Post #162,476
7/1/04 11:39:32 AM
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It's official.
I am going to buy a Mac. Probably within a few months. Either an iBook or a Powerbook. I'm thinking iBook since I don't want to spend a whole lot in case I don't really like it, and my main machine will have to remain a Dell for the time being. Should I question this strategy? Anything else I need to know about buying one and transitioning and/or living with both Mac and Winblows?
Does Apple have a refurbished store online? I saw something like it once.
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Post #162,481
7/1/04 11:55:04 AM
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Re: It's official.
Go to the online [link|http://store.apple.com|Apple Store], the scroll down. Towards the bottom of the left column you'll see "Special Deals".
At the top of the page they have a new iBook 14" for $1299. Same price as the normal 14", but with a larger hard drive. Further down the page they have refurbished 12" iBooks from $749-949 and a 14" iBook for $1099, same specs as the currently $1299 model.
Don't know about transitioning with Windows, I transitioned my desktop from OS/2. Basically what happened was at the start I'd use the OS/2 system more, it had all my email, bookmarks, etc. As time went on I used the Mac more. After about 7 months it was Mac exclusively. Haven't booted up my OS/2 system in 3 or 4 months now.
I still use OS/2 on a Thinkpad for wireless web access around the house.
I'm planning to get a dual G5 whenever Tiger is released. I've heard that will be out in the first half of 2005, so I've got a while to save up for it.
Darrell Spice, Jr. [link|http://www.spiceware.org/cgi-bin/spa.pl?album=./Artistic%20Overpass|Artistic Overpass]\n[link|http://www.spiceware.org/|SpiceWare] - We don't do Windows, it's too much of a chore
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Post #162,482
7/1/04 11:58:34 AM
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Re: It's official.
First of all, welcome!
Next, you might want to check out [link|http://www.thepowerbookguy.com|The PowerBook Guy] for reconditioned iBooks and PowerBooks. I've dealt with him in the past and have had good luck.
The online Apple store does have a [link|http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/71802/wo/Kr6jkGHI3Ky62DepgcX1CNXMMyK/0.0.7.1.0.6.13.0.4.0.0.0.0.3.1.1.0?100,66|Special Deals] page where they offer reconditioned hardware so you may want to check that out. If you're affilliated with a school, you could also look at their education discounts. (About 10% on hardware, I think.)
I don't live with Windows at home myself, but my workplace is quite Windows-centric and I have no problem using my PowerBook (with OS X 10.3.x) there. YMMV, as always.
Tom Sinclair
"While I'm still confused and uncertain, it's on a much higher plane, d'you
see, and at least I know I'm bewildered about the really fundamental and
important facts of the universe."
Treatle nodded. "I hadn't looked at it like that," he said, "But you're
absolutely right. He's really pushed back the boundaries of ignorance."
-- Discworld scientists at work
(Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites)
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Post #162,485
7/1/04 12:30:42 PM
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In the switching mode here, too.
Bought my son a G3 iMac a few months ago, and more recently my wife a new iBook. We're VERY happy with the macs. The most useful computers I've ever owned. Using my company supplied Compaq (1.8g P4, 512m, 40g) notebook with XP feels clunky and archaic in comparison. I'm hoping to get a dual G5 desktop before year end :)
--
Steve
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Post #162,488
7/1/04 1:04:15 PM
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Doo eet.
We (I) have a 14" G4 iBook. It's quite the nicest laptop I've ever used.
Software picks:
1. Mail is quite sufficient for most folk.
2. However, you want Camino for web browsing.
3. MSN Messenger further demonstrates my theory that Microsoft should abandon Windows because they're really much better at writing very nice Mac software.
4. Office v.X - see (3).
5. I found a decent IRC client - X-Chat Aqua.
6. iChat is fabz0r for gassing to your mates.
7. Tinkertool is also a great way of wasting a vast amount of time.
8. UNIX-heads will spend what little time they have left (after 6 and 7) playing with Fink.
9. You get XCode with it! It's great! Even *I* can write programs with it.
10. Move the dock to the left, as small as poss, and auto hide it.
My overall feeling I get when using the iBook is, "This is how it's SUPPOSED to be, dammit!"
Peter
[link|http://www.debian.org|Shill For Hire]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
[link|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org|Blog]
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Post #162,499
7/1/04 1:38:02 PM
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ICLRPD (new thread)
Created as new thread #162498 titled [link|/forums/render/content/show?contentid=162498|ICLRPD]
===
Implicitly condoning stupidity since 2001.
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Post #162,504
7/1/04 1:53:01 PM
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One issue.
Since I'm not going to be buying a whole suite of new (Mac) software for it right off the bat, how well do emulation utilities work? Some specialized apps I have cheap academic site-licences for (e.g., SPSS, ArcView) I can probably get native, but others (EndNote, replacement for Access) will need to run emulated for a while.
And. . . .is the difference between iBook and Powerbook just innards? That is, are the keyboards and displays basically the same, with Powerbooks having larger screens, bigger drives, blah blah blah? I can't stand a cheap keyboard.
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Post #162,506
7/1/04 2:02:03 PM
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Re: One issue.
Dunno about emulation.
There is nothing at all cheap-feeling about the iBook; I can type at very high speed on the keyboard, which has a very pleasant feel (as laptop keyboards go). The screen is nice, bright and has good contrast and viewing angle.
One thing I should point out is that you probably want to adjust the colour profile. The default sRGB one is quite horrible. Take 10 minutes to calibrate it properly. You'll thank me.
Also note that you can alter the contrast with CTRL-OPTION-COMMAND , and . (that's comma and full stop). You want to do this, because you can only alter brightness from System Preferences.
Peter
[link|http://www.debian.org|Shill For Hire]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
[link|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org|Blog]
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Post #164,438
7/14/04 2:41:57 PM
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Re: One issue.
Being in Academia myself, I know that SPSS and Endnote are OSX native. You can also X11/ssh over to your trusty campus Unix clusters and run them from there. Replace Access with Filemaker Pro 7 or (still in X11 land) MySQL immediately. Filemaker is one of those apps that, once you start using it, you say - shit, this is the way databases "should" work. (Big Note - this is not a universal statement. If you are doing enterprise db's, stick with DB2 or Oracle - but you are replacing Access ferchrissakes :-)
On to Virtual PC. One, it is S-L-O-W. Having said that, it works reasonably well even on my (now) low end Ti Powerbook that I can Remote Terminal into my servers and administor them. I can also use it to do most testing of Windows apps. Now, more demanding apps... SPSS - Come on! Not in emulation. You haven't got that much time :-) Two, VPC is now a Microsoft product. Enough said?
Save the dough from not buying VPC and put it toward a cheap assed Windows box.
Powerbook lines are roughly comparable at the moment, so the iBook that you buy will better than my Ti, although I have absolutely no complaints having used it as my primary machine (yes- desktop replacement) for about 3 years. No service calls - no problems. It's survived a couple of drops as well.
Just to add a little to the mix, have you checked out the 17 inch Powerbook? Or to really add a lot to the mix, have you checked out the G5's?
Just a few thoughts,
Danno
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Post #162,492
7/1/04 1:16:04 PM
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Windows is doomed
I want a Mac, and would not buy any other computer new.
Dual boot with Linux of course...
-drl
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Post #162,522
7/1/04 3:31:52 PM
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Won't need a Dual boot.
Nearly anything you can do in linux you can do in OSX. It is based off of a BSD fer chrissakes.
Basically *NIX without root. You can enable root though. Just no need to.
--
[link|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net|greg],
[link|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ iwethey
Heard near the SCOG employee entry/exit way:
Security: We got another Mass Exodus Doorway Jam.
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Post #162,523
7/1/04 3:33:21 PM
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Right
I just like Linux. Why not? It's like a project bike.
-drl
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Post #162,524
7/1/04 3:49:44 PM
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And then you can install fink
which is just like Debi-oh, wait...
Peter
[link|http://www.debian.org|Shill For Hire]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
[link|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org|Blog]
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Post #162,583
7/1/04 11:25:34 PM
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Can't really add much more to what's been said.
But that has never stopped a Mac fan from posting in an online forum. Ever.
If by emulation you mean using Virtual PC, then you may well want a PowerBook, every bit of speed helps, from what I've heard. (Which isn't a lot, but anyway...)
Peter: How is Camino better than Safari? If it's faster, I'm *so* there. Any comments on memory usage? (384Mb doesn't go as far as it used to)
Two out of three people wonder where the other one is.
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Post #162,585
7/1/04 11:27:03 PM
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Remember when 384Mb was a large hard drive?
===
Implicitly condoning stupidity since 2001.
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Post #162,594
7/2/04 1:37:24 AM
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Re: Can't really add much more to what's been said.
Seems fairly lightweight.
Doesn't crash on gmail :)
Gecko is still The Superior Rendering Engine.
Doesn't use the "metal" style.
Icon is prettier.
Peter
[link|http://www.debian.org|Shill For Hire]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
[link|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org|Blog]
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Post #162,598
7/2/04 2:26:33 AM
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Last point does it for me - I'm sold! :-)
Two out of three people wonder where the other one is.
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Post #164,435
7/14/04 2:28:20 PM
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Re: Can't really add much more to what's been said.
Camino is a cocoa native browser. I have been using it exclusively for over a year now and have had one crash. Note, I said one crash (not kernel panic) that a simple restarting of the application fixed. It renders faster than any browser that I have used (except Opera) and doesn't include all of the other Mozilla "stuff" that Firefox and Mozilla bring to the table.
Virtual PC still is S-L-O-W. It works quite nicely, even on my lowly 667MHz Ti Powerbook, but if you need Windows Emulation, save the $129-189 for SoftPC and spring a few more bucks for an E-Machine... Seriously.
Just a few thoughts,
Danno
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Post #164,442
7/14/04 3:03:46 PM
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What other stuff does Firefox bring?
With the base install, that is?
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #164,444
7/14/04 3:30:13 PM
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Well, I dunno.
What I can tell you is that Camino eats Firefox alive for speed in the GUI. (And loading, come to that).
Peter
[link|http://www.debian.org|Shill For Hire]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
[link|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org|Blog]
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Post #164,450
7/14/04 3:57:17 PM
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Firefox is probably still chock full of debug code.
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #164,457
7/14/04 4:10:06 PM
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Not native Cocoa, AFAIK.
Peter
[link|http://www.debian.org|Shill For Hire]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
[link|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org|Blog]
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Post #164,481
7/14/04 7:33:09 PM
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Not a cut on Firefox...
The problem with making "blanket statements" is that you have to know what the hell you're talking about. Mea Culpa. The last iteration of Firefox I looked at bundled a mail client (I think, although it may have been Navigator 7 now that I think hard about it)- now a separate entity named Thunderbird is used for mail and separate from the Firefox browser... Peter is correct in that Firefox is not Cocoa based (Aquafied) and the pages "seem" to browse slower, again, this is subjective. I will try using Firefox again and post back my new impressions as well as the latest Opera.
No matter what, I can say without reservation that Opera, Mozilla, Firefox, Camino and Safari all are viable alternatives to IE if not "better browsers" for OSX. Up to this point, I have been using Camino for most everything exept the most stubborn asp shit sites for which I use Safari with the Debug menu set up to mimic IE 6 for Windows... :-)
Just a few thoughts,
Danno
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