Macbook Air install log

I got a new MacBook Air. These are the first things I do with it given my experience with the older 2011 MBA, based on what worked well for my environment and what not.

• Open the box, unpack stuff, got upset that the power supply has a new MagSafe adapter - this means my old power brick will not serve without an adapter.
• Charge the battery. Set up the basics and register the Mac.
• Log in for the first time. Change the background, make the dock smaller.
• Set the trackpad to the tap mode - I prefer light tapping to strong clicking.
• Remove some apps from the dock that I rarely use: the stock email reader, FaceTime, Contacts, etc. Many of these are integrated in Google apps.

Tweaks

• Fix Safari (and Chrome) settings to not save passwords, and start with my favorite start page.
• Move Terminal shortcut to the Dock
• Terminal->Properties->Settings->Shell-> change "When the shell exits" to "Close if the shell exited cleanly"
• Terminal->Properties->Window change width to 120 - I wan to see long messages.

AppStore

Install some apps from the AppStore:

• TextWrangler
• Evernote
• Numbers, Pages, Keynote
• MplayerX
• SmartConverter Pro
• The Unarchiver
• Caffeine
• Sketchbook Express
• Kindle

Other Apps

Install some apps from other sources, or directly from the developer.

• Google Chrome
• KeyRemap4MacBook
• Winebottler - like Wine on Linux

ToDo

• Microsoft office
• Parallels

• Handbrake
• Python Launcher?
• Keyspan Serial Assistant
• Gimp
• Google Drive
• Sketchup
• CyberDuck
• Arduino, Tinkerkit
• Waspmote?
• smcFanControl
• VirtualBox?
• VLC?
• TotalFinder
• LeapMotion
• EagleCAD
• CoolTerm
• DiskRing?
• Xcode?

To-not-Do

There are some things that I have decided to stay away based on previous experiences or storage and other restrictions.

• No MacPorts for now. Will see, how long can I stay this way.