Help me with me new (used) MacBook Pro

If it's not apparent from the stuff below, I'm not feeling very up-to-date on Mac stuff at the moment, so I'm not going to comment on the diagnostic or anti-virus stuff. - Is there any software that I should get for the Mac (including an apps I should buy from the Mac store)? I'd skip iChat in favour of Adium. I personally don't like Safari and I'm currently using Firefox. (I used Camino for years and years, but the internet has finally surpassed its update schedule to the point some sites don't work.) LibreOffice, I suppose, if you need office applications. Just about everything else I have isn't necessarily something everyone would want/need. (Bibdesk seems to be a perennial winner of bibliography software. Gimp. Inkscape.) Depending on what sort of software you're likely to use, you may want to check if X11 is installed. (I can't remember if it is by default or not.) - I am trying to get iChat started, but I can't (it seems to have skipped the initial set-up stage – I wasn’t given the option to set it up) and I don't know how to get back to set it up You can add accounts in the preferences. It's in the iChat menu, or press command-,. - I want to check out the Mac App store but I don’t think I can from my computer/software. Is this the case? Offhand, I think so. The App Store came in as an update to 10.6. - What about accessories? Do I need a keyboard cover/protector, etc. No. Or I've never bothered, at any rate. - Is this the reason why I can’t use FaceTime? Again, assume so. No FaceTime for me on 10.6.8.

This is a long question with a lot of sub-questions. The best thing to do would be to find your nearest http://www.apple.com/retail/ and make an appointment with one of the Geniuses. Make the appointment online, in advance, because there's often a wait in-person. If you're not in range of an apple store, check out your local library -- they may have a book in the "Missing Manual" or "for Dummies" series for you. Also -- this will help you when asking for help or looking for the right book: go to the Apple menu and click "about this Mac". It will tell you that your mac is running OS X Version x.y.z. Ignore z, but compare x.y to the cat names on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X so that you know whether you want "Snow Leopard: The Missing Manual" or "OS X Tiger for Dummies" or whatever. Good luck! Macs are pretty easy for a standard user to get into the swing of, so just ride the gentle learning curve and you'll be fine.

Recently switched family members have http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/

Yes, definitely visit Apple.com's switch site, and visit the Apple store, where staff can answer a lot of questions, and make an appt. at the genius bar, or take a training there if you really need more help. The biggest issue for me was the keyboard differences, and the heavy reliance on the mouse.

>- I have been hearing that Macs don't get viruses as often as PCs. Is this really true? Or should I get a virus scanner and/or Malware scanner? This is true. Not necessarily because the architecture is more secure (which more knowledgeable folks than me frequently say is indeed the case), but because so much more attention is given to other environments by malware authors. >I know it is running Mac OS X 10.5.8 You might consider upgrading to http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A and then to http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD256Z/A. I think your machine could handle it. If your experience upgrading windows machines makes you hesitant, it's very different and (mostly) painless experience with OSX. A trip to the apple store (if you have one close) would be totally worth it. There are plenty of accessories available, but I've yet to find the MUST have doo-dad. Keep in mind, they need not be apple brand -- most USB, Bluetooth, and Wifi gadgets will play nicely. Though, it's still a good idea to hunt for the OSX logo when you're considering a purchase. Enjoy! [...maybe I should dust off that G4 Powerbook in the back of the closet. I bet it would power up without a hitch.]

- Are there any basic scans that I should do to see if this Mac is running smooth and there are no underlying issues with it? (as I said, he noted that he had been having some issues with it lately) Yes. There is an app that comes with your machine called "Disk Utility." It is often the first thing to check when your computer is acting up. Its super easy to use See this link to learn more about it: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1782 - Are their any basic tests I can do to see if the battery life is a problem (and if it is, can I buy a battery and replace it myself?) Yes. See this article on the Apple Support forums to learn how to check the health of your battery via the System Profiler. http://www.trickyways.com/2009/08/how-to-check-macbook-battery-health/. Also note that the System Profiler gives you lots of information about all the equipment inside your computer. Additionally, the battery is fairly easy to replace. If you've ever installed a hard drive in a computer, you can do this. See here for instructions: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-MacBook-Pro-13-Inch-Unibody-Mid-2009-Battery/1332/1. Also note that there are generic batteries available that are cheaper than the official Apple ones if you're interested in that. - I have been hearing that Macs don't get viruses as often as PCs. Is this really true? Or should I get a virus scanner and/or Malware scanner? I don't know a ton about this, but in my 10 years of using Macintosh computers on a daily basis, I've never had an issue, and never bothered to install anti-virus software. Just be sure to keep up with software updates (especially security updates) when they become available from the the "Software Update" app, which seem to be familiar with. - I want to check out the Mac App store but I don’t think I can from my computer/software. Is this the case? Correct. The Mac App Store was introduces in OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard). In case you didn't know, the current version of OS X is 10.7 (Lion). 10.8 (Mountain Lion) http://www.apple.com/macosx/mountain-lion/ and will be coming this summer. The updates are typically only $30 and are painless compared to updating a windows machine. - Is this the reason why I can’t use FaceTime? Correct. Facetime is an app that you can only get from the Mac App Store, thus you need OS X 10.6 or newer. - What about accessories? Do I need a keyboard cover/protector, etc. No. In fact, its been reported that a lot of the cases for Macbook Pros cause unnecessary strain on the hinge, causing it to become weak. Welcome to the world of Mac! Congratulations on your new computer.

just fyi...'defragmenting' your hard drive is something you never have to do again...apple is pretty gung-ho about making 'maintenence' tasks invisible (as possible) to the end user.

First off macs are not inherently more secure vs windows 7. At the hacking conferences the macs are the first ones to go down. They are more secure due to less users. Dont blindly install things and you will be ok (this is the same problem in windows or mac). One keylogger for the mac hid itself as an adobe update. I would upgrade to atleast 10.6. Also once you have 10.6 or 10.7 on the machine if you have a lot of windows software and have a windows 7 disk you can install windows 7 to the macbook pro via bootcamp. there are some things i still boot into windows 7 to do.

You might want to run Activity Monitor and keep an eye on available RAM to check for some of the "issues" your brother in law was referring to. If your Mac is consistently using up almost all of its RAM and you're not doing anything more than surfing the web and using iTunes, that might be a sign that you need to add RAM. This goes double if you frequently get the spinning beach ball cursor. In my experience, all of the issues I've had with my Mac have been down to needing to upgrade to more RAM or to free up hard drive space.