Author Topic: MY NEW TOY!  (Read 5991 times)

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smccain

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MY NEW TOY!
« on: Mar 29, 2008, 04:07 pm »
Hey! I know it may not be anything special, but I just had to share with some people. I bought a new MacBook yesterday and I am soo excited to finally have one. Now I can do my rehearsal reports right there in rehearsal as I get the notes! Not only is this a laptop, but I just made the switch from PC to Mac. So far, I LOVE it! Thanks for letting me indulge myself.
Sean

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Re: MY NEW TOY!
« Reply #1 on: Mar 30, 2008, 10:42 am »
welcome to macworld!
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mhowson

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Re: MY NEW TOY!
« Reply #2 on: Mar 30, 2008, 11:14 am »
Absolutely! Welcome to the world of Mac - add me on AIM (themacweblogmark) if you need help or want to talk Mac - I contribute to some Mac weblogs in my spare time - sadly the main one is down for maintenance atm

jemason

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Re: MY NEW TOY!
« Reply #3 on: Mar 30, 2008, 01:27 pm »
I look forward to the day where I can get a MacBook of my own :P  Just curious, what are your opinions of the new Mac Air?   It looks so thin!   I'd love to be able to carry around something that light, but then I worry that it would break if I dropped it (not that other laptops wouldn't also break),  or even bumped it.   Might be good for simple things (like organization and notes during rehearsal) but not graphic/memory-intensive programs, or that is the impression I get.   
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mhowson

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Re: MY NEW TOY!
« Reply #4 on: Mar 30, 2008, 01:41 pm »
Might be good for simple things (like organization and notes during rehearsal) but not graphic/memory-intensive programs, or that is the impression I get.

It's actually a more powerful system than you might initially think. The thing to remember when buying a Mac is the operating system is a lot 'lighter' than a Windows system - by which I mean it uses less memory and processor power, so you get a lot more power on a Mac OS based install than say Windows Vista. If you take a look at Adobe's system requirements for Photoshop CS3 Extended on the Mac (the latest version):

  • PowerPC G4 or G5 or multicore Intel processor
  • 64MB of video RAM
  • 512MB of RAM

And take a look at the base model MacBook Air

  • Intel Core 2 Duo processor (1.6GHz)
  • 144MB of video RAM
  • 2GB memory

Sure, the processor is a little on the slow side, and the screen isn't great, but the MacBook Air should be more than powerful enough for basic video and photo editing, and even advanced photo editing. I'm running on a 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo Mac Mini here, with 1.25GB of RAM, and I use Final Cut Express, Fireworks, iMovie, iPhoto e.t.c. with ease.

Quote
I worry that it would break if I dropped it

The laptop itself shouldn't break, if you're really worried about dropping it, plump the cash for the SSD (Solid State Drive) option. That's got a drive like the ones in the iPod Nano/Touch, and it's basically a big memory card, so they simply don't break.

Quote
or even bumped it

Yeah, scratches can be a problem on the aluminum. However, my top tip that I use on almost every electrical gizmo I own comes from a company called Invisible Shield (http://www.invisibleshield.com/laptop/apple/macbook-air.php). They make these "invisible" screen protectors, made of a really thin hardware plastic (they claim it was used for Army helicopter blades  ;D) It'd set you back $55.00, so it's a bit of money, but if the shield gets damaged, they ship a new one out to you for free (lifetime guarantee), and they really are nearly invisible.

---

So in short, you should find it just as powerful as you need it to be, and, of course, amazingly slim. Remember not to buy the disk drive add-on though, if you've got a second computer, remote drive works just as well.
« Last Edit: Mar 30, 2008, 01:48 pm by mhowson »

smccain

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Re: MY NEW TOY!
« Reply #5 on: Mar 30, 2008, 05:09 pm »
I look forward to the day where I can get a MacBook of my own :P  Just curious, what are your opinions of the new Mac Air?   It looks so thin!   I'd love to be able to carry around something that light, but then I worry that it would break if I dropped it (not that other laptops wouldn't also break),  or even bumped it.   Might be good for simple things (like organization and notes during rehearsal) but not graphic/memory-intensive programs, or that is the impression I get.   

I didn't get the macbook air simply because it was more expensive and had less features. If having a really thin laptop is super important to you, go that route. The thing that really gets me about the macbook air is that it has no CD/DVD drive. If you want that you have to use one of the very few ports it has to have an external one, which would be a pain to carry around. Look at Youtube and type in MacBook Air parody to get an idea of the functionality of the macbook air.

By the way, it is so great to be part of the Mac community finally. Everyone who has a mac loves to talk about it with other mac users, so I feel like I have joined this new world and have barely seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to new discoveries. Thanks for all the support everyone!
Sean

KMC

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Re: MY NEW TOY!
« Reply #6 on: Mar 30, 2008, 06:59 pm »
What a marketing genius Apple is.  They've successfully created an image through marketing that millions of people buy into because they want to feel "in", and these "support groups" mentioned below are proof positive that Apple's marketing strategy that preys on peoples' need to belong.

Interesting article below - some insight on apple around page 10.

http://64.233.179.104/scholar?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=cache:PJ-cY8j1ZNUJ:www.hazpapaers.org/BRANDING.pdf+apple+advertising+campaign+target



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mhowson

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Re: MY NEW TOY!
« Reply #7 on: Mar 30, 2008, 07:41 pm »
My prospective is a little different. While Apple have engineered a community around Mac products, I don't feel it's to do with a 'need to belong'. I feel instead the software community around the Mac naturally results in a 'tighter' community that is self growing, as software is generally published independently and away from any major companies (it's cheaper, too). This, in essence, means that people are more eager to share new 'gems' with friends.

However, there are a couple of ways Apple 'engineer' suspense. Some are famous, some are infamous, but they all work. What it boils down to is this - Apple know how to get people really excited about things. They know that nobody goes 'wow' about a product announced years before launch like Windows Vista, and leave product announcements to the last minute, like Mac OSX's new 'Finder' and 'Dock', announced weeks before product launch.

And wether you like them or not, industry veterans agree that Apple are the innovators in the market place. This unarguably makes Apple products more exciting for consumers, resulting in more talk and hype. Microsoft tried that once. Remember the Microsoft Surface?

Unsurprisingly, the iPhone got more PR. Because it was available in 8 months, not 3 years.

 

riotous