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3 kids, grandparents, wife....which mac

aa521490

aa521490

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 25, 2007
180
2
I have been following the apple updates (updated mb..mbp..etc..). I am wanting to purchase a computer and was thinking about crossing over to mac os x from windows xp. Can anyone suggest/recommend which mac to buy? Here is a list of what my wife and I plan to do:

Me:
1. Surf the internet wirelessly at home and at work, check email, and watch dvd movies.
2. Download videos from my hard drive camcorder and digital camera memory card of my children, edit the video with music, photos, video clips, etc... and burn to on dvd or post it on youtube or email and send it to their grandparents.
3. Burn dvd movies to the computer hard drive and an external hard drive.
4. Edit photos.

Wife:
1. Surf the internet, check email, post video onto you tube and myspace.

So basically what it boils down to is that I want a computer that can allow me to share my family's events, pics. etc.. with our extended families. Also, a ? about ichat..I understand you can videoconference as long as the other person has a mac and has broadband and has a subscription to .mac. Is this correct. Thanks.
 
Sounds like a stock 20" imac would suite your needs. It has a larger Hard drive for all those movies and pics.
One does not need to have .mac in order to do a video chat within ichat
 
aa521490 said:
I have been following the apple updates (updated mb..mbp..etc..). I am wanting to purchase a computer and was thinking about crossing over to mac os x from windows xp. Can anyone suggest/recommend which mac to buy? Here is a list of what my wife and I plan to do:

Me:
1. Surf the internet wirelessly at home and at work, check email, and watch dvd movies.
2. Download videos from my hard drive camcorder and digital camera memory card of my children, edit the video with music, photos, video clips, etc... and burn to on dvd or post it on youtube or email and send it to their grandparents.
3. Burn dvd movies to the computer hard drive and an external hard drive.
4. Edit photos.

Wife:
1. Surf the internet, check email, post video onto you tube and myspace.

So basically what it boils down to is that I want a computer that can allow me to share my family's events, pics. etc.. with our extended families. Also, a ? about ichat..I understand you can videoconference as long as the other person has a mac and has broadband and has a subscription to .mac. Is this correct. Thanks.
Click to expand...

The superdrive macbook is perfect for you. It'll do everything you just mentioned and the best part is you won't be windows.
 
Thank you all for your replies. I forgot to mention that my wife and I will share the computer so the imac is out of the question since I plan to bring the computer to work. So...macbook or macbook pro? And which model? Thanks again.

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Ohhh. Sorry the title is misleading. I forgot to mention the kids are 5 years old and younger..lol! As for the grandparents, they are in different states. I want a computer for my wife and I.
 
I say MacBook. It has a better design and will serve all of your needs. None of the things you say you are going to do require the greater power of the MacBook Pro.

The only choice you need to make is which colour (white or black).
 
Given the amount of use it'll be getting, the new base MBP should suit your needs easily. Alternatively, you could check out the refurbs of the previous gen. MBPs for a better deal, for your needs you'd really only be "losing" the multi-touch, which might take some getting used to anyway. The MBP has a dedicated graphics card, unlike the MB, and also its DVD drive is better quality than the MB's. Also, IF you could find a FW800 cable for your camcorder (hopefully you can; I'm assuming the newer HDD ones have DV ports on them), or even a FW400 cable, you'll get your footage onto your computer very fast. (Some here would probably suggest you try both versions of the iMovie, as in the one that ships, iMovie 8, as well as the previous version, iMovie HD 6, which is a free download of Apple's website.)
As for iChat, you do not need a .Mac account, simply an AOL account.
 
Refurb MacBook Pro 2.2GHz, $1449. This is a great machine at a fantastic price that will serve you very well.
 
Get the MBP if you need the 15" screen. If 13.3" is OK, then go with the MB. Make sure to get a superdrive and at least 2GB RAM for either machine.
 
Best bang for your buck is an iMac. Faster than either Apple laptop and costs the same or less.

iMac is a definite for you, and do yourself another favor and get the 24". Seriously dude.
 
You truly and honestly do not need anything more powerful than a new MacBook. Even a 2 year old MacBook would handle everything fine, but of course a new one is perfect, and is what you should get. ;)

There is nothing you do that warrants getting a MBP......unless you're allergic to money. I guess the sliiiightly larger 15" screen is nice, as is the slightly higher resolution, but if that's a serious issue for you, just buy an external LCD as well for when you're at home.
 
The Macbook Pro It has more storage better graphics and a bigger screen it will last longer and it also has better construction it also looks better too.
 
Techguy172 said:
The Macbook Pro It has more storage better graphics and a bigger screen it will last longer and it also has better construction it also looks better too.
Click to expand...

I have seen countless banged, scratched and generally messed up MacBook Pros at University but those who have MacBooks either seem to take better care of them or they are better at absorbing jolts.

As we see though Techguy172, the original poster does not require a dedicated graphics chip - none of the things they want to do need the features of the Pro and so buying the Pro would be a waste of money.
 
The MacBook would be best for you. You aren't doing any work that will involve the dedicated graphics of a MacBook Pro, nor will you notice a difference in power. The mid range white MacBook would be perfect for you. It comes with plenty of hard drive space for movies and enough RAM for it to run well for you. There is no need for a MacBook Pro here, you will never notice the difference in power unless you play games. A 13" screen is also not too big of a deal when compared with a 15". There isn't too much of a gain in space (trust me, I've owned both). Go with the MacBook, it's tough, powerful, and portable, you don't need to spend your money on a MacBook Pro for negligible performance enhancements.
 
a macbook seems to suit your needs just fine. it will do everything u need it to do without slacking any performance
 
A refurb 2.2 macbook pro would probably be more then you need, but would last longer probably and give you a more professional look for work, and a brighter clearly screen and better battery life, dedicated graphics if the kids start playing more intensive games if/when they get older, etc.. when you use it as a laptop...

at 1449 in the refurb store, you can't really go wrong! :)

However, If you get a macbook (or even the macbook pro) I would suggest an external monitor (maybe a 20inch.. nothing fancy) and external keyboard and mouse... and then set up your desk so you can slide the laptop out of the way (perhaps on a vertical stand clamshell mode) up and away from the kids. That way if they spill, nothing gets on the actual laptop, and they can have a bigger screen for games, AND the grandparents can have a bigger screen if needed for reading type and they can all treat it like a imac basically for when you don't have portable needs.

This keeps the laptop safe from sticky fingers and spills and also gives an easier time for bad eyes and less coordination for keyboards and trackpacks on the laptop.

Running a sr macbook pro in clamshell is easy, and you really only need to plug in the monitor and keyboard/mouse (even easier if the mouse is always connected to a USB port in the keyboard that most have) That's 2 or 3 plugs (magsafe) each time... which isn't a hassle and will save your laptop from a lot of possible problems down the line :)

edit: PS - ichat wil work, but I (and others) find skype much easier. Video chat between computers is free and much easier and more dependable then ichat, which sometimes has problems with firewalls and stuff. It works seemlessly and easily with the built in isight and microphone too :)
 
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