Last Minute Cold Feet (MacBook Pro 15" Ordered)

Elmzeh · Jan 7, 2013

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all of your replies to my previous thread, they were extremely helpful and won me over to go ahead and order my first MacBook Pro system which is currently awaiting shipment in the online store which I'm exceptionally excited about although have all of a sudden got cold feet...

While I'm waiting for the new system to arrive I've been watching a few more reviews on YouTube as well as browsing these and the Apple forums to get my head around some questions I have around the new OS but have found there to be quite a lot of Apple haters out there...

The reason I have decided to go for a MacBook Pro is to finally try something that isn't a Windows - I want something for everyday general use, something that can handle casual gaming such as League of Legends, DOTA 2, Diablo III etc and also to try my hand at more creative pursuits (Graphics, Video, Music) all of which I know the MacBook Pro can do but based on posts I've read.. a Windows can apparently do much better and will be much stronger for half the cost..

I understand that MacBook Pro's aren't built for gaming which is fine as this is not my priority and I'm not into heavy gaming anymore, the main use is going to be on the creative side but even still from what I've read my money could be placed better elsewhere;

After some research I've found this http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/omega-supreme/ via another forum which while it is built for gaming the OP stated that due to the specs it would be much better for Graphics Design, Video Rendering, Music Production and Gaming at a fraction of the cost of an Apple;

How true is this as I desperately want to get away from Windows but the spec / price difference of the 2 machines against each other is crazy;

The specs for the MacBook Pro I've ordered is;

2.6GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7
8 GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM -2x4GB
750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200
8x Double-Layer SuperDrive
MBP 15" HR Antiglare WS Dspl

Cost: £1765

The Laptop's specs in the above link are;

Chassis & Display
Omega: 17.3" Gloss 90% Gamut Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Corei7 Quad Core Processor i7-3820 (3.6GHz) 10MB Cache

Memory (RAM)
4GB SAMSUNG 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (1 x 4GB)

Graphics Card
2 x NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 670MX - 3.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11

Memory - Hard Disk
250GB SERIAL ATA II 2.5" HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (5,400rpm)

DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)

Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)

Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING

Sound Card
Intel 5.1 Channel High Definition Audio + SPDIF/MIC/Headphone Jack

Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N135 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTH

USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS AS STANDARD

Firewire
1 X 1394b FIREWIRE PORT

Cost: £1584

Either way I'm going to give the MacBook Pro a try and have 14 days to return it from when it arrives if it doesnt work out but I'm just looking for some reassurance that Apple machines are as amazing as I'm hoping they are and worth the money!

If there are any former Windows users on here that have made the jump it would be great if you could give me some Pros/Cons.. or just Pros as to why Apple systems / a MacBook Pro is the right choice

GoCubsGo · Jan 7, 2013

Calm down, you'll be fine.

xShane · Jan 7, 2013

"Once you go Mac, you'll never go back."

The OSX is unbelievable. I just can't wait to get my feet wet in it again (I'm pretty sure I ordered the same laptop as you -- it's still shipping to my house). Sure, some Windows machines will outspec a Mac, but that does not mean it will necessarily be better. You still have to think about the benefits of a Mac, it's very low virus risk, it's productivity-inducing "attitude", and the many features you get on OSX that you do NOT get with Windows (such as not having to defrag your hard drive).

And if I'm correct that you ordered the same MBP as me, it should do *everything* you listed VERY well (based on the specs), including the gaming (the Nvidia GeForce 650M w/ 1GB VRAM is a very good card).

Arnezie · Jan 7, 2013

Life long pc user and recent convert to Osx let me just say it in as few words as possible , you won't ever go back!

adjeff8 · Jan 7, 2013

Elmzeh said:
Hi Guys,

Thanks for all of your replies to my previous thread, they were extremely helpful and won me over to go ahead and order my first MacBook Pro system which is currently awaiting shipment in the online store which I'm exceptionally excited about although have all of a sudden got cold feet...

While I'm waiting for the new system to arrive I've been watching a few more reviews on YouTube as well as browsing these and the Apple forums to get my head around some questions I have around the new OS but have found there to be quite a lot of Apple haters out there...

The reason I have decided to go for a MacBook Pro is to finally try something that isn't a Windows - I want something for everyday general use, something that can handle casual gaming such as League of Legends, DOTA 2, Diablo III etc and also to try my hand at more creative pursuits (Graphics, Video, Music) all of which I know the MacBook Pro can do but based on posts I've read.. a Windows can apparently do much better and will be much stronger for half the cost..

I understand that MacBook Pro's aren't built for gaming which is fine as this is not my priority and I'm not into heavy gaming anymore, the main use is going to be on the creative side but even still from what I've read my money could be placed better elsewhere;

After some research I've found this http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/omega-supreme/ via another forum which while it is built for gaming the OP stated that due to the specs it would be much better for Graphics Design, Video Rendering, Music Production and Gaming at a fraction of the cost of an Apple;

How true is this as I desperately want to get away from Windows but the spec / price difference of the 2 machines against each other is crazy;

The specs for the MacBook Pro I've ordered is;

2.6GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7
8 GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM -2x4GB
750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200
8x Double-Layer SuperDrive
MBP 15" HR Antiglare WS Dspl

Cost: £1765

The Laptop's specs in the above link are;

Chassis & Display
Omega: 17.3" Gloss 90% Gamut Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Corei7 Quad Core Processor i7-3820 (3.6GHz) 10MB Cache

Memory (RAM)
4GB SAMSUNG 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (1 x 4GB)

Graphics Card
2 x NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 670MX - 3.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11

Memory - Hard Disk
250GB SERIAL ATA II 2.5" HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (5,400rpm)

DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)

Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)

Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING

Sound Card
Intel 5.1 Channel High Definition Audio + SPDIF/MIC/Headphone Jack

Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® N135 802.11N (150Mbps) + BLUETOOTH

USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS AS STANDARD

Firewire
1 X 1394b FIREWIRE PORT

Cost: £1584

Either way I'm going to give the MacBook Pro a try and have 14 days to return it from when it arrives if it doesnt work out but I'm just looking for some reassurance that Apple machines are as amazing as I'm hoping they are and worth the money!

If there are any former Windows users on here that have made the jump it would be great if you could give me some Pros/Cons.. or just Pros as to why Apple systems / a MacBook Pro is the right choice

Really. Calm down. After a few days you never want to go back. Mac OS is the worlds premier operating system. And easiest to master. What's even better is the kind of support you get over at the Genius Bar. Have a hardware problem or you don't understand some software, just make a appointment and come in and they'll figure out the problem and help you with the software for free for the life of the product. And enjoy not having virus related issues anymore

w00t951 · Jan 7, 2013

Why'd you only order that PC with 4GB of RAM and a 250GB HDD? I'd go with 16GB of 1600MHz DDR3 and a 512GB SSD, or maybe a 128GB SSD + 750GB HDD combo.

And since you're obviously not planning on hauling that 10+ pound beast anywhere, just build a 3X faster desktop for 80% of the price.

The reason I (an avid PC gamer) use a MacBook as my only machine is because everything but gaming works so much better on the MacBook. I have a Samsung Series 9 that's a great little ultrabook - but I can't deal with Windows for normal tasks.

Everyone feels differently about Windows vs. OS X, but if you learn up on OS X, I have a feeling you'll end up going with a Mac.

If you really want a powerful PC and a Mac, then go with a MacBook Air and a $1500 desktop. You'd get the best of both worlds for only 10-30% more. PM me if you want any tips on building the desktop.

T5BRICK · Jan 7, 2013

The Mac will be just fine. How much does that PC laptop weigh? What kind of battery life does it have?

Elmzeh · Jan 7, 2013

T5BRICK said:
The Mac will be just fine. How much does that PC laptop weigh? What kind of battery life does it have?

Great question, I think the base model is 5.5kg and battery life is just under 2 hours - they do say that it's meant to be a desktop replacement so not ideal portability wise unless its constantly plugged in.

So portability wise I know the MacBook Pro will fly rings around the Windows Laptop but does the pure power behind the system mean it will be better for creative software over the MacBook Pro?

w00t951 · Jan 7, 2013

Elmzeh said:
Great question, I think the base model is 5.5kg and battery life is just under 2 hours - they do say that it's meant to be a desktop replacement so not ideal portability wise unless its constantly plugged in.

So portability wise I know the MacBook Pro will fly rings around the Windows Laptop but does the pure power behind the system mean it will be better for creative software over the MacBook Pro?

Definitely not. Creative software flies on Macs. The quality of the software is also better (in my experience) on Macs than on PCs.

The only time you would want that much power is when you're playing the latest games with anti-aliasing, textures, and resolution cranked up.

T5BRICK · Jan 7, 2013

Elmzeh said:
So portability wise I know the MacBook Pro will fly rings around the Windows Laptop but does the pure power behind the system mean it will be better for creative software over the MacBook Pro?

The i7-3820 (3.6GHz) used in that PC is the same processor used in the top of the line non retina 15 MBP. The 3.6GHz is the "turbo boost" speed, during multithreaded operation, it'll tun at 2.7GHz. At stock speed it's only 100MHz faster than the CPU in the MBP you bought(which is also capable of 3.6GHz "turbo boost".)

Maggot FF · Jan 7, 2013

For a long time i swore to Windows at all costs. OSX was nothing but an ugly, little duckling to me. I found the macs overpriced and the community to be fashionistas with little to no insight in technology (my bad, guys

). I had an image of OSX being a very restricted OS that gave me little freedom to satisfy my nerdy needs.

How wrong i was... I still have a stationary Windows-based computer for my heaviest gaming (god know why i still have it, all pc-games i play i can run fine on my mac without bootcamp, and the majority of my gaming i do on console), but it rarely sees any real usage. It mainly just sits there collecting dust.

I can edit my photos and video nearly as fast on my mac (my windows-machine is a bit of a beast so it's bound to be a bit quicker), i can do 3d designing on it, etc. etc.
And all of this in a machine that i can have on my lap, has great battery capacity, is silent, is lightweight and has a OS that, after my tweaking, is far superior when it comes to workflow.
And all the nerdy stuff i am ever so addicted to i can do just as easily on a mac.

Oh, and did i mention the build quality?

It's true what they say, once you go mac, you never go back.

Elmzeh · Jan 7, 2013

T5BRICK said:
The i7-3820 (3.6GHz) used in that PC is the same processor used in the top of the line non retina 15 MBP. The 3.6GHz is the "turbo boost" speed, during multithreaded operation, it'll tun at 2.7GHz. At stock speed it's only 100MHz faster than the CPU in the MBP you bought(which is also capable of 3.6GHz "turbo boost".)

Wow I never realised that, I just assumed it was 3.6ghz standard! Is the turbo boost similar or the same as overclocking? If so isn't running on turbo boost for an extended amount of time bad on any system as it burns out the hardware?

coldjeanzzz · Jan 7, 2013

OS X is just a lot smoother than Windows IMO. It makes the entire experience so much more enjoyable. The scrolling, transitions, window managing, everything just feels better on OS X. I always found Windows to be butt ugly and I had to perform heavy visual style modifications on my system to make it enjoyable for me to use (99% of people don't care about this but it was also fun to do). With OS X I just love how it looks out of the box and I don't have to do anything to it.

xShane · Jan 7, 2013

coldjeanzzz said:
OS X is just a lot smoother than Windows IMO. It makes the entire experience so much more enjoyable. The scrolling, transitions, window managing, everything just feels better on OS X. I always found Windows to be butt ugly and I had to perform heavy visual style modifications on my system to make it enjoyable for me to use (99% of people don't care about this but it was also fun to do). With OS X I just love how it looks out of the box and I don't have to do anything to it.

This is a very good point right here. You're dead-on with the whole "feel" of OSX. It just has that indescribable "feel" that makes you never want to switch and makes everything just seem so "smooth" and "comfortable". Windows is far too "rough" compared to OSX.

nacrawley190 · Jan 7, 2013

Maggot FF said:
For a long time i swore to Windows at all costs. OSX was nothing but an ugly, little duckling to me. I found the macs overpriced and the community to be fashionistas with little to no insight in technology (my bad, guys ). I had an image of OSX being a very restricted OS that gave me little freedom to satisfy my nerdy needs.

How wrong i was... I still have a stationary Windows-based computer for my heaviest gaming (god know why i still have it, all pc-games i play i can run fine on my mac without bootcamp, and the majority of my gaming i do on console), but it rarely sees any real usage. It mainly just sits there collecting dust.

I can edit my photos and video nearly as fast on my mac (my windows-machine is a bit of a beast so it's bound to be a bit quicker), i can do 3d designing on it, etc. etc.
And all of this in a machine that i can have on my lap, has great battery capacity, is silent, is lightweight and has a OS that, after my tweaking, is far superior when it comes to workflow.
And all the nerdy stuff i am ever so addicted to i can do just as easily on a mac.

Oh, and did i mention the build quality?

It's true what they say, once you go mac, you never go back.

What sort of tweaks would you recommend? I'm about to purchase my first mbp.

kage207 · Jan 7, 2013

Listen buy whatever computer you think deserve your hard earn dollar (or pound in your case). At least try your new shinny computer out. Just feel it. Open the lid with just one finger, yes all (newer) Mac Notebooks may be opened with just one finger.

Then just feel the hardware. Just feel...

Also, wait until you truly liberate yourself from the perceptions on OS X. It's truly amazing. I wouldn't want any other as it is built on Unix~

If you don't know Unix (Linux) then read about it. It will blow your mind.

Buy whatever one. Personally you couldn't pay me to go back to Windows. I very much dislike the OS and its foundation. The OS looks cool now in tablet form though again, I don't trust the foundation.

T5BRICK · Jan 7, 2013

Elmzeh said:
Wow I never realised that, I just assumed it was 3.6ghz standard! Is the turbo boost similar or the same as overclocking? If so isn't running on turbo boost for an extended amount of time bad on any system as it burns out the hardware?

Turbo boost basically ramps up the clock speed of a single core when the other cores aren't being used. It's great for single threaded applications, but like I said, both the MBP you ordered and that 17" PC you are looking at have the same capability.

mofunk · Jan 7, 2013

Elmzeh said:
Either way I'm going to give the MacBook Pro a try and have 14 days to return it from when it arrives if it doesnt work out but I'm just looking for some reassurance that Apple machines are as amazing as I'm hoping they are and worth the money!

If there are any former Windows users on here that have made the jump it would be great if you could give me some Pros/Cons.. or just Pros as to why Apple systems / a MacBook Pro is the right choice

There is some misconception that these systems are different. They really aren't that far off. I've been using both for years. Don't look at it as a jump.. look at the fact you will be using software that isn't bulky. Basically Apple OS is very easy to use (user friendly). I'm assuming the price is high because you get a lot of Apps in OSX. The other day I was editing my photos in Preview. Most people use it to look at photos, don't even know that you can resize or change them.

There are no Cons. Only one, stop comparing a PC to Mac. I find that the more you compare something, the less you will find that great about the new thing. I suggest each day you log on to your Mac, learn something new.

1. Learn the shortcuts
2. Look around in each Help window.
3. Download the Mac Manual

http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/download-free-mac-manual
http://guides.macrumors.com/Mac_Beginner's_Guide

bobcan · Jan 7, 2013

Last Minute Cold Feet (MacBook Pro 15" Ordered)

Well, Lucky for you, a MBP runs pretty toasty when you get it working, and makes a great foot-warmer!!

Buy It and Like It.. as I am sure most do!! :apple:

runebinder · Jan 7, 2013

For a laptop like that you may as well build a desktop as it will be cheaper to get similar levels of power, plus that 17" beast is not going to be very portable.

makaveli559m · Jan 7, 2013

The classic MacBook Pro is a lot better, you can add more RAM when you want to and you can add as much harddrive space as you want. Retina MBP only offers HDMI and a high Res screen, those things dont make up for the lack of ports and optical drive.

el-John-o · Jan 7, 2013

Alot of it you'll realize when you get it. I took a hiatus from Apple, back in the PowerPC days. That was my last Mac, I went with PC, stuck with that for a while. However, I am finally back on the Mac, and I think I've bought my last PC. The performance, the OS (which is phenomenal) and ultimately the build quality and design of the machine. It's so nice to ACTUALLY HAVE long battery life as advertised. 5-7 hours (depending on what I'm doing) I get easy. The notebook is rigid, made of aluminum not plastic, just feels like a heavy duty machine, not a plastic computer. Just because it's a computer, does that mean it has to be plastic?

Everything works like a fine automobile. Everything lines up, snaps into place, the magnetic hinge...

Anyway... I could go on and on with a bunch of things that I could say that you'll say "But is that worth the price?" Ultimately you'll fire that thing up and be hooked. You DO pay a premium, but it's not all profit margin. Apple refuses to cut corners. That makes a more expensive product. Also makes a fantastic product.

I can also tell you, that creative design software works much better in OS X. Less (no) crashes, better speed, better overall reliability. Adobe CS6, etc., it all seems to work better in OS X.

-John

dannylillhtc · Jan 7, 2013

long time pc user (15+) years, had my macbook half an hour and decided ill never go back, osx is head and shoulders above windows 7 and windows 8 is just garbage.

GermanyChris · Jan 8, 2013

If this really is an agonizing decision then don't do it. I have found that for purchases I'm not 100% on board for I generally don't like them.

If I were in your shoes I'd probably cancel the order and start looking a elite books or a Lenovo x series.

seveej · Jan 8, 2013

Elmzeh said:
... currently awaiting shipment in the online store which I'm exceptionally excited about although have all of a sudden got cold feet...

The problem with online shopping (versus going to a store and taking home a gadget) is that the wait allows for exponentially increased buyers remorse. Keep a cool head and try to do anything but pondering on whether you made the right choice. For instance you could start reminiscing on your worst moments with wintel PC's. (Psychologists have a fancy word for this, but I call it "making yourself feel good").

Also, once you've been blown away with your Mac, you may start having doubts ("all those millions using their wintels ... They can't really be that bad ?"). A reality check is always good. I try to make sure that I'm regularly in contact with wintel hardware ( the last encounter was an HP laptop with win7), and every time after that I feel a happier Mac user.

Good luck,

Last Minute Cold Feet (MacBook Pro 15" Ordered)

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