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Getting a Macbook [Solved]
bowtiedseal
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I've been using a Dell Inspiron 6000 since the summer of 2005. It crashed spring 2006 and I lost a lot of stuff, and at that point I couldn't watch DVDs on it anymore (ugh). And last week it gave me the blue screen of death at least ten times, and the screen also flickers and goes to black for a second every now and then. I took it to the IT people on campus, who told me in order to fix the flickering (it didn't BSoD them, unfortunately) I need to get a new motherboard.
I'm a junior in college and would ideally like my laptop to last me the next three/four years (through graduation and grad school) and have been considering making the switch to a Macbook instead. I would probably get the bare bones $999 + however much applecare is deal because I am trying not to spend too much money, and the only thing I really do with my laptop is word process, listen to music and go on the internet. Would it be better for me to replace the motherboard on my computer or start over with a new laptop?
I'm a junior in college and would ideally like my laptop to last me the next three/four years (through graduation and grad school) and have been considering making the switch to a Macbook instead. I would probably get the bare bones $999 + however much applecare is deal because I am trying not to spend too much money, and the only thing I really do with my laptop is word process, listen to music and go on the internet. Would it be better for me to replace the motherboard on my computer or start over with a new laptop?
bowtiedseal on
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I say you go with a new lappie at this point. In my experience "new motherboard" usually means "new motherboard +." And the MacBook really is an excellent laptop.
Of course, if you want to bump up in RAM, do it yourself, Apple gouges something fierce.
Ryan M Long Photography
Buy my Prints!
The Air is out and has already arrived at many homes that had ordered it. But, given that it's not inherently a part of a single-computer system and since it's around twice as much as he would want to spend, I'd sincerely recommend against his purchasing it.
Ryan M Long Photography
Buy my Prints!
Also I bought my Macbook black for 1000, which was $500 off retail value. It was a refurbish in the apple website but honestly it was like new to me.
The thing is to get most variety of refurbish I would recommend getting to apple.com early on Tuesday and just check through out the day. Seems Tuesdays are restocking day.
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!
I say that on the strength of my current Powermac G5. It's 4 years old, the only problem was a power supply that went bad 2 years ago (cost $150 to have Apple fix it for me). It still kicks butt -- new computers come out, I drool during the day, and at night I get on my computer and I'm like "shit, this computer still kicks ass, i don't have to buy a new one!"
Your older laptop will probably end up costing a good chunk of change since a) the motherboard is specific to Dell and b) you'll have to pay someone else to swap it out. And they may run into other things while they're doing it, like why your DVD drive is mysteriously not reading DVD movies. My parents had an old computer struck by lightning, and they took it somewhere to get the mainboard and modem replaced, and they were charged a hair under $500 for what was under $100 in parts. That's half a macbook right there.
So yes, for laptops I typically take the stance that if it's out of warranty, and it "dies," ditch it and buy a new one. Too much work/money to get them working again.
so new question: What should I know about using a Mac? This will be my first one.
Buy 3rd party ram, as it's much cheaper than Apple ram. don't be afraid of external HDDs for storage.
And when you get your new computer, use your thumb to initiate hotkey/shortcuts. Windows users (and many on Linux) are used to lifting up their hand and hitting Control with their pinky. The main hotkey is the Command key on Macs, and is immediately next to the spacebar. Typing from the home row, it's MUCH more smooth to simply slide your thumb to the side than pick up your entire hand in order to hit Command w/ your pinky.
Other than that, software & other shit is more fun to play with once you get the computer. When you google for stuff for your computer, you'll often have to add "osx" to your searches.
I'm looking into buying a laptop for wireless internet, music, but mostly graphics. I have a USB tablet and I do a lot of photoshop work, and I'm looking for something that would enable me to work away from my home office set up.
Would Mac be a cost-effective means of getting a portable graphic design machine, or should I got with like a Gateway, or a Dell, or should I just build my own? I've built desktop PCs, but... laptops would be a whole new beast.
Also, is boot camp memory intensive? because I would need my laptop to be able to share files easily with my PC. Mostly just photoshop files and .gifs and .jpgs.
Thanks in advance, for any advice.
Ryan M Long Photography
Buy my Prints!
Photoshop runs like a champ on a Mac. My dad is still using the 12in iBook as his portable photo studio machine.
Just max out the ram.
I feel pretty dumb for asking this, but how do you use your thumb to initiate hotkey/shortcuts?
Since you use the apple key as opposed to the control key to do stuff like Apple-Q (quit program), you can just move your thumb sideways off the spacebar if you are touch typing.
Instead of control+c to copy, it's apple+c. When you hit control+c now, you probably pick up your wrist, rotate your hand and hit the control key with your pinky, and then hit the C with your index finger.
On OS X, if you tried to do the same thing you'd a) be hitting the wrong key and b) find yourself kind of cramped as you'd have to really move your hand. So you just slide your thumb left and hit C with your index finger.
It's a subtle thing, but I found it's the subtle things that people overlook when they switch operating systems. You can google search for programs, other crap, but interacting with the computer is a little more subconscious for most people. A lot of things can be controlled via hotkeys in OS X, as in most operating systems. You simply may not have heard of them being called "hotkeys" or "shortcuts" before.
Are you going to get a refurb? If so, check dealmac.com, they list the best prices on Mac laptops that they can find. The lowest I've seen was $750 for a refurb core 2 duo macbook.
It's law.