What are the advantages of Mac PC/lap top

[Piyopico]

Apart from looking fabulous and apparently virus free?

 

The disadvantages?

[Darth_mel]

Mac hardware is at least one generation behind.....but you pay almost double the price.

 

If you are adventurous, you can try Hackintoshing your PC laptop but catch is only some models are supported and it's not that straight forward.

 

My home PC can run both Mac and Windows and it rocks !

[Vextan]

actually the fact that mac computers are immune from virus is a big plus liao. dont you think so ? question, are files created in mac directly compatible with and portable to a windows pc ?

[Spinworkx]

This will depend...what you intend to use a notebook for?

Macs generally are better for Graphics/Photo Editing/ Video editing etc..

What size of notebook are you look for? The smallest mac is 13"...they don't have netbooks and the 13" one isn't exactly lightweight.

 

I'm running a Macbook 13". I have both OSX and WinXP running at the same time via VMware and it works really well. I use the XP for my work as I'm a network engineer by profession and the OSX as my personal OS. Transferring between OS is merely drag and drop.

Price wise, the Macbook 13" now are only like 1.5k?

 

Processor wise, they are similar to PCs...Core 2 Duos? Should be fast enough...

RAM, can use same as PC rams....

Harddisk...also the same..

 

Minus: If you use Windows on a Mac, you STILL get the regular Windows viruses and well need anti-virus.

There are no SD or memory card slots on a mac as most windows notebooks will have those.

There are ONLY 2 USB ports unless you get the Macbook Pros.

VGA output is via a proprietary cable which you must buy

 

Ultimately, the OSX for daily use once you get used to it is indeed more "fun" than Windows...Mac also has all your usual MS Office suite or mac's own Ilife suite...

However, there will be some things that Windows will perform better than a Mac especially if you're into IT and networking and are always playing around with IP addresses and security etc...Macs don't do those well...

 

Ultimately, since i use a Mac for both work and personal at the same time, i give it a thumbs up...go for it...

And dont believe when they say Mac don't crash, no virus, no problems etc....I've honestly crashed and reformatted my OSX more often than i do my WinXP :) and Macs DO hang, and they DO get that Windows Blue screen, except it's not blue :), more like grey screen of death...

 

Still...i would recommend you get a Mac...and do load windows on it too :)

[Spinworkx]

  On 6/26/2009 at 11:53 AM, Vextan said:

actually the fact that mac computers are immune from virus is a big plus liao. dont you think so ? question, are files created in mac directly compatible with and portable to a windows pc ?

 

This will depend..what files are you talking about? Word documents? Excel spreadsheets?

This will depend on which software you use...if you use the Mac Office then yes...windows can read...if you use the Mac Ilife, then you need to save it as an ofice compatible format...everything else...photos, images, videos...etc...all the same as windows..all standard formats...

However, the Mac uses a different filesystem as windows, so if you have a portable harddisk that is formatted as a mac readable harddisk, then your wondows won't read it and Mac cannot read NTFS, only FAT...so highcapacity harddisk that cannot be formatted in FAT cannot be read in a mac...though there are ways around that via plugins....

 

So in the end, there are still workarounds between both OS...no issue...

[Felipe]

I'll make it simple for you since the rest have replied. If you're the typical user for mainstream purposes, anything u can do on windows can be done on mac. it's just how you do it. Take it like driving to the same destination but with 2 different cars. Which one you feel better with is the one you should go for. Unfortunately, you'll not likely find a chance to test if u like a mac more. Give it a try. You may not like it first time around but give yourself a few months and see if you do appreciate it. For me, at first i didn't really like it. I got it cos i love the design and just wanted to try it. But once i got familiar with the cool functions of the OS, i got hooked.

 

The virus issue is a bonus. Mac is not virus free but there's no denying its much less prone to it. My advise is don't load windows on it. You don't want any windows crap on your hardware. I'll get a separate basic windows laptop or pc.

 

Also, are you into gaming? If you are, then stick with windows.

[Tarzan666]

I own both windows and mac notebook and seriusly i use windows more often than mac.

 

Mac adv boot up fast, nicer graphics, so user friendly,nice for pics,videos.then no virus think maybe coz its more 'worth it' to create virus on win than mac coz vast majority using win. Disadv is everythin oso so exp,software and hardware oso limited and more exp.

 

I end up using win more for surfing,ms office, other windows applications. Mac is like a white elephant 4 me but once a while play with it.

[Cklasse]

I am already into my 2nd Mac and still loving it. It's really like a conti and Japanese car issue here.

 

I partition my Intel MacBook Pro to run WinXP and OSX and I can still play PC games on the Win partition.

So really, you get the best of both world.

Mac does not have the usual problem of Win like lack of this driver or lack of that plug-in, which you get in Win when you plug in new hardware.

Most importantly, Mac ManMachine Interface is so much user friendly.

 

I would say, if you do not like to format your harddisk often, do not install a lot of program, like to use computer with convenience (as in need not do a lot of setting, configurations), only use for surfing, photo album and editing (the iLife suite and iWork is a lot convenient and friendly to use), then go for a Mac.

 

iLife works wonder for life, photos, video, dvd, you can use it wothout reading manual and it is simple to use.

 

The wonderful part of Mac is not just hardware, but Apple understands why we use computer for our daily life (and understand where to milk money too). It is the ease of using computer and the seamless integration of every useful software to form a package that makes Mac nice.

 

I am a diehard Mac fan and a sucker who pays Apple for these.

 

 

 

[Bigg]

all operating systems are vulnerable to viruses. A mac is not 100% safe from virus. and oh, im a mac user so im simply not bashing the os-virus popularity.

 

And what the hell is a mac pc? a mac is a mac. a pc is a pc. 2 diff things here mate.

 

 

[Spinworkx]

  On 6/26/2009 at 7:43 PM, Bigg said:

all operating systems are vulnerable to viruses. A mac is not 100% safe from virus. and oh, im a mac user so im simply not bashing the os-virus popularity.

 

And what the hell is a mac pc? a mac is a mac. a pc is a pc. 2 diff things here mate.

 

Mac pc= Mac running only windows? haha...

But PC=Personal Computer...that term simply means a personal computer...wonder when the PC label got stuck to just Windows alone.

Mac can also be a personal computer mah...unless all Macs are shared and not personal hehe...

 

Seriously, there are more pros than cons to a macbook these days...i too am on my 2nd macbook simply because i fried the motherboard on the first one haha....i'm also on my 3rd harddisk cause i killed the first 2 :)

Dunno izzit i suay or what la...but i seem to kill macbooks quite fast but still...i wouldn't use anything else now...

[Karoon]

i had my first mac last year. i love it. it took about half a minute to fully boot-up from switched on.... can you imagine that?

it never hangs. never had a blue screen of death. even had a free download of its office version for running microsoft office stuff.. powerpoint, pdf, word... which operates much better and sensibly than the vista on my other laptop.

 

i guess that's what you get for having software and hardware built for each other, unlike the other camp where hardware/software comes from just about everyone.

[Boyboy]

interesting how your mac is so problematic. for me, i go for stability and speed, and mac delivers (for the stuff i do, the usual internet stuff and graphics editing)

 

windows simply doesn't cut it. it's only passable for the most basic office work and web surfing, imho...

 

but for gamers, can forget abt mac, i'll admit. but i dun game so no issues

[Happily1986]

not compatible. At least this was what i found out in my experience between OSX Panther and Windows XP. However in terms of network synchronization, the Mac is quite trouble-free. The Airport Utility is very stable.

[Spinworkx]

  On 6/27/2009 at 1:42 AM, Boyboy said:

interesting how your mac is so problematic. for me, i go for stability and speed, and mac delivers (for the stuff i do, the usual internet stuff and graphics editing)

 

windows simply doesn't cut it. it's only passable for the most basic office work and web surfing, imho...

 

but for gamers, can forget abt mac, i'll admit. but i dun game so no issues

 

 

Hehe, that's why i said Macs are too good for networking...It hangs quite often or at least drops IPs and lose connectivity when i start playing around with the IPs and Mac address tables and stuff....things i need for my work...strange that it's based on Redhat Linux which is perfect for networking but yet a mac fails in it quite badly....that's why i need my windows....:)maybe running both OS at the same time manipulating all sorts of things, my CPU is usually almost 100% working...always hot...until motherboard also burn once hehe,,

 

I'm one of those who favour both camps...OSX and WinXP (note...NOT vista)...i use both extensively and i like both equally as much for different purposes...hence having both at the same time is a must hehe..

 

Unfortunately i can't say the same for Iphones..haha..if you think Macbook's hardware are one generation behind, Iphones are worse aint it....i mean as much as i would want to love to use an Iphone and hoped Apple would impove on their hardware.....but even the latest 3G S is stil...way behind a Windows Mobile...yes, the new iphone can now cut,copy,and laste with a 3MP camera..yeah....but i had all that in a WM phone in 2003 hehe..

None the less, i'm still having hopes that one day..i'll own an Iphone that can serve me...

[Boyboy]

i'm not too technical. maybe macs are built for people like me, rather than IT savvy folks like u

 

i am using a very old school nokia phone with monochrome LCD. the only smartphone which interests me is the iphone, all others are an instant turnoff.. having said that, i neither own one nor intend to get one, partly due to the price, partly due to the fact that i cannot carry camera phone at work

 

my fren says macbook hardware not very reliable, but keeping my fingers crossed on that. using imac 24 inch now.. damn shiok

[Dumb]

  On 6/26/2009 at 9:42 AM, Piyopico said:

Apart from looking fabulous and apparently virus free?

 

The disadvantages?

 

Disadvantage? If you know how to operate only mac and not window, you may not be welcome in working life. Got a chap who is familiar with mac but no window and wants the company to get him a mac laptop. Told the company to forget about buying a mac to accomodate him.

 

[Drive_carcar]

  On 6/26/2009 at 9:42 AM, Piyopico said:

Apart from looking fabulous and apparently virus free?

 

The disadvantages?

Only one.... looks hip and cool. Otherwise, it pretty much does the same thing as a windoze box.

[Sabretan]

I enjoy surfing on Mac...super fast for the same speed connection as compared to a Win based notebook. But it's only problem is that quite a few trading platforms are not compatible with Mac based Safari....

Edited June 27, 2009 by Sabretan