The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Buying a MacBook from Apple vs Fry's
Nikolis
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, this upcoming semester I'm investing my hard earned college loan into a MacBook. But I have a few questions.
First off, is it better to order off of Apple or just go down to Fry's and get one?
What is the average delivery date from Apple?
What kind of peripherals/software should I get with it? Is the Mighty Mouse worth it?
What about laptop case?
Also, reguarding RAM, I've heard that if I want to upgrade to 2gb that I should just order it from Newegg, is this recoomended?
Also, anything else particular I should know about Macs? This will be my first.
First off, is it better to order off of Apple or just go down to Fry's and get one?
What is the average delivery date from Apple?
What kind of peripherals/software should I get with it? Is the Mighty Mouse worth it?
What about laptop case?
Also, reguarding RAM, I've heard that if I want to upgrade to 2gb that I should just order it from Newegg, is this recoomended?
Also, anything else particular I should know about Macs? This will be my first.
Nikolis on
0
Posts
Average ship date is on the Apple website once you add an item to your cart. Delivery date after that varies by region, I think. I usually get things 2-3 days after shipping.
The mighty mouse is not worth it, in my opinion. My favorite is the Kensington Pocketmouse Ultra if you don't mind a little dongle sticking off of your laptop.
As far as other peripherals, try and get a cloth that fits between the keyboard and the screen. It prevents small scratches and smudges should any amount of pressure be put on the lid when closed.
I like Timbuk2's laptop cases, mainly because they don't look like laptop cases.
Re: RAM, yes, it's cheaper, but I honestly wouldn't skimp on the brand. Their Corsair Value Select line is a good price / quality balance.
Macs are quite different from PCs because of the OS. The two primary differences are the dock and window behavior. If you open an application, the app stays open, even when you close the window. This way, it just pops right up when you click the icon in the dock (and you don't have to wait for it to load again). OS X's UI is built for multi-tasking, so before you know it, you'll have your favorite 10-12 apps open at all times, and there's no UI clutter.
This guide is quite nice for Windows users diving into OS X for the first time.
--
edit for my favorite mac apps:
Quicksilver - really slick application launcher / productivity booster
Adium - the best universal IM application, bar none
Handbrake - Your DVD -> iTunes
Transmit - the best FTP application, bar none
Yojimbo - awesome for quick notes, storing passwords, pdf receipts, lists, etc. Spotlight searchable
Delicious Library - Fun DVD / Video Game organizer application. Famous for its UI
Cha-Ching - a nice lightweight (albeit expensive) personal finance manager.
Coda - the best web development application, bar none
iSale - built in templates and iPhoto integration makes creating an eBay listing a 60 second experience.
BonEcho - Firefox optimized for OS X with built in OS X form widgets.
OS X Theme for Firefox - very slick and robust theme for Firefox
What kind of cloth do you recommend?
What about software? Office 2003 is pretty much required for all writing courses in a way. Will I need to use Boot-Camp and use my copy or is it worth it to pay for the OSX version or are there alternatives?
Regarding bags, I'm looking for a bag that will hold my laptop and also my books.
Wait for Office 2008 for the Mac. 2007 PC is a huge upgrade over 2003. I imagine the Apple upgrade will be nearly as good.
This is the cloth I use but hey, a cloth is a cloth.
Microsoft Office v.X is the version that is available for Macs. Your school should offer it for a deep discount (I paid $15 at my University). Microsoft is supposed to be launching a new version of Office for the Mac by year's end, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Word v.X has an exclusive "notepad" feature in OS X that is simply amazing. You press "record" and it uses your laptop's built in mic to record your lecture. Every time you enter a new line in your notes, it creates a bookmark so you can hear what the prof was saying when you typed what you typed. Its usefulness can't be stressed enough.
Boot Camp will work, but it's a pretty big pain to boot into a different OS for certain things. I found it more cumbersome than useful.
The basic text-editor that comes with OS X (textpad) will open .doc/x files decently enough (as long as there's no fanciness in the file).
Bean is also quite nice, but I never actually tried importing complex .docs so I can't really speak to its effectiveness. It's free, though, which is nice. But in school, Microsoft Office is a must.
As for a bag that holds your laptop and your books, the Underground by Timbuk2 is pretty freaking great. I have a friend who owns one and it's quite nice. It won't hold a zillion books, but about 3 (which is all you'll want to carry + a laptop anyway :P)
edit because I didn't address the RAM question:
Multitasking with large applications. If you're not planning on running Photoshop or any other enterprise video/image editing software, then 1 GB (matched pair of 512s) is just fine. I think the top of the line MacBooks (the black ones) come with 1GB standard. 512MB is too little for OS X to be honest, and you'll notice the lag once you open 5 or so applications.
1. Price (for pretty cheap sticks)
2. It was not seated properly when I ordered it and caused me much pain and misery when I first bought the machine. Had to re-seat it myself (not a huge deal) but when your machine turns off for no apparent reason and is brand new, one can be easily flustered.
Word is a bit sticky. I use 2004 (and we use it at my job) but I know people in other districts that use X based on the varied features and bugs.
Honestly? Don't by Office yet. Try NeoOffice or OpenOffice first, or even Apple's Pages (Though that is not really a word processor). The Intel version of Office is supposed to be arriving in the latter part of this year, so IMO it would be foolish to get it now.
3DS Friend Code: 0404-6826-4588 PM if you add.
Pages is less of a word processor and more of a design/layout program (like a simplified Adobe InDesign). I love it for brochures and things of that nature, but not writing papers...
3DS Friend Code: 0404-6826-4588 PM if you add.
You can also get a free printer after mail in rebate, though that offer expires soon. Ordering from Apple with a student discount is a much better option than ordering from Fry's.
I just ordered A MacBook, does anyone have a corded mouse recommendation? I'd like it to have as many buttons as Apple's Mighty Mouse, but I don't want a Mighty Mouse.
The Kensington Optical Elite is my favorite corded mouse ever.
Thanks! That looks like it has all the features I want, and it's nice and cheap.