macbook or mac?, that is the question. Options

[pandamonium]

Well imma be transferring schools next fall. And i thought it would be good to buy a mac, the question is I Dont know which one.

Right now I have an insignia desktop and a dell laptop. And I wanna switch over to MAC.

The macbook pro is 1,999
and the Mac is 1,499
-those are the prices because those would be the ones i would get.

i dunno which one i should get, its hard. I mean i could take my macbook pro anywhere and i could just go to my school with that and that would be all i needed. Or i could buy a mac now and then maybe buy a macbook pro later, depending on the situation.

keep in mind i am paying for this by myself. no parent help haha.

Soo many decisions.

[MissHygienic]

Consider what you're planning to do with this laptop while you're at school. Designing? Web design? Journalism? Plan around what your schedule looks like. If you don't need a lot of computer programs and work, get the cheaper one. Remember, it's much harder to upgrade hardware for Macs.

I've wanted one and the only reason why I haven't bought one is because MY BOYFRIEND WON'T LET ME.

[pandamonium]

Consider what you're planning to do with college. Designing? Web design? Journalism? Plan around what your schedule looks like. If you don't need a lot of computer programs and work, get the cheaper one. Remember, it's much harder to upgrade hardware for Macs.

I've wanted one and the only reason why I haven't bought one is because MY BOYFRIEND WON'T LET ME.

web design/graphic. im most-likely be moving back and forth.

why is it harder for the macs. i thought it would be the laptops that are harder.

and why hasnt your boyfriend let you? thats sexist. haha jk im stupid.

[MissHygienic]

Because Apple is constantly tweaking their hardware and forcing you to upgrade; otherwise, you won't be able to do a lot of things if you don't have a current version of their hardware. PC is easier, but PCs also get a lot of spyware, and shit like this whereas Macs don't.

My boyfriend is a die-hard PC user. He thinks Macs are the devil because they are hard to repair and a lot of things are not compatible with Macs.

Anyway, of course it's all up to you. Because you're into graphics and web design, I would opt to buy the MacBook Pro. This is a no-brainer. If you buy the regular Mac, it will probably not be up to par for you in your school work.

[Just_Dream]

Eh.. keep in mind student discounts! I saved $200 when I bought my macbook (regular though) :D

Well, my half sister bought the new imac and it's pretty sweet. Just keep in mind that it's not mobile. I feel like they might bring in a new model of mac laptops sometime soon, but I wouldn't know when...

[pandamonium]

Because Apple is constantly tweaking their hardware and forcing you to upgrade; otherwise, you won't be able to do a lot of things if you don't have a current version of their hardware. PC is easier, but PCs also get a lot of spyware, and shit like this whereas Macs don't.

My boyfriend is a die-hard PC user. He thinks Macs are the devil because they are hard to repair and a lot of things are not compatible with Macs.

Anyway, of course it's all up to you. Because you're into graphics and web design, I would opt to buy the MacBook Pro. This is a no-brainer. If you buy the regular Mac, it will probably not be up to par for you in your school work.

yea i am siding with the macbook pro. ughh its so hard though, its so expensive. i really wanted to save up for this becuase my parents bought so much for me last year, and i think i would be more pleased with it if i saved up for it myself.

i just wanted to see what your opinions are.

yea macbooks are uncompatible with some things but that happens, i get spyware and i hate it but i know better now.

i just am more comfortable with a desktop, and a big screen. all my friends have widescreens and my comp cant take it cause of the version of the os which is windows xp. gerhh.

[Insurmountable]

I'm surprised Josh has not posted in this topic yet.

Get a macbook pro, their like the best laptops out there and you won't regret your purchase.

Edit/

yes mac don't really have viruses and spyware and such but honestly there are some out there and apple is getting more popular and don't think your completely protected with out anything. Oh and Macs are easy...easier then PC's. They made them that way...
Theres going to be negatives to everything,everything. But so get the macbook pro, way better then getting a desktop and you get to carry it with you :D

Oh and as (i forgot her name ) Just_Dream, remember those student discounts.

[MissHygienic]

Yeah, I can see how economics would get in the way, but consider the cost and benefit of buying a laptop that is 500 dollars more. The cost will be your parents will be $2,000 (not including student discounts as mentioned above) less rich, but the benefits? Reap that shit. You will have a far more powerful laptop to handle your graphic/web designing needs. The success out of your work will be worth much more than $2,000, give or take. Hope that helps reassure you.

[Just_Dream]

Oh and as (i forgot her name ) Just_Dream, remember those student discounts.

It's Christina. In the sig. It's cool though :P

[Uronacid]

Well, I guess I'm confused on one thing. There is no such thing as a plain old "MAC". You can only purchase the:

• Mac Pro
• Mac Mini
• MacBook
• MacBook Pro
• iMac

Which ones are you comparing?

[Insurmountable]

^I thought he was thinking of getting like a desktop mac or a macbook pro?

[Insurmountable]

20 in IMac: 1,499
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebO...104pDolZ/2.?p=0

15in MacBook Pro : 1,999
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebO...104pDolZ/4.?p=0

[Uronacid]

^I thought he was thinking of getting like a desktop mac or a macbook pro?

Then I would say it depends on the desktop. The iMac has much better performance than the MacBook Pro. Jason (Liz's Boyfriend) has one, they're incredible. If he's willing to to sacrifice the mobility then I would suggest saving $500 and getting an iMac.

Specifications:$1,868.00

• 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
• 320GB Serial ATA Drive
• SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• Apple wireless Mighty Mouse
• Apple Wireless Keyboard (English) + Mac OS X
• AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac - Auto-enroll
• Accessory kit
• 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB memory
• 20-inch glossy widescreen LCD
• AirPort Extreme
• Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

If being mobile is important, get a macbook pro. If being mobile isn't important, get an iMac. The ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO is one of the best video cards out there, you'll be in gaming heaven.

With the macbook pro you get a NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 128MB SDRAM. You can do just about everything but get your game on with maximum graphics. You can still game, but it won't be nearly as fun. Essentially, you're sacrificing power/money for mobility. You won't have as much HDD Space. You'll have a far less powerful but still capable video card. Your processor wont be as powerful. Your screen will be smaller with a lower resolution. You will have mobility this is a major plus. Like I said above, "if mobility isn't a big deal then you should go with the iMac."

[Just_Dream]

I would say the imac only because I think the macbook pro is overpriced for what you get, even with mobility. =X

[misoshiru]

well the thing is, apple just switched to using leopard OSX? and i hear it's not too stable atm. or that any new apple software is pretty unstable. or so i think.

[Uronacid]

well the thing is, apple just switched to using leopard OSX? and i hear it's not too stable atm. or that any new apple software is pretty unstable. or so i think.

Previous Mac OS's weren't bad, but I have heard terrible things about Leopard.

[pandamonium]

Previous Mac OS's weren't bad, but I have heard terrible things about Leopard.

eek really ? do they have patches like windows? or nvm like updates right?

thanks for all the info so far.

so far my decision still stands at macbook because i read some of the imacs had precipitation in their monitors.

and i kinda want to hold off becuase i wanna see what other design apple is going to come up with their macs. its so hard to do something different since their designs are becoming more minimalistic.

[Uronacid]

eek really ? do they have patches like windows? or nvm like updates right?

thanks for all the info so far.

so far my decision still stands at macbook because i read some of the imacs had precipitation in their monitors.

and i kinda want to hold off becuase i wanna see what other design apple is going to come up with their macs. its so hard to do something different since their designs are becoming more minimalistic.

it's not a bad idea. It's a general rule that computer get better with time.

[pandamonium]

does anybody know how the imac connects to the internet. right now of course i have a router and a modem, will i still be able to use them if i get the imac? or do they use another kind of router?

does it have something to do with the airport thingy? lol i have no idea imma go look it up right now.

[moorepocket]

get the macbook pro.

[smoke]

Neither. That is the answer.

*waits for the Apple suckers to flame*

[pandamonium]

Neither. That is the answer.

*waits for the Apple suckers to flame*

thanks i will take your opinion into account.

[EddieV]

Get a PC.

[smoke]

thanks i will take your opinion into account.

Ha, that was mostly sarcasm because Apple fans usually get really defensive, and I find it humerous. But in all seriousness, Apple isn't my choice. I've never really ben a fan of their products, mostly because of personal experience. But to each his own I suppose.

[brooklyneast05]

apples great, u should get one. i'd say don't even bother getting a pc if u are going to do something like graphic design in any upper level schooling. if u're serious about design, i think getting a pc will put u at a disadvantage. i have a macbook, i really like it, i don't think i could do without the portability though, so the macbook was always my main choice.