Hello all! My laptop has been angering me with its general crappitude. It's not my main computer, I just use it for work. I'm therefore pondering Maccing it up. "Why?" I hear you ask? Because I want a machine that will leave me alone to get on with it.
Now, I don't know a hell of a lot about Macs, so I'm wondering about peoples' experiences here. Will my dreams of hassle-free computing be fulfilled if I go onto eBay and get an iBook/Powerbook G4 that's faster than 600MHz with 256+MB of RAM with Tiger installed? Not least I'm wondering if that's powerful enough what with the PC/mac differences.
I should note: I tried Ubuntu. It did not make me satisfied.
Leave me alone, you electric ponce!
-
James Hatts
- Posts: 309
- Joined: Sat 16 Aug, 2003 23.34
- Location: London
Don't get a G4 - get a new Intel Mac. Best of both worlds.
I was using Boot Camp to allow dual-booting into Windows.
But at Christmas I destroyed my hard disk so had to install from scratch.
Since then I've been using Parallels Desktop (which is the best thing EVER) to run XP when required.
I was using Boot Camp to allow dual-booting into Windows.
But at Christmas I destroyed my hard disk so had to install from scratch.
Since then I've been using Parallels Desktop (which is the best thing EVER) to run XP when required.
-
Dr Lobster*
- Posts: 2128
- Joined: Sat 30 Aug, 2003 20.14
i can't really see any point in getting an apple based computer.
a) there are no 'killer' apps on the platform. everything you need (and probably already have) is available on your pc.
b) you will have to learn a whole new way of doing things
c) windows vista is around the corner, see how that pans out.
d) expensive for what you get
e) if the apple platform was 'that' good, more businesses would invest in it, truth is, the only people who do are the fanboi and those who do for purely historical reasons.
f) several major applications are still not available as native intel binaries, such as ms office and the adobe suite, therefore you will get less than optimal performance running these current applications on a mac.
save your pennies, get a decent, quality branded pc or laptop (none of this advent rubbish) and you'll find your windows installation is completely stable. i know i never have any problems with mine.
a) there are no 'killer' apps on the platform. everything you need (and probably already have) is available on your pc.
b) you will have to learn a whole new way of doing things
c) windows vista is around the corner, see how that pans out.
d) expensive for what you get
e) if the apple platform was 'that' good, more businesses would invest in it, truth is, the only people who do are the fanboi and those who do for purely historical reasons.
f) several major applications are still not available as native intel binaries, such as ms office and the adobe suite, therefore you will get less than optimal performance running these current applications on a mac.
save your pennies, get a decent, quality branded pc or laptop (none of this advent rubbish) and you'll find your windows installation is completely stable. i know i never have any problems with mine.
Upload service: http://www.metropol247.co.uk/uploadservice
Incidentally, can you tell me why Vista needs such stupidly high system specs to run it?Dr Lobster* wrote:c) windows vista is around the corner, see how that pans out.
What does it do that XP doesn't, that needs all that extra memory - even excluding themes?
I'm doing this on the second-hand route, that's a given - hence the G3/G4 criterion. I absolutely don't care about dual-booting. I'm not going to spend the best part of a grand on this foray.
I'm well aware of what I can do with a PC, and I know how to keep a windows system going (the pain that it is). I'll admit, it's partially curiosity, but what I'm really after is knowing (a) whether, specs wise, I can get away with to keep it cheapish but non-infuriating and (b) whether it's as low-maintenance as I hope it is!
I'm well aware of what I can do with a PC, and I know how to keep a windows system going (the pain that it is). I'll admit, it's partially curiosity, but what I'm really after is knowing (a) whether, specs wise, I can get away with to keep it cheapish but non-infuriating and (b) whether it's as low-maintenance as I hope it is!
Knight knight
-
Nick Harvey
- God
- Posts: 4162
- Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 22.26
- Location: Deepest Wiltshire
- Contact:
Professional video editing, albeit very much a niche market.Dr Lobster* wrote:i can't really see any point in getting an apple based computer.
They're good for that, but for everything else I agree with you.
-
James Hatts
- Posts: 309
- Joined: Sat 16 Aug, 2003 23.34
- Location: London
Yeah, if you can find a good price for a second-hand G4, go for it.
It'll probably infuriate you at first, but most likely after a while you'll wonder why you ever bothered with Windows.
It'll probably infuriate you at first, but most likely after a while you'll wonder why you ever bothered with Windows.
My Mac has been incredibly stable for the five or more years I've had it. I've always had problems with Windows computers and I've had quite a few of them, I've even been given two in the past few months (I'm getting sick of the sight of them!). I have no wish or need to work on Windows ever again, in my experience there's nothing I've done on a Windows machine that I can't do on a Mac, it's just done a little differently.
Like me, the Lobster has his own views on his preferred operating system, but what's bad for a business isn't necessarily what's bad for a single user, you could do great with a Mac, but I don't know what's right for you. I can't go into detail about specs and what have you, like my Mac I'm simple and possibly a little thick with some things.
You might find it best to get yourself another Windows computer for now, but get a cheap little Mac later to ease the curiosity. My view is that you could do even more with the knowledge of how to work on both operating systems instead of just the one.
Like me, the Lobster has his own views on his preferred operating system, but what's bad for a business isn't necessarily what's bad for a single user, you could do great with a Mac, but I don't know what's right for you. I can't go into detail about specs and what have you, like my Mac I'm simple and possibly a little thick with some things.
You might find it best to get yourself another Windows computer for now, but get a cheap little Mac later to ease the curiosity. My view is that you could do even more with the knowledge of how to work on both operating systems instead of just the one.
-
James Hatts
- Posts: 309
- Joined: Sat 16 Aug, 2003 23.34
- Location: London
All I'd say is to go for the best spec/most recent model you can within your price range.Sput wrote:Is there a big performance difference between G3 and G4 at, say, 800MHz?
Anything with a G3 in it is likely to be bit long in the tooth these days. A G4 machine would most likely meed your needs for longer.
As far as Mac laptops go, G4 is one generation ago, G3 is two generations ago (G5 desktops were released, but no laptops).
As far as I can work out, it'll be constantly archiving everything on your computer "just in case", animating a pointless desktop image, and making alt + tab look pretty...cdd wrote:Incidentally, can you tell me why Vista needs such stupidly high system specs to run it?Dr Lobster* wrote:c) windows vista is around the corner, see how that pans out.
What does it do that XP doesn't, that needs all that extra memory - even excluding themes?
I tried the release candidate version and wasn't impressed. I'll be with XP for a while yet.
