Mac questions

[Totality]

Thinking about going for a macbook (if only to see what they are like!) because I do a lot of travelling and fancy something functional but also something I can watch films on too.

This may be a silly question - but can you view divx, etc on them? Are they like PCs in that you can simply install the codecs or are they all locked down?

 

[artaxerxes]

VLC will play everything and is available for PC, Mac and Linux

Perian, a freeware extension will allow Quicktime (Mac native playback app) to play pretty much everything too.

Divx will be fine. MKV, pretty much everything, and ultimately Flip4Mac will allow WMV too.

 

[Totality]

VLC will play everything and is available for PC, Mac and Linux

Perian, a freeware extension will allow Quicktime (Mac native playback app) to play pretty much everything too.

Divx will be fine. MKV, pretty much everything, and ultimately Flip4Mac will allow WMV too.

Cheers. Although I have just realised that macbooks have a built in battery so you can't take a spare with you How easy is it to replace if it goes wrong or does the laptop need to go back to Apple?

 

[Maccy]

Cheers. Although I have just realised that macbooks have a built in battery so you can't take a spare with you How easy is it to replace if it goes wrong or does the laptop need to go back to Apple?

It's very unlikely there will be a problem with the battery but if there is then you can book in a Genius Bar appointment to get it changed or go to any authorised Apple repair company. I've done both (had a problem with plastic cracking and then dvd drive breaking), and both were very quick and easy

 

[Totality]

What about the shiny plastic? Is it prone to scratching and looking run down after a lot of use like the back of an iphone?

 

[geekyEd]

my sisters is now over 3 years old and doesn't look too bad, its only prone to scratching if you treat it poorly.

You have to remember an iphone sits in your pocket 50% of the day along wth anything else you might keep in there.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

What about the shiny plastic? Is it prone to scratching and looking run down after a lot of use like the back of an iphone?

My father has a 2006 white MacBook and apart from the usual wear and tear it looks pretty good.

I'm not saying it's perfect but a bit of foam cleaner and some elbow grease and it comes up well. The scratches aren't that apparent because it's a white, but he doesn't keep it in a sleeve or case either, so I dare say it's probably more pronounced than if you looked after it.