I'm switching from PC to iMac... (1 Viewer)

[WhatDat]

Have any of you done this before? Is there anything I should know before I attempt this? I have only used Dell PCs and am new to Mac any suggestions you can make will be very helpful.

Also, I have a LaCie external hard drive that may have been shorted out after my dog ate several computer cords and cables. When I plug it into the computer using the USB cable, the computer does not acknowledge the hard drive. Is there any way I can retrieve the information on the hard drive?

Thanks for your help.

 

[buzd]

Have any of you done this before? Is there anything I should know before I attempt this? I have only used Dell PCs and am new to Mac any suggestions you can make will be very helpful.

Depending on your level of technical expertise (and proximity to an Apple store) - Apple care will give you unlimited free classes with the Apple staff for about a year. I've heard they are very helpful - it would be a good way to get acclimated to that world.

Also, I have a LaCie external hard drive that may have been shorted out after my dog ate several computer cords and cables. When I plug it into the computer using the USB cable, the computer does not acknowledge the hard drive. Is there any way I can retrieve the information on the hard drive?

If the short is in the enclosure of the drive, you should be able to remove the hard drive and either connect it internally as a slave or via another hard drive enclosure.

 

[tjharris]

I'd go down 2 the apple store or the store you bought the mac from they can do everything you need. Also, they should be able to convert your old files to mac.
Also, you can buy a program that puts windows on your mac as a application and you can run your old files in it.

 

[WhatDat]

Thanks for the help.

I bought the Mac online, because Best Buy and The Orchard did not have any in stock. So, hopefully they won't charge for a few questions over the phone.

Buzd, could you please explain this in a way a person with very limited computer knowledge like me, can understand. What do you mean by enclosure of the drive? Thanks.

If the short is in the enclosure of the drive, you should be able to remove the hard drive and either connect it internally as a slave or via another hard drive enclosure.

 

[buzd]

Buzd, could you please explain this in a way a person with very limited computer knowledge like me, can understand. What do you mean by enclosure of the drive? Thanks.

Usually, a commercially available "external harddrive" is really just the exact same kind of hard drive as what goes in your computer (an internal drive) - it just has a plastic case around it and a small circuit board, etc that allows it to be read via USB (or whatever), accept an external power adapter, etc.

Often when an external drive has the kind of problem you are describing, the problem is somewhere in that circuit board or USB connection or power interface, and not with the physical drive itself (although that can happen too).

If the problem is not with the drive, you can usually remove it from the external enclosure and use other means to access the data. You can install it internally to another computer (a second drive can be called a slave which is a legacy term from the IDE days). Or, the easier way is to buy an enclosure that lets you put any internal drive into it, so it can be read just as your drive was previously (via USB).

External enclosures (without drives) are easy to find on Newegg for about $30. Make sure you are getting the right interface for your drive (SATA, more likely, or IDE) and the right size (laptop drives are 2.5" and larger desktop drives are 3.5").

 

[chrisandersen]

Get the book, "The Missing Manual" by David Pogue. Explains everything well.

 

[WhatDat]

Thanks Buzd. Thank you all.

 

[killah]

It isn’t as big of a deal as you might think it is. I have lets say a modest understanding of the compubots and I was able to brings files over to the Mac very easily. What is interesting is the fact that I did all of this and I was 2 years old. I can’t wait to grow up and find out how smart I am when I am 13 which is of course is really old.

 

[RussTKD]

It's not bad to switch over. It'll probably take you a week or so to learn everything you need to do. Pick up a good Mac book, maybe start reading MacWorld magazine, and enjoy the transition.

 

[Rickboy]

Get the book, "The Missing Manual" by David Pogue. Explains everything well.

THIS


It is exactly what I did when I jumped to a Mac.