1024x768 really acceptable?

[Sean7512]

Ahh! Gateway!

(Faints)


Get the ibook for sure.

1 ibook= 3-5 years
1 gateway= 1-1 1/2 years

Did you see my reasoning? Our family has 3 Gateway comps, dating back to 1997, and ALL are still functioning perfectly with XP on all 3. They have lasted a great amount of time, so that is why I'd be willing to go back for a laptop if I HAD to.

 

[chucknorris]

Well, after 2 months of figuring out which mac to get, I FINALLY decided on the 14" iBook. I do have ONE concern with it. I remember only about 2 years ago when websites started t recommend at least a 800x600 resolution, and earlier this year, almost ALL sites recommend 1024x768, so how long before they even go beyond 1024x768 (1152x864, possibly)? Once websites change again, in possibly 2 years...I'll have to start side scrolling, and that is no fun!! I know that there is a hack that can power an external monitor at a higher resolution, but is there any way that you can up the iBooks resolution with the hack. (I know you prob can't) I just don't want to have to buy an external screen for something like that.

PS, don't tell me to buy the 12 inch iBook because of the resolution, I personally felt the keyboard was too cramped, and hard to type on. Esp since I'll be writing a lot of papers for college on it.

It's perfectly acceptable. Why? Because I have a new iBook on the way, and I'm going to love everything about it! Screw objectivity!

 

[milozauckerman]

I'd look at Dell before Gateway. The Dell 9300 or 700M laptops, depending on what you want (big screen/little screen) are a good value at roughly the same cost as a 14" iBook.

If you're getting this for school use and the school/program is Windows-oriented, it sounds like buying an iBook will end up being nothing but a headache for you. Nice as OS X is, it's not worth banging your head against the wall for four years.

 

[DeSnousa]

Ive been on a 12" iBook for nearly half a year and 1024 by 768 is starting to annoy me. I like to multitask better, need 20"

 

[Sean7512]

I'd look at Dell before Gateway. The Dell 9300 or 700M laptops, depending on what you want (big screen/little screen) are a good value at roughly the same cost as a 14" iBook.

If you're getting this for school use and the school/program is Windows-oriented, it sounds like buying an iBook will end up being nothing but a headache for you. Nice as OS X is, it's not worth banging your head against the wall for four years.

I have looked, for a similarily configured system between dell and gateway, the gateway comes to 975, while the dell is 1066. The specs are identical on the 2 systems. Not a big price difference, but I am on a tight budget, and would still like to get an iPod mini. I'd still sooo much rather have the iBook, cause free iPod mini too

 

[Sean7512]

Hows this deal from Gateway. Note, the price includes tax and shipping (which is free) already. What do you think? I'll still have enough to get an iPod mini. How would this system perform?

 

[blueflame]

My input?

I got WPI, i am not a CS major, but many of my friends are. I have not found that any of them have a problem with the mac, for almost all things, there will be a version for the mac, and if not, there are campus labs, not only that, but for some extreeme situations, vpc does work. I have myself run all of visual studio, and autocad on my win2k vpc, but I am using a 1.67 pb
I think you will be fine, and happier using your mac too, which may make the work slightly more enjoyable
AjK

 

[Eidorian]

Hows this deal from Gateway. Note, the price includes tax and shipping (which is free) already. What do you think? I'll still have enough to get an iPod mini. How would this system perform?

It still has integrated video. I steer clear of any and all systems with integrated video. It will eat the system RAM. Laptop or not...

 

[Sean7512]

I got WPI, i am not a CS major, but many of my friends are. I have not found that any of them have a problem with the mac, for almost all things, there will be a version for the mac, and if not, there are campus labs, not only that, but for some extreeme situations, vpc does work. I have myself run all of visual studio, and autocad on my win2k vpc, but I am using a 1.67 pb
I think you will be fine, and happier using your mac too, which may make the work slightly more enjoyable
AjK

Was visual studio slow on vpc or was it good enough?

 

[matticus008]

Was visual studio slow on vpc or was it good enough?

It's slow. Manageable, but slow. Coding itself isn't the problem, but compiling is trying on one's patience. On the iBook, however, it's not even worth it to try. Seriously, based on your projected courses, you'll be learning Microsoft-centric languages for the most part, and your marketability after graduation will depend on these skills initially. What I'm saying is that you're going to be learning primarily PC-based CS and when you're looking for a job, you'll most likely be working for others who are PC-based.

The Mac is great (as we all know), but if you really want the easiest path and the most pertinent system not only for school but also for your early years as a worker-drone, you should go PC. When you have some spare cash later on, pick up a Mac. You can learn it and then once you're established in the industry, you can switch over to Mac coding. You'll benefit best from having the PC to work on, and you'll get better performance in that price range to boot.

I know that's not really what you want to hear, but I really think it's for the best at this point in your life. Get a summer job and pick up a mini so you don't have to lose Apple completely while in school, but definitely get a PC for the immediate future.

 

[ScottB]

I'm webdesigner by profession and every single website I create is designed to resize with the browser window. You'll find that most people with 800x600 resolution monitors browse the net with the browser full-screen, and many 1024x768 users dont, (so they have the option of switching apps by windows not just dock or taskbar) . I seriously doupt your gonna run into any problems browsing with 1024x768 any time soon. If I were to worry about anything it's fixed width applications rather than resizable ones.

 

[milozauckerman]

re: integrated graphics - if he were to buy a low-end PC laptop w/ integrated graphics and max it out at 2GB of aftermarket memory (I've begun to always assume that people will max the memory at some point, it's cheap enough to be worth it), the Intel integrated graphics should never take up more than 256MB, right?

All in all, the integrated card doesn't seem like a major hurdle to me if you're not going to be gaming.

 

[enginerd]

The integrated graphics allocates at least 32mb ram all the time even though the windows UI doesn't need nearly this much. It will dynamically take more if you run a game that needs it, not that it's really capable of much. As long as you have at least 512mb, you're fine for the things you will do and if you do upgrade further, even better.

 

[pubwvj]

For some things like illustration, CAD and spread sheets a really wide screen is very nice. But for web pages, email and letters the 1024x768 is plenty.