i Mac Laptop... What's your thoughts? (ME)

[Deleted User]

Wallies, I've been an IBC PC man since after I purchased my second computer (over 30 years ago) and am considering making the switch to Apple. I'd prefer a laptop so I can drag it along with me between here and the mountains.

SOOOooo many choices. Whats your thoughts on the subject?

What about compatability between Windoze programs and the Mac (MS Visio for example)?

ANd what about price. I see between 1K and 3K. 3K seems like a lot for a lap top PC...

TIA

ME

Paul Fredricks_3

We've been looking at this too lately, but for my son. He starts college next year (if the planets align just right) and want to get him a new computer. We were thinking Apple laptop. Windows vista can be loaded on and run just like on a PC.

Price is the problem. A nice laptop with a nice size screen is big bucks from Apple. The main reason we were think Apple is for the graphics. Apple has a rep for being superior in the graphics area. That said, the last school he looked at said they do everything in a Windows environment so we are now looking at PC options.

If you aren't designing high end graphics I don't see the advantage of moving away from a Windows based laptop.

But what do I know.

hot_rod

love my i-mac

I switched a few months back, as you can seee by my e-mail account

I loaded the parallels program and can run any Windows programs. I run all of Siggy's and the various heat load programs without a problem.

The i-chat is a great feature we communicate with Max with the "screen"

hot rod

Ken_40

As an avid fan of

PC Magazine since working for NCR (National Cash Register) back whe dinosaurs roamed earth, the reports keep praising the machine, the intuitivity, the always accessible American-English help desk, product life projections, OS stability and cross compatibility with PC apps & the excellent photo/graphics integration, I too will buy one when my Dell laptop goes south.

The prices seem to reflect real inside-the-box features that can be financially justified IMO.

My next computer?

MAC!

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Unknown

macs probably aren't even any better at graphics these days. Photoshop is a windows program too.

However, not having to think about viruses, trojans, or worms, ever, is awful nice. For the price of just looking at product labels to see if they are mac compatible or not, you get the payoff of just plugging stuff into the mac, and it just working. that's nice too.

And if you want to run windows, you can run boot camp or paralells on the new macs, and do your web surfing/email/regular stuff in the mac, and run windows just for the things that require it.

We have an office with 9 macs and 1 windows machine. Guess what I spent most of my troubleshooting time on? the one, lone, windows machine, running a thermal printer, a digital video camera, and UPS worldship only. Guess what machine gets loaded up with spyware and worms even though it's patched up and behind a firewall? The one, lone, windows machine.

Windows is dead, IMO. But then, I've always been a bit of a fan boy

Mars_3

Mark I bought a I Book lap top about 6 months ago, I still have a PC lap top but find that the mac is great to work with. the Help and support that mac provides is over the top. just my 2 cents

Paul Fredricks_3

Ok, now I'm convinced. Now how can I afford to get one for the house too.

Timothy_2

Be Vigalent

Don't take for granted that Mac doesn't get viruses. The more Mac users there are, the more creeps and losers will be writing viruses for those, like the one mentioned here:

http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2006/02/macosxleap.html

Certainly there are more for Windows, but that's because Windows is more popular and the loser jerks will get more bang for their buck. It's not because Mac is impenetrable.

Unknown

Yes, but read how that virus works. There has never been a worm (a virus that plants itself with NO action required by the user other than an internet connection) that affected macs, and there probably never will be. They are actually more secure than windows machines.

Sure, if you open files sent to you by strangers, something might happen. But the computer will tell you it's a program, at least, and ask if it's ok to run. That's more than windows usually did for anyone.

And at any rate, people have made that "oh, if macs were more popular argument" for ten years now. And yet still, no mac user has ever realistically ever had to worry about it. If ten years from now we actually have to, then so be it.

Timothy_2

Oh, I agree

I totally agree. I think Mac's way ahead of Windows, but people need to know that they still have to watch what they get for attachments and stuff, and sometimes Mac users forget to mention that.

Unknown

well that's the thing... we don't have to. That one virus had nearly no actual penetration in the wild. Maybe, someday, we might have to be careful, but that day is not here yet.

One thing I would note though is that apple JUST released a new operating system last friday. Buying a mac right this second means you're on the bleeding edge of a new release.

Unknown

haha... new trojan available today, how timely

http://www.news.com/8301-13579_3-9808489-37.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5

But, again, note everything you have to do to get it installed. I could see how a mac user believing they were invulnerable believing they could install the file from the from website, though, and it wouldn't be safe to do so.

Bill Russell_3

Mac

The Mac will be worth "the trip" once you get used to it Mark. It will be a smart move...a good move.

Bill

Steve Ebels_3

PC vs MAC

That's not the only thing to consider there Bro.

The op system is what makes each of them tick. Read the article at the link posted below. Interesting that I can across it on MSN.

http://www.slate.com/id/2177073/nav/ais/

Joe Billow_6

Mark, My son and daughter both have Mac laptops. They do work well, but if you are a PC guy there is a learning curve. One problem I have found is the magnetic power cord, one actually shorted, found it melted in my sons bedroom. The other one became hot and quit. We have had to replace them on both laptops. The good new is allot of people are buying cords so there is a ready supply on hand.

tony_35

advice

ME. I am a homeowner who frequents this site regularly and am among others who considers your opinions posted on this site most informative. Walt Mossberg, who writes a weekly ccomputer/electronic column in the Wall Street Journal, is another individual who enjoys a respected reputation on computer matters. Walt has posted his reviews at: walt.allthingsd.com.
From his columns you can decide what system best suits your needs.

I would strongly consider the iMac and, if you really need to run a windows program, simply install Parallels which allows you to run both systems simutaneously.

[Deleted User]

a big THANK YOU....

to everyone for their responses. Looks like I will be headed for the Apple cart soon...

ME

Robespierre

Mac Virus

Interesting that the company announcing this discovery also sells virus protectionfor the Mac -- a business I can well imagine is not a hugely profitable.

hot_rod

get the mac and we can

i-chat together. A great way to communicate and show and tell

hot rod

Mike T., Swampeast MO

I'm somewhat surprised that Apple still exists. They're almost like the vapor/natural vacuum steam systems that the likes of Starbuck believed to be the future of residential space heating. Superior and simple yet somehow finicky and easily supplanted by inferior yet more adaptable and repairable technology.

That said, I detest the keyboards on ALL laptops. Impossible for this touch typist who can easily hit 100 wpm with high accuracy including numbers and symbols. I have my ideas for a true laptop keyboard, but they're along the lines of my idea for a "beehive" HX for a mod-con. Yes, I saw the long-rumored Rotex design after, but am not sure that it's ever enjoyed true success and it certainly hasn't made its way to this side of the pond.

That said, I'd seek out the most physically rugged laptop I could afford if you plan to use in the field. After some hardward difficulties with Windows Vista, it has proven itself just as stable as Windows 2000 Pro and [seemingly] less vulnerable to attack.