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questions on apple laptops.... should I switch

post #1 of 12
11/17/08 at 5:45pm
Thread Starter 
ok... how do I start

I am currently in college going for computer major.
I am real good with a computer... windows that is...

I have never used a mac before but I am starting to want to get one It seems they are very good and have not as many problems as windows... my friend said he never has a problem connecting to wireless internet...windows sometimes does...

I used to thing it was just for fun... and the bling factor... whenever
I saw someone with one they seemed computer-clueless.... if I asked "what can your mac do that windows cant?" they would just press some button and make panels appear and yell "see!! windows sucks!"

but now it seems that the mac is a great product.

anyhow the 13'' (cheapest.... I could get a hot windows laptop for this price!!!) is the cheapest
but it only comes with a hard drive that is 5400 rpm??

can I put my own hard drive into it or is apple like special...I cant do anything like that? what about adding my own ram?

so.... is it worth it for me to get a mac? or just stick with windows...

is there any way to get it cheaper?
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post #2 of 12
11/17/08 at 6:12pm
I believe Apple offers (sometimes substantial) educational discounts to colleges. If your school has a store, you can ask them about what it would cost to get it through them.
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post #3 of 12
11/17/08 at 6:15pm
Thread Starter 
yeah you can get it at 200 dollars off... still pricey...
and it still comes with a hard drive thats 5400 rpm does the apple take any internal laptop hd or do I have to get a special one or not?
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post #4 of 12
11/17/08 at 6:21pm
To the best of my knowledge, they should take any 2.5" wide, 9.5mm thick notebook hard drive and any RAM that fits their platform (I believe they're running on Intel's Montevina chipset now).
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post #5 of 12
11/18/08 at 12:45am
Yes the parts are completely interchangeable as much as on any other notebook. You just have to make sure you get the parts that have the right interface. i.e. SATA vs PATA for hard drives and the correct type of RAM.

As someone who uses both Mac and Windows for a long time I always am frustrated by fanboy attitudes from either side. Both platforms have their advantages and drawbacks but when it comes to ease of use, stability, long term usability, and power consumption the Mac wins easily.

The nice thing now is that since Apple switched to the Intel platform you can easily install Windows as a second operating system on any new Mac to give you the best of both worlds.
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post #6 of 12
11/18/08 at 11:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Woody87 View Post
...
As someone who uses both Mac and Windows for a long time I always am frustrated by fanboy attitudes from either side. Both platforms have their advantages and drawbacks but when it comes to ease of use, stability, long term usability, and power consumption the Mac wins easily.

The nice thing now is that since Apple switched to the Intel platform you can easily install Windows as a second operating system on any new Mac to give you the best of both worlds.


cheers ...
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post #7 of 12
11/18/08 at 2:08pm
Thread Starter 
thanks for the replies
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post #8 of 12
11/18/08 at 2:09pm
Thread Starter 
thanks for the answers...

So then I guess I do want to get an apple...
but its a lot of money... I guess I will go for the 13'' anyhow because its easier to carry around and its my only option...

So... I have a few question first:

1) I hear that installing something is "easier" what does this mean?

I know that in windows I sometimes get annyoed when I install something and it installs other stuff in secret places like appdata and stuff and even when you uninstall it sometimes doesnt get rid from those areas

2) can I do all these things... these are the stuff I currently use....
netbeans (im learning java in college)
putty (i use it for ssh connection) I hear I dont need putty... theres a terminal in apple... is it easy to use?

3) the terminal - is it harder to learn then ms-dos?

4) certain little things im told arent so easy... like showing hidden files or stuff like that? is this true
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post #9 of 12
11/18/08 at 4:42pm
Usually on Macintosh applications are self contained and you don't actually install them rather then simply drag them to the folder you want them in and run them. This is the main thing that sets Mac OS apart from Windows. When you install an application it just stays on your hard drive until you need it rather than trying to integrate itself into the operating system as if it's the only application you use. In Windows it seems every app you install tries to get itself into your startup items and slow you down.
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post #10 of 12
11/19/08 at 12:29am
Thread Starter 
...now the big question...
where do I buy it?
macmall? apple.com? apple store? bestbuy?
ebay? amazon?
where is the best place to purchase one?
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post #11 of 12
11/19/08 at 2:51pm
Amazon most likely will be cheaper as you get a small discount on the price, a 50 dollar rebate, and there's no shipping or tax. Anywhere else will charge you tax at least.

And don't forget to get Applecare. Also, if you're near an Apple store, as this is your first Mac, you should get a One to One membership as well: 99 dollars for a year gets you in store training once a week.
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post #12 of 12
11/19/08 at 3:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shamguy4 View Post
...now the big question...
where do I buy it?
macmall? apple.com? apple store? bestbuy?
ebay? amazon?
where is the best place to purchase one?
your college/university may have a discount, i know my university does.... can be anywhere from fifty to several hundred dollars depending on the model.

the company i work for also has a deal with apple, slightly better actually than the one we have through my university.

check with people you know who work at major corporations or the government. they are most likely to an an EPP deal and can really give you some worthwhile savings.
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