Mac and pc users

[salesrep]

Buying a new laptop.
After researching here and elswhere I am leaning towards the Mac. What is the diff between the powerbook and ibook?

I need a strong internet machine with limited software programs running at any given time. Don't think I need a whole lot of storage. Just need a hard working fast internet machine.

Still considering a pc and would really like a 15 or 17 in screen which makes the mac more exp.

Thoughts?
Thanks.

[ January 16, 2006, 08:16 PM: Message edited by: salesrep ]

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

I've looked at both, and have never been impressed with the iBook's screen nor performance. However, the only thing that is impressive is the price. If price is the top choice, then the iBook is the way to go. If you have more $$ on hand, the 15" PowerBook is the way to go. It has a screen that is easier on the eyes, a nice back-lit keyboard and is a better deal IMO.

I have a Mac PowerBook 1Ghz with the old-style keyboard and 1GB of PC133 RAM. It's slow compared to the new 1.67GHZ models with the faster RAM. The new 1440x960 15" screens are MUCH nicer than the 1200x800 on my model. The colors are far more accurate and the extra resolution makes a big difference. I just hope Apple offers a variant of Sony's X-Brite sometime soon.

Oh, by the way, get the hard drive with the fastest RPM's available. Swapping out the standard 60GB 4200 RPM drive for a 7200RPM 60GB easily made my mac oodles faster. Not fast like a brand new one, but applications load times, system boot times, MP3 ripping times, etc...all are substantially reduced. Well worth the upcharge!

Lastly, I would LOVE to get my hands on one with the Intel CPU!

 

[T-Keith]

Don't get a powerbook or ibook. Both currently use PowerPC processors which will soon be pretty much unsupported. If you do get a MAC, get a new Intel powered one, since that is the way they will be going.

Mac might be the right thing for you, or you could probably get a nice windows laptop for much cheaper. We've had great luck with our Compaq we bought this summer. Built to order for around $700 with an Athlon 64, 512MB RAM, and all the goodies.

-T

 

[Blake Sobiloff]

If you compare equally-equipped Mac and PC laptops you'll find a small ($100-200) price premium for the Mac. Most folks don't make a complete comparison because all Macs come pretty loaded (both software and hardware) and it can be tough to configure an equal PC.

Yes, Apple just introduced the MacBook (an Intel-based laptop running OS X), but all software available today and for the next several years will be available in PowerPC-compatible format. There's an enormous installed base of PowerPC-based computers that the software developers will not ignore. Any PowerPC-based Mac laptop will not instantly become unsupported. It will live an average lifetime of 2-4 years easily.

The iBook is the "consumer" line, while the PowerBook/MacBook are the "professional" line. You'd probably be quite happy with the 14" iBook, assuming that 1024 X 768 is enough screen real estate for you. If not, then you'll have to move up to the higher resolution and larger screens in the PowerBook/MacBook line.

Note that Apple expects to transition most of its computers to Intel chips during this year, so expect a lot of changes in their product lineup. For example, you might be able to get a good deal on a PowerPC-based iBook after Apple announces the Intel-based versions.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

PowerPC based Mac OSX software will run on the Intel-based Mac OSX system. Steve Jobs illustrated that last year by running Adobe PhotoShop for PowerPC on an Intel-based OSX box.

And you don't have to worry about Spyware on the Mac!

 

[JHZR2]

My last Mac was a 75 MHz PowerPC. I loved apple products, but a number of the software packages I needed in college were only available for PC.

I swapped through a number of PCs, preferring AMD or high end intel stuff, even for day to day use, as the other stuff really does show a weakness in its lifecycle longevity.

My brother started college this fall, and decided to go mac. He got the 12" powerbook with the 20" cinema display. THe monitors on either are beautiful, even theough the 12" is pretty small to look at for a long time.

I have seen the I-books in the apple store. Though good as a basic computer, the monitor even on the larger ones leaves something to be desired. At the same time though, the monitor on a lower-end PC laptop leaves something to be desired also.

In reality, if youre looking at a laptop screen, even the new big 17" ones, youre doing your eyes a dissservice, and IMO your vision will suffer. The nest thing to do for regular use, even if you have a laptop, is to get an external monitor.

My newest computer is actually a mac mini. I stepped from a dual xeon Dell precision workstation to the mini, because all I really need to do at home anymore is internet stuff; work provides the computing power I need for everything else... Im not in school anymore.

If I were you, Id go with a mac mini and spend more $$$ on a monitor. If you HAVE to have a laptop, try and splurge for a powerbook - maybe look for the refurbished ones to save a bit of $. I think youl bve happier to get the better screen if you have to look at a laptop consistently.

In general, the rule is to spend the $$$ on computers used constantly/regularly, and spend $$$ on hardware for computationally intensive work where not much time is spent looking at the screen. At the same time, realize that the less you spend on hardware, the lousier machine youll have with a more limited lifecycle longevity, but chances are your eyes are more important than a few bucks here or there on a CPU, or even the need to replace it after three years instead of four...

JMH

 

[Not the Autorx Frank]

salesrep

the new macbook pro looks insane. sweet machine

a few links for ya....

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/

watch the keynote if u like, just a few days ago.....

Steve Jobs is the ultimate speaker...

http://macworld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/mw/index.html

of course I'm under the Steve Jobs reality distortion field so I am biased.....

and a tiger vs xp comp...

http://www.xvsxp.com/

cheers! any help u need let me know as i have had macs since the apple 11E

 

[Not the Autorx Frank]

remember also.... no spyware !!!! either... secure OS

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

One application that works great is the graphics program GIMP. Add the X11 components (are they installed by default now?) and you now have the ability to run X11/Unix applications. Can't do that on a PC, for free at least.

 

[robbobster]

quote:

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What is the diff between the powerbook and ibook?

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Powerbooks typically had slightly faster processors & video cars, as well as a metal shell these days. A little more for the "power user" but the Powerbook name is going away.

iBooks have plastic cases but since the G4 processor has been around awhile, it seems that the performance differences are minimal.

As stated, though, I'd get one of the new ones with an Intel processor. Never buy yestertech if you can help it. You can bet that, at some point, support for the PowerPC models will simply go away.

 

[michaelc80]

quote:

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remember also.... no spyware !!!! either... secure OS

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Uh...There is spyware/viruses/malware for the Mac. SH.Renepo, the Sony rootkit, and Spector just to name a few. As Macs become more popular there are more and more malwares being written for it. The myth that Macs are "immune" to malware is just that-a myth.

 

[Not the Autorx Frank]

michaelc80,

Well its a myth to me personally..

Technically you are correct. But is a valid and publically acccepted point that Macs have WAY less issues concerning spyware and viruses and that windows is like a sinking ship with holes everywhere. I have been using Macs since 1988 and NEVER had a virus or syware issue. I now oversee a server and 6 workstations at work. Since I switched everything to Mac Last year, Our Dept has never been down 1 single time while the other Dept has the "Windows" IT guy in at least 2 times a week at $75 per hr. I need to ask for a raise.. sigh...

Granted, there are some specialty apps that are windows only which I concede, your gonna need a windows box. And there are some NICE machines. We have a few!

If you just look at the growing issue w/ windows, it just looks hopless to have a winbox free of any spyware if you want to use the net. Esp if you are connecting to networks w/ a laptop. You have no control over the router, hardware firewall etc.

the skinny on SH.Renopo
http://www.breakingwindows.com/new/2004/10/the_shrenepo_wo.php

A good OSX read..
http://www.theappleblog.com/2005/06/24/viruses-on-mac-os-x/

ok done w/ my rant...

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

I don't agree. Like Unix, you don't get admin privledges to a Mac OSX computer...unlike Windows (or the old Mac OS9) where just about everyone is an Admin equivalent. Therein lies the open gate of exploitation.

Is any system free from spyware/viruses? No, not at all. But with the Unix/MacOSX/Linux, it's much harder to write software to crap-out a user's home machine (like Pablo's machine as a recent example, NOT slamming Pablo, just providing an example that it can happen to any Windows box...) when you don't have admin access to it! I'm talking about home-machines, not web, app or file servers here...

If you run a web server on any platform, all bets are off. It opens up a world of opportunities for hackers.

Security through more secure mechanisms.

 

[brianl703]

Let's see...there was the sshd vulnerability, the qpopper vulnerability, the ftpd vulnerability, the sendmail vulnerability...and I'm probably forgetting a few.

None of these are webservers. All of these are vulnerabilities that Unix and Linux machines can be susceptible to if they're running the older sshd, qpopper, ftpd, etc. Even if they're not being used, many distributions (in the past, anyway) installed them by default as a "convenience" so qpopper and ftpd (etc.) were running whether you used them or not.

So one day you might find out that you've got a rootkit installed on your Unix/Linux box..or maybe you never will. That's the goal, anyway.

 

[brianl703]

quote:

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Can't do that on a PC, for free at least.

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Sure you can.

 

[robbobster]

Mac = security thru obscurity

Which is fine - I rarely re-boot my Macs, let alone re-install the OS like I used to do on my PCs.

 

[csp203]

I am no expert, I have owned macs in the past, but it just costs more to live in the mac world. The price of admission is more. They hit you for 100$ every year with a OS upgrade. They hit you up for 100$ for an ilife upgrade every year. I truly believe using the mac is a more 'satisfying experience', but I am not sure it is worth the money.

 

[robbobster]

csp203,
You don't have to get the upgrades.
While my work Macs of course get them (company pays for htem and just pushes them out to everyone's computer), I don't on my home machines.

When I looked at each upgrade, I determined that I wouldn't use the additional functionality/programs. Of course, if you think you need them, you have to pay.

But also consider that iLife and lots of other programs (like iDVD) come with the Mac, all this stuff will cost extra on a PC, I'm pretty sure.

I don't Windows comes with anything to edit video, for example, while Macs do.

I think the price delta is almost insignificant when you add-in the cost of the included programs, versus buying them for a Windows machine.

I completely agree about the "satisfying experience" part of the equation.