07-17-2008, 04:19 AM

Ok, heres the deal,

I'm a university student studying accounting and finance. I currently own a Dell inspiron 6400 which has worked fine for me in the past (bought it 1.5 years ago). However, my uni just got a whole lot the new 24 inch imacs and there amazing. I'm considering a macbook pro, unless of course you want to recommend something else. How does the MBP differ from the MB?

-I've heard that macbook pros can heat up alot, is this true with the new ones?
-I have an external hard drive for my dell. Will this be able to be used with a mac.
- Will a mac be good for business related stuff? Excel and stuff all work ok. Anything which i would be better off with a PC?
-Are they quiet. One of the things which annoys me about my dell is it makes a ticking noise like a hard drive. It never did it when it was new.
-How do i make it so i can choose windows or mac OS? Do i just install boot camp and then get a choice?
-On my dell, i use a software called yagoon. Its a calendar like program which lets me put my uni timetable on it and add events, which it pops up and beeps when i have something to go to. Its amazing, i dont know if i can have a computer without something like this as i am busy and it pretty much organizes my life.
-Are all files transferrable between mac/windows.

thats pretty much it for now,

Thanks, Dave

07-17-2008, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by davenz

Ok, heres the deal,

I'm a university student studying accounting and finance. I currently own a Dell inspiron 6400 which has worked fine for me in the past (bought it 1.5 years ago). However, my uni just got a whole lot the new 24 inch imacs and there amazing. I'm considering a macbook pro, unless of course you want to recommend something else. How does the MBP differ from the MB?

* Larger screen (15.4 vs. 13.3) and choice between glossy and matte.
* Backlit keyboard
* Discrete video card with true GPU (good for playing games and running 3D software)
* Express card slot

Those are the primary differences.

-I've heard that macbook pros can heat up alot, is this true with the new ones?

All modern notebooks run warm and the MacBook Pro is no exception. Personally, I never find it uncomfortable to use on my lap, but I've heard complaints from others. If you're used to using an Inspiron, you'll probably chuckle at the relative heat output of a MBP.

-I have an external hard drive for my dell. Will this be able to be used with a mac.

Yes, although you might need to format it in FAT32 instead of NTFS to maintain full R/W compatibility between both OSes. Otherwise, Mac OS X can read NTFS, but can't write to it.

- Will a mac be good for business related stuff? Excel and stuff all work ok. Anything which i would be better off with a PC?

Yes, it should be fine. There is a version of MS Office for Mac. Worst case scenario, if there is a Windows-only program you need to run, you can always pop Windows on your Mac and run it from there.

-Are they quiet. One of the things which annoys me about my dell is it makes a ticking noise like a hard drive. It never did it when it was new.

Yes, very much so. Mine is virtually silent.

-How do i make it so i can choose windows or mac OS? Do i just install boot camp and then get a choice?

Yes, Boot Camp preps your system for dual-boot between Mac OS or Windows. Additionally, you might consider VMWare Fusion or Parallels Desktop, which allow you to run both simultaneously (the better option IMO).

-On my dell, i use a software called yagoon. Its a calendar like program which lets me put my uni timetable on it and add events, which it pops up and beeps when i have something to go to. Its amazing, i dont know if i can have a computer without something like this as i am busy and it pretty much organizes my life.

iCal (built in) or Entourage (part of MS Office 2008) can both do these things.

-Are all files transferrable between mac/windows.

Yes.

thats pretty much it for now,

Thanks, Dave

Welcome to the forums, Dave - good luck and let us know what you choose.

07-17-2008, 09:27 AM

You can actually read AND write to NTFS now, also with your Mac. Check it out here: http://www.ntfs-3g.org/

But i think it requires some computer skill to set it up though. But it is possible nevertheless...

07-17-2008, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by Strukt

You can actually read AND write to NTFS now, also with your Mac. Check it out here: http://www.ntfs-3g.org/

But i think it requires some computer skill to set it up though. But it is possible nevertheless...

Absolutely. You can also get Paragon NTFS for Mac, which is a 3rd party utility that makes it quite simple, but it will cost you about $30.

As always, there is a workaround for everything - but I was trying to keep it simple.

07-17-2008, 11:24 AM

im a new Windows to Mac convert... im a flash developer, and it has increased my work ability... just works so much better... plus the accessories i got with my MBP make it alot easier... the mighty mouse is ace, and the iRemote is very useful when i am too lazy to get up...

And at the current price index's you get pretty much the same performance for your money these days....

I would reccomend apple over microsoft to any one now... espcially as vista is the worst operating system since win 95....

Probs an exageration, but i just think vista sucks... HARD

IN CONCLUSION lol... get a Macbook Pro, Cant go wrong...

07-17-2008, 06:20 PM

so a few things about ical:
- can i add an event and make it automatically repeat every week, or fortnight ect?
- Can a mac print off any printer just like a PC as long as you set it up.

07-17-2008, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by davenz

so a few things about ical:
- can i add an event and make it automatically repeat every week, or fortnight ect?

Yes.

- Can a mac print off any printer just like a PC as long as you set it up.

Yes, providing the printer is a model that there are Mac OS X drivers available. That would be about 95% of all modern printers - one of the biggest exceptions is Dell-branded printers, which are intended to be sold with Dell machines.

07-18-2008, 12:02 AM

Alright, im sold on mac. thanks guys. as soon as i sell my car im going down to get a MBP

07-18-2008, 09:48 AM

good choice...

08-07-2008, 03:07 AM

Originally Posted by davenz

Alright, im sold on mac. thanks guys. as soon as i sell my car im going down to get a MBP

Hahahaha that's exactly what I did! Sold my car to get a Macbook Pro and a new motorcycle to get around. I couldn't have been more pleased

Then again..it hasn't rained yet..

08-07-2008, 06:03 AM

hahaha @ selling your car...

Yeah it's worth it, Mac's are so robust, I think thats my favourite aspect, I hated running browsers in Windows only to find the windows shutting down at any moment, Safari after heavy use, has yet to crash.