Before I buy a Macbook questions...

Hello,
I am tired of my PC crashing. My 3 year waranty is out. Macs don't get viruses like PC's right? Do they still crash?
I would be downloading, saving and burning, videos and music. Do I need to upgrade the hard drive from 80 GB to 120 GB? What about the amount of Ram? I would also be using Microsoft Office for school.
I was thinking as accessories I was going to get one of those red zip up cases and one of those keyboard silicone protectors. I am also looking into one of those iskins.
While I was researching this, I found an article saying that the second generation Macbooks no longer have the heating problem. Is this true?
Also does anyone have video or pictures they have taken with their isight camera so I can see the quality?
Thanks.
Amy

Hi Amy,
Macs are not immune from crashing, but it is rare. I have a Macbook (since end of November), which I am loving, but it is slightly more prone to crashing than my old iBook, in that it has twice refused to wake from sleep (but this is out of hundreds of wake-from-sleeps, as during the day I don't shut it down, I just close the lid. It flawlessly wakes immediately on opening the lid 99.9% of the time, but with the iBook that was 100%). The operating system has once frozen during use, the second day I had it, no problem since. Generally on Macs if a programme does freeze it is only the progamme that crashes, not the whole system, so you can force quit that programme then reopen it (this has happened, 2 or 3 times).
No problems with viruses etc, though there is always the threat in the future...
I have 1 GB of RAM and it works fine, but I think this is the minimum: 1/2 GB is too small. I use Microsoft Office and it runs very well. The first Office programme I launch after switching on there is a slight delay - takes about 15 seconds to start sometimes, as it is still running through Rosetta, this will improve when they give us the new edition of Office for Mac later this year, as that will be written for the new Intel processors. After that documents and any other Office progammes starting is lightening fast. I did get 120 GB hard drive as I've run out of hard drive space on previous computers.
I don't have a keyboard protector. A sleeve seems sensible, and there are quite a few available for different styles. The one I use is from this site:
http://wrappers.typepad.com/ipod/applemacbook_linensleeves/index.html
but they are an English firm so that may not suit you.
I haven't had any heat problems with the Macbook. I only occasionally use it on my lap, when I do for a while it gets quite warm, but never so much I've been uncomfortable. I've never used it for more than about 1/2 hour on my lap. I've been using it for about 3/4 hour now and I've just felt underneath and its only warm.
I don't know how to show you pictures. I find the camera pretty good, clear and sharp, with all sorts of daft special effects built in if you fancy.
Hope that helps,
Bob

Similar Messages

  • Some Questions before I buy a Macbook

    Hi all,
    i have some questions - maybe some of you guys may help me.
    here we go.
    1. here in germany we have three options.
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    - Core Duo 2GHz with 80GB Harddisk and DVD Burner, black (1479 Euro)
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    2. Is the performance difference betweeen 1,83 Ghz and 2 ghz noticeable?
    3. Why is a RAM upgrade to 1GB recommended? and is the performance difference betweeen 512MB and 1GB noticeable?
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    5. Is the DVD Burner ok? Does it burn any DVD? Are there some issues?
    6. Is it (easy) possible to install +512MB (or 2x 512MB) RAM and a bigger Harddisk by myself? The guys in the shop said that I will loose guarantee if I will do this by myself. Harddisk costs 80GB (+40€), 100GB (+140€), 120GB (+230€) - Sounds more than expensive!!!!
    Thanks in advance for your replies,
    cheers,
    mrcheekz

    Hi all,
    i have some questions - maybe some of you guys may
    help me.
    here we go.
    1. here in germany we have three options.
    - Core Duo 1,83 GHz with combo drive, white (1079
    Euro)
    - Core Duo 2GHz with DVD Burner, white (1279 Euro)
    - Core Duo 2GHz with 80GB Harddisk and DVD Burner,
    black (1479 Euro)
    Is it worth to buy the middle option? 200 Euro extra
    for 0,17Ghz and a DVD Burner - sounds a bit
    expensive?!
    2. Is the performance difference betweeen 1,83 Ghz
    and 2 ghz noticeable?
    Barely, but if you're buying a new computer, it's always a good idea to get the fastest that's currently out.... simply because it won't be outdated as fast as if you get the lowest option.
    3. Why is a RAM upgrade to 1GB recommended? and is
    the performance difference betweeen 512MB and 1GB
    noticeable?
    It's huge. As much as a 200%-300% difference. MacOS and Windows XP both take quite a bit of ram. I'd go all the way and get 2GB. It's only $150 or so if you buy from Newegg. Get the Gstar RAM.... I've tested it for over 3 hours with diagnostic tools and it's just as good as the crucial memory, which I tested as well. No differences (they both run at the same Mhz with the same timings.) You won't regret it.
    4. Is it possible to possible to deactivate
    "cleartype" (the display looks a bit blurred)
    Yup.
    5. Is the DVD Burner ok? Does it burn any DVD? Are
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    6. Is it (easy) possible to install +512MB (or 2x
    512MB) RAM and a bigger Harddisk by myself? The guys
    in the shop said that I will loose guarantee if I
    will do this by myself. Harddisk costs 80GB (+40€),
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    Thanks in advance for your replies,
    cheers,
    mrcheekz
    Hope this helps! Honestly, if you're worried about the $200, just get the 1.83 model and spend $150 to upgrade to 2GB of RAM (by far the biggest thing in performance.) But if you can afford it, the 2.0Ghz model with both the DVD burner and 20GB extra HD space will come in handy (but the extra RAM should be your priority.)

  • Before We Buy - HELP AND QUESTIONS

    Hello all,
    I am in a tight spot at my office with my boss who knows absolutely NOTHING about Macs let alone how large the files we work on are from day to day. To make a long story short he is bent on us backing up to the network servers nightly. His belief is that if something happens we could magically go to any office and plug a machine in and have access to all our files needed to start working again.
    I have TRIED my best to explain that is simply CAN NOT HAPPEN the same way a little ole PC office worker does. They work on super small Word files directly off of a server. They can sit down and login to any PC with a network connection then call up the little help desk and they click a few buttons and BOOM they are back to working.
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    If anyone is out there who could help me get this point across that would be SO helpful. I am at an utter loss as to what to do. I can't make any one here understand that we just don't and can't work the same way. I don't even know where to start to offer an option. They (being our IT people) don't ever want to work with us anyway.
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    Jenny

    Dave,
    Thanks for replying and I'm happy to answer you questions!
    First let me explain the current backup solution but first understand we have always been "outcast" because we are 6 Macs in a PC world over well over 4,000. In fact at times it was so bad that we had to use the web version of our companies mail because no one could or would offer any support for us. But slowly I've managed to work these issues out by simply trail and error on our own part.
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    CURRENT BACKUP SOLUTION:
    Each designer has 4 folders on a second HD within their machine - Completed, Working, Resources and Personal.
    The Completed folder is for projects that have been closed and are ready for completion and archiving.
    The Working folder is for projects currently active.
    The Resources folder is for files such as our company logos, fonts, forms, reference files, downloads for projects, etc.
    The Personal folder is anything you might need or house on your computer that is NOT part of project (ex: Year End Employee Review). Basically this folder is considered off limits to any but the user.
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    The COMPLETED folder gets backup to DVD and cataloged then stored in a cabinet by year/month. Then the contents are archived on a network server by year/user (ex: 2008>JENNY>PROJECT CODE.....etc). This scheme works okay because it means that we have those completed projects in two locations - one offsite and one on disk. The issue here is two fold firstly the user (designers) must take part in backing up their files and archiving per our guidelines.
    OKAY...
    Here's the issue I've got. I have yet to find a GOOD SOLID solution to back up the 3 (not the Personal although I wouldn't care).
    I've tried Syncronize Pro, Carbon Copy Cloner, Retrospect, etc. For some reason there is ALWAYS an issue. Either I can't get it connect properly to our network so it hangs up overnight and nothing is backed or it just has too many options and never works simply across the 6 computers.
    MY CURRENT TRIALS...
    First, I've been using CCC to create a disk image of my entire second HD each morning my computer starts at 7:30am. By the time I get into work its backed up my files from the previous day. This works fine.
    Second, I'm using Syncronize from our Share Mac to mount my machine and grab that single disk image and place into a backup folder. I've had to do this after I get into work to make sure it doesn't time out and not mount my machine properly.
    Finally, MANUALLY I take the disk images Syncronize has collected and put them on the server. I can't use CCC or Retrospect because I don't have ANY access to the server side. Syncronize works about 50% of the time over the network but it will error out over some of the files (I DON'T KNOW WHY!).
    This all works OK but just OK. It's still cumbersome!
    I guess my biggest issue is getting IT to help us with the server side issues (mostly give us more space - they are CONSTANTLY moving our files around on us) and more times then not a file we pull down from the server loses its brain...so it has to be manually opened and resaved or it doesn't work (that's a whole other issue).
    My other biggest issue is getting my boss to understand that no matter WHAT I do, in the event of a disaster these 6 Mac people can't go buy a new machine, sit down in front of it, mount a server from within the network, and work as if nothing happened. It would take days if not weeks to recover and rebuild.
    Here's where this is coming from. A few years ago the building lost all power due to an ice storm. 2 days into it we finally got access to go up our offices and get our machines. Then each person took it home and worked there. HOWEVER, all the PC people just went to different location with VPN access or worked from another branch (we're a bank). All was lovely and seemless for them.
    Anyway. I don't know I just get frustrated some days with the attitude of like... well WHY... you know just do it... just push that button and make it work!
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