Close please

For what I need my laptop for a PC does just fine. All I use it for is MS office, internet, and watching videos. I went with a cheaper Sony Viao and could not be happier.
 
Macbook pros suck. I have one and the fucker gets hot all the time. Also I have had it repaired at least six time in a 1 year period and have had to reinstall the system at least 8 times in a year and a half. As for the Regular macbook I can't say. Also Mac Pro are not "laptops" they are "desktops" according to apple and "should not be placed in the lap whatsoever." The one upside is no antivirus.
 
I've got one. I treat it like shit and it's been all over the place. Still works like a champ. No worries, no problems, and all that Mac snobbiness for a few hundred over the PC systems out there.

It just works. If it's what you want, you will not be upset at the purchase. /end story
 
[quote name='rywateska']I've got one. I treat it like shit and it's been all over the place. Still works like a champ. No worries, no problems, and all that Mac snobbiness for a few hundred over the PC systems out there.

It just works. If it's what you want, you will not be upset at the purchase. /end story[/quote]

Same, except mine is Macbook Pro. Works like champ. It will never die.
 
Just curious how recent your guys macbook pros are? Maybe the newer ones fixed some of the issues. I would really hate to drop all that money and find out they suck like Cindershere said.
 
[quote name='Scrubsy']Just curious how recent your guys macbook pros are? Maybe the newer ones fixed some of the issues. I would really hate to drop all that money and find out they suck like Cindershere said.[/QUOTE]

Had it since Summer 2006 so.... almost 2 years. Only real issues I've run into is getting low on hard drive space after all this time. Then again, I put in Final Cut which takes up a boatload in and of itself. The battery is picky as well, but I have a feeling you're going to get that with anything Mac related.

[quote name='Scrubsy']I should also mention I want something compact. No more monster 17" screens.[/QUOTE]

Go with the regular, not Pro then. You can save even more and the performance is still pretty fair for the price.
 
[quote name='Scrubsy']Just curious how recent your guys macbook pros are? Maybe the newer ones fixed some of the issues. I would really hate to drop all that money and find out they suck like Cindershere said.[/quote]


Mine is the original, version 1. About 2 years old right now.

You get what you pay for, regardless.

All other laptops feel like cheap crummy plastic after you use a Macbook Pro. The keyboard is very nice, unlike most laptops, and the trackpad is actually very useable.

I used to buy IBM Thinkpad's. Then they got sold to Lenovo and all sorts of bad things happened that ruined the Thinkpad reputation. They no longer feel like the work horses they used to. They feel like cheap plastic compared to what they used to. I was quite bummed out and dissatisfied. Also, the real Thinkpads, the P's (e.g. T60P), are generally more expensive then a Macbook Pro, or very close in price.

I could have gotten the latest T6xP (can't remember if it was T60P or T61P at the time) when I got my Macbook Pro, after a one-on-one with the Thinkpad, the choice was so easy. I wouldn't have used Windows either and the fact sleep was still an issue with Linux, it made the decision even easier.
 
definitely not worth it. I know they have the rep for being good for artistic stuff, and there was a time when that was true, but that was some time ago. These days in artistic fields Macs are in a big decline while windows continues to gain traction. Either save the money and go with a windows laptop or use the extra money to get something even more powerful. You will definitely thank yourself for doing so later.
 
Ive got the 2.33 duo intel macbook pro, and I couldnt be happier. I havent had one problem. I do have a usb fan to sit it on when doing alot of work as to keep the heat down, but other than that its a champ.

Dont get a mac unless you are sure that you want and need it. Dont listen to the ones bashing mac just because they dont care for macs (or cant afford one). They are good quality machines and just like every other electronic device some do have problems, but compared to dealing with windows mac wins all the way for me.
 
If you're looking to work in the industry, a Mac is almost necessary - 99% of the design field uses them, and you'll likely be seen as a leper if you're not at least familiar with the OS and applications.

Look into buying refurbished. Cheaper than brand new, and still covered under AppleCare.
 
I have a macbook pro and I love it. Best laptop I've ever owned. I have had a dell, toshiba, and hp, the macbook puts them all to shame.
 
[quote name='JJSP']If you're looking to work in the industry, a Mac is almost necessary - 99% of the design field uses them, and you'll likely be seen as a leper if you're not at least familiar with the OS and applications.

Look into buying refurbished. Cheaper than brand new, and still covered under AppleCare.[/quote]

No where even close to true. Any high end work these days is performed in render farms which don't use Macs. Macs have been in decline in design field for some time now. At best it they would have around 40-50%
 
I do have a desktop for high end 3d stuff, so it is not absolutely required on my laptop, it would just be nice to have. I am swaying towards the macbook now since it is so small and compact. Are there as many heat issues with this one?
 
I'll say this much for Mac: if you do buy Mac and later regret it (speaking from experience with an iMac), provided you take good care of your machine, you can get a shitload of your money back out of your mistake.

CL and eBay are flooded with people asking way too much for their POS Power PC Mac or Apple IIc. Hence, when you put up your Mac on CL at fair value, especially if it's something recent like the intel duos, the Mac groupies come running. I had 10 legit inquiries within 30 minutes of posting on CL, and a guy and his son were at my house with cash in hand within 2 hours of my post.

I got back 60% of its original value 2 years after the purchase. Not bad IMO. I feel like I'm not losing much in the deal as I've taken that cash and used it to build a PC much better (upgradeable, flexible, games friendly, etc.) than what I sold off.

So if you do decide to go MacBook and want to bail, it shouldn't sting your cheap ass pocketbook that much.
 
I actually got a macbook pro 3 months ago, mainly for video editing. I agree that it gets hot, but since I was editing on a 5 year old powerpc mac desktop before , it felt really fast hehe. That's the thing with mac's, you can use the same hardware on the latest software for 5 years. No way you can say the same on the PC side. My 6 year old mac still runs the previous upgrade like a champ and it runs FASTER.

As for recommendations for the IBM, i use one for work and they're good, but the problem is Lenova makes them now, and the ones my coworkers have are junk. Typical PC unstable junk.

Bottom line, if you can afford the mac, go for it, it just works. and you have the option of dual booting, so best of both worlds. Oh, and I never worry about viruses which is nice. I guess it doesn't hurt that it looks cool too. Style with substance, what a concept.
 
Another thing is Vista is really getting on my nerves. Its not unusual for me to get the good ol' blue screen on my previous laptop.
 
[quote name='Scrubsy']Another thing is Vista is really getting on my nerves. Its not unusual for me to get the good ol' blue screen on my previous laptop.[/QUOTE]

I've never had a problem with vista on my laptop.
 
[quote name='Scrubsy']Another thing is Vista is really getting on my nerves. Its not unusual for me to get the good ol' blue screen on my previous laptop.[/quote]

Odds are it's hardware or drivers. I've run Vista on numerous hardware configurations and the OS is as solid as they come. The only time I've seen a Vista blue screen was on one system that had a bad stick of ram. After replacing it hasn't had a single crash since despite being used all day just about every day.
 
[quote name='n25philly']Odds are it's hardware or drivers. I've run Vista on numerous hardware configurations and the OS is as solid as they come. The only time I've seen a Vista blue screen was on one system that had a bad stick of ram. After replacing it hasn't had a single crash since despite being used all day just about every day.[/quote]
Then I must have gotten the shit run of laptops and my desktop because Ive seen it way more then I would have liked to.
 
I've had to fix a few mac laptops (powerbooks and ibooks) and let me say,they arn't built very well (at least the ones I worked on) there were some pieces that were held together with tape, and thats it.

of all the laptops I see come in my shop, HP has the best build quality over the regular brands.

just AVOID toshiba or Acer at all costs, I'm not a huge fan of dell either, and gateways service sucks.
 
Can't vouch for newer Pros, but am an avid used of Macbooks (and ibooks before them) and they are absolutely the most durable machines I've ever used. I can't imagine another computer that could fall off of a student's desk while open, on its side onto a CONCRETE auditorium floor, and still work like a champ. The one thing I'll say about Macs, they can take a real beating.
 
The only thing about the Macbooks that I dont like is the terrible screen. I think that you can upgrade, but i think your best bet would be the 15" Macbook Pro. I have the 17" and it sucks way too much battery for the screen, but then again I use mine mainly as a portable desktop so I dont really mind.
 
[quote name='strikeratt']http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834198005 Just an example ...

It would cost 2600.00$ for this laptop from Mac ... and that's with taking 600$ off to make up for the .1 GHz less that the PC version has.

People say a Mac is a better option ... I just can't see paying 1000$ for an operating system ...[/quote]

Good lord! Really is a shame it's a 17"... if it was a 10-12 that would be awesome! Err at least kick Apple in da ass.
 
Here's the lowdown of Mac vs PC.

They are the same computers with a different OS! Each OS has it's own problems, but there are no problems if you know how to use it. The windows is unstable and virus ridden arguement is just beating a dead horse. Drivers and safe searching are key for these situations on both operating systems. Would you let random crap install on your computer, no matter what OS it is, from some random site? No I hope the answer will be. Both happen on each computer. Just one of the examples of many, I could go on and on

No matter what .. each will be a piece of crap if you don't know what you're doing.

If I may, since you seem that you're the graphic type, have you ever considered a Tablet? I used my friends a few times for my graphic design classes, and I found it amazing :D
 
[quote name='cindersphere']This kills your fan faster. Not exactly a permenant solution[/QUOTE]

How did you conclude that? The fans are always on, but the speed may not be enough to keep it at the desired temperature.
 
I have a Black Macbook that I'm going to be selling in case you're interested. I just got it a few days ago so 1 yr warranty is nearly 100% intact. Perfect condition.

I was going to switch from my iMac to a laptop, but I decided to stick with the iMac and upgrade to a newer iMac soon. Laptops just aren't for me.

2ghz core 2 duo cpu, 1.5gb ram, 160gb hd, x3100 graphics, wireless N, Leopard, iLife '08, etc.

PM me if you're interested.
 
I purchased my first Macbook (white, upgraded version) this past December.

I use it primarily for word processing, webcam (with iChat), and internet surfing.

It starts up lightning fast, never crashes, and if I do need to restart it for an update, takes less than a minute.

Picture and video editing is a breeze as well.

If you need to do heavy duty computing, I suggest a Macbook Pro.
 
I'm still using the PowerBook G4 I purchased in 2004 daily. I'm typing on it right now. And I'll echo the claim that resale value on a Mac machine are generally insane compared to what you would get for a comparable PC. (To cite one instance, I sold my 2 year old 20" iMac G5 AFTER they had released the intel lineup, and still got almost a grand for it... over 2/3 of my original purchase price.)

I recently purchased my girlfriend a MacBook for school. She absolutely loves it and hasn't had a single problem with it (yet... knock on wood).

As for MacBook Pros, pretty much everyone I know in my industry owns one. If they don't it's only because they can't justify replacing their PowerBook yet, since it's still going strong.

Penryn chips appear to have alleviated, if not solved, the heat issue. So now would be the time to get a MacBook Pro if you were holding out. Additionally, if you're debating between MacBook and MacBook Pro because of the footprint, trust me when I say there is not a huge difference between the two. That is, a 13.3" screen and a 15" screen make the sizes of the two laptops comparable. Now, there is a significant difference between my 12" PowerBook and a 15" MacBook, but that's apples and oranges.

It comes down to your own experience with both types of computers as to which you should purchase... but it's prudent to remember that while you can put Windows on a Mac, you can't put OSX on a "PC."

Finally, I leave with with a picture of our production office table from the last movie I was on.

IMG_2128.jpg


EDIT: Oh, I forgot to mention in my post that I am more than willing to pay a slight premium for superior ergonomics. That's why I buy first party controllers instead of madcatz, etc.
 
[quote name='strikeratt']Here's the lowdown of Mac vs PC.

They are the same computers with a different OS! Each OS has it's own problems, but there are no problems if you know how to use it. The windows is unstable and virus ridden arguement is just beating a dead horse. Drivers and safe searching are key for these situations on both operating systems. Would you let random crap install on your computer, no matter what OS it is, from some random site? No I hope the answer will be. Both happen on each computer. Just one of the examples of many, I could go on and on
[/quote]

Don't know about Macs but when my fiancee, her grandparents, and her aunt got new laptops I ran the vista updates on them and every last one of them blue screened out on the restart. One of the drivers included in the update caused the blue screen every time vista would load in normal mode. I had to go to safe mode and system restore on brand new computers because of official updates so don't tell me it's just an issue of going to disreputable sites. That being said I still don't think that the hardware/software included with macs is worth the cost being so much higher than a similar pc but they do have incredible resell value.
 
Well its over, I picked up my new macbook today. I absolutely love it. Thanks everyone who contributed, now to play with my new toy.
 
[quote name='sweeetja713'] That being said I still don't think that the hardware/software included with macs is worth the cost being so much higher than a similar pc but they do have incredible resell value.[/QUOTE]

I don't know. Go priceout a few Dells with exact as possible specs to Apple's new laptop lineup. You'll find the Dells in the same price range. Maybe a bit more. Maybe a bit less. Apple is quite price competitive at the start of a new product refresh. And yes they do have better resale value too.
 
I love my MacBook. A year old and 0 problems. I have it dual-booted with XP. Memory and hdd are easy to swap, so don't pay apple for it, install it yourself. Mine gets hot under a load, but I have never had any problems.

I read in PC magazine (I think) that a macbook pro with xp installed benchmarked as the fastest mass production laptop last year.

I wish I could afford a pro, but whatever you get, I hope it works for you.
 
[quote name='trip1eX']I don't know. Go priceout a few Dells with exact as possible specs to Apple's new laptop lineup. You'll find the Dells in the same price range. Maybe a bit more. Maybe a bit less. Apple is quite price competitive at the start of a new product refresh. And yes they do have better resale value too.[/QUOTE]
No, I'm sorry, but no. Even at the very low end you can build a HP PC (I use HP to compare since HP has a better website) that is just as good as the cheapest Macbook for $150 less and you will still have more hard drive space and memory (and a larger screen, although I guess you might not want that). Also you have to keep in mind that is before any coupons, and HP regularly has $300 off coupons. At the high end the differences get even larger. You can buy the equivalent of the highest end Macbook Pro for half the price on HP's site (I think it was $3200 versus ~$1600). And that is still before any coupons.
[quote name='englishsandwich']
I read in PC magazine (I think) that a macbook pro with xp installed benchmarked as the fastest mass production laptop last year.[/QUOTE]
Yeah they did write that. The reason the Macbook was the fastest was they hadn't tested any good PCs recently. Macbooks are fast, but they aren't as fast as top of the line Alienware, HP, or Dell computers.

Anyways OP, I'm sure you will be satisfied with your Mac. They are certainly not bad machines. But someday you will wish you had an extra $300, and that day you will say "damn."
 
[quote name='[email protected]']What about the new Mac Book Air - worth it for gaming or no?[/quote]Mac Book Pro is what you want for gaming. Every other book is for basically every day use and some mediocre stuff.
 
i've owned various macs and pcs - really it comes down to a few things:

do you want to run OS X? - theorhetically you can run it on an intel pc, i did for a while, but it's a pain in the ass. if you're a nerd, it's the best and cheapest way to get os x - though it is illegal.

if you want to do rendering, imaging etc. - go for a mac, again the Unix based operating system is killer, and the apps are phenomenal.

but if not, then go with a pc - i ended up switching because i wanted something lighter (sub 4lbs) and end up MAKING money by selling my macbook and getting an acer travelmate c110 - this thing is ancient but does everything i need - email, word, movies, itunes, even runs dreamweaver cs3 like a champ.

/rant
 
Speaking as a guy who s typing on a macbook, Mac's are good, just always get the 3 year warranty. Less than a month after my 1 year standard warranty was up one of my shift keys died (and because of the way its assembled it would be a $150 fix), quickly followed by the harddrive. As good as macs are they are way too expensive to fix if something goes wrong and you're paying out of your pocket
 
[quote name='n25philly']You don't buy any macs for gaming[/QUOTE]

Except, you know, MacBook Pros or Mac Pros. Those are some fucking sick machines to game on.
 
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