[jwramp]

I just ordered myself a 1.67ghz 15 inch powerbook w/ 1gig of ram, the Superdrive, and a 100gig HD... I'll be using it at college, and i need some recommendations. What kind of software should i get for it (free tools, helpful programs, etc.)? I have iWork and Microsoft Office for it, but am wondering if there are any other essential pieces of software for me. Also, i'm looking for a case. Probably just a neoprene slip for it, so i can toss (i use that term extremely lightly) it in my backback. Any cool hardware add-ons or accessories either?

 

[MuZI]

I just got a Powerbook also and i'm loving it, one software a friend recommended was Stuff It.

Look that up, it's like WinRAR for Windows..

 

[Capital R]

If you are taking any math classes. Maple is a good math utility. BAsically it helps you solve any equation you throw at it. My stepdad used it when he went back to get his masters, and apparently it rocks. Otherwise, try VirtualPC if you ever want to get a "Windows Emulator" on it.

 

[sleepkyng]

stuffit comes built in.

I like firefox (duh), macstumbler, temperature monitor, ipodrip, fetch, macjanitor

just to name a few

congrats!

 

[jwramp]

yeah, i'm getting maple for my calc class, and of course i'll be getting firefox!

 

[Jmmmmm]

I can't help you with the software, but I was just case-hunting for my 14" thinkpad. I had trouble because people don't seem to make 14" sleeves (anymore?).
You should be able to find one pretty easily, though. In my searching, I saw almost everything out there, and think these are some you should look at:
shinza - supposed to be very good, give a lot of protection
waterfield - a bit on the expensive side, but people LOVE these sleeves at the thinkpad forum.
bitolithic - a thin sleeve that looks pretty good; comes with a little bag and screen protector too
timbuk2 - expensive, but stylish
or you could just go to compusa and see what they have, the one buy me has tons of apple sleeves.

I ended up getting the bitolithic sleeve. It's thinner than I expected, but it doesn't add much bulk at all, leaving room in my bag for books.
If I could have found one that fit at a store by me, I probably would have bought it, though. I liked my old case logic sleeve just fine, and it was only $12.

 

[djgustashaw]

I prefer Camino to Firefox. Still based of the Mozilla engine, and the latest version has a cleaner UI.

 

[cpw]

I bought a Brenthaven soft briefcase w/ removeable sleeve and it kicks ass. I thgink Brenthaven makes backpacks too.
CPW

 

[Nisbeth]

Congratulations on you purchase, I'm sure you'll be pleased with the PB once you get to know it.

One of the apps that I find immesely useful for day-to-day work at school and at home is iNotepad (http://www.vojousoftware.com/inotepad.html) which is sort of a virtual version of a stack of post-its. For me it is an absolutely indispensable tool (and cheap too)

As far as the case is concerned, I bought a Neoprene sleeve for my ibook and I'm really happy about that, because I can carry the computer in whatever is most suited to the occasion (shoulderbag for daily use, backpack or small hold-all for travelling), instead of having to lug around a separate computer bag/case.


/U.

 

[atomic]

Hey, enjoy the PB! I got a 12" PB last summer, I really like it. I haven't had any problems yet. I would recommend getting AppleCare though. I also use a neoprene case made by Marware, it has a detachable strap so I can carry it by itself or easily put it in my backpack, which I usually do. Yes, MacJanitor is a good idea.

Also, I actually prefer Safari to Firefox. The pop-up blocker is much nicer, although for some reason Safari likes to crash when I am looking at www.weather.com...

 

[djgustashaw]

Quote:

...although for some reason Safari likes to crash when I am looking at www.weather.com...

Have you updated to the latest Safari version (2.0.1) yet? I was having the same problem with other sites, and this latest update fixed all of it.

 

[ojnihs]

Welcome to the Powerbook club and congratz on your purchase, you won't regret it. I use a ton of third party software on my powerbook, but I guess I'm going to need to know if there are any specific programs you are looking for to really be able to help you out with that.

As for sleeves, I prefer the Waterfield Designs bags, which can be found at sfbags.com, I bought one of their vertical sleeves so that I can put it in my backpack and carry it to the library or something when I go study or type papers.

I also think that Safari is the best best browser to go with on Mac. Firefox is nice, but not as fast as Safari when it comes to loading and such. Another Mozilla project that I like a lot more than Firefox is Camino. OmniWeb is also a really, really good choice, but it costs some dinero.

 

[jjcapurro]

For FTP software thats free and good look up 'Cyberduck'

For free DVD burning software 'Firestarter FX'

'Adium' for chat

and for videos that wont play in QT, use 'VLC Player'

All of these programs will be available at Version Tracker

 

[vibin247]

Use Cocktail for system maintenance in a box. Onyx does the same thing, and it's freeware. You can use MacJanitor also to bring up those cron scripts. Camino is a good browser, but it still in it's testing stage, so I wouldn't rely on it as a rock solid browser. I would just use Firefox and/or Safari. To clean your notebook and screen (because it will get dirty), go to klearscreen.com and buy a microfiber chamois and the iKlear Apple Polish. VLC Player is a good player for those "unplayable" video files. You might want to consider getting an external FireWire drive as a backup for your files. I recommend Other World Computing (eshop.macsales.com) for drives, and especially memory (it never hurts to max out your RAM capacity). If you're interested in getting a sound card for the PowerBook, Echo Audio has PCMCIA cards that'll do the job. Virtual PC can be handy, if you're still wanting to work with Windows. I use it sometimes, but not as much as I want to. Although it might not be necessary, get AppleCare. You might get hardware failure after the one year hardware warranty, and you'll be paying big time for it.

 

[daycart1]

I'm getting started with a 17" pb. So far I've had no problems with Safari. Even with MS office, I've had some minor compatibility issues when emailing .doc files.
The "spotlight" disc searcher is amazing!

One little hardward gizmo you might like is a small usb adapter that lets you use a number of usb devices at once. If you also have a desktop, you'll probably want a flashdrive (very inexpensive) for transferring files, etc..

Although it is expensive, an extra battery is nice to carry around as well.

I got the Airstation, but haven't hooked it up yet since my old linksys thing is working fine so far.