As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

Should I go Mac and never go back?

Venkman90Venkman90 Registered User regular
I hope starting a new thread for this is ok, I didn't see an obvious one and thought the Mac thread might be biased.

Anyway, my current Windows XP Acer Laptop is 2 years old and due an upgrade, along with my phone contract being up in April therefore the possibility of an iphone over my current Blackberry exists too, so I have been exploring the idea of:

A Macbook (aliminium) with 4g of ram
An iphone 3g on O2
An ipod shuffle (I currently have an old model nano)

The reason I am leaning this way is I can't stand the idea of Vista, a bloated resource hog by all accounts, I hate most laptop design out there right now, chunky plasticy things that they are and my mate just got an iphone and says he is ditching his blackberry for it as he gets a sort of "push email" or whatever via the iphone.

My main uses are:

Random net browsing
Light gaming (WoW on and off, Diablo 3 when it hits)
Amatuer image editing

I am not very tech savvy and hate having to mess about with spybot, avg etc...so the user freindly nature of the mac seems right up my alley, is it worth the extra £300-400? Is the iphone as durable as it looks?

(I realise I am just asking people to justify a decision I have already made in my head...but thats what forums are for is it not?)

Venkman90 on
«134567

Posts

  • ZackSchillingZackSchilling Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Well, you listed bloat as a reason for getting away from Vista but with a modern laptop, especially one specced like a new Mac or equivalent PC, Vista will hum just as well as XP or Mac OS X. So don't try to rationalize this based on ditching Vista for performance.

    The Macbook and Macbook Pro are beautiful, solid machines with some really nice hardware. The Pro will serve you better for games but unless you really want the bigger screen and more performance, it's hard for me to suggest it to you over the Macbook. We don't know how the current Macbooks will fare with Diablo 3, since it's so far down the road.

    Have you ever used Mac OS X? It's biggest benefits are the iLife pack-in software, a level of polish on the OS that Microsoft can't seem to pull off, and a different way of working with windows and applications (Dock+Expose vs Taskbar) that some people love and some people hate. It's possible you could hate it.

    The iPhone is a good Blackberry replacement. It's durable but that glass screen can break.

    ZackSchilling on
    ghost-robot.jpg
  • Dark ShroudDark Shroud Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Vista is not now nor has ever really been a resource hog. It's also recommended by Apple to run Anti-virus software on Macs. Because there are Mac trojans in the wild. While a virus may not harm/infect the Apple OS, it can sill be sent out to windows PCs.

    Bottom line if the limited amount of Mac software meets your needs and you don't mind pay go right ahead and switch. Just make sure you're properly informed about what you're doing and not relying on here say.

    Dark Shroud on
  • ZoolanderZoolander Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Apple laptops are the way to go. They are much better thought-out than their PC counterparts, so if you're getting a laptop, I would 100% recommend an Apple laptop. For desktops, Windows PCs are a much smarter choice.

    As for iPhone, if you don't use the keyboard a lot, iPhone's the way to go. If you really need a good keyboard on the phone, the iPhone is not a good option.

    Zoolander on
  • ben0207ben0207 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Vista is not now nor has ever really been a resource hog. It's also recommended by Apple to run Anti-virus software on Macs. Because there are Mac trojans in the wild. While a virus may not harm/infect the Apple OS, it can sill be sent out to windows PCs.

    Bottom line if the limited amount of Mac software meets your needs and you don't mind pay go right ahead and switch. Just make sure you're properly informed about what you're doing and not relying on here say.
    That "Antivrirus warning from Apple" was about five years out of date and was retracted as soon as anyoone noticed it. For 99.99% of users there is no need to run AV on a Mac. And fuck the Windows users. They can defend themselves.

    Nor is there a "limited rnage of software" for Macs. Outside of native games, there a re very few apps that don't have Mac equivalent, and even then there are at least 3 ways to run Windows apps - virtualisation, emulation (WinE) and Boot Camp.
    Zoolander wrote: »
    Apple laptops are the way to go. They are much better thought-out than their PC counterparts, so if you're getting a laptop, I would 100% recommend an Apple laptop. For desktops, Windows PCs are a much smarter choice.

    As for iPhone, if you don't use the keyboard a lot, iPhone's the way to go. If you really need a good keyboard on the phone, the iPhone is not a good option.

    I love typing on my iPhone. I might actually be a bit faster on it than I am on a proper keyboard, or certainly about the same.

    The new macBooks rock my boxers, as the kids say. I#ve written at great length about my love for this machine, so search my posts in Moe's to read a bit :)

    But yeah, you should check up and make sure a Mac is the right way for you before you purchase. Going by the OP though, one would be perfect for you. Even the bottom spec AluMB is powerful enough for the games you mentioned (I have one, and I can run HL2 Ep 2 at native res, all at high specs. Yesa that is the most recent PC game I own, though I have a copy of Bioshock i haven#t installed yet)

    ben0207 on
  • Venkman90Venkman90 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Ok, some insight there, I have to confess my knowledge of Vista is based on the current e-hate it seems to generate, some reviewers of laptops on cnet.co.uk have even marked down a laptop for having Vista (or listed it as a "hate") which led me to think it was horrific, the Cthulu of OS if you will.

    I think it can be worth paying for build quality, but also I find most windows users will tell you they have to do a format and a clean install every now and then just to keep things moving fast due to all the crap that builds up, does this process exist with Mac's these days or do they stay reasonably clean of junk?

    Venkman90 on
  • Rigor MortisRigor Mortis Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I don't think anything is worth that much extra money. That much money buys a lot of beer.

    But if you do, then cool, whatever.



    I've also had shit luck with stability on macs. The mac at work crashes if you look at it funny, the macs at school never ran enough of the software installed to even have the chance of crashing... and my PCs have always been rock solid. But mileage MUST vary. Marketing can't be that powerful, right? ...Right?

    So just do what you want. Mac, PC, it's all cool.

    Rigor Mortis on
  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Mac or Windows?

    Try OSX, do you like it? - Get a Mac
    Try Vista, do you like it? - Get a PC
    (Because it sounds like you've never used it and are going on the uninformed hate of the internet - but I could be wrong)

    Do you have the extra $ to buy a Mac? - Get a Mac
    Would you prefer to put that extra $ in some extra power or software? - Get a PC

    Do you want a machine you can dual-boot between OSX and Windows? - Get a Mac
    Do you not care about dual-booting? - Get either

    Is all the software you need to use available on OSX, and can you afford to rebuy it all? - Get a Mac
    Or do you want to use what you already have? - Get a PC

    Answer these questions and don't look back.

    Find someplace you can use them both, try them out, decide. We can't really provide you with anything that is a major reason to go with one or the other. The iPhone will work with both, the Blackberry will work with both.
    There is no real reason to run AV on either platform, unless you are on a college campus and are open to other people who are stupid, or if you're stupid and will infect your own machine. (I'm not saying you're stupid, but I've been virus free for going on 9 years now without ever running a virus scan)

    There's no real reason to have to format/reinstall OSX or Vista to "keep it running smoothly" unless you like to load up your machine with bloat-ware or crap that will slow your machine down even after uninstalling it. I used XP for years without having to reformat due to bloat, and I've been running Vista since SP1 was released (March?) and haven't had a single issue.

    ArcSyn on
    4dm3dwuxq302.png
  • Rigor MortisRigor Mortis Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Venkman90 wrote: »
    I think it can be worth paying for build quality, but also I find most windows users will tell you they have to do a format and a clean install every now and then just to keep things moving fast due to all the crap that builds up, does this process exist with Mac's these days or do they stay reasonably clean of junk?
    Junk only builds up if you have no clue how to configure and maintain a computer.

    Rigor Mortis on
  • ZackSchillingZackSchilling Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Venkman90 wrote: »
    I think it can be worth paying for build quality, but also I find most windows users will tell you they have to do a format and a clean install every now and then just to keep things moving fast due to all the crap that builds up, does this process exist with Mac's these days or do they stay reasonably clean of junk?
    Junk only builds up if you have no clue how to configure and maintain a computer.

    This is not true. We don't mean Spyware or a million tray icons. We're talking registry cruft, improperly applied updates, etc. Over time, Windows XP inevitably gets bogged down. If it's been 2 years since you last installed Windows, you use the machine every day, keep up with updates, and regularly try and install programs or games, reinstalling Windows now would give you a shocking performance boost.

    ZackSchilling on
    ghost-robot.jpg
  • Venkman90Venkman90 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Venkman90 wrote: »
    I think it can be worth paying for build quality, but also I find most windows users will tell you they have to do a format and a clean install every now and then just to keep things moving fast due to all the crap that builds up, does this process exist with Mac's these days or do they stay reasonably clean of junk?
    Junk only builds up if you have no clue how to configure and maintain a computer.

    I would be in that bracket

    I am not stupid per se, in many years I have had one trojan that Malwarebyters rooted out.

    I just have no clue how to maintain things running smoothly long term, WoW for example, the frame rate has gotten worse and worse in the last 2 years and it isn't the stealth upgrades imho it's my machine, it's just getting chuggy. I guess it could be crap I have installed but who knows, getting rid of things from XP seems hard enough.

    Oh and petty as hell, but itunes in windows is horrible

    God dammit I am a victim of marketing aren't I

    D:

    Venkman90 on
  • Venkman90Venkman90 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Venkman90 wrote: »
    I think it can be worth paying for build quality, but also I find most windows users will tell you they have to do a format and a clean install every now and then just to keep things moving fast due to all the crap that builds up, does this process exist with Mac's these days or do they stay reasonably clean of junk?
    Junk only builds up if you have no clue how to configure and maintain a computer.

    This is not true. We don't mean Spyware or a million tray icons. We're talking registry cruft, improperly applied updates, etc. Over time, Windows XP inevitably gets bogged down. If it's been 2 years since you last installed Windows, you use the machine every day, keep up with updates, and regularly try and install programs or games, reinstalling Windows now would give you a shocking performance boost.

    Ah right, does vista have these issues? could I say get a vista machine today and not have to worry about re-installing in 2 years? does os-x?

    Venkman90 on
  • ben0207ben0207 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    FWIW I#ve been using the same User Account in OS X since 2003ish, spread over at least 5 Macs. So no, that doesn't hjappen in OS X :)

    Going by what I've seen Vista needs far more maintenance than OS X, though less than XP.


    (I clear it out every now and then because it's mostly clearly labelled)

    ben0207 on
  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Venkman90 wrote: »
    Venkman90 wrote: »
    I think it can be worth paying for build quality, but also I find most windows users will tell you they have to do a format and a clean install every now and then just to keep things moving fast due to all the crap that builds up, does this process exist with Mac's these days or do they stay reasonably clean of junk?
    Junk only builds up if you have no clue how to configure and maintain a computer.

    This is not true. We don't mean Spyware or a million tray icons. We're talking registry cruft, improperly applied updates, etc. Over time, Windows XP inevitably gets bogged down. If it's been 2 years since you last installed Windows, you use the machine every day, keep up with updates, and regularly try and install programs or games, reinstalling Windows now would give you a shocking performance boost.

    Ah right, does vista have these issues? could I say get a vista machine today and not have to worry about re-installing in 2 years? does os-x?

    I haven't been using Vista for a full year yet, but no, I haven't noticed anything that would cause these issues.

    The biggest reason I could see for a reinstall is if YOU want to start fresh. If you have files you've downloaded from the internet for years and can't find them all to clear out some HDD space (which is getting cheaper and cheaper anyway and less of an issue) so you want to just start clean again.

    ArcSyn on
    4dm3dwuxq302.png
  • DaedalusDaedalus Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Screw both of them, grab yourself a linux-based netbook.

    Advantages over Windows: doesn't need nearly as much constant goddamn vigilance to keep it free of bullshit, as someone else already mentioned.
    Advantages over a Mac: less than half the cost of the cheapest MacBook.

    Daedalus on
  • ben0207ben0207 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Disadvantages to them both: No software support, no decent hardware.

    Sometimes that extra time / money is worth it. A noitebook is one of those times.

    ben0207 on
  • PeregrineFalconPeregrineFalcon Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Daedalus wrote: »
    Screw both of them, grab yourself a linux-based netbook.

    Advantages over Windows: doesn't need nearly as much constant goddamn vigilance to keep it free of bullshit, as someone else already mentioned.
    Advantages over a Mac: less than half the cost of the cheapest MacBook.

    Disadvantages vs either: Doing any kind of modern gaming on a netbook is lulztastic.

    I realize you love the thing and want to make babies with your Eee but they're not for everyone damnit.

    PeregrineFalcon on
    Looking for a DX:HR OnLive code for my kid brother.
    Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
  • ZackSchillingZackSchilling Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Venkman90 wrote: »
    Venkman90 wrote: »
    I think it can be worth paying for build quality, but also I find most windows users will tell you they have to do a format and a clean install every now and then just to keep things moving fast due to all the crap that builds up, does this process exist with Mac's these days or do they stay reasonably clean of junk?
    Junk only builds up if you have no clue how to configure and maintain a computer.

    This is not true. We don't mean Spyware or a million tray icons. We're talking registry cruft, improperly applied updates, etc. Over time, Windows XP inevitably gets bogged down. If it's been 2 years since you last installed Windows, you use the machine every day, keep up with updates, and regularly try and install programs or games, reinstalling Windows now would give you a shocking performance boost.

    Ah right, does vista have these issues? could I say get a vista machine today and not have to worry about re-installing in 2 years? does os-x?

    OS X does not. I don't know if Vista does or not. I don't have enough firsthand experience to know for sure.

    ZackSchilling on
    ghost-robot.jpg
  • Venkman90Venkman90 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I like netbooks, but don't need one, this is a desktop replacement essentially.

    I see Vaio's as the main competitor for my money, that or one of the new Asus N range (the N50 maybe), aesthetics do play some part, aliminium case would be nice.

    Venkman90 on
  • ben0207ben0207 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    It's not so much aesthetics that are important as design, and the new MBs are the best designed notebooks on Earth.

    ben0207 on
  • DaedalusDaedalus Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Daedalus wrote: »
    Screw both of them, grab yourself a linux-based netbook.

    Advantages over Windows: doesn't need nearly as much constant goddamn vigilance to keep it free of bullshit, as someone else already mentioned.
    Advantages over a Mac: less than half the cost of the cheapest MacBook.

    Disadvantages vs either: Doing any kind of modern gaming on a netbook is lulztastic.

    I realize you love the thing and want to make babies with your Eee but they're not for everyone damnit.

    Hm? I used to have an enormous eleven-pound "gamers' laptop", before I ditched it for my Eee. It was a terrible mistake of a purchase. Doing any kind of modern gaming on any kind of portable computer is lulztastic. Get a desktop if you want to do any kind of modern gaming.

    Daedalus on
  • ben0207ben0207 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    You say that but my MB handles everything I've chucked at it while still being totally portable and having a proper keyboard. It's not as powerful (by a long stretch) as a proper built PC sure, but it's more than adequate.

    ben0207 on
  • DaedalusDaedalus Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I dunno, I've just found that when I tried to get a "desktop replacement laptop" it didn't do the "laptop" or the "desktop replacement" parts well, and when I went over to buying an extra-portable laptop and a desktop, separately, I spent less money and ended up with better stuff.

    Daedalus on
  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Daedalus wrote: »
    I dunno, I've just found that when I tried to get a "desktop replacement laptop" it didn't do the "laptop" or the "desktop replacement" parts well, and when I went over to buying an extra-portable laptop and a desktop, separately, I spent less money and ended up with better stuff.

    This is the best advice, really, if games are a concern.

    While laptops and MacBooks can play most games, it's still no desktop replacement, and while they may play most games now, as more and more games release with requirements like Crysis, the list of games your laptop won't play will just continue to grow since you can't upgrade the graphics card. My laptop is only 1.5 years old but the graphics card just can't handle even NWN2 or Viva Pinata. (though I didn't buy it for that either)

    The Dell XPS line is pretty good too if you want a higher-powered laptop.

    ArcSyn on
    4dm3dwuxq302.png
  • DjeetDjeet Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Venkman90 wrote: »
    I think it can be worth paying for build quality, but also I find most windows users will tell you they have to do a format and a clean install every now and then just to keep things moving fast due to all the crap that builds up, does this process exist with Mac's these days or do they stay reasonably clean of junk?
    Junk only builds up if you have no clue how to configure and maintain a computer.

    This is not true. We don't mean Spyware or a million tray icons. We're talking registry cruft, improperly applied updates, etc. Over time, Windows XP inevitably gets bogged down. If it's been 2 years since you last installed Windows, you use the machine every day, keep up with updates, and regularly try and install programs or games, reinstalling Windows now would give you a shocking performance boost.

    This depends on how you use the machine. Registry "cruft" doesn't spontaneously spawn itself into existence and glom onto Windows machines, it comes as a result of stuff getting installed/uninstalled on your system. If crap didn't constantly get installed/uninstalled/updated then the system would continue to work without slowdown until you hit hardware failure.

    Someone sends you a media file you cannot play, so you download and install 3 proprietary media players and codecs trying to get the thing to play. You buy a new camera and pop in the software media to install the utility the manual says you need to fetch the images/video off the camera, 15 minutes later there's 9 new applications installed and 4 new systray icons you have no idea what are there for. Repeat with that snazzy new Multi-function printer/scanner you got. Soon your laptop/desktop that was pretty top-of-the-line 6 months ago is crawling and you don't know why.

    Compare that with a system from work in which you aren't allowed to install anything, that fucker will last years before any noticeable slowdown, because shit don't get installed other than virus pattern updates and O.S. patches.

    I'm not saying you shouldn't install stuff on your computer, do what you want, running software is what a computer is for. But there's no time-related tendency for a Windows machine to "get slower" all on its own.

    I think the way software is run on Apples makes it a bit easier to try stuff out and discard without adversely affecting the system. You can just just unmount and delete that DMG and never move it to your applications directory. There's no Registry that needs to be cleanly updated to add/remove programs in OSX like there is in Windows.

    Djeet on
  • Venkman90Venkman90 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Daedalus wrote: »
    I dunno, I've just found that when I tried to get a "desktop replacement laptop" it didn't do the "laptop" or the "desktop replacement" parts well, and when I went over to buying an extra-portable laptop and a desktop, separately, I spent less money and ended up with better stuff.

    I would, but I don't want to have to lug a desktop about if I move and that could be on the cards soon

    Venkman90 on
  • PeregrineFalconPeregrineFalcon Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Daedalus wrote: »
    Hm? I used to have an enormous eleven-pound "gamers' laptop", before I ditched it for my Eee. It was a terrible mistake of a purchase. Doing any kind of modern gaming on any kind of portable computer is lulztastic. Get a desktop if you want to do any kind of modern gaming.

    Yes, but the difference is that on a Macbook/9400M or similarly-specced PC laptop it's at least plausible to play games like WoW, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, even some Source engine games - which is what he's after. He's not asking for something that can play Crysis or even Fallout 3.

    Notebooks are fine for "light gaming."
    Netbooks are fine for "light gaming from four or five years ago."

    PeregrineFalcon on
    Looking for a DX:HR OnLive code for my kid brother.
    Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
  • DaedalusDaedalus Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Daedalus wrote: »
    Hm? I used to have an enormous eleven-pound "gamers' laptop", before I ditched it for my Eee. It was a terrible mistake of a purchase. Doing any kind of modern gaming on any kind of portable computer is lulztastic. Get a desktop if you want to do any kind of modern gaming.

    Yes, but the difference is that on a Macbook/9400M or similarly-specced PC laptop it's at least plausible to play games like WoW, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, even some Source engine games - which is what he's after. He's not asking for something that can play Crysis or even Fallout 3.

    Notebooks are fine for "light gaming."
    Netbooks are fine for "light gaming from four or five years ago."

    I had forgotten that the new Macbooks are no longer running on Intel Indegraded.

    Still, the Asus N10J has a GeForce 9300M and is snazzy-looking and tiny, and still costs half as much as an aluminum Macbook.

    Daedalus on
  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Djeet wrote: »
    Venkman90 wrote: »
    I think it can be worth paying for build quality, but also I find most windows users will tell you they have to do a format and a clean install every now and then just to keep things moving fast due to all the crap that builds up, does this process exist with Mac's these days or do they stay reasonably clean of junk?
    Junk only builds up if you have no clue how to configure and maintain a computer.

    This is not true. We don't mean Spyware or a million tray icons. We're talking registry cruft, improperly applied updates, etc. Over time, Windows XP inevitably gets bogged down. If it's been 2 years since you last installed Windows, you use the machine every day, keep up with updates, and regularly try and install programs or games, reinstalling Windows now would give you a shocking performance boost.

    This depends on how you use the machine. Registry "cruft" doesn't spontaneously spawn itself into existence and glom onto Windows machines, it comes as a result of stuff getting installed/uninstalled on your system. If crap didn't constantly get installed/uninstalled/updated then the system would continue to work without slowdown until you hit hardware failure.

    Someone sends you a media file you cannot play, so you download and install 3 proprietary media players and codecs trying to get the thing to play. You buy a new camera and pop in the software media to install the utility the manual says you need to fetch the images/video off the camera, 15 minutes later there's 9 new applications installed and 4 new systray icons you have no idea what are there for. Repeat with that snazzy new Multi-function printer/scanner you got. Soon your laptop/desktop that was pretty top-of-the-line 6 months ago is crawling and you don't know why.

    Compare that with a system from work in which you aren't allowed to install anything, that fucker will last years before any noticeable slowdown, because shit don't get installed other than virus pattern updates and O.S. patches.

    I'm not saying you shouldn't install stuff on your computer, do what you want, running software is what a computer is for. But there's no time-related tendency for a Windows machine to "get slower" all on its own.

    I think the way software is run on Apples makes it a bit easier to try stuff out and discard without adversely affecting the system. You can just just unmount and delete that DMG and never move it to your applications directory. There's no Registry that needs to be cleanly updated to add/remove programs in OSX like there is in Windows.

    THIS is why when you get something new, you find the driver-only install file and use that. I hate bundled software I don't need with my drivers.

    The new MacBooks (or is it Pro only?) have dual video processors right? One integrated and one separate? Though you have to reboot to use the separate one? Or something? I dunno, I just remember hearing stuff when they were launched. It's a 9400M, so any PC with a similar chip (and specs) is going to perform about the same for games if that's a concern for you.

    ArcSyn on
    4dm3dwuxq302.png
  • thegloamingthegloaming Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    If you don't mind spending the extra money, just get the Macbook. You'll have a well-built machine on which you can browse the web, edit images, play most modern games (not sure about Diablo 3, though). It sounds like you value simplicity over raw power -- and that's not necessarily a bad thing. If you just want one, decent computer that will handle everything you throw at it, just get the Macbook and never look back.

    thegloaming on
  • RandomEngyRandomEngy Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    If you want to run OSX, get a Macbook. If not, get a different laptop; they're always cheaper for the exact same specs. And at 4 GB of RAM, Vista will be plenty fast.

    And yeah, you're not going to get away from Antivirus by running a Mac.

    RandomEngy on
    Profile -> Signature Settings -> Hide signatures always. Then you don't have to read this worthless text anymore.
  • Rigor MortisRigor Mortis Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Venkman90 wrote: »
    I think it can be worth paying for build quality, but also I find most windows users will tell you they have to do a format and a clean install every now and then just to keep things moving fast due to all the crap that builds up, does this process exist with Mac's these days or do they stay reasonably clean of junk?
    Junk only builds up if you have no clue how to configure and maintain a computer.

    This is not true. We don't mean Spyware or a million tray icons. We're talking registry cruft, improperly applied updates, etc. Over time, Windows XP inevitably gets bogged down. If it's been 2 years since you last installed Windows, you use the machine every day, keep up with updates, and regularly try and install programs or games, reinstalling Windows now would give you a shocking performance boost.
    I was referring to the same thing.

    Keep your codecs minimal, your services and startup list trimmed, avoid hardware that needs proprietary software, clean your registry (there's a million programs out there to help if you need it), uninstall stuff you don't use.... it's simple to keep Windows in good shape if you understand the basic concepts of computer use.

    If you don't, sure, use macs.

    Rigor Mortis on
  • RandomEngyRandomEngy Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    You do not need to clean your registry. That is snake oil.

    Keep an eye on the program auto-starts, make sure you have an AV app that doesn't kill performance, defrag and replace any failing hardware.

    Items sitting on disk or in the registry are not going to pop out like the boogeyman and start chewing up CPU cycles on your computer.

    RandomEngy on
    Profile -> Signature Settings -> Hide signatures always. Then you don't have to read this worthless text anymore.
  • Rigor MortisRigor Mortis Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    RandomEngy wrote: »
    You do not need to clean your registry. That is snake oil.

    I've fixed chronic boot/shutdown lockups on multiple computers via registry cleaning. It may not affect speed/stability once up and running, but it is definitely not snake oil for keeping your PC in good shape.

    Rigor Mortis on
  • DHS OdiumDHS Odium Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Vista is perfectly fine and has been for awhile. People marking down a laptop review because it has Vista on it is dumb, as are the reviewer. I've been using Vista since it's beta, and while it had a rocky start, never at any one time was it ever close to being as bad as everyone says it is. Not once.

    This is coming from a former mac user who had an iBook all through college. And was set to run Linux only until I got my hands on a Vista beta. I'm now of the mindset that Macs are mostly over priced. When I bought mine, it was a competitive price. The prices have changed little, still around 1K for a mac laptop, but the prices of every other Windows/Linux laptop have now decreased a ton.

    The iPhone is a piece of shit. I fucking hate it. I really wanted to like it I was looking forward to it, my fiance has it and likes it. I almost bought one when I was looking for a phone. Now, I think it sucks. I don't expect a ton of people here to agree with me. I think it has a shit interface, and very limited options. I absolutely loathe every time I have to use my fiance's iPhone to check the web or do anything.

    In conclusion: get a Vista laptop - the interface will be an easier transition since you're used to XP. It's stable and fast, and looks nice. You get the whole host of Windows programs to use on it as well. Buy an iPhone if you want, it's perfectly compatible with Windows, though I implore you to use a friends at length before you buy, my opinion completely switched once I actually used one. Apple would have to do a lot of things to even get me considering an iPhone.

    Also, why would you want the shuffle if you have an iPhone? Seems to be redundant.

    EDIT: A reverse-switching story. My fiance used an iBook in college too. She was 100% Apple with tech products. She now uses only Vista, and has never had a problem with, or regretted the switch.

    DHS Odium on
    Wii U: DHS-Odium // Live: DHS Odium // PSN: DHSOdium // Steam: dhsykes // 3DS: 0318-6615-5294
  • NatheoNatheo Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Dude just get a mac.

    Natheo on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • mcdermottmcdermott Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Daedalus wrote: »
    I dunno, I've just found that when I tried to get a "desktop replacement laptop" it didn't do the "laptop" or the "desktop replacement" parts well, and when I went over to buying an extra-portable laptop and a desktop, separately, I spent less money and ended up with better stuff.

    This. A thousand times this. You will always (and I do mean absolutely always) be better off buying a desktop for gaming and a laptop for portable computing and "light" gaming. Diablo 3? That won't likely fall under light gaming for the purpose of this definition.

    If you buy a laptop for gaming, expect to play whatever games are out now, and possibly poorly, and whatever games come out for the next six months. Then you'll start to see your performance on new releases fall off at an exponential rate, until finally you buy "Hot New Game X" and it just tells you to go fuck yourself when you run the installer.

    Whereas on a desktop, this is where you proceed to replace a single part and run the game competently, if not well.

    And Vista is not a bloated resource hog. That's a geek urban legend nowadays, though it is at least one of those urban legends that was, like, true at one point but nowadays is garbage.


    As for whether Macs need the occasional wipe and re-install, fuck if I know. I know that my PowerBook (running 10.4) runs like absolute dogshit now, and I can't figure out any reason why. Even with nothing else running, it hiccups on simple DivX videos (in the 640x352 range, MP3 sound) that it used to run like a champ when I bought it. And browsing? The PA forums bring it to its knees, and they didn't used to. Maybe it's some kind of "reinstall needed" thing, maybe I have that one crazy Mac virus out there stealin' my cycles (I doubt this), but at some point between 2005 and now it decided it didn't want to be fast anymore.


    If you want a Mac, get a Mac. I loved mine back before it started shitting the bed, and really only bought a Windows machine because I had a bunch of apps for school I needed to run that were Windows-only (and PowerPC doesn't allow dual-booting, obviously). They're marginally pricier, but on their laptops at least its worth it.

    But for fuck's sake don't do it because of Vista. Just make sure the computer you buy isn't garbage, and Vista will run fine.

    mcdermott on
  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I'm piping in to also say that I'm sitting on a $1000 Desktop with Vista and an Eee.

    I came from a massive monster of a laptop.


    Never, ever, ever pick up a "Desktop replacement" laptop. Ever. Ever ever.

    That being said, if you prefer the things Mac has going for it, get a mac. If you don't see any reason to go to mac other than "Apple told me Vista was bad".

    Also, unless you're going to be moving every two weeks or something, don't get a computer that you'll regret buying in 6 months so that you don't have to take a desktop with you. I've moved three times since I built my system, it's not a big deal at all.

    Khavall on
  • RandomEngyRandomEngy Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    RandomEngy wrote: »
    You do not need to clean your registry. That is snake oil.

    I've fixed chronic boot/shutdown lockups on multiple computers via registry cleaning. It may not affect speed/stability once up and running, but it is definitely not snake oil for keeping your PC in good shape.

    The common logic for registry cleaning is that installing and uninstalling programs can leave behind orphan registry entries that "gunk up" the registry. However parts of the registry are paged into memory on demand, so these entries do not take up extra memory, just a little extra hard drive space. Furthermore, the registry is structured in such a way that extra keys do not affect access or write time. Going in and trying to yank out these orphaned entries is only asking for trouble. Registry cleaners can mis-identify needed entries, or yank some entries and leave some dependencies stranded, so there's real danger to it.

    More likely the program you ran used the registry to disable some active programs/drivers that were giving you issues. Or was run as part of a bigger cleanup effort. I can definitely tell you that your shudown/boot problems were not caused by some unused registry entries from a game you uninstalled.

    It's possible that certain programs that call themselves "registry cleaners" are actually just using the registry to make useful system changes, but by no means should you simply suggest that someone run any "registry cleaner" to make their system faster.

    RandomEngy on
    Profile -> Signature Settings -> Hide signatures always. Then you don't have to read this worthless text anymore.
  • Venkman90Venkman90 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I should have made this thread ages ago, thanks PA

    I have decided my 360 negates the need for much gaming so as long as it runs WoW then I am all good, I am going for a Vista laptop, probably a Vaio, Dell or Asus N series and will think about the phone later. I guess having read the desktop thread I can re-skin Vista anyway to make it a little easier on my eye.

    Venkman90 on
  • bentbent Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I think the default vista skins are quite nice.

    bent on
    sig1.png
Sign In or Register to comment.