Looking to buy a Macbook Pro .. few questions.

l!m!t · Dec 29, 2006

Hello - I have never used a Mac and I am currently looking into getting a Macbook Pro . I have a couple questions hopefully some of you can help me with.

I read alot of reviews and found that the new Macbook notebook can run windows does anyone know how the performance is VS on a PC ? Has anyone tried the Vista on a Macbook yet ?

Can it run and support the new 3D games (eg splinter cell, Fear etc ?) while in windows or OSX ?

I have seen a review they mention is has only one mouse button, does this mean there is no "right click" like a normal mouse?

I have been a windows user for most of my computing life, so when I heard Mac can run windows I really want to make the switch. I just dont want to sacrifice not being able to run Windows and all my Windows apps. My main concern is any performance issue when booting into windows.

Any suggestions on what to look for? Graphic appearance is very important, hows the display on a Macbook?

Sorry for the "noob" questions any help would be great!

D3v1L80Y · Dec 29, 2006

A "normal" mouse for a Mac only has one button. :black:
If your main concerns are what Windows software will run and how that software will perform...then as much as you may not like to hear it, a Mac simply isn't the computer for you.
Just because Macs can boot into Windows is not a good enough reason (IMO) to get a Mac. Windows on a Mac should really only be used for rare, occasional things.
Getting a Mac doesn't mean you will have to sacrifice anyting from Windows, you can always keep your Windows machine. However, if you are going to get a Mac, then I would suggest leaving Windows off of it for at least a month or two so you can learn the OS and appreciate what a Mac can do on its own.

:black:

imacmatt09 · Dec 29, 2006

running xp on a macbook with boot camp is just like running it on regular pc hardware. yes people have tried vista though there are no drivers out yet. yes it can run 3d games and the more graphics memory the better. there is right click by using control + click or taping with 2 fingers on the touchpad. the display is nice.

ToddG · Dec 29, 2006

The display on my MBP is fantastic. I have the matte screen (as opposed to the glossy) and find that it's great for games, watching videos, etc. My MBP has 256MB of video RAM, which I recommend if you want to be playing games.

There are two very different ways to run WinXP applications on a Mac.

(1) emulation: There are various programs (the most popular is called "Parallels") which allow you to run WinXP as a virtual machine right on your OS X desktop. Think of it liking running WinXP as a program in a window just like Word or Photoshop or whatever. This lets you get the most from OS X while still giving you access to most of your Win applications. For example, my company's webmail system requires DirectX support (which native OS X web browsers don't have). I use Parallels to create a WinXP window with Internet Explorer running in it. The only drawback is that you won't get Direct3D graphics acceleration regardless of which video card you use. So for games, it's not a solution.

(2) dual boot: Apple has released a very stable beta of Boot Camp, which will be part of the next OS X release. Boot Camp gives you the option to choose which OS (Mac OS X or WinXP) to run each time you start your computer. When you boot into WinXP, your computer is 100% a Windows/Intel machine. So for example, my 2.33GHz C2D with 2GB RAM and 256M ATI X1600 video card runs just like a 2.33GHz C2D with 2GB RAM and 256M ATI X1600 notebook built by Dell, HP, or anyone else.

Note that for both of these options, you must provide your own fresh copy of Windows XP; and Boot Camp will only work with an SP2 installation. However, you can use one copy of WinXP for both your Parallels and Boot Camp installations.

Reportedly, Vista will run on BootCamp and Parallels by the time Vista becomes widespread. As was already mentioned, the only real delay is the need for drivers. However, since most of the MBP's components are fairly standard it shouldn't be long before the drivers are distributed.

Right-clicking on a MBP in Mac OS X is very easy. You can either ctrl+click or you can just tap the trackpad with two fingers (so one finger tap = click; two finger tap = right-click).

But the trackpad driver for Windows (which is what you use in Boot Camp) does not recognize taps on the trackpad. so when you boot natively into WinXP you need a slightly different technique. Use the trackpad button to click the mouse, and use the trackpad button while touching the trackpad with two fingers to right-click. (if this seems confusing, the "touch with two fingers and press button" method also works in OS X, so you could always do it that way)

l!m!t · Dec 30, 2006

ToddG said:
Right-clicking on a MBP in Mac OS X is very easy. You can either ctrl+click or you can just tap the trackpad with two fingers (so one finger tap = click; two finger tap = right-click).

First off thanks for everyones help!

So -if I was to use a two button mouse "right click ", would it be recognized as right click when in osx?

The reason I am so geared towards mac is I hear they a great for graphic work, anyone know the reason or why this is better on a Mac? I always assumed it was the display.

Thanks again.

eric · Dec 30, 2006

l!m!t said:
So -if I was to use a two button mouse "right click ", would it be recognized as right click when in osx?

yes.

also if you use the trackpad there is an option to "right-click" when you use two fingers to tap.
also if you hold two fingers on the track pad it acts as a universal scroll (both axis).
in actual real world use, these two functions rock!

Sgt Beavis · Dec 30, 2006

l!m!t said:
First off thanks for everyones help!

So -if I was to use a two button mouse "right click ", would it be recognized as right click when in osx?

The reason I am so geared towards mac is I hear they a great for graphic work, anyone know the reason or why this is better on a Mac? I always assumed it was the display.

Thanks again.

The display does do a better job of rendering colors than other laptops on the market. However if you are doing graphic work and are highly concerned about color, you should buy a color calibrator. The Pantone Huey is one that came on the market recently and is outstanding. First off it is pretty affordable. I've seen it for as little as 60 bucks online. I bought mine from NewEgg for 70 bucks.

The Huey has a sensor that you stick to your monitor with a suction cup. It runs through its application and automatically adjusts your monitor accordingly. Pantone is the recognized authority on color and the Huey just flat out works and works very well IMO. I got one because the color on my MBP and Viewsonic monitor were not the same.

cwa107 · Dec 30, 2006

l!m!t said:
Hello - I have never used a Mac and I am currently looking into getting a Macbook Pro . I have a couple questions hopefully some of you can help me with.

I read alot of reviews and found that the new Macbook notebook can run windows does anyone know how the performance is VS on a PC ? Has anyone tried the Vista on a Macbook yet ?

Well, to be quite honest, although the exterior design is purely Apple, the Mac really is just a PC. It was different before the switch to Intel, but now they're using the same chipsets and components as every other PC. Performance should be on-par with a Wintel laptop with equivalent specs regardless of what operating system you're running on it. BTW, why would you want to run Windows Vista? If you've been able to find a single compelling feature (aside from asthetics) that makes it advantageous to use over XP, I'm curious to see what it is.

Can it run and support the new 3D games (eg splinter cell, Fear etc ?) while in windows or OSX ?

Yes, but keep in mind that any game written for Windows will need to be run under Windows. Any game written for OS X, will need to run under OS X.

I have seen a review they mention is has only one mouse button, does this mean there is no "right click" like a normal mouse?

Macs have never had a right mouse button - at least not from the factory. You can add an external 2-button mouse, but if you want to use the built-in trackpad, you'll have to CTRL-click or two-finger tap. Not a big deal IMHO - I've grown used to tapping for a left click, so it's not a stretch to two finger tap for a right-click.

I have been a windows user for most of my computing life, so when I heard Mac can run windows I really want to make the switch. I just dont want to sacrifice not being able to run Windows and all my Windows apps. My main concern is any performance issue when booting into windows.

If you're happy with your PC, Windows and applications, why do you want to switch? For me, the compelling feature of Macs is OS X. If you're buying a Mac to run Windows, I think you need to reconsider your needs/priorities.

Any suggestions on what to look for? Graphic appearance is very important, hows the display on a Macbook?

Sorry for the "noob" questions any help would be great!

There's a buyer's guide in a sticky at the top of this forum. Because Apple only makes a few different models of notebooks, you simply need to choose between MacBook and MacBook Pro. If you intend to play games, I strongly suggest the Pro because it has a "real" video card instead of the integrated Intel "Extreme" <snicker, snicker> Graphics.

Good luck on your purchase.