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    Question about purchasing a Mac

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by codeoverride, Aug 27, 2007.

  1. codeoverride

    codeoverride Notebook Evangelist

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    I've been waiting for over a month to get my Dell Inspiron 1520. I am moving to Ireland and need a computer right away. I use it for photography and graphic design. The only thing that has kept me from getting a Mac is the price. My Dell configuration is actually better and came out to only $1,032 with tax but doesn't look like I'd be getting it anytime soon :(

    Anyway.. here are my questions:

    1. The new OS is coming out soon. I remember that when Vista came out people that had just bought their notebooks were able to get a free upgrade. Would Apple offer a free upgrade for those of us who just bought a Mac?

    2. This computer is so expensive.. I'm afraid of it getting stolen. Does Apple offer any theft protection?

    3. 13" sucks but it's also a lot cheaper. Is the Macbook good enough for graphic design (i.e.; Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) and photo retouching? I don't even know if my spyder2 would fit that little screen.. lol but hey.. I could save a good chunk of cash.

    Thanks!
     
  2. stealthsniper96

    stealthsniper96 What Was I Thinkin'?

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    1. nope, sorry

    2. not that i know of, but theres always lo-jack. i dont know how well that works tho.

    3. it should. just be sure to get a bigger external screen.
     
  3. taelrak

    taelrak Lost

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    1. Possibly, if you buy within a month of Leopard's release, you might be able to get a free upgrade. Also, certainly if you order your laptop after Leopard's release and get an older model without Leopard, you can make Apple give you Leopard. However, neither of these scenarios apply to you since you need it right away.

    2. Apple doesn't provide theft protection (or even accident protection). LoJack for Laptops and Orbicule's Undercover are both possible solutions (Orbicule has better integration with OSX hardware, including iSight, and is based in Belgium).
     
  4. knp

    knp Notebook Evangelist

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    3. I heard the MacBook was able to handle graphics applications fine. I can't vouch for this as I own a MBP and Photoshop runs with no problems as far as I can tell.
     
  5. puresniper

    puresniper Notebook Enthusiast

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    Illustrator, Photoshop, etc. are all CPU intensive applications, thus the GMA950 in the MacBook won't hinder performance. But like you mention, the small screen might be an issue.
     
  6. Sam

    Sam Notebook Virtuoso

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    1. Right now, what we know of is you will not get a free upgrade to Leopard. However, Steve can always just announce last minute that all Macs bought from June on get a free upgrade, or something. If not, you can get Leopard for $129.

    2. Apple does not offer theft protection, unfortunately. You mean want to look into your home insurance (which may cover stolen electronics) or third-party insurance plans.

    3. This is a common misconception. Photoshop and InDesign and photo retouching are CPU intensive and RAM intensive tasks, and not graphics-intensive. So the Core 2 in the MacBooks certainly have the CPU power to do those tasks. I'd suggest you get 2 GB RAM for a smooth experience with Photoshop and InDesign, etc. The tasks you list will not use the graphics card.
     
  7. taelrak

    taelrak Lost

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    Hah :p you've quite the sense of humor there Sam :D

    Then again, Apple was incredibly lenient with the iLife upgrade (pretty much anyone who bought a SR MBP could get the upgrade for $10 if they tried hard enough - either via phone or through "improvising" the numbers on the website), so I guess we'll just wait and see.
     
  8. codeoverride

    codeoverride Notebook Evangelist

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    Does the Macbook come with 2 512mb sticks or 1gb stick of ram? I'm wondering if I'd be able to just buy a 1gb ram stick to upgrade it to 2 gigs..
     
  9. Sam

    Sam Notebook Virtuoso

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    The MacBook comes with 2 x 512 MB RAM.
     
  10. codeoverride

    codeoverride Notebook Evangelist

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    Thanks Sam. Is it okay to have 1 gig plus 512mb? I heard it's not a good match once but not sure..
     
  11. stealthsniper96

    stealthsniper96 What Was I Thinkin'?

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    yea thats fine. actually what im thinking about doing is just getting a 2 gb stick now for 2.5 andthen a 1 gb stick in a bout a year or so when they a dirt cheap.
     
  12. codeoverride

    codeoverride Notebook Evangelist

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    Just got home from the apple store. I guess the macbook is only available in glossy now. So much for that..
     
  13. Sam

    Sam Notebook Virtuoso

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    You didn't know? Yeah, the MacBook is only available in glossy. The MBP is available in matte and glossy.
     
  14. codeoverride

    codeoverride Notebook Evangelist

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    Nope.. I really didn't know but I am certain that I've seen matte Macbooks in the past. I can't stand glossy displays.
     
  15. Sam

    Sam Notebook Virtuoso

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    Well, the old iBooks used to be matte only. Apple went the glossy route with the MacBooks.
     
  16. Durious

    Durious Notebook Evangelist

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    But it makes everything so SHINY! :p

    But yeah I find it barely noticeable on my Macbook. I don't see any reflections or such. Although on my Dell XPS Gen 2 notebook that's Glossy THAT packs a reflection kick in the Mac OS XXX