Want to buy a macbook,but I need alot of help,many questions.

Ok I have used nothing but pc's in my life but more recently I want to go after macs since they seem to be good,but I have many questions that need to be answered before I get it.First I hear the new macbooks have Windows XP,does it come preinstalled or do I have to buy a program to install it?Also when using a mouse do I have to use a mouse that is made by apple or can I use any mouse?I download lots of movies,music,and games from the web.I am often scared that I will recieve spyware or viruses. I want to buy a mac with windows so I can download the files to the mac OS and check them then transfer them to windows XP. Is it possible I could do that?Also is it possible that winrar works on mac?Please help I really need these questions answered.

 

The Apple computers featuring Intel processors (iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook, MacBook Pro) all have the ability to run Windows XP SP2 but you have to install it yourself.

You can use any mouse. I am currently using my Logitech MX900 bluetooth mouse.

The Apple is not prone to virusses or adware affecting Windows based machines. This article from Apple sums it all up better than I can explain it - 114,000 virusses? Not on a Mac.

It is however possible to get infected files onto your Mac partition but they will not affect OSX but will compromise your Windows XP installation, if you run it in Windows.

There are several utilities that can unzip/rar etc files, search for Stuffit Expander.

 

It does not com pre-installed. You have to buy a copy of windows to install.

You can use any mouse you want.

Downloading music, movies and games is illegal. Please do not discuss it here.

Unless you get an external hard drive, you won't be able to transfer the files between OSX and XP.

Why not a PC with some virus software.

 

Zaz the sites I download stuff is pay to download I am not doing it for free.Isn't an apple more safe than a pc with virus software?So there is no way I can transfer files from mac to windows unless I use an external drive?

 

You don't need antivirus on an Apple.

Even though you pay for newsgroup services, the content may still be illegal

 

Illegal?!?!?Oh crapp,I will have to watch that.I have a few more questions though.I hear the macbooks have a heating problem,is this true?

 

Windows cannot read Mac-formatted partitions by default, no. I am sure someone wrote drivers for that, but no guarantees as to how well they would work assuming you find them. Your best bet is, as you say, to use an external drive.

 

well, in OS X you can see the XP partition.
so say, for example, you go to a music site like www.emusic.com or www.mp3.com and download a few songs in windows XP, then you can restart into OS X, open those songs, play them and make sure you like them, then put them right back in the windows XP partition and then you can use them in XP anytime you want. simple as that.

 

oh and yes, some of the macbooks do have a problem where they get quite warm, however the two I have seen were running all day and were not very hot at all.

 

Yep I would use a external drive

 

You can buy your macbook pre-loaded with XP from pcmall/macmall ( http://www.macmall.com/macmall/families/macbook/?WTReferer=http://www.macmall.com/&wt.mc_id=10997 ). It'll cost you a little extra, but they'll do it for you. If you want to do it a little cheaper you can get XP from newegg ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102059), install bootcamp yourself, and save $100.

If you want to try to use your mac partition as a sort of quarantine, you could buy an external drive like this one ( http://www.buy.com/prod/LaCie_250GB...y_F_A_Porsche_300728U/q/loc/101/10359999.html ) (250 gigs for $120 in a nice-looking enclosure) and transfer your files there after you've scanned them. This external drive should be readable/writable by both your mac and windows partition. On XP it just works but you may have to make sure it's formatted correctly if you want OSX to play nice with it (fat32 or ntfs I'm not sure).

 

I don't believe this is actually possible. The Windows partition doe not see the OSX partition. And any anti-virus you put on the Mac will not carry definitions for Windows viruses. So it will look good to OSX, but then may harm XP. Also, the only way OSX can write to the Windows partition reliably is if it is FAT32, and you don't want to do that. NTM, the mx partition of FAT32 is not very large.

The right way to do this is actually alot more comlicated. First, drop the idea of a Mac. Then, make sure you have a router and put one Windows box on the "DMZ", this way if you get infected it won't spread to the rest of your network. Use this one to "test" your files. If they are good then you can bring the file in to your normal PC. Or just use that dmz'd machine for dl'ing and burning (or whatever you do with them) and then have another behind your router for normal use. That is the only truly safe way to do this.

The truth of the matter is you deserve whatever you get, because you are knowingly breaking the law. Your kind are the reason I can't use the movies I legally bought to their fullest potential.

**EDIT** There is another easier option: just use OSX as your daily OS