Should i go from windows xp to Macbook

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hello, a bit about my self.

i have been using window all my life, only mac at my old school and i was just confused.


i got a old crappy desktop and i am looking on a new laptop soon, i was going to get the toshiba and xp pro.


from that a sudden change happend to me when my xbox 360 got the 3 RoL in it and M$ want $200 to repair....i was on you tube n watching the mac ads.


and i thought ''y give money to that bill gates''
so i looked at more n more macs on the net.


i came to a conclusion i would want the macbook the white one, and make is 2x2ghtz 1x1g ram...etc


BUT


i am at tafe doin Architectural Technology and one program i will be using is AUTOCAD 2007


i also use in my spare time
photoshop cs2
firefox
lime wire
u torrent
window live messenger
google sketch up

and others



now i would go get a mac...but i dont know what i can run on it...what programs...

i know with a pc, windows...i can d/l any program n install it...can i do that with the mac??

and if i was goin to get a mac i would more want to keep it mac and not get windows on it, is that a good idea...i herd you can run both.


also wat are gameplay on the macbook?? like games from the shops??


anyone who reads this can you please tell me what programs you have and can get...it might be a stupid question but its something i cant find the answer to even on the apple site...

oh also, ill be using my mac for tafe...put autocad on it...and all my other things like photpshop....and iwant it to be 100% mine...how custom can you make the themes on it.

thanks
 
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Autocad appears to be Windows only.

There are Mac versions of Firefox (although OS X comes with Safari) and Limewire. The best P2P software for Mac is Azeureus, which would be instead of uTorrent.

Remember that any PC software you have now will not work - you need Mac versions. So you'd need Mac versions of any games out there and there are a lot less Mac games around than Windows.

You can run Windows on one half of your hard drive and OS X on the other partition though, and choose which OS to use when you start up.

As for downloading any programs, probably not a good idea to admit you've illegally downloaded the software you mentioned! Plus, it makes it much easier to read posts when they have capital letters and punctuation in them.
 
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ahh ok...

how bout if i get a macbook and put windows on it to run stuff like auto cad?
 
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can i use windows xp AND mac OS X at the same time??

sorry in abit n00b
 
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Hey majkicCFC! Im an Architecture student, and I use the same programs that you plan to use. As long as you have boot camp (free from apple.com) and your own copy of Windows XP or Vistaa (NOT an upgrade, or XP media center edition) you can install windows on any Intel Mac and run any windows only apps (like autocad 2007), from windows. Some of the apps you mentioned have mac versions as well, like photoshop, firefox, limewire, and sketchup. I'm not sure if there is a Mac version of uTorrent, but after owning a Mac, you will very soon notice that there are many great Mac alternative to Windows-only programs. Azureus is a great BitTorrent client i would recommend
 
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can i use windows xp AND mac OS X at the same time??

sorry in abit n00b

yes you can, with parallels desktop, BUT, from experience, if you use autoCAD 2007 through parallels, make sure that you dont do anything too complicated when working with 3d solids, since parallels currently doesnt offer 3d acceleration support. Also, AutoCAD 2007 Crashes when you open the object properties dialog box.

None of these problems happen when you run it through windows natively, though.
 
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Sorry for repeatedly posting, but heres one more thing, The MacBook only has 64mb of SHARED video memory. Therefore, it is not good for games, since games today reequire much more video memory. This can also pose problems when trying to run apps that require 3d acceleration (If you plan to work with 3D solids in autocad, or are working with complicated projects on sketchup). Im going to assume its out of your budget, but if you can, get the MacBook Pro, it has dedicated video RAM, so it whould run your games, and apps that require 3D support much faster
 
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hey thanks....can i just upgrade the 64mb...i live the look n size of the macbook...and the price more lol
 
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hey thanks....can i just upgrade the 64mb...i live the look n size of the macbook...and the price more lol

sorry, but you cant upgrade the 64mb, its shared with your ram and cant be changed. :(

Dont get me wrong, the MacBook will run those programs "okay", but im afraid it will dissapoint you in the long run, based on what youre using it for. It wont be "future-proff" in that field.
 
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bummer...with a student discount is like around $3,500.00

how long have you have the macbook pro for??



do u get used to it or were u a all time mac user??
 
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bummer...with a student discount is like around $3,500.00
how long have you have the macbook pro for??
do u get used to it or were u a all time mac user??


Wow, thats crazy, is that in Australian currency? or American?

I bought by MacBook Pro new, but if you I noticed its a Core Duo model, I've had it for three months, and I bought it from a reseller when the Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro's came out. So since it was technically "outdated" i got a crazy discount for it. The original price for it was $2500, and i bought it for $1600.

But that really sucks, i heard that buying Apple computers oversears can get REALLY expensive. I guess if its out of your budget, just stick with whatever you can get.

Is the $3500 for the "low end" MacBook Pro? (2.16 ghz), or the high end? (2.33ghz)?

This MacBook Pro is my first Mac. OS X is very easy to get used to, and has many features missing in windows. after installing boot camp after a month of only using OS X, I realized how much worse Windows is in comparison to OS X.
 
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the 15inch 2.33ghtz 2 gig ram...but this is off the apple site...i might look around at re sellers or ebay...yeer i am in australia....the high end macpro is like almost $5000 if u add a little extra on.


i could try ebay and mabey around $3000....

Aus dollar
 
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MacBook Pro 2.16ghz Core Duo | 1GB RAM | 100 GB HDD | 256MB ATI RADEON x1600
the 15inch 2.33ghtz 2 gig ram...but this is off the apple site...i might look around at re sellers or ebay...yeer i am in australia....the high end macpro is like almost $5000 if u add a little extra on.


i could try ebay and mabey around $3000....

Aus dollar

Just go for the 2.16ghz MacBook pro with 1gig of ram and youre fine. Just upgrade later when necessary
 
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ok u can do that??

guess u can, i was just thinking laptops u know....

p.s- - - in Australia anything around 2gig ram core duo2 2x2ghtz will cost like around $2600-$4000

i guess they have to ship em down under....or rip us off
 
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Oh and im running on my desk top auto cad 2002 and sketch up.....sketch up graphics aint bad but the ones at my TAFE are heeps good...but my desktop only has 32mb...

i rekkon i can get away wiv the 64mb...but buy the time i can afford autocad 2007 ($6999aus) i will be working as a draftsperson and ill get a new mac :-D


becuase 2x2ram and 2x2ghtz is what i would love for adboe, word, internet, spred sheets, and all my entertainment needs.
 
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MacBook Pro 2.16ghz Core Duo | 1GB RAM | 100 GB HDD | 256MB ATI RADEON x1600
ok u can do that??

guess u can, i was just thinking laptops u know....

p.s- - - in Australia anything around 2gig ram core duo2 2x2ghtz will cost like around $2600-$4000

i guess they have to ship em down under....or rip us off

Yeah, you can upgrade the ram on any of their laptops.
 
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Oh and im running on my desk top auto cad 2002 and sketch up.....sketch up graphics aint bad but the ones at my TAFE are heeps good...but my desktop only has 32mb...

i rekkon i can get away wiv the 64mb...but buy the time i can afford autocad 2007 ($6999aus) i will be working as a draftsperson and ill get a new mac :-D


becuase 2x2ram and 2x2ghtz is what i would love for adboe, word, internet, spred sheets, and all my entertainment needs.

Wow, AutoCAD sure is expensive. Im a draftsperson for an awning company, and I use the company's liscence, but for home and school, I, *ahem*.....you know..... Some things are just too expensive for starving college students.

If you are a law abiding citizen, though, and you dont use 3d in autocad that often, i recommend getting AutoCAD 2007 LT (Its US$400). AutoCAD LT is exactly like AutoCAD minus a few 3D features. For me, using 3D is essential, so i dont use it, but you might, i guess. It can save you lots of money.
 
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you could get a macbook and install xp on it using bootcamp to run Autocad.
 
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well apart from using windows on a mac, what other special thing makes a mac, well a mac....because right now its going to be cheaper if i get a normal laptop wiv vista or xp. but wiv a mac i gotta get the mac book then windows and run both at the same time.


should i got to a reseller and ask em all.

p.s my mate might be getting a mac book pro but he is doing graphic designs....all the stories i hear about mac being better at graphic type job areas and other creative arts areas....but nothing when it comes to architecture.


my question is just me asking anyone that might give me a push in apples way. ive used windows all my life and sort of just wanna change...that about the only reason i wana mac. oh and the mac books are the only notebooks that look ok to me...


sorry about all these QnA
 
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MacBook Pro 2.16ghz Core Duo | 1GB RAM | 100 GB HDD | 256MB ATI RADEON x1600
well apart from using windows on a mac, what other special thing makes a mac, well a mac....because right now its going to be cheaper if i get a normal laptop wiv vista or xp. but wiv a mac i gotta get the mac book then windows and run both at the same time.


should i got to a reseller and ask em all.

p.s my mate might be getting a mac book pro but he is doing graphic designs....all the stories i hear about mac being better at graphic type job areas and other creative arts areas....but nothing when it comes to architecture.


my question is just me asking anyone that might give me a push in apples way. ive used windows all my life and sort of just wanna change...that about the only reason i wana mac. oh and the mac books are the only notebooks that look ok to me...


sorry about all these QnA

Well, youre sort of right, there arent many CAD programs for OS X. AutoCAD has become the industry standard, and it is the best CAD program to date. I bought a Mac because you were able to run windows in order to use the programs i needed (AutoCAD, 3D Studio Max, etc). But thats about the ONLY things i use windows for. I use OS X for absolutely EVERYTHING ELSE, and i dont regeret it. OS X is just sooooo much better than windows. you need to use it to understand it. If them main things you use your computer for are going to take place in windows, i suggest you dont buy a Mac. You'll save yourself money
 

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