Some hardware questions...

I finally ordered a refurbished macbook (the deal was good). Now I have some more questions concerning hardware, the software questions will come later...

The important point is, I need both mac OS and windows xp - and all solutions should work with both OSs...

1.) Can I use a regular 2-button+scrollwheel USB mouse?

2.) Can I use a regular USB keyboard?

3.) Which file system should an external harddrive have, so that both OS can read and write files to it?

4.) I´ll upgrade the internal hd myself. Are there any pitfalls to avoid or should any 2.5", S-ATA harddrive work?

Thanks, Hendrik

hendrikm said:

2.) Can I use a regular USB keyboard?

Click to expand...

Dang, found a good article on this issue, so that I can answer my own question... The keyboard has a different layout, some keys are substituted, no ideal solution - but it should work somehow...

1) Yes: any standard mouse will work.

2) Yes: Some keys will be remapped as you have found out though

3) FAT32. Windows cannot read or write to HFS+ by default (although MacDrive can solve that). OSX cannot write to NTFS (although this is changing with MacFUSE)

4) Any 2.5" SATA drive should work fine.

hendrikm said:

The important point is, I need both mac OS and windows xp - and all
solutions should work with both OSs...

1.) Can I use a regular 2-button+scrollwheel USB mouse?

Click to expand...

Yes any USB mouse will work

hendrikm said:

2.) Can I use a regular USB keyboard?

Click to expand...

Yes But you'll find the 'alt' key is where the windows button is and the alt key now becomes the cmd key. put some stickers on to remind yourself.

hendrikm said:

3.) Which file system should an external harddrive have, so that
both OS can read and write files to it?

Click to expand...

FAT (Apple calls MS-DOS in its disc utility)

hendrikm said:

4.) I´ll upgrade the internal hd myself. Are there any pitfalls to
avoid or should any 2.5", S-ATA harddrive work?

Click to expand...

Good guide here:
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/86.4.0.html

Hope you enjoy your new Mac
Mark
--
http://www.photo-utopia.blogspot.com/

You have good answers for all. I'd like to add to item #4. If you go to http://www.macsales.com , they have videos showing how to swap out the hard drive.

The video shows the location of all screws, gives the type/size of screwdriver needed, and will show you anything you might want to take note of. So you can at least have a feel for what to expect

They and http://www.newegg.com both sell SATA drives that will work well in your MB. Good luck, and enjoy your new Mac

Mark Smith wrote:
[deleted]

Mark Smith145430 said:

Mark Smith145430 said:

2.) Can I use a regular USB keyboard?

Click to expand...

Yes But you'll find the 'alt' key is where the windows button is
and the alt key now becomes the cmd key. put some stickers on to
remind yourself.

Click to expand...

Not quite: the "alt" key pairs with the Mac "option" key; "control" on the PC=command on the Mac. There are shareware apps out there that let you configure the keys differently.

[deleted]

geoduck said:

Not quite: the "alt" key pairs with the Mac "option" key; "control"
on the PC=command on the Mac. There are shareware apps out there
that let you configure the keys differently.

Click to expand...

I don't think thats right, I have a PC keyboard on my Mac now, pressing the window key gives option alt and pressing the Windows alt key give me apple cmd key! No problem I have a little sticker on the keys to remind me.
Mark
--
http://www.photo-utopia.blogspot.com/

Great answers! Thanks a lot!

I need some clarification in one point (Microsoft and wikipedia contradict each other): Can I access more than 32 GB if I format the drive in FAT 32?

Gotcha, I misunderstood the question and gave a response from a Mac keyboard perspective. I'm using Parallels right now and on my Mac keyboard option=alt; command=control (through control also works in some contexts as control too) etc.

hendrikm said:

I finally ordered a refurbished macbook (the deal was good). Now I
have some more questions concerning hardware, the software
questions will come later...

The important point is, I need both mac OS and windows xp - and all
solutions should work with both OSs...

1.) Can I use a regular 2-button+scrollwheel USB mouse?

Click to expand...

You can use a regular 2 button mouse but the Mac will not recognize the "right click" button. Right clicks are done a different way on a Mac and it's really no big deal as far as I am concerned. That being said, the Apple Mighty Mouse does have a second button and that button can be programmed as a "right click" button. You will not be able to do that with a regular 2 button mouse however.

hendrikm said:

2.) Can I use a regular USB keyboard?

Click to expand...

Yes

hendrikm said:

3.) Which file system should an external harddrive have, so that
both OS can read and write files to it?

Click to expand...

Always format it as a Mac. Although I have yet to use my Inte4l Mac as a PC I see no reaon to format the drive(s) as FATxx. The Mac will recognize PC formatted drives but I believe things run slower.

hendrikm said:

4.) I´ll upgrade the internal hd myself. Are there any pitfalls to
avoid or should any 2.5", S-ATA harddrive work?

Click to expand...

I have never done this so will not comment.

hendrikm said:

Thanks, Hendrik

Click to expand...

--
Photoshop Online Resource Guide

http://www.porg.4t.com/LatestLinks2.html

Photography Online Resource Guide

http://porg.4t.com/PhotoTips.html

Your comments and critiques always welcome

Ken Leonard
Belmont Shore, SoCal
Nikon D80 DSLR
50 mm f1.8 prime lens
18 - 200 mm VR lens
SB600 Flash unit
Nikon Coolpix 8700 prosumer

Ken Leonard said:

You can use a regular 2 button mouse but the Mac will not recognize
the "right click" button. Right clicks are done a different way on
a Mac and it's really no big deal as far as I am concerned. That
being said, the Apple Mighty Mouse does have a second button and
that button can be programmed as a "right click" button. You will
not be able to do that with a regular 2 button mouse however.

Click to expand...

a bit misleading I'm afraid; vast majority of 2-button (and more) mice will work just fine with a mac. I currently use a logitech mouse in which 4 out of the 5 buttons are assigned to different functions.

jack

Jack

this may be true but you must have software that assigns these extra buttons. This is not always available for the Mac on mice that are meant for Windows boxes.

Here is the rub. Windows users are used to right clicking. On a Mac tis is just not so important and can be done in other ways. Just one of the little differences switchers to Mac's need to understand.

Ken

jack1000 said:

jack1000 said:

You can use a regular 2 button mouse but the Mac will not recognize
the "right click" button. Right clicks are done a different way on
a Mac and it's really no big deal as far as I am concerned. That
being said, the Apple Mighty Mouse does have a second button and
that button can be programmed as a "right click" button. You will
not be able to do that with a regular 2 button mouse however.

Click to expand...

a bit misleading I'm afraid; vast majority of 2-button (and more)
mice will work just fine with a mac. I currently use a logitech
mouse in which 4 out of the 5 buttons are assigned to different
functions.

jack

Click to expand...

--
Photoshop Online Resource Guide

http://www.porg.4t.com/LatestLinks2.html

Photography Online Resource Guide

http://porg.4t.com/PhotoTips.html

Your comments and critiques always welcome

Ken Leonard
Belmont Shore, SoCal
Nikon D80 DSLR
50 mm f1.8 prime lens
18 - 200 mm VR lens
SB600 Flash unit
Nikon Coolpix 8700 prosumer

Ken Leonard said:

this may be true but you must have software that assigns these
extra buttons. This is not always available for the Mac on mice
that are meant for Windows boxes.

Here is the rub. Windows users are used to right clicking. On a Mac
tis is just not so important and can be done in other ways. Just
one of the little differences switchers to Mac's need to understand.

Click to expand...

Ken I've never seen a 2 button scroll USB mouse where the right click doesn't work, I'm using a genius Windows mouse now right click acts just like it should (ctrl click).

Im understand multi button mice might need a driver but a simple 2 button scroll works everytime.
Mark

--
http://www.photo-utopia.blogspot.com/

My wife loves the MAC but has problems as the keyboard shortcuts she uses for EXCEL on her PC at work are different when she uses EXCEL for MAC at home.

Can you reccomend a shareware program that will allow her to duplicate her EXCEL keyboard shortcuts on EXCEL for MAC?

Mark Smith said:

Ken Leonard said:

this may be true but you must have software that assigns these
extra buttons. This is not always available for the Mac on mice
that are meant for Windows boxes.

Here is the rub. Windows users are used to right clicking. On a Mac
tis is just not so important and can be done in other ways. Just
one of the little differences switchers to Mac's need to understand.

Click to expand...

Ken I've never seen a 2 button scroll USB mouse where the right
click doesn't work, I'm using a genius Windows mouse now right
click acts just like it should (ctrl click).
Im understand multi button mice might need a driver but a simple 2
button scroll works everytime.
Mark

Click to expand...

I'll second that. I have used two different logitec 2-button scroll-wheel mice on various macs and I have never had problems with the right click or scroll wheel not working in OS X (at least greater than 10.2 or so). It may have been a problem in older versions of OS X or Classic/OS 9, but it's good now.