[Mac 101] Ask your questions here!

[SkimMilk]

Hi all,

I am a new MacBook user. Was searching high and low to install Microsoft excel add-on (data analysis).

Can someone advise how to do it?

Excel add-on? Do you mean you want Excel on your Mac?
Then you will have to buy Office for Mac. There's no free "add-on".

Note: Rumors are that the new Office for Mac will launch this year.

 

[chehjin]

Hi all,

I am a new MacBook user. Was searching high and low to install Microsoft excel add-on (data analysis).

Can someone advise how to do it?

vb script or macro add in?

note mac office is 2011, quite old. might not be 100% compatible with add-ins developed for latest PC office

 

[FLiNcHY]

Guys, how do I check whether my macbook pro is still eligible for Apple care if I've bought it from Epicentre and don't have the receipt anymore?

I bought it sometime last year during one of the PC shows at MBS. But I can't remember what was the date of purchase....

I inputted my serial number into the apple website to check for eligibility but because it was bought from Epicentre, the system can't check when I actually bought it. I would need to show proof of purchase which I don't have since I lost my receipt already.

 

[asriznet]

Guys, how do I check whether my macbook pro is still eligible for Apple care if I've bought it from Epicentre and don't have the receipt anymore?

I bought it sometime last year during one of the PC shows at MBS. But I can't remember what was the date of purchase....

I inputted my serial number into the apple website to check for eligibility but because it was bought from Epicentre, the system can't check when I actually bought it. I would need to show proof of purchase which I don't have since I lost my receipt already.

You can set the date from the apple website however if the date does not match Apple's record, you will need the receipt from the reseller to amend the record.

Apple have a record of 1 month range when the date of purchase should be, if really there's no way for you to get the receipt, you can do trial and error to set the date until it accepts it(the 1 month range in Apple record)

You said AppleCare, means you have the extended warranty - if that's the case, your Mac is definitely not registered with the extended warranty because if it was the Apple website will indicate by now. You need the AppleCare registration details after you set the DOP to extend the warranty otherwise it's just 1 year limited warranty.

Edit: looks like you're trying to register the extended warranty and haven't bought it yet so ignore the last section of my reply.

My advice is to reach epicentre to try get a receipt first, just providing the serial number they should be able to reprint the receipt. If they really can't help you, set the date from Apple website starting from today's date and go backwards until it accepted it.

 

[FLiNcHY]

You can set the date from the apple website however if the date does not match Apple's record, you will need the receipt from the reseller to amend the record.

Apple have a record of 1 month range when the date of purchase should be, if really there's no way for you to get the receipt, you can do trial and error to set the date until it accepts it(the 1 month range in Apple record)

You said AppleCare, means you have the extended warranty - if that's the case, your Mac is definitely not registered with the extended warranty because if it was the Apple website will indicate by now. You need the AppleCare registration details after you set the DOP to extend the warranty otherwise it's just 1 year limited warranty.

Edit: looks like you're trying to register the extended warranty and haven't bought it yet so ignore the last section of my reply.

My advice is to reach epicentre to try get a receipt first, just providing the serial number they should be able to reprint the receipt. If they really can't help you, set the date from Apple website starting from today's date and go backwards until it accepted it.

Thanks for the reply man. I found out that my 1st year warranty ends on june 10th. Still still got slightly less than 3 mths to go. Feel like selling it and getting the 12 inch macbook

 

[hafiz91]

Hi guys, My MacBook Pro 13 inch late 2011 is retiring soon...So which of the current Mac computers should I get to replace it?thanks for the help and btw I used it at home...

 

[mynotion]

Repair Macbook Air

Hi, did anyone know where to repair Macbook Air, other than official Apple service centre? My Macbook Air keyword LED light spoil and yet I don't wish to change a whole new Macbook. I ever heard there are shop specialise to this type of small repair.

 

[mynotion]

Hi, did anyone know where to repair Macbook Air, other than official Apple service centre? My Macbook Air keyword LED light spoil and yet I don't wish to change a whole new Macbook. I ever heard there are shop specialise to this type of small repair.

I found this company macinfinity. Did anyone use them before? Is it trusted?

 

[*adiBOY]

Hi guys, My MacBook Pro 13 inch late 2011 is retiring soon...So which of the current Mac computers should I get to replace it?thanks for the help and btw I used it at home...

If you use it at home, I'll suggest you get the 5K iMac.

 

[hafiz91]

Is the mac pro worth it?

 

[davidktw]

Is the mac pro worth it?

That depends how fluent you are in a unix environment and what kind of work you are doing. Mac Pro has a rather niche usage unless you have a lot of moolah and find it hard to spend

Video works will be suitable on Mac Pro. Advance computational works on the dual gpu will also be very useful.

 

[hafiz91]

Oh I see...So if I get a iMac,will it be a good substitute?

 

[Morugana]

whats your budget n purpose

then u can decide between imac mac pro or stick with win7

 

[davidktw]

Oh I see...So if I get a iMac,will it be a good substitute?

A iMac or MBP will satisfy most power user. Mac Pro is for a different class of advance user. If you want something nice, try the iMac Retina 5K.

 

[hafiz91]

Ok,thanks for the feedback..

 

[GGGGGG]

Would like to check anyone of you mac users have anti viruses installed? I have Norton installed and till date it caused several kernel panic attacks

 

[PiPiChew]

Hi a long time windows user here itching to convert into the Mac family but since it is an expensive purchase I would like to buy one with a peace of mind and I have some questions for the experts here.

1. I understand the free productivity apps (Numbers Pages Keynote) are meant to replace Excel Word Powerpoint. Are they truly able to integrate well with MS Office apps that windows users use? e.g. A resume created using "Pages" with lots of alignments will retain its format exactly if I email it in docx format to a windows user.
(How about MS Office for Mac?)

2. The Macbook Pro Retina 13" has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 but runs it "pixel double" at 1280 x 800. If I were to play a 1080p video would I be getting the same clarity as a windows laptop with true 1920 x 1080 resolution? Would the scaling done by The Retina pro cause a drop in video quality?

3. I know that windows read/save in NTFS while I am not sure what does OS X read/save on. Would it be inconvenient for me to pass documents to and fro from a Windows computer to a Macbook? While file system do we save on, NTFS or FAT32?

I have done some reading on the 3 questions and there seemed to be many answers floating around and they are "based on theory" thus I do not have any conclusive answers. Anyone with real life experience who can share some light on my questions?

Thanks
A (possible) future Mac user

 

[davidktw]

1. I understand the free productivity apps (Numbers Pages Keynote) are meant to replace Excel Word Powerpoint. Are they truly able to integrate well with MS Office apps that windows users use? e.g. A resume created using "Pages" with lots of alignments will retain its format exactly if I email it in docx format to a windows user. (How about MS Office for Mac?)

No, the productivity suite from Apple stands on its own, you can choose to use them if you are going to interoperate between Mac users or you are creating documents just for your own. If you are going to interoperate with Microsof Office users, you will want to using Office for Mac 2015 or run Parallels with a Windows and Office suite in it.

2. The Macbook Pro Retina 13" has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 but runs it "pixel double" at 1280 x 800. If I were to play a 1080p video would I be getting the same clarity as a windows laptop with true 1920 x 1080 resolution? Would the scaling done by The Retina pro cause a drop in video quality?

1080p video will be upscale to the native resolution. Why not you go to the showroom and take a look, let the staff show you how a 1080p video will play in it ?

3. I know that windows read/save in NTFS while I am not sure what does OS X read/save on. Would it be inconvenient for me to pass documents to and fro from a Windows computer to a Macbook? While file system do we save on, NTFS or FAT32?

Mac OS X can read/write FAT32, read/write HFS+, read/write EXTFS, and read NTFS. If you want to write to NTFS, you can purchase the following https://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/, or Tuxera | Tuxera NTFS for Mac. There are free alternatives too, but the performance is not as good. Read more from How to enable writing to NTFS hard drives for free in Mac OS X (including Yosemite!)

If you are transferring between a Windows and Mac, you can use Google Drive, Dropbox to easily solve the problem. If you like you can setup share from Windows or Mac on SAMBA/CIFS and then transfer from one filesystem to another via network. You can also format your thumbdrive using EXTFS or FAT32 and transfer between Windows and Mac.[/QUOTE]

 

[PiPiChew]

No, the productivity suite from Apple stands on its own, you can choose to use them if you are going to interoperate between Mac users or you are creating documents just for your own. If you are going to interoperate with Microsof Office users, you will want to using Office for Mac 2015 or run Parallels with a Windows and Office suite in it.



1080p video will be upscale to the native resolution. Why not you go to the showroom and take a look, let the staff show you how a 1080p video will play in it ?



Mac OS X can read/write FAT32, read/write HFS+, read/write EXTFS, and read NTFS. If you want to write to NTFS, you can purchase the following https://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/, or Tuxera | Tuxera NTFS for Mac. There are free alternatives too, but the performance is not as good. Read more from How to enable writing to NTFS hard drives for free in Mac OS X (including Yosemite!)

If you are transferring between a Windows and Mac, you can use Google Drive, Dropbox to easily solve the problem. If you like you can setup share from Windows or Mac on SAMBA/CIFS and then transfer from one filesystem to another via network. You can also format your thumbdrive using EXTFS or FAT32 and transfer between Windows and Mac.

Wow ok thanks a lot!

Sent from public payphone near kopitiam using GAGT

 

[davidktw]

Wow ok thanks a lot!

Sent from public payphone near kopitiam using GAGT

Apple Mac has been around for >10 years, so if you are getting started, it is already a lot much easier compared to when Mac OS X just started. I have been >10 years a DOS/Windows user before turning to Mac OS X for another >10 years, and to be frank.

So there is nothing much of a hurdle to to speak, just whether you have an open mind for new stuffs. Try not to think about doing the same things how Microsoft Windows do it. It's pointless. You are venturing into a new system, not trying to mimic a previous system into the new one. If you do the same thing the same way as the previous system, where is the NEW experience and how are you going to discover different ways of doing the same thing ?

More often than not, I don't see system not abel to do what a person wanted, but rather the inertia in the person to not want to do things differently.

Discover a new operation system and have a leap of faith