So, i took a look at the apple store again, i think ill go for a Macbook, the 2,4Ghz one, and install 4GB RAM afterwards.
Integrated graphics should not be much of a problem right? im not doing any gaming, but ill be running PS CS3/Lightroom.
The damn thing is so small, too, which is a pretty huge pro, how is the battery life?
I didn't do any heavy photo processing on my friend's MacBook but I don't think you'll really have that much of an issue. It wasn't exactly teh snappy but it wasn't sluggish.
Hell, i can do my photoediting on my current laptop (1,4Ghz, 1GB RAM), so with the specs i posted, i should do excellently, but im just unsure how much of a role the GPU plays in these things.
So, i took a look at the apple store again, i think ill go for a Macbook, the 2,4Ghz one, and install 4GB RAM afterwards.
Integrated graphics should not be much of a problem right? im not doing any gaming, but ill be running PS CS3/Lightroom.
The damn thing is so small, too, which is a pretty huge pro, how is the battery life?
I didn't do any heavy photo processing on my friend's MacBook but I don't think you'll really have that much of an issue. It wasn't exactly teh snappy but it wasn't sluggish.
It's almost entirely a matter of RAM for snappy performance. The only place where you'll see a big performance hit on Macbook with a good amount of RAM is when you're applying intense filters, but that's a processor issue. The GPU really doesn't matter too much until you get into really high end editing. For battery life, just taking notes with wireless off I'll get 5 or so hours off my year-old battery (90% health). Heavy photo editing and such will obviously make the battery life plummet, but when just surfing and whatnot you should still see ~4 hour battery lives.
Well then, i think you gents have me sold on this one.
Also: this is the only place on the fucking web where i have been able to ask a simple fucking question without an eruption of fanboys and haters, cant these fuckwits get it? IT IS CALLED PERSONAL TASTE AND PREFERENCE, LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE. FAGS.
I'll be ordering my MBP on Monday. I just did some calculations, and it's actually a lot cheaper for me to order it from Amazon than from Apple with a student discount. This is because they both have free shipping, but Amazon doesn't charge tax, and they also have a $150 rebate, right now.
Edit: for my needs, I could actually save a bunch by getting a MacBook, but I really hate glossy screens, and they don't have a matte option.
Would an extra gig of ram (already on 1GB) in an old iMac G5 2ghz be useful? Hoping this thing will last and ram is dirt cheap right now, so might be an easy way to boost speeds a bit.
The ancient processor isn't too much of an issue as I barely do anything beyond web browsing on this. Trying to encode stuff makes me cry though, I think my mobile phone would be quicker at it...
Would an extra gig of ram (already on 1GB) in an old iMac G5 2ghz be useful? Hoping this thing will last and ram is dirt cheap right now, so might be an easy way to boost speeds a bit.
The ancient processor isn't too much of an issue as I barely do anything beyond web browsing on this. Trying to encode stuff makes me cry though, I think my mobile phone would be quicker at it...
It would be a fair boost for all of about a fiver. Go for it.
When the best description is "an engineering symbol", you need to reconsider your design approach a bit there.
Yeah, I really don't understand why the pictures are there in the first place. Just stick with the name of the key in text, like on Windows keyboards. I'm sure somebody thought it'd be good for international situation where the symbol on the key looks the same all over the world, but these symbols just don't stick in my mind and it's more frustrating than it is useful.
Would an extra gig of ram (already on 1GB) in an old iMac G5 2ghz be useful? Hoping this thing will last and ram is dirt cheap right now, so might be an easy way to boost speeds a bit.
The ancient processor isn't too much of an issue as I barely do anything beyond web browsing on this. Trying to encode stuff makes me cry though, I think my mobile phone would be quicker at it...
It would be a fair boost for all of about a fiver. Go for it.
When the best description is "an engineering symbol", you need to reconsider your design approach a bit there.
Yeah, I really don't understand why the pictures are there in the first place. Just stick with the name of the key in text, like on Windows keyboards. I'm sure somebody thought it'd be good for international situation where the symbol on the key looks the same all over the world, but these symbols just don't stick in my mind and it's more frustrating than it is useful.
Its all of three symbols. ⌥, ⌘, and ⇧. I will admit that it took me a couple minutes to figure out what ⌥ did but once I learned I didn't have an issue.
When the best description is "an engineering symbol", you need to reconsider your design approach a bit there.
Yeah, I really don't understand why the pictures are there in the first place. Just stick with the name of the key in text, like on Windows keyboards. I'm sure somebody thought it'd be good for international situation where the symbol on the key looks the same all over the world, but these symbols just don't stick in my mind and it's more frustrating than it is useful.
Its all of three symbols. ⌥, ⌘, and ⇧. I will admit that it took me a couple minutes to figure out what ⌥ did but once I learned I didn't have an issue.
The point is, it's counterintuitive to Apple's keep it simple design approach. It's something legacy I'd like to see fade away.
When the best description is "an engineering symbol", you need to reconsider your design approach a bit there.
Yeah, I really don't understand why the pictures are there in the first place. Just stick with the name of the key in text, like on Windows keyboards. I'm sure somebody thought it'd be good for international situation where the symbol on the key looks the same all over the world, but these symbols just don't stick in my mind and it's more frustrating than it is useful.
Its all of three symbols. ⌥, ⌘, and ⇧. I will admit that it took me a couple minutes to figure out what ⌥ did but once I learned I didn't have an issue.
I think the problem for me personally is that I don't know what to call the key. What the hell am I supposed to call ⌥? Like someone said before, 'Press the ⌥' key is so much more complicated than saying 'Press the alt key'.
The Apple key (what's now ⌘) was fine with me because I knew what to call it, so if I wanted to copy something, what was that again? Oh yeah, Apple C. That doesn't work for ⌥.
I agree. They're an unnecessary barrier to entry, especially for a product whose main feature is simplicity and intuitiveness. I think using symbols is fine -- just make sure they're symbols people can recognize and label.
You get two benefits from icons:
1. Internationalisation.
2. You can place even long shortcuts in menus next to the item they fire without having a super-wide menu.
I think the shift and alt icons work well, both icons communicate their purpose. Shift makes letters go up, alt alters the "path" of something. Command is a sort of clover leaf, which I don't think works. I think of it as "Apple key" which means I'm doing something wiht the OS layer. That works better I think.
It's no better or worse than archaic naming like "shift" or "control".
You get two benefits from icons:
1. Internationalisation.
2. You can place even long shortcuts in menus next to the item they fire without having a super-wide menu.
I think the shift and alt icons work well, both icons communicate their purpose. Shift makes letters go up, alt alters the "path" of something. Command is a sort of clover leaf, which I don't think works. I think of it as "Apple key" which means I'm doing something wiht the OS layer. That works better I think.
It's no better or worse than archaic naming like "shift" or "control".
It's just that the obscurity of the symbols they use defeats the purpose of "internationalization," unless they simply want it to be internationally unintelligible. The shift symbol is fine, but alt and command need to change. A little lightning bolt for alt, and an Apple logo for command, for instance. Just anything recognizable, really.
You get two benefits from icons:
1. Internationalisation.
2. You can place even long shortcuts in menus next to the item they fire without having a super-wide menu.
I think the shift and alt icons work well, both icons communicate their purpose. Shift makes letters go up, alt alters the "path" of something. Command is a sort of clover leaf, which I don't think works. I think of it as "Apple key" which means I'm doing something wiht the OS layer. That works better I think.
It's no better or worse than archaic naming like "shift" or "control".
The internationalization argument is weak from a user's perspective. At the very least 80% of users are going to be using one keyboard layout pretty much their entire life.
The super-wide menu thing is there, but it's not a very good argument. A few more characters won't kill anyone.
And I'm not against all symbols, just symbols that can't be called something. I liked the Apple key. You could call it the Apple key and all was good. I don't know what to call this symbol: ⌥. Is it the alt symbol? That symbol doesn't tell me 'alt' at all.
It does to me. It's a little switch that can be one way or another. But I do think they should use Opt, Cmd etc in menu shortcuts and drop the symbols.
It does to me. It's a little switch that can be one way or another.
More than just calling it 'Alt'? The apple in the Apple symbol is obvious. It's clear to anyone who has gone to kindergarten (A is for Apple...) what that symbol is. It's a little tortured to say it's obvious that ⌥ stands for alt.
It does to me. It's a little switch that can be one way or another.
More than just calling it 'Alt'? The apple in the Apple symbol is obvious. It's clear to anyone who has gone to kindergarten (A is for Apple...) what that symbol is. It's a little tortured to say it's obvious that ⌥ stands for alt.
They should be on the keys. They used to be, but Apple's hardware engineers got rid of them in the name of aesthetics I think
they should definitely definitely be on the keys. shouldn't ever have been removed, that's dumb! it wouldn't cause any problems that way. one of the things that still gets me sometimes is the microswitch symbol, 'cause i get nervous if it's an important shortcut and i can never be sure!
I think the problem for me personally is that I don't know what to call the key. What the hell am I supposed to call ⌥? Like someone said before, 'Press the ⌥' key is so much more complicated than saying 'Press the alt key'.
The Apple key (what's now ⌘) was fine with me because I knew what to call it, so if I wanted to copy something, what was that again? Oh yeah, Apple C. That doesn't work for ⌥.
Why is the ⌘ fine to call the apple key (Its actually called the command key) but you can't make the leap to calling the ⌥ the option key?
I think the problem for me personally is that I don't know what to call the key. What the hell am I supposed to call ⌥? Like someone said before, 'Press the ⌥' key is so much more complicated than saying 'Press the alt key'.
The Apple key (what's now ⌘) was fine with me because I knew what to call it, so if I wanted to copy something, what was that again? Oh yeah, Apple C. That doesn't work for ⌥.
Why is the ⌘ fine to call the apple key (Its actually called the command key) but you can't make the leap to calling the ⌥ the option key?
Umm because there's a fucking apple on the key?
And it's a very easy symbol to memorize. I'm not about to call it the weird-swedish-roadsign key. I don't even know why they have the weird-swedish-roadsign on it. Just keep the Apple, at least it makes sense.
Also, in the case of the 'alt' or 'option' key (as it is variously called), just keep the 'alt', there's no need for a confusing symbol.
And it's a very easy symbol to memorize. I'm not about to call it the weird-swedish-roadsign key. I don't even know why they have the weird-swedish-roadsign on it. Just keep the Apple, at least it makes sense.
Also, in the case of the 'alt' or 'option' key (as it is variously called), just keep the 'alt', there's no need for a confusing symbol.
There is no "fucking" Apple on the key. They removed it last year.
Also, the Apple symbol doesn't appear anywhere on the UI just like the ⌥ doesn't appear on the keyboard but you seem to have no problem remembering it. Why is that?
The switch symbol makes sense to me since the option key switches the functionality of a key or combo. Hold down the option key and you get a different function. Seems logical.
And it's a very easy symbol to memorize. I'm not about to call it the weird-swedish-roadsign key. I don't even know why they have the weird-swedish-roadsign on it. Just keep the Apple, at least it makes sense.
Also, in the case of the 'alt' or 'option' key (as it is variously called), just keep the 'alt', there's no need for a confusing symbol.
There is no "fucking" Apple on the key. They removed it last year.
Also, the Apple symbol doesn't appear anywhere on the UI just like the ⌥ doesn't appear on the keyboard but you seem to have no problem remembering it. Why is that?
The switch symbol makes sense to me since the option key switches the functionality of a key or combo. Hold down the option key and you get a different function. Seems logical.
You have to be familiar with electrical engineering to even know that, though, which is ridiculous. I even took some courses back in the college days, and had no idea that was the symbol for a switch until it was mentioned here. It's not a common symbol to the general public.
The reason the clover is recognizable as "apple key" is only because it used to use a good, recognizable symbol, and so its utility is inherited from those days. New users are just as lost at how to refer to it as the others. "Clover" isn't normally learned until the user hears it from other Mac users. A keyboard symbol needs to be "pronounceable" by a normal user.
And it's a very easy symbol to memorize. I'm not about to call it the weird-swedish-roadsign key. I don't even know why they have the weird-swedish-roadsign on it. Just keep the Apple, at least it makes sense.
Also, in the case of the 'alt' or 'option' key (as it is variously called), just keep the 'alt', there's no need for a confusing symbol.
There is no "fucking" Apple on the key. They removed it last year.
Also, the Apple symbol doesn't appear anywhere on the UI just like the ⌥ doesn't appear on the keyboard but you seem to have no problem remembering it. Why is that?
The switch symbol makes sense to me since the option key switches the functionality of a key or combo. Hold down the option key and you get a different function. Seems logical.
If they've removed it from all keyboards, then that's pretty terrible. I've always called it the apple key, because it is the most recognizable aspect of the key.
The command key has "command" actually written on it. The option key has "option" on it. Once you make the association you really shouldn't be in the dark as to what they're called.
Posts
Steam BoardGameGeek Twitter
- Gary Busey
A Glass, Darkly
Integrated graphics should not be much of a problem right? im not doing any gaming, but ill be running PS CS3/Lightroom.
The damn thing is so small, too, which is a pretty huge pro, how is the battery life?
iSlayer makes some pretty awesome system monitors. I use the Dashboard widget, myself.
I didn't do any heavy photo processing on my friend's MacBook but I don't think you'll really have that much of an issue. It wasn't exactly teh snappy but it wasn't sluggish.
It's almost entirely a matter of RAM for snappy performance. The only place where you'll see a big performance hit on Macbook with a good amount of RAM is when you're applying intense filters, but that's a processor issue. The GPU really doesn't matter too much until you get into really high end editing. For battery life, just taking notes with wireless off I'll get 5 or so hours off my year-old battery (90% health). Heavy photo editing and such will obviously make the battery life plummet, but when just surfing and whatnot you should still see ~4 hour battery lives.
Also: this is the only place on the fucking web where i have been able to ask a simple fucking question without an eruption of fanboys and haters, cant these fuckwits get it? IT IS CALLED PERSONAL TASTE AND PREFERENCE, LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE. FAGS.
the best you've ever made
really
Edit: for my needs, I could actually save a bunch by getting a MacBook, but I really hate glossy screens, and they don't have a matte option.
Steam BoardGameGeek Twitter
yes
- Gary Busey
A Glass, Darkly
What symbol is the alt/option key?
When the best description is "an engineering symbol", you need to reconsider your design approach a bit there.
Is it that weird little broken X?
The ancient processor isn't too much of an issue as I barely do anything beyond web browsing on this. Trying to encode stuff makes me cry though, I think my mobile phone would be quicker at it...
Yeah.
It would be a fair boost for all of about a fiver. Go for it.
Crucial are charging £27 for it... Hmm.
Its all of three symbols. ⌥, ⌘, and ⇧. I will admit that it took me a couple minutes to figure out what ⌥ did but once I learned I didn't have an issue.
The point is, it's counterintuitive to Apple's keep it simple design approach. It's something legacy I'd like to see fade away.
The Apple key (what's now ⌘) was fine with me because I knew what to call it, so if I wanted to copy something, what was that again? Oh yeah, Apple C. That doesn't work for ⌥.
Steam BoardGameGeek Twitter
1. Internationalisation.
2. You can place even long shortcuts in menus next to the item they fire without having a super-wide menu.
I think the shift and alt icons work well, both icons communicate their purpose. Shift makes letters go up, alt alters the "path" of something. Command is a sort of clover leaf, which I don't think works. I think of it as "Apple key" which means I'm doing something wiht the OS layer. That works better I think.
It's no better or worse than archaic naming like "shift" or "control".
Steam BoardGameGeek Twitter
The super-wide menu thing is there, but it's not a very good argument. A few more characters won't kill anyone.
And I'm not against all symbols, just symbols that can't be called something. I liked the Apple key. You could call it the Apple key and all was good. I don't know what to call this symbol: ⌥. Is it the alt symbol? That symbol doesn't tell me 'alt' at all.
They should be on the keys. They used to be, but Apple's hardware engineers got rid of them in the name of aesthetics I think
Why is the ⌘ fine to call the apple key (Its actually called the command key) but you can't make the leap to calling the ⌥ the option key?
And it's a very easy symbol to memorize. I'm not about to call it the weird-swedish-roadsign key. I don't even know why they have the weird-swedish-roadsign on it. Just keep the Apple, at least it makes sense.
Also, in the case of the 'alt' or 'option' key (as it is variously called), just keep the 'alt', there's no need for a confusing symbol.
There is no "fucking" Apple on the key. They removed it last year.
Also, the Apple symbol doesn't appear anywhere on the UI just like the ⌥ doesn't appear on the keyboard but you seem to have no problem remembering it. Why is that?
The switch symbol makes sense to me since the option key switches the functionality of a key or combo. Hold down the option key and you get a different function. Seems logical.
The reason the clover is recognizable as "apple key" is only because it used to use a good, recognizable symbol, and so its utility is inherited from those days. New users are just as lost at how to refer to it as the others. "Clover" isn't normally learned until the user hears it from other Mac users. A keyboard symbol needs to be "pronounceable" by a normal user.
Steam BoardGameGeek Twitter