WOW, why do people even bother with Windows. OS X is so much better. Anyway after two busy days and three late night (4am late that is) my iMac is almost ready for prime time. Here is the quick list of what I have done so far -

• Initial configuration (the one you have to go through when you start your iMac for the first time)
• Run the software update until all updates are downloaded and installed
• Hook up the Time Capsule to the network. (In the end I turned the wireless off as I do not have any n devices and iMac is hooked up over ethernet directly to TC)
• Configure TC using Airport Utility
• Install and configure MS-Office 2008
• Run the first Time Machine backup (all backed up in less than two hours)
• Download and install Lightroom 2.1
• Copy around 60Gb of photos from Windows machine to iMac
• Copy Lightroom catalog and point LR to the new location of photos
• Be amazed how good my photos look on that beautiful 24″ screen
• Be even more amazed how much quicker Lightroom is
• Configure mail, iCal, and Address Book
• Download and install FireFox
• Download and install Xcode (without this one cannot edit plist files)
• Download, buy and run O2M program to convert my Outlook 2003 pst file to mbox format recognised by Mac mail. (the extraction process still runs, which is not surprising considering the size of my PST file and the fact that stupid Outlook grants access to external program only for 10 minutes)
• Find a free FTP client software. In the end I settled on CyberDuck from cyberduck.ch.
• Find a free text editor that will integrate with CyberDuck. In the end I settled on TextWrangler.
• Configure the dock with stacks for photography related apps, development apps, office apps

What is still outstanding -

• Backup my iTunes library to DVD and restore it on the iMac
• Finish configuration of Lightroom by re-installing the export plugins, web gallery templates and develop presets
• Bring over all miscellaneous documents from Windows to iMac
• Have some serious fun with the new machine

That’s it for now.
—
Without wax,
yOOrek

I’m running the first backup using Time Machine and Time Capsule.

TM Progress Window

I don’t know what other people are talking about when they say that the first backup takes ages (like overnight). The Gigabit Ethernet certainly helps. I’ve got half of my data backed up in just over an hour. Setup was quite painless despite that fact that I had to come to terms with Apple terminology. For example I still cannot work out why they want to name my iMac <computername>.local where I would like to see <computername>.<domain>.<com>.

I’m too tired to post anything substantial but this short update. Screen is a bloody beauty. Keyboard – well – let me put it this way – the keys are perfect, I cannot find some characters on it like hash, @ is in a funny place. I guess I just have to get used to it. Connected my Bamboo pen tablet and installed drivers. It is a joy to use. Tomorrow, or rather today, I’ll connect the Time Capsule to get the first backup going before installing other applications. Question to you guys, how the hell do I change the computer name?
—
Without wax,
yOOrek

As of 5th December, 14:40 I am officially an iMac owner.

—
Without wax,
yOOrek

…when my brand spanking new iMac will be delivered. TNT tracking site says the package is out for delivery. Hooray!!! I am sitting in a coffee shop as I write this and would you believe what song is on the radio – Oh what a feeling, I am dancing on the ceiling. How appropriate
–
Without wax,
yOOrek

It is somewhere in Zürich. Will it be delivered today? I hope so. But then again…

—
Without wax,
yOOrek

While waiting for my new acquisition to arrive I’ve been trying to catch up on the lingo used on the other side.

Carbon, Aqua, Apple Script, Cocoa, Finder, Xcode, nibs, ADC, Time Machine, Time Capsule, Airport, Darwin, Leopard, Tiger, Spaces - as the list grows and the brain overheats, I still go on, sucking in as much info as I can so as not to look like a total idiot on the day when I’ll have to connect my new iMac to my network, configure it and start transferring my stuff from PC.

Several major tasks await me (listed in no particular order) -

• transfer my iTunes library without loosing my ratings, play count etc., etc.
• transfer my Ligtroom database and photos
• transfer my emails from Outlook
• set up the network
• set up the Time Machine and Time Capsule
• crossgrade/upgrade my Adobe Creative Suite CS2 Premium to Creative Suite Web Premium CS4

The list just goes on and on. Already talked to Adobe Switzerland about crossgrade/upgrade. This should not be a problem. Signed a ‘Letter of Software Destruction’ that obliges me to destroy the copies of Windows sotware once I get the Mac version. In the meantime Adobe recommended that I download the trial version of Photoshop CS4 and any other software that is a part of CS4 Web Premium. I might do just that. It gives me 30 days before the real stuff arrives.

Boy, do I have plans.
—
Without wax,
yOOrek

but it is still in Holland. Latest update -

04 Dec 2008 16:46:00 Eindhoven Sendung Wurde Von Der Abgangsniederlassung Weitergeleitet

I’ll keep checking. I think, or rather hope, that it will arrive in Switzerland early Friday morning and hopefuly will be delivered on the same day.
—
Without wax,
yOOrek

to its rightful owner. Just before lunch I get some action from TNT -

04 Dec 2008 11:15:59 Eindhoven Sendung Wurde Weitergeleitet

I guess it means that it is with the courier company now. Estimated delivery date changes to 8th December. Looking better. The question remains – will I have a busy weekend or not?
—
Without wax,
yOOrek

Still waiting. Apparently it is waiting for merge somewhere in Holland.
—
Without wax,
yOOrek