Joined: 20 Aug 2003
Posts: 5341
Location: Nottingham, UK
Posted: 08/20/10 01:24
Well, last weekend the cat jumped up onto the desk where I was working and on landing, knocked over a full mug of tea into my laptop. I turned it off immediately, then kicked the cat , then took the laptop to bits and put it in the sun to dry out for a few days. Its still not working and I'm only slightly hopeful that it ever will again.
So, for a long time now I've been thinking of getting a Mac, even though I've never used one before, my premise being that their OS has got to be better, faster and less frustrating to use that any windoze offering (though I've not tried 7 yet).
Any advice and recommendations either way?
Cheers
Pa
Joined: 18 Dec 2003
Posts: 13497
Location: Behind You
Posted: 08/20/10 11:26
pasher:
djmerlyn:
pasher:
my premise being that their OS has got to be better, faster and less frustrating to use that any windoze offering
Um, no. I sorta consider it trading one evil for another myself.
Thanks DJ - That fills me with confidence
I would personally go for linux before apple. At dell you can get your new computer loaded with linux from the get go which is kinda cool.
With windows 7 now, I may not get another windows computer at all. I sorta have to have xp or vista to be able to do what I need to do and do it efficiently. But I noticed everyones dropped (or its getting exceedingly hard to get) xp and vista. So from my perspective microsoft doesn't currently have a viable os on the market with new computers
Its not that I don't like change, its just that I hate change that is going backwards instead of forwards.
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
Posts: 22009
Location: Southern California
Posted: 08/20/10 11:42
I, too, have been really thinking about getting a new laptop. One thing that I will definitely _NOT_ be doing is getting an HP. I have had nothing but problems with all 4 of my HP laptops (including my current one, which was really expensive, but since the warranty has gone out, it has come to light that there is an issue with the gpu overheating, which causes it shutdown randomly).
I've been thinking of getting a macbook as well, but I've never had one either so am a bit apprehensive. My thinking though is that I could always use VirtualBox to run an XP or Vista machine in it if I really need to (as well as Linux, of course).
Joined: 08 Oct 2004
Posts: 6639
Location: Tornado Alley!
Posted: 08/20/10 14:44
I just got a refurbished Gateway with Windows7, I like how they have simplified a lot of tasks for Windows7, however... as soon as I got the laptop, it had issues, I had to take it to a shop and have everything reloaded. It seems to be working well now, but I don't use it that much. I do have the JamDev on it and love the fact that I can work on templates and such without even being online.
After getting my new laptop, I thought to myself, why didn't I get a Mac? The main reason is I don't know anything about Mac's and I don't have the time to learn right now. Although I think I would really like to get a Mac for my next computer.
I picked up a Dell Inspiron 1764 with an i5 processor and Win7 a few months back. Next to that I have a 1 year old iMac. This is the best way to test applications. Now when someone says "It doesn't work on Mac" I can say it works on mine.
I love the mac for the size and graphics. But I am just stuck in my ways on applications and used to Windows. If TextPad would come out for Mac I would probably be happier. Text Wrangler for Mac just doesn't do it for me. But both computers run solid as hell. My first Mac did have a premature death in the fourth month. I took it to Apple and they said it was hosed and gave me a new one. Since it was beyond 90 days I thought they would give me a refurb. They got an A+ in customer service for that.
Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 37583
Location: Seattle, WA
Posted: 08/21/10 15:09
I've used dozens of Windows laptops (even more desktops), and several Mac desktops over the last 21 years. The VERY BEST system I own now is an early 2009 MacBook (solid body aluminum) -it's my main system. I can't foresee a time in the future NOT buying a Mac laptop, even if I decided to go back to Windows (or KDE - I'm a big fan of KDE) because you can run Windows on it. Not only is it the best laptop I've had , it's also the best Windows system I've had (dual booting Vista). Once you get used to the "magic" trackpad of a mac laptop, every other laptop feels cramped and disorganized. Having Mac OS X on top of that is just icing on the cake.
Make sure and go to a Mac store and check one out - in my opinion they are worth every penny of the premium you'll pay to get one.
Joined: 20 Aug 2003
Posts: 5341
Location: Nottingham, UK
Posted: 08/25/10 03:27
It occurred to me that I don't actually need a laptop - I only thought I did because all this has been triggered by the demise of my old one. I do all my work from home (if I'm away, I'm only concerned about checking emails now and then and I use my phone for that).
So, I've ended up with an iMac and so far, I'm loving it - it just works and does what I want it to without sulking for minutes on end or throwing objections ("Are you sure?") in my path.
Some things are disconcerting initially due to my still being in a windows frame of mind, but if I tell myself not to worry and go with it, the end result is still good, but it was done in a new and interesting way
(Just wondering how long the honeymoon period will last though )
Cheers
Pa
I started out with an iPod Touch my wife bought me and thought it was amazing. That is what prompted me to buy an iMac. It has been just over a year now and the honeymoon is still strong lol.
I am using TextWrangler as a text editor. If you find a better one, let me know. I miss TextPad!
Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 8792
Location: Ultrabubble
Posted: 05/10/13 14:55
Well the laptop I mentioned above just died. The hot season started a few days ago and it was too hot for the old lady to cope.
6 years solid service from an ebay out of channel refurb aint bad at all imho, especially at the level of stress (in terms of hours and roadmiles) she was subjected to.
The demise was long time coming, but nonetheless a disaster - what would I have to do to get online again? No Apple store in Morocco, immediate flights back to London or Toulouse are pretty expensive and very inconvenient, all keyboards are AZERTY here, not a QWERTY in sight. Things looked bleak sat with my head in my hands...
One tiny Apple reseller outlet in Marrakech, so I went there. A superb experience, better than an Apple store in my opinion. The keyboard was a problem, but after a few hours they found a QWERTY in Casablanca which arrived early the next morning, marvelous. I received outstanding, incredibly personal, highly professional service of the kind that you used to receive from Apple reseller outlets in the UK (which have now disappeared in favour of iOS genius bars and the like).
On one hand I was very surprised that things worked out so well, Morocco isn't really a tech hub country. But on the other hand it wasn't that surprising at all - if people here see anyone in need of help they really do want to go out of their way to help. I'm not entirely sure if that's a religion sort of thing or a local cultural sort of thing, but it sure is from the heart and I can say that without a doubt.
Don't jump to conclusions and assume that I received great service because there is a lot of profit in a mac laptop. Marrakech is a world of contrasts, the people who buy apple stuff here have plenty of money on the scale that doesn't come from tech work (the megarich of both Europe and Arabia like to buy very big houses here). Techies have no choice in their os, jobs like ours don't pay enough to buy the hardware or software that they would be most comfortable with. So I was almost certainly among the most economically challenged of clients that they have had in years, with the most challenging of needs - a pro mac user here almost doesn't compute, macs are for the rich and the flashy, objects to aspire to for the young middle classes, nothing more.
So I now have a 13 inch macbook air with a (maybe Turkish? dunno) qwerty keyboard (so the letters are labelled right but the other keys are all over the place) and the experience of getting it was not only good, but a real happy eye opener which has more than crushed my preconceptions. Unsure as to how I will get on with a 13 inch rather than the 17 inch (which was a downgrade from multiple large desktop monitors), but it is so small and light and sweet and sexy that I know I wont miss the old lady when I next pack up my bags to move on.
Of course getting back on line was much more complicated - mobile telecoms companies are deliberately incompetent criminal fools the world over, so no surprises there. fkem. (not blaming the sales staff though, they were very helpful too, but unable to really help as much as they wanted to due to lack of training, outdated products, corporate ways of making profit that haven't been outlawed by the courts yet, and crippled, legacy systems - in my experience this is also true of mobile telecoms throughout western Europe, maybe the whole world?).
The bottom line is that I am back online and Morocco is an incredible country full of amazing people. Why isn't this city chock full of small European startups looking to cut costs and add adventure to their ramp up period? The tax breaks are no secret.
No, the very bottom line is that the keyboard works for me, but I don't really know where all the punctuation marks are for touch typing. Time to learn.
_________________ Kulshi Mezian!
"Stranger from another planet, welcome to our hole. Just strap on your guitar and we'll play some rock and roll"
, then took the laptop to bits and put it in the sun to dry out for a few days. Its still not working and I'm only slightly hopeful that it ever will again.
I sorta consider it trading one evil for another myself.
