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Joining the 'dark side'

A

Apple-NoEscape

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 25, 2010
467
0
United Kingdom
I have been a pc person since forever, but the other week my laptop decided that what it really needed was a load of viruses that completely destroyed it. The only way to get it back was a clean boot, so I lost everything I didn't have time to backup.
So that was it really, the final straw so to speak.
I have had an iPhone since they were first released and so decided that I may as well try a MacBook.
I did originally like the look of the MacBook better, but the power of the pro has put it in first place.
I was just about to rush out and buy it when I decided to check here, and lo
and behold 'Do not buy- update imminent' can't tell you how impatient I am for this update :p

Right so back story out the way, few questions...
I would ask if anyone had any idea when the update may happen, but just by lurking the site a while I realise is basically 'next week...next month...tomorow, etc
one small thing i'm wondering is how well do macs handle games, I understand you have to use boot camp (no idea how that works lol) and I'm not ecpection it to handle crysis or anything, if I really wanted that I would buy alienware, but games like counterstrike, tf2, WoW will it be able to run them, and if so how well? Will I have to turn the graphics down so much that everything is basically a block?
Secondly, I'm a photographer, and ovb macs are known for their editing capabilities, but how compatible are things saved on the os x to windows etc? Apple hasnt been annoying and put something in the way to stop you transfering files have they?
On a related note; how comparable are all files with a mac? There are programs able to read all mp3, mp4, wma, etc files aren't there?

Thanks for any help :)

I will now go back to sitting on my hands making sure I don't use the money I have for a mac to buy an outdated machine :p
p.s sorry for major tl;dr guesing I got a bit carried away...
 
as towards the games...I would say not well. 9600 gt is not aging well. The games you listed mostly valve games should be fine cause they are not very graphically intense, but you will suffer some performance issues simply due to driver issues. windows bootcamp v. a windows native PC, a PC will always outperform bootcamp.

as to the new machines...Apple seems to have struck a deal with Steam and Steam has allegedly agreed to bring all steam games natively to OSX. The new mbp updates are also believed to be sporting a better graphics card either an ATi or Nvidia though the specifics are not known. Possibly a 330M or a 5850...both will be beasts so I guess it can only get better
 
neondrgns said:
as towards the games...I would say not well. 9600 gt is not aging well. The games you listed mostly valve games should be fine cause they are not very graphically intense, but you will suffer some performance issues simply due to driver issues. windows bootcamp v. a windows native PC, a PC will always outperform bootcamp.

as to the new machines...Apple seems to have struck a deal with Steam and Steam has allegedly agreed to bring all steam games natively to OSX. The new mbp updates are also believed to be sporting a better graphics card either an ATi or Nvidia though the specifics are not known. Possibly a 330M or a 5850...both will be beasts so I guess it can only get better
Click to expand...

if you say that the games are running okish now, that means after the update they should be running even better which is good :D

really? Wasn't aware of steam doing that (didn't really pay attention to apple news) does that mean whatever cares they do port over won't need bootcamp to run? If so I'm even more excited for the new Mbps
 
Apple-NoEscape said:
if you say that the games are running okish now, that means after the update they should be running even better which is good :D

really? Wasn't aware of steam doing that (didn't really pay attention to apple news) does that mean whatever cares they do port over won't need bootcamp to run? If so I'm even more excited for the new Mbps
Click to expand...

No need for bootcamp. Here is the article:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/875290/
 
BeanieMan said:
No need for bootcamp. Here is the article:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/875290/
Click to expand...

thanks :)
'Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, Portal, and the Half-Life' this is why I love valve, they do seem to care about their fanbase
and they are releasing portal 2 straight to mac :D
well I'm guesing that is the gaming problem taken care of.
May not even have a reason to download bootcamp then.
 
No matter what game fans say, mac notebooks aren't made for gaming, if they were they'd have terrible battery life. Even when the new MBPs come out, they will still be behind all the gaming notebooks.
 
Most of the people who tell you to be wary of macs for gaming obviously arent playing games on them, or at least not on the most current line.

I current play games on the high end 15" and have been gaming on macs for 4 years. I mostly play MMORPG's, which often put a big strain on your system. WoW will run well on even the current white macbook and on the highest settings with the 9600m GT.

Games I have run on this machine on high settings with little to no problems:

World of Warcraft
Lord of the Rings Online
Everquest 2
Age of Conan
Fallout 3
Oblivion
Dragon Age
Crysis

And the best part...I can log into OSX when Im not gaming! Which is a dream after being a windows user. Also, a lot of developers are starting to realize that macs are completely capable of gaming now and acting accordingly. Valve is releasing most of their catalog for OSX, Bioware has been releasing mac versions of games for years now and just recently ported Dragon Age over. Mythic just released a mac cient for Warhammer Online and Im sure the list will continue to grow.

Of course, PC's are still ahead of the game and cater to gamers in so many more ways, but thats not really the point now is it? Having a mac that can run games well has just as many if not more benefits of having a PC that can run them great (and trust me, some macs can run games great).
If you would like to PM me and ask me more gaming related questions I would be more than happy to have a lengthy conversation with you about it.

Welcome to a whole new world : ) you wont regret it.
 
Apple-NoEscape said:
Secondly, I'm a photographer, and ovb macs are known for their editing capabilities, but how compatible are things saved on the os x to windows etc? Apple hasnt been annoying and put something in the way to stop you transfering files have they?

On a related note; how comparable are all files with a mac? There are programs able to read all mp3, mp4, wma, etc files aren't there?
Click to expand...

You can save almost anything and have it be readable on a Windows machine. Compatibility is very well handled, unless you save, say, a .pages file (instead of exporting it as a .doc). Usually there are ways to keep it universal, you just need to select them.

All those files are compatible with OS X. iTunes for audio, Quicktime and VLC for video, iWork and Office 2008 Mac for productivity, etc. etc.
 
Hey... we're in the exact same boat here.
I too have been a PC all my life, and am finally at the point where I need a solid laptop. At the same time... my work station at my job just got a mega-upgrade from year-old Dells to the new 27" iMacs.
Needless to say, every expectation I've had about Apple has been blown.

These computers are obviously GREAT working machines. The UI is so much smoother to use than any Windows version I've tried. It's especially great when it comes to Photography and Graphic Design. I know this ... because it's my JOB.

I've been psyched about getting one. I have a good friend that has the base 15" version who lets me tinker with it. We installed Windows 7 through Bootcamp and got TF2 running on it smoothly. It looks and runs great on medium settings. The fact that Valve is porting all those sweet games to Mac will have them working even better, I feel.

As for non-Valve games (or high settings on Valve games), I suggest you get a Macbook Pro with the dedicated GT 9600m graphics card. That will boost game performance greatly... as seen in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRvW2GZ4MBQ

But I highly recommend sitting tight for those new Macbook Pro's like I am. I feel like if you want more gaming life and bang for your buck, it's best to get the newest machine ASAP. Depending on the price, I'll be going for whatever 15" has the dedicated graphics... so I can play most PC games for years to come.

Mac's have been known as not being gaming machines, but I have a feeling that will change soon. I was going for a Mac because it's a great work related computer at first... now I'm in it for a gaming machine I feel.
 
Windows switcher currently in the jungle

Hi all,

I'm a recent switcher - but a Low End Theory switcher if you will. I bought my latest 2 Macs & I'm LOVING it; regardless of the hurdles I'm encountering. (previous was a TiBook G4 which was just to get used to navigation and basic shortcuts for 30 days which I still have btw)

I purchased my MacBook Aluminum Unibody early 2009 2.4Ghz and it was in such excellent quality along with the packaging ... my experience in purchasing it was quite literary going into an Apple Store with an old friend helping me with my purchase! This is something you really cannot put a value on. My TiBook G4 was in working condition - and for a 8yr+ laptop its still seeing a few bright days ahead. Having the seller find the original OS X Panther discs and paying an extra $3 to send it to me in the mail (he offered, I was fine with the burned copy) just goes to show the kind of community Mac user's are - they may be fanatical to protect their preferred brand but they treat their "kinship" & newcomers with a level of integrity I find myself matched in thinking of busting my own arse off to help my family first; always.

This has led me to purchase my Mac Mini; another 9400M early 2009 unit which I'm getting to transfer 400GB of data for my kids and wife over to it.
Pictures, Videos (avi/divx/xvid - using a free plugin that acts like VLC Player codec for QuickTime X is pure bliss), MP3's/AAC's, etc are just working beautifully.

Some things I have to get used to:
WinXP SP3 although 'simple file sharing' doesn't fully protect the secrecy of 2 admin accounts documents/folders, with that turned off only slightly less so - comparatively in Snow Leopard ALL users' Folders/Files are secret except the public folder. :O now THAT is security done right. Even with Win7 Enterprise this hole is still there. I've only seen this fixed at large corporations where I've worked in the past or currently where GPO's properly ceil these user to user security gaps the way they're meant to. So when moving files from my PC to the Mac Mini I'm having to use the public folders for each account on SL first then logon to each account and shuttle the file tips in the proper folders.

2 Main things I'm seriously loving:
1) System Update was initiated at the beginning of this long post and is jumping notification in the dock to notify me of a restart. Its in sight yet out of sight and didn't take my cursor away from where I need it when I'm using it ... typing! I HATE this in windows and absolutely loathe this when it occurs at work supporting clients while I'm using mutliple apps at once.
2) I installed Parallels as recommended by an intelligent member of these boards. I did so without BootCamp and was able to install BB Development SDK with Eclipse (so I can learn from scratch) and the HDD allocation for Win7 is set to random up to a max 80GB until I need more. Sharing files back and forth on my MacBook is sweetness! Definately consider this as an option for your gaming or must have windows apps.

PS it drives me nuts that although RIM doesn't restrict app development for BlackBerry's on OS X or Linux they do no support it, yet, even though Mike Kirkup head developer IS a Mac user himself, :cool::apple:
 
Apple-NoEscape said:
I have been a pc person since forever, but the other week my laptop decided that what it really needed was a load of viruses that completely destroyed it. The only way to get it back was a clean boot, so I lost everything I didn't have time to backup.
Click to expand...

I don't want to pour salt on a fresh wound, but it's too late to wait until you have problems before you start backing up. When you get your Mac, Time Machine will probably be a helpful app in that regard.
 
neondrgns said:
as towards the games...I would say not well. 9600 gt is not aging well. The games you listed mostly valve games should be fine cause they are not very graphically intense, but you will suffer some performance issues simply due to driver issues. windows bootcamp v. a windows native PC, a PC will always outperform bootcamp.

as to the new machines...Apple seems to have struck a deal with Steam and Steam has allegedly agreed to bring all steam games natively to OSX. The new mbp updates are also believed to be sporting a better graphics card either an ATi or Nvidia though the specifics are not known. Possibly a 330M or a 5850...both will be beasts so I guess it can only get better
Click to expand...

No video card "ages well".
 
Hazel said:
I don't want to pour salt on a fresh wound, but it's too late to wait until you have problems before you start backing up. When you get your Mac, Time Machine will probably be a helpful app in that regard.
Click to expand...


I do back everything up, I had just put backing up all the new stuff off for about a week, as it's easier to arrange if you do it all at once, but unfortunatly in that week I had some important pictures and documents that still needed backing up....
I've heard of timemachine before, is that like system restore point on pc?

ozreth said:
Games I have run on this machine on high settings with little to no problems:

World of Warcraft
Lord of the Rings Online
Everquest 2
Age of Conan
Fallout 3
Oblivion
Dragon Age
Crysis
Click to expand...

Really? Games like fallout 3 and oblivion? I didn't think that that macs would be able to handle that. Thats alot better then what I expected 2bh, considering that one of the arguments against mac is it can't play games.
And crysis? Wouldn't that overheat and kill your MacBook? I've seen even more poweful machines struggle with that.
 
Apple-NoEscape said:
I do back everything up, I had just put backing up all the new stuff for about a week, as it's easier to arrange if you do it all at once, but unfortunay in that week I had some important pictures and documents that still needed backing up....
I've heard of timemachine before, is that like system restore point on pc?



Really? Games like fallout 3 and oblivion? I didn't think that that macs would be able to handle that. Thats alot better then what I expected 2bh, considering that one of the arguments against mac is it can't play games.
And crysis? Wouldn't that overheat and kill your MacBook? I've seen even more poweful machines struggle with that.
Click to expand...

Yep. there is actually a video on YouTube of somebody playing crisis on thier alluminum mb on medium settings. With my MacBook (2.8ghz, 4gb, 512mb gpu) it would make sense thatbi can run on high settings (not the ultra high setting mid you, the high) and get decent pefemance.

Another thing that people don't take into account is just because I can play these games on high dosent mean they will look as good as a better specd pc running them on the same settings. And I mean, dont expect to play everything on high all the time without ever running into hitches or having to adjust something, but for the most part you can play any game on the market right now with at least decent settings with the higher end 15" (with stats listed above).

Like I said, the people who don't think that these mbp's can run games on high settings are the ones who are speculating, not actually tryig it.
 
HLdan said:
Hmph, and you've been registered here since 2002? What for?
Click to expand...

I've always had goals, learning along the way but with OSX changing ever so quickly and no machine to really play with since 2001 - 3mth stint with the then top of the line QuickSilver G4 867Mhz - I just could learn anything. Now I finally have not one, but 3 Macs in the past 6mths. When times are tough you take care of your family no matter what; before yourself or your dreams. Now I can do both & its been a long time coming. So stop hating on me; read all my posts and you'll see I've always been a Mac fan educated in the Windows way & work with Windows.

Living & working with Mac's outside of the USA is a different world altogether.
 
Apple-NoEscape said:
I do back everything up, I had just put backing up all the new stuff off for about a week, as it's easier to arrange if you do it all at once, but unfortunatly in that week I had some important pictures and documents that still needed backing up....
I've heard of timemachine before, is that like system restore point on pc?



Really? Games like fallout 3 and oblivion? I didn't think that that macs would be able to handle that. Thats alot better then what I expected 2bh, considering that one of the arguments against mac is it can't play games.
And crysis? Wouldn't that overheat and kill your MacBook? I've seen even more poweful machines struggle with that.
Click to expand...

Just wait till you buy the Mac. You might discover that what Mac users call "gaming" is not exactly what you expect. Yes you can play it but it's like going back to ice age of PC gaming. You give an impression that gaming is an important feature for you. If that is the case, then why are you even looking at Macs? Looking for a challenge? Good luck.
 
lilo777 said:
Just wait till you buy the Mac. You might discover that what Mac users call "gaming" is not exactly what you expect. Yes you can play it but it's like going back to ice age of PC gaming. You give an impression that gaming is an important feature for you. If that is the case, then why are you even looking at Macs? Looking for a challenge? Good luck.
Click to expand...

not really. as others have said, the most recent Macs are actually pretty decent gaming machines (using Boot Camp, of course). No, they can't compete with the various Alienware gaming rigs, etc., but can play most games, and many of them on medium or high settings.
 
lilo777 said:
Just wait till you buy the Mac. You might discover that what Mac users call "gaming" is not exactly what you expect. Yes you can play it but it's like going back to ice age of PC gaming. You give an impression that gaming is an important feature for you. If that is the case, then why are you even looking at Macs? Looking for a challenge? Good luck.
Click to expand...

Gaming isn't really that important, just a nice bonus 2bh, as long as it can run a couple games (tf2, cs, WoW) games like that, well it's fine, and as valva are porting their steam over it's promising :) i've gotten to used to consoles lately go go back to hardcore pc gaming
what I really want a mac for is the reliability; I know it isn't going to get a billion viruses from clicking a dodgy link, portability and editing software. As a mac looks to support them needs pefectly it seems like the best bet.

If I really want to get something for games I will buy a new alienware, and that's only if I ever really feel like I want to get back into pc gaming full swing. (my old alienware is officially knackered, was a great machine for the time I had it)

2bh I was looking at a new alienware before macs, but I realised that work needs should be put in front of fun, especially, as I said, I have consoles that are perfectly fine for gaming.

Plus by the looks of what people have said apple is shaking the steroetype that it can't play games :p
 
lilo777 said:
Just wait till you buy the Mac. You might discover that what Mac users call "gaming" is not exactly what you expect. Yes you can play it but it's like going back to ice age of PC gaming. You give an impression that gaming is an important feature for you. If that is the case, then why are you even looking at Macs? Looking for a challenge? Good luck.
Click to expand...

Did you skip over my post? Either you aren't a gamer, or you aren't a gamer who games on a mac.

/sigh Im going to have to uplaod some videos of me playing games soon.
 
ozreth said:
Did you skip over my post? Either you aren't a gamer, or you aren't a gamer who games on a mac.

/sigh Im going to have to uplaod some videos of me playing games soon.
Click to expand...

If you do upload some videos male sure you post the link here or something, I would love to see that. :D


Edit: really stupid question here, do macs have paint? Or anything of the sort? I've tried looking it up and people seem to be giving stupid answers on most sites like 'hur dur buy a pc!!!!!1one1' so instead of making a new thread I'm asking here
 
Working on the videos for you guys. Have a few up over the next couple of days. Gotta download/reinstall a few games.
 
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