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    Macbook, Macbook Pro, iBook, Powerbook

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by lumberbunny, Sep 15, 2006.

  1. lumberbunny

    lumberbunny Notebook Evangelist

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    If I have no interest in running Bootcamp, which is the best notebook? That is, which is best at being a Mac. I ask because I was told that on an x86 processor, all Mac programs, including the OS, have to be emulated so they run much slower. Feel free to call BS if that's the case. Also, it seems like several of the older ones are soon to be (or already have been) made unavailable, and I seem to remember those true Macs being less expensive.

    Opinions?
     
    lumberbunny, Sep 15, 2006
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  2. Wooky

    Wooky Notebook Evangelist

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    It is BS. The OS and other programs can be compiled either for the older archictecture - PowerPC chips - or for the new one -x86 compatible chips. Applications can be bundled with both binaries - Apple calls them universal applications - so they run as well as they can in both kind of systems.

    What does happen is that some applications haven't been yet ported/compiled to run in x86 chips. Notable ones are Adobe's and MS Office. Only in that cases one needs to run Rosetta, Apple emulation/translation software - but it is completely transparent to the user, albeit there is a performance hit.
    Today, I'd say a PPC based machine is only interesting if you must do heavy work with Photoshop with it - even them, in some months will have Universal versions of Adobe's programs as well. AFAIK, as of today there is no PPC based Mac available (except maybe some refurbs).
     
    Wooky, Sep 15, 2006
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  3. fenderboy

    fenderboy Notebook Consultant

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    Get a new Mac with an intel processor...Even though SOME applications are emulated using "Rosetta", if you haven't been using a fast computer before you will still think it is snappy. Also, applications like photoshop are currently being ported for the Intel Macs. In the future, all new Apple software will be "universal" and be much faster than PowerPC's ever were. So get yourself a Macbook or Macbook Pro and you'll be fine.
     
    fenderboy, Sep 17, 2006
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  4. cashmonee

    cashmonee Notebook Virtuoso NBR Reviewer

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    Deffinitely go Intel. Rosetta is not that big of a performance hit. I use Fireworks everyday through Rosetta and the difference of speed is noticeble, but by no means a big deal. And as others have said within the next 6 months or so all major programs will be Universal.
     
    cashmonee, Sep 17, 2006
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