Mac advice

[wozzaa]

Ok, basically I am after a laptop for my mother to use. She isn't particularly computer savvy and would prefer to spend as little as possible. As long as she can get on the net, it is easy to use, can use a word processor etc etc she will like it.

I thought a Mac would be better for her usage, plus it stops me getting asked to fix it. Since they are harder to bugger up.

Now I get student discount and have seen the White polycarb macbook is now better spec'd than the aluminium one while being cheaper. Are they fairly good or not? Not arsed about the 2GB of ram I can upgrade that bit myself.

Just after some advice from the mac guys on here. Is it a wise choice just to go with the 13" white macbook?

 

[The Boosh!]

Iv got the new uni body macbook mate and i would never look back to windows. so quick and They are just so easy to use and definatly worth the money IMO. However you said you want it to be cheap? Macs are not! It might be worth you looking into booting a normal laptop with the mac osx as that will cost you alot less.

 

[172.com]

If you're looking to spend as little as possible why are you considering a Mac?

 

[wozzaa]

As I said I get discount so a similarly spec'd windows machine is not that much cheaper. Talking less than £100 typically once you take my discount into account. Then once you add a 3 year warranty plan they pretty much draw even since I get a massive discount on the warranty with apple as well.

Really not that differently priced at the low end range.

 

[172.com]

Fair enough.

 

[wozzaa]

I just want to know is it worth going brand new or should I look at a 2nd hand MBP or another option Have £600 - £800 to spend roughly. Just worried about buying 2nd hand incase something goes wrong.

 

[///AMG]

Had to fire up my old windows laptop earlier to copy some files I had on it.....first time in about 4 months...how I ever used it I don't know... would never go back from a mac

 

[Rasclart]

Another vote fora MAC. If she is doing general tasks will be a lot more reliable and easy to get too grips with. If you can get it cheap go for it.

They hold their price very well, if she doesnt like it then you could flog it and not loss much.

 

[Nick_P]

Oh how i love macs.

Modbook yes yes

 

[wozzaa]

Well purchased a white Macbook today currently making this post from it. £700 for the laptop, ipod touch and apple protection plan. Doesn't sound that bad to me.

Just getting used to it now and sorting things out setting it up etc.

Now I just need some help with some apps what is good for chatting, MSN etc also anything else anyone recommends me to get. Suggestions please people. Its for me as well as my mother. So I can do work on it keep the PC for gaming.

 

[Omid]

Chat I use aMSN, seems good, MSN do their own version too
I think Microsoft Office is a must have (PM me for that if you want)
Toast 10 is good for burning etc?
Always have the option to install XP on it too but I wouldnt bother
Safari doesnt work well with some sites, so I would put firefox on for that odd time

 

[The Boosh!]

Adium for chat

office 08 for word processing etc

firefox for browsing etc

done

 

[Dansta]

I didnt even bother reading you r post... BUY A MAC>

 

[timmmah]

I'd get a ASUS EEE PC.

If you want something that is easy to use that has word processing, web browser and skype built in out of the box then go for this.

Here's an idea of how simple the UI is too:

Plus if the price in about 1/4 of what a Macbook is. I'm a Macbook owner myself and I'd recommend one any day, but in this case with your Mother I wouldn't buy one.

 

[Dansta]

ASUS rubbish.
Buy Mac.

 

[Omid]

He already has, do you guys not read? lol

Well purchased a white Macbook today currently making this post from it.

 

[Dansta]

Buy a mac.

 

[wozzaa]

Bought a mac taken me 20 bloody minutes to sort file sharing on it out...I have come to the conclusion getting it to share files with windows is a pain. Piece of piss filesharing in windows, leopard makes it ever so slightly more frustrating with setting up.

Much easier to do in windows.

Quite liking it now after I have worked out how to do most things. Took some educated guesses at certain shortcuts which are similar on the vista platform and they all seem to be the same.

As I said the system is for my mum and me as well. Until I get my own 17" MBP in a few months. (for work)

After a day of using it I still don't get why everyone says it is much faster than windows...it really isn't. Unless you are a window user who runs 200+ processes (many people are without realising)

Versus a properly setup and maintained windows system...speed wise nothing in it at all.

It is for the most part easier to use. Although I am getting used to how it does certain things. Filesharing is so far the only thing that has been a bit of a pain as said...but all sorted now. As well as printer sharing etc. Just trying to work out everything for myself . I don't like manuals etc, want to know how to do it myself. Not get told what to do.

Just come back onto my windows system though and my monitor looks HUGE again. Going from a 13" to a 24" I had got used to the 24" seeming small...looking big again now especially with the macbook right next to it.

got some software on now. Office, adium and utorrent found a good few of my fav windows apps have mac versiosn so happy with that bit. Just playing around with it now. I need to know how it works before I can properly show my mum how it works. Firefox was the first thing that was stuck on it...I don't like safari.

 

[sn00p]

20 minutes to click preferences/file sharing/smb? Wow! Lol

And to the person using aMSN, do yourself a favour and install adium!

 

[beatjunkie]

Mac all day long!ive had mine nearly a year, new macbook alloy one and its the bomb!

All i need now is microsoft office!

 

[Omid]

20 minutes to click preferences/file sharing/smb? Wow! Lol

And to the person using aMSN, do yourself a favour and install adium!

I remember having Adium first and there was something it wasn't doing either webcam or something, I used Adium originally.

I think I have transmission for downloading legal torrents now?

 

[sn00p]

I remember having Adium first and there was something it wasn't doing either webcam or something, I used Adium originally.

I think I have transmission for downloading legal torrents now?

Yeah, it doesn't support video chat, I'd just switch to aMSN if I needed to webcam and use adium the rest of the time as aMSN is poop!

Transmission is deffo the software to use for torrents.

 

[wozzaa]

20 minutes to click preferences/file sharing/smb? Wow! Lol

And to the person using aMSN, do yourself a favour and install adium!

Versus right click on folder, click share on windows. And everything relating to networking on windows is in the nice networking section. not i system preferences.

The windows way is easier and more logical in my opinion. Other things OSX is better with. But networking is much easier and quicker to set up on the windows platform.

Plus it's all well and good saying 20 minutes to do that. But remember this is the first time i have ever done it on a Mac. Working it out myself. Plus it was the whole connect to server thing as the computer would not show up browsing for it.

When something is very different from what you are used to it takes a bit longer...

Anyway, chat, torrent office apps aside.

What are some must have killer apps for the system?

 

[Tom]

How long would it take you if you'd never had used windows before? (to network windows machines)

Bit more than 20 min i'd wager.