Mac buying tips

[Kaxmax]

Why would you alt-tab at all, out of curiosity? Leave everything open and use Expose. Even with WoW if you need to do something else just Apple key - m to go windowed.

I agree completely about the Apple mouse, it sucks ass.

[Cryptin]

Originally Posted by Kaxmax

Why would you alt-tab at all, out of curiosity? Leave everything open and use Expose. Even with WoW if you need to do something else just Apple key - m to go windowed.

I agree completely about the Apple mouse, it sucks ass.

I was wondering the same thing. With spaces and expose, running multiple applications is a godsend.

[Kuriin]

I love the programs for the Mac simply because they're more user friendly, but I can't just feel like they're pushing software breaking applications with terrible out of date hardware.

[Burf]

Originally Posted by Cad

you can build a much nicer computer than a Mac for less money

This made me chuckle. It implies that a Mac isn't a computer. (I know that's not what you meant, but your word choice was amusing.)

Also, there's a very real thing called 'WAF' (Wife Acceptance Factor). Have you ever wondered why Bose speakers, which are incredibly overpriced and sound like crap (from a price/sound ratio), sell so well? Because they're tiny and they don't clutter up your living area like other gigantic floor-standing speakers.

Having an 'all-in-one', with one wire coming out of it (power), is the same concept.

I'm not saying that it's the only reason, but looks do play a part in the sales world.

[Daerath]

Saying, "you can build a much nicer computer than a Mac for less money" doesn't imply that a Mac isn't a computer. It clearly states that a Mac [computer] is not as nice and more expensive than a computer you can build yourself.

As for the speaker example, Bose sells well because people see the Bose brand name and think that they're getting the best speakers on the market, which they aren't. Bose just has great advertising.

I will say this. Apple *does* know how to design their systems so that they are eye catching. I like looking at them, but I don't like using them. If they could just get that whole, "this computer is useful to the masses, has up-to-date applications, and is a good system to use for software development of all kinds" then I may pick one up.

[Lenas]

Macs are worth using just for TextMate.

Believe it.

[wild_whiskey]

From a designer's perspective, the exact opposite is true to what was being said early: for me, there's simply no reason to ever buy a Windows PC, other than for gaming (which I do very little of on cutting-edge terms). I work almost entirely with Adobe programs and every design firm I've ever visited, worked for or been interviewed at have all been entirely Mac-operated.

The way multiple applications work simultaneously , the way the menu bars work, the way programs are simplified and not bloated makes it a dream in terms of basic low-level functions like email, web browsing, etc. as well as designing in Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop, and the fact that it's a great combination of power, convenience and usability make it a real pleasure to use for me. It requires practically no maintenance to keep it running in top condition, it's compact, and it has windows so I can play Team Fortress 2 as well.

I used Windows for years and always considered myself a "computer person," because in my opinion and experience, to keep a Windows machine running well over several years and customized to suit my high standards, you had to be a computer person. Now I don't have to be a computer guy anymore, because I honestly feel like the Mac runs so much more intuitively with my way of thinking. It's stripped down to the point where it's not unnecessarily bloated with hidden processes and confusing file infrastructure, but it's robust enough to fulfill every single computing need of mine, I never have to go out of my way to fix something because 99.99% of the time it just works perfectly.

Oh yea, and the Mac mouse blows ass. I use a bluetooth Microsoft mouse.

[Daerath]

Originally Posted by wild_whiskey

From a designer's perspective, the exact opposite is true to what was being said early: for me, there's simply no reason to ever buy a Windows PC, other than for gaming (which I do very little of on cutting-edge terms). I work almost entirely with Adobe programs and every design firm I've ever visited, worked for or been interviewed at have all been entirely Mac-operated.

The way multiple applications work simultaneously , the way the menu bars work, the way programs are simplified and not bloated makes it a dream in terms of basic low-level functions like email, web browsing, etc. as well as designing in Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop, and the fact that it's a great combination of power, convenience and usability make it a real pleasure to use for me. It requires practically no maintenance to keep it running in top condition, it's compact, and it has windows so I can play Team Fortress 2 as well.

I used Windows for years and always considered myself a "computer person," because in my opinion and experience, to keep a Windows machine running well over several years and customized to suit my high standards, you had to be a computer person. Now I don't have to be a computer guy anymore, because I honestly feel like the Mac runs so much more intuitively with my way of thinking. It's stripped down to the point where it's not unnecessarily bloated with hidden processes and confusing file infrastructure, but it's robust enough to fulfill every single computing need of mine, I never have to go out of my way to fix something because 99.99% of the time it just works perfectly.

Oh yea, and the Mac mouse blows ass. I use a bluetooth Microsoft mouse.

Exactly. If you are a graphics person, use a Mac. If you are anything else, use a PC. =P

[Neph]

I'm thinking about getting a Macbook Pro sometime soon. But I'm sitting on a gaming notebook right now that's plagued with overheating problems. I hear the Pro can get hot too, but has the heat ever caused anyone any hardware failure? There's anecdotes on the internet, but most of them seem dated.

[Cad]

I can say that I can run my T61 at 100% CPU with 3d going (discrete graphics) and it doesn't overheat/throttle or have an obnoxiously loud fan. Quality hardware.

[Burf]

Neph, I think most of those things you're hearing are from when the MacBook Pro's first came out and they had WAY too much thermal paste on the chips. That has since been fixed, and I don't think they have any overheating problems (none that I know of, anyway).

I really wish other manufacturers could get 15" notebooks that light and thin.

[Nark]

Originally Posted by Neph

I'm thinking about getting a Macbook Pro sometime soon. But I'm sitting on a gaming notebook right now that's plagued with overheating problems. I hear the Pro can get hot too, but has the heat ever caused anyone any hardware failure? There's anecdotes on the internet, but most of them seem dated.

I have owned a macbook pro for 1 solid year now. The bottom does get very hot but I have not experienced any hardware failure due to overheating. I would only leave this laptop on a desk and not a bed, one time my parents came in and i had left the house and my laptop on my bed was very hot, and the bed sheets were very hot as well.
As a side note I HIGHLY recommend applecare protection. Paying 300$ for 2 year coverage is worth it in this case, when things break they break your wallet. Also, being able to access windows at any point in time is a huge advantage.

windows I use for gaming, and sometimes AIM (apple's aim sucks)
osx for everything else.

[Malakie Torsade]

What is this Expose thing? Is that where it shows all your windows at once and you click what you want to switch to? Graphically that looks nice but it takes longer than just alt-tabbing.

Originally Posted by Nark

windows I use for gaming, and sometimes AIM (apple's aim sucks)

Don't like Adium? That's what I use at work and it seems to do the job good enough.