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Peter Stahl
09-22-2009, 8:45 PM
Ok you Mac guys, is the MacBook Pro that much better then a MacBook. Daughter is in College and She says her old laptop is just too slow. I think it's 3 years old running XP. Looks like Office 2008 for Mac got really bad reviews, what would you recommend. I think she does need MS Word and Excel for school though.

Ed Moehlenpah
09-22-2009, 8:51 PM
typically a little faster, sometimes the initial configuration has more memory, and the graphics card can be faster have more on board memory. In the past, they were stronger as well (handled a little more abuse). I have a macbook pro, and I like it. But, if form factor is an issue, I'd think about the aluminum macbook (13 "?) I'd probably stay away from any plastic clamshell models personally, I've seen a few hinges/displays with problems after a while.

Good luck.

Dave Garcia
09-22-2009, 9:42 PM
Peter,

Go with the MacBook Pro 15". It has a better graphics card, more RAM, a bigger hard drive, more and varied connections, and as was stated previously, an aluminum case. I'm also not sure which reviews you've been reading but I've had MS Office for Mac loaded on my MacBook Pro 15" for the last four years, travel extensively internationally, deal with the federal government, and have absolutely no issues with it. Actually with the software that comes already loaded on the MacBook Pro, your daughter will only have to load MS Office for Mac and leave everything else for the PC. iLife and iWork have it all. And the learning curve is almost flat. I also think Mac has included a trial version of Quicken which also takes care of the financial tracking issues.

Whatever you do DO NOT get another PC, especially with Vista and or Windows 7. Have your daughter make the switch to Mac now and never look back.

If you have any other Mac questions, please send me a PM and we can discuss this issue at length privately.

Dave Garcia :)
The Wood Block, Ltd

Josh Reet
09-22-2009, 9:47 PM
Office for mac is fine. I use it every day.

If she is just doing basic wordprocessing, Internet, etc, don't bother with the pro. If she wants to do video editing or heavy duty image processing (Photoshop Andorra really large files) then the pro will make a difference.

Don't be afraid to look at the refurb area of apple's website. I hav bought a number of returns from them with no problems. Also, as a student, she is eligible for "education" pricing. The discount isn't huge, but it is amfew bucks.

Bob Coleman
09-22-2009, 9:52 PM
Since the only macbook is the plastic shell one, I would go with the macbook pro (13") if only for durability. The only real difference is a very slight bump in processor speed which she won't notice. It should last her at least 3 years - I've had one (older, non single piece AL model) at least that long.

On the MS Office front - you can get a pretty good deal with an education version. Apple has a lower powered suite that should be compatible for a bit less.

PS - Apple gives student discounts, $100 off the 13" macbook pro.

Brian Kent
09-22-2009, 10:05 PM
I have a plastic Mac Book - 3 years old. I can do anything on it. If it breaks I will get the 13" Macbook Pro because I think the case is better. One big difference that only matters if you have USB devices - the plastic MacBook has USB and the Macbook Pro has FireWire but no USB. Only if you have a USB video camera could it make a difference.

Office works fine. ($149 for students)

Built in video and photo editing are amazing.

Buy the 3 year apple-care policy.

Brian

Josh Reet
09-22-2009, 11:30 PM
Since the only macbook is the plastic shell one, I would go with the macbook pro (13") if only for durability.

The plastic case macs are just as durable as the aluminum ones. It's not like the hard drive platters or motherboard are going to be any more cushioned with the more expensive computer when you drop it. Broken is broken. these things aren't designed to be beat up.

That having been said, I dropped a 12" ibook (predecessor to the macbook) four feet down straight to concrete at one point and it was just fine aside from a few scratches. Just lucky that day I guess.

Brian Kent
09-22-2009, 11:51 PM
Also, the Macs are made to sense a fall and they park the hard drive. Even if you damage a part, you don't lose your data.

Another of my favorite Mac features is "Time Machine". You plug in an external hard rive (or they have a more expensive wireless that you don't even plug in) and it backs up your Mac so completely invisibly that you can re-create any day in the past.

Darius Ferlas
09-23-2009, 12:24 AM
Also, the Macs are made to sense a fall and they park the hard drive.
That is not a function of Mac but of a hard drive. Some come with the feature, some don't. You can get a free fall sensor drive for any platform. They have been available for at least two years. I got one in my Dell Precision. If you install a regular drive (without free fall sensor) in your Mac the drive won't be stopped when the laptop falls.

A better yet solution is a solid state drive. These are also available for any platform but the price increase is significant.


Another of my favorite Mac features is "Time Machine". You plug in an external hard rive (or they have a more expensive wireless that you don't even plug in) and it backs up your Mac so completely invisibly that you can re-create any day in the past.
That is another technology that is a simple software function, neither proprietary to Mac nor an invention of Apple Corp. Now available for any platform with a virtually infinite number of options and configurations. Originated from Unix based systems over 30 years ago. In fact, the functionality is trivial to implement. A matter of simple task scheduling and it's done daily by millions of computers worldwide, more than likely including the one running this forum, which appears to be CentOS Linux.

For document backups where version tracking is important my favorite is... Microsoft's Source Safe. The target audience are software developers but anybody using any kind of document can use it. It allows to trace back any document all the way to the day it was created. A Mac equivalent is Metrowerks Visual SourceSafe.

Brian Kent
09-23-2009, 12:52 AM
PC's are great too. These are features I love about my Mac. I'm not making a Mac vs PC argument.

Eric Larsen
09-23-2009, 1:49 AM
Ok you Mac guys, is the MacBook Pro that much better then a MacBook. Daughter is in College and She says her old laptop is just too slow. I think it's 3 years old running XP. Looks like Office 2008 for Mac got really bad reviews, what would you recommend. I think she does need MS Word and Excel for school though.

I'm not a Mac person. But, does Open Office work for Mac? I find that to be infinitely faster than MS office. And best of all, no annoying anthropomorphic paper clip!

And you can't complain about the price.

Peter Stahl
09-23-2009, 9:04 AM
Thanks for the information so far. The way it looked on the Mac Store the difference between the MacBook and the MacBook Pro was only the case. Didn't know the Pro was a better machine too. As far as Office 2008 for Mac I didn't mention it was the Home and Student Edition. On the Mac Store site it was rated only 2-1/2 stars out of 5. I used Mac's years ago then our company decided to go strictly PC so that's what I've been using at home too. Maybe my next one will be a MacBook too.

Ed Moehlenpah
09-23-2009, 10:08 AM
open office works on mac. I use it almost daily.

David Wong
09-23-2009, 10:40 AM
Please do your daughter a favor and get her an external hard drive so that she can do Time Machine backups onto with her new Macbook or Macbook Pro. All hard drives are subject to failures and data loss. Notebook computers can lead abusive lives (abusive for hard drives that is), and particularly need backup. An external hard drive is cheap insurance.

Other advice is to get as much memory as you can. This will do more to increase the responsiveness of your computer than almost anything else.

Jon Toebbe
09-23-2009, 11:11 AM
Other advice is to get as much memory as you can. This will do more to increase the responsiveness of your computer than almost anything else.

+1

I work with computers every day, doing crunching numbers on everything from my MacBook up to and including a supercomputer. Processor speed is nice, but there is no such thing as too much RAM. For workaday computing -- email, word processing, etc. I've found that Windows PCs tend to be processor-bound and Macs tend to me memory-bound.

Buy her a MacBook, then max out its RAM and she'll be good to go for at least three years (probably more). Don't buy your memory from Apple -- their premium pricing is absurd. You can easily install it yourself, too. All it takes is a small phillips-head screwdriver and about five minutes.

Tim Morton
09-25-2009, 7:57 PM
don't buy a mac laptop yet...new ones might be released any time now....

Tim Morton
09-25-2009, 9:56 PM
I have a plastic Mac Book - 3 years old. I can do anything on it. If it breaks I will get the 13" Macbook Pro because I think the case is better. One big difference that only matters if you have USB devices - the plastic MacBook has USB and the Macbook Pro has FireWire but no USB. Only if you have a USB video camera could it make a difference.

Office works fine. ($149 for students)

Built in video and photo editing are amazing.

Buy the 3 year apple-care policy.

Brian

All current macbooks and macbok pros have USB......

Tim Morton
09-25-2009, 10:09 PM
Thanks for the information so far. The way it looked on the Mac Store the difference between the MacBook and the MacBook Pro was only the case. Didn't know the Pro was a better machine too. As far as Office 2008 for Mac I didn't mention it was the Home and Student Edition. On the Mac Store site it was rated only 2-1/2 stars out of 5. I used Mac's years ago then our company decided to go strictly PC so that's what I've been using at home too. Maybe my next one will be a MacBook too.

1. A few months ago Apple basically eliminated the "macbook"...and combined the 2 lines into one and called it the Macbook Pro. They left one stragler, the 13" macbook plastic case and kept the price under $1000...but it is also older technology, so it is a good value if you have just $999 to spend and you don't trust refurbs, because you can always find a macbook pro for $999 refurbed and it is a better value IMO than the white macbook.

People are telling you that the 15" macbook pro is the machien to buy, and for you and I that may be true, but I have bought each of my college daughter 2 laptops over the past 4 years and i cold NOT get them (or there friends for that mater) to consider a 15"...they are just TOO big for there lifestyle.

So I would suggest a current 13" unibody (aluminum)...with Sd card slot and illuminated keyboard. 2gb is more than enough ram for your daughter...and buying the fasted macbook pro is not needed. It may seem like a good idea..but the reality is the 2 chips are almost identical in speed.

But like i said....new macbook pros may be coming very soon...so unless you need this computer this week..i would wait.

As for Mac Office...the student edition is almost identical to the pro version...it just lacks exchange server support and one other piece of database software that is not needed...i use it every day and it is fine.

Good Luck!!! :)

Peter Stahl
09-26-2009, 5:42 AM
Tim,

What would you do with a SD card slot? What year student edition do you have? The 2008 version got really bad reviews on the apple site.

Tim Morton
09-26-2009, 5:57 AM
Tim,

What would you do with a SD card slot? What year student edition do you have? The 2008 version got really bad reviews on the apple site.;;

it's a card reader slot for her camera camera card. And i have the 2008 version...its fine.

BTW..there is a new Office version out..but i have not tried it.

Curt Harms
09-26-2009, 10:50 AM
;;

it's a card reader slot for her camera camera card.

Dunno about Mac but on a EeePC running Linux the SD slot can be used as another drive. Not bad for a backup device or to expand the (sometimes) limited hard drive.

Tim Morton
09-26-2009, 11:05 AM
Dunno about Mac but on a EeePC running Linux the SD slot can be used as another drive. Not bad for a backup device or to expand the (sometimes) limited hard drive.

Well of course if Linux can use it on an EeePc then a mac can do it too:D

Its even bootable when formatted...but curently we are limited to the 32mb cards i believe. Mac does not support the new larder Xsd...or whatever that new larger card is.

donald bugansky
09-29-2009, 7:45 PM
External hard drives work great, the problem is that it reminds me of flossing, we should do it everyday but then we usually only due it prior to a dentist visit.

3 major issues folks have about backup's especially as it relates to laptops.

1) They bought the laptop for a reason, they want portability and hence don't want to be tethered by a cable to an external hard drive sitting on the desk. They want to work at the kitchen table or on the couch.

2) When performing a backup, there is always some sort of "trade-off" that takes place, yes I'm doing the right thing by backing up my data, but it slows the machine down because it's performing a backup. What do most people do, they cancel the backup with the intention on doing it later.

3) Backup's take discipline and you need to do it on a regular basis. (kind of like my analogy of flossing). Everyone has great intentions and those that do backup's probably don't do it as frequent as they should.

So why not eliminate the 3 problems......
A better solution is some sort of wireless or NAS drive device. Apple makes a great unit called Time Capsule. It's wireless hard drive so no one has to connect a cable and it's also a wireless "N" router (great time to upgrade your wireless router) which will transfer at 108 MBS as well as it has all the latest internet protocols. You set the back-up program to automatically, (in the middle of the night if you wish) backup all of your data when the machine isn't being used for anything else. Hence no external device to connect, no problems with performance when you need to use the machine and it's done on a routine schedule.

Life is good! Bugs

Scott T Smith
09-29-2009, 7:50 PM
Have you considered having a computer expert look at your daughters current laptop, before dropping the coin for a new one?

Memory upgrades are pretty cheap, and a lot of time performance can be sped up considerably by cleaning out all of the programs that self-boot upon startup.