Some short questions!

[Cranberry]

Hi guys!

Second post in a short time-span but I didn't want to mess up my big first thread with these short random questions!

So, like I said before, I have a few questions...

1. Ok, here we go! First off; I have this hard cover, with a zipper, that protects my MBP, whenever I use it, I put it on my lap, unzip it, and just leave the MBP in it, protecting my lap against the heat, and my MBP against scratches on the bottom, from my jeans or w/e surface it's on. Now my question is, is this bad what heat/cooling is concerned? The "sleeve", if I can call it that, covers both sides almost entirely, of course the magsafe bends the side of the sleeve a bit, but I doubt that would be enough to create a good circulation for hot air.

2. When I browse YouTube I almost always get distracted by other videos, which I open up in new tabs. When I have multiple tabs, I let them load, by letting them play and turning off the volume, often more than 5 at a time. Is it normal that the fans go crazy when I do this? Can Safari really use that much memory that my MBP goes semi-crazy from simply browsing the web, and streaming some videos?

3. I've always been a neat-freak or w/e, I hate junk on my (PC in the past) Mac, but I have troubles with the fact that some applications put junk in my Documents, folders that I did not ask for, and such, how can I clean up my mac without causing damage? I use AppZapper to remove unwanted software, however, I've only recently got this superb software, and it's possible that I left junk on my mac when I removed apps manually...

4. Do you get the remote thingy with your MBP? I never got it, but two of my friends both have a remote, they've had it as soon as they had their macs, but I don't know if it came in the box... Should I have received one as well?

5. I've only explored airport briefly, creating a network and having people connect to it to play small games over LAN, and thats it. But how do I create a folder for other people to explore? So that when they connect to the network that I have created, they can see that folder, put files in it, etc etc... Theres a folder "Public" in my user menu thing, but I haven't found any use for it thus far...


If you have an answer to any of these questions, I will be very grateful for your reply!

Thanks in advance!

 

[karazelle]

1) I believe the MacBook Pro seems to vent upwards through the keyboard/speakers and to the sides. I would probably not recommend covering the sides entirely if possible.
2) Opening up a few tabs shouldn't be a problem. I write this to you now on a Macbook Pro with vmware fusion running a WinXP 64bit VM, Word 2008, Safari with 5 tabs open and the fans are silent.
I noticed it spun up for a little while loading up a new window with 2 tabs in Youtube, and I guess it might be the streaming of video to disk (caching/buffering) that happens that cause it. I also have 4GB of RAM.

3) Office for Mac is notorious about that, especially Office 2004. Otherwise you usually have freedom in moving the stuff to other locations, or adjusting the Preferences of the app to store stuff somewhere else. On Versiontracker are plenty of tools like this http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/30637 (I haven't tested it personally) that could help you.

4) I had to buy it with my Macbook Pro (new per april 2008).

5) Irrelevant of Airport, to share on a Mac, explore the Sharing panel in System Preferences.
You want Personal File sharing to be enabled.

 

[karazelle]

Followup: The Public folder, when File sharing is disabled, is used to share documents between users on the same computer. MacOS X is a unix system, and Public facilitates a way for users that share the same physical computer to easily share documents and other work.
Use Get Info (Cmd+I) to set permissions on files and folders. The Mac doesn't differentiate between network or local user. Same permission set for both (there is also a Server version of MacOS X that is meant for PowerMac, MacPro and Xserves with more stuff here).

 

[Cranberry]

Reply to:
2) Do you recommend the 4GB of RAM? I still have the 2GB that came with it, as some mac users I've met have advised me to wait with putting in extra RAM till I feel that it's necessary, as I will get used to the higher speed, while I'd better wait till I need the extra RAM, and enjoy the greater speed then... (If that makes any sense to you, I'm having troubles forming correct English sentences at the moment )

3) Well I'm working with iWork instead of Office for Mac, so that shouldn't be a problem... So the folders/files that were put in "Documents" can be moved around without causing applications to have problems? I would love to drag all the mess that was made to a simple "Documents" folder in my Library or something, but I don't want to lose any settings/preferences in doing so...

4) Figured that one out by now, apparently in the past the MacBooks/MBP's came with a remote, but since the newer versions you have to buy it separately.

5) Question 5 I have figured out myself this weekend! My girlfriend got her very first MacBook this friday, and that was a great opportunity to give File Sharing a try! I had used Internet Sharing in the past (GOD I love AirPort!), and now I finally fully understand File Sharing... The Public folder is there as the default File Sharing folder, but it can simply be removed in the File Sharing preferences and another map can be added, after which the other mac(s) connect to the newly created network, and can than browse the files that have been shared...
VERY nice!

Thank you for the answers!

 

[karazelle]

2) I don't disagree with that at all. However, I wanted to point out that I have 4GB RAM to point out that I might hear the fan less often because its able to buffer more.

3) Could you list the folders you wonder about? Office for Mac installs folders, but if you don't actually have Office for Mac those shouldn't exist. The print system has a feature called "Web Receipts" that I think is "hard coded" so if you used that feature you'd see a thusly named folder.. Otherwise I cannot think of a reason you couldn't move anything away. Of course, if in doubt, make a folder somewhere and put the folders there. Then see if any problems occur.

4+5)

 

[Cranberry]

1) Yeah, I figured, but you do recommend waiting with buying extra ram as well? The problem is that next year I will be working with mainly adobe software, but after that it will be adobe software and 3D editing with maya and such, I think I would enjoy my mac even more if I wait with getting the ram when I really will be needing it, or will it stay fast if I get the extra ram now...?

3) I made a screeny to make things easy;

the folders/file in red are the files that are there without me putting em there... I would like the Documents folder to be clean, so I can use it for, well, my documents

 

[karazelle]

* Get as much RAM as you can afford. Really, its a no brainer

* I generally recommend you check each applications "Preferences" pane to see if you cannot change the settings. Generally it should be possible to change or even delete the folder without consequence. To find out, for all the apps whose settings don't let you change stuff, make a folder called "App specific" or something and put them in there.

To name a couple suggestions: WireTap is a recording app of sound. Consider letting it save to Music/WireTap Studio Library.
Microsoft User Data is only if you have/run Microsoft Office for Mac. If you don't, you can delete it. iWork is not Office even though it can open/read its files.
The rest I have no good answers for.

In genral I agree though.

 

[Cranberry]

Well, it's not a thing of how much RAM I can afford, the maximum is 4GB, no?

The Microsoft thing is not from Office, it's from messenger, so doesn't really matter if I relocate that folder... I'll give it a try!

Thanks!

 

[karazelle]

I agree with you on clutterness in Documents. I believe that a lot of this data could have well been saved elsewhere than Documents.

 

[Cranberry]

Yeah, but the blame is partially on me though, next time I install an application, I'll check the documents folder to see if it put any junk in there, so I can just remove it and try if it affects the app... Because now theres a whole lot of files which I have to check...