# just got a mac



## blacksunrevival (Sep 14, 2006)

dont know how to use this thing yet. i cant seem to open downloads with an .exe at the end, it asks me what to open it with and im just not sure. also should i have antivirus software installed on this thing? its a brand new macbook, does it come with anything? as you can tell im pretty much in the dark here any replies would be very much appreciated


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## VegasACF (May 27, 2005)

*sigh*

In the order you posed the queries...

Google is your friend.

The search feature is your friend.

Apple is your friend.


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## blacksunrevival (Sep 14, 2006)

but wont you be my friend...?


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## Serge_N_Gin (Sep 7, 2004)

blacksunrevival said:


> but wont you be my friend...?


ixquick will also be your friend


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## emoxley (Jan 6, 2004)

A mac isn't going to open an .exe file, unless you have XP on it. I don't think they come with XP on them.


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## VegasACF (May 27, 2005)

blacksunrevival said:


> but wont you be my friend...?


Not until you learn to use the assets that are at your disposal. 

P.S. Had I not been your "friend" I would not have pointed you towards the answers you sought.


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## VegasACF (May 27, 2005)

emoxley said:


> A mac isn't going to open an .exe file, unless you have XP on it. I don't think they come with XP on them.


Indeed. As the link I provided above details, an ".exe" file is a Windows application known as an "executable" or an "executable archive". It is, in effect, a wrapper that, when launched, executes the contents therein, often installing files, modifying the registry, killing people and breaking things. Okay, not so much the last two... Though the penultimate is the slightly less likely of those two.

Slightly less than often, an executable will merely contain files that are entirely Mac compatible (image files, text files, etc.) but are in a Mac incompatible formatted application wrapper (that tell Windows what to do with the files contained therein, as opposed to a .ZIP file, which allows the user what to do with the files). If you extract the files from within that archive the files can, at times, be used by the Mac OS. For more information than you'd ever hope to absorb in a single sitting on the subject please consult this link.

Wow. What a friend am I!


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## beyondglory (Sep 15, 2006)

Antivirus software won't hurt, but its not going to be absolutely necessary. There are nowhere near as many viruses out there for OSX than there are for Windows, mainly because so many less people use a mac. If by some chance you do get a virus, malware, etc. on your mac, you can always install antivirus software after to eliminate it, so I would say don't buy it until you need it.


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## tedwinder (Sep 7, 2005)

.exe won't work on Mac. Only .dmg or something else like that.

And this might help.


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## VegasACF (May 27, 2005)

I'm really wondering something: Do you actually read the threads you post in, or do you just decide to join in and "to Hell" with anything that anyone else may have already said?


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## tedwinder (Sep 7, 2005)

I'm summarizing the point.


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## VegasACF (May 27, 2005)

A thread with (at that time) eight posts in it needed summary? Mmmkay.


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## trulyperris (Aug 27, 2006)

I just got a new Mac, too. I've used Apple products since before there was a Mac - Apple II - but I still need help. Where can I go to ask my dumb questions? (Phone surport is a joke.) I am so very much disappointed with my new Mac; I'd cry if it would help. Is there a forum for those of us who use Macs because they are easy too use, but otherwise we are computer idiots?


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## beyondglory (Sep 15, 2006)

http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa
http://macosx.com/

either of those are great places to start, don't be afraid to ask here either


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## Farmgirl22 (Jun 12, 2006)

VegasACF said:


> I'm really wondering something: Do you actually read the threads you post in, or do you just decide to join in and "to Hell" with anything that anyone else may have already said?


It seems as though everyone does this at some point or another, you just have to sigh and move on...

I also just bought a mac, and I agree with VegasACF, use that help thing...it's very handy, especially since it has the option at the end to take you to the place that you need to go to do whatever you were trying to do. Also, I don't know how often you get the option, but sometimes, you get the "assist me" option to do things....you may be too far in to use that anymore, as I said I'm new to these too, but it was extremely helpful on my network connections. Just thought I would pass that on, one newbie to another....LOL!! Oh and in the instruction manual, it tells you how to move files, settings, and whatnot over to your Mac from your PC, although, obviously, it won't move everything, but that might get some of the things that you really need. Just read the book that comes with your Mac, it's rather lengthy, I know cuz I'm still reading it, but comes in handy.

Good Luck!!


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## VegasACF (May 27, 2005)

Farmgirl22 said:


> It seems as though everyone does this at some point or another, you just have to sigh and move on...


Had this been a "some point or another" type of event I'd have done what you describe. But this seems endemic with this particular user.

In the end, it comes down to RTFM.


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## MSM Hobbes (Apr 23, 2004)

trulyperris said:


> I just got a new Mac, too. I've used Apple products since before there was a Mac - Apple II - but I still need help. Where can I go to ask my dumb questions? (Phone surport is a joke.) I am so very much disappointed with my new Mac; I'd cry if it would help. Is there a forum for those of us who use Macs because they are easy too use, but otherwise we are computer idiots?


Please, ask your questions here in this section - there are many people of varying levels of knowledge/experience in there too, and by having the questions/answers here, it helps build a knowledge base for others to review/add towards. Remember,,, there are no dumb questions! 

What are some of the main issues that you are fighting? Trust me, you aren't and won't be alone - even tho' as some of us really like the Apple product, they are still nonetheless in the end [egads! ] machines, created and built by humans.


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

trulyperris said:


> I just got a new Mac, too. I've used Apple products since before there was a Mac - Apple II - but I still need help. Where can I go to ask my dumb questions? (Phone surport is a joke.) I am so very much disappointed with my new Mac; I'd cry if it would help. Is there a forum for those of us who use Macs because they are easy too use, but otherwise we are computer idiots?


These guys really know their stuff: http://www.macaddict.com/forums/


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