Bye PC, Mac Got Me

If you read my previous post Switch to Mac: What will I use this computer for? that outlined the deciding factors in determining the uses and options for my new computer, you’ll understand why I’m only considering MacBooks and not desktop Macs.

In short, I’m only considering MacBooks because I’m trying to replace my old PC laptop that blew up. I’m not considering another PC laptop because I like the features and functionality that the Mac OSX operating system offers, plus, with the addition of the Intel-based Mac, and BootCamp, I’ll be running a dual-boot Mac laptop that will allow me to not only have OSX, but also Windows Vista Ultimate.

Though I really like the MacBook Air, that computer just didn’t make sense for me because it didn’t offer the processing power that I’d like to have. The MacBook Air is the computer that actually got me interested in Macs in the first place, but even as much as I trust Apple and their products, I could not justify purchasing a first generation MacBook Air. I feel that the MacBook Air may have some problems that need to be worked out, and I’m really curious as to its durability.

With the MacBook Air out of the question, I next started to consider the standard MacBook. I liked the size and weight of the standard MacBook, but after talking to a few “Apple Genius” geeks, as well as some friends who use Macs, I decided that a MacBook wouldn’t be optimal for handling and running some of the graphics and video editing programs that I will probably be using.

With all of the above out of the way, that left my only option as the MacBook Pro. 15 inch or 17 inch. Stupid question. 17 inch all the way. I’ve heard a lot of people say that the 17 inch defeats the purpose of having a laptop because its so big, but keep in mind that this is replacing my 17 inch HP PC, which was about the same height and width, but the 1 inch depth of the MacBook was more than doubled on HP, and the weight difference was remarkable. My MacBook Pro weighs about half of what my old HP laptop wieghed.

If you’re worried about size, MacBook Pros are probably not the best option for you, however if it is performance that you are after, MacBook Pros are your only option. If you’re in the market for ultimate portability, I’d have to recommend the MacBook Air, even though I haven’t had the chance to fully test one yet.

written by Brady \\ tags: BootCamp, dual boot, MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro

A couple months ago, my laptop computer blew up… literally. I was working on something, when it started to sizzle, then POP. Everything immediately turned off, and smoke started spewing from the computer. It was an HP laptop PC, which I never really had a problem with, until of course it blew up. Until this “incident”, I had never really considered buying a Mac, but when the opportunity/necessity to get a new laptop computer presented itself, I started to consider going Apple, and buying a MacBook. Over the years, I’ve had friends and family who all raved about Mac computers, and this seemed like the perfect time for me to give it some serious thought.

The computer that really got my attention initially was the MacBook Air. There is nothing in the market like it, and that initially sparked my interest. I found myself in the Apple store occasionally playing around with the MacBook Air, then the MacBooks and the MacBook Pros.

My old HP laptop was 17″, I like having the extra screen real estate, so I decided to buy a MacBook Pro 17″. The computer was about the same size in terms of width and height, but the depth when closed was about half, and the weight of the computer was about half as well. The MacBook Pro is a very sleek and well designed laptop, plain and simple.

So when the time actually came to make the purchase, there were a few questions that I asked myself. These are probably some questions that you should ask yourself too when considering converting from a PC to a Mac.

• What will I use this computer for?
• Which Mac should I buy? In my case, it was: Which MacBook should I buy?
• Will I be able to navigate the Mac OSX operating system?
• Will all of my old PC files be compatible with my new Apple Mac?

I’ll explore the above questions further in future articles, and to conclude this article, I’ll touch on the single biggest selling point that truly sold me on Mac OSX. The Intel based Mac and BootCamp. First of all, the fact that Apple switched to using Intel processors rather than PowerPC processors was huge, and that made BootCamp an viable option for me. I’ll be installing a copy of Windows Vista on my MacBook Pro using BootCamp. Thus far, I haven’t had any need to boot up any PC based programs while using my MacBook Pro, but I’m sure that the day will come, and when it does, I’ll have a dual boot machine that’s ready to go.

written by Brady \\ tags: BootCamp, Intel, Mac, MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, PC, PowerPC