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So you just got your first Mac -- now what?
All day on December 25, TUAW presents "Now What?" We've got first steps and recommendations for all the Apple gifts you (hopefully!) found under the tree today. Happy holidays! If you're a Mac veteran, send a link to this post to the switcher on your holiday list. Merry Christmas, new Mac owner. First of all, congratulations! Welcome to the family. There's some eggnog on the table, and feel free to put your coat on the bed. Setting up your new Mac is a famously easy experience. It should take about 10 minutes, depending on the kind of Mac you bought, and where you want to put it. Once you have your new Mac on your desk, it will take you through a short setup process to personalize your new machine. You'll choose a username, a password, and will be given the option to register your Mac and sign up for MobileMe, if you want. (You can register and sign up for MobileMe later, if you don't do it now.) If you bought any applications along with your Mac (like Microsoft Office, for example), you can install them very easily. Just insert the disc, and either drag the application to your Applications folder (on your hard disk) or double-click the installer application. You can eject the disc when you're done by dragging it to the Trash, or pressing the eject key on your keyboard. For Windows compatibility, get your Windows XP (SP2 or SP3) or Windows Vista disc ready, and double click the Boot Camp Assistant in the Utilities folder (it's inside your Applications folder). Boot Camp Assistant will walk you through the process of installing Windows on your Mac. It's not difficult, but it will take a little time. Once Windows is installed, you can hold down the Option key before your computer boots to choose which operating system to run, or select a permanent preference via the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences. You can read more switcher-specific tips in our Switchers category. If you're switching to the Mac platform from the PC, I might humbly suggest you read Part 1 and Part 2 of my experience introducing my dad to the Mac. He was a hard-core PC user until he fell in love with his Mac mini. Continue reading for a few best bets about how to extend and protect your new Mac.
Neuros LINK web / media viewer gets unboxed
That floor looks mighty familiar, huh? That's because it is. Just days after Mr. Dave Zatz treated us to an unboxing of the 2Wire-built MediaPoint Blockbuster movie set-top-box, here comes yet another gift from the same den. The recently announced Neuros LINK was said to practically be a full-on computer, with the whole kit weighing some 15-pounds. Initial reports are that Hulu content played back beautifully in full screen, so yeah, that's a thumbs-up. We know why you're really here, though, so give the read link a visit for the gallery of photographs.
How to set up and use the Belkin Nostromo N52
Our good friend Phaelia from Resto4Life (who, I'll have you know, will be live on our podcast this week -- more info tomorrow) has an extremely in-depth guide to setting up and using one of the most popular controllers for World of Warcraft, the Belkin Nostromo keypad. Some people swear by the G15 or the Zboard, I personally like to keep things vanilla with just an Apple Keyboard and a gaming mouse, but whenever you ask WoW players what they use, it seems like the Nostromo always comes up.And Phaelia's got it down -- from setting up button mods (she's using Bartender, one of Adam's essential addons for 3.0.3) to configuring the keyboard itself and even putting in macros for all three Druid forms, if you've ever wanted to use the Nostromo, there's probably something interesting to learn here. Seems really complicated to me -- I'm not sure if I'm willing to commit that much work into getting my interface exactly right, especially if there's a chance that a big patch could wipe it all out.But I can see how half the fun of playing the game is getting the controls just perfect, and if tweaking things that much makes you play that much better, more power to you. If you want to dive into the world of custom controllers, Phaelia's guide will probably be invaluable.
How-to guide simplifies calibration for new HDTV owners
We'll go ahead and get this out of the way: seasoned HDTV owners won't likely gain much from this one, but those brand new to the world of high-definition are probably wondering what on Earth "calibration" even means. Rather than simply brushing it aside and dealing with those factory settings, we'd suggest tapping the read link for a simplistic guide that explains how to get your new set looking its finest. Be warned -- you'll probably have to spend some dollars if you expect class-A results, but anyone who has calibrated their own TV will likely agree that it's worth it.
Apple releases iPhone Configuration Utilities
Apple has just released a few tools that are going to make folks looking to deploy many iPhones at once very happy: iPhone Configuration Web Utility 1.0 for Mac iPhone Configuration Web Utility 1.0 for Windows iPhone Configuration Utility 1.0 for Mac OS X All three of these utilities allow you to create a configuration file that can be emailed or posted to a web site. This file, once loaded onto an iPhone, will configure a number of settings including, and I quote, 'device security policies, VPN configuration information, Wi-Fi settings, APN settings, Exchange account settings, mail settings, and certificates that permit iPhone and iPod touch to work with your enterprise systems.'The iPhone Configuration Web Utility (for both Mac and Windows) simply let you create these config files (which are XML files) while the Mac only iPhone Config Utility lets you create config files, as well as access logs, and makes it possible to install apps on iPhones.These apps are going to make any enterprise iPhone users happy, and best of all they are free.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Panasonic reopens Plasma Concierge to the masses this holiday season
Read enough horror stories lately to get you all scared about diving into the world of HDTV? Fret not, as Panasonic is reopening the phone lines to its toll-free Plasma Concierge service during the holidays. Usually, this line is reserved for those who already own a Panny PDP, but starting today, absolutely anyone can ring up the help line for a little one-on-one Q&A about flat panels. Reportedly, those on the other end will be happy to field any general / technical questions you may have, and unlike last year, the service will remain open until February 3, 2008 -- a full two months longer. Hit the read link for the digits, and be sure to grab some paper and a pen before you just start rattling off inquiries.
Make your guests feel at home with Leopard's Guest account
I have my Mac's workspace down to a science-- everything is exactly where I want it and tuned just exactly how I think it should be. And so, even though it's a little silly, whenever a friend comes over and wants to use my computer, I always hesitate for just a second to let people invade my little workspace.But now, those worries are over-- reader Michael C sent us a tutorial he wrote up for how to make the best use of Leopard's Guest account, and though he comes at it from a business' perspective, it seems like the perfect plan for letting my guests use my Mac without messing up my stuff. Basically, Michael walks you through how to log into the Guest account, and then how to save the settings you implement after customizing it (usually, they're wiped out on logoff, but his method has you backing up the defaults and putting your own in their place).The only drawback is that any new accounts you create will use the same default settings at first, but I bet you could just load the backups and then create the new account and you wouldn't have any problems. And that's a very small price to pay to have a clean, configured guess account all ready to load up for anyone who happens to come over. Very nice!
BlizzCon: Convention Center setup
I just sauntered over to the Convention Center here in Anaheim to see what I could see, and the results are in the first exclusive gallery of pictures from BlizzCon, available right there below!There's nothing really groundbreaking here, unfortunately-- it looks like they're still setting up the banners (so I'll go over and check again later today), and I couldn't get close enough to get a really good look inside the Exhibit Hall. But they're definitely close to being done-- while there's lots of carts and equipment around, not much is coming in or going out. I did see a pallet of boxes, but I couldn't get close enough to read what it said on them. Here's an original size version of that one if you guys want to try to decipher what might be in there.Unfortunately, no "Wrath of the Lich King" banners yet, but I'll keep my eyes open and bring you more when I find it.Update: Added some more banners, because when I stopped by this afternoon, they were done putting them up.%Gallery-5417%
It's a custom triple screen Forza 2 setup
Team 10's own audio test lead Joel Robinson is a huge Forza fan (rightfully so, he did help create the game) and in preparation Forza 2's release he created one expensive gaming setup. As you can see above, Joel hooked up three 40" 720p screens creating an immersive racing cockpit view featuring a full 180 degree view. Not only that, but he also installed a racing seat with butt-kickers, a 5.1 surround system, and mounted the 360 force feedback steering wheel and pedals. Yes, his gaming setup is a little messy right now, but he promises to clean it up and add a few final touches. But we highly doubt you'll notice the clutter when you have your eyes glued to the three screens racing it out in Forza 2. Isn't life grand?[Thanks, SRU Phil]
Reader WoWspace of the Week: Patrick and Kyle
This week, on a very special episode of Reader WoWspace... Two men, brought together by fate share a destiny they never thought was possible. This summer, from the producer of The Odd Couple, and the director of The Crying Game comes an experience you'll never forget - Patrick and Kyle's WoWspace!Okay, maybe not earthshaking, but I do find it interesting that it's a shared space. Do any of you share your WoWspace with another? If so, send it in! Here are the details:Patrick and Kyle's WowSpace from Southern Wisconsin.Characters from Left to RightGorgas - Level 70 Warlock (Skywall PvE)Rebourn - Level 14 Warlock (Arthas PvP)Budenhagen - Level 70 Rogue (Arathor PvE)
Panasonic opens up Plasma Concierge service to the public for the holiday blitz
If your tiresome Black Friday campout left you incensed at that fellow ahead who snagged the very last HDTV that you had been eying, take heart. Panasonic feels your pain, and is opening up its exclusive help lines to help you deal with the hassles of searching for the perfect plasma. The company's Plasma Concierge service -- which opened earlier this year -- is stocking up on customer service representatives to field any questions you may have, regardless of whether or not you own a single Panasonic product. The program is open to the public through December 31st of this year to craft "customized flat screen profiles," determine which set would be better suited for your room, and even tips on mounting and wiring. So if you're befuddled over where to get some reliable, free information (aside from the site you're currently ogling) on which plasma to pick up this holiday season, give Panasonic a ring, but be sure to dodge those sure-to-come sales pitches while you're at it.
LGC Nintendo booth pics
To get you psyched for tomorrow's keynote speech from Nintendo, 1up has posted some early pictures and video footage from all over the show floor. Perhaps the venue isn't quite as grand as E3, but it doesn't seem as though any company is taking this event lightly. Remember, though, that no Wii games will be publicly playable...only behind closed doors to special invitees. Le sigh. Anyway, there are plenty of pretty shiny things after the jump, so enjoy the eye-candy.
Warning: You may find this post heinous and offensive
But Xbox 360 Fanboy needs your help. For every positive (like the HD Beat flickr group), there is an equal and horrifyingly opposing negative. This weekend they are running a contest to find out who has the most pathetic Xbox 360 gaming setup in all the land, and uh, some of these are pretty pathetic. Sweet 720p videogame loving should never be found in what appears to be a laundry room.Go, vote, and then thank your lucky stars that you have not found youself in such a pitiable position.
What kind of home theater would you build for $18k?
Writer Mike Miller has been answering that question himself over the last month, and recently added the last of his three part journal entries on selecting the equipment, setting up the display and audio components, and finally setting up his source equipment and accessories. While your budget may or may not be on his level yet, it's a good read to see the thought process involved. For my dollars, I'd probably want a 1080p capable display, but since I have an HDTV and our friend Mike is upgrading his system from a standard CRT, I certainly can't knock his selection. After you check out the steps in his conversion from his old analog system to a fully digital lifestyle including a Media Center PC, leave a comment and let us know what you would do with that type of budget.
