Buying the Macbook

Hey everyone,
I am considering selling my toshiba notebook, and buying a macbook. I thought posting in this forum would get me some good valuable feedback. I can't afford the aluminum macbook, but I can afford the white one (most basic variant). Is it still on par with the other models? Or should I not buy it because it's now an older version?
Also, could you guys point me to a good article that talks about the benefits of a mac over PC? And I don't mean the apple press releases and such I know people here will be biased since this is a macbook forum, but that's what I want: I really want someone to persuade me to buy a macbook for the right reasons.
Thanks for all your feedback!

The entry-level MacBook is a good choice and pretty much on par with the aluminum MacBooks, performance-wise.
As far as switching, check O'reilly Media's bookstore. They have some great books on making the switch to Macs. Also, there are some links here on "Mac 101" switching and getting started articles.
Dave M.
MacOSG Founder/Ambassador  An Apple User Group  iTunes: MacOSG Podcast
Macsimum News Associate Editor  Creator of 'Mac611 - Mobile Mac Support'
Note: I may receive compensation from links provided.

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I would like to buy the MacBook pro ME294LL ,but I want the keyboard and system support Arabic language!

I would like to buy the MacBook pro ME294LL/A, but I need the keyboard and system support Arabic language!!

Nobody in these forums represents Apple or any store. If you want to buy something, you must contact stores directly yourself in the country where you live. Apple stores do not ship outside their own county.

I'm about to buy the MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch in USA. I will be using predominantly in Europe. What accessories should I be buying?

I'm about to buy the MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch in USA. I will be using predominantly in Europe. What accessories should I be buying?

We can't discuss what Apple is going to do or new products, but it does make a lot of sense if your gut feelings tell you to buy now.
I got a really bad feeling and ran out and got the last of the 17" MBP's with anti-glare and Snow Leopard.
Turned out I was right in listening to my gut, the abortion of OS X Lion came out killed my 15", Cupertino HQ was pwned by Flashback and Apple pulled the 17" MBP completely off the market.
Apple has purposely put the Retinas front and center in their stores, so the majority of the know-nothings buy those. If they thought a bit about buying a machine with future options in upgrade options they would, like you, choose the non-Retina.
Really if you want choice in hardware, your going to have to switch to a PC. As you can pretty much get anything you need on that platform. Apple's hardware choices have been sealing up and their OS X is turning into iOS, soon it's going to be nothing more than a dumbed down iPad.
Windows 8 Pro can be downgraded to Window 7 even, and since Win 7 is supported until 2020, you should be set for quite a few more years. The choice of software is vast on Windows and it's sort of the next eveolutionary step up actually.

Stock available in order to buy the Macbook in NYC

I'm going to NYC in one week and I need to know where can I find stock available in order to buy the Macbook, because I read Apple stopped the production, Thanks!
OSCAR

Or you can save $150 by buying one from the Apple Refurbished Store. http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook

Should I Buy The Macbook?

i have been wondering if i should buy the macbook black. I will be getting $2600 for my next b-day and i am already looking at notebooks and i found that the macbook black is my fav. The problem is that my b-day is about 9 months away and i just have this question.
In the next 9 months, will there be any other better notebooks apple will be making (not including new features for the macbook or macbook pro)?
dell Windows 2000

To be honest i would reconsider buying a macbook at all there nothing but troubel. I loved mine to bits thats until it started to discolour so apple replaced the keypad. No problems there. Now it is constantly crashing and because i use xp mainly and it is crashing while running it i am being told this is not covered in my warranty. Then why does Apple release bootcamp why. Why release a product say here you go run windows we will provide you with all you need to do so but if it crashes constantly while running it, not are problem. Also my screen creaks and when i close the lid its off by roughly 2mm. This also i have been told is not under warranty but if i wanna pay 160 pounds just for labour they will sort the problem. I love Apple products and know i am going to get slated by Apple lovers etc but at the end of the day Apple should have the confidence to stick by there product and there customers. Apple have huge problems with releasing products to early with flaws just for money. I had a Nano that cracked also by the way, they sorted it asap why can they not just do the same here. But sure go for it get a macbook by all means i will not take away from the fact that its a beautiful product and i may have just got a bad one but there seems to be a lot of people out there with the same problems. Also i live in Northern Ireland we have no Apple store at all guess where not good enough lol.

Buying the Macbook pro 2.0 Ghz intel core duo

Hi!
Im in the process of buying a portable mac and I have set my eyes on the above mentioned computer (due to a very attractive offer BTW). Allthough my trusty iMac DV (from 2000!) still works perfectly, the need of a portable has emerged.
So the question is: pros and cons? Fan issues? (I rember that beeing an issue on som of the recent powerbook models)Other "known" problems?
What about the Macbook as an option?
Best regards and thank you for any and all input,
Per
iMac DV G3 400 mhz Mac OS X (10.4.7)
iMac DV G3 400 mhz Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Mine works fine. Very fast, nice display, loads of great extras like the luminous keyboard and iSight camera, and not too bulky to carry round. To be aware of: Macbook Pros cannot run OS9 software. Macbook Pros run software designed for PowerPC processors only more slowly than previous G4 computers, however universal binaries run much, much faster. Macbook Pros have been known to have certain issues including a processor whine and "mooing" fans. The whine is normal and is the sound made by processor throttling to save power. The whine can be removed but this reduces battery life. Newer Macbook Pros tend not to suffer from mooing fans, it was more a feature of early models, however it still pays to be aware of it. Macbook Pros run very hot due to the Core Duo processor, but this is completely normal and there is no risk of this damaging the computer.
As for the Macbook, this suffers from the same problems mentioned with the Macbook pro. The main difference between the two is the lack of a dedicated graphics card in the macbook. So, if you play a lot of games or do a lot of 3D or graphical design work, go with the Pro. Otherwise, buy a macbook, its much easier on the wallet and features the same processor.

I want to buy the macbook air in instalments.....does anyone know how it works

i want to buy a macbook in instalments and i would like to know if its possible i can pay off the rest of the instalments within the 2 yrs period and if the interest still counts after that.

Following is a link to the U.S. program. http://store.apple.com/us/browse/finance/instant_credit
You should do an internet search for "Apple financing" to find the program for your location.
With the program here in the U.S., you want to be VERY careful to make all of the payments on time and to have it paid off before the end of the term. Note that the minimum monthly payment may not result in it being paid off on time. If you don't make the payments on time AND have it completely paid off by the end of the term, instead of being interest free, you will be charged interest all of the way back to when you made the purchase. You can pay it off early.
I do not understand what you mean by "if its possible i can pay off the rest of the instalments within the 2 yrs period and if the interest still counts after that." -- if you pay it off within the term or early, there is no interest in the program here.

Should I buy the MacBook Pro?

i start college in late september so I want a MacBook Pro for college. I know apple has it's back to school sale and was thinking right now it's a good time to buy or should I wait for new MacBook Pro or buy now?

If you need a notebook purchase it. However do make certain that the unit will be compatible with the studies that you will be involved with.
Do not ignore the Macbook Airs as a possibility. They are lighter and have far superior battery run times than a Macbook Pro. Though on paper they may seem very inferior top a Macbook Pro in performance, they are more than adequate to meet the needs of an overwhelming majority of college students.
Ciao.

I have never owned an apple thus all my data is windows based. i want to buy the macbook air. will i be able to transfer my windows data from quicken, photos, etc to new macbook?

can i buy an apple macbook air and trasfer my windows based software?? i use quicken, and microsoft photos, etc???

Yes and No. You cannot run Windows software on a Mac with OS X. But you can run Windows on a Mac and use your Windows software by booting the Mac into Windows directly or use virtualization software to run Windows:
Windows on Intel Macs
There are presently several alternatives for running Windows on Intel Macs.
1. Install the Apple Boot Camp software. Purchase Windows XP w/Service Pak2, Vista, or Windows 7. Follow instructions in the Boot Camp documentation on installation of Boot Camp, creating Driver CD, and installing Windows. Boot Camp enables you to boot the computer into OS X or Windows.
2. Parallels Desktop for Mac and Windows XP, Vista Business, Vista Ultimate, or Windows 7. Parallels is software virtualization that enables running Windows concurrently with OS X.
3. VM Fusionand Windows XP, Vista Business, Vista Ultimate, or Windows 7. VM Fusion is software virtualization that enables running Windows concurrently with OS X.
4. CrossOver which enables running many Windows applications without having to install Windows. The Windows applications can run concurrently with OS X.
5. VirtualBox is a new Open Source freeware virtual machine such as VM Fusion and Parallels that was developed by Solaris. It is not as fully developed for the Mac as Parallels and VM Fusion.
6. Last is Q. Q is a freeware emulator that is compatible with Intel Macs. It is much slower than the virtualization software, Parallels and VM Fusion.
Note that Parallels and VM Fusion can also run other operating systems such as Linux, Unix, OS/2, Solaris, etc. There are performance differences between dual-boot systems and virtualization. The latter tend to be a little slower (not much) and do not provide the video performance of the dual-boot system. See MacTech.com's Virtualization Benchmarking for comparisons of Boot Camp, Parallels, and VM Fusion. Boot Camp is only available with Leopard or Snow Leopard. Except for Crossover and a couple of similar alternatives like DarWine you must have a valid installer disc for Windows.
You must also have an internal optical drive for installing Windows. Windows cannot be installed from an external optical drive.

Has anyone regretted buying the Macbook Air 11" and wished they got the 13?

Like many other people on this forum, I'm having a lot of trouble deciding between 11" and 13". I've read through all the other threads and still haven't made up my mind.
I really, really want the 11" because it is so pretty and portable, but my only concern is that it only has 128GB hard drive. This is the only thing that is preventing me from buying one straight away. I want this to be my sole computer.
I have a 1TB portable hard drive, which I could keep my photos (50GB), music (100GB) and movies/TV shows (500GB) but worried it might get annoying with such a small HD. Does anyone else use it as their sole computer?
I travel every year and like to take a laptop with me, + I go to uni and like to take my laptop to uni every day. Would this be annoying with the 13"?
Thanks for your help.

I recently got the 11" MBA, switching down from a 13" Macbook Pro. I don't regret a thing! I may not be the best one to advise on this, however, seeing as I'm in no danger of filling up my 128gb hard drive (all music, photos, etc. take up a mere 40gb), and seeing as I do have an iMac at home. But, really, the iMac is for storage. I use my little 11" almost exclusively. It is my primary computer and if the iMac vanished, I probably wouldn't notice.
I really think you'll be surprised at how little hard drive you actually require. Obviously, when you need something you need it, and it's nice to be able to access it instantly. But there are so many options for that now--wireless connection to other computers (like school computers), to a cloud or other on-line storage, portable disk drives, USB drives. Obviously, these options are not foolproof. If there's no wireless, and/or you forget or lose the portable drive, you're out of luck. But the question really comes down to how likely you'll be in a position where you need that "elsewhere" data, but can't get to it. If that scenario isn't all that likely, then by all means. Go for the 11".
It's a little hard to get rid of the mentality we've maintained for so long that we need to lug all our music, photos, videos along with us because there's no other way to get at them when we need them. But the plain fact is, with wireless and portable drives, we can keep the bare minimum on our laptops (thus keeping them light and slim) and put all that extra stuff in "storage" for when we want it. We don't have to lug it all around with us all the time "in case."
And if you make sure that your 11" is backing up (vis Time Machine), then if anything should happen to it, you can resurrect it just as it was, nothing lost. Just do make sure to go for 4gb RAM. If it's going to be your only computer, make it top-of-the-line.

Is buying the MacBook mid 2010 a good investment?

It would be my first Mac and I don't have a lot of money. On amazon I found one for 684 US dollars.

The new Mac mini is a great computer. The hardware is much better than the Mid 2010 MacBook, it comes with OS X Mountain Lion, it can support heavy applications without any problem, and if you want to improve its hardware, you have an easy access to the Mac mini to replace the hard disk and add RAM. If you don't need to take the computer everywhere, the Mac mini is the best choice

I've been wanting to buy the MacBook Pro without the retina display but I'm not sure when they're going to stop selling them, does anyone know?

Please let me know, thank you!

parveenkay,
you could also buy a used, good condition non-Retina MacBook Pro from other sources.

Is it worth buying the macbook pro with 256GB compared to that with only 128GB?

I will mainly be using the laptop for university style dissertations/powerpoints. I'm also a big music and photo lover but I hardly ever download videos. What are everyone's views?
Kind regards,
Charlotte

It is a function of the types of data and how much is generated. If all one would ever have is text on the MBP, certainly 128 GB of storage may be enough. If one starts adding pictures, music, video, game applications etc., the equation can change radically. I venture to say that almost all university students use their computers for personal as well as school activities.
If the bank account is tight and additional storage cannot be added, in all probability great discipline will have to be exercised as to what will be kept on the MBP. If you order a MBP with minimal storage and find you need more, all is not lost because you can purchase, at a reasonable price, an external HDD to take up the slack. The disadvantage is that you then have another physical item to deal with but a degree of convenience and efficiency is lost.
Ciao.

I have a budget of $2,200 and I don't know what to buy; The MacBook Pro 15 inch for $2,199 or the MacBook Pro w/ Retina Display for $2,199. I LOVE playing games but I don't know which one would play games faster.Take note that I wont upgrade anything.

The MBP w/ Retina Display is 2.3GHz but the other without Retina Display is 2.6GHz. So I don't know which one would play games absolutely flawlessly. I wont have the screen resolution so high on the games though. So can someone reply and tell me which one I should get and why?

Mac's are generally not 3D gaming computers and laptops especially are not because 3D games require a upgraded video card to take advantage of newer games and more feature rich updates.
Only the Mac Pro can one change the video card, if one can find a upgrade for it.
If you really love 3D gaming, a Windows 7 3D gaming tower is your machine.
http://www.cbscores.com/index.php?sort=ogl&order=desc
3D gaming on a Mac is sort of a second hobby, it's rather short lived as one can't replace the video card once a year, only with a new machine purchase.
Most 3D games are for Windows anyway and Apple almost demands OS X be upgraded to newer verisons annually now, so that sort of throws a monkey wrench into a Mac gaming rig with software upgrades and all. On the other hand Windows 7 is supported for a decade.
Mac's just don't work well with 3D gaming, perhaps a Win 7 tower and a iPad or something.

Is it necessary to install Mac OS X dvd after buying the macbook pro?

Is it necessary? I'm afraid something will screw up

Hi gocoming & welcome to discussions...
What is necessary is to be sure that Software Update is allowed to run.
Don't hesitate to use Disk Utility to repair permissions if any updates are put in place, etc.
The DVD is there for any case where something needs to be reinstalled or if you wish to boot from another source and test the OS on the HD, as an example.

Buying the Macbook

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