[sethm]

All of my life my family and i have used Windows, and that was fine.. i had no trouble with windows or anything, but it came time to buy a laptop, and I am a dj, so i decided i would go with a mac, i heard many good things about it. So i spent over 3000$ on a macbook pro 17" and i am having the most terrible experience of my life. I have had this laptop for not even 2 weeks now, nothing happened like dropping or anything, but it is slower than a turtle with a missing leg =(. My internet at home runs at about 6 meg dl, and upload, i don't remember, but thats the least of my worries. I ran bandwidth tests on several sites, and it always comes out the same, 6 meg. But then I go to download something... my hosting site of choice is rapidshare, and on my 4 year old... originally 900$ pc, i could download a 25 meg file in about 3 minutes on this internet. and the speed tests came up the same. But if I go to download a file from mac OSX, it takes 30 minutes+. Yea, at first the download manager on firefox (and safari) say im downloading at 800 kbps... beautiful for a german site, but it drops quickly, and within minutes it's dling at 7 kbps. The same happens when i hook it up via ethernet hardwire on T3 at my ambulance corps... which is running at 10 meg, the same deal happens, extremely slow downloads. When i installed bootcamp on this badboy and threw windows on here it wasn't even that slow, granted, it's slower than my old pc, which doesnt make me happy either, but its still faster than on mac. I called support, and they are useless, they have no idea about anything.. seems to me, i ended up being told to reformat OSX if windows is running faster, so i did just that, and i think i did it right. But the same exact thing happens, and actually... I think its slower than it was before, and i havent even installed bootcamp on here yet. The other thing is. It seems like the computer doesn't even listen to my OS, and is glitchy as ALL HELL. I set it to not sleep till like 30 min, and for the screen saver to come up, well that never happens, and sometimes ones it sleep, i have to tap the keys so many times before it decides to wake up. As i said, the internet is fine, and so is the computer's condition.. not even 2 weeks old, at this point i am extremely frustrated, and really wish i could return it, but i doubt thats possible.. i appologize for this lengthy post, but this first mac experience is not a good one.... AT ALL, and i hope you guys can give me some help before i go bitch to the store :P
thanks,
sethm

[Tom_Diola]

Sounds like you should return your machine and go get anotherrrrrr $900 PC. The time you spent writing the post could have been better spent learning how to use the system.

[sethm]

awsome thanks.

[MacCheetah3]

Hi
Granted that it seems you are frustrated but a couple things come to mind -- With all due respect...
If what you were describing were normal, do you really think anyone would buy Apple computers?
This seems much more like a rant than a call for help.
Are you ready to calm down and compose yourself a bit more maturely? If so, we're very happy to try and help you out.
Assuming you are indeed ready for help...
What web sites / downloads are giving you troubles?
What programs do you use regularly?
How many programs do you have open simultaneously / regularly?
Do you use any P2P programs?

[Albertr]

Here is what you should do. If you have a telephone call 1 (800) 275-2273. This is the Apple Care number. You still have lots of time to get full support and hand holding you would not dream off with a Windex computer. They are real nice people who will help you. Lucky for you bought a Mac.

[sethm]

Hey guys, I wanted to appologize for my post the other night, i was frustrated late at night, and just [censored] off =X sry about that, i would definitely love to stick with this gorgeous machine if i can get it up to par.
As to ur questions Mac Cheetah.
All websites really... i was dling bootcamp starting at about 1mbps which is great, but that dropped to 80 kbps in a matter of a minute or 2, and this is on a 10mbps connection (tested on speakeasy) Other sites i have downloaded from include rapidshare, sendspace, yousendit.
Programs: I hate to admit it /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif but i really don't use any programs on mac yet /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif As I said, i'm brand new to mac, never used one till 2 weeks ago, so i don't have much if anything for it yet.. just have office for mac, firefox, and audacity, i think those are the only appz that didn't come installed. (oh, btw.. i was recording a mix on audacity, and at about 46 minutes or so, the program crashed, and i lost it ALL!) =''''((((
Simultaneously, really i just run mozilla and itunes.
no p2p yet.
thanks for ur interest in helping me, and i truley appologize for my aggression the other day.

[Tom_Diola]

We are not a great group to be talking to for p2p (especially limewire...).
I'd say the learning curve for a newbie for Mac is long and hard. You have to step up and make amends with the Mac and give it a chance - Maybe in about a couple months you'll be getting the hang of how the OS works. Don't rush things. Expect it to 'be' different don't try so hard to emulate the Windoze system. Just think different...

[sethm]

i dont actually use p2p.. he just mentioned it in his post, so i answered his question.
Yea, i definitely see where u are coming from though. It definitely is a hard conversion. I mean so far i am pleased definitely, its just the little internet dilemma, but idk how i can solve that. Im going to stick with it.

[sethm]

for those who "don't believe me" many other people apparently have/had the same problem, while searching the issue, i ran across this:
http://www.macfixitf...r&Number=732686
i appologize if i am not supposed to post that and will remove it immediately if its against policy, but its important :P

[cyberhazard]

Tom_Diola wrote,

Quote:

---

I'd say the learning curve for a newbie for Mac is long and hard.

---

sethm wrote,

Quote:

---

It definitely is a hard conversion.

---

I find these statements quite puzzling. I made the switch from Windows XP Pro to OS X 10.1.2 Puma in a day. And in the last five years OS X has evolved into a buttery smooth OS compared to the early Puma version. That said, I think it would even be easier now to figure out what is where and how it works. I guess what I'm getting at is, I would hate for any potential Mac users to pick up on those statements and think switching to OS X is really hard.

[Tom_Diola]

I customized my opinion with this particular user... For some folks (where they are open to new things) it will be overnight and they're done. This user is fighting the system and for those folks that fight the system it could be months before they feel comfortable. . .

[mdawson]

I, too, am taken aback by statements to the effect that learning to use OS X coming from Windows would be difficult and take months to overcome. Despite having worked with Macs since the very first Macintosh was introduced, my school, work and the fact that I could not afford to purchase my own computer until 2000I refuse to spend my hard earned money on anything other than a Macmeant that I spent a great deal more time on Wintel PCs than on Macs, particularly in the last 8 to 10 years.
I did not begin using OS X until I acquired a Power Mac G5 last fall and prior to that I have few opportunities to play with the new OS that is in many ways very different from Mac OS 9.x. Despite being well attuned to the Classic Mac OS and having to spend a great deal of time using Windows, I adapted to Tiger rather quickly. The simple fact of the matter is that Apple employs better UI design than Microsoft making it that much easier to find and use the features of the OS. While I am very knowledgeable of how to work in and manage Windows, the simple fact of the matter is that Windows buries commonly used features. Creating a new folder by right clicking is a classic example. On a Mac New Folder is a top tier contextual menu option in the Finder, but in Windows it is a second tier contextual menu option in Windows Explorer. Little things like that effect long-term productivity and the need to rifle through several layers, even to find common operations, is modus operandi in Windows.
Given that 1) Windows is nothing more than an aped copy of the Macintosh UIVista continues that trend quite blatantlyand 2) that OS X does not typically bury commonly used operations or place things nonsensicallythat is, in counterintuitive locationslearning OS X should be fairly easy for Windows users. The problem with learning to use OS X is not the OS, but the human propensity to resist doing things a different way even when the alternative is easier or more intuitive. As one of the professors here likes to say, Just because you know how to do something the hard way does not make it the easy way. Learning to use OS X quickly means ceasing to approach things the non-intuitive way that Windows forces people to work.
Most people are conditioned to do things as Windows does, but in reality Windows breaches several protocols of proper intuitive user interface design as well as it breaches the rules of graphic design in terms of the UI aesthetic. Microsoft works solely on the philosophy that the only rules that apply are those that they make up. By the same token, the omnipotence of Windows has caused a great many people to believe that the way in which Windows works is the way thing should be done even when they know on some level that Windows is performing the function in a nonsensical or counterintuitive manner. It is no different from what I hear from foreign students that will defend their homelands authoritarian repression of even the most basic rights after having been here and seeing, to a degreebecause the US does not totally live up to its ideals eitherwhat it means to have and be able to exercise rights.

[steve626]

"Other sites i have downloaded from include rapidshare, sendspace, yousendit."
I think diagnosing this situation from the original poster will be hard unless it is done in person. Hence I suggest he/she take his new computer to the Apple Store and ask them to examine it. There could be a hardware problem. The above quote indicates that the poster downloads/installs various things, also experiments with boot camp, for a beginner I can see how he might be getting into trouble. We also can't tell how he has configured his machine, how it is set up to talk to routers (which can affect download speed and can cause slowdowns if done wrong).
I work at a 5000+ employee company that is in the satellite/space business. The engineers/scientists seem to prefer Macs; some of our secretaries and business folks have to use PCs for compatibility with some office applications (such as Oracle). My secretary uses an iMac and runs Virtual PC when necessary. She needed no "training" to get used to the Mac, it seemed intuitive, and she has a non-technical background.
My guess is that the original poster has downloaded/installed something or configured something, or multiple things, on his Mac that is causing the troubles, or he has a hardware problem. Either way, taking it to the dealer is probably the right next step.
Some simple steps include repairing permissions, installing (or reinstalling) the latest 10.4.8 combo updater for his model of Mac, running disk utility and/or "fsck -fy" to repair the disk. I think this would be best done at the dealer.
I recall one new user who experienced similar symptoms. It turned out that she was shutting down her computer by holding the power button every day. This caused file system problems that were fixed by the above steps and also she was told not to shut down that way anymore, ending the issues. Things like this are hard to sense when "talking" to someone on a forum, so I suggest going to the dealer, a reasonable thing to do with a new computer that's acting up.

[sethm]

Yea, you're right it is a little risky to be running these things... matter of fact im in the apple store right now, on a 900 inch monitor lol, i had to move my whole body to read ur post =P but yea. Anyway, it seemed to work fine in here, so i am convinced that it must be something with the dlink router. I am going to update and try the things you said, but yea, they also said they could take it in and diagnosis, but god knows how long that could be, so i don't want to be computer-less for too long.. So i will research the dlink router and stuff, and take ur suggestions, maybe play around a little. The tech guy also said u can screw around with unix settings to use more bandwidth, but he also said that can completely ruin your computer if done incorrectly, so i don't want to mess with that.