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Solved Convince me to buy a Mac.

Sega

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So as the Christmas season edges closer, I'm contemplating whether to buy a Mac or not. My budget wouldn't be any higher than £1,250. I know this is rather low, considering the lowest Mac product is just under £900. I'm a Windows user, I currently own a Sony Vaio VGN-CR31S, running Windows 7; and I've had it for 3 and a half years.

I've read this article, but I would like to hear other personal verdicts. Please do not tell me why I should stick with Windows. After sifting through Dinkleberg's thread...

tumblr_lc9g1jMD0D1qb6y4x.gif

... I've noticed that Windows or Linux users can't help but patronise Mac users, or potential Mac users, about how Macs are overpriced, and that you could build your own computer for a third of the price which can perform to the same standard as a Mac.

Personally, I'm not interested in building my own computer, nor do I want to hear completely biased views. If it's possible (which I know it won't), I would like to hear why I should buy a Mac, and with that, which one. I've heard the best one would be the Macbook Pro 13-inch (2011 or 2010), and I'm verging towards that (I'll just have to find a suitable priced one).

I want to try something new, and I love the design and layout of Apple computers. Windows has served me well, but I don't want to buy another one. If worst comes to worst and I am not able to purchase a Mac, I'll stick with my Sony Vaio.

Fire away.
 
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I have a Macbook Pro and I thought it was really cool at first, but versatility of a PC is just so much better to me.
I would personally not buy a Mac again, not cause they're bad, I think they're great, but they're just not for me.
The biggest reason I started getting annoyed with it is that I wasn't able put movies from my Portable Hard drive on it since it wasn't formatted to a Mac.
You might not want to hear it again, but I ended up building a PC. It costed a good bit, but was still lower than the Macbook.
 
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I'm gonna do the best I can to describe why I like my mac so I apologize if this comes out horribly or it is confusing. I love my mac book air because it boots in like 1 minutes with its SSD, and I know that it will work or Apple will fix it for free. I also have had a mac mini since 2009 and it still runs that same as the day i took it out of the box and the amount of crap I have on there is ridiculous. Having a one year warranty for free on both devices is always a plus even if it doesn't cover everything. I also have and iPhone and iPad and a mac just seems to work best with them. Everything on a mac goes seamlessly, I never really have to work to get something to operate correctly it just does it. Also, there are viruses for macs but there are very rare so security software is not something you have to worry about. Lastly, I know I am going to fit the stereotype of an apple fan boy and I am so whatever but I have never seen a sexier looking laptop then this mac book air. It is literally the thinnest computer on the market and it light and ultra portable. I wouldn't go back to PC even if someone would pay me to do so.
 
Forgoten Dynasty

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You're other options consist of windows which is a terrible operating system. Or misc linux (while being a much better choice then windows) I personally have never been able to make the transaction to using it as a main operating system.

OSX IMO is one of the better choices as it is unix at the core, is a very powerful system. and has the compatibility of a mainstream operating system, an area where many linux distros seem to be lacking.

Personally if you decide not to get a mac I highly suggest ubuntu 11. I absolutely love it and quite honestly, if I wasn't already 'moved into' osx i would probably give it a run myself. But that is a completely separate argument.


inb4 tigerblood spreads a cancer of stupidity.
 
OctaVariuM

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I am sure you read my post in Dinkelberg's thread, but regardless:

I have both a PC and a Mac, and they are both good for different things. I really enjoy my (2010) Macbook Pro 13", as it is great for bringing places (especially lectures), just relaxing on my bed/couch, or surfing the web and things. It is convenient, lasts about 5 or 6 hours on battery during normal use, and about 9 or so if I am just lightly taking notes in class.

It has some obvious drawbacks, like not really being able to run games, and having compatibility issues with certain programs, but if you can overlook those things, a Mac is a great investment. I know you can dual-boot or whatever, but I am not technically skilled enough to do that without screwing something up, and Lion suits my needs just fine.

In the end, it is your decision; if you feel a Mac is a good buy, then go for it. You do not want to end up spending a lot of money on something you are only sort of sure about purchasing in the first place.
 
Sega

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inb4 tigerblood spreads a cancer of stupidity.

I'm hoping that's the last thing that pops up in this thread. I'm sick and tired of hearing the whole "Windows is superior to Macs" argument, considering the majority use Windows therefore Mac users are bombarded with complete biased opinions on the matter. If there are any of the sort, I'll report them, because I really don't want to read why I should drop the idea of buying a Mac. Thanks for the information.
 
Forgoten Dynasty

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I know you can dual-boot or whatever, but I am not technically skilled enough to do that without screwing something up, and Lion suits my needs just fine.
All you have to do is download a copy of parallels. Download a copy of windows.

Open up parallels then click install from .iso file. Locate the windows disk on your computer and it will do everything for you.


Windows applications will then appear to run natively on osx inside of a virtual machine sandbox.
e34dc684.png
 
OctaVariuM

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All you have to do is download a copy of parallels. Download a copy of windows.

Open up parallels then click install from .iso file. Locate the windows disk on your computer and it will do everything for you.


Windows applications will then appear to run natively on osx inside of a virtual machine sandbox.
e34dc684.png

True, but finding a legitimate copy of Windows has proved to be a pain, as purchasing one is just not worth it for what I plan on using it for (a few games).

Thanks for the info though, and good luck Sega; hopefully you will get some more legitimate responses.
 
Defying

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I have a Macbook Pro and I thought it was really cool at first, but versatility of a PC is just so much better to me.
I would personally not buy a Mac again, not cause they're bad, I think they're great, but they're just not for me.
The biggest reason I started getting annoyed with it is that I wasn't able put movies from my Portable Hard drive on it since it wasn't formatted to a Mac.
You might not want to hear it again, but I ended up building a PC. It costed a good bit, but was still lower than the Macbook.
This is exactly what I think (mehh, sorta.).
Mac's are great computers, I did enjoy my iMac 27" until I moved onto other things (3D Work, Editing, Gaming, etc) then I realized that my iMac wasn't going to handle this (5 minutes to render 10 second clip in vegas w/ no editing), so I looked into another Mac and I really didn't like the specs they had. My friend had just built a computer and I was blown away at how fast it was. I decided I would just build my own PC, and it was worth it.

My iMac has these specs:
Intel Core i3 @ 3.2GHz
4GB RAM
ATI Radeon 5670M (M = mobile | iMac != laptop) 512MB VRAM
1TB HDD

My custom built PC has these specs:
Intel Core i7 @ 4.5GHz
16GB RAM
MSI Twin Frozr III 2GB PE/OC R6950 (basically an ATI Radeon 6950)
64GB SSD + 1TB HDD (installing more HDD's soon)

There's obviously more things to both computers, however, I spent $1,600 on the iMac, and I spent $1,600 on the PC (I got extra things too that I didn't need, so if I didn't it would probably be around $1,200~1,300).

Which one would you pick?
If you really want to, you can install Lion onto it and use it. It's basically running the Mac OS, just on a PC.
 
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Just waiting for the windows kids to feel the need to tell everyone how great windows is and what a waste of money macs are.
If you prefer windows, keep it to yourself.

Anyway, I think you should get a mac. Unless you play a lot of PC games, then that would probably not be a good idea.
Imo OSX is better than Windows, but you should just try it yourself. Just go to an apple store and try it out for a while.
Are you planning on getting a Macbook pro or an iMac?

Oh yeah, and you need patience, it's a new OS you're probably not used to. Like 90% of the people hating on Macs/OSX just don't know how to use them. It's not windows, of course things are different.
A lot of programs are available for OSX as well, but for those that aren't you just have to look for alternative apps. And YES, you can right click on a Mac, unbelievable right? Just gotta enable it in the system settings lol (Well unless you have a touchpad, then you are stuck with ctrl+click)

If you want a Macbook, get the Macbook pro 13".
If you want an iMac I'd recommend this model:
Screen_shot_2011-10-17_at_18.27.42.png

That's pretty much what I have, but I have a better processor. And it runs super smooth :]

If you have any questions just ask me :]



[...] Mac's are great computers, I did enjoy my iMac 27" until I moved onto other things (3D Work, Editing, Gaming, etc) [...]
You can edit just fine on a Mac... Almost everyone in the film business is using FCP which is exclusive to OSX. And FCP is a great app, you just need to get used to it. (I know you hate it :tongue: )
 
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Just waiting for the windows kids to feel the need to tell everyone how great windows is and what a waste of money macs are.
If you prefer windows, keep it to yourself.

Anyway, I think you should get a mac. Unless you play a lot of PC games, then that would probably not be a good idea.
Imo OSX is better than Windows, but you should just try it yourself. Just go to an apple store and try it out for a while.
Are you planning on getting a Macbook pro or an iMac?

Oh yeah, and you need patience, it's a new OS you're probably not used to. Like 90% of the people hating on Macs/OSX just don't know how to use them. It's not windows, of course things are different.
A lot of programs are available for OSX as well, but for those that aren't you just have to look for alternative apps. And YES, you can right click on a Mac, unbelievable right? Just gotta enable it in the system settings lol (Well unless you have a touchpad, then you are stuck with ctrl+click)

If you want a Macbook, get the Macbook pro 13".
If you want an iMac I'd recommend this model:
Screen_shot_2011-10-17_at_18.27.42.png

That's pretty much what I have, but I have a better processor. And it runs super smooth :]

If you have any questions just ask me :]
n_n

It would be nice if Sega actually told us what he would be using it for...
The only Mac I would ever buy again is their MacBook Pro's. Why? All the other laptops suck. BADLY. The MacBook Pro is the only nice and enjoyable laptop on the market. Yes, it's pricey but it's worth it.
I just now read in the OP that you want a laptop, so go ahead. I recommend you get this one:
6ed88a4b.png

It's the only one that would last a while (in terms of new specs on new computers), plus I'm sure you wouldn't like the other ones (unless you want a 13").

So.
Desktop: Get a custom build. Mac Desktops just aren't worth it.
Laptop: Get a higher speced (not the low-end) MacBook Pro.
 
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It would be nice if Sega actually told us what he would be using it for...
The only Mac I would ever buy again is their MacBook Pro's. Why? All the other laptops suck. BADLY. The MacBook Pro is the only nice and enjoyable laptop on the market. Yes, it's pricey but it's worth it.
I just now read in the OP that you want a laptop, so go ahead. I recommend you get this one:
6ed88a4b.png

It's the only one that would last a while (in terms of new specs on new computers), plus I'm sure you wouldn't like the other ones (unless you want a 13").

So.
Desktop: Get a custom build. Mac Desktops just aren't worth it.
Laptop: Get a higher speced (not the low-end) MacBook Pro.
this
i am building my own custom desktop but i use my macbook all the time and i love it
 
Sega

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It would be nice if Sega actually told us what he would be using it for...

Primarily for day-to-day uses. I've briefly covered why I am willing to switch to a Mac, but I'm not a professional video or photograph editor, so I won't be using it for those purposes. It will serve me further purposes in years to come though.

Edit: I am pleased with the answers so far. It has helped me draw closer to my conclusion. By the looks of it, I'll probably be purchasing the new Macbook Pro 13 inch/15 inch; depending on my budget.
 
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On mine at least not sure how far the multi touch trackpads go back but mine I can do a right click just by putting two fingers on the trackpad and clicking.

I bought mine because I wanted to learn iOS development and it was just a lot easier to get a mac then trying to go through all the fuss of getting it to work on Windows for JB phones. Ever since I bought mine I can no longer use my Windows computer, everything just seems to work better on my Mac I used it for video editing the first time the other day and it was amazing because FCP renders while you are editing so it takes almost no time to export which was a huge plus for me coming from sony vegas which took FOREVER. I built a really nice PC about 6 months ago with a Quad Core processor and 4GB ram and a ATI Radeon HD something with 1GB of RAM. I just formatted it the other day and it runs slower then my macbook pro which the specs are half of what my windows pc was.
 
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On mine at least not sure how far the multi touch trackpads go back but mine I can do a right click just by putting two fingers on the trackpad and clicking.
Oh didn't know that, never had a Macbook. Good to know though :smile:



Windows/Mac blows.

Linux > All
Yeah right, at least those 2 OS's got a working version of skype.

So how's mars? :b
 
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Windows -> ****** OS but cheaper computers, and more PC choice.
OS X -> Good OS, less choice, expensive computers.
Linux -> Free software, Free OS, goes on any PC and you can dual boot, hard to get used to.

I currently have a MacBook Pro and I really like it. So far there haven't been any limitations or whatsoever.
In the end, you are the one deciding whether you want a PC or a Mac.
 
Sega

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Awesome. Obviously I won't be buying one directly from an Apple store, or the Apple website, it's far too expensive. I've found an Apple Macbook Pro (2011) 13-inch (Intel Core i5 Dual Core 2.3GHz, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Up to 7 hours of battery life) ranging from £895 =£1105. Anyone else know what websites sell Macs reasonably (or considerably) cheaper than Apple do?
 
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