gimme some support on this one lol. This is probaly the most nerve racking thing I've ever done. I never thought buying a laptop would be so stressful. Since this is my first and only free laptop, I wanna know I'll be happy with it 5 or 6 years down the road. So basically what I'm asking is for some people to give me a virtual "pat on the back" and assure me what I'm doing is the best choice. Basically it comes down to the Compaq X1000 and a 15" Powerbook. So, pretend you work for Apple and sell me a Mac. The more responses I get and the closer I'll be towards "seeing the light." Thanks in advance.
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Possibly taking the plunge tomorrow...
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Okay... where do I begin? #2
Well sorry about sending a no message back there but lets get started.
On a mac you can do so much more... like... more stable, more fun, easier to use, more creative, more powerful, etc etc etc. They may not be the first to recieve games but if that doesn't bother ya... the mac is unrivaled. If you have lots of mp3's-- itunes has ur back same with iphoto. If you are into video and music compostition-- imovie, idvd, and garageband are right for you. All in all... they are better machines that are better performers and better looking.
Happy shopping,
Joe
Well sorry about sending a no message back there but lets get started.
On a mac you can do so much more... like... more stable, more fun, easier to use, more creative, more powerful, etc etc etc. They may not be the first to recieve games but if that doesn't bother ya... the mac is unrivaled. If you have lots of mp3's-- itunes has ur back same with iphoto. If you are into video and music compostition-- imovie, idvd, and garageband are right for you. All in all... they are better machines that are better performers and better looking.
Happy shopping,
Joe
Well, I'm mainly going to be using it just for papers, internet surfing, and listening to music. I'd actually like to get into video editing later on down the road. I've got a butt load of photos and more will come I'm sure so iphoto will be quite nice to have. I'm not really going to be pushing it to the limit but I'm considering it because 1. spyware is pissing me off 2. no known viruses 3. much more stable from what I've heard. This Cram and Jam deal is really what got me heavily considering the Pbook. I've wanted an Ipod for years but never could bring myself to spending $300 on one and $70 is mighty tempting. The ipod isn't the only reason I'm considering the powebook but it is helping the decision out quite a bit.
Thanks for the quick response guys.
Thanks for the quick response guys.
If you have the option of gettinf a free laptop and you choose a Compaq over a Powerbook, I feel bad for you. You will regret that decision every damn day you use your PC.
I'm writing this on an iBook, and am on the f***ing waiting list for a 2.5 G5. To put this in perspective, a year ago at this time I had never seriously used an apple, and thought they were a joke. By the end of this month I will have (hopefully):
iBook 500
2.5 Ghz G5 PowerMac
20" Aluminum Display
40gig personalized iPod
Klipsch Speakers
A Whole in my wallet
Countless hours of work and sleep lost to MACRUMORS.
So just to warn you, Macs can be addictive, but I vastly prefer this to being a schmuck on a Windows machine. Don't follow the dark path, forever will it dominate your life...
I'm writing this on an iBook, and am on the f***ing waiting list for a 2.5 G5. To put this in perspective, a year ago at this time I had never seriously used an apple, and thought they were a joke. By the end of this month I will have (hopefully):
iBook 500
2.5 Ghz G5 PowerMac
20" Aluminum Display
40gig personalized iPod
Klipsch Speakers
A Whole in my wallet
Countless hours of work and sleep lost to MACRUMORS.
So just to warn you, Macs can be addictive, but I vastly prefer this to being a schmuck on a Windows machine. Don't follow the dark path, forever will it dominate your life...
smurfsgonewild said:
Get a Mac. If you do anything media related, you'll really appreciate it. Most people who I've spoken to agree that Mac is the way to go for anything media - photo, video, graphic design, audio... maybe one or two stubborn folk who preferred PCs, but they're just silly and we'll ignore them.
Macs come with the free media software, and if you ever wanted to get more advanced, you have plenty of options.
iPhoto definitely is handy.
I prefer my Mac for casual use like this. The OS is more enjoyable to me than Windoze. I like iTunes for music. I like Safari for surfing (sorry, mozilla fanatics. i'm not cool like you). My PC just isn't as cool as my Mac.smurfsgonewild said:
But, mainly for the media, get the powerbook.
I've read that Applecare is purchasable at anytime within a year and I'll still be covered by it. I can't remember if I read it here or not. That'd be a great money saver for awhile anyway. If I wait, can I still get the education discount on it or will i have to wait until the next academic year? And also, why is Applecare for the powerbook so expensive? Sorry for all the questions but thanks again for the help.
smurfsgonewild said:
Applecare you can buy a whole year, Applecare is expensive for a powerbook because a powerbook is expensive
Put it this way, I used to think Macs were some sort of cult thing best avoided...and I was right. Once you buy, you'll be chanting with us everytime Stevie gets up on stage!
Seriously, without the fanboi rant, I didn't know computing could feel like fun again until I took the leap. Don't get me wrong, your experience wont be 100% perfect (nothing is), but when I come home from work having been on a PC all day, I only cuss and curse all the time wishing I had a job using a Mac.
Here's a typical day at work:
"Damn. Bloody windows, why cant I have Expose to get back to the desktop!? I can't see the app I want?"
"What? You mean there's a virus on my machine? I didn't do anything!"
"Where did you say that network setting was again? Under what?"
"Whaddya mean it's easy? I dont spend my time learning all this geek crap!"
You can have the features that Longhorn will copy from OS X now or wait 2 years and hope it's half as good. To me thats more of a risk that simply taking the plunge. Join the light.
Seriously, without the fanboi rant, I didn't know computing could feel like fun again until I took the leap. Don't get me wrong, your experience wont be 100% perfect (nothing is), but when I come home from work having been on a PC all day, I only cuss and curse all the time wishing I had a job using a Mac.
Here's a typical day at work:
"Damn. Bloody windows, why cant I have Expose to get back to the desktop!? I can't see the app I want?"
"What? You mean there's a virus on my machine? I didn't do anything!"
"Where did you say that network setting was again? Under what?"
"Whaddya mean it's easy? I dont spend my time learning all this geek crap!"
You can have the features that Longhorn will copy from OS X now or wait 2 years and hope it's half as good. To me thats more of a risk that simply taking the plunge. Join the light.
All I can tell you is that if you go with the Mac you will not be disappointed. i was in your shoes less than a month ago when I was one step away from buying an HP. My advice (from a lifetime Windows user) is to take a look at both computers (side by side for a real dramatic effect) and, no question about it, you will pick the Apple. Powerbooks are quality machines, easy and a joy to use! I have had mine for only 2 days and am absolutely amazed.
First off if you will be listening to any music, or doing any kind of photo editing, iTunes and iPhoto can't be beat. With iTunes its a breeze to import songs from your favorite CDs to your Powerbook, or simply just play a song while watching the visualizer.
iPhoto is very easy to use. I love my digital camera but the software it came with was horrible. I can't tell you how many hours I spent trying to install it on my PC initially and many random times after when XP claimed it "didn't recognize the device." With my PB, it couldn't be any easier! I simply plug in my camera (no software required!!) and iPhoto recognizes my pictures. My favorite feature is the slideshow which plays photos in my albums synced to my favorite songs.
I've watched tons of DVDs on my PB simply because the crystal clear screen makes them a joy to re experience.
I just ordered Office 2004 so I can get some more *ahem* productive work done. And if, like me, you'll be doing a lot of typing, the PB keyboard is very comfortable (and the backlit feature is just so cool). I don't even mind the trackpad (with only one button!) which I thought I would hate.
The thing that makes the most difference is that the people at Apple pay attention to details. I've never had a computer where I've been almost hypnotized by the screensavers!
Go with the Powerbook and you'll never be disappointed!
Good Luck
First off if you will be listening to any music, or doing any kind of photo editing, iTunes and iPhoto can't be beat. With iTunes its a breeze to import songs from your favorite CDs to your Powerbook, or simply just play a song while watching the visualizer.
iPhoto is very easy to use. I love my digital camera but the software it came with was horrible. I can't tell you how many hours I spent trying to install it on my PC initially and many random times after when XP claimed it "didn't recognize the device." With my PB, it couldn't be any easier! I simply plug in my camera (no software required!!) and iPhoto recognizes my pictures. My favorite feature is the slideshow which plays photos in my albums synced to my favorite songs.
I've watched tons of DVDs on my PB simply because the crystal clear screen makes them a joy to re experience.
I just ordered Office 2004 so I can get some more *ahem* productive work done. And if, like me, you'll be doing a lot of typing, the PB keyboard is very comfortable (and the backlit feature is just so cool). I don't even mind the trackpad (with only one button!
) which I thought I would hate.The thing that makes the most difference is that the people at Apple pay attention to details. I've never had a computer where I've been almost hypnotized by the screensavers!
Go with the Powerbook and you'll never be disappointed!
Good Luck
to chime in, i was in the same situation you were, i was really stressing about spending the cold hard cash on the powerbook, and it has been the best thing i have ever done. i have never been more creative in my life. i make imovies of my kid and make dvd's with slideshows and whatnot that make everyone think that i am an genius. if they only knew!
you will like the powerbook, the only thing i use my pc for nowadays is for games, and i am way more productive at home then i ever was with my pc.
no spyware, no viruses, my information is secure. and if you are a unix fanboi like i am the terminal window is awesome to.
owning a mac is finally understanding that a computer is an extension of you and allows you to make the most out of everything.
you will like the powerbook, the only thing i use my pc for nowadays is for games, and i am way more productive at home then i ever was with my pc.
no spyware, no viruses, my information is secure. and if you are a unix fanboi like i am the terminal window is awesome to.
owning a mac is finally understanding that a computer is an extension of you and allows you to make the most out of everything.
What ever what pc people may say, if you ever want to do video editing, you have to have a mac! Period. Final Cut is the best software there is, hands down. And with the core image library in Tiger, its going to be even more ridiculous: render time = 0 for the most popular Fx in video, this is insanely powerfull! Same thing with photos.
Now to compare the 2 laptops: I think the PB has a better screen and aspect ratio (not sure about that one), its not made out of plastic and looks awesome. On the software part, OSX is incredibly supperior to anything availlable on the PC side. With all the people bragging about OSX, dont you think there must be some truth about it?
Not having to fear virus is a great thing too, gives a lot of peace of mind for people like me who are computer expert/ultra paranoid and never open anything when working on a win machine.
My only regret about my laptop is that its a laptop, if I knew how much video work I would be doing, I would have taken a dual G5. But thats a different subject.
Good luck!
Now to compare the 2 laptops: I think the PB has a better screen and aspect ratio (not sure about that one), its not made out of plastic and looks awesome. On the software part, OSX is incredibly supperior to anything availlable on the PC side. With all the people bragging about OSX, dont you think there must be some truth about it?
Not having to fear virus is a great thing too, gives a lot of peace of mind for people like me who are computer expert/ultra paranoid and never open anything when working on a win machine.
My only regret about my laptop is that its a laptop, if I knew how much video work I would be doing, I would have taken a dual G5. But thats a different subject.
Good luck!
OMG there's no comparison! POWERBOOK
I'm on one right now, you won't be disappointed...
unless you get a...*blech*...Compaq (they still make those?)
I'm on one right now, you won't be disappointed...
unless you get a...*blech*...Compaq (they still make those?)
If you are into pictures as a hobby, then iPhoto is for you. It can hold up to 10,000 pictures. Very easy to organize. It also allows you to some basic work to correct errors in a picture.
Yes a PowerBook is expensive, but you get what you pay for. I don't think you will ever be sorry with a Mac.
If you live close to an Apple Store preferably or a reseller, then by all means visit and take a test drive.
Yes a PowerBook is expensive, but you get what you pay for. I don't think you will ever be sorry with a Mac.
If you live close to an Apple Store preferably or a reseller, then by all means visit and take a test drive.
smurfsgonewild said:
You can buy Applecare with your educational discount at any time while your computer is still covered by the limited warranty.
Powerbook Applecare is more expensive because laptops are more problematic, more expensive to maintain, and more difficult to service.
Compaq & HP computers, in general, are a joke. This doesn't come from my Apple loving side, this comes from my extensive previous experience with wintel machines. Say what you want about Dell, but compaq and HP are really a complete joke. I'd choose Dell over compaq or hp any day, and now I'd choose an Apple over all of them (and I did!).
If you honestly have a choice between a Compaq and a Powerbook, you would be doing yourself a serious disservice gettin the compaq. Ack, so many things wrong with getting a compaq, please just trust me.
If you honestly have a choice between a Compaq and a Powerbook, you would be doing yourself a serious disservice gettin the compaq. Ack, so many things wrong with getting a compaq, please just trust me.
watch your step.
Mac is addictive, a year ago I was a hard core PC user, I got a 17" powerbook. Now my life has turned mac, I have a G5, soon to be new displays, and a few other things (ipod and isight) and every day I use my computer I just think about how much more I like apple..
That being said, I might call buying the powerbook the single best descision I have ever made.
Mac is addictive, a year ago I was a hard core PC user, I got a 17" powerbook. Now my life has turned mac, I have a G5, soon to be new displays, and a few other things (ipod and isight) and every day I use my computer I just think about how much more I like apple..
That being said, I might call buying the powerbook the single best descision I have ever made.
Alright, well, I'm officially taking the plunge tomorrow. I've decided to get a 15" Pbook, stock except for the 5400rpm hd. I'm probally gonna order 2-512 sticks of ram from crucial with the $200 I'll be gettting back from the ipod. Oh yeah, and I"m gonna get a 15gig ipod. Well, I'll let you guys know when I get it all in. Thanks again for the help guys.
smurfsgonewild said:
You might throw in the video upgrade just because its such a small jump. But you picked the right one, the drive is important all around.
-jim