Apple Mac Laptops
Discussion
I am thinking of replacing my media centre destop with a laptop and have been looking at the apple mac laptops. The reason i need a laptop is all down to space really, don't have a lot of space and a laptop would be much better than a desktop in that respect!
Has anyone used an apple laptop? and are they as good as windows laptops?
Any opinions will be appriciated.
Has anyone used an apple laptop? and are they as good as windows laptops?
Any opinions will be appriciated.
I am currently using a 12" Ibook and we also have a 15" Powerbook.
The Powerbook is 2 years old next March and in that time has outlasted 2 PC Laptops including a very expensive Toshiba Qosmio. I have actually now made the decision just to buy Microsft Office for MAC and do away with a PC Laptop.
The Powerbook is 2 years old next March and in that time has outlasted 2 PC Laptops including a very expensive Toshiba Qosmio. I have actually now made the decision just to buy Microsft Office for MAC and do away with a PC Laptop.
Yes, they're very good. OS X is a better operating system than XP, at least as far as usability, eye candy, safety from malware/viruses, etc.
If you're not the sort who likes hacking registry files and just want everything to work without the need for fettling, they're perfect.
Now the new intel-based macs will run Windows natively through a program called Parallels, so if there's a bit of PC software you can't do without, you're covered.
If you want to know more about them, there's an excellent forum over at Ars Technica which you can find here: http://episteme.arstechnica.com/6/ubb
If you have any specific questions please ask.
If you're not the sort who likes hacking registry files and just want everything to work without the need for fettling, they're perfect.
Now the new intel-based macs will run Windows natively through a program called Parallels, so if there's a bit of PC software you can't do without, you're covered.
If you want to know more about them, there's an excellent forum over at Ars Technica which you can find here: http://episteme.arstechnica.com/6/ubb
If you have any specific questions please ask.
Dr JonboyG said:
Now the new intel-based macs will run Windows natively through a program called Parallels, so if there's a bit of PC software you can't do without, you're covered.
Ah yes - the value for money of a Mac and the stability of Windows. Sounds great.
If they had done things the other way around Apple would stop making Macs within a few years.
if its for media centre apps it probably worth splashing the extra for the macbook pro - its got a proper graphics card, rahter than the cruddy intergrated intel unit. Bear in mind that you'll need to spend a littleon the varius adapters needed to hook it up to different types of external monitors.
also - don't do anything till after photokina on the 25th of this month - apples got a special event, and rumors suggest an update to the laptop line.
keep abrest here www.macrumors.com
also - don't do anything till after photokina on the 25th of this month - apples got a special event, and rumors suggest an update to the laptop line.
keep abrest here www.macrumors.com
My wife works for Apple and always has the latest laptop with mega-large screen. I'm a committed (or should be!) PC user and find Macs a pain to use, but I've always been impressed by the power and speed of her laptop when playing with pictures. One word of warning - their metal casings get damned hot!
I've got a 5 year old G4 Titanium Powerbook that refuses to die or slow down to the point where I can justify buying a new one. I think thats a pretty good reason in itself to look seriously at one.
Like someone else said if I were you I'd go for the MacBook Pro. Even ardent anti mac fans will often admit that the laptop line has always been someone Apple do much better.
Like someone else said if I were you I'd go for the MacBook Pro. Even ardent anti mac fans will often admit that the laptop line has always been someone Apple do much better.
Edited by AndyWoodall on Friday 15th September 19:39
Hi there.
Have owned the iBook 14", the Powebeook 15' G4 and now I have a 15" MacBookPro 2.16 Intel Core Duo.
All of the computers have been fantastic BUT....
There are some niggling issues Apple don't seem to be able to fix, generally they don't tend to cause useability problems, more cosmetic. e.g. My PowerBook screen curved slightly at the edges, 3 years later my MBPro does the same. When they have paid so much attention to designing a beautiful and very resiliant case, why not fix this?
They run hot. Not as hot as the napalm Dells but hot all the same. If you're working at something heavy say video editing they are too hot to have direct on your lap.
The MacBookPro had some logic board issues which mine suffered from when it first arrived, i.e. it kept crashing like a Windows machine.... fixed now courtesey of AppleCare.
Other than that it doesn't seem quite as stable as my PowerBook G4 did, but that was legendary, I once went 2 months without a shutdown, just sleeping all the time, which is a function you will love instantly, imagine a computer that takes 3 secs to wake from sleep, no more of that hibernation! It's is something I don't think you can go back to. So slightly less stable than a G4 but still very very stable.
The upsides, which very much outweigh the downsides...
It's fast this intel thing, v. fast. Couple that with all the Mac standard apps, OS-X which is superb, the very good build quality, the superb 15" screen, virtualisation via Paralles of PC OS's, Boot-Camp if you want it and we're talking a very capable computer. The MacBook also get rave reviews but I'd go for the MBPro everytime.
Contrary to suggestions above, don't by a new issue machine. The update they are talking about is to put the Core 2 Duo chips in the MacBookPro. I don't think it's necessary, they're fast enough already. Wait until they announce them, then buy a 2.16 or 2.33 Core Duo which by then will have been out almost a year and have a lot of bugs ironed out.
My 2 penneth.
Have owned the iBook 14", the Powebeook 15' G4 and now I have a 15" MacBookPro 2.16 Intel Core Duo.
All of the computers have been fantastic BUT....
There are some niggling issues Apple don't seem to be able to fix, generally they don't tend to cause useability problems, more cosmetic. e.g. My PowerBook screen curved slightly at the edges, 3 years later my MBPro does the same. When they have paid so much attention to designing a beautiful and very resiliant case, why not fix this?
They run hot. Not as hot as the napalm Dells but hot all the same. If you're working at something heavy say video editing they are too hot to have direct on your lap.
The MacBookPro had some logic board issues which mine suffered from when it first arrived, i.e. it kept crashing like a Windows machine.... fixed now courtesey of AppleCare.
Other than that it doesn't seem quite as stable as my PowerBook G4 did, but that was legendary, I once went 2 months without a shutdown, just sleeping all the time, which is a function you will love instantly, imagine a computer that takes 3 secs to wake from sleep, no more of that hibernation! It's is something I don't think you can go back to. So slightly less stable than a G4 but still very very stable.
The upsides, which very much outweigh the downsides...
It's fast this intel thing, v. fast. Couple that with all the Mac standard apps, OS-X which is superb, the very good build quality, the superb 15" screen, virtualisation via Paralles of PC OS's, Boot-Camp if you want it and we're talking a very capable computer. The MacBook also get rave reviews but I'd go for the MBPro everytime.
Contrary to suggestions above, don't by a new issue machine. The update they are talking about is to put the Core 2 Duo chips in the MacBookPro. I don't think it's necessary, they're fast enough already. Wait until they announce them, then buy a 2.16 or 2.33 Core Duo which by then will have been out almost a year and have a lot of bugs ironed out.
My 2 penneth.
Edited by olf on Friday 15th September 19:49
Mr E said:
evil jack said:
car.chic said:
are they as good as windows laptops?
Crikey! Just a bit.... Get yourself down to an Apple store post haste!
Hmm.
I'd have said Apple laptops were exactly the same as any other premuim brand laptop.
The OS knocks windoze into a cocked hat however...
Hmmm, no I would have to disagree just on the basis that all of the Mac hardware is tailor made or selected for the machine. I don't think that amount of hardware selection care and attention goes into even high end PC's. This then becomes evident in how seamlessly all of the hardware works together. You simply never get hardware issues, conflicts, driver issues....etc.
Mr E said:
evil jack said:
car.chic said:
are they as good as windows laptops?
Crikey! Just a bit.... Get yourself down to an Apple store post haste!
Hmm.
I'd have said Apple laptops were exactly the same as any other premuim brand laptop.
They do have some drawbacks - battery life is still nowhere near as good as PC laptops, which irritates me no end.
But they look so much nicer!
olf said:
Contrary to suggestions above, don't by a new issue machine. The update they are talking about is to put the Core 2 Duo chips in the MacBookPro. I don't think it's necessary, they're fast enough already. Wait until they announce them, then buy a 2.16 or 2.33 Core Duo which by then will have been out almost a year and have a lot of bugs ironed out.
Thanks for clarifiing my point-if they just bump the processor and leave everything else, then go for the upgraded one. - If they start changing other stuff then its probaly not a good idea to pick up a brand new apple.Early ones will have a list of small niggles.
also do you have a connection, however tennuous to a school (kid or nephew at school, or work for a school or work with stuff to do with a school) you should be eligle fo red discounts. Also get applecare when you buy for peace of mind.
bobthemonkey said:
olf said:
Contrary to suggestions above, don't by a new issue machine. The update they are talking about is to put the Core 2 Duo chips in the MacBookPro. I don't think it's necessary, they're fast enough already. Wait until they announce them, then buy a 2.16 or 2.33 Core Duo which by then will have been out almost a year and have a lot of bugs ironed out.
Thanks for clarifiing my point-if they just bump the processor and leave everything else, then go for the upgraded one. - If they start changing other stuff then its probaly not a good idea to pick up a brand new apple.Early ones will have a list of small niggles.
also do you have a connection, however tennuous to a school (kid or nephew at school, or work for a school or work with stuff to do with a school) you should be eligle fo red discounts. Also get applecare when you buy for peace of mind.
AppleCare, yes, I'd forgotton that. You don't need to buy it straght away either, you can wait until the day before the 1st year warranty is up, walk into an applestore buy the applecare, go home register it over the internet and you're covered for a further two years. Buying it a year later softens the financial blow, they only thing you lose on is the fact that the telephone support is only free for 90 days if you rely on the first year warranty, whereas it's for the duration if you buy applecare again. I've never used the telephone support. The Apple.com support discussion pages are a veritable mine of information and will answer specific questions, like why isn't my NTL cable modem working with my belkin wirelss router and my wifes XP machine and my panasonic wireless breadmaking chimpanzee.
bobthemonkey said:
olf said:
Contrary to suggestions above, don't by a new issue machine. The update they are talking about is to put the Core 2 Duo chips in the MacBookPro. I don't think it's necessary, they're fast enough already. Wait until they announce them, then buy a 2.16 or 2.33 Core Duo which by then will have been out almost a year and have a lot of bugs ironed out.
Thanks for clarifiing my point-if they just bump the processor and leave everything else, then go for the upgraded one. - If they start changing other stuff then its probaly not a good idea to pick up a brand new apple.Early ones will have a list of small niggles.
also do you have a connection, however tennuous to a school (kid or nephew at school, or work for a school or work with stuff to do with a school) you should be eligle fo red discounts. Also get applecare when you buy for peace of mind.
Thanks for all you advice. Think i will certainly look at buying a mac instead of pc!!
With regard to the school question i do teach Clarinet (privatly) but i'm not a peri so would this count?!
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