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first time mac buyer

I

iamkalive

Cancelled
Original poster
Nov 8, 2007
4
0
hey. i am planning on buying a macbook or macbook pro. first of all this is the first time purchasing a mac. i have been a pc user my whole life. i will mostly need it for everyday use. nothing crazy advanced. mostly music, downloading, streaming videos, watching videos, using video out features, school and work (business student), ea games sometimes, chatting etc.. so basically i need something that is good at multi tasking and capable of using windows xp/vista. also something that will be good for about 3 years to come. HDD space isnt the biggest issue as i will be buying a external HDD.

i am looking at the latest MB 2.2gig with the santa rosa update. will that laptop be sufficient? or will the MBP 2.2gig that is currently out be enough. if you guys are suggesting the MBP is it worth waiting for the upgrades to the MBP that will be coming in january (i think, which is the dual chip, right?)? will the upgrades that will be coming make the price of the MBP sufficiently more pricey or will the price be the same?

how well is the use of windows on the these macbooks? is it smooth? can i run any program? can i use it constantly? what can i expect being a life long pc user? also, is worth getting the warranty?

help me out please. thanks.
 
well i just purchased my first macbook 2 days ago and I love it! Right now I have itunes updating, transmission seeding torrents, ichat open, watching a dvd, and typing this! I got the basic Macbook 2.0 wih 1 GB RAM and it seems so fast!

If your needs ae as basic as you say, i think the macbook would be perfect for you. The only thing you may want to look into is the gaming side, but to me that wasnt worth the extra $1000 to go to a MBP. Good luck!
 
To me it also sounds like the MB would best suit your needs.

As the previous poster asked, what about your gaming? If you're serious about it, the MB will not be enough. If you require high graphics settings and fast framerates, then you'll need an MBP.
 
iamkalive said:
how well is the use of windows on the these macbooks? is it smooth? can i run any program? can i use it constantly? what can i expect being a life long pc user? also, is worth getting the warranty?
Click to expand...

The hardware is nice, with a couple of gigs RAM it will most likely handle everything you throw at it for years to come except for high end games (computer gaming is financial madness anyway, I find consoles to be much cheaper in the long run).

If you install Windows on it and dual-boot, you can run programs and games as if it was a standard PC laptop. If you want to run Windows applications and OS X applications at the same time, you need to get Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion as well as a copy of Windows. They will run standard applications pretty good, but 3D is limited.

About the warranty, don't know. I invested in AppleCare, but I haven't had to use it at all so far. Feels good to have though :p
 
irst time mac buyer

Unless I'm mistaken, always a possibility now that I'm collecting social security.

The new MB has been upgraded with a much more capable video card.

Two, now that the new MB can be upgraded to take up to 4GB of RAM, well I have always felt that stuffing more RAM in a computer is the cheapest way to increase performance. Check out OWC for much more competitive RAM prices.

As far as processor speed, I buy the slowest speed possible, offered on the upgraded MB. I have not been able to tell that a faster processor will make any difference in what I use my mac for.

Re: the MB verses the MBP. I use my mac laptop to do what you use yours for.
The MBP will not give me a boost in performance, and the extra cost is quite relevant.

The only other factor which is paramount to me is, there are RUMORS, that a new model MBP will be introduced in January at MacWorld, in SF.
I'll buy it so I'll have bragging rights. And this isn't the only example of my,
Not Being wrapped too tightly.
 
I like the macbook for its lightweight and small size but the MBP sure has a sexyness to it and i think carries more prestige.
 
i think your situation sounds perfect for the new macbook. if they hadn't just been recently updated a mbp would have been more of a better option but i think now that this would be the perfect match for your needs! enjoy:)
 
first time mac buyer

Not to material about it. I do agree with prestige.

You can't discount the willingness of early adapters to acquire and boast.:D
 
first time mac buyer

joegomolski said:
Not to material about it. I do agree with prestige.

You can't discount the willingness of early adapters to acquire and boast.:D
Click to expand...

I'm retired, I spend most of time with my Mac.

Online mostly. I do not need anything more than a basic iMac. Instead I have almost everything Apple makes, because I want it.

Before you get envious, remember I had to get old and retire before I could get this stuff.:D

Thus I can claim bragging rights, and hear others go, what a swell guy.:rolleyes:
 
iamkalive said:
i am looking at the latest MB 2.2gig with the santa rosa update. will that laptop be sufficient? or will the MBP 2.2gig that is currently out be enough.
Click to expand...
More than enough. Honestly I still have not fully utilized my Macbook Pro's 2.2ghz processors yet. :eek: Now that the Macbooks can address 4GB RAM most people's issues have subsided.

iamkalive said:
how well is the use of windows on the these macbooks? is it smooth? can i run any program? can i use it constantly? what can i expect being a life long pc user? also, is worth getting the warranty?
Click to expand...

Running XP using VMware Fusion with Leopard's spaces glides like butter. The warranty is up to you. I would suggest waiting ten months before you purchase Apple Care.
 
I am in pretty much the exact same situation as you, going to college as a business student and will be doing the same things as you, as well as getting my first macbook. I am getting the black macbook and it should work just fine. If you really want it a little faster, throw 4GB of ram in it for an extra $150 about and it will still be a few hundred bucks cheaper than the MBP, and it will be extremely fast. Save that extra couple hundred dollars and spend it on books or beer.
 
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