with the Mac's graphical user interface.

Keyboard shortcuts for the Mac are listed here: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT201236

Accessibility shortcuts (to avoid using the mouse) are listed here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204434

Jun 05, 2022 at 04:42 AM

dugaut
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · Mac for beginners ...

Skimmed through the comments and not sure I saw backup mentioned. Time Machine works well enough.

I saw something related to this, but apps are compiled for the intel have to be recompiled to run on apple silicon. Some have been updated, but some not, and those that aren't run through Rosetta2, and that might explain some of the spinning beachballs.

I use both mac silicon and windows 11. As noted, windows 11 is the best windows os, but the mac seems more refined and stable.

I backup to a slow 5tb drive ($110), and also have a fast 1tb tb drive external ($300) that you can actually work off of if you need more space.

Jun 05, 2022 at 07:05 AM

pliukait
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · Mac for beginners ...

Kinda off topic, but it may help in your decision, but I just got a new MacBook Pro, M1 16GB, 1TB SSD.

Wow, it is waaay faster than my 2014 MacBook Pro i5, 8GB, 512GB SSD.

I imported 250 photos in Lightroom and the building of 1:1 Previews took about 1/4 of the time, I didn't time actually time it, just my impression.

Jun 05, 2022 at 07:50 AM

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · Mac for beginners ...

bjhurley wrote:
Pressing delete on a Mac keyboard has (as you discovered) the same functionality as backspace on Windows: it deletes text to the left.

Pressing fn-delete on a Mac keyboard has the same functionality as delete on Windows: it deletes text to the right.

Similarly if you don't have a two (or more) button mouse, control-click does the same thing as right-clicking.

There have been keyboard shortcuts for just about everything on the Mac since the begining; Windows actually copied most of them, just exchanging "Command" (Mac) for "Control" (Windows) and "Option" (Mac) for "Alt" (Windows). Some users rarely touch the mouse, and...Show more →

Gotcha at fn key. Seems a bit quirky, but good to know that the functionality exists bi-directionally.

My (very limited) experience to the Mac was that the gap / margin of UI (keystroke commands and keypad gestures) ... that was once a "game changer" difference from Windows / PC ... seemed like it was kinda the "same thing, only different" from my current rig (less touch screen).

Where I sit at the moment is that, the interface was "okay". Nothing to be concerned about being a problem to change to. By the same token, it wasn't anything that was an "OMG" moment either, out of the gate anyway. Which puts me in the camp of no need to change because of a compelling UI. Maybe bit more "phone-like", but in some regard, that was confusing to me to. Dogs and tricks, kinda thing.

Since I didn't import and work on files ... only trying to review the card ... I wasn't able to experience any performance advantages either. I'm not suggesting they aren't there to be found. Rather, it is the prospect of performance gains that has raised my attention to the Mac. So, I'm aware that I never got to "push it" and find out what's really under the hood. That'll be another day ... someday.

Jun 05, 2022 at 08:06 AM

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · Mac for beginners ...

dugaut wrote:
Skimmed through the comments and not sure I saw backup mentioned. Time Machine works well enough.

I saw something related to this, but apps are compiled for the intel have to be recompiled to run on apple silicon. Some have been updated, but some not, and those that aren't run through Rosetta2, and that might explain some of the spinning beachballs.

I use both mac silicon and windows 11. As noted, windows 11 is the best windows os, but the mac seems more refined and stable.

I backup to a slow 5tb drive ($110), and also have a fast 1tb tb drive external...Show more →

Not sure why ... but when folks talk about the Mac being more stable ... I haven't experienced any stability concerns with my Thinkpad's over the years. Yet, I remember the "Blue Screen of Death" on my daughter's Mac ... and Apple not doing anything to help ... wound up buying her a replacement PC.

Here again, it makes me wonder how much the gap (of yore) has been bridged in general ... and maybe to a more specific degree the way the TP's are being engineered / configured. Wondering if the TP's might be a notch up on the general PC market (for which the reputation of instability might be more warranted historically).

I'm not discounting the controlled match of Apple software / hardware advantage presenting better than a PC mfr cobbling together components of choice that varies from one mfr to another. But, my TP's seem to have been made to play well together, too.

The one thing that does intrigue me about this ^ ... is that allegedly, software (i.e. Photoshop, etc.) programmers can write to a Mac standard vs. a "non-standard" PC. According to Apple personnel, this allow Photoshop to run better on a Mac than a PC. Sound good on paper, in premise ... but, I don't know if that is actually true that Adobe's Mac version is written to take advantage of such ... or, it just sounds good to say (i.e. seems logical enough).

Again ... I haven't had the opportunity to find out how it REALLY performs, yet.

That ^ and I don't import a large volume of images or bulk process the way some might. I'm not a sports shooter racking out 10 - 30 fps all day long, nor an event / wedding shooter taking 1,000's of images per event, every week. So, it might be a "fit for purpose" thing that's a bit in play, here.

Still, I'm looking forward to a chance to see how much performance there really is. If it is close to what I read about ... well, that will be the tell-tale as to whether or not it compels me into an "I gotta get this !!!

"

Until then ... thanks to all for chiming in ... journey TBC.

Jun 05, 2022 at 08:31 AM

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · Mac for beginners ...

pliukait wrote:
Kinda off topic, but it may help in your decision, but I just got a new MacBook Pro, M1 16GB, 1TB SSD.

Wow, it is waaay faster than my 2014 MacBook Pro i5, 8GB, 512GB SSD.

I imported 250 photos in Lightroom and the building of 1:1 Previews took about 1/4 of the time, I didn't time actually time it, just my impression.

Interesting to know.

I'm running a pair of 1TB SSD's with 64GB on an "H" series CPU. So, depending on where you're starting from ... the relative increase might be perceived a bit different.

Again, I've not had the chance to give it a real performance test yet, but good to know it seemed like a quantum leap.

I'm hoping to experience the same, when I do get the chance to test one with something more than reviewing an SD card (which wasn't a positive experience).

Jun 05, 2022 at 08:38 AM

bjhurley
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · Mac for beginners ...

RustyBug wrote:
Here again, it makes me wonder how much the gap (of yore) has been bridged in general

I think the gaps generally have been bridged. When Windows first came out it was a feeble copy of the Mac, and sticking with DOS was really just a better experience. But Microsoft worked hard and I feel like the two operating systems are both excellent nowadays, each with their respective strengths and weaknesses. My last system crash on a Mac was in 2004, and I can't remember having a system crash on Windows 10. I use both and like both for different reasons.

In general, I feel like you should only switch platforms if you need to for some reason. Maybe the Mac can give a performance edge right now, but in a year or two Windows might regain that edge (although Apple doesn't stand still and are likely working on even more powerful chips). For photography I don't really need big specs: I see no performance difference between my two desktop Macs, one with an i5 and 8 gigs of RAM and the other with a more powerful chip and 32 gigs of RAM; Capture One performs the same on both of them in my workflows. Video is a completely different story, and because I use DaVinci Resolve I need a computer with very high GPU specs (much more important than processor speed or RAM).

If I didn't need to do video, I could do all my work on my ThinkPad, including photography and audio recording/editing/mixing.

Jun 05, 2022 at 09:13 AM

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · Mac for beginners ...

bjhurley wrote:
For photography I don't really need big specs: I see no performance difference between my two desktop Macs, one with an i5 and 8 gigs of RAM and the other with a more powerful chip and 32 gigs of RAM; Capture One performs the same on both of them in my workflows.

Video is a completely different story,

If I didn't need to do video, I could do all my work on my ThinkPad, including photography and audio recording/editing/mixing.

Very helpful insight. I'm a stills only guy.

From what I can gather so far, it is the video folks who really get into the "OMG, I gotta have this." I mean, the number of cores in the GPU (and I'm assuming the software can utilize them) alone seems like it would be compelling for video production.

Of course, I wouldn't mind "More power, Scottie."

Jun 05, 2022 at 12:21 PM

bjhurley
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #18 · p.2 #18 · Mac for beginners ...

RustyBug wrote:
From what I can gather so far, it is the video folks who really get into the "OMG, I gotta have this." I mean, the number of cores in the GPU (and I'm assuming the software can utilize them) alone seems like it would be compelling for video production.

Photographers who do a lot of batch processing and a lot of noise reduction benefit from more powerful computers. I don't do either, so my old 2014 Mac Mini with an i5 processor and 8 gigs of RAM has been more than adequate for my needs; my ThinkPad also does a good job. For video I'm using a $5,000 Mac Pro with dual GPUs and 32 gigs of RAM, but as I said above I don't experience any performance improvement in photo raw processing and editing with that machine compared with my puny Mac Mini or my ThinkPad. If I were batch processing hundreds of photos at once or using noise reduction (which I almost never do), I'd probably see a difference.

Jun 05, 2022 at 02:14 PM

bobby350z
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #19 · p.2 #19 · Mac for beginners ...

I don't know you guys but with my new Mac Studio 64GB RAM I am super happy that things are faster compared to my old PC. The 10 file stitch of 100MP files took like 20-30 seconds. On my old PC I would have to take a coffee break. Now being a hobbyist it doesn't matter that much but I am happy that I have a powerful machine to last me a few years.

Jun 05, 2022 at 11:19 PM

dugaut
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #20 · p.2 #20 · Mac for beginners ...

I watched a lot of YTvideos from the big mac guys who were timing lots of apps doing various things and comparing b/t intel macs and PCs. If something took 30 seconds on an older mac and 15 seconds on an M1 mac, they would say "50 percent faster." Sounds like a lot and if you work all day every day on a laptop I think it has meaning. But for those working on a laptop a few days a week to edit some photos or video for a couple of hours, do the 15 seconds add up to enough?

Then there is the throttling. There are some PCs that run as fast or faster on certain tasks, but when you unplug them, not even close. They run at much higher wattage to do those same tasks and to save on battery when you unplug the performance goes down.

Jun 06, 2022 at 06:33 AM

1 2 3 … 6 7 end
FM Forums \| Post-processing & Printing \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 3 … 6 7 end