Bratmon
Super Bratmon 3
Non-standard Unicode! My life is slipping away!
I'm fine with Macs, but I prefer Linux.
My First Mac And I'm Loving It!
- Thread starter Methos
- Start date
Non-standard Unicode! My life is slipping away!
I'm fine with Macs, but I prefer Linux.
Flintlock1415
Emperor
QFT. That's what it comes down to really, is personal preference. Good thing we're on a Civilization forum.
Wow, nice to see my post has a bodycount.
I'm really interested in trying out Linux (when I get my own MBP), but I think I'll always like Macs best.
I installed DSL (Damn Small Linux) on a flash drive several months ago to use it at work, but it really wasn't worth it. My work has the settings set so that all USB connected drives are read only, so there wasn't enough of a benefit. Some people did wonder when they passed by my computer and see two screens running XP and my third screen with Linux.
Blue Monkey
Archon Without Portfolio
There is another way to take screenshots in OSX: Grab - a utility that comes with OSX. It can capture selections, windows, screens, & timed-delayed grabs of screens. I use it all the time. In C3C the game must be open in a window for this to work. I don't know about CIV.
I installed DSL (Damn Small Linux) on a flash drive several months ago to use it at work, but it really wasn't worth it. My work has the settings set so that all USB connected drives are read only, so there wasn't enough of a benefit. Some people did wonder when they passed by my computer and see two screens running XP and my third screen with Linux.
Damn Small Linux is not too good for new computers, as it uses the 2.4 kernel. I'm using Xubuntu 9.04 myself, and it is really good.
One of the best things about Linux is that it works on pretty much every single computer - I installed the very same Xubuntu 9.04 on my friend's 10 years old computer (Pentium 3, 128 MB RAM, 20 GB HDD) and it works without problems. It's not very fast (no surprise here), but all basic things work - web browsing with Firefox, light games such as Frozen Bubble etc.
However, even though Linux is awesome, I'm going to buy a Mac myself. I'm thinking about the iMac 24" model with 1 TB HDD. But I won't be having enough money for a while, so there will probably be new, better, and cheaper models when I actually buy one. ^_^
Shadylookin
master debater
Meh macs are overpriced. I was looking into getting a mac book pro and an itouch so I could try developing some stuff on a touch screen, but they want a small fortune for them. It boggles my mind how all the college students I see with them managed to cough up the cash.
Genocidicbunny
Bug squasher
My college offers a pretty hefty student discount on them. They get much much closed to similarly spec'd windows machines.
Shadylookin
master debater
Mine offers a discount, but even so the mac book with the 15inch screen is $1600(1700 normally) and it's specs aren't anything to write home about. The operating system isn't exactly jaw dropping either. They make a very aesthetically appealing case, but for the price I'd rather buy a normal looking one and just spend the rest on booze and drink till it looks pretty.
They make a good 800-900 dollar laptop it's just a pity they charge 1700 for it.
Genocidicbunny
Bug squasher
Thats because you're looking at the macbook pro. Its in no way a 900$ laptop. Maybe 1400$.
The regular macbooks, which are plenty fine for a student are around 1000$ before discount, the store on campus has them for 750$ which is a pretty good deal. Sure, my laptop cost just as much and has specs to beat it, but build quality is definitely lower.
Bear in mind, im no mac fanboy, I can just appreciate their product.
The regular macbooks, which are plenty fine for a student are around 1000$ before discount, the store on campus has them for 750$ which is a pretty good deal. Sure, my laptop cost just as much and has specs to beat it, but build quality is definitely lower.
Bear in mind, im no mac fanboy, I can just appreciate their product.
It's a boutique laptop, if you compare Alienware laptops against regular Dell laptops, they don't do well spec for price either.
Shadylookin
master debater
I'm going to have to call shenanigans I've priced check some recently and newegg lists a dozen or so equivalent laptops in the 800-1000 range. The normal mac book is equivalent to several laptops in the 450-600 range.
Our discount isn't nearly as good though mac books are still 950 after discount.
Quality isn't really an issue in my mind. For one thing it's all made in some factory in China just like everyone else. For another I can fix almost any problem my computer could have on normal pc hardware macs make this extra difficult. Lastly after 4 years a computer for personal use is obsolete and if it breaks you can buy an equivalent one at a garage sale for 100 bucks tops.
Genocidicbunny
Bug squasher
Sorting by processor speed, the lowest price I see for a similar, 2.1ghz CPU is 700$.
Where you found 400-600 I dunno
Where you found 400-600 I dunno
Shadylookin
master debater
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152128
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834101182
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115572
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834114700
and if you're willing to sacrifice 100mhz of processor speed you can go even cheaper and still get double the harddrive capacity and ram.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834101182
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115572
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834114700
and if you're willing to sacrifice 100mhz of processor speed you can go even cheaper and still get double the harddrive capacity and ram.
Genocidicbunny
Bug squasher
Id gladly pay 100$ more for a more powerful GPU on those. The HD3200 may be able to do HD video, the 3100 and the 8200M will very likely not
The first one comes perhaps the closest, but its cpu isnt in the same category (4xxx vs a 6 or 7xxx in the macbook -- noticeable difference) Its GPU is also the weakest of those 4, not coming even close to the 9400M. Its also an MSI, so the build quality of the chassis is not all that great, and important factor if you actually wish to use it on the go.
Second one is a Turion powered notebook, not even in the same class as a C2D. A 2.1 turion is about a 1.83 C2D I believe. And again, GPU is weak, as well as low res at such a high screen size. its also pretty hefty at 6lb
The Acer is shoddy construction, low res screen, weak GPU, weak CPU, slower RAM and heavy at over 6lb. I wouldnt carry that with me.
The toshiba's CPU is actually pretty close, equivalent of a 2.0 C2D, but its a heavy sucker, and for a 17" screen its pretty low res. Also, not the best construction.
These all also have fairly low battery life, and important factor for a notebook. In short, they're cheap, and they will work, but imho, too many little tradeoffs. For something im gonna have to use for several years, id rather get what I need (and then some) rather than settle.
The first one comes perhaps the closest, but its cpu isnt in the same category (4xxx vs a 6 or 7xxx in the macbook -- noticeable difference) Its GPU is also the weakest of those 4, not coming even close to the 9400M. Its also an MSI, so the build quality of the chassis is not all that great, and important factor if you actually wish to use it on the go.
Second one is a Turion powered notebook, not even in the same class as a C2D. A 2.1 turion is about a 1.83 C2D I believe. And again, GPU is weak, as well as low res at such a high screen size. its also pretty hefty at 6lb
The Acer is shoddy construction, low res screen, weak GPU, weak CPU, slower RAM and heavy at over 6lb. I wouldnt carry that with me.
The toshiba's CPU is actually pretty close, equivalent of a 2.0 C2D, but its a heavy sucker, and for a 17" screen its pretty low res. Also, not the best construction.
These all also have fairly low battery life, and important factor for a notebook. In short, they're cheap, and they will work, but imho, too many little tradeoffs. For something im gonna have to use for several years, id rather get what I need (and then some) rather than settle.
Now that Macs basically are just another brand of PC, there's no reason why their price should be any different. But I also therefore don't see them anything more than any other PC manufacturer, and Apple don't offer anything in the price ranges I'm interested in (non-high end laptops; mid-range desktops with reasonable graphics and that use desktop components rather than laptop ones).
For operating systems, I consider Windows to be a "least worst", which I switched to after they stopped making Amigas. The 2000/XP/etc line really isn't that bad, and Apple's UIs that I've used I feel are flawed. Plus I'd rather be able to use software without worrying about compatibility, and have software I write be able to be run by most other people. More fundamentally, I want to be able to switch to whatever manufacturer offers me the hardware I want, without then having to switch operating systems (especially a problem from a development point of view). Sticking with one manufacturer is fine if they offer what I want (as the Amiga used to), but Apple don't do this for me. And from a more ideological point of view, I find their "vision" of computing far more worrying than Microsoft's (e.g., take a look at their control over the Iphone platform).
For operating systems, I consider Windows to be a "least worst", which I switched to after they stopped making Amigas. The 2000/XP/etc line really isn't that bad, and Apple's UIs that I've used I feel are flawed. Plus I'd rather be able to use software without worrying about compatibility, and have software I write be able to be run by most other people. More fundamentally, I want to be able to switch to whatever manufacturer offers me the hardware I want, without then having to switch operating systems (especially a problem from a development point of view). Sticking with one manufacturer is fine if they offer what I want (as the Amiga used to), but Apple don't do this for me. And from a more ideological point of view, I find their "vision" of computing far more worrying than Microsoft's (e.g., take a look at their control over the Iphone platform).
Blue Monkey
Archon Without Portfolio
Moderator Action: No one has crossed a line, yet. But the conversation has drifted pretty far from the intent as stated in the OP. Please get back on topic or open a new thread in the OP forum.
GenMarshall
High Elven ISB Capt & Ghost Agent
My personal preferance is quite simple really, so long as the thing works I am happy
Also, I am looking forward to hear other member's experiance with the MacOS.
I had to use our work laptop tonight and talk about hilarious. The trackpad on the Mac is pushed down to "click" the mouse, so you can imagine my frustration when the work laptop (windows) trackpad wouldn't work. I just kept pushing the trackpad, but it just wouldn't click. I also tried "Command-Q" and "Command-H" too!
Interestingly enough, since my work computer is a desktop, I don't seem to have a problem distinguishing between the two OS's. Occasionally I have a small mis-click, but it doesn't happen very often.
Interestingly enough, since my work computer is a desktop, I don't seem to have a problem distinguishing between the two OS's. Occasionally I have a small mis-click, but it doesn't happen very often.
I had to use our work laptop tonight and talk about hilarious. The trackpad on the Mac is pushed down to "click" the mouse, so you can imagine my frustration when the work laptop (windows) trackpad wouldn't work. I just kept pushing the trackpad, but it just wouldn't click. I also tried "Command-Q" and "Command-H" too!
Interestingly enough, since my work computer is a desktop, I don't seem to have a problem distinguishing between the two OS's. Occasionally I have a small mis-click, but it doesn't happen very often.
Haha, reminds me of my roommate's MacBook. It's an older model (GMA 950 video card era), and those MacBooks don't respond to "clicks" on the touchpad, either. You have to actually press the click buttons on them. Always frusterates me when I try to do something on it since I'm so used to being able to just click with the touchpad itself on my Dell. It's like, a touchpad's supposed to respond to touch! Now you can multi-touch with Mac touchpads, but it wasn't that long ago that Apple's touchpads weren't all that stellar, either.
I think the vintage of that MacBook is around 2006; is that work laptop of a similar age?
The command/control thing always throws me off, too, and I found it no better recently when trying to use XP on one of my university's dual-boot iMacs (the keyboard doesn't change with the OS!). But the old ThinkPads with the Control/Fn keys switch throw me off something terrible, too, as do keyboards with odd-shaped Enter keys, so I think it's more habit with shortcut keys being a certain place on the keyboard than anything else.
I'm not sure what year or model it is. It's the computer that someone uses when they have the pager that weekend. I carry it when I have the pager, but I have my own laptop setup to dial in, so I rarely use it.
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