yay or nay?

thinking about a 13 inch Macbook because, well, to be honest, i’m a total whore and i wish i was American

Having been a PC user for the last 15 years is it really all its cracked up to be? (and before anyone starts i know that some people see them as a lifestyle choice. That may be true but i just like the look of them and always envy people when i see them with one)

aslongasithaswheels:

….well, to be honest, i’m a total whore and i wish i was American

Don’t get it.

Well, I’m considering one, as I need something small and lightweight. Ideally, a little netbook with a 10″ screen would be great, but Apple don’t do owt like that yet. But the Macbook Pro is pretty small and light.

I jolly well have not read owt really bad about it’s construction, so far, and they seem to be pretty reliable.

If you jolly well have not used a Mac before, you may be pleasantly surprised. Many converts to Mac I know, ove them. The Operating System is very easy to get used to, and using things like Wi-Fi, printers, cameras etc is a doddle. Plenty of excellent software built in, and things do ‘just work’ a bit easier than a PC.

Spensive, mind, although I am biased, and think they are worth it.

Great minds and all that … I just bought the new 13.3in Mac book pro today after 25 years being a PC user.

So far so good. Oh and the joys of being able to boot up and shut down a PC in seconds rather than minutes is a big plus!!!

One thing to point out is you can install Vista or Win7 and boot into them using Bootcamp that comes with the machine, or get Parallels or VMWare which will allow you to have both OS open at the same time and work between them. I have a 17″ PowerBook which is now six years old and works just fine. It’s spec looks weedy compared to a new 13″ MacBook Pro: 1.3MHz processor, 1Gb RAM and 80 Gb hd, but it still works just as well as when I bought it, and I paid £2500 for it. To give you an idea how things have changed, Macbook Pro’s come with 2Gb RAM and can go to 8Gb. Mine came with 512mb, the extra 512 cost around £100, and if I wanted the maximum RAM of 2Gb, that was a custom build that would have added £800! What you’ll get for your money now is frankly inconceivable compared to mine. The thing is, while you can get a Dell with a whizzy spec, if you start to spec one to match a Mac, and then add s/ware equivalent to the suite that comes free, then the Mac wins, added to which build quality that means you can imagine still using the same computer ten years down the line. Where I work, in the studio there is a Mac Tower that I used at a previous firm that was bought in 1995. It’s still in use. I’ve seen PC’s thrown out at work after a year. I leave you to work out for yourself which are the better computers.

I’ve heard rumours that now that the macBooks have been reduced to a single model there’s going to be a new line of £500ish ultraportable mac laptops being released soon. Anyone else heard anything?

It’s a computer, not a lifestyle choice. They all do the same thing.

Last big Apple announcement was last week so you’re going to be safe for six months or so. I consider my Macbook the best computer purchase I’ve ever made.

Next update or release should be around sept/oct

13″ macbook here, no issues at all for me.

13″ macbook here for me too. Have had mine for 2 years and its still working as quick as it did on the day I first got it. During that time its had some pretty hard usage since I used to photograph sports and it was used for wiring pics live from games……so its been used in wind/rain/sleet/snow and still going strong. Has also been dropped 2-3 times too and no ill effects (although I did have a momentary panic!)

I now use PCs in my day to day job, but honestly, I wouldn’t install Windows onto a mac. Get hold of a copy of the latest Office for Mac, combine that with iWork and iLife and you have everything you need really.

Other great thing about Mac laptops is that you can run it directly from the mains without wrecking your battery – battery life on this after 2 years is only very slightly lower than when I first got it. Whereas the Dell I had, under similar usage, managed only 15 mins battery life after 6 months of similar usage!

Buy it – you definitely won’t regret it!

Very expensive but worth it if you are able to afford replacement parts and able to complete the work needed.

I’ve replaced parts in 2 years and experienced problems that basically every heavily used mac will experience –
Over 2 years my pro has had – One new battery (old one lasted 2 years until no life left), one new charger (old one burt through – VERY dangerous), 2 new fans left and right, one new airport card (a real bitch to diagnose what was wrong) and I think that is about it…

If you’re not going to use it for it’s intended use, stick with a PC. Edit – Or just get a mac book.

Also- how has no body mentioned over-heating!

My 13″ macbook is now two and a half years old and still working pretty well. I replaced the original HDD with a 320Gb drive at the end of last year and have also installed VmFusion and XP as it means that I can access my office servers which I can’t do via the mac. It also means that can use Tracklogs.
The only downside is that the case is starting to get a bit flexy which theunibody macBooks shouldn’t have a problem with.

Also- how has no body mentioned over-heating!

I was going to, but my mac was too hot to be able to type about the overheating!! 😆

The old alloy macbook 13″ is now a pro & cheaper.
Looking at ifixit, they’re a doddle to work on compared to an ibook.

I used a mac pro pro for a about 2yrs at work. I have since bought a Macbook unibody (new model late 08). They are now also called a 13″ mac pro pro. My book is way more powerful thant the original pro it has replaced.

My major gripe with mac books is the price, now I’m not saying that they’re not good value for money just that they’re a lot of money. I was looking into them when I was looking for a new laptop and I just didn’t need a machine specced as highly as they are…it’s a real pity that they don’t do a low end one!

If your not a complete fashion whore get the standard macbook its just had a spec bump and will do pretty much everything a new unibody one will do. The unibody one is pretty though 😈

My current macbook has been going since they came out 3 years i think now, its on its 2nd hd and is currently awaiting a new battery. I had my keyboard and bezel replaced last year Apple honored the warranty even though it finished a year before.

8 freakin hours

i have a 13″ macbook – the new alu one, which is now branded as a pro

its really really great -a pleasure to use compared to the misery that was my 2 previous pcs

money well spent – the ilife software is excellent for photos, video, dvd editing – and garage band is very good fun if you like messing about with music like me

and if you are looking for something cheaper there are good deals on reconditioned macs from the online mac store – the “old” white macbooks go for about 550 pounds on there. might get one for the wife so I don’t have to wait in line to get on “my” mac

My only problem with the old macbooks is that the screen was pretty average, but apprently the new 13″ macbook pro’s screen is much better, and I think I’m convinced enough to get one.

And in response to countzero, the advice would be to buy a bare spec model, and then upgrade the RAM and HD yourself-quite easy apparaently and much much cheaper than apples prices.

couple of other money saving tips, do you know any teachers or students who would buy one for you? and i also discovered that my employer has some scheme going where you get discounts off various things, apple computers being one of them, it may be worth seeing what benefit schemes exist with your employer.

Well, mine was a bare spec model apart from the shop upgrade of the RAM, it was just that, six years ago memory was frighteningly expensive. Remember when companies had to lock up their computers because of theft of the memory modules? Now it costs peanuts. I’ve thought about putting a larger hd in, but I use a large external, and I might as well wait and get a new Intel Mac, then I can have Snow Leopard on it which will be faster anyway. The plastic cased Macbooks are just as good for most purposes, so I would honestly suggest getting one of those and getting a protective cover for it. Ignore anyone who says Macs are just a lifestyle choice; if that was true then Macs wouldn’t be the weapon of choice for professionals in the print and graphics and music industries, and have been for many years. Virtually every magazine and newspaper is put together using QuarkXpress and Photoshop on a Mac, and see how many bands use Macs on stage these days. That ain’t lifestyle, that’s professional need for quality equipment.

Yeah, student discount is worth 10% off the computer and any accessories + a free printer + about 90% off the 3 year extended warranty.

I’ve had a G3 & G4 powerbook & now a Macbook Pro 17″ & the only problems that i have ever had have been battery recalls on the G4 & Macbook Pro.

There used on average 6 hours a day, dead reliable.Used to use Office but now use Pages/Numbers/keynote which are easier to use & a dam site cheaper.

You won’t regret it.