getting a mac

[arty576]

Okay. I think I said pretty plain that I wanted to start to play games on my computer, and that I wanted a laptop. Its not just for spreadsheets anymore. So what mac would be best for me? Id like large screen to do the spreadsheets on (and one to game on) and Ill need a good graphics card.

 

[weekend warrior]

Okay. I think I said pretty plain that I wanted to start to play games on my computer, and that I wanted a laptop. Its not just for spreadsheets anymore. So what mac would be best for me? Id like large screen to do the spreadsheets on (and one to game on) and Ill need a good graphics card.

Get a last- generation Macbook Pro (penryn processor)

15" screen, powerful enough to play games, around $1300-1800. Great machine.

Check apple.com refurb section, macmall.com, or macconnection.com.

 

[dwd3885]

Okay. I think I said pretty plain that I wanted to start to play games on my computer, and that I wanted a laptop. Its not just for spreadsheets anymore. So what mac would be best for me? Id like large screen to do the spreadsheets on (and one to game on) and Ill need a good graphics card.

i know you said large screen, but you also said laptop. So you cannot have both. 15" is not large, neither is 17". You'd probably want 20", meaning you don't get the laptop. You are contradicting yourself. You said not just for spreedsheats, yet it's a big enough factor where you want a large screen for it.

You can't get great graphics on the mac laptops, so if you like to game, the Mac isn't the best option anyway.

If you really want to spend $2,000 on a Mac, just get the 15" base MacBook Pro. Again, more computer than you'll need, but hey, it's your own dough.

I really see no reason for you to get the mac, besides the fact you think it looks cool. Gaming and spreadsheets are two things that Windows PC's are much better at than the mac

 

[MattOKC]

Maybe i have something to contribute because I am a VERY recent Mac convert, myself. I just bought my first Mac last month, so I've had it for 2 weeks. I've been a PC user--and builder--for 10+ years.

I bought an iMac, and I couldn't be happier. The thing is powerful, but not confusing. This may sound strange, but it feels like it "flows", whereas my work on a PC was always clunky (click, wait, crash, update, patch, tinker, patch again, defrag, uninstall, track down driver, crash, and fix the registry). ALL my Windows stuff works on my Mac (using VMWare Fusion 2.0), with no hassles at all.

I do have some minor gripes about Macs, just because of things I've gotten used to. For example, only being able to copy/paste, and not cut/paste, with right-clicks. and Mac can be fussy about which of all my stored videos it will and won't play (my kids can't watch Charlie Brown Christmas now, because it's not in a quicktime-approved codec form). Minor issue, though; I simply found another free player (or I could have used Quicktime Pro to convert the file itself).

Oh, and I bought mine refurbished. It has ALL NEW components, installed into a used system, without a mark anywhere. It's mint condition, and $200-300 less than new.

 

[descartes]

refurb is definitely the way to go. whether your first mac or not.

 

[arty576]

I talked to my cousin more and we decided on a SAGER NP5797. It's got a big 17" screen and its hardware trumps the macs for the same price. And it looks kickass. It performs great, has good battery life and is really solid. Thanks to everyone who helped me out on this one!