Upgrades for new iMac

[allaboutmusic]

I've finally made the move over from PC to Mac and I am really liking it so far! I went with the 24" and it works so well for what I am doing.

I'm looking at doing a few upgrades and thought I'd get your opinions. All options need to be available in the UK (which is probably true most of the time these days). I don't mind paying for quality but given the choice I'd rather save money than spend it at this point - the iMac and software were more than I was initially going to spend anyway:

• mouse:
  
  The mighty mouse is actually kind of cool - I really like the scroll ball that lets you scroll sideways. However, I really need right-click for my particularly usage, it speeds things up so much for me. So ideally I'd like a mouse with at least two buttons and a multi-dimensional scroll button / wheel. So far the Logitech MX400 looks like a good option: 2 buttons, tilt wheel, "laser" tracking, back/forward buttons for browsing etc. Are there any others I should consider?

• external hard drive:
  
  I'd like something with 1TB (seems to be the price/GB sweet-spot and ideal for my 750GB internal drive) and at least Firewire 400 and USB connectivity, mainly for backup purposes. The Time Machine is too expensive and I don't really need wireless. The Seagate FreeAgent Pro looks ideal and the 5 year warranty is reassuring.

• 24" monitor:
  
  Needs to have 1900x1200 resolution, but then most of them do these days. Bonuses would be similar on-screen colour performance and colour scheme to the iMac (high-contrast, glossy, black/silver), USB hub, height adjustable to match the main iMac screen. Is there a monitor that has been brought out specifically for this purpose? A monitor in an iMac-style shell would be perfect really.

I appreciate the advice of the Macxperts on the forum, as well of course as anyone else with the technological savvy to contribute. Thanks in advance!

[PonyPotato]

A mighty mouse DOES have a right click. Try it sometime.

If you want something with a right mouse button (even though it's not necessary), try the Logitech VX Nano. I have two (one for work, one for home) and absolutely love it.

As for external HD and monitor, you really need to just find something you like yourself within your price range. Shop around.

[Willravel]

I'm not a fan of the Mighty Mouse because the scroll wheel stops working if it's even within the vicinity of dirt. I use a Microsoft laser mouse of some kind, and it works perfectly. I had a Logitech VX for a while and it worked well too (though it wore out quickly, could just be me).

Don't get the Time Capsule, whatever you do! They're still working out the bugs. I had to take mine back. So far as a 1tb external, I'd just go with something simple like this. 1TB external that spins at 7200, and it's got firewire (400), which is way better than USB 2.0. And it's less than $200. Can you get it in the UK? I dunno, but it's worth a shot.

The iMac 24" does have 1900x1200 res. I'm confused, you said you bought an iMac, but you want to build something like an iMac?

[jewels]

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ What she said. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Part of the joy of the Mac is less complication. You'll find you'll get used to the control click (instead of a right click) very quickly. I'd recommend you at least try it for a week or two before you make the decision to use another mouse.

[Willravel]

Originally Posted by jewels

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ What she said. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

[snowy]

You really can't go wrong with a Seagate HD. I have two IDE drives from them, a 120GB Barracuda and a 500GB Barracuda; I converted the 500GB into an external drive by ordering a case. The 120GB is going on 5 years of age and still going strong; I've passed it on to my SO because two of his HDs have burnt out (needless to say, they were from other manufacturers). So yeah, I'd say the FreeAgent is a good choice.

[telekinetic]

Originally Posted by Willravel

I'm not a fan of the Mighty Mouse because the scroll wheel stops working if it's even within the vicinity of dirt. I use a Microsoft laser mouse of some kind, and it works perfectly. I had a Logitech VX for a while and it worked well too (though it wore out quickly, could just be me).

Don't get the Time Capsule, whatever you do! They're still working out the bugs. I had to take mine back. So far as a 1tb external, I'd just go with something simple like this. 1TB external that spins at 7200, and it's got firewire (400), which is way better than USB 2.0. And it's less than $200. Can you get it in the UK? I dunno, but it's worth a shot.

The iMac 24" does have 1900x1200 res. I'm confused, you said you bought an iMac, but you want to build something like an iMac?

He wants a second monitor. I'd suggest a 23" Cinema display. Also, it's really easy to upgrade the RAM if you don't have 4gigs.

[PonyPotato]

Originally Posted by jewels

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ What she said. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Part of the joy of the Mac is less complication. You'll find you'll get used to the control click (instead of a right click) very quickly. I'd recommend you at least try it for a week or two before you make the decision to use another mouse.

The mighty mouse actually does have a RIGHT CLICK that does not require pressing ctrl. You just put pressure on the right side of the mouse, there is no separate button. There is actually functionality associated with clicking both left and right at the same time.

I feel sorry for anyone with a mighty mouse who doesn't realize that they don't actually need to press ctrl whenever they want a right click. I got one in 2004 and it had that function, I'm absolutely positive they still do now.


Yep, they still do:

Originally Posted by www.apple.com/mightymouse

You’ll Really Click

Touch-sensitive technology under Mighty Mouse’s seamless top shell detect where you’re clicking, transforming your sleek, one-button mouse into a two-button wonder. But the innovation doesn’t end there. Apple engineers added force-sensing buttons on either side of Mighty Mouse that let you squeeze the mouse, activating Mac OS X Dashboard, Exposé or a whole host of other, customizable features — instantly.

[Willravel]

Originally Posted by twistedmosaic

He wants a second monitor. I'd suggest a 23" Cinema display. Also, it's really easy to upgrade the RAM if you don't have 4gigs.

OH! I dunno why I didn't put 2 and 2 together there... I'm not sure what's good in glossy 24" displays.

[jewels]

Originally Posted by merleniau

The mighty mouse actually does have a RIGHT CLICK that does not require pressing ctrl.

My bad, ours is a G-4 and we purchased the cordless mouse back then and I didn't realize they'd changed them.

I always felt that those subtle differences were what made Apple special.
Thanks for bursting my bubble.

[PonyPotato]

Originally Posted by jewels

My bad, ours is a G-4 and we purchased the cordless mouse back then and I didn't realize they'd changed them.

I always felt that those subtle differences were what made Apple special.
Thanks for bursting my bubble.

My first mighty mouse was bought with a Powerbook G4.. maybe yours really does have a right click that you haven't enabled.

[jewels]

How would I enable this? Right or left clicking clicks the whole mouse on ours ... ?

This is the one I have.

Apple Wireless Mouse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[telekinetic]

if you have a scroll ball, you have right click, but it's awful. We threw ours away. It's impossible to middle click accurately, and it's also not possible to right and left click at the same time, something I need to do in several programs.

[jewels]

No scroll ball.

[allaboutmusic]

Ok, after trying for about half an hour to right click on the Mighty Mouse with no results, I figured out that you have to enable it in System Preferences --> Keyboard and Mouse. If it had come preconfigured that way I would have been a lot happier... but I suppose they might argue that most Mac users don't need a secondary button. How annoying... still, thanks loads for bringing it to my attention! Going to keep using it until I feel I need something better.

Just ordered the Seagate, along with a 2.5" 250gb Western Digital IDE hard drive for my Dell Inspiron. A fresh XP install and the faster, bigger drive should make it like new again for my existing Windows apps.

Just got a few bills so I'm going to wait on the second monitor for now. 1900x1200 really is adequate for what I'm doing, doubling it would be awesome but not strictly necessary at this present time. This looks inexpensive and very tempting though: dabs.com - Dabs Value L-2442WD 24" Widescreen 6ms DVI LCD TFT (L-2442WD)

---

Another question. Any recommendations on choosing a USB 2.0 hubs for Mac, or will any do?

[ubertuber]

Sorry -- if I had seen this earlier I would have mentioned the System Preferences bit... I've no idea why they don't have right-clicking enabled as the default behavior.

Another handy trick is to enable full keyboard access by pressing ctrl-fn-f7. This will allow you to control everything with the keyboard and stay off of the mouse. I especially like it for the space bar choices for pop-up boxes.

A few other things:

1) Never, ever enable file vault.

2) Absolutely use time machine. Unlike willravel, I've had positive experience with my Time Capsule, but I only got it recently. At any rate, just get a drive and start using it. The most important feature of a backup system is that you use it.

3) USB is USB, but it is good to get a hub that plugs into the wall so you can use it to provide power for your iPods, etc.

4) Clean the mighty mouse trackball every once in a while with a gauze pad and rubbing alcohol. It's like any other trackball and loves to collect dirt.

5) Becoming handy with spotlight (app launcher as well as search engine) will pay huge dividends in getting around on the computer.

6) growl.info Growl is a great system notification utility.