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Ready for a Mac


sobershea

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I am in the market for a new notebook and have decided that it will be a Mac. I am a long-time Windows user and am ready for a system that works all the time. B) I want all the bells and whistles, meaning 17", the best display, the most memory, the biggest and fastest hard drive etc. I keep reading that they are hot. What does that mean? Does it mean the fan will be on constantly? I really, really hate noisy fans. Also, it sounds like a new MBP will be coming out - or at least they are going to announce something in September. What do you all think - should I wait for a new, improved, MBP? This is all so new to me, so if you have Words of Wisdom I would really appreciate it.Thanks.

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I've got the MBP predecessor, the PowerBook (PPC based). It was also "hot". If I was wearing shorts, I couldn't have it sit on my bare legs for too long. I never heard the fan running. If you can get to an Apple store, you could listen yourself and also see how hot the unit might be. They're on all day, so if one is going to get hot, you'll be able to tell right away.I made the switch a number of years ago and haven't regretted it at all. I recently got a new Intel based iMac and have installed VMWare's Fusion and XP Home for the two apps I still need to run under Windows. It works great, so I'll be able to now get rid of the PC I still have at home that only got used once a week or so.One thing you'll find that you won't need on the Mac, unless you install Windows, are all the anti-everything programs you're probably running on your Windows systems, anti virus, anti trojan, anti spyware, etc.

Edited by bjf123
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The fans are barely noticeable, even on high. But the bottom of these units can get very hot. The 17" isn't as bad as the 15", which has less metal to dissipate the heat with. My MacBook Air seems the coolest of the three to me, although some people complain about heat there too.There are two resolutions in the MBP 17. I have machines at both res sizes. I'm a high-res nut, so I prefer the higher-res model, but some people might find things to be a bit small on the screen.Definitely go to an Apple store and check stuff out first, even if you buy from another source.Finally, yes, wait for the new models. Spend the interval getting up to speed on the Mac so you make a better decision. You'll need software, check on that too.-- Scot

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Yes, used Macs are a great way to go. If possible, an Intel-based Mac is a slightly better choice (esp. if you want to run Linux or Windows in a vm). But the PPC models will be less expensive, so it depends on what's more important to you.For more recent used models, I recommend Apple's Refurb offerings. They're a notch or two less expensive, plus you get the full warranty (plus you can extend the warranty exactly as you would a brand new Mac).There really isn't a bad model of Mac. iMacs and MacBooks represent the least-expensive models.-- Scot

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The "price point" aspect to your question is, to be honest, less applicable than you might think. To be sure, you'll see varying price points on CraigsList and eBay. I would use Apple's Refurb page as your guide. Take $150 - $400 off (depending on price range) since Apple backs its refurbs with a standard one-year warranty (and you can purchase two more years). To assess price points, you need to keep track of the original pricing of the model in question. Apple refreshes its model lines in a very public way. It doesn't slipstream price changes or updates. These links might help with that endeavor:- Apple tech specs by model (click "next" link to see older models)- Apple press releases by product (for pricing info)- Apple Mac model centers (gen'l info by model)-- Scot

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My experience has been that the discounts have been right at 10% which is the same thing as the education discount for a new one if you have a student that will be using it. :thumbsup: We have the 20" iMac for hubby and the MacAir for me. I picked up my old macbook pro yesterday to find an old email and I had forgotten how heavy it was in comparison. Buy whatever you are comfortable spending and you won't go wrong.

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