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Blog: Gadgets So I Bought a Mac...
Brandon Hill (Blog) - August 26, 2009 8:28 AM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 43 comment(s) - last by khaydin.. on Aug 28 at 8:40 PM
My adventure into Mac land

I've always seen PCs and Macs as being different approaches to getting the same problems solved – albeit with Macs generally being more expensive. I've used Macs in the past (mainly in elementary and middle school), but never had any real reason to use them for an extended period of time.

And in fact, three weeks ago I did the unthinkable for a self-proclaimed "PC Guy" -- I bought a Mac. Yes, after 15+ years of owning PCs I finally decided to give Macs a try. I bought a shiny new 13" MacBook Pro at retail price from Amazon, but thankfully it also came with a free 8GB iPod touch (no rebate required) – otherwise I would have never paid MSRP.

I had been looking for a replacement for my Lenovo ThinkPad X300 for quite some time. I wanted something with a lot more firepower and better battery life. The MacBook Pro seemed like the perfect fit and I loved the sleek aluminum exterior. After selling both the 8GB iPod touch and the ThinkPad X300 on eBay, I came out about even.

I had originally planned to dual boot with both OS X and Windows 7 RC, but after the first day with my new Mac, I found that such a solution would not be necessary. I transferred over all of my documents and music files with no incident, and my iTunes profile/library carried over flawlessly (which was a big concern for me because I have an iPhone 3G S and didn't want to loose any data in the transfer process). I even managed to find OS X equivalents to the software that I used on my PC. Office 2010 Beta, Trillian Astra, and Paint.net gave way to OpenOffice, Adium, and Gimp. The other programs I often use -- Thunderbird 3.0, Firefox 3.5, uTorrent, and NVU all have OS X equivalents.

Even when it comes to hardware, everything worked as expected. My external hard drive was picked up instantly, and my two network printers (an HP LaserJet 2015dn and an HP Photosmart 3310) were picked up by default in OS X. My other gadgets all sync properly including my Logitech Harmony One remote and my TomTom GPS.

My biggest fear when going to OS X -- having had no previous extended time with the OS -- was the thought of it taking me days or weeks to learn the ins and outs of the operating system. Instead, I was able to get the basics down in minutes and was really getting the hang of the OS within a few hours.

This all brings me to this point -- has the MacBook really changed anything about my life or the way I compute? Not really. I can perform all of my everyday tasks just as I did on my Windows 7-based laptop and all of my peripherals operate exactly the same. Everyday OS navigation speed is about the same (1.2GHz + SSD vs 2.26GHz + HDD), but things like video encoding are absolutely killer on the MacBook Pro.

Would I do it again? Probably. I wasn't really out any money by going to the MacBook Pro and it gives me a chance to become stronger in my understanding of OS X. And if I need to use Windows, I'll just grab my wife's laptop.

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rounding out the edges of your "review"
By invidious on 8/26/2009 10:08:54 AM , Rating: 5
quote:
Everyday OS navigation speed is about the same (1.2GHz + SSD vs 2.26GHz + HDD), but things like video encoding are absolutely killer on the MacBook Pro.


So the 2.26Ghz (presumably dual core) laptop is better at video encoding than your ancient 1.2Ghz laptop? I guess I can't artue with that other than to say obviously.

The real question with Apple is price as you eluded to in your blog, but seeing how you did not tell us the cost your claims as to "not really being out any money" are pretty weak. If it ended up costing you like $700 then I will agree with you. But I have a suspicion that your idea of not out any money is really being out a couple hundred dollars.

The 2.26Ghz macbook on amazon is $1200 and ipod touch 8gb is going for like $150 on ebay. Could you have gotten a better laptop for $1050 if you didn't buy an Apple? Yes, specifically in the video card and screen size department. A comparable PC laptop would probably run about $800 (if you could even find one with a screen as small as 13 inches).

I am sure you Macbook is a fine machine, but don't make claims as to its performace compared to PCs without giving us any details to back it up.




By sanitydc on 8/26/2009 3:39:25 PM , Rating: 4
rationalizing your purchase. cute :)


RE: rounding out the edges of your "review"
By phattyboombatty on 8/26/2009 6:28:09 PM , Rating: 3
To sum up everything you just said, the Mac ended up costing you $1000. So, how about comparing the Mac with a brand new PC laptop costing $1000?

P.S. How did you sell your used 1.2Ghz laptop for $900???


By Brandon Hill (blog) on 8/27/2009 8:57:09 AM , Rating: 1
It's a Lenovo ThinkPad X300 with a 64GB SSD -- that's why :)


By Moishe on 8/27/2009 3:38:38 PM , Rating: 2
Sounds like you came out pretty close.
Thanks for the good review.

Sounds like some dumbass bought your x300 for too much, but that's their problem.


By therealnickdanger on 8/26/2009 10:42:05 AM , Rating: 2
The 2.26GHz CPU in the Macbook Pro is the Core 2 Duo T7550 (3MB L2 w/1066 FSB). The NVIDIA 9400G is fairly decent as well.

Just looking up some similar laptops (in relation to hardware and size) on Newegg, I found these:

Dual-core Turion with 4GB RAM and Radeon 3200 would likely be a bit slower than the MBP, but it's also smaller (12.1") and a lot cheaper ($700)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...

These next two would mop the floor with the MBP in games, but are extremely close in features, size, and pricing.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...

As an avid PC user, I have long considered buying a MBP because of their solid construction, slender/lightweight design, and long battery life. However, I would just load Windows on it because I find the MacOS limiting for most of my needs. In any case, the MBP is not priced too bad for the hardware you get (hardware including the frame/screen/aesthetics). Of course, I would also paint it black. :D


RE: rounding out the edges of your "review"
By djcameron on 8/26/2009 10:52:32 AM , Rating: 2
I've been playing with Win 7 on my MacBook, and the drivers are only so-so. It's not worth it.


By therealnickdanger on 8/26/2009 11:18:55 AM , Rating: 2
Eh? My friend is dual-booting OSX and Win7 RC1 and has no issues or errors. He says that the intallation was completely transparent to the fact that it's a Mac. As far as I've been able to gather, installing Windows on an Intel-based Mac is no different than any other PC, so I believe him.

What driver are you having issues with?


By Brandon Hill (blog) on 8/26/2009 11:22:53 AM , Rating: 2
The only issues I've heard with using a Windows 7 on a MacBook is that battery life is MUCH less.


RE: rounding out the edges of your "review"
By djcameron on 8/26/2009 11:24:41 AM , Rating: 2
The Trackpad is kinda squirrely, and you can't eject a DVD/CD to save your life. You have to boot into OS X to eject the disc. If your friend has a solution to the ejection issue, I'd love to hear it.


By Brandon Hill (blog) on 8/26/2009 11:29:50 AM , Rating: 2
Doesn't Windows have an option to "soft eject" the disc by right clicking on the drive icon in Explorer?


By djcameron on 8/26/2009 11:44:28 AM , Rating: 2
I've tried that, and it doesn't eject.


By therealnickdanger on 8/26/2009 11:41:22 AM , Rating: 2
I'll ask him about it.


By nafhan on 8/26/2009 2:09:26 PM , Rating: 2
If price were no issue, I'd buy a MBP in a minute. Sadly... it is.


By pxavierperez on 8/26/2009 2:41:27 PM , Rating: 2
it's not that MacOS is limited, it's because you just don't know how to use it.


By ajfink on 8/27/2009 2:51:00 AM , Rating: 2
That Asus F6 is one nice looking notebook.


By Mojo the Monkey on 8/26/2009 11:03:00 AM , Rating: 2
I wouldnt call the X300 ancient. The chip architecture is current - just ultra low voltage. Its an impressive machine for a mobile business user who doesnt need to work with media processing.


Open Office
By FITCamaro on 8/26/2009 10:45:34 AM , Rating: 2
Comparing Open Office to MS Office is like comparing a striped down base model car to the luxury edition with all the bells and whistles.

And GIMP can also get the job done but there is far better software available. Perhaps not for free but still.




RE: Open Office
By djcameron on 8/26/2009 10:50:39 AM , Rating: 2
OpenOffice == Ford Fiesta. Been there, done that. Also, MS Office for Mac 2008 is nowhere near as good as Office 2007 for Windows.


RE: Open Office
By sprockkets on 8/27/2009 3:26:26 AM , Rating: 2
But the new Ford Fiesta is looking pretty nice :)


RE: Open Office
By Moishe on 8/27/2009 3:45:21 PM , Rating: 2
You're right, and most people only ever need the Fiesta.

Plus a car isn't a good comparison because a cheap car has a "cheap" feel that you experience with each use. OpenOffice doesn't "feel" any cheaper than MS Office until you get into the stuff that most people don't even do.

So you'd have to compare the Fiesta's ride and handling to that of a much nicer car. It may be close when you're just going a block away, but if you want to accelerate, go at high speeds, and handle nicely, the Fiesta cannot compete. You'd never know though as long as you never do those things.


RE: Open Office
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 8/26/2009 10:54:18 AM , Rating: 3
For basic Word documents and Excel spreadsheets, it's not like I need anything else than OpenOffice. I bought Office 2007 when it first came out (only because they had the awesome launch deals) and barely used anything more than basic document creation and editing two existing XLS spreadsheets. I rarely used PowerPoint and never any of the other applications.

I started using Office 2010 Beta when it leaked, but again, I didn't really use much of the features because I really don't need 'em.

I prefer to use free software, and again, it gets the job done. If I needed more, I would have bought the "better" software in each case.


RE: Open Office
By kattanna on 8/26/2009 1:19:06 PM , Rating: 5
considering daily tech doesnt even have an edit button, openoffice is leaps and bounds more useful to him

;>)


RE: Open Office
By nafhan on 8/26/2009 2:07:28 PM , Rating: 2
At this point, I'd pick Google's office suite above Open Office. In fact if I didn't get Office for $20 (work discount), I'd pick Google over MS Office, too. I prefer MS Office, but I could do just fine without 99% of the features in either one. I have a feeling that a lot of home and business users are in the same boat, which is why MS is providing a free online version of Office with Office 10.

GIMP is great. I think of it like having a 2 version old copy of Photoshop. Again, it comes down to price. Most individuals aren't going to pay $500 unless they are making money off of it.


Wow for a PC guy, you don't do much on your system
By aguilpa1 on 8/26/2009 10:51:47 AM , Rating: 3
Your list of requirements was mundane to say the least. I'm surprised you had not switched long ago. There is no such thing as a mac that can do all the things I need it to do without selling house and home. Mac is a fashion accessory not a real working tool.




By Brandon Hill (blog) on 8/26/2009 10:58:17 AM , Rating: 3
As I have gotten older (sheesh, I sound like my dad), I have had less of a "desire" to tinker and upgrade this/that or dig under the hood with computers.

My first job was at a computer repair shop and I learned the ins and outs of PCs there. Then I started tweaking my systems and buying upgrades left and right.

Now that I'm older, just recently married, and have other more pressing things on my mind, things like PC gaming, OS tweaking, overclocking, component upgrades, etc have become less important to me.


By fbrdphreak on 8/26/2009 1:50:15 PM , Rating: 1
Don't worry Brandon, you're not alone. PC gaming is too expensive and time consuming, constantly upgrading HW & drivers, tweaking games, etc. I don't do much that requires a lot of HP and notebooks have more than enough performance. I don't want to spend time tweaking a computer, I want it to do what I need without much hassle so I can get on with other things I'd rather do. Quite the shift from my college days.


By Moishe on 8/27/2009 3:53:24 PM , Rating: 3
I have less desire to tweak, but I still like having a nice powerful, versatile machine for cheap... Why I use a PC.


By HotFoot on 8/27/2009 8:34:39 AM , Rating: 3
I thought it was just me, or maybe something that came over the industry as a whole. A few years ago, I was extremely interested in computer hardware. Any tiny change or improvement I'd be weighing the pros and cons of upgrading from something that was probably only 6 months old.

Now it's like... 'what does this really do for me?'. I no longer slap down several hundred dollars for the latest and greatest until what I currently have is no longer cutting it. I guess there are just better things to spend money on, like investments, mortgage, vacations...

Diapers?

When did we get so old? When did it get so cold?


By kattanna on 8/27/2009 11:21:02 AM , Rating: 3
remember, back in the day, 6 months meant you could have gone from a 100Mhz cpu to a 200Mhz cpu. with clear performance gains that got you VERY excited

nowadays.. in a years time, you might go from 3000Mhz to 3200Mhz.. OH BOY!

honestly, IMO, the only really exciting change to computers since dual cores finally became main stream years ago is SSDs


By Shark Tek on 8/27/2009 3:00:16 PM , Rating: 2
I remember myself as many guys here. Flaming others that decide to go with the MAC route.

Like you over time I got tired and also had less time to tweak my computers. I also got married, after years on the PC side specially on the gaming part I decide to buy a console game system (no more spending money on upgrades) and I'm considering in getting a MBP for myself.

I love how good and clean they look, their battery life duration is a HUGE plus for me, lighted keys and applications capabilities that allows you to make many things like media (pic, music, video) more easier than many of the applications offered for windows or linux.

Those things are enough for me to justify the higher price compared to a PC equivalent machine.

If I got use to them I won't hesitate on change everything at home to the Apple side.


Almost succumbed but shook off the urge!
By ElderTech on 8/28/2009 1:58:42 AM , Rating: 2
Brandon
It's obvious that each individuals needs/wants are different, due to a variety of factors, not the least of which is other life commitments as you mentioned. For another take on Windows vs Mac, here's my approach. As a digital photographer, I also recently looked at the MacBook Pro 13", after reading Rob Galbraith's review here:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?ci...

Like Rob, I found the unavailability of a matte display a real hindrance to adopting it, but decided to compare it to a Lenovo T400, which I ended up purchasing for several hundred less. Here's my comparison:

Similar Component Specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.53 CPU, 4GB DDR3 1066 Memory, 1280x800 WXGA LED w/Camera, 250GB 5400 HD, 8x DVD Burner, WiFi a/b/g/n, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, SD Slot, Kensington Lock slot, and EPeat Gold/Energy Star ratings.

Common components with differences, Lenovo then Mac:
Graphics: Switchable discrete ATI 3470 or Intel X4500 vs NVidia GF9400M
External Display: Standard VGA vs VGA/DVI via miniDisplayPort adapter ($30-100 option)
Mouse Control: MultiTouchPad/TouchPoint vs MultiTouchPad
Battery: Removable 4,6,9 cell vs internal fixed
Ports: 3 USB vs 2USB, Firewire 400 vs Firewire 800, separate Mic/Headphone vs single integrated mic/headphone
Screen size: 14.1 vs 13.3
Weight: 4.7-5.7 depending on battery vs 4.5#
Dimensions: 13.2x9.4x1.1 vs 12.8x9x1

T400 components/accessories not available on MacBook Pro: Matte Screen, Removable/swappable DVD/Ultrabay, Expresscard54/Legacy PC Card Slot, Fingerprint Reader, Bios Port Disable, Shock mounted HD, HD encryption, Dock (Mini and Full) with DVI, Digital Audio, and many other options.

With all of the above, including the Lenovo Mini Dock and a 3 year extended warranty, I was able to purchase the T400 for several hundred less than the 13" MacBook Pro. Add to this the additional savings of not having to switch to Mac Software for proprietary labels like Photoshop CS4 Premier, QuickBooks Pro, and Vegas Pro, let alone software that simply isn't available for a Mac, and I've probably saved a couple of thousand. That plus the other flexibility the Windows platform/OS provides and it was really no contest.




By ElderTech on 8/28/2009 2:16:34 AM , Rating: 2
PS: Yes, I know BootCamp is an option for running the proprietary Windows software, but not with good results for the performance gains I need with these programs, particularly under Win7. Also the potential availability of TRIM in Win7 is a big consideration since I'm utilizing SSDs and the new Intel G2 is soon to be acquired.


Switching back
By djcameron on 8/26/2009 10:48:21 AM , Rating: 2
After nearly a year with my MacBook, I'm switching back to Windows. I'm just waiting for the right deal on a T400 or X200. I don't want to dual boot, and I'm tired of seeing a new piece of software and saying, cool!, only to find out that they don't make a Mac version. I've been down the Fusion/Parallels/VirtualBox road, and frankly, they suck. The only thing I'm going to miss is the trackpad.
Good luck with your MBP, I hope you don't get the same buyer's remorse.




image editing
By evildorf on 8/26/2009 2:01:10 PM , Rating: 2
Congrats on your new computer. On a sidenote, why on earth were you using Paint.net on your Windows machine instead of GIMP? The only reason I can think of is that Paint.net is a bit lighter weight? As far functionality goes, GIMP is practically a Photoshop drop-in replacement, which Paint.net is certainly not.




games?
By Screwballl on 8/26/2009 11:49:10 PM , Rating: 2
Guess it should do well for WOW... but try any other game worth a crap and you will need to set it up with the dual boot just to play.




By ccmfreak2 on 8/27/2009 12:57:44 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
even managed to find OS X equivalents to the software that I used on my PC. Office 2010 Beta, Trillian Astra, and Paint.net gave way to OpenOffice, Adium, and Gimp.


So, you moved from a pc program, a pc program, and an open source program to an open source program, an open source program, and an open source program. News flash: These are not "OS X equivalents" to your old software; These are open source equivalents to your old software that can run on OS X. Huge difference. I don't mind giving credit where credit is due, but this credit does not belong to Apple - it belongs to the open source community.




Sold the SSD?
By Yangorang on 8/28/2009 11:24:16 AM , Rating: 2
Why didn't you just move the SSD to your new Macbook?




Did the same thing as the author
By khaydin on 8/28/2009 8:40:31 PM , Rating: 2
I've been using PCs for years just as the author has been. I recently bought the same 13" macbook pro (came with a $150 rebate at Micro Center). I bought it mostly because I was curious about Mac OS X and wanted to try it. Also, knowing how to use/fix problems on Macs was something I could put on my resume too.

Honestly I barely ever use Mac OS X on the laptop, mostly I just use Win XP on it(love bootcamp!). Yeah I know it defeats the point of getting a macbook, but it kind of doesn't. Once you get one there's so many cool little things about it such as the multi-touch touchpad, the powersupply, the aluminum shell, the keyboard, and the amazing lcd screen (yes even though it's glossy).

To me the best part of using the macbook pro in windows is the touchpad. There's no left or right click buttons. You just tap, or push down on the touchpad to left click (which makes it click kinda like the blackberry storm screen). It's so simple and easy to navigate around. Although there's no right click button, you can still do it, and it works much better than a button. You just tap on the touchpad with two fingers at the same time. Simple. You can also scroll up and down any window with scroll bars by taping and holding with two fingers, then moving up/down/left/right. Sure it doesn't support all the multi-touch stuff you can do in Mac OS x but it makes using the laptop in windows so easy.

If I could do it over again, I'd still buy the macbook pro.




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