Why oh why do I want a MacBook so?

[surroundfan]

Turn off all the protection and go porn-surfing for a while. Then do some downloading from dodgy w4r3z sites and to finish it off, p2p some software.

That'll stuff it right up.

Thank you for that champagne comedy...

Dropping it from a great height onto a hard surface doesn't do any good either, and a work colleague killed his Thinkpad by spilling a glass of wine onto it (and landed a repair quote twice what he paid for it!)...

 

[caralck]

Yeah well, I'm probably more messed up...Ever since they came out with the MBP, I've been going onto the apple online store and building my dream machine. And now that I've committed to actually buying one, I do this even more frequently. And I honestly wanted to cry when I saw that the price had dropped. And now I'm neurotic because of reading all the bad stuff. What makes me feel even more messed up is that I work with someone who doesn't own a computer or a PDA (we're medical residents) and doesn't watch tv. I don't understand this behavior and I'm almost inclined to donate this computer to him but I fear that it will join his little tv that's sitting in the closet. Actually my old powerbook (the black 233 mhz...or something slow like that) is sitting in my closet in hawaii. My mom said she would use it but never has. The battery no longer holds a charge longer than 10 minutes but it still works decently for an old slow machine. I wonder if I should see if I can sell that one...you know, as a collector's item!

 

[thecheda]

because...

i think somebody else said it before.

the man w/ the most toys, wins.

 

[tristan]

Hmm... I always thought the guy with the biggest 401k wins.

 

[briansolomon]

I have a 1.2 GHz iBook that is doing just fine for me, however the ability to run Windows, use Front Row with a remote, have a built in iSight, and standard Bluetooth and Airport Express makes it all very enticing.


Windows, Front Row really make me want a new Mac. I was going to buy a cheap PC for the occasional program but now I can have both in one machine. I could get a $1200 iMac that runs Windows, too. However I could con myself into thinking it was actually a $500 PC and $700 Mac in one!

Alas, thats not good enough... Now I'm trying to hold off until the DVD drives get upgraded to whatever next-gen format that is going to take hold

EDIT: AND WIRELESS USB!

 

[Smallville]

I'm in a situation where I need a notebook this summer.

I work at a newspaper, and I'm taking over a writing position in the sports dept. I used to design the sports section, so this is a step up.

There is a G3 PowerBook at work, but the other writer has seniority and uses it. Other than that, my place is getting brand new Dell desktops, but no new laptops. (I'm going from OS9 to Windows XP, ugh.)

So, I could use a laptop for my job. Taking notes and scores by hand and then rewriting it at work just takes too much time when you can take a laptop to record everything, write some of the info during halftime, then come back to the office to finish the rest. And in my job, time is crucial!

That being said ... although the MacBooks do look sweet, I know that all I need is a modest iBook for Word, Mail, Safari, maybe iTunes.

Ideally I'd like a 12" PB, but those aren't getting marked down as much as a new MacBook. Then again, neither are the iBook G4s.

Refurbs are out. Wife can't reason spending $750-800 on a used machine when we can plunk down another $300 for a new one.

I'm going to look tomorrow, but I still can't decide what I want.

 

[devilot]

Refurbs are out. Wife can't reason spending $750-800 on a used machine when we can plunk down another $300 for a new one.

That's really too bad. They're checked over for faults, they come w/ a like-new standard one year warranty, and they've been known to at times, come w/ extras (upgraded RAM or HDs). I figure since they do have that full one year warranty, then why not?*


*Except I qualify for the educational discount which is almost the same or better than the refurb prices.

 

[j26]

I feel your pain

I was planning to get a 20" iMac over the summer and run a PB/iMac combo, but with the release of the McaBook, and them being far better than I thought, I find myself thinking maybe I should get a MacBook now and get a nice 20" screen and external HD to go with it. The money I'd get for the PB would make it a cheaper option, and I'd have a full speed Intel machine now (apart from inegrated graphics which ain't gonna kill me). And I would get plenty of use from the iSight, and they're pretty, and faster, and pretty, and more futureproofed, and pretty, and.......


Hmmm...



*Googles body armour to protect self from wife when she hears about new plan*

 

[lil tiger]

I am feeling your pain I bought my 12" powerbook the day after MBP were released. I was accepted into a university english course (I'm currently in grade 12) and needed my own computer for it (it was mostly all online, requiring lots of time every night, plus doing papers, and it would've been fighting every night over the family computer had I not got my own) But now I'm pissed that the Macbook is out and seems better, and had I not been in the english course, I would have for sure got the macbook. It is cheaper than what I paid for the powerbook.

I love my powerbook though, so I want to stop thinking about the stupid macbooks. lol.

I think I need to speed up my ram a bit somehow, because sometimes programs do run slow and this makes me feel annoyed.(like opening dashboard, and when I have a lot of safari windows open) Any suggestions? (besides buying more ram.. I may resort to that, but I'd like to try any other suggestions first)

 

[designed]

Ah, the technological jealousy, which seems to affect almost everyone who values i.e. computers for their technical specifications, instead of the actual usefullness in everyday life.

Luckily I could easily pat myself in the back and order a MacBook because I needed a new laptop to replace my VAIO, which got a new job description.

 

[Jedi128]

What really made me want to buy a new MBP was not just it being annouced or released or the processor upgraded, but some good ol' boot camp!

I hate Windows and have pretty much never used it. The only time I do is when I'm at a friends house and need to use their computer. And once my grandpa had some troubles with AOL on his Dell and I went and fixed it for him. I couldn't believe the amount of anti-virus software and the constant updates. I think I would lose my mind trying to stay up to date in a Windblows world.

There is only one thing that I like about Windows.... you can play Star Wars: Galaxies on it. And that has got to be the sweetest game that I dont have. I have wanted that thing since it came out over a year ago, but since that is the single reason I would have for buying a PC I haven't bought a PC. Then this boot camp comes out. And I almost jumped right in the car and went to the apple store to get me some MBP.

I have decent iBook that does almost everything I need and I'm quite happy with it. Since I'll be heading to college in August I want to upgrade to something that will last a little bit longer. However, now Memron is said to be in MBP's by August I think I wait for some 64bit. But, the ability to play SW:Galaxies over the summer is very tempting, along with a brand new intel Mac...

 

[twoodcc]

i'm in the same boat as you. i'll probably end up getting it sooner or later when i have the money. but what i can't decide is....to keep my powerbook and macbook, or sell the powerbook? would it be stupid to keep 2 laptops?

 

[timswim78]

Don't sweat it. I recently sold my PPC mini and got an Intel mini. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have held onto the PPC mini for a while longer. There still seem to be a few kinks on OSX86, and many of favorite applications are not yet universal.

By the time OSX86 is running better, and there are more universal applications, the Macbook will be a better machine, and it will have Panther. Also, you should be able to pick up a refurbished one, at considerable savings, in about 3 months or so.

So, you'll be fine.

 

[Sun Baked]

Answer... you've lost control of your own soul.

Originally posted by BadAndy on ARS:
a truly timeless goodie... that never seems to age:

"Macista" (picked this up off the old Maccentral site years ago):

The problem with liking Macs is that you must sell your soul to Steve. Steve is a cruel god. He's one of those old-fashioned demands-sacrifice gods. Every time he tells you something you must believe it, if you don't then you will condemn yourself to eternal damnation .... for doubting the word of Steve. Unfortunately Steve tests his faithful by demanding that they forget what he said yesterday.

And while you believe in Steve you will also pay with the sweat of your brow. You will toil in the fields to earn gold and deliver it unto Steve. It will allow him to fly his jet, and deliver you crummy hardware which will be a trial to your faith. And while you do this you will extol the brilliance of Steve ... for he is more brilliant than anybody ... particularly you ... that is why he has the jet and you don't.

Ok, maybe you don't like god Steve? We have polytheism here. You can pledge allegiance to god Bill. Bill is a cruel god too. He also demands sacrifice, of a different kind but perhaps greater degree than god Steve. Bill will permit you to buy your hardware from many serfs-of-Bill. They live in mortal fear, and compete valiantly for your attention. But Bill does not. For Bill has untold legions of slaves, their number is countless, and your existence is less to him than the life of a fly. In order to be accepted as a supplicant of Bill you must look upon his works and pronounce them "innovative." You must extol the brilliance of his minions, who admit that their prime skill is the production of crumnmy copies of other people's ideas. You must pay Bill so that he can be among the wealthiest men on earth ... copying the ideas of others. And then you must pray to him for his unequalled brilliance among men... because he makes more money than anybody. Remember that old americanism "If you're so smart why ain't you rich?" Well Bill is the richest guy so he must be the smartest. It's the american way.

OK, so you don't like both of them? You want a kinder christian god? Sorry, you're out of luck. You can go over to Linux/opensource/unix .. but they are Puritans. No joy or sex over there. No ... instead you will be bound to the purifying flame. You will learn mind-numbing mantras of posix-compliant command-line interfacing. You will engage in the dialectic of just exactly which open-source license is the one true religion? You will bow down to god Linus for having the original vision. You will be confronted by Linus's apostasy of going to work for Paul Allen in a secretive little company whose primary goal is to CASH IN BIG TIME by building sneaky hardware to run Wintel cheaper and on lower power. Linus has sold out. His example will torment you. As you confront endless koans of bash you will want to sell out too. Maybe if you become as good as Linus one of the minions of Bill will pay a little money for your soul too?

 

[m-dogg]

You got to just lay off the mac porn for a little while. Clear your head.

 

[amin]

Hang on to your Powerbook... Apple will be selling even better notebooks next year that make the MacBook look like a hand-held Coleco football game.

Blip blip blip bloop. I got tackled.

I was thinking along those lines when I bought the Powerbook. I figured that Intel Macs would need a time to mature and that I was buying at the right time. Maybe you are right.

Right now, I'm lying in bed next to me wife. She is surfing on her Dell 700m,which has a widescreen 12" display not too unlike the MacBooks. I am on my PB. In the dark, her screen is significantly crisper than mine. However, she can't see what she is typing. This lit keyboard is one of the things I would miss the most if I sold this PB to get a MB.

 

[amin]

Ah, the technological jealousy, which seems to affect almost everyone who values i.e. computers for their technical specifications, instead of the actual usefullness in everyday life.

Luckily I could easily pat myself in the back and order a MacBook because I needed a new laptop to replace my VAIO, which got a new job description.

I don't think you have assessed correctly me or many others in this thread. The specs aren't what drive me. It's the newness. I fully appreciate all that my PB does, and I know for sure it does all that I need. Yet strangely I am tempted to buy the new. Enjoy your MacBook!

 

[danny_w]

I bought one of the first PPC minis back early last year as my first Mac, and have been hooked ever since. I recently bought a 15" 1.5GHz PowerBook (got a great deal), thinking it would last me a long time, give me some portability, and allow me to wait out the initial glitches with the Intel Macs. I love it, and it does everything that I need and then some. However, the new Macbooks are much better than I had expected (esp. the DVI and screen spanning, things I never expected at this level). So now that I have my beloved pb, I keep looking at the Macbooks and reading all of the reviews. Why? I don't know. I don't need it. It would cost more than I paid for my pb. I would lose the classy aluminum casing. I would lose the lighted keyboard. I would even lose the PCMCIA slot and FW800. But I still look. Why, oh why?

 

[designed]

I don't think you have assessed correctly me or many others in this thread. The specs aren't what drive me. It's the newness. I fully appreciate all that my PB does, and I know for sure it does all that I need. Yet strangely I am tempted to buy the new. Enjoy your MacBook!

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that too. "It brings nothing new to the table... BUT IT'S NEW! MUST HAVE!"

And thanks, I hope I will enjoy it and I hope I'd get a proper unit first time around, replacing my iMac was already painful enough.

 

[danny_w]

Well, I went to CompUSA at lunch and saw the Macbook in person. They only had the black model, and it was gorgeous, much better looking than in the pictures IMO. And the keyboard, although different, was probably the best keyboard I have ever seen on a laptop, including the latest PowerBook that was sitting next to it. I couldn't tell that the screen was glossy until I tilted it, but it was extremely clear and bright, and very easy to read. They also had it connected to a wireless network that the iBooks and PowerBooks would refuse to connect to; I don't know why (it was called Range Max in the profile). It was also much thinner than it looks in pictures.

Although I don't need one, now I want one even more, and a black one at that. But I can't justify the extra money for one right now. Help!

 

[Smallville]

That's really too bad. They're checked over for faults, they come w/ a like-new standard one year warranty, and they've been known to at times, come w/ extras (upgraded RAM or HDs). I figure since they do have that full one year warranty, then why not?*


*Except I qualify for the educational discount which is almost the same or better than the refurb prices.

Now for the rest of the story ...

The wife did not live a hard life growing up. She's uh, well, spoiled. Has never bought a used car, always new. So, no way was she buying a used computer.

Wife wanted a new iBook from the unsold inventory, thinking they'd be discounted (won't buy used, but won't pass up a sale either). Wrong. Still $999 for a base model. Then she saw the MacBooks, played on it for 15 minutes, then said to buy it because it was only another $100.

But it will be a good value for everyday use for my job. I'm not worried about waiting for any specific application to go Universal. I don't have a design-heavy job.

The wife likes the idea of having a wireless network in the house and using the computer from anywhere when I don't need it for work on the weekends.

It was a win-win situation.

 

[ddrueckhammer]

Now for the rest of the story ...

The wife did not live a hard life growing up. She's uh, well, spoiled. Has never bought a used car, always new. So, no way was she buying a used computer.

Wife wanted a new iBook from the unsold inventory, thinking they'd be discounted (won't buy used, but won't pass up a sale either). Wrong. Still $999 for a base model. Then she saw the MacBooks, played on it for 15 minutes, then said to buy it because it was only another $100.

But it will be a good value for everyday use for my job. I'm not worried about waiting for any specific application to go Universal. I don't have a design-heavy job.

The wife likes the idea of having a wireless network in the house and using the computer from anywhere when I don't need it for work on the weekends.

It was a win-win situation.

Take a look at Amazon. The base model of Macbook is $1099 with a $100 mail in rebate with no tax and no shipping. If you want to upgrade it you can get 1 Gig sticks of Ram for $85 apeice on New Egg (GigaRam I think) that will work and upgrade the hard drive yourself for $150 for a 120 Gb 5400 RPM one from OWC. In any case, this is the cheapest way to get a great Macbook that I have seen so far.

 

[CaptainCaveMann]

Hmm... I always thought the guy with the biggest 401k wins.

There are far better investment opportunitys than 401k. I personally wouldnt put a cent into it. Anyway, whenever a new apple laptop comes out i lust after it just like the next guy. I think the best advice on here so far was the guy that said just dont visit the apple store or the website for about a week and you will lose interest for the most part. Great advice, and i second that. In fact i tried it and it works great. Its weird how shiny new things draw us in like a bug into a zapper. Apples website, commercials, new asthetics in its laptops are all designed for one purpose. To get your money out of your pocket and into Steves. Im not saying you should'nt buy one, but if your current comp is working and doing well then dont spend money on over kill. Unless you have money to burn, and if thats the case, 20 dollars can buy a man property to build a house on in Africa. There are people in this world with absolutely nothing, not even food most of the time. Let that sink in next time you want the next best thing just because. IMHO