Some questions comparing Mac OS X and Windows (MBP)

I've been using OS X for a long time now, almost 3 years. I just graduated from university, so now I'm looking to upgrade to a new laptop. My main computer for the past 3 years has been an iBook G4 1.33ghz. I originally intended to switch back to Windows, but after the thought of giving up OS X and how great it is with bilingual applications (anyone who uses Japanese/korean input and dictionaries like JEDICT know what I mean), I just can't give up OS X completely.

So here are some questions.. I like to play World of Warcraft! How would a base model MBP handle it? Does it get too hot after a while? Is it easy to play windowed and switch applications (between browser, instant messaging, and gameplay?) I'm a big multi-tasker haha.

Does the 8600gt 128mb share memory in Mac OS X like it does in Windows? (turbocaching or whatever it's called)?

Another thing, I want to be able to do webcam/voice chat, my girlfriend lives in Korea so it'd be nice to be able to keep in touch a little easier. So if I used parallels or boot camp, can you use the iSight? Are there any programs compatible with iSight in Mac OS X that work with Windows on the receiving end?

Also, matte vs. glossy screen. Most windows laptops have a horribly glossy screen nowadays, and they seem to reflect a lot of light even though they seem brighter. Which do you guys prefer?

Thanks!

 

I think I might be getting my MBP today, and I'm also curious about the turbocache with the GeForce 8600 128 MB card. Personally, I'm going to go with the Matte screen, not the glossy. I hear that the glossy reflects a lot of light, making it harder to see.

 

The 8600GT has 128MB of dedicated memory, and that's it. Nothing is shared unless you use Vista, at which point it's not Turbocache, it's Vista's shared memory architecture. In XP, you would just have 128MB as well. It should play WoW very well, seeing as the GMA950 in the Macbook can handle it pretty well.

I think there are drivers for the iSight camera in Windows if you use Bootcamp, but I'm not sure as I don't own a Mac. As for the screen, I prefer the look of a glossy, but if you ever use it anywhere with a lot of light, you'll have to turn up the brightness a lot counteract the glare. Consequently, I have a matte screen, and I do prefer it overall, but a glossy screen usually has better color saturation and contrast.

 

The MBP can handle WoW everything max no probs. WoW isn't a very new or demanding game after all.

The 8600GT has 128MB on board memory, but I don't believe there is a way to make it get edditional memory from the RAM atm.

Yes, iSight works in BootCamp and Parallels.

I love my glossy. Higher contrast rox. I use my computers indoors mostly anyway.

 

I think that macbook pro can do this job easily!

 

The NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT is very powerful. WoW won't be a problem at all.

iChat can connect to AOL users and can do video chatting. iChat is very good at IM and video chatting, but they lack support for many IM clients.

You can try Skype. Skype for Mac will connect with Skype for Windows.

The iSight is supported in Boot Camp and Parallels.

The glossy display on my MacBook isn't as reflective as some of the displays I see on other laptops, but there is a reflection, no doubt about it. If you work outdoors or in a office where lighting is everywhere, I'd suggest matte screen. The advantage of a glossy screen is better colours and contrast.

 

Sorry to somewhat hijack your thread fan but I have a quick question that's sort of related... I also play World of Warcraft. I'm wondering if it would be smarter to run it through bootcamp on XP or if OS X will play it the exact same? The reason I'm asking this is because the few times I've ran it in OS X my framerate is very sporadic. I get anywhere from 110 fps to 13 fps.

Edit: I have a 2.4 Ghz MBP, 4GB ram.

 

it will run better in xp...

sad but true.

 

It may be a bit of a waste of space, but try installing it on both! Then you can get your WoW fix no matter which OS you're in!

Incidentally, I wonder how software licenses work for programs that you can install both in Windows and OSX - are you allowed to make 2 installations on the same machine?

 

I assume you'd be able to because it wouldn't realize that there is another copy running on OS X if you tried to install on the Windows partition?

 

As Chef said, XP. DirectX is unfortunately what most developers write for so nearly all games will run better in Windows than OS X.

 

Well, I'm not talking from a physical point of view, but more from a legal/licensing point of view.

Obviously, blizzard's not going to care at all of course, but it's nice to know.