Some Macbook questions

OK, I've been saving for a year and I finally almost have enough to get the $1,100 macbook. I was wondering a few things before I decide to buy it...

1. 13.3" screen?

Isn't that going to be really small, or will it be fine? Keep in mind I watch full length movies on my iPod so I'm not an old grandpa that can't tell how many fingers someone is holding up...

2. Enough space?

60GB? I know a lot about computers, and I know 60 gig is a pretty good for space on my PC, but I'm going to be making stuff using GarageBand and programs like that, and I was wondering how much space those files usually take up...I'm wondering if 60 gig is enough to fit all the stuff I'll be making. However, I'm not going to use much other than iLife and maybe iWork cause I don't feel like paying for other stuff.

3. Speed?

Is it going to run really slow, or not slow. As I mentioned, I'm not going to get Pro Apps or whatever it's called, but will iLife stuff run fast enough? I'm mostly going to use the computer for internet access, but I'm not going to restrict myself to just that.

4. A Program to rip content of DVD's and get them in iPod Video format?

I'm pretty sure it comes with a DVD drive built in, but does it include any program that can rip DVD's and get them in iPod Video format? And if there is a program, does it come on the Macbook, or do you have to download it somewhere else, and if it doesn't come on the Macbook, does it cost money? I understand there are some programs that you can do it with that can be downloaded, but is there one made by Apple?

5. It'll connect find to my wireless internet base thing on my PC, right?

#437931

1. Small but good enough. (Not REALLY small)

2. For music, I wouldn't say 60GB will be enough because I like to record in raw WAVs. I don't know about you. If you like to compress music then 60 GB (80 GB wouldn't hurt, either) should be suffice.

3. I heard it was speedy, it should be. 1 GB of RAM would be good, but a bigger upgrade wouldn't hurt for heavy use at times.

4. Handbrake.

5. Airport Extreme? Or a Wireless adapter for your PC? Airport (Wi-Fi) card already comes in your Macbook (if that's what your asking, the question was vague.)

#437942

3. I heard it was speedy, it should be. 1 GB of RAM would be good, but a bigger upgrade wouldn't hurt for heavy use at times.

512MB (2x256MB) of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300); supports up to 2GB

The $1,100 only has 512mb not 1 gig of RAM

Is 512 fast enough?

5. Airport Extreme? Or a wireless adapter for your PC? Airport (Wi-Fi) card already comes in your Macbook (if that's what your asking, the question was vague.)

I'm asking if the Airport connection thing will connect to my PC wireless thing...

#437945

About RAM (I can't help with the Wireless info), more will be better. You'd probably want to upgrade to a Gig like Paralex suggests. Tiger is a RAM, umm, ... "lady of the night". And Leopard (if you decide to upgrade to it) will likely want even more.

#437947

Nah...i don't think that 60GB would be enough. Believe me that once you do get it you're gonna be doing more than what you thought you would be doing. I got my iMac thinking i would only use it to have fun, but in the end, i use it for School work way more than my PC. I would suggest getting maybe 80GB or around there. And for 512MB, i think that would be enough, but it wouldnt hurt getting 1GB. Like Wizard said, if you do choose to update to Leopard, it will probaly need more RAM to function smoothly

#437951

I'm not exactly going to upgrade to Leopard, I'm waiting for it to come out. I just am deciding what I want to get first...

#437952

1. despite the small size, I love the macbook's screen, and I think it is enough for me.

2. 60GB is not gonna be enough if you're into music and movies, I would suggest you get a bigger hard drive off ebay, I personally did and installed it myself (macbook's HDD is user replaceable)

3. apart from gaming, everything just flies, but you would need more RAM, at least 1GB, the more RAM you have, the faster your Mac is, and trust me, I felt like using a new Mac after upgrading mine from 512 to 2GB

4. hand brake, as paralex suggested

5. as long as it is 802.11(b/g) it'll work fine with your mac, as a matter of fact, I've connected my mac to netgear, netcomm, dlink, linksys routers at several places, as well as computer to computer wireless networks created by other wintel PCs. it just works!

Hope that helps

#437955

wow thx for sharing Paralex, Handbrake is wicked. works like a charm

#437956

wow thx for sharing Paralex, Handbrake is wicked. works like a charm

No problemo. For anything else, check out: http://osx.iusethis.com/

#437960

I know that my computer (Presario v2000, 14.3" w.s., XP Home, ATi Graphic Card) has a 60 GB HD, and I have used alot up, but that is b/c of flyakite, and all the other programs, plus all I use mine for is surfing, using iTunes for music, and school papers. Speaking of which, I need to do a defrag. and go through and remove programs...fun.

#437969

So, most of you guys thinks I should either add more ram and hardrive myself, or I should pay $200 more to get the next Macbook up?

I don't know about adding the stuff myself, because I never work with hardware aspects of computers, just software. Which would you guys recommend?

Anyways, I have a new question:

Do you guys expect the 15" Macbook Pro to drop in price soon? Or will it stay at $2,000?

#438035

it will remain the same. apples notebook prices rarely change

#438106

For #1, I would suggest you go to an Apple Store and check it out yourself. I really like the size of my macbook. It's great. Although, sometimes you might think why is the screen so small? Trust me, I had the same thought as well. The screen looks kind of small in pictures. Check my MB here: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/42901094/

#438130

You should know that the speakers are fairly weak, if that's the type of thing that matters to you. Also, even at the lowest brightness setting, I sometimes find the screen too bright.

-NC

P.S: Those are the kind of things I wish I had known about when I bought this, and it's not always stuff you think to look for in the Apple Store. Still, I like this baby .

#438132

the same is true for the 5G ipods nc. (replace speakers with headphones)

#438182

So, most of you guys thinks I should either add more ram and hardrive myself, or I should pay $200 more to get the next Macbook up?

I don't know about adding the stuff myself, because I never work with hardware aspects of computers, just software. Which would you guys recommend?

Anyways, I have a new question:

Do you guys expect the 15" Macbook Pro to drop in price soon? Or will it stay at $2,000?

I'd recommend getting the middle of the road one. It's only a little bit more, and you're getting a Superdrive, 1GB RAM, more HDD space... It just seems like a better deal all around. If you're doing GarageBand, making an iMovie or two, 60GB will be eaten up pretty darn quick. At least with the Superdrive, if you start running out of space, you can burn a DVD or two and free up space.

It's the one I'm getting, anyways.

#439170

I made the switch last summer to a 13" macbook and I have been pretty happy with it. The screen is small but not that small that you can't watch a movie at a decent size. By the way I got it with the glossy screen as there are two options when ordering. It looks cool but if you take it outside the screen becomes harder to see because of all the reflections. I mainly watch a few movies, listen to some tunes and surf the web. A few recommendations though would be:

1.Ram: Opt for at least 1gb. I just installed the max of 2gb and it transformed an already good computer to a really fast one.

2.HD 60 GB in my opinion is definitely small. With all the ilife apps you will find yourself eating up your hard drive space very fast.

3.Speed: It is fast out of the box. I tried crashing it by opening just about every program installed on it and it never really slowed down. The only issue was not enough screen real estate, Exspose` helps with that.

Overall if you can afford it go with the Superdrive model as mentioned by nicholasheer to take advantage of idvd and other software. For basic everyday music listening, schoolwork, dvd burning, and web surfing this is the perfect machine. Shoot you can do all those at once!:cool:

#439206

if you want it to be fast graphically (ie- bootcamp + windows = gaming) then I recommend getting the "pro" version as it comes with a graphics card, standard macbooks just borrow from the ram.

#439391

Agreed with Levi, The MacBooks are far from gaming machines due to the graphics chip onboard.

In general if your a serious gamer Laptops are troubled by restrictions hence the reason serious gamers opt for Alienware Lap warmers, a big drawback is the HDD rpm's a 5400 (4500 if you opt for the 200GB Drive) drive is a lot slower than a 7200 and the option for premium gaming Graphics cards are not available for Mac laptops.

The ATi X1600 featured in the Pros is a very nice Graphics processor but will still struggle with some of the newer games with all the shaders turned up.

That aside.

I set up a new Macbook 1.83Ghz Core2Duo for a customer the other day, I advised opting for the additional 512 of RAM and was surprised with the speed increase even on non-universal apps. That RAM is worth its weight in gold.

The whole superdrive issue is completely dependent on your needs, I think that its a poor show that for the general cost of internal drives Apple requests quite a premium for a superdrive.

Even when testing a few heavy duty apps between the 2.0Ghz and the 1.83Ghz I noticed very if any difference, so those on a budget don't let that small speed hike lure you to break your budget, chances are for your needs you wouldn't notice it.

#439394

Agreed with Levi, The MacBooks are far from gaming machines due to the graphics chip onboard.

In general if your a serious gamer Laptops are troubled by restrictions hence the reason serious gamers opt for Alienware Lap warmers, a big drawback is the HDD rpm's a 5400 (4500 if you opt for the 200GB Drive) drive is a lot slower than a 7200...

The ATi X1600 featured in the Pros is a very nice Graphics processor but will still struggle with some of the newer games with all the shaders turned up.

mmm.... I dont totally agree with you.

For a start the Macbook Pro's (and the normal macbooks, although I could be wrong), have the option for a 7200rpm Hard drive.

I am a regular gamer and attend Lans, and find that my laptop is more than capable with the latest games.

Im talking Halflife 2 and Counter Strike! ... with graphics turned right up, shaders and all the graphics are almost flawless.

I have 1 Gb of ram, a 256mb graphics card and the 2ghz processor.

That said, your right... I wouldnt buy a Macbook Pro solely for gaming. Why?... upgradeability.

Laptops are made to be mobile, not gaming rigs.

I can still upgrade my ram in a years time, but I can't upgrade things such as my graphics card or CPU.

SO while my laptop is GREAT for today's games, its likely to be a little outdated in a year or so's time (especially with the arrival of Vista and its games).

#439530

if you are into gaming, don't get a Mac, you cannot upgrade anything on a Mac, unless it's a MacPro, which is on the other hand expensive..

#439565

mmm.... I dont totally agree with you.

For a start the Macbook Pro's (and the normal macbooks, although I could be wrong), have the option for a 7200rpm Hard drive.

I am a regular gamer and attend Lans, and find that my laptop is more than capable with the latest games.

Im talking Halflife 2 and Counter Strike! ... with graphics turned right up, shaders and all the graphics are almost flawless.

Th 17inch has the 7200 option, I didn't include that because if price wasn't such an issue you would have an Alienware laptop, we were originally talking MacBook

Halflife 2 and Counterstrike are hardly what you would call 'Latest Games'.

Out of interest what laptop are you running specifically?

How can you say laptops are not meant for gaming rigs... Ok the price is astonishing for this example admittedly but Alienware do have some damn fine splendid Gaming Laptops ( thats coming from a Hardened Mac User)

#439576

if you are into gaming, don't get a Mac, you cannot upgrade anything on a Mac, unless it's a MacPro, which is on the other hand expensive..

umm this arguement really is not valid anymore... really. stop being such a fanboy.

You can upgrade just about anything in a Mac just as you would a PC equivalent. Yes Mac Pro's are expensive... but no more expensive than a Dell counterpart, because quite simply its a damn well speced out config, well designed and a nice looking one at that. And extra components (such as graphics cards, ram, hd's, all that) are no more expensive or hard to put into a Mac than they are an equivalent PC.

Im a gamer. Im a mac fan. Im both, one computer and it works for me.

But if I was buying a PC for purely gaming, then sure I'd probably fork out the extra $$$ for an Alienware PC.

Th 17inch has the 7200 option...

Halflife 2 and Counterstrike are hardly what you would call 'Latest Games'.

Out of interest what laptop are you running specifically?

Im running a Macbook Pro; 2ghz, 1gb of ram (will upgrade to 2gb when i feel like it), 256mb ati mobility graphics card... etc

HL2 may not be the latest game, but it sure does rival the latest in terms of graphics, and sets a standard for these new games to meet.

Although I do stand corrected about the drive speed. (I could have been sure I was given the option when I bought my 15inch online?... anyone else find this?)

ok, this is my point.... get a Macbook, get an Alienware laptop- sit them next to each other.

notice a difference yet?.

one was designed with the interests of mobility and sensibility in mind (like laptops are meant to be).

the other was intended to be an all out, no shame gaming machine (and as a result is hideously big, fat and chunky).

.. If your an ultra gaming geek then you wont mind beeing seen with an Alienware laptop...

but if you have any self pride or fashion sense you wouldnt be seen out on the street dead with one.

I like to think my Macbook Pro has taken the best of both worlds, without sacrificing much at all.

#439641

Ah yes you have the early MacBook Pro the Core Duo, I think the 100GB option on that one may have been 7200rpm.

I presume you run the games under windows on your MacBook Pro, as a) there is a limited choice under OSX. b)most game engines are built for Windows (DirectX) as appose to relying On OpenGL only.

Doom 3 is probably on a par with HL2 in terms of Graphic capabilities (roughly) but when I ran Doom on a friends I got the max of 30-40 FPS which in gaming terms is poor.

Be interested to know what FPS you get.

You must understand I am not knocking or disbelieving you in any way, I am just very interested.

I am due for an upgrade machine and require a Powerful graphics/photo/video editing workstation with the added benefit of a gaming machine. Yes as we have established I could just buy a PC... I already have a PC and 3 Macs so know which I prefer.

That aside back to your point about the size comparison between the Alienware and MacBook Range undoubtedly the Macs are sleeker and more portable.

Its a question of sacrifice as well, you cant have SLI equivalent graphics monster HDD and Nuclear heating Memory in Half an inch of Laptop case, hence the reason the Alienwares are bulkier to fit the cooling.

It all boils down to the two things..

How much cash have you got to Flash!

What your needs specifically are

.......how sexy your laptop looks hehe (no that would be fickle)

#439655

Ah yes you have the early MacBook Pro the Core Duo, I think the 100GB option on that one may have been 7200rpm.

I presume you run the games under windows on your MacBook Pro, as a) there is a limited choice under OSX. b)most game engines are built for Windows (DirectX) as appose to relying On OpenGL only.

Doom 3 is probably on a par with HL2 in terms of Graphic capabilities (roughly) but when I ran Doom on a friends I got the max of 30-40 FPS which in gaming terms is poor.

Be interested to know what FPS you get.

You must understand I am not knocking or disbelieving you in any way, I am just very interested.

I am due for an upgrade machine and require a Powerful graphics/photo/video editing workstation with the added benefit of a gaming machine. Yes as we have established I could just buy a PC... I already have a PC and 3 Macs so know which I prefer.

That aside back to your point about the size comparison between the Alienware and MacBook Range undoubtedly the Macs are sleeker and more portable.

Its a question of sacrifice as well, you cant have SLI equivalent graphics monster HDD and Nuclear heating Memory in Half an inch of Laptop case, hence the reason the Alienwares are bulkier to fit the cooling.

It all boils down to the two things..

How much cash have you got to Flash!

What your needs specifically are

.......how sexy your laptop looks hehe (no that would be fickle)

yes.

definately... thankyou for not being a fanboy... for seeing light on both sides of the fence so to speak.

And yes I do accept defeat in that I use Windows XP for gaming under bootcamp... haha

I might like Macs better, but I do accept that OSX sucks for gaming (the fanboy inside shouts "one day! one day!").

As for my FPS, umm.... i'll edit them in here when I get round to it (one disadvantage of bootcamp is having to reboot)... But from memory on the HalfLife 2 stress test the number was 86 (not fps, just a general number i think...)

#439682