PC Technician switches to MAC OSX

K

Kaos

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Oct 14, 2003
Messages
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Hi!

Im not really all that new to the forums but still new nonetheless.

I work as a PC Technician for The Geek Squad. I originally worked for the main company and am now helping to move the Best Buy Tech counters over to Geek Squad Stations.
I havnt much been in a store environment where they get alot of machines in weekly. But after a few weeks i said to myself "All Im seeing here are Compaqs, Emachines HP's and Sony's" So i went to take a look at a mac.

Not willing to Dip 2 G's down for a G5 I opted for something a little cheaper. a 1 Ghz G4 Ibook.

Let me tell you that I bought a KVM for the sole purpose to use my mac on my desk at home because i love it so much.

Im still learning (only had it for 2 weeks) but any tips you guys can give me would be appreciated ( looking for advanced stuff really).

I love how people laugh at me when i tell them i have a mac, but they have virii and spyware, not me. They have missing system files, not me. Glad to be a mac user.
 
hey hey... i've been a PC user for most of my computer-using-years, but my family all uses Macs. i'm getting a 15 inch powerbook for college at the end of the summer (parents agreed to buy for me if i got an Apple, so... :) ) i've been looking into them alot, and playing on my mom's dual G4 system running 10.3.x... so nice. i know that there are a lot of good programs that you can use to change alot of the "hidden" settings in osX on VersionTracker.com (just search around there, cause i don't know exactly what you'ld want as far as 'advanced stuff' but versiontracker.com is a good start. i don't know what all they do exactly, because i haven't gotten my powerbook yet, but i know some of the software said that it will search wireless 802.11 and bluetooth, and there were other programs that i think revealed hidden features of osX, although i'm not sure how well they work, or how much truth there is to those programs. but hey... don't take my word for it. keep us posted if you find out anything cool...
 
Ah so that's why I saw the geek squad VM Bug in front of bestbuy. Cool name for a computer repair company heh. They pay good?

All yer seeing is "PC computers" coming in for repair....well as a PC "technician" you shouldn't have to worry about that stuff since yer the expert :eek: . Quite frankly you should that Microsoft, malware, viruses, etc etc because they give you a job. :)

Google for macosX sites I'm sure they would be better then quick advise in a forum.
 
the geek squad is a bestbuy made name for there wannbie computer repair people..i am sorry but besy buy pc repair people suck ass
they couldn't even trouble shoot a AD server let alone know what AD is. hey you bestbuy guys even know what a exchange server is? let alone know what it does?
 
Zeus, why do you even bother hanging around the Apple section when all you do is hassle and whine? :confused:

The guy has a mac and likes it. Im pretty sure nobody at Best Buy gives a rats azz what an Exchange Server is. So why should he?

:rolleyes:
 
ok, now let's bring it back to topic...:p

Versiontracker.com is great.

the function keys F9, F10, and F11 come in VERY handy when you need to move back and forth between apps or the desktop (plus the cool transitions don't hurt!)

If you're looking for some advanced stuff, and won't mind reading a book for a while, then look up "Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Panther Edition" by David Pogue (published by O'Reilly, known for high-end comp books)... look it up at amazon... will run you about $20... REALLY comes in handy sometimes.

I'm sorry I can't be of anymore help... I myself have had my powerbook for about two months now and am a pc to mac convert (used to be one of those people you helped with monthly viruses!!)... I hope the senior members of this forum will help you with the advanced stuff!!

Congratulations on your new iBook!! :)
 
[RIP]Zeus said:
the geek squad is a bestbuy made name for there wannbie computer repair people..i am sorry but besy buy pc repair people suck ass
they couldn't even trouble shoot a AD server let alone know what AD is. hey you bestbuy guys even know what a exchange server is? let alone know what it does?
Click to expand...
Actually, that is where you are wrong. The Geek Squad is NOT a Best Buy made name for there computer repair department. The Geek Squad is and was a very profitable computer business for some very big clients. Best Buy bought them out though to use th ename in their stores, but The Geek Squad still operates and retains it's original clients.

And they are PC repair people, not network administrators.
 
[RIP]Zeus said:
the geek squad is a bestbuy made name for there wannbie computer repair people..i am sorry but besy buy pc repair people suck ass
they couldn't even trouble shoot a AD server let alone know what AD is. hey you bestbuy guys even know what a exchange server is? let alone know what it does?
Click to expand...

Settle down.

If you don't like what someone does for a living, or the company they work for, then thats your business. If you feel the need to comment on it, please use a PM.

Trolling will not be tolerated in the Apple forum.
 
Well, I had a long reply typed up, which I'll try to reconstruct later, when, while trying to remember a certain key command, I inadvertantly discovered one previously unknown to me. Command-Caps Lock-<any number from 1-9> will take you to the bookmark in your bookmarks bar which corresponds to the number you pressed, e.g. if, in my case, [H]ard|Forum is the first link on my bookmarks bar, then Command-Caps Lock-1 loads [H]ard|forum. I think this is only in Safari, but I haven't checked.
 
Actually, it's just Command <1-9, maybe 0?>, no need for caps lock. :p

It's just Safari and OmniWeb as far as I've noticed, but Camino might have it too. By why didn't you just click "back"?

Oh, and you can also click Command Shift <Left/Right> in Safari to jump between the tabs, in case you didn't know that either. ;)
 
Black Morty Rackham said:
Actually, it's just Command <1-9, maybe 0?>, no need for caps lock. :p

It's just Safari and OmniWeb as far as I've noticed, but Camino might have it too. By why didn't you just click "back"?

Oh, and you can also click Command Shift <Left/Right> in Safari to jump between the tabs, in case you didn't know that either. ;)
Click to expand...

I just assign my mousewheel up/down to cycle through tabs. (with the command modifier of course)

<3 USB Overdrive
 
I did hit back, but the reply was gone, which seemed odd to me, but whatever. And the Command-Shift left or right I was aware of.
 
[RIP]Zeus said:
the geek squad is a bestbuy made name for there wannbie computer repair people..i am sorry but besy buy pc repair people suck ass
they couldn't even trouble shoot a AD server let alone know what AD is. hey you bestbuy guys even know what a exchange server is? let alone know what it does?
Click to expand...

Like fibro mentioned, computer repair is different than network support, so chill.
 
KaosDG said:
I just assign my mousewheel up/down to cycle through tabs. (with the command modifier of course)

<3 USB Overdrive
Click to expand...

<3 USB Overdrive

But I don't use it much, I currently don't need to. I cycle through tabs by clicking middle button and dragging up/down (OmniWeb has tabs in a sidebar, so it's up/down, not left/right). <3 Cocoa Gestures, too. ;)
 
I am also a PC tech that just got a Mac. I just like working on and learning computers in general. I kept seeing OS X and thinking "man that looks and feels pretty good" so I finally found a great deal on a used G4 - I have been looking for a book about Panther that isn't written for morons or written like one of those "...for dummies" books.

I bought the Mac Bible for Panther from Peachpit press - quite a dissapointment. It's not bad for the price but not very technical.



Kaos said:
Hi!

Im not really all that new to the forums but still new nonetheless.

I work as a PC Technician for The Geek Squad. I originally worked for the main company and am now helping to move the Best Buy Tech counters over to Geek Squad Stations.
I havnt much been in a store environment where they get alot of machines in weekly. But after a few weeks i said to myself "All Im seeing here are Compaqs, Emachines HP's and Sony's" So i went to take a look at a mac.

Not willing to Dip 2 G's down for a G5 I opted for something a little cheaper. a 1 Ghz G4 Ibook.

Let me tell you that I bought a KVM for the sole purpose to use my mac on my desk at home because i love it so much.

Im still learning (only had it for 2 weeks) but any tips you guys can give me would be appreciated ( looking for advanced stuff really).

I love how people laugh at me when i tell them i have a mac, but they have virii and spyware, not me. They have missing system files, not me. Glad to be a mac user.
Click to expand...
 
I never claimed to be Network+ or Cisco certified, what i said is that I was relocated to a best buy to help train their technicians, and there is nothing wrong with being a technician for best buy...some of the ones ive been to have some of the brightest people you will ever meet, some are iffy but that goes with almost any place.

Plus I think I'm doing pretty good considering Im only 19.

and excuse me, dont proclaim to know something about a company thats been around for 10 years thats right TEN years that was BEFORE best buy.
 
I think it's really a slap in the face to a lot of us folk that are well versed in fixing PCs to take a look at a Mac...

The first time I ever really ran into a Mac was a few years back, when a friend of mine brought a G4 to a LAN party... he was practically laughed out the door by everyone there, myself included. It wasn't until a couple years later that I actually sat down with an OSX Mac to check it out. The first thing that caught my eye was that all mounted filesystems sit on the desktop... huh, that's cool. Then I found Terminal.app... then... OMG! This is a full-on Unix system!

The rest all fell into place, and now I'm an admin on an All-Mac network -- let me tell you, there's no longer any doubt in my mind that Macs are easier to maintain and more reliable than Windows boxes. There aren't many network admins that get to run an all-Unix environment, but the benefits are enormous -- having a CLI for everything, and the goodness of CRON and SSH makes all the difference, really.

Today I've really come to have an appreciation for both Windows PCs, Linux boxes, and Macs... they're all just fine if you know how to use them, but they all have their strengths and weaknesses. I have a Windows machine at home that I use for games, but I'm mainly a Mac guy now for everyday things... I have a G4 iMac that I use for browsing, chatting, and IRC. I also have a cheapo ClamShell iBook G3 that I got for free, and lemme tell you -- for a 366 G3, it's a hell of a lot more functional than a PC of the same vintage.

Yay Apple.
 
[RIP]Zeus said:
the geek squad is a bestbuy made name for there wannbie computer repair people..i am sorry but besy buy pc repair people suck ass
they couldn't even trouble shoot a AD server let alone know what AD is. hey you bestbuy guys even know what a exchange server is? let alone know what it does?
Click to expand...


Think about what you just said for a second. Why would they trouble shoot an Active Directory Network when they're PC Repairers/Specialists. Not part of their job roll and way too big for their pay grade.
 
interactive said:
Think about what you just said for a second. Why would they trouble shoot an Active Directory Network when they're PC Repairers/Specialists. Not part of their job roll and way too big for their pay grade.
Click to expand...


Do us a favor and don't fan the flames, by responding to inflammatory posts you just run the risk of bringing more.

Keep the thread on topic
 
Things to check out on versiontracker:
- Launchbar: lets you launch any app by holding the apple key and pressing space bar then just typing the name of the app.
- Tinkertool: lets you tinker with all sorts of cool settings in the OS, once you're bored with the initial stuff in the control panels and such.
- AdiumX: One of the coolest multi chat clients out there, allows you to use all the major clients with a lot of the same features. Missing a few of the major stuff like vid and audio chat as well as group chat, but tabbed chatting in one window and the contact list where you can turn the window transparent so you just see the names... little stuff like that that are just awesome. Trillian on the PC is crap compared to it ;-)
- Watson: Been around for a while, now with Sherlock having a lot of the features it's not quite as cool, but it still is useful for finding all sorts of different info.
- Poisoned: ... File sharing app.. nuff said :)
- Carbon Copy Cloner: Kinda like Norton Ghost on the PC, lets you clone your hard drive to other media and keeps the linked files and invisible files intact so it even lets you get a bootable copy done.
- BatChmod: If you get stuck with permission issues that the system doesn't let you change, or to force the trash to empty. Not as much an issue these days, but still useful.
- VLC: About the best multi format media player out there.. some files are a little flaky on it, but most play very good.

There's a lot of other goodies, but those are the ones I tend to get the biggest kick outta.

Tips... let's see... well there's a lot of cool key commands to get you started:
- Hold Option at start: will start you to a boot manager, so if you load a iPod or other hard drive with a OS, you can use the mouse to select it to boot to. Very useful if your system is having issues booting.
- Hold T at start: will boot you to target disk mode, basically making the system you boot into a firewire hard drive, all you have to do is connect the system to another mac with firewire, and it mounts on the desktop as a drive. Very cool for transfering files quickly between systems. You'll need a 6 to 6 pin firewire cord.

There's a ton of other stuff too, check out www.macosxhints.com for some really interesting stuff.
 
Things to check out on versiontracker:
- Launchbar: lets you launch any app by holding the apple key and pressing space bar then just typing the name of the app.
Butler: Free, generally more functionality than LaunchBar. You can add Hot Keys for just about everything. When combined with AppleScript, there is almost literally nothing you can't do with a single stroke on the keyboard. I've heard the abbreviation is less accurate, but I've never had a problem with it.
- Tinkertool: lets you tinker with all sorts of cool settings in the OS, once you're bored with the initial stuff in the control panels and such.
Very useful for various stuff, like adding a quit menu item to the Finder, making hidden apps transparent in the Dock, yadda yadda. Also, check out OnyX!for similar things.
- AdiumX: One of the coolest multi chat clients out there, allows you to use all the major clients with a lot of the same features. Missing a few of the major stuff like vid and audio chat as well as group chat, but tabbed chatting in one window and the contact list where you can turn the window transparent so you just see the names... little stuff like that that are just awesome. Trillian on the PC is crap compared to it ;-)
Haven't tried Adium for a good while, I'll go download it again. According to me, the best IM client to any platform is Proteus. Also, you might want to check out Fire
- Watson: Been around for a while, now with Sherlock having a lot of the features it's not quite as cool, but it still is useful for finding all sorts of different info.
Haven't tried it. I didn't like Sherlock much, though...
- Poisoned: ... File sharing app.. nuff said :)
Don't know if we're allowed to mention file sharing apps here.... ;) but I suppose I can go so far as to say that the BSD layer in Mac OS X means that just about every single good *NIX app gets ported, or at least runnable in X11.
- Carbon Copy Cloner: Kinda like Norton Ghost on the PC, lets you clone your hard drive to other media and keeps the linked files and invisible files intact so it even lets you get a bootable copy done.
I've never really had the need to do that, but I can imagine it being very useful indeed.
- BatChmod: If you get stuck with permission issues that the system doesn't let you change, or to force the trash to empty. Not as much an issue these days, but still useful.
I haven't had problems of that nature since an early Panther beta... and maybe 10.1... :p
- VLC: About the best multi format media player out there.. some files are a little flaky on it, but most play very good.
Simply superior. Check out Mplayer for the odd file VLC doesn't like, but I find VLC to be better in almost every way.

There's a lot of other goodies, but those are the ones I tend to get the biggest kick outta.

Tips... let's see... well there's a lot of cool key commands to get you started:
- Hold Option at start: will start you to a boot manager, so if you load a iPod or other hard drive with a OS, you can use the mouse to select it to boot to. Very useful if your system is having issues booting.
- Hold T at start: will boot you to target disk mode, basically making the system you boot into a firewire hard drive, all you have to do is connect the system to another mac with firewire, and it mounts on the desktop as a drive. Very cool for transfering files quickly between systems. You'll need a 6 to 6 pin firewire cord.

Both tips very useful in the right circumstance.

There's a ton of other stuff too, check out www.macosxhints.com for some really interesting stuff.

Seconded. Macosxhints.com is very useful.



Some app suggestions from my part (aside from the ones I've already mentioned), too:

- OmniWeb 5 (beta 7): a very good browser. It has a better UI than any other browser I've ever used, quite fast (But not really recomended for low-end Macs, it's quite heavy. Not on the RAM, though.), has loads of very interesting features, such as the ability to create custom settings for each website. If you don't like the White-On-Black here in [H]F, you can change that to Black-On-White and still retain the default settings for every other website. You can even (de)activate things like Java for specific sites. Drag-N-Drop tabbed browsing is also a very useful feature. Only two flaws I can think of is that it costs some money (you can use it without paying, but you'll have to put up with not being able to set a start page other than the nag page) and that it's still a bit unstable, what with it being a beta.

- Colloquy: an IRC client. The best, according to me. It's open source, fully AppleScriptable, has excellent system integration, very good UI... it doesn't really have the entire feature set of X-Chat or mIRC, but still very good.

- FinkCommander: a graphical front end for Fink, a package handler. Lets you look for *NIX apps and download, compile and install, everything fully automated. Very useful.

- Konfabulator: if you're in to customizing your UI experience, this might be for you. Lets you add "widgets" of any nature to your monitor. Weather monitors, iTunes controllers, image viewers, whatever.

- GeekTool: another customizing thing... Lets you add system logs in windows (that can be placed however you like, even at "desktop level") on your monitor, can run terminal commands on given intervals and show images that, too, can update on given intervals. Very useful if you're in to such things.

- Transmit: FTP client. My favorite when the CLI client won't cut it.

- SIDPLAY: a SID-player, for your High Voltage SID Collection. ;)
 
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