Potential switcher in need of advice

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Hey (first post!) :D

I'm about to start college and I'm gonna need a laptop, so I was considering the basic Macbook (only with double RAM and then an external HD to increase storage space).

I only have a couple of queries that leave doubt in my mind about getting a Mac (instead of maybe a Dell XPS M1330):

Word Processing Compatability - I'll be doing all my coursework/essays etc on the laptop, but will probably be specifically printing my work off on the Dell Dimension Desktop at home. So my question is this: For compatability's sake, would it be better to get Microsoft Office for Mac, which would allow me to save my work as Word documents, or is there an Apple alternative which would also save files compatible with PCs?

Warranty - To be on the safe side, I'd buy an extended warranty for the Macbook. It's just that I've noticed that AppleCare is quite expensive!!
Is there a similar or even better Warranty available for Macbooks perhaps from a different company? I live in Ireland, so it might not be the same as what's available in the US etc.

Thanks! ;D
 
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I use Pages (part of iWork). You can export Pages documents to Word files which will allow you to open them up in Word on your Dell.

If you do a search on "word processing", you will find lots of comments about what people use.
 
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Hey (first post!) :D

I'm about to start college and I'm gonna need a laptop, so I was considering the basic Macbook (only with double RAM and then an external HD to increase storage space).

Good idea!

I only have a couple of queries that leave doubt in my mind about getting a Mac (instead of maybe a Dell XPS M1330):

Word Processing Compatability - I'll be doing all my coursework/essays etc on the laptop, but will probably be specifically printing my work off on the Dell Dimension Desktop at home. So my question is this: For compatability's sake, would it be better to get Microsoft Office for Mac, which would allow me to save my work as Word documents, or is there an Apple alternative which would also save files compatible with PCs?

I have Office for Mac on my MacBook. It's a good option and it works well. If you go this route, You won't have any compatibility issues between your Mac and your PC.

The other popular options are Pages and NeoOffice. Both of these work great as well. You shouldn't have any issues with either of these.

NeoOffice is free. That's a big plus!

You will get a free trial of iWork (which includes Pages) and Office for Mac on your new MacBook. That will give you a little time to try each of them out to see which one you like.

Make sure you check into education software offered by your school before you buy anything! My wife got Office for Mac from her university for only $7.00!

Warranty - To be on the safe side, I'd buy an extended warranty for the Macbook. It's just that I've noticed that AppleCare is quite expensive!!
Is there a similar or even better Warranty available for Macbooks perhaps from a different company? I live in Ireland, so it might not be the same as what's available in the US etc.

Thanks! ;D

As for the extended warranty... It's a good idea for a laptop computer. You can skip the warranty at purchase time and upgrade to the extended warranty at any time during the first year of ownership. It's a good option if you want to save a little money up front.
 
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I think a warrany is a must on ANY computer be it a Mac or a Dell. I've had to use them everytime. Enjoy your purchase! I'm waiting for Leopard to come out soon. I'm getting a desktop, though, sure wish I could swing those education discounts!
 
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Good idea!

The other popular options are Pages and NeoOffice. Both of these work great as well. You shouldn't have any issues with either of these.

NeoOffice is free. That's a big plus!

First Post! Yah. Hello everyone.

Another vote here for NeoOffice. Free and has (some) Office 2007 support. Mind you iWorks is good to, but it will cost you.
 
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Buy the extended Warranty when you can, highly recommended. Keep in mind Microsoft is offering free upgrade to Office 2008 with purchase of Office 2004, check out their web site.
I vote again for Pages, and NeoOffice, although Office for the Mac is good. I am not going to rush out and purchase Office 2008 the minute it is released.
 
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I have Office 04 and Pages and NeoOffice. I find myself using NeoOffice most often. Word is bloated. Even on my brand new MacBook, it's sluggish. (Yes, I realize part of it is because it has to use Rosetta emulation, but it's still creepy-crawly compared to even other apps that have to make use of the emulation). Pages is nice, but my socialist heart gets a kick out of something as capable and available as NeoOffice. ^_^ It's a good program . . . and it's free! Win/win! ^_^
 
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Giggleheimer,

Bro, I'm a college student as well. When my $3,000 IBM crashed and took all of my papers with it exam week I knew I was gonna switch. It will be the best decision of your life.
As for Word, or just Office in general, I run Office for mac and I think it actually works much better than the Windows version once you get used to it (and, sorry to say bud, that might be a while.) You can always run Office through boot camp or parallels.
I have a Mac Pro with four gigs of ram and bunch of other really nice peripherals and such and my apple care plan was ridiculously expensive. You have to remember though that Apple charges a premium price for a premium product. Get the warranty, esp because of all the little nasties that can go wrong with a laptop screen.
Other than that, I freakin hate using windows only machines now. The closest I can get to another operating system without throwing up is Linux, and I really don't see the big deal with that either. Switch, you'll love it.

Dr.Gonzo
 
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I just got iwork '08 and pages '08 seems to be much more compatible with Word. I had many formatting problems transferring between the previous pages version and Word. Even so you will still likely run into some formatting issues. I suggest getting Microsoft Office for Mac.

Also, go for the Apple Care...it's definitely worth it.
 
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Hi guys!
I'm a new to the forum, and didn't want to open a new topic.
I'm considering a switch, but there are so many questions... Most of them were answered by reading this forum for a few days (thank you so much for such an informative forum).
My biggest question is: is it worth waiting for Leopard to come out. A friend of mine told me that some people on the opposite are stocking up now, so they don't have Leopard, because it won't be compatible with the soft they already have. Also, they said, you will pretty much have to get an additional gig of Ram to run it....
Secondly. We are thinking of getting the 20 inch model of iMac, basically the base model. There are some people who had freezing problems with them. Do you think it's true that new iMacs are worths than their predecessors?
Thanks a lot in advance
 
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As for Leopard, I think it's primarily a personal preference. There are a lot of "under the hood" changes, but the vast majority of users should be okay in the big picture. As far as the iMac freezing goes, Apple promises a fix is forthcoming; they've acknowledged the problem openly and say they're in the process of fixing it. Should have a software update soon. I think the iMac is a strong machine, particularly when you consider it's a consumer model. Power and convenience all in one nice little package. ^_^ I think there are kinks, but I don't think it's really "worse" than the forerunners. I just think with this last batch of computers - desktop and laptop alike - Apple probably rushed a few things. I think they'll work out in the long run, though.

I bought my MacBook pre-Leopard because I have my own misgivings about it and I generally dislike having the first release of any software. ^_^ I'll hang out until X.5.2 or so.

Good luck with your search. I hope you find all the info you need.
 
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Thank you very much for such prompt reply.
There are lots of reasons for the switch.
The last drop was the brand new HP Pavilion, a present form my hubby, that crushed the first day (I didn't even get it hooked to internet yet). It had great specs and I thought I'd be happy. I took it back where it came from.
I know that every piece of equipment has problems, but after all I read it seems like Macs just have fewer of them.
 
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My eldest son got Applecare free with his imac as part of the student discount and my second son got it at half price, also as a student so you might be plesently surprised at how little it costs.
 

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