Want a macbook but can't stand using macs.. what do I do?

Agreed! Nuff said.

 

Posting from my two-day-old Macbook pro right now. Expensive, but this is a sexy, sexy piece of equipment. I like paying for quality pieces of electronics, and I can tell this is very well-built.

That said, OS X is taking some getting used to, and the lack of a second mouse button is driving me nuts. I like using my laptop... on my lap, while watching tv. Without a flat surface, a mouse is pretty useless. Having to use three fingers to right click instead of two as on a pc is just inferior, no question about it.

I'm going to try to stick it out and avoid the temptation of installing xp until I get a little more used to OS X. After that, I think one of the main determinants will be the software, and whether I like the built-in Mac apps better than their PC counterparts.

 

not by this survey
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=139488

 

That survey has a lot to do with switchers buying Intel Macs for double duty. The PPC Mac faithful has never bought Macs because they were pretty, they bought them for the Mac OS.

 

ok, take out the 35 votes for aesthetics and the 17 votes to run Windows & play games. What you'll have left is 21 who bought just for OSX. Thats about 25%.
And youre right about the old PPC power mac'rs (and i bet ur not even old enuff to be one)but all the new macs arent built with old mac'rs in mind. If it was then bootcamp wouldnt have never been made.

 

A lot of people are business users too, who probably like OSx but at the same time they have a need to run windows based business programs.

I looked at the dell 1330. The problem is that in a configuration that resembles the MBP in only costs $100-200 less. If $100-200 is all it takes to not have to talk to dell's CS ever again count me in. Also the difference in weight with the standard screen 1330 is only about 1/2 lb in favor of the 1330. With the amount of time I spend on the computer it is much more worth it for have 2.1 more inches viewing area that 1/2 lb.

Im cancelling my order for an inspiron 1420 and picking up the new 2.2 MBP as soon as possible.

 

There are several issues with that survey. For one the sample size is way too small to come to any real conclusion. Second, NotebookReview is not a Mac forum, so most here are recent switchers. Third, it was a 'choose all that apply' survey, so, the majority that responded bought their Macs for several reasons. I would say, by far, most people buy Macs for OS X. There are also several benefits that come with that, like the ability to run any OS you choose.

 

I'm dragging up an old thread here, but what is all this talk about a Macbook being priced at a premium? I bought a Macbook for my girlfriend for Christmas and it came to less than $1000, it looks like the price has gone up a bit, but it is still a few hundred less than the m1330, which seems to now start at $1500, and goes up pretty darn quickly from there.

I'm not a huge OS X fan, but I could definitely see someone getting a Macbook as a well built, budget 13.3" laptop and mostly running Windows on it.

 

Well, the XPS M1330 is a different class than the MacBook...the XPS M1330 has a graphics card, it has an LED-backlit screen, it is lightweight and sleek...its the same reason we say the MBP is worth it even though you can get the same specs on an Inspiron 1520 for $800 less. The XPS M1330 has little features that adds its price up.

 

Do you actually need a two button mouse with a mac...not really. Mac OSX is designed to operate with one mouse button...and you should only get a Mac if you plan to spend the majority of your time on OSX. The new Mac mighty mouses can actually be configured to identify a right click, I have used a mighty mouse at school and if you have it set right its brilliant.

There is actually evidence now to suggest that a one button mouse is more ergonomic in the long term as it causes less collateral damage to your hand. This is the case when people don't hold and operate a standard windows mouse probably, which is pretty much everyone. If you use your windows mouse the way most people do you increase your chances of getting joint issues like arthritis later in life. Another common ergonomic issue that windows uses have is with their keyboards, they choose to use the little elevation stick type things on the keyboard, which is really a big no no.

 

I know that the two are not that comparable except for the 13.3" form factor, what I don't get is why all the people in this thread were saying to get a m1330 instead of a Macbook because the Macbook is "premium" priced? I don't think I've come across a 13.3" notebook that has a lower base price, and evenly the semi-well equipped mid tier unit seems pretty reasonable. Sure it is heavier than the m1330 and doesn't have some of the tricked out features of the Dell, but for someone who likes the form factor it seems weird for people to tell him not to get it because it is too expensive, and then point him in the direction of a machine that is hundreds of dollars more?

I think there are good reasons for telling someone who only wants to use Windows not to get a Mac, but in the case of the Mac Mini or Macbook price just doesn't seem to be one of them.

 

I don't disagree with you, I think the MacBook is worth its price. But among the largest arguments right now are that the MacBook is using an "older processing platform", a.k.a. Napa when everyone else has switched to Santa Rosa (although there isn't a huge gain in Santa Rosa right now; RAM isn't fast enough to utilize the faster FSB).

 

I personally find the Macbook to be thinner and having a better shape than the Dell 13", but that's just my opinion. I cant find a better 13.3" laptop hardware wise than the Macbook for a non-gamer that is below $1100.

 

I just read the original post, and I feel almost the same way about Macs. The Macbook Pro looks pretty appealing, although I like the look of Sony VAIOs better. I would suggest looking for a sleek looking Windows laptop (Sony VAIO/Dell XPS are only some) since you prefer Windows more. I also have no anti-Microsoft feelings. Windows has always worked for me since I started using a computer, still does, and for the forseeable future, will continue to.

Perhaps look into running Windows on the Macbook. I have a friend who is accustomed to Windows but bought a Macbook (white) just for the looks. She is an average computer user and runs Parallels or some virtualization software to run Windows XP on her Macbook.

The hardware part is now pretty much solved with the Intel Core 2 Duo technology and nVidia graphics card. Its just the software part which you dont like. So just use boot camp or VMWares or whatever that virtualization software is called. You can run Windows XP or Vista on your Macbook.

Good Luck

 

Quite surprising to hear...most people get a Mac for OS X, not for the hardware . The hardware is great and really compliments it, but its really OS X that drives most people to get a Mac.

 

Sorry but where do you get this from? OS X is probably one of the main things holding people back from getting a Mac. 99% of the computer users out there use computers as tools, and once they learn how to use the tool the last thing they want to do is learn another one.

Sure everyone says how easy OSX is, and it is for advanced users. But people who just got the hang of making Windows do what they want, do not want to go back and learn how a new OS works. It's still different and has a learning curve.

The main reason Apple sales are seeing a big increase is because it's Apple. It's cool to have a system with the Apple on the cover, and your iPod next to it. Most people do not care about the OS, as long as it runs iTunes, a web browser, and word processor.

 

I think you're both right. OS X drives a lot of people to get a Mac, and it deters a lot of other people from getting one.

 

I strongly disagree, lol. It is OS X that people use Macs for. The ease of use, the simplicity, the stability, the security. The better graphics effects, without the heavy system requirements of Vista.

You can say OS X is what's holding people back from Macs, and I understand what you mean. But at the same time its also OS X that is bringing users to the Mac. People fed up with Windows, fed up with Vista. I can vouch for that, and I'm sure most of the Mac users here will agree.

And I don't think Apple is targeting the market you're talking about. Yes, you're right, for those that just learned how to use Windows, it will be difficult and rather annoying to relearn an OS again. But for those who've used Windows for years, and are just fed up with it, that's the user group that's switching to OS X.

 

I couldn't agree with Sam more. I was so fed up with Windows I was basically forced to switch to the Mac OS system. I switched back in the Mac OS 8 years and have never been sorry.
Now it's quite different with my Windows centric friends, OS X is what made them buy a Mac because they were sick of Windows and all the high maintenance and the aggravating Windows registry just pushed them to the Mac OS. But OS X's look and appeal is what made them switch. I couldn't get any of my friends to buy a Mac when the system was OS 9. The funny thing is the Mac became famous with musicians and graphics pros during pre-OS X days and OS X is much easier to use than back in the day.

Sorry CodeMonkeyX but that's your Windows centric ignorance talking when you say that the Mac is popular because it's the cool factor of having an Apple logo on the lid, that's stupid. Just ask many musicians in the business and they will tell you that Windows is not welcome and the Mac OS in any version has always been the preferred system.

To say that people aren't interested in learning something else after just getting use to Windows is that Windows centric mind again. The consumer industry is big on taking advantage of return policies so they can try out something then take it back and try something else till they like it. The consumer world doesn't settle for the first thing that's handed them.
BTW, I use bootcamp to install and use Vista because I have a Mac service business and nothing has changed, I spent 2 hrs trying to get Vista to work properly. Had to drop my bootcamp partition twice and reinstall until things got up and working. Windows is still the same.

 

I must be in the vast minority here. I like both Windows XP and OS X.

I started with a Mac (way back with OS 8 or earlier maybe), then Windows XP, and now I use both Mac OS X and Windows XP. Though I use Windows almost exclusively for Gaming and Micro$oft Office 2007. It's nice to have both OS X and XP on one machine .

 

I have owned both pc's and macs. While i appreciate the speed of the load time of osx i find the interface repulsive. I feel like my problems with it may also be reasons why other people like osx but it feels like it decides for me where i should put things. The finder seems very poorly made compared to the windows version, or at least less logical to me. Though the base media programs are far superior on the mac i have found that in the end the higher level film editing programs and music creation programs are available for both mac and pc or only pc... While vista needs some work or a replacement (like windows me did) i still find the windows os more pleasant.. Also i game far to much to ever truly appreciate a mac.

 

No, Pro Tools is not made by Apple. In fact, it's even available for Windows as well as OS X.

Apple makes Logic, which does pretty much the same thing as Pro Tools. Logic only exists for OS X though.