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Thinking about switching sooner than originally planned.

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xiaoyu04

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 24, 2006
69
0
Merced, CA
So I originally planned to wait for a MBP rev 2. However, I have a chance to sell my current PC laptop so I'm thinking about getting a MB now until rev2 MBP comes out along with leopard. My question dillema is:

1. I don't live anywhere close to an Apple Store, so I won't be able to get help or repairs done by going to a store.

2. I still hear about case discoloration and random shut down issues on the MB, is this still a major issue or does it occur only in a small percentage of MB's?

3. Is macmall a good place to order from? I have a choice between Macmall or the online apple store with edu discount, but macmall has a 9.99 offer for parallels and a free laser printer.

4. What is recommended in terms of protection for the MB? I know the iskin is nice for the keyboard, but are there any other recommended protection I should get for it to prevent scratching, etc.

5. I want to get 2GB of ram for the MB, however, I'm not sure if there was any recommended ram I should buy, since I have never bought ram for laptops before and I don't know the form, speed, etc.

6. Is there any other issues I should be aware of?

I've been reading the forums for the past two months now, and I can't wait to make the switch. Helpful inputs from everyone would be greatly appreciated :)
 
Personnaly, i think it takes longer if you have a local apple store attempt to fix it than calling them. I've done both and always it seemed like calling them and having them send me a box (which comes to your doorstep in like 5 mins lol) is a lot faster.
 
1. having a store nearby is helpful but it doesn't mean your repairs are any faster

2. i'm not too sure if it's still a problem

3. never ordered from macmall so i can't help you there

4. buy a good sleeve, iSkin and a good bag (LINK)

5. check to see if the RAM is compatible first.. don't just go for cheapest (LINK about RAM and places to get it)

6.none other that i'm aware of
 
xiaoyu04 said:
So I originally planned to wait for a MBP rev 2. However, I have a chance to sell my current PC laptop so I'm thinking about getting a MB now until rev2 MBP comes out along with leopard. My question dillema is:

1. I don't live anywhere close to an Apple Store, so I won't be able to get help or repairs done by going to a store.

2. I still hear about case discoloration and random shut down issues on the MB, is this still a major issue or does it occur only in a small percentage of MB's?

3. Is macmall a good place to order from? I have a choice between Macmall or the online apple store with edu discount, but macmall has a 9.99 offer for parallels and a free laser printer.

4. What is recommended in terms of protection for the MB? I know the iskin is nice for the keyboard, but are there any other recommended protection I should get for it to prevent scratching, etc.

5. I want to get 2GB of ram for the MB, however, I'm not sure if there was any recommended ram I should buy, since I have never bought ram for laptops before and I don't know the form, speed, etc.

6. Is there any other issues I should be aware of?

I've been reading the forums for the past two months now, and I can't wait to make the switch. Helpful inputs from everyone would be greatly appreciated :)
Click to expand...

### I wouldn't buy now, but... :)
Buy from smalldog.com
RAM from OWC (Other World Computing)
Many good bags / sleeves to choose from. I like Brenthaven.
I think most of the issues with the MBs have been fixed by now, but again...I wouldn't buy a yonah bacause I want to run Leopard and Maya in 64bit. Despite this, the MB is a damn sweet machine and I'm sure you will enjoy it. It's a MUCH better value than a MBP. Enjoy...
 
1. I don't live anywhere close to an Apple Store, so I won't be able to get help or repairs done by going to a store.

You can phone or online support if it's a software issue. If it's a hardware issue, I think you can go to an authorized reseller or just mail it to Apple support.

2. I still hear about case discoloration and random shut down issues on the MB, is this still a major issue or does it occur only in a small percentage of MB's?

I think it's fixed. Or at least from my personal experience, no discoloration or random shutdowns

3. Is macmall a good place to order from? I have a choice between Macmall or the online apple store with edu discount, but macmall has a 9.99 offer for parallels and a free laser printer.

MacMall is great. I bought my iBook G3 from them. They used to have even better promotions where they'd give you a big memory upgrade (which would be my preference), but Parallels and a printer are nice too.

4. What is recommended in terms of protection for the MB? I know the iskin is nice for the keyboard, but are there any other recommended protection I should get for it to prevent scratching, etc.

Hmm...never been an issue. I carry my MacBook in a Patagonia laptop backpack and that's been good enough for me.

5. I want to get 2GB of ram for the MB, however, I'm not sure if there was any recommended ram I should buy, since I have never bought ram for laptops before and I don't know the form, speed, etc.

Heh, you better be sure of what you're getting here!!! I believe it should be 144 pin and should be 667 MHz to maximize speed. But your best bet is to see what a Mac-centric store like MacMall is offering as an upgrade for the MacBook, and then try to find the same thing on a site like deals2buy.com that'll help you find the lowest online price.

6. Is there any other issues I should be aware of?

My MacBook is the best computer I've ever used, and that includes better than my Titanium Powerbook G4. You may not even find a reason to upgrade to the MBP so soon. So the only issues you should be aware of are: Hard drive and DVD burner. These are relatively pricey upgrades on the MacBook, so think hard on what your computing needs are. My decision was that 60 GB was good enough for me, and that a DVD burner wasn't necessary since I've had several computers with DVD burners already, and ended up not using them. My only upgrade was to buy a 1 GB stick of memory (forget from which website or else I'd tell you). My MacBook has been fantastic and 6 months after my purchase I'm still totally thrilled with it...
 
From the latest rumblings it seems updated Macbooks and MBPs should be out around Nov.1st. I've bought both at Apple stores and online. Any issues I've had have been to call up Applecare. Been to the stores for minor repairs but calling Applecare I think should be the first step. Plus like it was said if you need to send your machine out for repairs you get a shipping box mailed to you the next day.

RAM I've ordered extra through Crucial. It might be nice to get a keyboard cover and/or wristrest. My 3 yr old PB is a little scuffed up from watches, rings, and dirty hands.

I guess that's about it.
 
thanks

hey guys, thanks for the fast and detailed replies!

So, I am getting a MB mainly because my PC laptop is sort of crapping out on me and I am getting rid of it asap and I can't wait for MBP.

As for my computing needs, my logic is that I'd use externals for everything that doesn't need to be on the MB like videos, music, etc.

So my question is:

1.If i get the 2GB ram upgrade, will I be able to do some video editing, HD streaming and minor gaming(nothing to graphics intensive) without problems?

2.The ram from OWC, is it recommended? at 265 for 2gb it seems pretty close to the apple price for ram. I just need ram that's fast enough and reliable it doesn't have to be top notch. If there are any other suggestions where should I get them?

3.Just getting a sleeve for the MB should be fine right? I heard the MB's are actually quite durable.

4. For parallels, it says "Windows XP required" on the product description on macmall, but can I just use parallels to run linux or does it have to have windows? Also, what are experiences with parallels like? is it reliable and useful(doesn't run the virtual machines sluggishly)?

5. Does macbook support mini to DVI output or is it only mini to VGA?

Thanks again for the prompt answers!
 
Discoloration problem should be fixed for week 27 and later MBs
RSS should be fixed for week 38 or later MBs.
 
clevin said:
Discoloration problem should be fixed for week 27 and later MBs
RSS should be fixed for week 38 or later MBs.
Click to expand...
so if i order from macmall it should be no problem right? or where can i check to see what week it is?
 
macmall is good, but i dont think you can get applecare from them. you can also avoid tax through macmall.
 
Buying the correct RAM for your MacBook is easy.

Go to Datamem.com, OWC (macsales.com) or Crucial
and select your MacBook model.
You will automatically be taken to the correct lisitings.
 
so for the sleeves, i checked through the list. but I want a sleeve that just covers the macbook and protect it. no pockets or anything. Any suggestions?
 
black vs white?

so sorry if this has been mentioned before, but what is the difference between the blackbooks and the whitebooks in terms of performance? I recall an article doing benchmark tests and finding that blackbooks are slightly faster? Anyone have experience with this?
 
The BlackBook is popular mostly for cosmetic reasons with a matte black finish
compared to the white gloss finish that does show scratches and dirt as time goes on.

The BlackBook also comes standard with a larger HD.

To some people that extra $200.00 is well worth it.

Regardless of which machine you choose, your best performance gain comes from maxing out the RAM to 2 GB.

The best feature of the MacBook over the MBP is the ease of changing out
your hard drive for a larger storage unit.

The worst feature of the MacBook is the lack of dedicated VRAM and I
personally prefer the MBP's keyboard over the MacBook's.

If your primary applications depend on VRAM, then you may be better off buying
a refurbished 2.0 GHz or 2.16 GHz MBP.
 
FFTT said:
The BlackBook is popular mostly for cosmetic reasons with a matte black finish
compared to the white gloss finish that does show scratches and dirt as time goes on.

The BlackBook also comes standard with a larger HD.

To some people that extra $200.00 is well worth it.

Regardless of which machine you choose, your best performance gain comes from maxing out the RAM to 2 GB.

The best feature of the MacBook over the MBP is the ease of changing out
your hard drive for a larger storage unit.

The worst feature of the MacBook is the lack of dedicated VRAM and I
personally prefer the MBP's keyboard over the MacBook's.

If your primary applications depend on VRAM, then you may be better off buying
a refurbished 2.0 GHz or 2.16 GHz MBP.
Click to expand...

The thing is, im planning on giving this laptop later on as a gift to a family member and until then i might do some video editing on it. I was under the impression that if you had 2gb of ram the lack of dedicated vram shouldn't be as big of a problem? especially when i'm just editing videos not playing graphics intensive games?
 
In that case, by all means the MacBook will be FINE!

If I were buying right now, I'd probably go for the BlackBook refurb for $1299.00

Chances are 50/50 that you may end up with free extras depending on what the original purchaser ordered.
 
FFTT said:
In that case, by all means the MacBook will be FINE!

If I were buying right now, I'd probably go for the BlackBook refurb for $1299.00

Chances are 50/50 that you may end up with free extras depending on what the original purchaser ordered.
Click to expand...

cool, thanks for the help!

as for the macbook sleeves, are there any recommended ones? I want one that just protects the macbook, no extra pockets or anything.

Also, if I had to upgrade the ram, I would have to buy them in matched pairs right? And if so, is OWC better or Crucial better?
 
xiaoyu04 said:
cool, thanks for the help!

as for the macbook sleeves, are there any recommended ones? I want one that just protects the macbook, no extra pockets or anything.

Also, if I had to upgrade the ram, I would have to buy them in matched pairs right? And if so, is OWC better or Crucial better?
Click to expand...

I prefer OWC and Datamem.com for quality, warranty and price.

You can save a few bucks buying Crucial RAM through NewEgg, but they do not
guarantee Apple compatibility.
 
FFTT said:
I prefer OWC and Datamem.com for quality, warranty and price.

You can save a few bucks buying Crucial RAM through NewEgg, but they do not
guarantee Apple compatibility.
Click to expand...

It seems to me that the macbook ram is the same as the mbp's? So I could technically save my 2x256mb , put in 2gb then take it out for my mbp when i get one later on?
 
ALWAYS save your factory RAM DIMMS, just in case.

If your machine ever needs to go in for repair it is always best to re-install
your factory DIMMS, just to rule out any third party issues.

There is no warranty issue as long as you install Apple guaranteed 3rd party RAM, but if your repair is borderline under warranty, you want to reduce any chance
that they will deny the repair based on third party hardware.
 
xiaoyu04 said:
does the ibook incase sleeves work the same as the ones for the macbook?
Click to expand...

I'm thinking no, because the iBook isn't widescreen and the Macbook is, and the cases are pretty snug. But Apple sells Incase sleeves for the Macbook/Macbook Pro.
 
also,

are those "screen protectors" necessary? or will the iskin achieve the same effect since it prevents the keyboard from imprinting to the screen right?
 
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