Should I buy a MacBook Pro? 13.3

Let us know if you get processor whine.

 

Okay that is fair, guess I didn't think through this. I've had a glossy screen before, got used to it and didn't notice it anymore. Though I admit that I prefer non-reflective screens.

 

Nikkisixx, absolutely I will. It's been a rough ride for me..trying to find a perfect computer. And I have not imagined myself that I'd become a Mac user...really only a few weeks ago that was out of question. But once I started seriously considering all the options out there MBP seemed such a good choice. Also, not too many negative reviews from real MBP users..I don't know whether that's a "cult thing" or simply whether Macs and their OS is really in so many ways advantageous. I will let you know once I find out for myself.

 

SO MY NEW MACBOOK PRO WAS DELIVERED TODAY...it took me weeks of deliberating which computer to buy (returned two, t400s, Samsung) and I have to tell you: I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT, and I've had it only for 2 hours .
The screen is gorgeous compared to T400s (ThinkPad Lenovo for those who would not know). But even better: IT"S SILENT!!! REALLY SILENT - that's something I really wanted from a computer.
and all the little gadgets the book pad etc. Honestly I never trusted too much people who were raving about this but I do see now why you'd like this machine. I thought I should all let you know since I was being helped a lot here. So far I am very impressed. And I am not a person who is easily impressed.

 

thats cool... just ask away if you run into any problems, someone will have an answer

 

That is exactly what I want to know
it's a toss up right now between the hp envy 15, upcoming 14 and either MVP 13 or 15
I like power for gaming and artery as Im a college student but when it boils down to it
I just really want to know how advantages Mbps and their odd are. Im a windows 7 user btw.
Please let me know you thoughts on the osx advantages
key points for me are the conveniences (nice conveninet multitouch gestures and etc) and the productivity of Mbps v win 7 counterparts
thanks for much
I ve been researching laptops for half a year now

 

Well I can't really be a serious guide for I've had my macbook literally for a few hours...I have been for years a fairly skillful Windows user - could fix things myself, new how to get around and get stuff done. But let me tell you, only after 3-4 hours of playing with this, what I love about it:
1. Maybe it's only my impression but this thing is fast...now I have not tried any demanding software or anything. Just the common stuff..this thing flies.
2. It is very easy to navigate..I've never used OS X before but already feel it's really easy....somehow there' s way less options, or at least they are hidden, in terms of what you can set up...in fact i feel this system is streamlined and made really easy to use in a very convenient manner. I always had to uninstall stuff, rearrange whole Windows or the a complete reinstall after I got my first computer. Here it feels everything is installed so wonderfully that I don't miss anything and nothing bothers me..no pop-up windows, no bloatware of anykind..really it took me 5 minutes from the start and I was ready to go.
3. The touchpad is just FANTASTIC..really I don't still now how to use it and already see that it's way better..the swiping with 4, 3 or 2 fingers..you can move between applications much faster than in Windows. this might seem like a bit thing but it increases the comfort of using the software but so much.
3. speakers..man they are not bad..for movie watching, very good. and generally the screen quality is great too.
4. The computer really feels sturdy...it's real steel
5. it's silent...now this is a big one for me: YOu won't be able to find silent computers in the PC world these days anymore..all of them have fan constantly kicking...at lower or higher speeds...this thing is really quiet.
6. keyboard..really nice.

7. this is maybe a small thing but I like the fact that volume buttons are part of the keyboard, together with mute. I hate having to press fn+ ...to get the computer to shut up immediately. Here you have special buttons and they beatifully responsive.
8. electric cord plug-in: man I would never thing this would impress me: it's like a little magnet...you plug it in and unplug it so easily.

you see I can go on about this. My overall impression is that MBP is just a really well-thought out machine...the devil lies in the details and here I see how many of these details are just superbly engineered. You know it's not one thing but all these little issues that altogether made quite an impression on me.
Also I expected that it would take me at least a month to get used to this new system..but it seems much easier than you would think. For my needs - mainly office work and translating....this is a perfect machine.
I advise you to go to a store and try it for yourself..or borrow it from a friend of yours to see how you like it. Again, I must say I am quite the sceptic and a perfectionist: I returned a topline Lenovo computer because of a whining CPU noise (something that even most people don't notice)...so you could imagine what type of a person is writing this post. And I can tell you thus far it's been a great ride.
But again, these are really first impressions...

Thank you Doh123, I will. I will soon start installing stuff.
Actually here's one for you right away: I've ordered Parallels with this computer and have an installation CD. the way I see it now though I will be most likely perfectly happy in OS X - really so far there's nothing that bothers me at all. I do need to have Windows though for some software - mainly Japanese translation stuff etc. which is not available for Mac.
I've heard that If I install bootcamp I should do it when I get my computer. Now I actually think that I might not have a use for Windows much with the exception of a few applications that can be easily run in Parallers (e.g. one translation dictionary that I have). I've heard the people say to stay away from virtual machines but do you think that for such simple needs Parallels would do fine? I am not sure I want to go through the whole process of setting up bootcamp and then using it only really once in a month or something if at all.

 

Congrats Christina!! I was like you when I switched (20+ years using Microsoft OS). Its hard to understand the "cult" as a Windows user or even by a quick trial in a store or using a friend's system. When you actually set up a Mac and use it as your own you start to understand. There will always be people who still prefer Windows for one reason or another but for most people I've talked to they love their Mac. It made me wonder why I was so anti Mac all those years.

I will make a couple of suggestions. Check your firewall (system preferences/security)to see if its turned on. It may have changed but my 4 Macs were off by default. The videos on Apple's website are helpful for new users and the support pages are full of tips. As for using Windows on a Mac check out the sticky thread at the top of the forum as they are a great source of information. I don't use windows on my Mac but did try out Sun's VirtualBox for Ubuntu just to see how well it worked. Virtual machines are fine for occasional stuff but not recommended for high intensity gaming and the like. I think for your uses you should be fine with Parallels.

 

Basically, if there is some Windows software I need to run, I try it with Wineskin (my project), or Crossover Mac/Games... and if it doesn't run or run good enough, then I run it in a virtual machine with Win7. If it doesn't run good enough with that, I just don't use the software. For lightweight programs (nothing graphic intensive) a virtual machine will run really nicely. Its worth trying out, though I would have gotten the free trial first to see how it worked before purchasing it. You can freely try Parallels, VMWare Fusion, and VirtualBox is always free. I prefer VMWare mainly because I've used it forever and Parallels had many many issues, but those are all fixed in Parallels 5 and its a great product. Just don't leave it running all the time, pause the machine and close parallels when you don't need to use it.

 

He is being very modest. doh123 has done more for Mac gaming than everyone at Apple and Valve combined.

I would pretty much give him +cred on every post he makes but the forum won't allow it.

 

Hello guys,
I've got only a quick one: there's probably a simple solution to this but before i figure that out I thought I might ask:
I managed to install parallels (came for free with my computer, 5.0) and Windows 7 professional. Still I have 2 problems with it: first if I enter a full-screen mode it's still only about 75% of the whole scree - the edges are than black...secondly the drivers in Windows have not been installed for networking adapter..in other terms it seems that none of the important drivers (for the display) and networking have been installed. I thought that Parallels does that automatically? Or do I have to do it myself?
Also, when installing Windows it asked, unabashedly for 63GB of my hard drive. I could not reduce this. Is this normal?
Sorry to bother you with this stuff, I know it's beginner's issues but still you might help me solve it soon.

 

make sure you installed parallels tools inside Windows... when its booted up into Windows, select it in one of the top menus, and it should start a install program inside of Windows.... it will install drivers and such needed to make it run better.

 

I've done it, runs smoothly. Thank you as always Doh.
The more i know about this system the more i am impressed with it.
So I've been running now 10 applications at the same time including Windows in virtual machine and not a single time did anything crash.....this is amazing..really even in Windows 7, crashes are so common. Nothing here...
Also, am I right to assume that Mac's don't suffer from viruses the way Windows does? Seems that non one is bothered about anti-virus software.
another comment/question: it seems to me that the system doesn't slow down after installing new applications...at least no the way Windows does. I.e. do I need to be worried with OS X about bloatware, software that eats up your memory without you knowing about it etc. Usually I stay away from installing anything on Windows for getting it out of the registers even after clean uninstall is a hassle. Seems that this system doesn't suffer from that?

There is only one thing I can't get use to: "finder". The the way files are organized on a Mac. I am used to Windows architecture, to work with explorer..see D: drive, C: drive etc. here it is all a bit confusing. Is there anything like the old good Norton Commander for Macs? Speaking about difficulties with the way files are organized... I still can't wrap my head around Itunes and honestly I've already used this software before. Can I replace it altogether with something better?

 

crashes aren't quite as common, but nothing is perfect... you can still get crashes or full kernel panics you have to shut down to fix.

self propagating viruses just affecting you for no reasons is very unlikely. just be careful what you do... if your going to get something it will most likely be a trojan disguised as a different application... usually only found if your trying to find illegal software, or just download from untrusted sites.

since it doesn't rely on a registry... it has a serious advantage in this area.... the registry is the worst 'invention' MS made that they just can't let go of.
you can get extra app support files and .plist files still on your system, but they are just files that sit around... very small (usually)... not really noticeable taking up space on the hard drive, and not loaded into memory.

if you are very used to Windows, or its the only structure you know.. it can take awhile to get used to how Macs do it. If you give it time and learn how to use it good, and all the features, and to customize it like you want, its actually a very good system.

What's the problem with iTunes?

 

Give Finder some time. I prefer it to Windows Explorer as everything is much easier to find. All the most commonly accessed things are right there on the left side.

 

-> macs don't have special hardware ( contains hardware found in any laptop except trackpad i think ) ... correct me if i am wrong
-> MBP 13" can be considered silent , i use my sisters 13 incher sometimes i barely hear sound from fans and i live in a hot county temps here hit 45c
N.B. : using windows on MBP , u ll suffer from higher temps and so higher fan noise and lower battery life , so if ur planning to run windows alot don't get a mac , go get the vaio z but i have no idea how silent they are.
i just want to know what applications exactly do u use on office??