Sold my DELL...about to buy a PowerBook...did I do the right thing??

[ckeck]

Hey everyone...

I just sold my Dell Inprison 6000 that I just bought a few months ago...UGH! Planning to order my new 15" PowerBook tomorrow morning. Just wanted some reassurance I did the right thing :confused:

Is there anything I should consider or anything I should not go without? Please let me know so I can get it all taken care of.

One thing I am concerned about is getting the Apple care plan. I always get extended warranties, but I might be tempted to sell this PB and buy one of the Intel PB's around this time next year...especially if they upgrade the video further. Can you buy the Apple care plan at any time?

Just ordered my 24" Dell LCD as well and can't wait to hook this up to it! Should I just order a standard DVI-DVI connection cable or is the DVI-VGA connection that comes with the PB good enough?

Thanks (any other tips/advice let me know!)

[MoparShaha]

YES! You made the right decision.

I wouldn't bother with AppleCare, and you can order it anytime before your one year warranty is up.

The Dell display comes with a DVI cable in the box, so you can hook it up directly to the PB.

Enjoy your new toys!

[Dr. Dastardly]

For a Powerbook I would definatly get AppleCare. But you have a year to decide.

[amac4me]

Yes ... you made the correct move. The Switch To A Mac is a beautiful thing. Congrats :D

[sethypoo]

Yes, of course you made the right decision. Advice for buying that PowerBook: if you can afford it, get the 1.67Ghz model with the 128MB of video RAM. It makes a big difference in the speed of your system.

Get Applecare later, you won't need to for a year anyway. Get the best hardware you can now with the money you have, then save up for the Applecare.

[ckeck]

Thanks for the info...I will hold off on the AppleCare for now, if I decide to keep it I will purchase it before my warranty period runs out.

Is there any insurance I could get for this computer in case of accidental damage, etc? My old insurance company made a special exclusion for my old Dell laptop in case of damage like this, but I don't have them anymore and I can't find anyone else who will cover it.

Any ideas?

Also, what are some must have accessories? I am getting an iSight camera for sure, but don't know what else to get. Thanks again.

[sethypoo]

I highly recommend you get a Marware case for your PowerBook. Their sleeves are great if you already have a backpack or briefcase you'll be carrying your PowerBook in. They're at www.marware.com.

Other than that, and maybe an iSight, there aren't too many accessories I use on the road with my PowerBook. A wireless mouse and full size keyboard are nice for home use.

[bodeh6]

Mac Tiger is so much more powerful, elegent, clean, simpler to use, then the pushing 4 year old XP. You will be amazed with the computer when you get it. Did you get the 64MB or 128MB video card?

[sethypoo]

Just to be perfectly clear, I like this case:

http://www.marware.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Marware.woa/4/wa/selectedCategory?catalogCatID=122&wosid=Qk5rB5iiqkfw4gWaHJ67cg

Have fun!

[Chef Medeski]

Is there any insurance I could get for this computer in case of accidental damage, etc? My old insurance company made a special exclusion for my old Dell laptop in case of damage like this, but I don't have them anymore and I can't find anyone else who will cover it.

I'd like to know the same thing. My Powerbook came in today and I just don't want to see my baby die on me... :( :(

[nagromme]

Welcome aboard!

DO:

Get more than 512 RAM if you can. Eshop.macsales.com is a good source if you don't want to pay Apple's not-so-good RAM prices.

DON'T:

Feel pressured to get AppleCare. You can decide any time before your 1-year warranty runs out. I always wait to decide--and pay for it--later.

My case recommendation: the nicely padded semi-rigid BrainCell sleeve from Tom Bihn--complete with handles and pocket:
http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/PROD/300/TB0300

[bodeh6]

Definitely get a good laptop bag. I got my Samsonite L35 for my 14" iBook and love it even though I don't have my iBook yet. The L45 will fit it nicely

http://a1480.g.akamaitech.net/f/1480/124/4h/images.ebags.com/images/Products/16823_sq250.jpg

http://www.ebags.com/samsonite/l45_notebook_plus_case/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=16823

[Zman5225]

I think you made a great decision by switching. I just recently switched and i'm loving it. So much happier now.

I'd recommend you just order it with whatever memory it ships with and buy the rest aftermarket. Apple seems to really hike up the prices. Installing memory is almost a no brainer.

Check your credit card and see if it extends your warranty out any if you use it. I decided not to go with applecare because my CC extends the factory warranty out one year from the time the original's expires so I have 2 years.

I got the iBook but when the new mactels come out whenever they do, i'll be all over a new powerbook.

Jack

[diego2k7]

Yes most definetely the right choice... as said before you shouldnt go without the 128mb of VRAM on your 15" powerbook

[treblah]

Just to be perfectly clear, I like this case:

http://www.marware.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Marware.woa/4/wa/selectedCategory?catalogCatID=122&wosid=Qk5rB5iiqkfw4gWaHJ67cg

Have fun!

Dang, that is boss! I'm gonna have to invest in one of those.

[Lacero]

I'm going to be the dissenting voice and say it was a bad move to sell the Dell. The PBs have terrible LCDs, run hot, and generally do not hold well when bumped or even dropped from a short distance. The PBs have reached end-of-life status as most of the Apple engineers have already moved over to Intel chipsets.

[PlaidHatter]

Welcome to the Mac world! I recently made the full switch. I originally bought a Mac Mini, then last week I got my 1.67Ghz Powerbook. Haven't looked back or regretted it for a second. It drives me crazy now when I have to get on my wife's machine, a Windows magine, and run installers, reboot, clean the registry, defrag the hdd, etc, etc, etc. You're gonna love it, and this forum is a great place to find out all kinds of cool stuff to do with your new world!

[mduser63]

www.safeware.com offers insurance for computers that covers accidental damage. I've never used them, but they seem to have reasonable prices (about on par with AppleCare for the same length of coverage). Other people on the forums have used them and say good things about them.

[ckeck]

Thanks everyone for your input! This is the configuration of my system:

PowerBook 15" 1.67 GHz SuperDrive
1GB RAM
100GB Hard Drive
iSight Camera
Apple Bluetooth Keyboard (for the desk @ home)
Logitech V500 Wireless Mouse (love this thing...and it works with the mac)

What do you guys think about the 'Brenthaven Fusion Flex Messenger Case' thats offered on the Apple website?

Thanks for the tip on the insurance company too...will probably take out a policy from them. ***** happens

[wako]

Hey ckeck...


I would hope you made the right choice. Guessing you were neglected by the windows or even the other evil empire, Dell?

[tristan]

I wouldn't have sold the Dell... I would have taken it to the top of Mount Doom and thrown it in the fire. Evil like that must be destroyed.

Yes, you did the right thing. The 15" Powerbook is just awesome. Order some extra RAM from a third-party though. 1 gig is recommended. And you could have saved a little money by buying a refurb, but that's no biggie, and some people don't like the idea of refurbs I guess. And yep, get Applecare, and make sure you do it within one year of your purchase and then register it right away.

Enjoy your 'book!

[ckeck]

Hey ckeck...


I would hope you made the right choice. Guessing you were neglected by the windows or even the other evil empire, Dell?

No no, heh...I still love Windows & Microsoft...never did care much for Dell though...but my Inspiron was nice...

I have 2 custom built Windows machines that are "power houses" that I game on and do a few other things with...

I have just always wanted an Apple to play around with and thought this might be the best way. Who knows what will happen from here if I really like it :D

[DrNeroCF]

If you have two 'gamer machines,' than I'd say you did the right thing. The only thing I ever so slightly miss about windows are a few of the games...

That being said, the 2005 15 inch powerbooks are incredible machines, after a few weeks you'll try to two-finger scroll on any other trackpad you use... just be wary of playing Doom III and resting the thing on your lap...

[petej]

No no, heh...I still love Windows & Microsoft...never did care much for Dell though...but my Inspiron was nice...

I have 2 custom built Windows machines that are "power houses" that I game on and do a few other things with...

I have just always wanted an Apple to play around with and thought this might be the best way. Who knows what will happen from here if I really like it :D
Ckeck,
Your experience with the PB will probably be similar to mine. Making a clean switch from Win to Mac is a lot easier and quicker if you dispose of the Win box. I was not in a position to do this since I have to use Win for work purposes, and have the Mac at home for 'life' purposes. So the advice I'd give to you is give it some time. Different keyboards will drive you up the wall especially if you are reasonable at touch typing. Learn the keyboard shortcuts on the PB, thankfully most are visible in the menus - they save you so much time. Check out the system keyboard shortcuts in system preferences. ( I use the screen zooming regularly when demoing things ). Load up XCode on the PB and play with it and the bundled tools. Terminal is your friend. Check out all the other threads in this forum that give lists of recommended free software. There are some amazing things out there. The interface takes a while to adjust to and you will spend ages looking for things that you used to tinker with to get the PC's working. Don't try and make the PC and Mac desktops, startbars, taskbars similar, you need the difference so that your mind can distinguish between the two.

For me it's been a year and a half since getting the mac at home. I now regularly bash my head with frustration in work because of the things I cannot do on Win that I would easily be able to do at home. There are a few times when I get frustrated at home because of a things that aren't Mac friendly. (Last night I was viewing a webpage with an embedded windows meta file image .wmf and all the PB would display was a question mark. The fault here is with the page provider for using a proprietry format not the PB). My preference is definately with the PB / Mac. As Lacero says, the screens are starting to look a little old compared to the current crop of PC laptops, but I have no problem with mine except in bright sunlight and then all screens will suffer. They do get hot when sitting on you lap and using them in bed / on carpet is not the best idea. I always treat mine with care since I don't want to scratch or dent the case

[ckeck]

Just ordered! Hope I don't have to wait long!

[jessica.]

Definitely get a good laptop bag. I got my Samsonite L35 for my 14" iBook and love it even though I don't have my iBook yet. The L45 will fit it nicely

http://a1480.g.akamaitech.net/f/1480/124/4h/images.ebags.com/images/Products/16823_sq250.jpg

http://www.ebags.com/samsonite/l45_notebook_plus_case/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=16823

I have this for a 17" full screen acer I had. I am selling it I think. 2 months old and now it just sits.
Best bag I ever had, but I got a timbuk for school which is better because it is more casual.

And you selling your dell and getting an apple is a good idea.
you selling your dell is the best move you'll ever make.

[FFTT]

I'd say so!

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1843945,00.asp

Enjoy!

[ckeck]

Is there any specific software I should not do without?

I did pick up Office 2004 for Mac today at school (yeah, still Microsoft), but it only cost me $19.95...hard to beat.

Thanks again for all the input! This wait is going to kill me I know...

[FFTT]

Is there any specific software I should not do without?

I did pick up Office 2004 for Mac today at school (yeah, still Microsoft), but it only cost me $19.95...hard to beat.

Thanks again for all the input! This wait is going to kill me I know...

Here ya go!

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=132963&highlight=mac+guide

BTW I wish the mods would make this a sticky in the buyers guide too!

[ckeck]

Uh, I am tired of waiting already!!!

Over the weekend the website said my PB was in the "Sent to Manufacturing" stage and the estimated ship date was 8/15/05. This morning it updated to "Preparing for Shipment" but the estimated ship date is still 8/15/05.

How long does the prep for shipment phase normally take??

Can't wait, my Dell 24" LCD shows up tomorrow!

Thanks

[iEdd]

YES! going from mac to pc is like going from eating ants to eating a 3 course italian feast. Way more interesting and more stable... ok not so good analogy. But still, yes, the right choice.

[Chrispy]

I just sold my Dell tower to get a 15" powerbook as well so we are in the same boat :D I hope we enjoy our new powerbooks... i'm confident we made the right choice :)

[bodeh6]

Uh, I am tired of waiting already!!!

Over the weekend the website said my PB was in the "Sent to Manufacturing" stage and the estimated ship date was 8/15/05. This morning it updated to "Preparing for Shipment" but the estimated ship date is still 8/15/05.

How long does the prep for shipment phase normally take??

Can't wait, my Dell 24" LCD shows up tomorrow!

Thanks

For Me it shipped less then 24 hours after saying "Preparing for Shipment"

[ckeck]

YES! going from mac to pc is like going from eating ants to eating a 3 course italian feast. Way more interesting and more stable... ok not so good analogy. But still, yes, the right choice.

You mean going from PC to Mac? :D

[ckeck]

I just sold my Dell tower to get a 15" powerbook as well so we are in the same boat :D I hope we enjoy our new powerbooks... i'm confident we made the right choice :)

Me too, I picked up a good book on Tiger and can't wait to tweak out my system! Let me know what you think when you get yours!

[ckeck]

For Me it shipped less then 24 hours after saying "Preparing for Shipment"

Great news...hopefully mine will ship by tomorrow at latest...and MAYBE BY SOME SMALL MIRACLE I can get it before the weekend. Doubtful though :(

[ckeck]

I finally got it!! Came in this morning :D This thing is great...

I brought it to work with me, but its been so busy I really have not been able to do much, one question though:

How come when I press F9 I don't see all the open windows? I have to press Fn+F9...

When I press F12 for Dashboard, that works just fine though...any thoughts?

Also just wanted to say thank you to everyone who helped me making the right decision to buy this computer :rolleyes:

[mad jew]

It's just because those buttons have been assigned two different tasks. You can switch them back to Exposé in the System Preferences though. :)

[ckeck]

It's just because those buttons have been assigned two different tasks. You can switch them back to Exposé in the System Preferences though. :)

Thanks, I will check there and see if I can fix it.

[nagromme]

Welcome aboard!

I can recommend a Tom Bihn Brain Cell case if you want maximum protection in a case that's as small as possible (but still has handles and an extra pocket). http://tombihn.com

In System Preferences > Keyboard you can set whether the F keys work as F keys (Dashboard, Exposé, program shortcuts) or as volume/brightness/etc.... and either way, just hold Fn to get the opposite function. Other relevant prefs: Exposé (where you pick what keys control that), and also Keyboard Shortcuts (within Keyboard) where you can change LOTS of key commands, even just for specific apps.

Poke around three places and you'll find lots of ways to customize your 'Book:

1. System Preferences

2. Preferences within each app (including Finder)

3. The View menu in each app (especially Finder--different kinds of window have different View Options)

Have fun!

[ckeck]

One question...

Is there a special way to insert a CD/DVD? :o

I took me 15 trys to get a CD to get sucked in the drive properly...every other time is goes in, then comes back out...

One CD would not go in and spin up at all, but I grabbed a different one and it went in fine...whats going on?!?!?

[nagromme]

Nothing special. Label side up, push it in the slot most of the way and it gets sucked in.

Try different discs first--maybe you've got a damaged (or copy-protected) one.

It is also just possible, I think, for that kind of behavior to be caused by a software glitch rather than anything physical: I once had a bad DVD that didn't want to eject, and when it finally popped out (I just had to wait), the computer wouldn't accept other discs, just like you describe. It was like the DVD drive took a long time before realizing the old disc was gone and it could take a new one. I don't remember if I powered off and back on (you could try that), or if it just resolved itself when I waited (which OS X glitches have a tendency to do).

But you may well have a physical problem like some debris stuck inside, or a bad (scratched?) disc, or a bad optical drive. If you live near an Apple Store that's easy to check at the Genius Bar. If not, Apple will probably send you a shipping box (or you can carry it to the nearest repair location listed online) if they can't help you solve it on your own.

Related note: there IS a "trick" to ejecting. You have to HOLD the eject key down for a moment (quarter second) or it won't eject. That's a safety feature so the disc doesn't eject accidentally if you quickly hit Eject instead of Delete. (Or, just drag the disc to the trach/eject icon, or click it and choose Eject, Command-E.)

Good luck.