New to Mac - PCI-X? 3rd Party HDD? ...

[frais_cafe]

Hi. I'm completely new to Mac. I've used PC's since I was a kid, but am really getting sick of my computer crashing. I've never seen a Mac user complain about their Mac, so I'm looking at getting a Mac (G5) for my project studio.

Problem is, honestly, I'm pretty scared to even think of switching. There's a lot of lingo that seems so different; there's a totally different OS; there's that mouse with only one button.

Some things I don't understand are PCI-X and using 3rd Party (PC) parts and gear, as well as software, so I'll do this pointilized:

1. What the heck is PCI-X? Is it backward compatible with PCI cards? What can I do to get more PCI slots available in my Mac?

2. Can you use 3rd Party parts, like HDD's? I've noticed that there's already a post about using 3rd Party memory. Is there anything in a Mac that's totally propriatary?

3. Where do you buy software?!? I can go anywhere and buy PC stuff, get games at Wal-Mart, etc. I can't seem to see where Mac people get software at all, other than the Mac site.

4. Plug-ins - I see that FXpansion has a VST to Audiounits adapter. What other plug-ins are there for Mac? I'm looking at DP4.5, just to stick with MOTU stuff. (Ease of use and all that)

5. Is there any OS tweaking that you have to do to get up and running well with a Mac? (Doing Audio, of course)

6. Any caveats or things I should know before taking the plunge?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks again.

Jean-Pierre

[giles117]

[quote]Originally posted by frais_cafe:
Hi. I'm completely new to Mac. I've used PC's since I was a kid, but am really getting sick of my computer crashing. I've never seen a Mac user complain about their Mac, so I'm looking at getting a Mac (G5) for my project studio.

Problem is, honestly, I'm pretty scared to even think of switching. There's a lot of lingo that seems so different; there's a totally different OS; there's that mouse with only one button. .

[frais_cafe]

Cool...thanks a lot for all the info. The more I look at this, the more I'm sure that this is the way to go.

The memory and HDD's are both SOOO overpriced on Apple's site, so I'll definately do what you suggest about going 3rd Party.

I noticed you're using both UAD-1's and Magma Expansion slot chasis' - do you know if they will work with PCI-X?

[frais_cafe]

I forgot to ask about DP 4.5: The MOTU site says that I can use RTAS plug-ins. Do I have to have Digi hardware installed in order to do this, or can I do it just with some MOTU stuff (HD192's)?

Does it work well, or is it a pain in the butt?