MacBooks...cheaper to own?

~Chameleon~

Notmyrealname wrote: »

Boot time on a Macbook Pro is irrelevant as it should be for any laptop. I've not turned mine off for 2 years. Current uptime is over 4 days but thats only because a software update required a reboot.

All I do is just close the lid when I've finished and when I want to use it, open it again. ACPI power management - a wonderful thing invented over a decade ago

Ditto!! My MBP has been constantly switched on for the last 4 years now and is still running on the same battery! It gets rebooted about once every 14 days due to the sheer number of programmes running over that period causing it to slow it down a bit.

C_Mababejive

My GF bought the little white macbook a couple of years ago and struggled with it all the time she owned it. She has just bought a Tosh lappy with windows 7. It may be that its because most offices worldwide use windows so the continual switching between the two causes issues.

Get some of this

http://www.ubuntu.com/

~Chameleon~

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Get some of this

http://www.ubuntu.com/

Is this to run on a Windows machine?

I'm a Mac user and have been for 5+ years but very soon I'm going to be forced into using a windows laptop for a long term project. My last experience of Windows was XP so haven't a clue how to use Win7 or whatever it is. Could I install this instead and does it run like OS?

gino_76ph

I noticed several people here replied with installing Ubuntu/Linux. Is it any good or better than than a Mac OS? Can I dual boot a Windows 7 laptop with Ubuntu? Or having a Mac OS-powered laptop on its own is good enough?

I am well aware I can dual-boot Windows with Mac OS but I don't want to buy £100+ Windows7 disc on top to do that. It's just expensive.

Another worry of mine is my Android and Nokia Symbian devices. I fear that I couldn't connect my HTC Incredible S Android 2.3 phone via USB properly to a MacBook Air I.e. it wouldn't see it.

knightstyle

Well I am doing this on my four year old Macbook, cheapest model I could get, £500 new once VAT claimed back. It has never missed a beat and is a dream to use. Went for the Mac as I could get Photoshop, Toast etc. for free, installed as an additional user.
Went into a Mac retailer a month ago and asked them to have a quick look and after 10 mins had a clean bill of health. Battery still good, 89% and 740 cycles.
If you get one install iStat pro on it.

-TangleFoot-

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

Is this to run on a Windows machine?

Could I install this instead and does it run like OS?

In theory a Linux distribution can be made to run on a wide variety of platforms besides good ol' x86 but the answer to your first question is essentially yes.

To the second, I would answer thus: Think Different.

Since OS X has its basis in Unix, you'd likely have an easier time getting used to Linux than a Windows user; it's the sheer glut of interfaces that usually throw people initially but you can easily find one that imitates the one you currently use.

I just found one called Pear.

bbfc

I bought my first MacBook Pro last year and it is an amazing piece of kit. OS X is so easy to use and I haven't experienced any of the issues that are part of the Windows experience. I have Windows 8 CP installed via BootCamp so I can plan games and use Office, but thats all. The best thing are the Trackpad gestures; they make life so much easier. There isn't a Window's laptop out there with a better trackpad!

With Apple you are also paying for their amazing Customer Service. No company can match it. Got a problem? Take it to the Genius Bar and they will solve it for you or give you a replacement (you get a 1 year warranty included). I haven't had any problems with my MBP yet, but I have had a few iPhones swapped because they developed faults.

The price puts people off, but I think its worth it. Plus OS upgrades are usually around £30, not the usual £100+ that MS charge for Windows, though they are less substantial upgrades compared to new versions of Windows.

gino_76ph

I just sold my laptop yesterday and now everything is in hyper drive. I need to decide this week which to get: a mid-spec 13" MacBook Air (or Pro) or a mid-spec Windows Ultrabook for an equivalent amount of money?

One last hurdle would be the question of USB connection and compatibility. I want to know if I will not experience any problems connecting my Android 2.3 phone to my MacBook.

gonzo127

gino_76ph wrote: »

I just sold my laptop yesterday and now everything is in hyper drive. I need to decide this week which to get: a mid-spec 13" MacBook Air (or Pro) or a mid-spec Windows Ultrabook for an equivalent amount of money?

One last hurdle would be the question of USB connection and compatibility. I want to know if I will not experience any problems connecting my Android 2.3 phone to my MacBook.

you shouldnt experience any problems with this, although as ever anything can happen

bbfc

gino_76ph wrote: »

I just sold my laptop yesterday and now everything is in hyper drive. I need to decide this week which to get: a mid-spec 13" MacBook Air (or Pro) or a mid-spec Windows Ultrabook for an equivalent amount of money?

One last hurdle would be the question of USB connection and compatibility. I want to know if I will not experience any problems connecting my Android 2.3 phone to my MacBook.

Go with the Pro, if only for the DVD drive. The only benefit of going for the Air is its higher screen resolution.