Sold the Dell laptop and want a MacBook.. any advice?

[TomDac]

We don't use a laptop for much.. surfing the web & checking emails while we travel mostly... and to surf at home in living room while listening to the Summits, of course..

a couple of years ago, Kerry got a Dell Inspiron laptop and it had Windows Vista on it... we both HATED Vista and agreed that we could downgrade to XP, or sell the Dell and get a MacBook.

We sold the Dell to a friend and now we're shopping for a MacBook. The 13" new "unibody" MacBook that's being advertised as the greenest laptop ever has a a 2.0 Ghz processor, 4G of memory and 160G, etc. is under $1500...

Neither of us have ever owned a Mac, but all of our friends have MacBooks for travel, etc.... What else should we know about MacBooks before we pull the trigger? Any "must have" accessories we should get?

Let's hear your thoughts.

Tom.

 

[RichTeer]

I don't have a Mac (although I do use UNIX exclusively, so no WIndoze here!), but I can tell you that once you get used to it, there'll be no turning back! No more worrying about viruses, no more performance-sapping anti-virus software, and so on.

If a 13" screen is big enough for you, I say go for it (though I'd advise a bigger screen if your budget allows for it).

Don't forget to download [url="www.openoffice.org]OpenOffice 3.x[/url] so that your documentation needs are covered. It's free, standard, and open source!

 

[Feltran]

The new MacBook is an extremely nice machine, and I don't think there's much you need to know before pulling the trigger. There aren't any necessary accessories, but if you're going to be using it at home most of the time I might recommend you look at the new 24'' LED Backlit Cinema display that's designed for the new MacBooks. You might also consider an external mouse - either the Logitech MX Revolution or the VX Revolution. My last comment would be if you do any sort of word processing, spreadsheets, or slideshow presentations, unless you have a specific need for Microsoft Office, go with Apple's iWork suite instead. (Sorry Rich, I'd much rather use iWork than OpenOffice, and it's not free, but it's not all that expensive either)

 

[SteveInNC]

Been a Mac user and developer since the original... (FWIW, I work with every variant of Unix/Linux too, zOS, VMS, and even XP...).

With the latest MacBooks, the only gotchas I've seen described so far are that the new ones don't have Firewire, which may be a non-issue for most, and that the new digital video connector that they use has HDCP or equivalent built in, so if you hook it to an external non-compliant monitor, even older Apple monitors, it won't allow you to play protected video content.

The last-generation MacBooks are still available from a few sources such as Amazon, and may be a better bet if either of the above are a factor for you. I have a MacBook from about two generations ago (dual-usb variant), and have had no problems, other than my harddrive croaking unexpectedly on me.

I do suggest you spend the money on the Applecare extended warranty on any laptop, just because of the environment that they're subjected to.

Most of the major software packages from Windows are available as native Mac versions (Office, etc.), although there may be some slight differences in behavior or rev level. Worst-case, you can arrange to dual-boot Windows on your Mac too - it's a standard thing these days.

Apple charges outrageous $$ for memory. You can buy aftermarket memory and it will work fine, and is pretty trivial to swap in. I think that this unit only has two slots, and Apple tends to be pretty random about whether they fill one or both from the factory, probably dependent on what memory cards they can get, so you might have to remove/replace the Apple memory if you go to a larger amount. Keep the original Apple memory. If there is a problem with your laptop, they'll want to see that it's a problem with the original Apple configuration in place.

 

[amey01]

I'm going to be the first one to say "don't do it". Of course this is my opinion only. My only experience with Macs is in a corporate environment which may be a little different to personal use. But the best thing we did is get rid of those Macs and switch to the universal standard (Windows).

There are a few issues which you should consider:

Why have a different system for the sake of being different? The usability gap between Windows and Macs are so small now, but even if the Mac is better, why be different just for the sake of it?

This "difference" is also a smaller niche - which means less software and less compatibility with everyone else. There are far too many "Windows Only" software packages out there - no matter what system you run you'll always find yourself needing a Windows system at some point (either that, or making a compromise by using something substandard). The most perinent audiophile example is EAC. This said, if you're going to have a Windows computer for something (even if it is only one thing), why have two different systems? Why not keep things standard?

Compatibility can be a big issue too - heck, we even had issues with the transparency of files created with the Mac and PC version of the same software!!

Apple equipment costs a premium (it does look good though)

Apple look after their customers poorer than any other IT company with which I've dealt. Some of their practices are bordering on illegal under the Trade Practices Act here in Australia such as the warranty return scheme - not sure of the situation over there.

The equipment is designed with planned obsolesence in mind more than any other IT equipment I've dealt with.

So I say stick with a standard - if you don't like Vista (I don't know why - it works very well for me) then use XP.

 

[Rich]

I've got to disagree with just about everything Amey just said.

DO IT!!!

Over the last couple of years, I and my wife have switched over from Windows PC's to Macs and not only have we not regretted it, but it has proven to be a complete breath of fresh air. Now I can't stand ever getting onto a Windows machine for anything. We both still have our Windows machines and we haven't fired them up in over a year.

We each have an iMac desktop, we have a Macbook Pro that we use for traveling and we both have iPhones. Our calendars sync across all platforms, as do our photos and music (which also sync with our apple TV, so we can stream slideshows or music or movies from the Mac to the TV). Syncing is automatic, so when I add a cd or a bunch of photos to my mac, they instantly appear on my Apple TV and I can listen to or look at them on my big screen TV at my leisure.

The macs are just so much easier and more pleasant to deal with than PC's and it is all about the software. Apple just tends to program things with the end user in mind, whereas Microsoft seems to have their own needs in mind and not much else. This isn't about being different "just for the sake of being different." It is about taking advantage of a superior product and software platform. Apple makes it easy for the end user. Microsoft makes everything a pain in the butt. Apple provides tons of great software installed on the computer as part of the package. Microsoft makes you pay through the nose for any software you want.

Is there "less compatibility with everyone else?" Hardly. Sure, there are a few programs that are available only in Windows versions, but they are fewer and further between every year. If you want/need MS Office for work, there is a version available for Mac. One program I found unavailable for Mac was Family Tree Maker. My wife is into genealogy and this was a bummer. So we did our research and found out that Reunion Software for Mac is as good or better of a genealogy program. And so it goes.

And if there is a program that is PC only that you absolutely must have, well . . . you can run Windows on a Mac too! So again, this is no issue. Apple equipment does cost a premium, because it is a premium product. It is just that much better than PC/Windows that it is worth the premium.

I disagree that apple does a poor job of looking after their customers. Go to the Apple store and make an appointment with the Genius bar and they will help you with any problem you have. I had an issue a few weeks ago with my syncing, and I had an online chat with a tech support person who helped troubleshoot the issue for me and it was fixed in no time. Also, from my experience, Apple's equipment goes obsolescent much slower than comparable PC equipment.

I do suggest you consider going with a bigger laptop for surfing. The 13 inch screen always seemed a little small to me. 15 inches is much better. But then you may not want to spend that much extra for the Mac Pro to get the 15 inches. It is just over two grand.

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

 

[amey01]

I won't get into a huge argument because to each their own - I think both I and Rich have presented arguments very well.

But there is just a couple of things I can't let go:

Apple makes it easy for the end user........Apple just tends to program things with the end user in mind, whereas Microsoft seems to have their own needs in mind and not much else.

This I can't agree with. As an audiophile example - why isn't FLAC included in iTunes/iPod? Are Apple really programming for us users or for themselves?

Is there "less compatibility with everyone else?" Hardly. Sure, there are a few programs that are available only in Windows versions, but they are fewer and further between every year. If you want/need MS Office for work, there is a version available for Mac.

MS Office is actually one of the packages I had the most trouble with. MS Word in particular! Granted, this was a few years ago, but formatting was never the same between the two applications, macros needed different programming and was not interchnageable, the list goes on. It was a huge pain in the butt! It got to the point where we had to say "if a document was typed on a Mac, leave it there" - "if it is needed by PC users, please type it on a PC". I may be wrong, but I'd expect all your finely formatted documents to suddenly look like rubbish on the Mac version of MS Word and you'll have to do all that formatting over again! Got any macros? Forget it - redo them, or if they were programmed by your office IT department for Windows you're on your own. It's just not worth it!

 

[amey01]

I disagree that apple does a poor job of looking after their customers.

One more - sorry. I'm the first to say that *ALL* companies have good and bad stories about customer service. It's just that (in a business sense, for business needs) I found Apple to be particularly poor.

I'll just give you a little story.

We had a laptop that was in the field with a user. As I said - a few years ago, one of the first Titanium PowerBook G4s. After a few weeks in service it started making a squealing noise from the speakers. We couldn't return it to our supplier or otherwise deal with our supplier - we had to deal with Apple directly. After about a week (and a significant time on the 'phone) they sent out a return authorisation [as if I need thier authorisation to return a faulty product]and box for the laptop. Then, after a couple of weeks the laptop was returned. Fired it up and lo and behold, the squealing was still there. Same process all over again (including the garbage to the effect of "we fixed it - we are right and you are wrong - if we [at our descretion] decide that you're wrong and this noise doesn't exist then you'll pay full rate for our trouble - do you understand this?), and were without the laptop for a further few weeks. Laptop was returned and I turned it on to test it. Silence.....phew. I returned it to the user who was pretty irate at this point and thought this would be the end of it.

Five minutes later, the user calls and says there is no sound on his laptop. I go off to investigate and find the cause of the probelm is a muted sound card. I unmute the sound card and squeeeeeeeeeeellllll returns.

I'll spare you the rest of the story!

 

[Feltran]

I have quite a bit of experience with Apple, the way they conduct business, and their customer service. What I can tell you is that Apple has a double standard (probably more than a double actually, but for the average consumer) depending on how you contact them. Dealing with Apple via phone support is sometimes helpful, and sometimes a headache. However, their entire approach to customer service (including tech support) is different at the Apple Stores. In fact, they actually have different official internal policies for how to deal with people on the phone versus how to deal with people in the store.

In short, so long as you live within driving distance of an Apple Store, I'm confident you'll get at least as good of service as you'd consider reasonable 99% of the time, and you will sometimes be surprised at just how good the service is.

 

[jfm]

I was a Mac user for years, and left the fold due to software compatibility problems (some like those mentioned by amey01), compatibility with projectors, and the fragility of their notebooks.

I returned to Macs in 2007 and have bought a Macbook, a Macbook pro, an iMac, and a Mini. I am happy to report that the three reasons I state above have not shown themselves to be true anymore. So while I would agree with amey01 that Apple compatibility & quality sucked years ago, I cannot say that anymore.

Tom - for the uses you mention I cannot recommend the Macbook highly enough. Here's an additional advantage - the Macbook is well known for having one of the strongest wifi signal retrieving capabilities of any notebook (beats even my Macbook Pro, which handily beat my previous IBM Thinkpads and Dells).

Plus, of course, you can avoid Vista. I always say that the difference between Vista and OS X is like the difference between having a headache and not having one.

 

[Feltran]

Along the lines of what jfm said, I would like to confirm that a lot has changed in the Mac landscape in the last few years, and as a result Macs have much more software available and are much more integrated in the computing ecosystem than some would have you believe.

 

[TomDac]

Thanks for all your comments guys...

 

[Gordon Gray]

My input, FWIW, as a techno challenged person.

I have a MAC at work and a PC at home.

From a user friendly perspective, there is absolutely no contest.

MAC rules.

GG

 

[jtwrace]

Wonder where lugano is....he would love this thread. Where has he been?

Gordon,

Spot on!!!!

 

[Rich]

I won't get into a huge argument because to each their own - I think both I and Rich have presented arguments very well.

Agreed. I think our primary differences stem from your perspective as an enterprise user (which mac has never geared towards) and my perspective as a personal user.

This I can't agree with. As an audiophile example - why isn't FLAC included in iTunes/iPod? Are Apple really programming for us users or for themselves?

Is FLAC included in Microsoft? Does it have support in the Zune? FLAC is free and open source, which is nice for end users, but MS and Apple are in business to make a buck and there are certain very important reasons for them to use their own proprietary formats vs. something that is open source. If you need a lossless codec, Apple provides a good one. I personally have never had a problem using that instead of FLAC. So as an end user, I don't see how this is a problem for me. Obviously, opinions differ.

MS Office is actually one of the packages I had the most trouble with.

This actually was Microsoft's fault, not Apple's. But it has long since been remedied. My wife uses MS Office on the Mac and has no problem interchanging documents with others using it on the PC.

 

[Rich]

My input, FWIW, as a techno challenged person.

I have a MAC at work and a PC at home.

From a user friendly perspective, there is absolutely no contest.

MAC rules.

GG

Gordon, I highly recommend you get an iMac for your home computer when you are ready to upgrade from that PC. They are awesome.

Wonder where lugano is....he would love this thread. Where has he been?

Jason, Lugano left the forum in January of this year after a rather contentious exchange between him and myself and Gordon in a thread about SACD players.

 

[TomDac]

just ordered our MacBook... Santa delivers it in a week! YAY!

 

[Diamonds]

Tom -

I hope you have better luck than I have had. I bought a MacBook Pro 15" and the first one was replaced by Apple in the first week do to a flickering screen. I have a second one and this one has a noisy fan. I have an appointment with the Genius Bar on Thursday to have this one swapped out. Good $2500 investment so far.

D

 

[RichTeer]

This actually was Microsoft's fault, not Apple's. But it has long since been remedied. My wife uses MS Office on the Mac and has no problem interchanging documents with others using it on the PC.

Agreed. That's one reason why I advocate the use of OpenOffice over MS Office.

 

[MiTT]

Wonder where lugano is....he would love this thread. Where has he been?

Gordon,

Spot on!!!!

I actually exchanged e-mails with him a little while back. He's been spending a lot of time gaming with his family and friends on the net. He said it didn't leave him much time for visiting the forum. He sounded happy and still had his CLS's and was enjoying his music.

We all take different turns along the way...