The hardware design is unbeatable. There is no windows laptop on the market that even compares with the MacBook's new trackpad. If you're going to get a white MacBook, I'd say go with the brand new model. If you are going to get an older pro, make sure it's one of the ones with the trackpad, or an aluminum unibody MacBook like I'm on, late 2008 version. They are pretty cheap from Apple, now.
There, I just saved you 100 bucks and got you superior hardware.
That's the exact model I was eying. Appreciate the link. One last question I had was how does upgrading RAM work? Am I only able to buy RAM through Apple? I noticed it comes with 2GB, which is the amount I was looking for, but, since I want this to last long, I may want to upgrade RAM in the future and wanted to know how I'd go about doing that.
Thanks for all the responses so far, guys. You've been really helpful.
Yes, I realize there are any number of ways to get a right mouse click... but when you've grown up with the simplicity of actually having two distinct buttons you really prefer having those two buttons.... frankly for the price Apple charges for a macbook especially the macbook pro, I would like to think that I deserve more than just 2 buttons.
I realize the claim that having 1 button makes it simple... I frankly come from the school of thought that leaving off a button because some people in the world are too stupid to understand the difference between right and left is asinine.
I'm also not a big fan of the "buttonless" macbook pro which has just replaced a single button with a huge button that is really a track pad... I can only imagine the only possible reason for this is to force sales of mice to apple owners so they can get all the functionality without playing yoga fingers was the reason.
I get where you're coming from, but I have to disagree. Just my personal preference, but having used trackpads on various laptops (mostly non-Apple), I quickly realized that one could enable gestures and taps for clicking and stopped using the clunky buttons a long time ago. When I switched to a MacBook Pro, I quickly learned to tap with two fingers. Now, it comes so naturally, that I find myself doing it on other computers and personally find it to be more intuitive in this day and age of 'touch friendly' devices. With three and four finger gestures, it comes as a natural extension of the concept and makes things even easier.
I think a lot of people buy a Mac and relentlessly pursue ways to make it work like Windows. When most people switch, it's because they want it to be different. I find it odd that so many people are surprised when they find that it is indeed different.
And I'm in no way trying to downplay your issue, because I understand where you're coming from. In your mind, this is how a computer "should be". But if you take a look at historical precedence, a single button on a mouse or a trackpad is how the original designs started. Microsoft and other companies may have deviated from that design, but that doesn't mean theirs is the right way (or the wrong way, for that matter - just different).
Mac Specs: 13 inch alMacBook 2GHz 2GB, 1.25GHz G4 eMac
Well, Apple has been around for a good while, since 76 actually. But besides that, I prefer driving standard, but I realize it isn't simpler to most people. It offers a little more control, but it's a very different equation. The mouse would be more like the steering wheel, not the gas. Of course, the steering wheel has already been simplified to a pretty basic design and function, and you don't click with a steering wheel.
So despite your terrible analogy, I'd still say you're an interesting guy for proposing that something is simpler just because that's the way you've always done it in the past. I understand humans are creatures of habit, but it never hurts to try something new.
With tap to click enabled, the multitouch trackpad on apple notebooks makes the most sense ever. Why anybody would use a laptop without tap to click enabled is beyond me, although a few users here do, the vast majority use tap to click. 2 finger scrolling, 1 finger tap to click, 2 finger tap to right click. It's very use-able. If you have issues, you are in the minority. If you're looking for something to complain about, it's not surprising with the number of windows users who just want to complain about Apple's philosophy.
I grew up on a PC too, and while I don't agree with having just one button, I have had no problems adapting. A lot of the differences aren't that big of a deal. The buttons are too small for me on windows to close, minimize and expand, ... Those issues are a personal thing. For you and your wife Thomas, they where a big deal, and to others they won't be.
I would aggree with cwa107, I used to play around with Linux trying. I would spend a lot of time setting it up, and it was neat, but there was always something that didn't work quite right. In fact, I always disliked Macs, it wasn't until I found out that OS X is really just a working front end for unix.
I still hate going in to the Mac store (I was in there yesterday and they wouldn't sell me a replacement hard drive), but I do prefer Mac to the alternatives out there.
I have also found that by limiting the hardware options they do tend to have fewer problems. They are well built machines (over all) and you get what you pay for in my opinion. So you can get a cheaper machine, but they usually don't last. We bought my wife two cheap laptops and they both broke in about six months. Then we bought her the cheapest Mac book and she has had no problems with it.
I think that a Macbook might be a good option for you even if you end up going down another path.
That's the exact model I was eying. Appreciate the link. One last question I had was how does upgrading RAM work? Am I only able to buy RAM through Apple? I noticed it comes with 2GB, which is the amount I was looking for, but, since I want this to last long, I may want to upgrade RAM in the future and wanted to know how I'd go about doing that.
Thanks for all the responses so far, guys. You've been really helpful.
The ram and the hard drive are both easily upgradable... as to where you buy it, is completely up to you.... I'm not inclined to suggest apple vs non apple components, as once again, this is a personal preference.
I must say that I have just 2 gig of ram in my MB, and I feel no need to install more, but when I do, it will more than likely be in many years when I feel that its time for a new mac, which will come with more ram, bigger HD, new OS and many more components that prob don't exist yet, to meet the changing needs with the next BIG THING that technology comes up with, and my current MB will just be a secondary machine, much like my G3 is now, which had a really good run in it's heyday
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I still hate going in to the Mac store (I was in there yesterday and they wouldn't sell me a replacement hard drive), but I do prefer Mac to the alternatives out there.
Why you they sell you a replacement HDD? They get it from third party vendors anyways. If they did sell you one it would be at a marked up price.
I still hate going in to the Mac store (I was in there yesterday and they wouldn't sell me a replacement hard drive), but I do prefer Mac to the alternatives out there.
Mac Specs: 13 inch alMacBook 2GHz 2GB, 1.25GHz G4 eMac
Quote:
Originally Posted by DPatel304
That's the exact model I was eying. Appreciate the link. One last question I had was how does upgrading RAM work? Am I only able to buy RAM through Apple? I noticed it comes with 2GB, which is the amount I was looking for, but, since I want this to last long, I may want to upgrade RAM in the future and wanted to know how I'd go about doing that.
Thanks for all the responses so far, guys. You've been really helpful.
On this model it's very easy. You'll need a very small phillips head screwdriver, but only for one screw. You remove the battery cover plate, unscrew the hard drive bracket, and then the RAM is right there. I'm going to perform the upgrade myself sooner or later, probably by year's end.
