MacBook '07

[caligula357]

hi peeps,

i've decided i'm gonna get a macbook sometime jan/feb 2007, and i've opted for the 2Ghz, 80Gb, 1Gb RAM one, as it is the cheapest one with a CD/DVD burner in it.

was reading somewhere that the next mac vista equivilant is also gonna be released around then as well, so hopefully i can wangle a free upgrade or something.

i've got a valid student card as well, so i should be able to get a discount off apple aswell

i don't really wanna fork out even more cash on extra software, so would like to know if anyone has any suggestions?
i've looked at neooffice as an alternative to ms office, any ideas on anti-virus or system apps?

thanks.

 

[djinn]

I believe I read something that Leopard won't be released til June and for the mac expo 07 the final seed would be given to developers. Then again, I could be wrong.

 

[muppetman2000]

OpenOffice is an excellent replacement, it can open and write to ms office documents. You have no need for anti-virus, just turn on the firewall when you get your mac.

 

[Mac'Mo]

hi peeps,

i've decided i'm gonna get a macbook sometime jan/feb 2007, and i've opted for the 2Ghz, 80Gb, 1Gb RAM one, as it is the cheapest one with a CD/DVD burner in it.

was reading somewhere that the next mac vista equivilant is also gonna be released around then as well, so hopefully i can wangle a free upgrade or something.

i've got a valid student card as well, so i should be able to get a discount off apple aswell

i don't really wanna fork out even more cash on extra software, so would like to know if anyone has any suggestions?
i've looked at neooffice as an alternative to ms office, any ideas on anti-virus or system apps?

thanks.

i believe your vista equivalent is leopard and the release date is speculation i believe. as far as the education discount goes, you dont need a student id, the apple site doesn't check. As far as freeware goes, i dont believe macs need any AV programs

 

[FDX]

OpenOffice is an excellent replacement, it can open and write to ms office documents. You have no need for anti-virus, just turn on the firewall when you get your mac.

I like NeoOffice runs like an app no need for anything extra.

 

[caligula357]

just found http://www.leopardreleasedate.com/ , dunno how accurate it is as its not official.

what about spyware/malware?
i use spybot and adaware at the moment, but i don't think they do mac versions.

also, can mac os x natively burn cd/dvd, or is it worth getting something like toast (toast is like nero?)

happy new year!

 

[iJawn108]

just found http://www.leopardreleasedate.com/ , dunno how accurate it is as its not official.

what about spyware/malware?
i use spybot and adaware at the moment, but i don't think they do mac versions.

also, can mac os x natively burn cd/dvd, or is it worth getting something like toast (toast is like nero?)

happy new year!

I've never needed to used toast for anything. :/

 

[kretzy]

just found http://www.leopardreleasedate.com/ , dunno how accurate it is as its not official.

what about spyware/malware?
i use spybot and adaware at the moment, but i don't think they do mac versions.

also, can mac os x natively burn cd/dvd, or is it worth getting something like toast (toast is like nero?)

happy new year!

All Apple are saying about the release of Leopard is that it will be in Spring of 2007. They have not given any specific dates as of yet. Probably looking sometime around April.

You won't need anything for spyware/malware/virus as no such thing exists for Macs. As someone else stated, you can activate a firewall for security but you really don't need anything more than that.

OS X can natively burn data on CDs/DVDs, iTunes takes care of music CDs, iPhoto allows you to burn to disc and iDVD gives you the ability to create your own movie discs after having created a movie in iMovie. The only reason you might want Toast or something similar is if you want to create/copy DVDs that need to be compressed or reformatted.

Don't forget that student discount is only available for college/university students, not highschoolers.

 

[Craigy Boy]

If you are at Uni make sure you log on to the apple student store from the uni network and click the the other discount link on the higher education site (there's two links, one you can only access from your uni network). This link gives you even more student discount as I think they can safely assume you are indeed a student. I want a black macbook with 2gb RAM and 160gb hard drive, logging onto the uni network would save me a further £100 on top of the student discount from the other link!

As for Leopard, think it will be around April time personally.

 

[caligula357]

isn't spyware/malware an internet browser thing? they all use the same protocols, cookies etc...(windowsPC and macs)

i still might get toast, as i used a lot of nero's functions before, and sometimes i like to dl divx movies and convert/burn them to dvd.
i did read somewhere though, that the superdrives used in macbooks are kinda crappy performance wise.

i have a university card, and apparently my university has an apple rep on campus (looked at apple's student store (UK), and it looks like i only save around £50 )

 

[MacsAttack]

hi peeps,

i've decided i'm gonna get a macbook sometime jan/feb 2007, and i've opted for the 2Ghz, 80Gb, 1Gb RAM one, as it is the cheapest one with a CD/DVD burner in it.

was reading somewhere that the next mac vista equivilant is also gonna be released around then as well, so hopefully i can wangle a free upgrade or something.

i've got a valid student card as well, so i should be able to get a discount off apple aswell

i don't really wanna fork out even more cash on extra software, so would like to know if anyone has any suggestions?
i've looked at neooffice as an alternative to ms office, any ideas on anti-virus or system apps?

thanks.

Nice machine. I got that config just after they came out and it has been running fine. Tossed Parallels on it to run W2K for the last 4 windows prorams I still run on the odd occasion.

Apple's equivelent to Vista... Well OS X has many of the features Vista is bringing to the table for quite some time. Was at a MicroSoft event some time back when they were gushing about all these cool things they were adding to Windows - had to bite my tounge several times (the temptation to note that Apple did that X-years ago each time a "new" item came up was very great). The next version of OS X will be Leopard. At a guess it will be some time in April before it is released. We should see a (more or less) feature-complete demo of it within two weeks.

At the moment there are no active viruses or spyware that work on a Mac (unless you are running Windows - in which case all bets are off). As an added precaution all Mac users should...

1. Switch on the Firewall.
2. Use a non-admin account for daily use.

The one thing that Leopard really needs to do is tighten up security a little - before it does become a problem.

isn't spyware/malware an internet browser thing? they all use the same protocols, cookies etc...(windowsPC and macs)

i still might get toast, as i used a lot of nero's functions before, and sometimes i like to dl divx movies and convert/burn them to dvd.
i did read somewhere though, that the superdrives used in macbooks are kinda crappy performance wise.

i have a university card, and apparently my university has an apple rep on campus (looked at apple's student store (UK), and it looks like i only save around £50 )

Because MicroSoft (in their wisdom) chose to build their web browser directly into the core of the Windows OS, and to use their Active-X technology, they created a massives security hole. A great festering boil which burst - flooding the computing world with tidal wave of viruses and spyware (and creating a massive market of all those anti-virus software companies).

Unlike Windows, OS X has a more robust security model and does not walk around waving placards saying "Shoot me!" The Safari Browser (and just about any other browser you can name) also lack may of the security issues that Explorer has suffered from.

Now - OS X is not invulnerable. Nothing is. However Windows suffers from several great problems...

1) Through some real bad design decissions, Windows is an "easy target". Them hackers don;t have to work hard - so they go after Windows.

2) Windows is used widly. Again making it an attactive target. However, the "security through obscurity" arguemnt some use to explain why OS X is not also the target of attacks continues to loose strenght as OS X was been in use for a number of years. By now "somebody" should have exploited a problem - even if it were just for the bragging rights.

3) Architectural differences - Windows and OS X are very different. What runs on Windows will not work on OS X.

4) No Outlook. Outlook (tied closly with Explorer and Active X) has allowed for the propergation of viruses and spyware. The situation is comming under control as MicroSpft plugs the holes - forcing the bad guys to find other means of exploiting the serious flaws underpining Windows. Because Macs are "Outlook Free" they have been spared the scourge of e-mail infection for the most part.

There is no guarentee that OS X will remain free from these pesky viruses and spyware. Mac users should not become complacent. Stay alert! Trust no-one! Keep your laser handy! More common these days are "social engennering" attacks - the ones that try to trick information out of users. This alas is a problem at the keyboard interface that OS X cannot deal with. Here the standard rules apply - no matter what OS you are using.

Oh - I forgot... There has been one source of viruses that have impacted Macs... Macro viruses attached to - you guessed it! - Microsoft Office files!

Superdrive performance is fine for me. Guess it depends on what you are used to...

 

[caligula357]

cool, thanks guys.

after i go back, i'll head into my uni and order one of those badboys, and maybe a carrycase at same time.

 

[Slakerr]

isn't spyware/malware an internet browser thing? they all use the same protocols, cookies etc...(windowsPC and macs)

i still might get toast, as i used a lot of nero's functions before, and sometimes i like to dl divx movies and convert/burn them to dvd.
i did read somewhere though, that the superdrives used in macbooks are kinda crappy performance wise.

i have a university card, and apparently my university has an apple rep on campus (looked at apple's student store (UK), and it looks like i only save around £50 )

You are looking at the wrong site mate

you need the UK HE Apple site

The 2Ghz macbook is only £755.53 with free 3 year apple care.
compaired to £879.00 on the standard site and apple care will cost £199 on top off that taking it to £1078.00.
and finally the normal student price £826.03 plus £165.68 for apple care making a total of £991.70

UK HE is a huge saving

 

[caligula357]

You are looking at the wrong site mate

you need the UK HE Apple site

The 2Ghz macbook is only £755.53 with free 3 year apple care.
compaired to £879.00 on the standard site and apple care will cost £199 on top off that taking it to £1078.00.
and finally the normal student price £826.03 plus £165.68 for apple care making a total of £991.70

UK HE is a huge saving

awesome!

looking at it again, i can see it'll be the http://apple.procureweb.ac.uk/ link that you can only access at university terminals.
hopefully, i'll be able to pick up a copy of leopard on the cheap as well before my campus card runs out!

 

[a456]

just found http://www.leopardreleasedate.com/ , dunno how accurate it is as its not official.

Try leaving the sound on when you open the web page - it might answer your question.

 

[caligula357]

Try leaving the sound on when you open the web page - it might answer your question.

hmmm, it sounded kinda reputable untill she let rip....

 

[eXan]

I've never needed to used toast for anything. :/

OS X can natively burn data on CDs/DVDs. The only reason you might want Toast or something similar is if you want to create/copy DVDs that need to be compressed or reformatted.

Can disks burned from withing Mac OS X be read on PCs? I always thought it created Mac-only disks?

 

[kretzy]

Can disks burned from withing Mac OS X be read on PCs? I always thought it created Mac-only disks?

I'm pretty certain I've used CDs I've created on my Mac on PCs too. Haven't done it for a while so I'm not 100%.

 

[Abstract]

Mac only CDs? No way. Not by default, anyway. I have never had this problem.

 

[Warbrain]

Can disks burned from withing Mac OS X be read on PCs? I always thought it created Mac-only disks?

Hybrid discs. Don't worry.

 

[Aniej]

was reading somewhere that the next mac vista equivilant is also gonna be released around then as well, so hopefully i can wangle a free upgrade or something.

ohhhh pleaaaseee, what a grotesque analogy.

 

[Mhill]

ohhhh pleaaaseee, what a grotesque analogy.

Phone up Apple on the Education discount number, i got my other half a MB C2D with 2gb RAM upgrade for £80, give them a call better deals on the phone!

 

[caligula357]

Phone up Apple on the Education discount number, i got my other half a MB C2D with 2gb RAM upgrade for £80, give them a call better deals on the phone!

is the jump from 1gb to 2gb significant?
if i was gonna do any upgrading, it would be hard drive 80gb to 120gb

(note- on an 80gb macbook, after os x and maybe neooffice, how much free space am i likely to have?)

cheers

 

[lonestriker]

2. Use a non-admin account for daily use.

Can someone explain why you would use a non-admin account for daily use?

 

[carp3n0ct3m]

By using a non-admin account for daily use, you greatly decrease your risk of getting a virus and it spreading as the virus would not have admin access to your machine and all settings.