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I'm a Mac, but...

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Started 2 years ago by Moz
Latest reply from lifeontwowheels

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Moz
Short North
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I'm thinking about switching over to a PC. I know, it's blasphemy, right?!

My Macbook is probably going to crap out on me in the next few months, and I've realized that I no longer use it in the same way I did when I was in grad school. I don't use a quarter of the applications that are standard on Macs (and quite frankly, don't have the scratch either). I figure that my best bet is to get a netbook and an external hard drive - since I've got quite a bit of music and photos. That is, unless you more tech savvy folks have a better suggestion for me?

For those of you who use a netbook at home, do you have any recommendations for products? Or things I should look for in a netbook? What Windows OS do you like? (I have no idea what any other operating system other than Windows is like, so I figure sticking to what I know in that department is for the best.)

Posted 2 years ago #
Snarf
Dystopia
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Blasphemy.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Have fun. I probably don't use half the apps on my Mac desktop either but I won't go back. It's nice to have something that works.

I also have the little netbook and swapped in a Linux distribution specific to the netbook, very similar desktop as my Mac and it's great when I am on the run and need the computer for class work or getting on CU.

Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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I'm a PC-guy-turned-MAC-guy. There's really nothing you can't do with one that you can't do with the other, but at the same time, having worked in both environments, I find the overall better navigation and software integration in OSX to be productivity bump that is worth the extra money up front.

My time spent with Windows 7 is pretty limited, but I hear from most friends that Windows XP is still preferable.

I'm interested to hear some discussion on Netbooks though. I've thought about picking one up for the one or two web apps that I use that absolutely refuse to work in anything other than IE, and for general cross-compatibility testing purposes.

The one thing I'd probably recommend splurging on is an external hard drive that will connect into your home network if you're already using a wireless router/switch for your internet access. It will allow you to store your music and photos and everything and access them wirelessly, so that you don't have to be tied to the drive via USB.

Here's a 1TB network drive for $150:

http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0305687

Posted 2 years ago #
Mercurius
First Avenue
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It's not PC I hate but Microsoft. That said, there are many good options for better OS than Windows. I mostly use a Mac but put Ubuntu on a old computer. Mostly have found freeware that is better than microsoft at every application and you don't have to worry about viruses as much. But with Mac, while I agree with you on some of the extraneous things included, the OS alone is worth it in my opinion. Now there are hacks out there to load OSX onto PC machines... Paging Th0m

Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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PS: 13" MacBooks are on sale at MicroCenter for $200 off, knocking them down to $799. ;)

http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0321997&utm_source=mcol&utm_medium=leader_bnr&utm_campaign=hmpg_macbook173070

Posted 2 years ago #
honavery
Arizona
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I think that you may dislike the small keyboard and screen size on a netbook if that is going to be your main laptop. Def. want to try one out in person before you buy.

Windows 7 is superior to XP in almost every way(IMO), I would say jump into that feet first if you go PC.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeliberty
Here
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keyboards are too small on netbooks for my comfort. you can also get online storage instead of external HD.

Posted 2 years ago #
Anne
King Lincoln
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get a keyboard to plug in. :) so your tiny computer gets huge! haha

Posted 2 years ago #
Snarf
Dystopia
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many netbooks are coming with a lite version of windows 7 which i hear is extra double sucky.

Posted 2 years ago #
shmack

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i was just having this conversation with myself and coyote yesterday... having had a powerbook for the past 6 years, and a toshiba for the 4 years prior, the mac was by far the better investment due to longevity and ease of use. my issue is that most of the software that i need for school are on the windows os (r and sas). i was thinking about buying a cheap pc laptop in the mean time but what i really need is a do-it-all replacement for this aging powerbook. i think i'm going to go for a imac and get some help with bootcamp/virtualbox/parallels. hell, if this is how my profs do it, then why can't i?

snarf, i heard this is the route you took, how is it?

Posted 2 years ago #
jimbach
Short North (WP division)
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shmack wrote >> my issue is that most of the software that i need for school are on the windows os (r and sas).
You're an R user? I didn't know anyone else here uses it. I've been teaching it to myself over the past year.

FWIW, here's the R for Mac developer's page:

http://r.research.att.com/

Can't help you with SAS; I used it once decades ago and ran away screaming.

Posted 2 years ago #
Snarf
Dystopia
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virtualbox (sorry i lol every time i say it, sounds like a pron site) is FUCKING AWESOME!!!

At work I have my aux monitor sitting next to my mac and on the aux screen i've fullsized windows xp desktop and on the macbook screen i've got my mail and safari open.

two computers running at the same time, doing everything i need perfectly. you'd have no idea you weren't working on a windows pc in virtualbox, it's awesome.

oh and i just picked up a aux keyboard, the aluminum one from apple, bc i dig a number pad - this has nothing to do with your question or this thread - but i got it on craigslist for 20 bucks.

Posted 2 years ago #
shmack

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jimbach wrote >>

shmack wrote >> my issue is that most of the software that i need for school are on the windows os (r and sas).

You're an R user? I didn't know anyone else here uses it. I've been teaching it to myself over the past year.
FWIW, here's the R for Mac developer's page:
http://r.research.att.com/
Can't help you with SAS; I used it once decades ago and ran away screaming.

not really, not yet. but most of my classes this quarter and beyond will be with r. i've been looking into r on mac but the r.app makes me nervous cuz i want to spend my time doing homework and not troubleshooting, nah mean? : o) i'm not so worried about r as i am about sas and minitab.

Posted 2 years ago #
shmack

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you are running all that off a macbook?! what's your processor/speed/hd/ram/osx 10.x?

Posted 2 years ago #
unejoliefille

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The boyfriend and I together have four computers: his desktop workhorse (a PC), my MacBook, a MacBook Pro, and a Dell netbook. The Dell he has rigged up with Snow Leopard, the Mac OS. Having used all four fairly equally, here's my take:

Pros: It is small and light. The battery length is terrific. It does what it needs to do quite well with the Mac OS on it.
Cons: The keyboard is so annoying, particularly the placement of the ' . It's down below the QWWERTY row of letters, and seems like a non-issue, but it really is. Also, since the screen is so small, you either have to zoom in so far that you are perpetually scrolling, or strain your eyes and peer very close.

If you are using it to toss in your bag and go to the coffee shop, or just for lecture notes, or just for responding to emails, then go for it. If you want to store any music or photos at all, write documents, or do a lot of online reading, I definitely wouldn't go with a netbook. It's definitely worth the couple hundred dollars. I'm there with you about the Mac software. I'm a student, and don't use a lot of the software, but what I do use always works well, and I can do a lot more with it (which I can't say for Microsoft software). Also, since you've been a Mac user, the switch back to a less efficient and less intuitive machine might be unsatisfactory.

If you do go with a netbook, I suggest rigging it up with a Mac OS- definitely an improvement.

Posted 2 years ago #
Snarf
Dystopia
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2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo, 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, 160 GB HD, OSX 10.6.2

XP was only give 5 GB to run on bc I literally only need it for IE but I guess with VB you can give any amount of disk space to whatever OS you want to run.

Coyote is smarty.

Posted 2 years ago #
Moz
Short North
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Thank you for the suggestions. The thing is, I use my Mac almost exclusively for browsing the internet, and on the rare occasion for things like Excel or Word. It seems illogical to spend over $800 (which I can't afford) on a machine who's sole purpose is to troll teh webz.

I also have small hands, so the keyboard thing doesn't bother me :)

Posted 2 years ago #
Snarf
Dystopia
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ipad?

Posted 2 years ago #
Moz
Short North
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Snarf wrote >>
ipad?

That same thought just crossed my mind. I thought they were crazy expensive, but at $499...it's looking like the iMaxiPad should be in the running.

Posted 2 years ago #