Need Help Putting Together a rMBP so I Have Everything I Need...
Hello-
I am having trouble getting the right kind of help from "Chat Now" on apple.com and calling in to get my questions/needs taken care of so that when I get the rMBP I will be sure I wil have what I need to go right online and teach the online courses. I even went to the local apple store and woked with a couple sames guys there, but they were not clear in a couple situations on what I would need with the different options the rMBP gives. so I am truning to the great apple forum for additional help. this might be too much to ask even for tis forum, but if I can learn a little at a time, maybe I can gradually gain the knowledge I need to have a complete and functioning home office for my personal computing needs and my needs as an online teacher at a university back East. My technical knowledge is not the best, so as far as the rMBP goes, a big problem for me is that I do not have the knowledge to make sure I order everything I need with the changes a new rMBP will bring to my current setup (which is just a basic MBP using a wireless router and a USB cable for the printer that I just connect when I need to print). I realizee my current set up on my desk is not the most advanced, but I would need a pro to come to my office and help me get the best set-up for what I am curently using. It seems that the agents I chat with and/or talk to on the phone are aslo lacking in knowledge to help me put together a rMBP that will be ready to fully use and have with the order all that I need so that I do not have to order additional items in a mad rush to be ready for the courses I am teaching online. I have read several articles about the rMBP so that I cold have some knowledge about what I will need but as I said my techie knowledge is lacking. I am looking at the 15" rMBP with all of the full upgrades that the configure option allows one to get. I am not clear if I do run into trouble with my wi fi and have to use my ethernet cable what I will need to do this. I also have programs that are older that I am guesing I will need to install using a DVD player. I would like to hook up the printer I have or a new Canon printer and use it wirelessly, but for now I will most likely be using it with a USB cable. I am not clear on the thunderbolt technology and if I should get any of these cables for any of the connections. I also would like to get a great speaker system and will need to hook that up, but I am not clear on the best way to do this. I have been wanting an iMac, but I am not sure what is a good slection to get and how to connect it to the rMBP or one of the other 2 older MBPs I currently have.
If somebody could list for me what I would need to have a complete rMBP that will allow me to do these hookups and connections and explain what would be the best way to complete the various connections so that I have all that I will need to get up and running, I would really appreciate it. Because I do not have any USB 3.0 cables or cables for various additional connections, I would need help/suggestions in this area. I realize this is hard to do not seeing my office, but since I will be starting new with the purchase of the new rMBP and hopefully an iMac (and a new Canon printer and new set of great sounding speakers) getting some advice on what I should order for the various connections would be a hugh help. Part of the problem is with the rMBP and not having used one of these in the past. I know some of the differences with this machine like the lack of an internal SuperDrive and the new ports, but I do not know what cables I will need that will utilize the newer technology this machine and an imac will bring to my office.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, even if you do not give me specific answers, but an idea, for example, of what I might need to connect the speaker system (knowing the best way the new speaker system shold be connected to the rMBP and/or the iMac. I am not even clear if I do want to use the iMac with the rMBP for teaching with a larger display what I will need to connect the imac to the rMBP. is this done by an HDMI cable and if so is there a specific type or example you could mention that is on apple.com?
