Time for a change...or is it?

[katallozi]

Im sure some of you have heard this a million times but yes i have been using windows all my life and quite like it. Its time for a new laptop and i was thinking of going Mac. However there are two problems i have with them

1. theyre expensive
2. and they aren't good for games

So if i was to get the new MBP i would install win7 on it purely for games, but the new MBP's aren't really good for games. So then why should i get a mac? ive been tossing this question around my brain for months but just cant decide, im weary about changing in case i end up not really liking it.

and before people start telling me it doesnt get viruses or have OS problems; ive had my dell (yes dell) laptop for 6 years, never had os problems (xp and then vista) but it still manages (miraculously) to play age of empires 3 (lowest settings of course).

so heres my questions:

• why mac?
• will it be able to handle games like gta iv or tdu2?
• will windows run well on it?
• should i just get a windows laptop?

thanks in advance.
Art.

 

[TheHoff]

Not good for games? Maybe the lower ends; but get the high-end 15 or the 17 and you'll be fine. Most modern games are > 30fps on high with those and the 1GB card. If you really want the best gaming at native res, get the high-end 15 with the normal res screen.

They are expensive but they are also among the fastest laptops around right now, even running Windows. Combine that with the great stuff you only get on a Mac like the unbeatable glass trackpad and OS X and you'll love it. I was Windows for 23 years since DOS 2.1, too.

 

[dagamer34]

If gaming is a main function of the computer you are buying, get a PC. Don't fiddle with a Mac. You'll end up trading GPU power for battery life, and most of those people don't need 7 hrs compared to 3 if it they don't need to be mobile using the battery for long.

 

[v66jack]

When I first switched to Mac I had the same concerns, but since then haven't looked back. I've never met anyone who wishes they stayed with windows after the switch.

Yes they are quite expensive in comparison, but its not until you start using the machines day in day out that you really notice the difference, and you'll find that they are worth the extra money.

I'm not a huge gamer, but I do a little bit and my MBP works just fine for me.

 

[alust2013]

If you're into gaming and don't mind Windows, honestly I'd just stick with it. They are far better suited to gaming, although Macs are getting better. Plus it's less expensive, especially if you'll be using Windows a considerable amount of time anyhow. That said, Macs are wonderful machines, and I plan on sticking with them unless they do something stupid to the OS.

 

[gp1699]

iv had this macbook for 6 year now and its till running as good as the first time it was switched on! however im now thinking of upgrading as i need a bigger hard drive!

 

[katallozi]

thanks for all your help so far. as gaming isnt my main function and i have a xbox and powerful desktop i think i may go for the low end 13". i just dont feel comfortable yet with switching, i wish i had one to play around with for a couple of days.

 

[apolloa]

I think you need to read some other threads on here regarding gamming. But to sum it up the latest top spec 15" MB Pro will give you astounding games performance especially when you consider it's size. What resolution you get is your choice but for games I would say the standard res screen is better. Others would say the higher res.

Anyway a geekbench score of over 11000 in OSX is not to be sniffed at!

Other advatnages are the best case design on the market, VERY solid and durable, great compact size, good battery life, Magsafe, thunderbolt, OSX being easy to use and powerful.

 

[snaky69]

thanks for all your help so far. as gaming isnt my main function and i have a xbox and powerful desktop i think i may go for the low end 13". i just dont feel comfortable yet with switching, i wish i had one to play around with for a couple of days.

I've been using windows since win 95, switched to OS X in 2008. Now I cringe when I need to get on a windows box. Win7 is a great OS, but it does nothing OS X can't do, and apart from games and some software, there isn't much that doesn't run on a Mac.

Not any good for games? Define good. IMO gaming on a laptop is stupid, a proper setup will cost twice what a decent desktop would, and you're left with a 15lbs brick of a laptop to carry around.

Battery life is awesome, I'm an engineering student, our books are thick and heavy, the less stuff I stick in my backpack, the better my life is, the power supply stays home.

 

[bastienvans]

I don't understand people that buy laptops to play video games. It's so much cheaper to build a kick ass rig for gaming. Laptops were made for mobility, not for desktop computing. Unless one plans on gaming at Starbucks, I don't see it.

 

[katallozi]

Unless one plans on gaming at Starbucks, I don't see it.

haha thats true but im not going to be using my laptop out my home much apart from Uni and holidays

 

[snaky69]

haha thats true but im not going to be using my laptop out my home much apart from Uni and holidays

Then the most intelligent thing is getting a laptop that meets your computing power needs and battery life expectations, and building a nice desktop rig for the gaming.

 

[Boe11]

As a fellow long time PC gamer/builder who recently went mac, I can offer my 2 cents. BTW, aoe2 > aoe3 AoC4life

I originally purchased a mac because I needed to learn final cut pro. After purchasing a mac, I realized just how much I appreciated the form and function of the hardware and software compared to the laptops I'd owned in the past(several windows laptops over the years)

Can a macbook pro play games? Sure. The high end 15 and 17 are especially equipped these days to play any mainstream games with pleasing settings. That being said, it should be obvious not to expect the performance of a desktop gaming machine.

Is OSX the magical operating system that every says it is? It's good. If you're going from vista to os10 you'll probably be in love. In all honestly, windows really got their **** together with w7 so IMHO there isn't a huge gap between it and os10. I like some things better about w7 and some things better about os10. Windows works perfectly on the macs I've had, and I've ran it on an air/pro/iMac in the past year.

Is a mac worth the extra price? Maybe. It really depends on you. If I didn't need final cut pro, I can't really say whether or not I'd be able to justify the cost. My guess would be no.

Macbook pros(again, the high end models especially) are very impressive performers, look incredible, function intuitively, hold their value very well, and make you a 40% better person (not really).

If you want a laptop that can do it all and last you a few years, and don't mind paying for it, go for a macbook pro. If you're tentative and think you might have buyer's remorse from such an expensive item, you'd probably be just as happy with a far less expensive windows alternative.

Good luck

 

[lukta]

thanks for all your help so far. as gaming isnt my main function and i have a xbox and powerful desktop i think i may go for the low end 13". i just dont feel comfortable yet with switching, i wish i had one to play around with for a couple of days.

I have both! I encountered your situation a while back and got the white macbook and had a dedicated PC desktop. I would recommend JUST getting the apple if if can run the game(s) you play without having to bootcamp windows onto the computer. Many games are mac compatible, but I don't know what you play.

There is a learning curve, but unless you're my 67 year old grandma who can't work her ipod nano then I think you can catch on. And if you can't then the people here can help you out. I got the top end 15 inch for gaming(starcraft 2) and video editing. Heck, I just needed a computer, mine are like 5 years old! Hope this helps.

I don't understand people that buy laptops to play video games. It's so much cheaper to build a kick ass rig for gaming. Laptops were made for mobility, not for desktop computing. Unless one plans on gaming at Starbucks, I don't see it.

This isn't necessarily true. My brother just built a PC and it cost him about the same as my new 15 inch macbook. It's just user preference. I can use my macbook for more casual things as well without having to listen to six 120mm fans blaring.

 

[billgates99]

[*]why mac?

try OSX out, borrow a friend's MBP for a few hours, see if you like it more than windows. if not, probably not worth it for your situation.

[*]will it be able to handle games like gta iv or tdu2?

not likely at high detail settings, 1920x1080 or 1920x1200. at lower resolutions and lower detail settings, should be fine

[*]will windows run well on it?

yes except sometimes you might have trouble finding certain drivers

[*]should i just get a windows laptop?

in your situation I think so, or perhaps build a cheap windows gaming desktop and get an MBA or low end 13" MBP

 

[NJRonbo]

Oh, I was like you not so many years ago....

Bought big, expensive Windows PCs. Had
problems with a custom built job from Velocity
Micro despite the fact I paid $4k for the computer.

It was at that point I decided I wanted to try Mac.

....but at the time, many were brainwashed into
thinking that you shouldn't go Mac.

Well, I did. And I immediately loved it so much that
I talked at least 8 co-workers into switching from a
PC to a MAC. I don't think you could pay any of us
enough to go back to Windows.

Mac is a superior experience. Yes, it's expensive
but you get what you pay for. The things you will
do on your Mac and the absense of any Windows
problems will quickly remind you that you made the
right choice.

 

[katallozi]

i use imac's at school for media and theyre decent i guess. i have to say this is one of the best forums on the internet, all the help has been great and its only been a couple of hours so now im just gona decide between an i5 13" and a dell/hp and yes i have realised it is personal choice but considering im love video editing and garage band seems cool i might turn mac

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Just keep in mind that a Mac is not a low-end PC. A Mac is equivalent to a high end Dell XPS system. If you spend less than $800 on a PC, expect a mac to seriously "p0wn" it.

Most people don't spend $3000 on their Dell Laptop, but, if you do compare a $3000 Dell Latitude system to a 17" MBP, you'll find that they're rather similar.

 

[deeesea]

Don't drop 2 grand on a MBP if gaming is your priority.
Don't drop 2 grand on a Dell/HP laptop if gaming is your priority.

Don't drop 2 grand on ANY laptop and use it for gaming. It's just not worth it, spend the money on a quality gaming rig, and get yourself a laptop that will satisfy all your computing needs apart from the gaming of course. a 750 dollar desktop is enough to handle all the games you want it to for now, also it's good for upgrading in the future.

It seems that you haven't really found any serious reasons for you to switch to OSX. Windows is treating you fine, you aren't getting viruses and it's running stable for you. Just make sure you don't get a OSX machine because everyone else is doing it, or "it looks cool", that's just poor financial management.

There are a number of great reasons to use OSX, but if none of them apply to your life then don't force it

 

[billgates99]

i use imac's at school for media and theyre decent i guess. i have to say this is one of the best forums on the internet, all the help has been great and its only been a couple of hours so now im just gona decide between an i5 13" and a dell/hp and yes i have realised it is personal choice but considering im love video editing and garage band seems cool i might turn mac

You mentioned (1) video editing and (2) gaming.

If you are serious about those, your best solution is to build a cheap and powerful windows desktop. Check some components on newegg, ideally an i7-2600k or 2500, 8-16GB+ RAM, P67 mobo, NVIDIA GTX 470 or better if you can afford it. The top tier NVIDIA gaming cards provide GPU acceleration for Adobe CS5 premiere, after effects and photoshop. And there are loads of free or cheap windows alternatives to Garage Band.

The high end 15" MBP, fully loaded with the most expensive options, is still not going to be a great machine for gaming or video editing.

I have no idea what your budget is, but it will certainly work out a lot cheaper for you if you go with a windows desktop for editing and gaming and get a thin, portable laptop for less intensive tasks like notes, writing reports, etc., for example MBA, MB or used/refurb 2010 or 2009 13" MBP.