New Apple Lust Objects

its pretty good tbh but annoyingly crippled in certain respects and continuing a fine mac tradition boy does it get warm while surfing

I'm thinking of getting a Macbook (the cheapest version) at some stage in November. Questions:

1. Is this likely to come with Leopard or will I have to buy a new OS a while later down the line?
2. Are they likely to upgrade the Macbook models anytime soon?
3. Are there any problems with Macbooks? I have heard they can be hot and noisy - how hot and how noisy?
4. Is there any point in getting AppleCare? I am suspicious of extended warranties, and the cost adding on another 25% to the price of the laptop doesn't make me think that this is going to be any less dispensible.

Oh, another one:

5. Will there be any problems integrating a Mac into a wireless home network that is otherwise full of Windows PCs?

Last one, I promise:

6. Worth the buy?

macbooks seems ridiculously overpriced. why in particular do you want a mac?

Is there any point in getting AppleCare? I am suspicious of extended warranties, and the cost adding on another 25% to the price of the laptop doesn't make me think that this is going to be any less dispensible.

I think so. What convinced me was when I ruined a perfectly good year-old iBook by dropping it on its (connected) power supply. It was mere days out of the possibility of Applecare, which would have covered it totally. It's now weighting down some shit in my closet.

Also, Applecare is the BEST consumer support in the industry, bar none.

6. Worth the buy?

Hard to say. Either Macs "work" for you or they don't. If you are type of person to make lists of features and compare MHz and a bunch of nerdy shit, then you should get a PC. If you like to play games on yr computer, get a PC. If you need maximal interoperability with all kinds of computer hardware and software, get a PC.

If, on the other hand, the Mac computing experience appeals to you, then it's a non-question. That's how I am. Since 2001, I've owned over 10 Macs and one PC, the latter of which sits in a closet without a display or a keyboard running a few development databases.

I'm thinking of getting rid of the PC.

re: Applecare, buy on Ebay. Lots of people selling Applecare for half of what Apple itself charges.

I got Applecare for my Mac Pro for $75 - brand new, still shrinkwrapped and Apple accepted the registration number without incident. Dunno if it fell off the back of a delivery truck or what, but I don't care.

I don't really like the idea of having to pay a ridiculous premium just to get customer service that isn't shit. Grumble grumble.

x-post

macbooks seems ridiculously overpriced. why in particular do you want a mac?

It's more for my girlfriend. She feels that our current laptop is too large and heavy to lug to uni for 2 hours a day (which is fair enough), so she wants one that is less than 14" and 1.5-2.5 kg. As far as I can see, most of the laptops that fall in that range are ultraportables made for business execs, and so are insanely expensive. Macbooks are the cheapest laptops I can find that fit that criteria (unless you can point me in the direction of better/cheaper models?). I'm looking for something in the range of AU$1500-2000, which is guess is anything between US$1000-1750?

thanx for the tip milo

maybe im thinking of ibooks? i dont know. it just seems like a lot of money to spend because a mac is appealing. i dont mind macs, it just really annoys me that you cant run much on them and what you can seems to be the windows version from 5 years ago.

that's only really true w/r/t microsoft programs. which are admittedly important in some contexts (project, outlook, etc)

I read somewhere that the next Mac instalment of Office is coming in January! I'd say that laptop would mostly be used for Office/CS3/iTunes/moviez anyway

If you aren't a business consumer, then you can probably run what you want/need on a Mac, with the exception of games.

Games are stupid, anyways.

have any of you people fooled around with the new iphones or itouches? particularly the video functions?

i actually won one of those stubby video nanos (8gb). it's OK i guess, i've always been anti-iPod due to DRM restrictions and my general dislike of iTunes. but free is ok by me.

there's one really tantalizing feature i can't access. under video > settings there is a tv out function set to off. no matter what i do, i can't turn it on, even with a 1/8th to RCA plugged into it. is this one of those hardware functionalities they will activate in future software upgrades?

anyone out there with a 3rd gen nano, itouch or iphone able to send a video signal to their TV through this video out function?

If you aren't a business consumer, then you can probably run what you want/need on a Mac, with the exception of games.

also, all those microsoft apps run fine under parallels now if you have an intel mac (which all new macs are); it's not slow emulation like the virutalpc days. but if that's all you need to work on, there is no point in getting a mac.

Is it for tv out as in a cable, or as in their fancy new tv doohickey whose iName I can't recall right now?

Are there third-party apps for the iTouch, and/or does it run Java apps?

also, all those microsoft apps run fine under parallels now if you have an intel mac

Fusion > Parallels.

sanskrit my impression is that

a) you need a fancy new proprietary adapter ($50... bullshit) to access tv out on the new ipods
b) they only output shit resolution anyway

too bad too

lol get a mac

(srsly)

3. Are there any problems with Macbooks? I have heard they can be hot and noisy - how hot and how noisy?

My mother had that silver laptop but switched to a Macbook and still complains about hotness. :-(

my freakin iphone gets crazy hot when i look at the internet for too long (and thats not very long because it drains the battery quick)

Fusion > Parallels.

pls elaborate.

VMWare are doing good things with passing directX calls on to the gpu where as parallels is doing them all on cpu.

xposts-In my experience, Macs run hot but are extremely quiet. Or rather, Macs run hot because they are extremely quiet.

Since 2001, I've owned over 10 Macs

My god, what were you doing to them? Didn't you want a computer that lasted more than 6 months?

libcrypt was saying don't worry about the oil the other day because he's going to use it all to make all his computers I guess

what exactly is the Mac "computing experience"? And what's the appeal of it?

I like the keyboards for typing on but other than that....

You can do shit other than typing these days, like look at naked ladies and stuff.

on macs, the ladies come in a variety of colors

i could have said that differently

Person on Internet Accuses PCs of Institutionalised Racism

Fusion > Parallels.

pls elaborate.

Fusion catches the evil spinny-ball disease less. Also, more Windows applications run on Fusion than on Parallels.

Since 2001, I've owned over 10 Macs

My god, what were you doing to them? Didn't you want a computer that lasted more than 6 months?

I sold most of these in working condition. The two that broke down were my fault. (E.g., by dropping a laptop on the PS while it was plugged in.)

Some of them were gifts, but some were WeirdStuff salvage I bought to futz with A/UX or OS X Server or whatever. I still have 6 of 'em, 4 of which are in storage and 2 of which I busted and can't bring myself to pitch.

Definitely get Applecare. It sucks that it's so expensive, but repairs or replacement can be more so...and my experience with ipods and a mac is that they're really not failproof, but if you get a machine or part that is dud, having it replaced for free makes it worth it (I've had to replace...um...3 ipods within 2 years - I think I was too harsh on them - and a computer battery that was almost brand new, and it's been done no questions asked.)

And you should have no problems integrating a Mac into a wireless home network that is otherwise full of Windows PCs, it just automatically connected with mine!

Another thing you can look into is getting a refurbished Mac, I've heard they're cheaper, but I'm not sure what kind of warranties they come with. Honestly I like my computer, it's very pretty and light and pleasant, but don't know if it's worth being twice the price of the equivalent PC, unless Vista has big issues and you can't get XP.

If you get a refurb Mac, get it FROM APPLE! Then you can buy the full (3 years from date of purchase) Applecare with it.

Oh, that is awesome, I'm glad it works that way.

in the UK, i always advise ppl to buy their apple kit from john lewis, 'cos you get a two-year warranty ... if there's anywhere local to you that can do this kind of thing, seek it out first 'cos it could be a cheaper way of getting a decent guarantee.

what exactly is the Mac "computing experience"? And what's the appeal of it?

for me, it's working seamlessly with the computer -- 99% of the time, anyway -- as opposed to having to work out how the fuck to get it to do what i actually want. libcrypt's explanation upthread absolutely nails it for me; i think it's one of those things you either get or you don't. obviously i think macs are "better" but i'm not going to get into dick-waving about it; it's like ... i dunno, i think olives are "better" than peanuts.

one day someone might invent a computer/OS that's even more in tune with me and my needs and desires. but until then, apple come pretty bloody close.

and i say this as a convert: i used my first mac in 1993, having been a keen PC advocate (even defending CGA fucking games in the face of mockery from amiga and ST-owning friends) from about 1988. i just remember thinking, woah, so this is what using a computer can feel like. simple. effortless. sensible.

we're getting fucking PCs at work soon (we've got vv old macs running OS 9 now). good job i'm not planning to stay here much longer ;)

don't expect anything too swift from yr john lewis warranty tho - it's all 3rd party outsourced paperwork and takes forfuckingever.

i too have a free nano now, btw. coincidentally i often find myself quite peckish for an after eight.

don't expect anything too swift from yr john lewis warranty tho - it's all 3rd party outsourced paperwork and takes forfuckingever

oh! hmm. never had to make a claim, touch wood.

ah well. good to know that; thanks.

alllltho that could also mean some depts are quicker than others i guess? i've only heard stuff regarding washing machines and tvs and whatnot, don't know anyone who's used it for ipods etc

john lewis were a bit of work at the end of my two year warranty when my computer (hp laptop) died but I got a brand new one out of it so I don't bear too much ill will and am glad I bought from them

My mother had that silver laptop but switched to a Macbook and still complains about hotness. :-(

How hot is it? Like, hot enough to be a bit uncomfortable, or too hot to keep on your lap? I read somewhere some dude got 1st degree burns from his (!!)

Jeezo - one "computing experience" thing I learned today: on Windows laptops, to scroll down through pages with the touchpad you have to go over to the scrollbar and drag that! This is so slow and annoying, especially on ILX. With my Macbook you just put two fingers on the touchpad and pull down. Is this patented by Apple? Otherwise I can't imagine why all manufacturers wouldn't implement it.

I can't imagine ever getting burned by my MacBook, but it does get toasty enough for it to make me worry that it's not good for the computer/my fertility. I tend to use it on a tray in bed.

Yes, it is patented by Apple. PCs have a similar side-scroll feature with their trackpads, but it's inferior.

I can't imagine ever getting burned by my MacBook, but it does get toasty enough for it to make me worry that it's not good for the computer/my fertility.

It can get warm, but my gf's old Dell laptop used to routinely overheat and crash. Her MacBook never does that.

Also, I have noticed that the first gen G5 iMac I had at my old job would get worrisomely hot (but never crash), but the iMac I have now at home doesn't get near as hot, even running as much stuff at the same time.

yeah, the touchpad scrolling is an amazing feature.

I think my macbook caused my infertility. it's noisy when hot and sometimes gets hot when noisy (cause effect goes both ways here) but I still love it.

another thing: it gets absolutely manky, more so than my old ibook did : /

my touchpad has a wee line to the right that you can can scroll w/ by stroking