Mac . . . the other OTHER white meat

[sf]

A family member to whom I owe nearly everything has made it possible for me to finally obtain a laptop computer. Hugely useful it will be. .

I spent a great deal of time thinking about all the different models, all the FUjitsus and Sonys and Compaqs (ew), etc. I played with the ones with tiny screens and all the tablets. Nothing really did it for me.

Then, as I waited for the salesperson to bring me a boxed Vaio notebook to look at (the one on the counter had been destroyed by customers, stripped down to nothing - rough town), I wandered over to the Macintosh section. Apple. Mac. Whatever it is now called.

I fell in love with the Black Macbook. Simple, well designed, durable, NICE keys for typing, nice screen, and FAST as any IBM I had seen. And only $1500.

This will be the primary machine I will be using from now on, and thus the primary portal into RFF.

Oh, and I could install Vista if I wanted to - but this OSX is just SO nice. So fast.

I had to choose between an M3 + summicron CLAd and this computer, and I chose this because it will be more useful to me. Some will shun me.

 

[Larss]

Gratulations with your Mac, I think you will be happy with your choice for many years to go (the feel of Mac is also like the feel of a RF camerea) and don´t shift to Vista OSX is so much better (I think!)

 

[comp_wiz101]

To tell the truth, I have hated Macs with a passion for years... until recently. I always liked knowing what my computer was doing (that's why I still use Win. 98), but I found out that the newer Mac OSes are based on Unix... I like that idea. I actually do tech support for HP/Compaq (desktop), I still kind of like the Macs, at least as a notebook.

 

[Ash]

Macs RULE.

I love my iBook. The new macs do look nice, but this thing, albeit 8 months old now, and an old model when bought new, is going great. Not the fastest, but well enough for image editing.

Mac OSX is a lot sturdier than windows, but lets not have another debate over the OS's.


Have fun with your bundle of joy!

 

[Uncle Bill]

Congratulations on the hardware purchase. I am currently on a Dell PC and I am thinking of making the switch to mac for my next computer, because I would prefer OSX.

Bill

 

[Socke]

I've drooled over a black Macbook too, recently. It looks cool but is damn hot.
I mean this literaly, with nothing more than the screensaver running it is hot! How can this be?

 

[clarence]

A year ago I wanted a Mac but I didn't have the money. I got an IBM (now Lenovo) entry-level Thinkpad and installed Ubuntu Linux on it instead. The installation process was completely automated and painless. I'm not a coder, so I can honestly say that Ubuntu was designed with the average computer user in mind.

I guess Macs are great for people who want something more stable than a Windows / MS-DOS based OS. Also, it just looks better.

I'd argue, however, that Linux is more analogous to rangefinders than the Mac OS. It's leaner, more flexible, more customisable, and it appeals to masochists.

Clarence

 

[Dale Cook]

I was a die-hard PC user for the last 20 years. However, earlier this year, I was in need of a new PC and did much the same as you. I was looking at various PC's and wandered to the Apple section of the store. I tried out the G5 and within minutes made the decision to convert and have been extremely pleased ever since.

The design and function of Apple equipment is absolutely flawless. I love OSX and they are fantastic machines for image editing. And they are rock solid stable. I never have the crashes or hang-ups that I had with every PC running various versions of Windows.

You will be very pleased with your purchase.

 

[Nick R.]

The new intel based Macs are great. I suggest that you install Parallels (google it). It's a way to have virtual machines that really work. I installed it on two machines at work and it is amazing how seamless it is. We need to run Windows for some accounting programs and Parallels lets us run them through the mac.

I knew that the new macs had arrived when the local linux guru at work went out and bought a 15" intel based mac laptop. In his words; "When I get home I just want to plug the thing in and have it work."

 

[John]

I had to choose between an M3 + summicron CLAd and this computer, and I chose this because it will be more useful to me. Some will shun me.

Don't feel bad, you need a good computer these days. Why suffer? 😀

 

[goo0h]

The sales person at the Apple store had quite a treat some years back. I tried like crazy to find a computer that my mother could deal with, a woman that's painfully and profoundly untechnical. Finally somewhat in desperation I took her to the Apple store, placed her in front of the Titanium Powerbook, and let her type away. She started giggling, uncontrollably. The sales guy and I just stood there and watched. Sure wish I had a camera then. She giggled and typed away happy as a clam.

"Sold!"

Well, that was my first major involvement with a Mac in many, many years. A bit of a while later when she was in the hospital due to nasty gall bladder, some urgent stuff at worked popped-up and I needed a laptop. So I borrowed her "TiBook" to get some work done.

"Hay, this isn't too bad!"

So I've already gone through a TiBook myself and now am on an "AlBook", the Powerbook before the new Intel ones. I'm primarily a Solaris admin and have had no problems at all with getting my work done. Recently I also installed Subversion on it so I can check stuff out and work on it on my laptop. This AlBook is now my primary desktop. In fact typing this on it now.

My latest bit of fun tinkering was setting up my Moto V360 cell phone to act as a bluetooth modem to the TMO wireless network so I can still get an Internet connection anywhere I've got a TMO signal. It's not very fast, but way cool. 😉

They do make a damn nice product.

Yeah, some have done the dual-boot of Linux business at work. But ya know, these folks have tended to have to fiddle with the box way more than I have patience for. I like a box that I can use with just about zero overhead. And when I got this AlBook, the transition was absolutely incredible. Even the MS Windows folks at work were amazed. All I did was plug the TiBook into the AlBook using a Firewire cable. The AlBook then automatically copied everything over, and in a short while I was back in business. Now that's what I'm talking about!

 

[Elmer Fishpaw]

I switched to Mac about a year ago, and love it! I have a Mac Mini, but I don't need alot of computing power, just Firefox open, a RSS reader open and GIMP for Mac (free download). Never even had to restart it unless I wanted to, because of going away a few days or whatever. What I did too, was have the screen taken off my old laptop ($40 and not a big job at any computer repair place) and reinstalld Windows ME (for trainsim and flight sim) and Ubuntu Linux dual boot. All bases are covered!
When I got the Mini, I had my Verizon DSL CD all ready to go and some TUMS to go along with it, and figured it would be an hour.....plugged it all in, hit the switch, did a password, and opened Safari to set it up to my liking and VOILA!! The Apple page! I didn't need to do a thing!

 

[jano]

Lenovo laptops are nice, too (former ibm). The ibm laptops are so well thought out, ergonomics wise, as well as well built. Some even have a little light that shines on the keyboard so you can use it at night 🙂 (like on train or airplane)

 

[John Camp]

I changed from completely Wins to completely Macs over the past couple of years, and I'm not sure that I didn't make a mistake. I like Mac functionality, but it seems to me with Mac now on Intel chips, and with programs like Boot Camp and Parallel around, that fewer and fewer companies will bother to make OSX versions of their software -- few enough do now. You could figure that if somebody really wants your program, he could just buy one of the translation programs. As I understand it, you lose very little by using one...Microsoft might make an interesting move by bunding Parallel with Vista. At that point, it seems to me, Apple becomes just another WinBox manufacturer...although they certainly do nice work. For what it's worth, in total, overall usability, I thought Thinkpads were as good as Macs -- you couldn't ever really get a lightweight Mac.

JC

 

[Todd.Hanz]

I'm a Mac user for a couple years now, they are very user friendly. The first time my wife wanted to download some pics from her digicam she did so by herself with Iphoto guiding her. If she can work it...anyone can 😀

Todd

 

[Nick R.]

I've drooled over a black Macbook too, recently. It looks cool but is damn hot.
I mean this literaly, with nothing more than the screensaver running it is hot! How can this be?

It seems that on some of the early macbooks they used too much heat conducting paste on the cpu's. Thus, the fans don't turn on or don't turn on enough to cool the machine. It doesn't hurt the processor but can make it uncomfortable to use on one's lap. There are DIY fixes available but I wouldn't open the machine if it were still under warranty.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I had to choose between an M3 + summicron CLAd and this computer, and I chose this because it will be more useful to me. Some will shun me.

Shun you? You chose to overlook a lifetime of handcrafted beauty for a few years of customer support-supported mega iPodness? Sure, it has five times a longer lifespan than a Windoze machine, sure it lets you control it than it half-wittingly deciding what it believes is half-best for you a la microSnot office. Mac reliability...ok, I can see why that would be a tough choice. But a CLA'd M3 + Summicron?!?

Well, it was their slogan for a while, "Think different". 🙂

Congrats on the laptop --- I almost got one myself. I chose a Gateway AND an M3 (not kidding), after much vascilation, with the help of my gf.

 

[eli griggs]

Congratulations on your new Apple; they are remarkable machines and tons of fun.

When the wife and I decided to go bake to community college, starting with this just ended short, summer semester, the family Dell was just not enough for all the papers/research we each needed to do. I ended up with a new 2-gig Macbook, with a sizable discount, upgrades and almost $300 in rebates on the 30-gig iPod and Canon printer I bought at the same time; through Apple's educational link, on their home page.
I use Openoffice, instead of Works, Gimp and several other opensource softwares and will give Ubuntu a try latter on. The built-in wireless and bluetooth is very good and at 13x9x1, is perfect in my pack and on my 48 year old back.

Although I knew it was an Apple that I wanted, from the start, I did give Dell a look, as we had bought my eldest son a nice Dell laptop when he started college; but by the time I configured it similarly to the mac, it cost hundreds more, so the deal was sealed.

I will say that Dell service/contacts with real people, after-the-sale, is so superior to Apple that I recommend giving them a look if you are in the market for a computer and don't care even a little if it's a mac or pc. After Apple gets your coin, it's a bit like "The Day After Tomorrow"; cold, hostile and bewildering.

 

[visiondr]

Congratulations on coming over from the Dark Side 😉

I've been a Mac user since system 7.1 (first colour on an LCII). As you've heard from others here, Mac OSX is underpinned by UNIX and is thus very stable. Have fun and don't forget to get your free 6 month subscription to MacWorld. You'll find plenty of tips and tricks.

Ron

 

[DougK]

Congratulations! I've been a Mac user for 15 years and a Mac-only user for the last six years. I admit I had a brief flirtation with Windows and Linux at home this year when I got a cheap PC from work. SUSE Linux 10.1 was pretty good but the hard drive blew up Friday night (don't you just love the smell of burning electronics?). I plugged my Mac Mini in and I doubt I'll ever go back to a PC again. Everything just works as it should. Nice. As a bonus treat, I'll have to go get a battery put in my "Think Different" promotional wristwatch, which runs backwards.