Thinking about getting a Macbook...

Tute

Tute

Tute

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Hey all.

Just wanted some opinions really. I recently acquired some funds to spend on a new laptop. As i've been a PC user all my life, i've been looking at giving a Macbook a go in order to learn to use MacOS X.

I'm planning on waiting until the 18th to see what happens with the new models, but in the meantime I have some questions.

Now, first thing I notice is the price. It's not a problem as I have a budget of about £1k, but I don't want to waste money unnecessarily. I was wondering what sets a Macbook apart from, say, a normal PC laptop at about half the price.

Obviously it's a Mac, but what about build quality, support, and the like? Is the extra cost justified?

And also, what are the Macbooks like to game on? It'll be primarily used for work, but I want to be able to do some light gaming on it as well. Is the integrated chip any good with older games like WC3, RA2, etc and will I be able to play these games on a Mac without too much hassle?

Thanks.
 
peter_hutson said:
Hi There,
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Gibbo? :p

When comparing Apple laptops with more generic machines, you have to be quite careful exactly what you're comparing. For example the differences between the likes of Dell are massive. But then again you would expect it to be. But to be fair, I think you need to compare with the better quality manufacturers like Toshiba, Sony etc.
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So you would consider Apple to be up there with the "big" players in terms of build quality then?

The primary difference between a mac and a generic laptop to me is the OS and the benefits associated with it. The difference in build quality with the likes of Toshiba is minimal. Dell is a different case, but then again you get what you pay for. Support with Apple is excellent, I have had a couple of problems and they have been resolved quickly and efficiently. You will always hear of horror stories, but in general support is an area where Apple excel.
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Well obviously there's MacOS, but I wanted something more than that to justify the price. I don't mind spending extra if it means the laptop will stand the test of time more. I've had normal laptops before and all sorts has gone wrong with them.

As for gaming, the macbook GPU is very underpowered. You should be fine with older games, but this is certainly an area that many owners are unhappy with.
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Fair enough, i've heard that there might be a dedicated GPU appearing in the high end Macbooks with the refresh, so i'll wait and see what happens. If not, i'll have to re-evaluate if it's worth going to the Pro.

Only you can decide if the extra cost is worth it, as it depends on your needs and is subjective. For me being able to use OSX, good support and build quality justify the difference.
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Fair enough.

Thanks. :)
 
Prime said:
Would i buy one again, yes but not at the price they are charging for it!
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Well this is confusing. You're saying how great the Macbook is, but you're then saying you wouldn't pay the price Apple are asking! :p
 
Anybody got any ideas what the planned upgrades will be?

I assume as they're only 13" that the smallest Macbooks won't have anything too beefy in terms of graphics performance - something like an nVidia 9200/9300 mobile?
 
Is it better to get it from an Apple store or from the website?

If I get it in the shop is it often the case that I can take it home with me?
 
peter_hutson said:
The advantage of getting it on the web is you can get a build to order model. If you just want a stock one than there is no point really. Mind you at least 1 high street store does five you a 2 year guarantee for free, though you would not then be able to benefit from any education discounts.
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Depends which is better value for money really. I want a nice good guarantee with it anyway, so that if there's a problem I can just get it sorted quickly.

What about accessories? I'd like an external mouse - is the Apple mouse any good?

Also what about a case for it? A friend of mine who i've not seen for a while had a case for his made out of that stuff that they use to make wetsuits (not sure what it's called) and it was a good snug fit and seemed to protect the Macbook.
 
Maccy said:
Yup I'm still using mine and it's doing great :)
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Good good.

Just posting from a MacPro now at uni (trying to get used to using OS X). There are a few little things that i'm struggling with, I keep clicking expecting a "Start" button for one. :o
 
I assume the dock can grow to the length of the desktop? I think i'll just put my most used applications on mine.
 
If it clogs is it hard to clean it?

And surely if the scrollball stops altogether you just take it back? I was looking at the prices in the Apple shop and i'm not paying £50 for a wireless BT mouse unless there's some kind of guarantee that it's going to last! :p
 
Still undecided about the mouse, but I have a couple of questions.

I've downloaded MSN Messenger for Mac and it works fine at home, albeit what I would consider a bit slow and clunky. But it won't sign in at University. I think it's to do with their network as I can sign in using Webmessenger.

What would you all suggest? Persist with MSN Messenger, or switch to a different client?
 
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