Back to Mac

[plan9]

Well, on Monday my iBook (900MHz, 14", 256, 40) will arrive.. My first Mac in 10 years (for high school graduation I received a Quadra 605 - 8mb of ram, 250MB hard drive.. whew!).. Glad to be back. Moving into a lot of Flash work and some light audio/video editing, and will be doing it at multiple locations, figured this was a great time to switch.

I've heard a lot of different stats on how Mac and PC processors relate regarding MHz, etc.. Just so I know what to expect, what should my iBook be similar to in the PC world? At the standard 256MB RAM and also at 640MB which I'll be upgrading to ASAP.

Thanks!!
Jason

 

[Padawan]

Well, on Monday my iBook (900MHz, 14", 256, 40) will arrive.. My first Mac in 10 years (for high school graduation I received a Quadra 605 - 8mb of ram, 250MB hard drive.. whew!).. Glad to be back. Moving into a lot of Flash work and some light audio/video editing, and will be doing it at multiple locations, figured this was a great time to switch.

I've heard a lot of different stats on how Mac and PC processors relate regarding MHz, etc.. Just so I know what to expect, what should my iBook be similar to in the PC world? At the standard 256MB RAM and also at 640MB which I'll be upgrading to ASAP.

Thanks!!
Jason

Congratulations on the purchase. I got the exact same setup a few months ago, and I'm extremely happy with it. I also ordered the memory upgrade from MacSolutions.com, so now I'm at 640 MB. It's difficult for me to give a speed comparison since my last notebook was a 900 Mhz P3 with 192 MB of RAM, and there was a short period after that where I had to use our trusty 400 MHz Toshiba (the P3 Comqrap broke) before I got my iBook. I can assure you though that the iBook definitely has plenty of power. You'll be very pleased with it.

 

[Graphite]

This may help its seemed to help others before. here (note its g4, but its all relative)

 

[grimharvest]

Contemplating getting a Mac, Looking for Advice

Okay now I've heard the usual "Mac rules, PC sucks" line, but I'd kind of like to get a little more specific than that. I'd really like to buy a Mac, but for the specs I'd want, I'd have to spend $1000 or so which is ALOT for me. Now after much research, I get the impression that Mac users will spend the money because they insist on top of the line computers.

However this would be rather extravagant on my part to spend this much so I would need to KNOW that it's money well spent, and that I'm not just being an impulse buyer.

My main reasons for using a computer are:

1) The internet (of course)
2) Multimedia (DVDs especially)
3) Games
4) Word Processing

The question is, do I need or ought I to have something as snazzy as a Mac to do this stuff or is it really overkill for somebody who's basically a low end user? Also I wanted to know..my current DVD-Rom runs at 16x but I notice the Mac one's run at 8x..am I mistaken? Is there a real difference?

 

[JazzTrpt]

My main reasons for using a computer are:

1) The internet (of course)
2) Multimedia (DVDs especially)
3) Games
4) Word Processing

The question is, do I need or ought I to have something as snazzy as a Mac to do this stuff or is it really overkill for somebody who's basically a low end user? Also I wanted to know..my current DVD-Rom runs at 16x but I notice the Mac one's run at 8x..am I mistaken? Is there a real difference?

I'll address the DVD drive question first. I have an older G4 tower with a superdrive which I believe reads DVDs at 4x. I have absolutely no problem with it. I notice almost no quality difference between my computer and the dvd player hooked up to my television.

Next, for that 1000 dollar price, you can get a pretty nice eMac which will breeze through the internet. Safari is a great browser and one of the fastest I've ever used. Only Camino comes close speedwise, in my experience. When you say multimedia, I assume you mean just viewing DVD's. I guarantee you'll be quite satisfied there. Burning is also simple if you need to do that. Word processing is easy and compatible with Windows. Games rock on the Mac. What I'm saying is that for the things you need to do, the eMac will be perfect. As far as being overkill, I would say no. My reasoning is that you won't waste time with system crashes. You'll also be able to complete tasks easier, and you can have fun while doing it. Good luck with your decision. Let us know what you decide either way.

 

[Stanley]

1) The internet (of course)
2) Multimedia (DVDs especially)
3) Games
4) Word Processing

My background: bought a new ibook 800 Mhz 1month ago, and I use it next to my PC. I'm a graphic designer (web/print) so I need to cross platforms now and then

The DVD - and all things audio and video are very well supported and work very well on a mac, that is really cool. iTunes is an amazing mp3 player / organiser. If I see your list above, i'd say that this is your argument to buy a mac.

Internet and word processing is the same as on any PC. I have no experience in games. I have the feeling there are more games available on PC.

I really don't hate PC's, they are cheap, ugly but also get the work done. Still I'm very glad I bought a mac. They are actually very fun to work with.

Stanley

 

[Graphite]

Well if it makes you feel any better, I have an LCIII (macintosh made in '92) and it is still in use. It was alittle over 1000$ I believe.. so your money wont go to waste, you'll save money on all the PCs you bought in the past.

 

[Xer0]

Okay now I've heard the usual "Mac rules, PC sucks" line, but I'd kind of like to get a little more specific than that. I'd really like to buy a Mac, but for the specs I'd want, I'd have to spend $1000 or so which is ALOT for me. Now after much research, I get the impression that Mac users will spend the money because they insist on top of the line computers.

However this would be rather extravagant on my part to spend this much so I would need to KNOW that it's money well spent, and that I'm not just being an impulse buyer.

My main reasons for using a computer are:

1) The internet (of course)
2) Multimedia (DVDs especially)
3) Games
4) Word Processing

The question is, do I need or ought I to have something as snazzy as a Mac to do this stuff or is it really overkill for somebody who's basically a low end user? Also I wanted to know..my current DVD-Rom runs at 16x but I notice the Mac one's run at 8x..am I mistaken? Is there a real difference?

For those uses, your better off with a PC - i'm not gona convince you to buy a MAC... but all you want to do on your computer is play games, watch movies and use the internet.

It's a fact that more games are released for the PC than the MAC.

MAC is good for internet... for watching movies and playing games BUT you'll be beating your head waiting for a game to be released on MAC.

I'm going to use a MAC G5 to be more productive... not sit around watching movies and playing games. For that and the budget you have... get a PC.

 

[Xer0]

I really don't hate PC's, they are cheap, ugly but also get the work done. Still I'm very glad I bought a mac. They are actually very fun to work with.

Stanley

I think that's a sign of hate and ignorance right there Stanley
And no, PC's aren't cheap and ugly... those days have long since passed.

 

[hokiethang]

I think that's a sign of hate and ignorance right there Stanley
And no, PC's aren't cheap and ugly... those days have long since passed.

I still think alienware machines are ugly, but they aren't cheap... I also think dell machines are cheap, but not extremely ugly.

The days of cheap components in PCs are still around. I run a whole lab of Dell Optiplexes, which were purchased in January, and 3 of the machines have had to order replacement parts and one is completely dead. The 5 G4s in that lab, have run smoothly (no need for replacement parts) since they were set up in January.

so, its not a sign of ignorance or hate to state that someone doesnt like how PCs look, or that they are built from cheap components.

 

[nko]

A quick little note on games- not all games are released for the Mac. If you're a gamer like me, who just wants a fun game to play, Macs are awesome. If you've gotta be playin' a specific game, cuz the ads for it make you drool and all of your friends wanna LAN on it, a PC's a safe bet.


Macs are infinitely less headache, though, all in all.

 

[Xer0]

I still think alienware machines are ugly, but they aren't cheap... I also think dell machines are cheap, but not extremely ugly.

The days of cheap components in PCs are still around. I run a whole lab of Dell Optiplexes, which were purchased in January, and 3 of the machines have had to order replacement parts and one is completely dead. The 5 G4s in that lab, have run smoothly (no need for replacement parts) since they were set up in January.

so, its not a sign of ignorance or hate to state that someone doesnt like how PCs look, or that they are built from cheap components.

Well i for 1, am an enthusiast... i don't buy pre-built machines like Dell or Alienware. As for PC components being cheap - that is unlikely. PC's get the latest technology's at premium prices... What your saying is a generalisation... i can easily go to any number of websites.. pick cases, motherboards, cpu's, memory etc... and piece them together. I have freedom to choose my parts - from low tech to High tech.

Can i ask you, if PC components are cheap.. then howcomes most MAC's today use the same common components like memory, HD, GPU etc?

I'm totally thrilled about my G5 but i'm not going to agree with that statement, that "PC's are cheap and ugly"

Look at the VAiO range of PC's.. do they look cheap and ugly too?

 

[RobDreugan]

Just for a laugh I priced a Dell, Gateway, and an Alienware, for a dual processor video editing class of system.

The same system that Dell / gateway/ / alienware could make for me, I could build myself buying separate components for literally, a difference of 1100 dollars on the average. And I made sure to include software that they come with, etc.

There are so many different PC companies that will sell ya a prebuilt system, that they can get away with charging that much more. When you'ev been building your own systems for years, its unthinkable hehe.

 

[nko]

Both of my parents have Vaio laptops. My dad's is I think 15", and my mom's is closer to 12". My dad's is a clunky, fragile-feeling monster, and my mom's is a cute, but still fragile feeling notebook. Just carrying my dad's makes me worry it's gonna fall apart in my hands. I guess my mom's is alright, though. It almost feels sturdy, but I guess that's just notebooks for ya. I'd never, ever buy anything close to my dad's, though!

 

[Xer0]

Both of my parents have Vaio laptops. My dad's is I think 15", and my mom's is closer to 12". My dad's is a clunky, fragile-feeling monster, and my mom's is a cute, but still fragile feeling notebook. Just carrying my dad's makes me worry it's gonna fall apart in my hands. I guess my mom's is alright, though. It almost feels sturdy, but I guess that's just notebooks for ya. I'd never, ever buy anything close to my dad's, though!

Well yah, it's all a matter of choice [ as neo would say ]. The Z series vaoi is the one i own... and that's a good all round performer... and light too . Makes good use of WiFi and centrino so i can connect to virtually any WiFi network on the move. The magnesium alloy they use are pretty sturdy too... cos i remember dropping my old model [ sr1k] and u know... not a scratch - booted up just fine

You know... i'm not a hater of PC's or MAC's... i just know what each has to offer... and working on a variety of systems for my various needs, enriches my day

Oh yah - and the word for 'chunky' notebook is laptop. As far as i'm aware their's 4 classes of notebooks, and the chunkier models are laptops.