New to Apple

I want an apple laptop soo badly, but im used to windows and dont really no alot about macs. can it use word and excel stuff like that? and if it could, could i save it to a usb drive and print it from a windows computer if that makes sense lol
thanks, imran

 

Macs are very easy to use and I'm sure you can adjust to OS X very quickly. You can use Word and Excel as Microsoft has Office ported to OS X. Office 2004 and Office 2008 are both available. As for a flash drive, you should have no problem read/writing (saving) documents onto it and moving it to a Windows computer as long as it is formatted properly.

 

Why do you want a mac so much? If your so used to windows, is there really a reason to switch? Windows can run almost anything a mac can, plus much much more. I really only recommend macs to people who are not familiar with computers, as OSX is written for computer "dummies", which you probably are not. Its very easy to use for a computer newbie, but for an experienced user, that userfriendlyness is lost.
Granted, macs can run windows as well, but they cost more per performance point than PC's.

 

like the laptop design, and i wanted an alienware m15x laptop until i came here read everything and now im scared to buy one haha

 

Be warned.. I was looking at laptops for my sister and a better configured Windows laptop cost $1100 less than it's worse configured Mac counterpart.

For example:

Sager NP8660 from Power Notebooks

15.4'' 1680x1050 resolution screen
nVidia 9800 GT 512mb graphics card
Core 2 Duo 2.8 ghz processor
4gb memory
200gb 7,200 rpm hard drive
Vista Premium
3 year warranty

Price: $2384


Apple MacBook Pro

15.4'' 1440x900 resolution screen
nVidia 8600 GT 512mb graphics card
Core 2 Duo 2.6ghz processor
4gb memory
200gb 7,200rpm hard drive
OS X

Price (w/o warranty): $2,999
Price (/w warranty): $3,348


Let's see.. the Mac has a worse resolution, much worse graphics card, worse processor, the same memory and hard drive... not including warranty it costs $600 more. But the Sager come with a 3 year warranty, so that would be a whopping $1000 more for a Mac, one that wouldn't give you as good of performance.. is that worth it?

 

Not really...LOL.

 

Here are a couple of great posts that could help you learn more about Mac's:

mac switchers guide (written by Sam)
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=161784

windows on a mac (also written by Sam)
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=145917

As Itomix asked, want do you intend to do with a Mac? If it's gaming, then that is not a good choice as many games aren't supported on the Mac OSX operating system. And, both machines have equivalent software in any area, be it graphics rendering, to word processing. Except for gaming, thats where Windows is better at.

 

Ehh.. I somewhat agree with him. I consider myself an experienced Windows user and I had to use OS X for 2 months, at least an hour every day. In an attempt to be user friendly I felt like it was almost holding me back. But that was mostly because there is no right click.. you have to use that button on your keyboard instead.

It's the little things.. like instead of being able to select an item on your desktop and click delete.. you have to drag it to the trash bin. Why couldn't they just have delete do the same thing?

 

Not entirely true. The goal of any OS is make using a computer easier for the end user. In a sense, all OSs are written for "dummies". OS X scales well and exposes all the "advanced" things you would be doing in a *nix system; its called Terminal. I use Terminal much more than I ever used Command Prompt & DOS commands on windows. I guess that makes me a "dummy."

To the OP: What are your priorities? Gaming is really a no-go for macs. They come with realatively weak GPUs and a short library of native OS X games. Although, the ones that matter (Starcraft 2, Diablo 3, id software titles) pretty much always get native versions. It sounds like you need office. Office 2007 is much better than Mac:Office 08.

 

There is a lot of difference between the two notebooks...the Sager NP 8660 is a lot more powerful, but its amazingly thick, going to nearly 2-inches at the thickest point. The MBP is 1-inch throughout. The weight of the NP 8660 is 7.1 lbs, the MBP is 5.4 lbs. These are differences you aren't noting .

I would consider the NP 8660 quite thick and heavy to carry around. That's what a notebook is about, no? If its all power comparison, then a desktop will always get the most power for the money.

 

Delete can do that...and right click isn't really an issue anymore. The new Mac notebooks all have the ability to have two-finger tapping or two-finger mouse button as right click and its not an issue at all.

As for Delete, you can right click an item and select Delete or just press Cmd + Delete. Its all the little things that you discover along the way .

 

may i ask when u used mac?

cos now-
you tap with two fingers on touchpad-right click!
also you can right click and select "move to trash"

 

It was an example, and I was speaking about pure economics... if I saved $1000 on a more powerful notebook, I wouldn't really care about the size or weight. I didn't even check the size and weight beforehand.

But, just to have some fun, I'll do a different one and a dell:


MSI 1651 from PowerNotebooks

15.4'' 1680x1050 screen
9600gt 512mb graphics card
Core 2 Duo 2.8ghz processor
250gb 7,200 rpm hard drive
4gb ram
Wireless, bluetooth, Vista Premium
1-1.4'' thick, 6.2 lbs
3 Year Warranty

Price: $1984


Dell XPS M1530

15.4'' 1440x900 screen
8600gt graphics card
250gb 7,200 rpm hard drive
4gb ram
Wireless, vista premium
3 year warranty
0.93" - 1.38" thick 5.9lbs

Price: $2,224


Apple MacBook Pro

15.4'' 1440x900 resolution screen
nVidia 8600 GT 512mb graphics card
Core 2 Duo 2.6ghz processor
4gb memory
200gb 7,200rpm hard drive
OS X
3 year warranty
1'' thick, 5.4 pounds

Price: $3,348


Right now, you can't say that the MacBook Pro would be a better choice. It is slightly less thick, and it does weigh slightly less, but that is nearly a $1400 price difference. And the MSI will still outperform it with a higher resolution screen and more hard drive space.

The Dell isn't as good as the MSI, but pretty close, while still being a good $1100 cheaper.


Edit: And I haven't used the most recent Mac. It was a slightly older iMac.

 

What is the point on twisting the numbers to fit your argument? Why don't you just take the base MBP @ $2000. Get a 4gb ram kit at newegg for ~$40, and an extra hdd if you want one. Price ~$2200. Also Dell advertises the weight of their notebooks with the smallest cell battery.

 

Please don't turn this into a mac vs pc argument. This is the apple section, if you don't like it then stay out. Thanks.

But... I compared a XPS 1530 to a to a macbook pro and I didn't twist the numbers like csinth is, and the macbook pro was i think around $400 more, but it had options like a back lit keybored and other stuff like BETTER BUILD QUALITY. Read the Dell section and see all the post about people having to take back there dell for bad screens, lumps in there keybored, broken hinges on new laptops, ect.

When you buy a Apple You are paying for a nice quality built laptop and a nice OS, something Dell will never be able to do.

That is all, Thanks.

 

lets not do this again,ok?cos you selected all updates from apple,but apple is charging like 300$ more for 4gb ram,but you can buy them for like 80$.

 

In all fairness, then we should include Dell coupons . Never buying upgrades from Apple = never buy a full price Dell. So that Dell w/ 30% off would put you around $1600, or in my case $1400.

Anyway, this has already been beaten to death.

It's simple, Apples are (and probably will always be) more expensive. It's a matter of whether OS X and some of the bundled software is worth the extra $600-1000+ to you . And as you can see, for most users in this forum, it certainly is. For others, maybe not. That choice is up to the buyer.

 

I am hardly twisting numbers. I took all three laptops, and configured them similarly on the websites. You are suggesting instead to buy the hard drive and ram separately instead. The typical consumer won't want to do that. I was trying to be completely objective. I configured the Dell with the 6 cell, and that's what the weight was for.

You also didn't account for the different processor. I configured them all with the best processor possible.

Apple fans, please stop this nonsense. I was trying to be OBJECTIVE. I didn't twist the numbers, I configured them on their websites. What is wrong with doing that? That is what the typical consumer will be doing. You guys are the ones twisting numbers. I did what any consumer would do.

The XPS line is high quality. My friend has an XPS M1330 and it has never given him problems. They look sweet too.

All I did was configure the computers, on the websites. That is all I did. I'm not trying to start a flame war or anything. Just simple economics.

Thank you. I didn't even include Dell coupons.

And by your arguments I should also just buy all the components separate for the Dell and MSI, which would bump THEIR prices down. Let's be fair here, and try not to show our bias for a particular computer manufacturer.

Guys, I was trying to show this guy that maybe the Mac isn't what he needs. Is saving someone some money really that evil?

 

I would disagree, just read the dell section, I was going to get a XPS but from what I read in the dell section with grainy screens bumps in keyboards, hinge problems, gaps, pieces not fitting right, that turned me off of them. But if you think that is high quality okay. But to me that is not. Buying a dell laptop is like playing Russian roulette.

Also the typical consumer would not spend more then a $1000 on a laptop.

*edit* Hell grainy screens even gets a auto link because it's such a problem.

 

You've got to keep in mind that on forums like these (particularly PC forums, where Models are separate from OS unlike Apple forum), you are going to see the minority show up to complain about problems w/ their notebooks. For every unsatisfied customer there are probably 20 people who got awesome rigs and don't show up to post about it (including myself - I spend most my time in Windows forum). Heck, what percentage of notebook users in general do you think post here?

As for the 'grainy' screen problem, that doesn't even exist for LED backlits, since Chi Mei are the only ones who make them for the XPS afaik...

 

What? Look Seshan, I'm trying to use logic here. I am saying that if I were a typical consumer, and I wanted to buy a laptop, I wouldn't try to install ram or a hard drive myself. I would go to the website, and configure a computer the way I want it, then I would buy it. Who knows if the typical consumer wants to spend $800, or if they want to spend $2000? All I know is that most of the people I know buy laptops, and that's it. They don't want to have anything to do with upgrading them.

I have plenty of friends with Mac related problems. My friend and his 2 brothers got Macbooks that all fried within a year. Another one of my friends Macs boots and then freezes, nothing can be done. Another one of my friends Macbooks has nasty stains on it from using it so much.

But that isn't part of the dicussion here. I was simply talking economics. Macs cost much more than their equivalent PCs. That's it.

 

This will be my last post in the thread.

Mac's cost more then PC's and EVERYONE KNOWS THAT! So why come into a thread telling someone that wants to get a mac that they are more expensive you can get a cheaper laptop for less.

 

you are not objective,comparing apple to dell.can you run MacOs on dell?no!point!if you have something unique,then you can set any prices you want.

Sam,can you please close this thread?

 

I thought this was the point of the thread. He said he was scared to buy it.

I was being objective in the fact that I was trying to get them as closely specced as I could. I didn't twist anything. I just took the specs and the prices straight from the website. I was trying to demonstrate why he shouldn't be scared of getting a PC.

 

1.it is illegal,and it is not allowed to speak about things like that here
2.it is proven that cracked macos doesnt run even 50% as good as on apple notebook

 

True. But it is possible

 

ok,so lets make a statements

IF you like apple styling,and like/want./need MacOS,and have enough money,then get apple!else,you can find a windows machine for cheaper


agree with me?

 

Yeah that sounds good.

 

the reason im scared to buy is because it breaks easily apparently if i havent of found this forum i would of placed my order a few week ago

 

you can go to apple store and try one(apple,not AW )

 

http://powernotebooks.com/

Here's where I got my laptop. If you're wondering, it's a great small company and is rated very highly for customer satisfaction. You can see their page on Reseller Ratings here. My laptop has been holding up very well.. except for a hard drive crash that was my fault. Check out the laptop screen sizes > 15.4 inch.

One I would check up on is the Sager 2096 (or the PowerPro P 12:15). Here is a Link. It is also available as the Sager version here, but the warranty isn't as good (3 year vs. 1 year). I read good things about this laptop here on Notebook review.

Another one from Power Notebooks is the MSI 1651 here. It looks pretty slick.

And there is, also, the MacBook Pro 15'', available from Apple.com

These are all 15'' laptops with 9600 GTs (besides the MacBook pro). I don't know if they suffer from the same overheating problems the 8600s suffer from.

 

I disagree that "size and weight" isn't a factor of notebooks, that is a huge factor of notebooks, that is why notebooks were created. If size and weight are not factors, get a desktop. Otherwise, size and weight is just as important in notebooks as power, in my opinion.

Anyway, please keep the thread on topic to helping the original poster choose a notebook, thanks!

And another note, I have edited one of your posts, csinth, running Mac OS X on a non-Apple machine is a violation of the Mac OS X EULA so we don't allow discussion on that here. Thanks .

 

LOL, LMAO. I noticed lately there are so many PC loving Mac haters visiting the Mac forum. I think it's jealousy or they feel threatened that SO many people are ditching the common Windows PC for something much better from Apple.

The OP said and I quote, " I want an apple laptop soo badly". I don't think he needed you to help him decide if he wasn't thinking clearly. He's already sold, he came here to get questions about the product.

Are you serious about the XPS M1530? LOL. That thing is cheap with spray painted keys and lid and poor build quality. You should check out Dell's own forums.

 

Dang it there it goes. The thread has become about insulting other people for inputting their personal opinion.

I couldn't care less that more people are switching to Macs.. in fact the only thing that could result from that is that PC manufacturers try harder and Microsoft tries harder.

If it becomes economically feasible, I would switch to a MacBook Pro for my next notebook if it cost less to do so and it had adequate system specs.

He wants a Mac so badly because:

So I suggested him alternatives to the Alienware, and also included the Macbook Pro. Neato.

I didn't say all Dell notebooks were high quality, it was just my impression that the XPS line was. Because my friend got an M1330, it got good reviews, and it looked great and my friend loves it. It seems like the M1530 has much more problems than the M1730 or M1330.

Look at all that hate flowing from my post.

Oh and sorry about that Hackintosh thing.. I didn't really think about the legality of it.

 

You're right, all hail to the mighty hldan. We are not worthy, for we did not buy our rig from the almighty Jobs. Shame on me for buying such a cheap piece of junk, that does exactly what I want it to do and looks excellent right out of the box.

Please, enough with the holier than thou attitude. You sir, fit the stereotype to a 'T'.

Have you ever considered the reason that more people who own PCs come over to the Apple forum, because we are generally interested in what they are offering? Since Apple is becoming a larger portion of the market, I think it makes for much better competition which is great for consumers. After all, MS could use a kick in the rear once in a while to make sure every OS doesn't take 6-7 years to release

 

LOL, thanks for thinking of me so highly. I am quite holier than thou.

Um, nothing in my post suggests that if you don't buy a Mac you're an idiot. What I see is a lot of Windows users visiting the Mac forum lately bashing the Mac and trying to talk potential users out of getting one.

I'm sorry I hardly see Windows fans showing much interest, they are rather trying to wreak havoc. Here's a few samples from this thread alone:

From: Itomix: Why do you want a mac so much? If your so used to windows, is there really a reason to switch? Windows can run almost anything a mac can, plus much much more. I really only recommend macs to people who are not familiar with computers, as OSX is written for computer "dummies".

F rom Csinth: Apple fans, please stop this nonsense. Be warned.. I was looking at laptops for my sister and a better configured Windows laptop cost $1100 less than it's worse configured Mac counterpart.
Let's see.. the Mac has a worse resolution, much worse graphics card, worse processor, the same memory and hard drive.


Both these PC users have multiple posts trying their hardest to dissuade the OP from buying a Mac no matter how many people have combatted their argument. Neither one sounds like they are truly interested in a Mac to me. This is just one many threads.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion but to deliberately try and change a potential switchers mind is completely out of line. The OP wants to resolve some questions he has about buying a Mac. Why don't some of you (Windows fans with Mac interests) be big about it and help him with which Mac to choose rather than which Wintel PC to get instead?

 

For all you people who own a MB/MBP did you buy the remote? Is it worth the $20? Or did it come free before? Do you ever use it? Can it be use with powerpoint (presentations?)?

EDIT: Sorry if this is a bit off-topic...

 

It came free until this generation of Macs and the MBA. I got the Apple Remote free, but I confess I don't really use it...its best for operating from far away but I don't need to operate my notebook from far away. The only thing it would be good for is presentations (I'm sure it works with Keynote but I've forgotten if it does with PowerPoint). I will say though, its a little unnecessary unless you're looking very professional, in that otherwise, a wireless mouse and a click works for presentations too.

 

I know I know I said I wasn't going to post in here again.

Anyways, you can get the remotes on ebay for less.

 

And yet you, in order to prove your point, took separate sentences and put them together, creating an out of context quote.

I have provided more options to the OP because I believe that a Mac might not be the best fit for him... because I believe most people who get Alienware's, especially the one he is getting, are gamers. Macs aren't as good for gaming as PCs. Having to manually install Windows and use Boot Camp is a bit harder than just booting into Windows. Just because this is the Mac forum doesn't mean it's separate from everything else. I thought the goal was to get the OP the best possible notebook for his needs.

Also, it is late in the MBPs lifecycle and Apple is notorious for not decreasing their prices towards the end of a product's cycle. New MBPs are around the corner so it really isn't worth it to buy one now considering the new ones the come out will probably be cheaper and better (thinner, more powerful). No I haven't taken an interest in Macs.

Forum ~ n. - A medium for open discussion or voicing of ideas, such as a newspaper, a radio or television program, or a website.

Woah, so once someone starts looking at Macs they can't go back? This is a forum. He clearly isn't positive that he wants a Mac. He is getting to see both sides of the coin here, and there is nothing out of line about that. I would help him choose which Mac to get if it seemed as though it is the best notebook for him.

Well, he already has a thread about getting a new notebook here. I think we would post there if anywhere. He says he wants to play Crysis, and I'm sorry but Macs probably won't handle Crysis that well.

He also has other threads about Dell vs. Alienware, and he's comparing Alienwares too.

I don't think this needs to continue in this thread.

 

You're right, the MBP has never had any issues. Maybe CPU whine, vertical bands on the screen, shoddy logic boards, grain screens, yellow tints, faulty batteries, but other than that....really though, these problems are blown out of proportion due to the fact that people don't waste their time posting "I have a flawless XPS!" or "My MBP has no defects!"

Every manufacturer has problems at some point in time. That's what you get for manufacturing this stuff in China, Taiwan, etc.

Well, you can certainly take what Itomix has to say with a grain of salt. 90% of his posts in the Windows forums are bashing Vista in some way or another, after he 'extensively' used it for 1 whole week

However, I do think Csinth has some valid points. While bringing up using a certain OS on PCs is out of line, the OP (as Csinth has said) is certainly not locked into buying a Mac. He is considering several options. As Crysis is concerned (or any next-gen game), the OP should certainly weigh his options of having to jump through hoops just to use an OS that plays these effectively.

As I tell everyone who is considering a new purchase, are you willing to spend $500-1000 more for OS X and the option for Apple bundled software?

 

I need one for graphic design, it's a requirement. I would noy have gotten a mac if I didn't need to, but I am still happy I did. I really like it.

 

Yum... Apples...

 

haha i didnt mean to spark an agruement

 

You didn't other people did.

 

Well, looks like you have some gripe against me d4nz0r eh. WAR TIME
I'm not gonna start talking about my vista points in here (even though I was the only one who provided any benchmarks/factual evidence), but everything I said about the macbook is true. Unless you have some need for OSX, its not worth getting a mac... You pay more, but you don't run programs any better the on PC's..

Granted, if you love the look of the macbook and OSX, go for it, but if he's gaming, there's no way i'd ever recommend a mac in 1000 years.

 

1000 years is a long time, Windows has only been around for 13 years . It is very possible that Linux or Mac OS X will be dominant, 40, 50 years from now, and Windows/Microsoft may be a thing of the past. So don't be so sure yet .

Of course, you can have your opinion, but "no program runs better on Mac OS X than Windows"? I disagree, because there are programs that are OS X exclusive applications, that are much greater than the Windows equivalent in my opinion. Final Cut Studio is one, I think its awesome, Adobe Premiere isn't any match, really.

 

If Microsoft doesn't get it together for Windows 7.. I could see Macs becoming more popular.

And I will agree.. I think OS X has nicer looking apps. For example, Coda is a lot easier on the eyes than most Windows text editors. I don't know if it actually is easier to use... but it sure looks nice.

 

ok, I agree there are a few exceptions. But that rule holds true for the most part. 99.99% of mac software is available on the PC in some form. It used to be that you really needed a mac for photoshop, but this has thinned to a point where it runs equally well on both.

If he needs those 5-10 programs that are only available on mac, or likes OSX for some reason, then he should go and buy a mac... but for gaming, at least in 2008, there's no reason.

 

Well, you'll also be amazed, there's no doubt that there are many many times more Windows software than there is Mac OS X software, but its much more proportionate to the about 7% market share OS X currently has. There are still some areas like business applications and games that OS X is lacking, but many regular applications have Mac equivalents .