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give me a reason to get a mac

twoodcc

twoodcc

macrumors P6
Original poster
i'm a college student, and it seems in every class i have, there's someone with a mac. i've read alot about them, how they are better at video editing, multitasking, etc. i'm curious about the new operating system.

but right now i have 2 laptops and 1 desktop (computer informations systems major).

first laptop is an hp dv1040us. i take it to class everyday. i haven't had it long. maybe 3-4 months or so. here are the specs:
p-M 1.6 ghz
intergrated graphics (32 mb of ram)
1 gb of ram (minus the 32 - 992, or whatever)
60 gb HD (4200 i think)
dvd-rw drive
14" widescreen display
built in wireless and bluetooth
windows xp pro

second laptop is my older one. it's an Alienware area-51m. they don't sell this model anymore. it's over 1.5 years old. my plans were to sell it when i bought the HP, but i had problems when i made the mistake to sell online. i was lucky to get it back. it has a small crack from shipping, so i'm told. here are the specs:

P4 - 3.06 ghz
512 mb of ram (did have 1 gb, but i switched with the HP)
40 gb HD - 5400
cdrw/dvd combo
ATI mobility 9000 128 mb (i like this card)
15.4" lcd screen
no wireless
windows xp pro
i basically use this for just a jukebox and stuff. i really don't use it much. but i can't really sell it.

My desktop was made for me at a local computer shop. i've upgraded since though. it's over 1.5 years old. i use it for video editing and making dvds mainly. here are the specs:

p4 - 2.4 ghz
1 gb of ram
160 gb HD - 7200
80 gb HD - 7200
dvd-rw DL - 16x
cd-rw/dvd combo
ATI all-in-wonder 9800 pro 128 mb
windows xp pro

i'm kinda interested in the mac mini or the powerbook. i would have to have the superdrive if i got one. i've basically never used a mac before. tell me what you think
 
Hi, welcome.
what's your budget? Obviously the answer to that will go a long ways towards determining what you can or should get.
 
I know you don't want to hear this probably 😀, but the best thing to do is to play with one for a while, whether it's someone's in class or at the Apple store, or even Best Buy. I played with a Powerbook at Best Buy when I was shopping for my iBook (and first mac), and eventually with the iBook at an Apple Store far far away, and the PB still gave me a feel for OS X, although it made me wish I had more $. I think that OS X is definately much better than XP, although XP is still a good OS for the most part. I mainly use my PC these days for illegal uses, with the DVD burner it has and all, and occaisonal UT2k4, but thats about it.

But nonetheless, I'm totally happy with my iBook purchase and Apple and OS X in general. But your results may vary. If you're into video or music editing, or general uses, I recommend a Mac 100%. If you're into gaming, Mac's arn't the best for that.

Tony
 
mcgarry said:
Hi, welcome.
what's your budget? Obviously the answer to that will go a long ways towards determining what you can or should get.
Click to expand...

If he has 3 computers already, the odds are he coudl afford ANY of the Macs.
 
mcgarry said:
Hi, welcome.
what's your budget? Obviously the answer to that will go a long ways towards determining what you can or should get.
Click to expand...

well right now i can't buy one. i work during the summer, and make pretty good money. so basically i could buy just about whatever i want if i save my money. but i have to really want one.

the other thing is that i could sell something. especially if i got a powerbook, i sure wouldn't want 3 laptops, would i?

i also have a kodak dx6490 (i think that's right)
and a sony dvd handycam. (cost me $950)
iriver mp3 256mb player
 
ghostee said:
I know you don't want to hear this probably 😀, but the best thing to do is to play with one for a while, whether it's someone's in class or at the Apple store, or even Best Buy. I played with a Powerbook at Best Buy when I was shopping for my iBook (and first mac), and eventually with the iBook at an Apple Store far far away, and the PB still gave me a feel for OS X, although it made me wish I had more $. I think that OS X is definately much better than XP, although XP is still a good OS for the most part. I mainly use my PC these days for illegal uses, with the DVD burner it has and all, and occaisonal UT2k4, but thats about it.

But nonetheless, I'm totally happy with my iBook purchase and Apple and OS X in general. But your results may vary. If you're into video or music editing, or general uses, I recommend a Mac 100%. If you're into gaming, Mac's arn't the best for that.

Tony
Click to expand...

well i guess i could play with one at the store. i don't personally know anyone with one. i'm definatly into dvd-burning, video editing, etc
 
sorry, yeah, I guess I didn't give you much in the way of a reason ... as for that I have to second the comment above about playing with one first. In the end, they're just computers, but the experiential differences can add up to a different kind of computing.

Have you checked out the series of Anandtech reviews? That link is to the first one, a review of the PowerMac G5, and he has since published two sequels, one for the PowerBook and the other for a Mac mini. The articles are not perfect, and have their critics (search these boards for some of it), but they are one in-depth account of a lifelong PC user's first steps into the Mac world, and therefore you might find them interesting.

You can also search these boards for numerous accounts from recent switchers, cataloging the things they didn't know they were missing by waiting so long etc.
 
tell me what i can do with a mac that i can't do with a pc?

video editing? multitasking?

i've been reading alot, and the more i read, and see pics, the more i want one. but considering my setup now, do you think i need one?
 
I'd recommend selling one of the PCs and picking up either a 12" iBook or Mini with your edu discount. Play with it 'till next fall, and if you decide you like it, which I am sure you will, save up you rsummer money and buy a PM and a nice big LCD.

Rob
 
twoodcc said:
well right now i can't buy one. i work during the summer, and make pretty good money. so basically i could buy just about whatever i want if i save my money. but i have to really want one.

the other thing is that i could sell something. especially if i got a powerbook, i sure wouldn't want 3 laptops, would i?

i also have a kodak dx6490 (i think that's right)
and a sony dvd handycam. (cost me $950)
iriver mp3 256mb player
Click to expand...
If suffering through the tedium of own 3 Windoze systems hasn't convinced you to try something else, what are we supposed to say?
 
daveL said:
If suffering through the tedium of own 3 Windoze systems hasn't convinced you to try something else, what are we supposed to say?
Click to expand...

i don't know. i'm into video-editing. i haven't got into adding special effects and stuff yet. i've just been converting vhs to dvd, recording tv (mainly sports). i would like to get into doing more with video and with my camcorder. i'm interested in a mac, i'd probably get either a 12" powerbook or mac mini, which do you think?
 
twoodcc said:
i don't know. i'm into video-editing. i haven't got into adding special effects and stuff yet. i've just been converting vhs to dvd, recording tv (mainly sports). i would like to get into doing more with video and with my camcorder. i'm interested in a mac, i'd probably get either a 12" powerbook or mac mini, which do you think?
Click to expand...
If you *need* portability, go with the powerbook. The Mac Mini is less money (since you already have KB, mouse, etc.). Whatever Mac you get, I'm sure you'll be pleased with your purchase.
 
twoodcc said:
i don't know. i'm into video-editing. i haven't got into adding special effects and stuff yet. i've just been converting vhs to dvd, recording tv (mainly sports). i would like to get into doing more with video and with my camcorder. i'm interested in a mac, i'd probably get either a 12" powerbook or mac mini, which do you think?
Click to expand...

I don't know exactly what you mean by video-editing, but if you mean casual just-for-fun stuff, iMovie is hard to beat, Mac-only, and free with your new Mac. (My website has two lowest-common-denominator examples of movies made with iMovie 3 and 4, thrown together in a handful of hours. I apologize in advance. See what happens when making movies is easy? Blame the video quality itself on the fact that the movies use clips from a non-video digital camera; blame the movie quality on me.) Some people here say iMovie rivals the pro stuff, but I don't know. There are plenty of actual pros here who can answer that better than I.

As for which system, between those two, it's going to come down to: portability, price, and do you already have a nice monitor.
 
I'm sure most of us, while we try to give unbiased opinions, have a bias towards Mac's and Apple. I use a PC at work and a bit at home, I also maintain another for my parents who can't afford a Mac right now. I do most everything on my iBook nowadays. I wouldn't want to go back to PC, I actually would like a nice Powermac and LCD to complement my iBook. If you want to test a Mac for a while, go with an iBook. It is an awesome machine and shouldn't disappoint. If you don't like it, sell it and get most of your money back. If you don't like the idea of buying an iBook, loving it, and wishing you had gone with a Powerbook, save your money for a PB. I love my iBook and all, but the new Powerbooks make me drool. The PB's did seem a bit snappier in the store too. And they also have built in support for expanding your desktop to an external monitor without using a hack, as well as audio input. If you plan on doing heavy video stuff in the near future, I'd get a PB. If not, get an iBook, because when you start to get into editing you'll probably be feeling up for an upgrade anyways, and this will save you more money in the long run.
 
mcgarry said:
I don't know exactly what you mean by video-editing, but if you mean casual just-for-fun stuff, iMovie is hard to beat, Mac-only, and free with your new Mac. (My website has two lowest-common-denominator examples of movies made with iMovie 3 and 4, thrown together in a handful of hours. I apologize in advance. See what happens when making movies is easy? Blame the video quality itself on the fact that the movies use clips from a non-video digital camera; blame the movie quality on me.) Some people hear say iMovie rivals the pro stuff, but I don't know. There are plenty of actual pros here who can answer that better than I.

As for which system, between those two, it's going to come down to: portability, price, and do you already have a nice monitor.
Click to expand...

i don't have a nice monitor. my monitor is a samsung syncmaster 150mp (it's a tv also)
i'm not that advanced in video-editing, but i'd like to get more into it.

i love itunes. i put it on all my pcs.

as for portibility and stuff, i'm not sure. my HP is very portable. so it's not like i NEED it, but since i don't have a nice monitor, and if i got a PB i could take it whereever and stuff. i don't know, i just need others opinions about my situation.
 
mcgarry said:
Have you checked out the series of Anandtech reviews?
Click to expand...

That is an AWESOME review of the Mac Mini. As you know, I was not sure if I should go with the mini, but he has me convinced. Come sometime in October, there will be a Mac Mini on my compter desk. 🙂
 
Host a Web site from your Mac with buildt-in Apache Web Server - all you have to do is click a checkbox, easy.

No reason to worry about viruses and other malware.

Run Open Source applications.

There is MS Office for the Mac, but it is nothing like the Windows version - the Mac version does not have Access. Although there is always FileMaker Pro.

Installing applications involves clicking a disk image and dragging the application to the Applications folder, easy.

Make disk images with ease, and no additional software.

Like UNIX shells? Take your pick. BASH is default.

Nice software bundle with Apple Works, iLife, games, etc..

Macs have high resale values - good investment.

These are not my subjective opinions, just facts. I do not mind XP Pro, but prefer OS-X. When I play in Linux, I just wish I was back in OS-X running the same apps.

Hope this helps. 🙂
 
you should buy the mac mini and put 512mb ram into it. that would be a cheap way to test if you like the os/x world better than windows. and if you don't like it i am sure you could get rid of it on ebay pretty easily. macs usually hold their value longer than pc's. i say usually because i don't know how the mini will affect used-computer sales on ebay. used-mac machines have stayed pretty high relative to used-pc prices. but with minis flooding the market i don't think this will last too much longer. it can't, the market won't support it. unless you have a niche-mac, like the cube. they follow their own agenda.

but if you are a gamer i wouldn't get a mac. i would get a ps2 or xbox they are much cheaper and have more titles available. pc's really are only good for gaming and a the few odd specialty applications that only run on windows. like autocad for instance.

but if you want a better email/web/music/video/office solution then windows just doesn't compete. it is more hodge-podge and not having to worry about viruses and spyware are a huge boon on the mac platform. every time you want to install a bit of software it requires the username and password of the admin. that is just brilliant. plus the software firewall and everything is great.

i would invest a small amount up front and see if the system jives with your usage pattern. most likely if you try it, you willl grow to like it, then love it, then become addicted to purchasing expensive goodies from the apple web site like the rest of us. well me at least. 🙂

-jaromski
 
My number one reason is that I have had a hard crash requiring a restart only once in 20 months of owning an iMac with OSX and I use the computer for multitasking (video editing, burning dvd/cd, surfing desktop publishing, etc.) for probably about 10 hours a day. One time has it crashed. Now, that is not to say an individual program has not gone wacky, but that just requires a force quit of that program and restart the program.

You really have to try OS X and try some of the iLife software and see how integrated it is. Go to the apple.com web site and read what OSX and the iLife applications can do for you. Create dvd movies using your digital video, still pictures for menus or slide shows on that same movie, easily add your itunes music for background music on that same movie and burn to dvd using iDVD...all software provided on macs for free! If you want to get into major movie creation check out final cut pro (they make a lite version too I think) and see what it can do. If you like iTunes then you will love every other piece(most of them anyhow) of software Apple makes- many which are free with macs.

You really need to experience it to realize how much easier everything works together on a mac. It is intuitive once you get into it. It just works.
Gaming is the only downfall really for a mac...some games, but not the latest or best. But you can get a gaming machine for cheap or do a console for that which is what I do. PS2 for games...Mac to get something done...PC's are to tinker with or game with.

I could go on, but don't have time...sure many others will do so though. good luck.

Check this out for starters...
http://www.apple.com/switch/

then check this out http://www.apple.com/macosx/overview/

Look specifically at Expose...it is the next "mouse" which everyone said wouldn't "catch on" with most computer users. It rocks and changes the way your computer works if you ask my opinion.
 
i'm not really a gamer.

i already have a PS2 and xbox, nintendo DS. and i could game on my alienware laptop if i really wanted to.
 
No viruses/spyware!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(well for the most part)

and they are real easy to use.


and they just look hella awseome. 😎
 
Phat_Pat said:
No viruses/spyware!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(well for the most part)

and they are real easy to use.


and they just look hella awseome. 😎
Click to expand...

i agree. that's why i'm interested.

if i got an ibook, new or used, could i add a superdrive later? is that possible?
 
twoodcc said:
i agree. that's why i'm interested.

if i got an ibook, new or used, could i add a superdrive later? is that possible?
Click to expand...

It's been done. Somebody should have link. Anybody?
 
Give me a reason to......

Give me a reason to ever give up my Mac and get a PC.

If Apple closed their doors tomorrow, I would still be able to use all my Macs for another 5-10 years. I still have Macs from 1986 that still work well.

My newer macs will be able to do most video editing for the next 5-10 years, albeit, alittle slower.

A Mac can do anything that a PC can.

I'd switch to Linux before I ever switch to M$.

If you like Windows, enjoy it, but realize that there is something else out there.

A computer is a tool, and the tool that works better might not be the most popular one 😉

My Mac works with me not against me.

I'd sell my Mac only if:
I was addicted to crack and needed the money
or I was masochistic and felt a need for daily punishment.

Go Mac and never go back
 
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