My HD in my 550 sounds AWFUl. wuuuUUUUUMMmmmm wuuuUUUUUmmmm. Boots into OS 8 in 30 secs, so its not too bad.
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Post your Best And Worst Apple machines!
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Best: G4 cube, beautiful machine, even if it was overpriced and underpowered.
Worst: Pretty much any Apple polycarbonate cinema display. Though they look awesome, whoever designed the back kickstand needed to do a lot more testing on the force they could withstand.
Worst: Pretty much any Apple polycarbonate cinema display. Though they look awesome, whoever designed the back kickstand needed to do a lot more testing on the force they could withstand.
Experience
I've personally owned two fully functional Apple computers, and I don't think either one qualifies as "best". They were good, but not that good, and each one was uniquely annoying, yet kind of interesting in its own way.
"Best" Apple computer: Core2Duo MacBook BlackNotPro - Core2Duo meant decent performance and Windows 8 ran like a breeze on it, but the thing got uncomfortably warm when it was working hard (so much that if I was sitting down, I had to shift the whole computer over to my right leg so that my left leg could cool off), the keyboard's key collection was "sparse" to say the least, and the trackpad was lacking a right click button. I traded up to a ThinkPad tablet and never looked back.
Worst Apple computer: PowerMac G5 - Coolest looking computer I've ever owned, unfortunately, it was all looks with nothing to show for it. Performance was subpar at best, software selection on PowerPC architecture is piss poor, connectivity was downright mediocre (3 USB ports, 1 display connection, no real microphone hookup), and OSX mouse acceleration was/is an unbearable hindrance to my productivity. This computer is currently for sale locally and has also been replaced by the ThinkPad tablet (twice the performance with almost a tenth of the power consumption, superior portability, and better connectivity to boot).
I've personally owned two fully functional Apple computers, and I don't think either one qualifies as "best". They were good, but not that good, and each one was uniquely annoying, yet kind of interesting in its own way.
"Best" Apple computer: Core2Duo MacBook BlackNotPro - Core2Duo meant decent performance and Windows 8 ran like a breeze on it, but the thing got uncomfortably warm when it was working hard (so much that if I was sitting down, I had to shift the whole computer over to my right leg so that my left leg could cool off), the keyboard's key collection was "sparse" to say the least, and the trackpad was lacking a right click button. I traded up to a ThinkPad tablet and never looked back.
Worst Apple computer: PowerMac G5 - Coolest looking computer I've ever owned, unfortunately, it was all looks with nothing to show for it. Performance was subpar at best, software selection on PowerPC architecture is piss poor, connectivity was downright mediocre (3 USB ports, 1 display connection, no real microphone hookup), and OSX mouse acceleration was/is an unbearable hindrance to my productivity. This computer is currently for sale locally and has also been replaced by the ThinkPad tablet (twice the performance with almost a tenth of the power consumption, superior portability, and better connectivity to boot).
Like every Apple laptop since the mid-2000s(possibly earlier) you have access to the secondary click by taping the trackpad with two finger.
The two finger tap is second nature to me as I've been doing it that way for so long. In fact, when I have to use a Windows laptop these days, I have to make a conscious effort to not do this when I need to right click.
Most of my co-workers are not native English speakers, and I've had a lot of request this past week to proofread documents for them(several are about to graduate and are applying for jobs). Of course, as a native Kentuckian, I'm not exactly sure I count as a native English speaker, but that's beside the point
In any case, I was attempting to make corrections directly in Word on one person's Vaio laptop. I found myself constantly hitting the wrong keys due to the keyboard layout being somewhat different from what I was use to. It was a Qwerty keyboard, but the size and shape of many of the modifier threw the key placement off just enough that it made me constantly hit the wrong key. I'm sure if I used the laptop every day, I'd be able to use it just as efficiently as I can use a Macbook/Macbook Pro/Powerbook/iBook.
Again, it's all in what you're use to.
Trackpad
Must be. I got used to it, but it was still a constant cycle of reminding myself and others "okay, you right click by left clicking while touching two of your other fingers on the trackpad and hoping that the mouse doesn't move around on you while you're doing it".
Must be. I got used to it, but it was still a constant cycle of reminding myself and others "okay, you right click by left clicking while touching two of your other fingers on the trackpad and hoping that the mouse doesn't move around on you while you're doing it".
Or enable "tap to click" and just tap two fingers on the trackpad at the same time.
Trackpads-both on PCs and Macs-have improved a whole lot since they became mainstream. My first laptop was a Compaq Armada 4130T, and the touchpad on it was about the size of two postage stamps. It was also incredibly sensitive(moving your finger about an inch would move the cursor all the way across the screen), and unlike modern pads the sensitivity was not speed dependent. I used it enough that I was quite accurate with it, but no one else could use it(something which suited me just fine). The learning curve for me was very steep. Although the computer still works, I use it rarely enough now that I pretty much have to use a mouse to have any hope of doing anything with it. In any case, the buttons on that pad were tiny and almost an afterthought, so I got into the habit of tapping to click back then, and still haven't broken the habit.
My Macbook Pro is the only trackpad that I regularly "click", but that's because the whole(or at least all but the top half inch or so) will click. I have to say I'm convinced that the current generation "buttonless" Apple trackpads are the best I've ever used-I just wish that the Magic Trackpad would work under Leopard so all of us PowerPC users could benefit from it.
Tracking
I couldn't find that option, but I usually turn off "tap to click" of all kinds on every trackpad that I use anyway because of the amount of frustration it causes.
For sure. Some are better than others though. My Lenovo's trackpad is pretty small, but if I turn the sensitivity up as far as it'll go, it is fantastic (one of the best I've ever used). I've also used laptops with huge trackpads that sucked bad. The size of the trackpad doesn't necessarily mean anything. Texture is critical too - trackpads that have just the perfect texture allow your finger to fly across it quickly and accurately.
I couldn't find that option, but I usually turn off "tap to click" of all kinds on every trackpad that I use anyway because of the amount of frustration it causes.
For sure. Some are better than others though. My Lenovo's trackpad is pretty small, but if I turn the sensitivity up as far as it'll go, it is fantastic (one of the best I've ever used). I've also used laptops with huge trackpads that sucked bad. The size of the trackpad doesn't necessarily mean anything. Texture is critical too - trackpads that have just the perfect texture allow your finger to fly across it quickly and accurately.
I agree on texture.
For a while, there was a trend in PC laptops(or at least cheap ones) to have the trackpad flush with the palm rests and only distinguish the sensitive area by a different texture(roughly the same as 150 grit sandpaper
). Even worse with those is that, with use, the texture rubs off and tends to leave a smooth, shiny spot that is often a different color than the rest of the palm rest. Once again, I'll hold up the current generation Apple trackpads as being the gold standard as far as texture goes. I've heard them called a "glass" trackpad. I'm not actually sure what the material is, but it smooth enough that your finger glides easily over it with almost no resistance. There is just enough resistance, however, to give tactile feedback and keep your finger from skating out of control.
The ones on older Powerbooks and MBPs were nearly as good, but just a bit more "grippy" than the current ones.
The (polycarbonate)iBook/Macbook pads aren't bad either, but are a bit more rough than either the Powerbook or current MBP track pad.
I have one of those on an Asus. I hate it, too, all the more because otherwise the notebook is pretty good for a cheap one.