# got my mac today, not very happy so far



## dixiegal62 (Aug 18, 2007)

looks like it'll be pretty cool BUT as far as I can tell I cant use my wireless internet card, now I guess I should have known this but I assumed that I could go wireless with this laptop and Im pretty upset about this. As far as I can tell there isnt even a slot for an internet card.
How do you mac owners do your wireless?


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

I am not a mac person, but most newer laptops have wifi card built in as well as an ethernet card and usb ports. The ones built in will definitely be recognized by the operating system that comes with the laptop.  Time to get out the manual that came with your machine.


----------



## smalltime (Jan 26, 2007)

What kind did you get?


----------



## peacebaker (Dec 30, 2005)

I'm pretty sure ALL mac laptops have built in wireless. It's called the AIRPORT and you can turn it on and off with an icon in the upper top right of your screen--just to the left of the clock  So, you shouldn't need to plug in anything external for it. 

As long as the airport is turned on, it will automatically start looking for a wireless network. 

Good luck!


----------



## smalltime (Jan 26, 2007)

Yup, all macs come with airport/bluetooth built in..no card needed


----------



## dixiegal62 (Aug 18, 2007)

HermitJohn said:


> I am not a mac person, but most newer laptops have wifi card built in as well as an ethernet card and usb ports. The ones built in will definitely be recognized by the operating system that comes with the laptop. Time to get out the manual that came with your machine.


 lol I would love to get it out and read it but it didnt come with any kind of manual


----------



## dixiegal62 (Aug 18, 2007)

smalltime said:


> Yup, all macs come with airport/bluetooth built in..no card needed


ok Im so confused the bluetooth has to have a network to run off of doesnt it? My only other wireless in the house is my verizon wireless card for my old laptop I dont have a router. How can bluetooth run without something to connect to? Why the heck dont they give a manual with these laptops?


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Should at least be a help section in menu when you turn on the computer. Sure there is lot of online info if you google for it.

Hmm, your last comment about not having a router, are you connecting with wifi to somebody elses router or do you have one of those microwave antennas on your roof from your isp which are also called wireless. Generally they just require an ethernet port and wire comes from antenna down to your computer and you plug it into your ethernet. Your new laptop should have an ethernet port built in.


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Oh, ok, your wireless is via cell phone network? And you need your cell phone card to plug into your laptop? It may well not work with your new laptop. though your cell phone company may offer a usb version if you dont have a pcmcia/card bus in your new laptop.


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/09/26/addonics/index.php?lsrc=mwrss


----------



## peacebaker (Dec 30, 2005)

Wireless: Okay generally you have an internet service provider, who brings cable or DSL internet into your house, and then you have a router that "broadcasts" as wireless signal. This is what your laptop will connect to. Older laptops used an external adaptor or card to connect to the wireless network you already have in place. If you are using some other type of card--through a cellphone company?--then I'm not sure how you do it--hopefully someone else will chime in here. It would help if we knew what kind of internet provider you are using.

Bluetooth is more of a local wireless thing--for remote controls, or for connecting one device to another (cell phone to laptop, wireless keyboard to a computer ,etc). Bluetooth is not what you use for connecting to the internet.

Macs don't come with a manual, but all the main help files should be on the computer already. Also searching the apple website is useful--they have a lot of common support questions on their site. I'm sorry things aren't going smoothly right out of the box (they usually do!).


----------



## dixiegal62 (Aug 18, 2007)

my biggest problem is I shouldnt have even tried opening the box while I had my 2 grandkids here ages 2 and 3,lol. Tomorrow Ill go to verizon which is where my wireless card is from and see if they have one for mac, surely they do, I think not seeing a slot threw me but I guess it runs out of the usb port if Im understanding right. My office pc runs is dsl but I dont need a router my laptop needs to be able to travel with me and be used almost anywhere which is why I use wireless. Like I said it looks likea pretty cool laptop my youngest daughter is already wanting to know where hers is  I told her its about 6-8 years into her future


----------



## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

Your Macbook came with wireless. TRUST me on this one. But I think you're referring to Verizon's wireless internet service, which is different.

As far as the manual, it's most likely ON the Mac. I think it's either going to be in the "Documents" folder, or possibly the "Public" folder.

Now, this being said, I believe that the normal laptops today come with what's called an 'Expresscard' slot (otherwise known as 'Type II' or "PC Card" or "PCMCIA"). Macs come with a 'Cardbus' slot. 

I just went and looked on Verizon's website and they list Mac OS X compatibility, so I don't think there's much to worry about. At the MOST you might have to get a Cardbus->Expresscard adapter, but you never know.


----------



## smalltime (Jan 26, 2007)

You should be able to click on the apple top left hand corner of your screen, scroll down to system preferences and open that up, go to network and you should be able to turn on airport there.. or you can go to where it says "help" and open that up, click on mac help and search airport or wireless... Mac's are very user friendly and it should walk you right thru the process.. hope this helps


smalltime


----------



## Terre d'Esprit (Aug 31, 2004)

The built in airport card is under the keyboard. Macs don't have a PCMCIA slot. You will have to get a usb card if you are looking for something external (like the Verizon card).


----------



## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

Not necessarily, as I pointed out above. The newer cards by Verizon will work in a Mac.


----------



## Terre d'Esprit (Aug 31, 2004)

The new Verizon express cards will only work in a macbook pro, which come with the express card slots. Unless she has a macbook pro, which is not your entry level laptop (though I should not assume she doesn't have one), she will have to utilize a usb interface, as none of the new macs have a PCMCIA slot.


----------



## dixiegal62 (Aug 18, 2007)

I have the macbook and verizon had a card for it, Im on it right now  I still havent
figured everything out about my mac but Im loving it. Its a lot easier to use then I thought it would be.


----------



## Terre d'Esprit (Aug 31, 2004)

Excellent!!! I love my mac, too!


----------



## comfortablynumb (Nov 18, 2003)

but they only have one mouse button, thats just........ wrong.


----------



## JGex (Dec 27, 2005)

comfortablynumb said:


> but they only have one mouse button, thats just........ wrong.


Nada. My wireless Apple mouse has buttons on each side and left/right click functions and a scroll button. I can designate which button does what as well.


----------



## TonyE (Aug 1, 2007)

I hear Mac PCâs is a whole different animal. Apple's Customer Service is a good friend in a time of need.


----------



## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

Terre d'Esprit said:


> The new Verizon express cards will only work in a macbook pro, which come with the express card slots. Unless she has a macbook pro, which is not your entry level laptop (though I should not assume she doesn't have one), she will have to utilize a usb interface, as none of the new macs have a PCMCIA slot.


If I am not mistaken (and I don't think I am) Verizon sells all 3 kinds of cards - USB, ExpressCard, and PCMCIA. That's why I said they'll pretty much work in any kind.


----------



## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

So....
did you buy the mac because it was cool looking?

Not meaning to sound snarky, or smarta.. , but my nephew informed the world recently he wanted a mac... and his only reason was that they were cool... his girlfriend has one and likes it... He had no frame of reference for usage, besides the coolness factor. Of course he had none of the obvious Mac Religiosity either... and trying to explain the difference between macs and pcs was fruitless...

Have you owned a mac before?

Personally, I'm a "function is beauty" person.


----------



## JGex (Dec 27, 2005)

Texican, we bought our macs because they function better than pcs for our job and they are just better machines with less problems for us. Apple computers are much easier for me to work on than pcs.


----------



## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

texican said:


> So....
> did you buy the mac because it was cool looking?
> 
> Not meaning to sound snarky, or smarta.. , but my nephew informed the world recently he wanted a mac... and his only reason was that they were cool... his girlfriend has one and likes it... He had no frame of reference for usage, besides the coolness factor. Of course he had none of the obvious Mac Religiosity either... and trying to explain the difference between macs and pcs was fruitless...
> ...


I can tell you that I am most definitely a 'function is beauty' person myself - I spent 12 years working on PCs before I bought a Mac at home. Not everything is just lovely roses, but for the things that Macs do, they do EXTREMELY well. F'rinstance, there's a reason that so darn many musicians use Macs for their sound editing, and it's not because 'they're cool.' It's because they ARE that easy to use.


----------



## MeanDean (Apr 16, 2002)

Most manufacturers are going to assume an individual has a cable/dsl modem hooked straight into a wireless router to support home WiFi.

I think that's probably the best place to begin chasing down the problem - at least from the initial description.


----------



## dixiegal62 (Aug 18, 2007)

texican said:


> So....
> did you buy the mac because it was cool looking?
> 
> Not meaning to sound snarky, or smarta.. , but my nephew informed the world recently he wanted a mac... and his only reason was that they were cool... his girlfriend has one and likes it... He had no frame of reference for usage, besides the coolness factor. Of course he had none of the obvious Mac Religiosity either... and trying to explain the difference between macs and pcs was fruitless...
> ...


nope I got the mac because I was getting tired of my dell laptops not holding up. I really dont see that the macs are cool looking myself, I got the white one because the black one was 200 more.. my last dell was way cooler looking but it was also a piece of junk  plus the mac was about 500 cheaper than my dell.


----------

