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Can I game on a Mac? Be honest please...

you can do excel files and pdf, no issues.

Can you game on a mac? Sure, but gaming on a mac is not a great experience - buy a PC or console.
 
BrianKonarsMac said:
Can you game on a mac? Sure, but gaming on a mac is not a great experience - buy a PC or console.
Click to expand...

Depends on what kind of games you want to play. Tons of casual games ready to be played native MacOS. Less of the AAA titles. See this Apple.com Gaming link.

And if you are not adverse to Windows, you can play games just fine. I've been playing the latest PC games on my MBP no problemo.
 
Huntn said:
Depends on what kind of games you want to play. Tons of casual games ready to be played native MacOS. Less of the AAA titles. See this Apple.com Gaming link.

And if you are not adverse to Windows, you can play games just fine. I've been playing the latest PC games on my MBP no problemo.
Click to expand...

What games do you play?
 
Really just get that Asus with GTX 260M and be careful with your online surfing habits.

Download AVG Free Antivirus, Windows Defender and AdWare Anniversary Edition and do not download untrusted files to your computer.

For example, going to Hulu to watch a streaming television show instead of downloading one from the Internet or Bittorrent. Apply this method to any programming you are interested in. Get it?

With safe computing methods you will be fine. Unfortunately you have to exercise caution no matter the platform you're on.

Mac is no exception.

Example #1

Example #2

My guess is that if you want to play games on your computer you will be disappointed with Mac hardware.

The GTX 260M is roughly equivalent to a desktop 8800GT. The 9400M is roughly equivalent to a 9400GT.

The GTX 260M is much, much, much faster. Do not buy the 9400M to play games on. That's the bottom line.

Also, you will need to run Windows to play modern games regardless of the hardware vendor you buy from. Mac's gaming selection is pitiful.
 
Jack Flash said:
Really just get that Asus with GTX 260M and be careful with your online surfing habits.

Download AVG Free Antivirus, Windows Defender and AdWare Anniversary Edition and do not download untrusted files to your computer.

For example, going to Hulu to watch a streaming television show instead of downloading one from the Internet or Bittorrent. Apply this method to any programming you are interested in. Get it?

With safe computing methods you will be fine. Unfortunately you have to exercise caution no matter the platform you're on.

Mac is no exception.

Example #1

Example #2

My guess is that if you want to play games on your computer you will be disappointed with Mac hardware.

The GTX 260M is roughly equivalent to a desktop 8800GT. The 9400M is roughly equivalent to a 9400GT.

The GTX 260M is much, much, much faster. Do not buy the 9400M to play games on. That's the bottom line.

Also, you will need to run Windows to play modern games regardless of the hardware vendor you buy from. Mac's gaming selection is pitiful.
Click to expand...


Asus G51 or Force 3551 (http://www.xoticpc.com/custom-gaming-laptops-notebooks-gaming-laptops-ct-118_96_98.html), which is better?
 
I bought the Asus white laptop with the GTX 260M graphic card. I have Crysis, Far Cry 2, Fallout 3 and GOW running on it at the highest settings. The best way to go is to buy the MacBook model you want for productivity and light gaming and entertainment, while leaving the heavy gaming to the Asus! You won't regret your purchase and you will keep your MacBook in better condition by avoiding constant heat from gaming. I have also been playing FEAR on my Air (which plays great). For some reason, FEAR on the new ASUS stutters a lot, while Crysis runs smooth at the highest settings.
 
I'm still unsure about which laptop to get between the Asus and the Macbook Pro. If I do limit myself to a few porn sites, I probably won't get a virus. But then again, I don't want to deal with error messages, blue screens of death, and freezes (which may happen down the road). I'm also not knowledgeable about computers. I don't keep up with having to update drivers or whatever. With a Mac, will keeping my computer in top notch shape require less computer know how/be much easier?

With the Mac, I'll have a better notebook in the fact that is has longer battery life and its more portable. But then again, it won't play games as well and I'll have to limit the games I play because its graphics card isn't as good as the Asus and I also don't want to mess with Windows/bootcamp (even if it is for a short time).

I guess the real question that needs to be answered is:

Do I prefer peace of mind of not having a blue screen of death or an error message(s)?

or

Should I risk frustrations down the road due to possibly getting a virus, blue screen of death, and errors all for a machine that'll give me a better gaming experience?

I'm not sure yet and I need to hurry up and make my decision so I can make use of the free ipod itouch (if I choose the macbook pro).

If I choose to limit my gaming, are there any games that play well on a mac and do not need windows(no bootcamp)?
 
You can if you want. I prefer to run games on Bootcamp for maximum performance and compatibility, but my 2006 iMac runs all the games I want (TF2, L4D). The Macbook does it even better but I don't like to run games off a laptop.
 
morgothaod said:
I'm still unsure about which laptop to get between the Asus and the Macbook Pro. If I do limit myself to a few porn sites, I probably won't get a virus. But then again, I don't want to deal with error messages, blue screens of death, and freezes (which may happen down the road). I'm also not knowledgeable about computers. I don't keep up with having to update drivers or whatever. With a Mac, will keeping my computer in top notch shape require less computer know how/be much easier?

With the Mac, I'll have a better notebook in the fact that is has longer battery life and its more portable. But then again, it won't play games as well and I'll have to limit the games I play because its graphics card isn't as good as the Asus and I also don't want to mess with Windows/bootcamp (even if it is for a short time).

I guess the real question that needs to be answered is:

Do I prefer peace of mind of not having a blue screen of death or an error message(s)?

or

Should I risk frustrations down the road due to possibly getting a virus, blue screen of death, and errors all for a machine that'll give me a better gaming experience?

I'm not sure yet and I need to hurry up and make my decision so I can make use of the free ipod itouch (if I choose the macbook pro).

If I choose to limit my gaming, are there any games that play well on a mac and do not need windows(no bootcamp)?
Click to expand...

You will have a very reliable and stable computing experience with either a Mac or a PC. You're just as likely to get a BSOD as you are a kernel panic.

Really it comes down to games. Do you want to play games? Decide there.
 
Another Consideration

Most of the "Gamers" I know of that use a Mac have switched to Console gaming rather than go the computer gaming route. I don't know your exact situation, but the mac is great for almost everything except gaming.

I use an xbox 360 for gaming (great system) and a macbook for everything else. No configuration settings to worry about like the PC games, not many bad ports as games are designed for consoles first now. It's great to just start up the system and play, voice chat in every multiplayer game, automatic game updates, and one stop shopping for DLC.

The mouse to controller transition took a week or two, but now a controller is more comfortable for me than a mouse. (I still suck on both control systems however.)

After after a few years, when the new model comes out, you just get a new console, they cost the same as a high end graphics card in a pc, and you have a completely updated system.

Mac + console might be worth a consideration, as the advantages of a Mac far outweigh a pc for every other operation except gaming, and consoles outweigh PC's in that area now (in my humble view.)
 
Good point, console + mac may be worth considering. The newest console that I have is PS2, perhaps I should upgrade :p. When you plan online over the console, do you experience any slowness or lag? I hate how people with better PC's always have the advantage. Also, do you pay extra to play over a console (such as having to pay monthly to use some sort of service or do you just connect to your internet connection and it costs nothing)?
 
morgothaod said:
Good point, console + mac may be worth considering. The newest console that I have is PS2, perhaps I should upgrade :p. When you plan online over the console, do you experience any slowness or lag? I hate how people with better PC's always have the advantage. Also, do you pay extra to play over a console (such as having to pay monthly to use some sort of service or do you just connect to your internet connection and it costs nothing)?
Click to expand...

Xbox Live is $50 MSRP / year. Find it elsewhere for less.

Playstation network is free, but it's not up to XBL standards.
 
I can find Xbox live for less? Where?

That brings me to my next question, should I buy a PS3 or Xbox 360 (my bro had an xbox 360 and a year later it quit reading his games lol)? Which has better online games? I want to play first person shooters and fighting games online.
 
morgothaod,

I have to laugh but bravo for honesty :cool:

For porn sites, if you just google for them, stick to the first few hits (don't go farther than 5 down the list). You can be 99% sure they'll be safe. Your best bet is to go to thumbnail websites (where there's a collection of small pics as samples and you can click them to the larger collection). Those sites are updated daily and are perfectly safe.

As far as viruses on Mac from websites, I wouldn't even worry about it, really. No one goes on porn websites and uploads Mac viruses, because very few people would get hit by them. It's a waste of the hackers time.

For gaming, I'd definitely go PS3, I feel it's much better built and a better console overall. But if you like to voice chat or do a lot of communication and play with a lot of friends, 360 would be a better choice because PS3 is not up to par with the party gaming system. But having owned both, I would buy a PS3 any day over a 360.

Don't bother gaming on a Mac if you want to play new games. The 9600GT isn't bad, but even the vastly outdated 8800GT blows it out of the water, and that's already quite a few years old.

Gaming, get a PS3.
For computers, go with a Mac. I also had a custom built gaming PC up until a few months ago but I got tired of gaming (or grew out of it, not sure which) and couldn't be happier with a Mac.

Another way to go about your business is visiting http://forum.team3x.com/

There is a way to use IRC (a chat thing) to get passes for major websites for free. You just message a bot with what website you want (like bangbros, whatever) and they usually have working accounts for them. It might be a little complicated for you to set up but I'm sure you can figure it out. There are instructions for it on the website I linked.
 
morgothaod said:
If I choose to limit my gaming, are there any games that play well on a mac and do not need windows(no bootcamp)?
Click to expand...

It's all subjective. Games will run better on a PC but many people find they run well enough under OSX. If you make a list of the games you are interested in, you can

1) See if there is an OSX version (Some of the older games were ported to OS9 -> not OSX).

2) See the user reviews on how playable the game is under OSX.

If a majority of the games you wish to play will not run under OSX or they will not run well under OSX, I would probably get the PC.

Otherwise, I would consider the Mac with bootcamp to run the non-OSX games you are interested in.
 
Hi morgothaod,

the Asus with the GTX 260M looks good, but from the games you have mentioned so far, do you really need that much power? All the games you have listed aren't cutting edge and pretty old so unless you're actively looking to get into games like Crysis et al, the GTX 260M would be a bit overkill. It'd be like buying a Ferrari when it's main use if to go to the supermarket.

I agree with the Mac + Console suggestion, as the hardware specs of a given console are pretty much even, you shouldn't have crash issues etc. Best FPS game I've played on a console is Killzone 2 on the PS3, it's pretty awesome (plus if you get a PS3 you could invest in some Blu-Ray Full HD porn ;)). I'm lucky that I'm a sad git and my favourite game is FM2009 which works perfectly in OS X on my MBP lol (if anything it's got faster since installing Snow Leopard).

I've bootcamped my MBP to play the occasional game and the 9600GT manages perfectly well, plays Crysis at mid settings which is fine with me, I'll use my PC if I need more grunt, useful if I'm away from home though. Think what I'm trying to say (albeit in a meandering kinda way), is running OS X and Windows on a Mac doesn't defeat the purpose of owning one, just gives you the best of both worlds and makes it more useful. I certainly didn't have any regrets buying my MBP, absolutely love it.

Best of luck in whatever you decide on dude.
 
morgothaod said:
What games do you play?
Click to expand...

At this moment in time, I'm not really playing any Windows games, most of my time is taken playing WoW which I restarted last Dec. But on my MBP I've played Crysis, The Witcher, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Fallout 3, and others although their names elude me for the moment. I'll tell you, if my MBP can handle Crysis, average 20fps, it's competitive with straight Windows laptops. :)

Richdmoore said:
Mac + console might be worth a consideration, as the advantages of a Mac far outweigh a pc for every other operation except gaming, and consoles outweigh PC's in that area now (in my humble view.)
Click to expand...

I'd say it is a very big consideration. Buying a new mac every couple of years is hard to justify. Mostly I do prefer Mac/PC games to console, but I too have a 360 and playing split screen coop can be a lot of fun. :)
 
Can I use MSN Messenger on a Mac?

SebZen said:
Another way to go about your business is visiting http://forum.team3x.com/

There is a way to use IRC (a chat thing) to get passes for major websites for free. You just message a bot with what website you want (like bangbros, whatever) and they usually have working accounts for them. It might be a little complicated for you to set up but I'm sure you can figure it out. There are instructions for it on the website I linked.
Click to expand...

Will it get me a password for Grandma Hunters?
 
I play world of warcraft on my macbook and it runs fine. I get laggy in areas but that is normal. I heard the MBP is really nice for WoW.

I also use bootcamp to play Counter Strike Source. Lags alot when I first started but it is getting better.

That is all I know :p
 
OK you know what you want and that is cool. Get a linux setup on a keydrive. You can boot from that or run it as a virtualized machine in windows. use the virtualized machine to do your browsing and you are safe.
 
Linux is the way to go for 100% safety, IIRC there was a Mac trojan masquerading as a video codec on some porn sites a while back.

I'd also suggest that for absolute, total peace of mind that you check out the Lynx browser for your adult surfing, it is totally impossible for you to get a trojan/virus using this.
 
Can you guys go into more detail about how to get linux/lynx broswer set up?
 
I play games on my MBP all the time. It is possible, and Boot Camp makes it even more enjoyable.
 
I really couldn't hold my laugh when I read your intentions on what to use your Mac for, it's cool I think we all do that as well:rolleyes:

Nowadays Linux (some distros) is incredibly easy to install, especially Ubuntu as it has everything graphical. You simply press next next next during the install procedure. In Ubuntu Firefox comes preinstalled, but when you run it and go to a flash site for example, it tells you to download a flash plugin. Just download that and other plugins that you might need for browsing porn... You can easily install Linux side by side with Windows or another OS by partitioning your hard drive. Partitioning is quite easy as well and it does instruct you how to do it. I'd say it's your safest bet for browsing those naughty sites, as long as you keep all your personal stuff and gaming on Windows side.
 
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