Category: Geeks r Us
dear people,
I know I haven't been on here for a while. Things are going well, school is clearing up slowly and finally both of my senior projects are ending. In one, I have created a picture book about blindness to sighted people. It was illustrated by an actual sighted middle school class, and it uses the catch phrase "I'm not disabled, I'm differently abled". The other project involved creating an audio game for the blind, I specifically adapted the sighted Paperboy video game into a blind audio version. It's almost done, will be shootin out an alpha soon.
So I'm getting back on here slowly but asuringly. Thanks to all of you who didn't send me messages asking where reviews are, they all are in various stages and I hope to finish them and roll em out this summer.
Regarding my topic-please keep the main focus of your post to it so that we don't have several discussions goin on.
I know I have a desktop and netbook computer. My old IBM thinkpad gave up last week and it won't work anymore, so my laptop's out, but I do have a desktop and netbook.
My netbook runs the mac, as part of the hackintosh, with several major inconveniences. First, the microphone always turns on when I start it up, thus making it go through the speakers and creating a loud screetchie sound if I'm not careful. I manually have to turn the iMix volume down to get it to work and this is sucky. Second, I need to always have an external wi-fi card plugged in, because it does not detect my internal wifi card. This has lead to me buying 2 wireless cards in the last 4 months because each broke off.
My desktop doesn't run the Mac os yet, though it's close. It's an AMD system, so making it into a hackintosh is a bit more challenging, but I did manage it with Hazard's snow leopard dvd and an actual retail snow dvd.
But I'm wondering if I should just save up those SSI checks and get a macbook pro. I recently applied for a job as a specialist or genius bar person at my local Apple store, so if I get that I'm hoping that I'll make more money than I would off SSI alone;Though it'd be minimum wage, so what do you expect?
Basically I still want my desktop and netbook. My desktop will make a great server in my dorm room, or even as a fast PC when I need to run intense tasks such as virtual machines or compiling large gobs of source code. I'm not sure on my netbook, because if I got a Macbook it would certainly negate it's use, but maybe for classes it would be better for notes.
I'm just wondering what all of you think, as people who probably know some of my background. Are macbooks worth it? Honestly I'm at a point where I feel depressed not using the Mac OS, I've gotten so used to it from my OS testing. I mean I seriously miss it and wish I had that interface in Windows-and the use of voiceover!
How heavy are Macbooks? My mother has an aluminum macbook 13" and it's really heavy. I don't know if the macbook pros are as bad but I know that if I were a college student walking around campus for 20-30 minutes at a time (or more if my cane and senses deceive me) I would not want to be logging 5 LBS around. Also, I like having dedicated home/end/pageup/pagedown keys, that's why I got my Toshiba netbook. Are these needed on the mac? What about bootcamp-when I'm in Windows, how would I access these keys and is it really inconvenient?
Thanks guys, feedback is always appreciated.
All the best,
Tomi
I love my MBP. That said, it's 5 pounds, Get one if you want. Sounds like you're leaning that way anyhow.
I'd go with the macBook, and you may think it doesn't but it does, run virtral machines quite well. i haven't really seen that much in the way of lag or anything when running my windows xp vm. The weight isn't bad considering some of the other laptops out there if you get my meaning and the battery life is actually very good for a computer of that size.
My IBM X32 measures 10.7 in. and weighs 3.6 lbs. Plus, it doesn't have a huge palm rest or an obscenely large battery charger with a ridiculously short cord. It's easy to carry and compact. I could never imagine going back to the Macbook again. Weight and size aside, the operating system drives me crazy! All that interacting and weirdness when I want to do simple things is taxing on the brain. The only thing I like about it is that it has a built-in screen reader and that it can post on Youtube, which the XP readers can't handle. It also has Adium and I've never found a proper Windows replacement for that. Miranda gives me a headache and I gave up on it after awhile. If you like the operating system, the battery life of the Macbook is decent, and if you're willing to trade weight and width for thinness, you should be okay with it. I'm assuming that the ones, like mine, with the plastic cases, are lighter than the newer ones. They're also cheaper, since they're a bit older, so you might want to check them out.
I'd say if getting a Mac, get you the Macbook / Macbook Pro whichever, but one of those will support gestures like the iPadicus Beaticus and it 1. multitasks, 2. has a keyboard so text input is fast, 3. has wi fi 4. you can slap a USB 3G connector from your carrier on it I believe, it's architecture supports it.
this is interesting :) Thanks for the comments thus far!
I just got Mac OSX 10.6.3 running on my AMD system. It took me the last 3 months to do it-over 20 reinstalls because I kept getting kernel panics due to the AMD processor, but it works now.
I love the interface. I don't know why but I do find it more productive, interacting aside. I don't have to worry about having too many windows open and keep al+tabbing or using the jfw window list all the time. In the mac, you only have one application window and I find this really convenient.
Now that I have an "iMac" (well, it's a quad core CPU lol), I'm really happy, but I might still get a macbook to have the jestures and portability. I know, my netbook can function as a mac, but the CPU really really slows the responsiveness of Alex down.
Tiffanitsa, which mac os release were using? I agree with you on the interacting-but with Mac OS 10.6, much of that can be done through turning quick nav on + the iPhone-like jestures on macbook trackpads :)
oh, a few more thoughts.
To Robozork, yep, I'm using a 3g modem actually on my hackintosh machines, and they have a built-in partition (the data cards) which have the software and drivers on them. I'm using the plural form here because I have tried two datacards with the mac: My mom's huawei and my neighbor's Pantech. Granted, both are Alltel/Verizon based.
To rat, my only concern with the plastic/carbonite Macbooks is their scratchieness. Not that aluminum can't scratch-but that carbon is scratchable, like my cane, and probably more easily too.
The student discounts though would save me a lot-a Macbook 13" is $949, +the $200 iPod coupon. I'm going to sell that coupon for about $170 to someone hopefully-come on, you'll get a rebate for a $200 iPod (you can apply it to any iPod purchase)! lol. So that's $749 for a Macbook-probably the cheapest I'd find it brand new. Not bad, eh?
But yes, scratching is a concern of myne, simply because I like to keep my equipment looking new. I suppose I could get a protective film for it, though.
The carbonfiber MacBook does scratch easy, and I had issues with mine cracking on the front edge below the palm rest. Tiff, I have no clue what you're talking about obscenely short charging cords for, unless you don't know about the long cord that comes with the MacBook line. You just pop the little travel plug off, pop the long cord on, and you have like a 15-ft charging cord, or is that too short?
Journalist, if you need Firewire, you'l have to go with the MacBook Pro, but if you don't, the MacBook will be fine if you're careful with it.
actually, the macBook does have one firewire port, at least mine does
They have discontinued the firewire on the new MacBooks. When they made the unibody carbon one, Firewire left, otherwise, it would've merely been a MacBook Pro in plastic. They had to cripple something, you know.
then they must have done it recently, mine has firewire. if anything, mine is better than the macBook pro in it has a little more storage, at least at the store i got it from anyways
Yes, having only one window for each program was very nice, most of the time, and is something I miss about the Mac. But in Text Edit, it's very annoying when you have to work with two documents side by side. That and interaction made doing my Greek lessons on the Mac a total nightmare! I used Leopard and then Snow Leopard, shortly after it came out. Not sure of the versions but I got it in December of 2008 if that helps. I'd never use the gestures on a phone, as it's too unnatural and strange for me, but I might, perhaps, consider using them on a computer. I'm honestly not sure. lol No, 15 feet certainly isn't too short. I didn't know about that cord. I'll have to look around for it if I decide to use that machine in the future. I'm sure it came with it, but don't know where it is now.
I like my mbp, and the interaction stuff really doesn't phase me. I don't like smas can be comfy in terminal when I gots a hankering for cli's and gemeral maintenance is lower. Voiceover gets updated regularly, and I don't have the inclination to spend a lot of time on the special requirements for a hackintosh. From a technical point of view I can see where that might be fun, but the magic has left for me regarding tech work so I was happy to bight the extra expense and not have to get my hands dirty.
Did I understand the above correctly? The unibody
carbon one scratches easily?
i'd get the mac because of it's ease of use
1. builtin screen reader.
2. the added function of using the trackpad with voice over which is faster.
3. the neatness of windows
4. the compact size and weight
5. the versatility of the machine.
6. oh, and the screen reader on the mac is better than jfw and sounds more human and realistic which is very important for me or else i get borred easily when reading required texts for classes.
i think macs are in my personal view more productive than windows from what i can see
although there are some drawbacks.
i can't tell the font with documents like i used to when i press the insert F key with jaws which gives me the font.
some devices are only made for windows such as the victor reader stream. if i knew i was getting the moh and RFB and d is great but the software is not yet compatible with macs.
ac i would habe bought the book sense.
oh well
i think the cons outweigh the pros
oh and another thing, it syncs my emails with my iphone without setting anything up, but with the PC you have to set it up through itunes.
You can configure it to tell you fonts. I'd have to refresh my memory on how to do it, but it can be done, I believe. I don't use that particular feature. One more thing. Garage Band absolutely beats the mess out of Sound recorder! I am going to make an audio profile in Garage Band, and put it up today.
Yes, folks, garage band has now been made accessible with VoiceOver. And as far as a Mac goes, I've been wanting one badly. Hopefully I'll get one sometime soon.
Well, it's been made mostly accessible. Still no way to select pieces of audio, like if I want to make an edit in the middle of something, but the loop browser and media browser are now accessible with full cut and paste. You can also edit instruments and effects, which you couldn't do before.
I can't wait to get mine, but I have to ask, how much is it for garage band?
Garage bqand comes with iLife 11, which is $49, I think.
So the question is, should he buy a Mac. I would say to get used to touch padds and things like that because the next OS update will be like the iOS platform and have multitouch gestures. And obviously, VoiceOver will be accessible with that.
I have had my mbp fore over foure months, and i love it. It's nice and light, i walk around all day and it doesn't give me any pain in my shoulder. If you have bad spelling like i do, having the instant spell check that you can use in any text feald. Also the keybord is grate, even if your aperson that doesn't have small hands. The mbp I have is the 13 inch also if you want to keep the metal from getting scratched, ther are plastic casing that you can buy fore $50. They com in all kinds of colors. Pleas try to ignore the spelling mistakes i typed this on my pc, so i wasn't able to use my instant spell check. I think you will like being able to use the track pad because there lots of camands that take lots of key combinations that you can do with just the right kind of tap. Things like turning the screen kurtin on and off.
To check formatting Press Control-Option-t. Also, spell checking in fields is incredible especially when you are doing a web post. I use that all the time and miss it when I am on the PC like now.
ILife comes free with a new mac, so you won't have to pay for it
I'm thinking of putting a hackintosh together for logic over christmas actually. Can't decide if I'm going to use the i5 750 and get a gpu or wait for sandybridge to come out which is meant to include a quad core part with intergreated graphics.
First off, Logic is not Voiceover compatible. Secondly, why do it that way, when you'll just be dealing with PC-ish compatibility problems and such? Bite the bullet, buy the real thing, and Pro Tools. Don't have money for it? Stick to Windows, and Sonar. Still extremely respectable.
Also, the new garage band that comes with the mac is much more accessible.
how do you get voice over to tell the fonts? because i kind of miss that. i never knew how to do that because with jaws you press either insert f or something like that. i forget now. damn i'm confusing the PC commands for jaws now that i'm so used to the mac
Press control-Option-t adn you should hear the font size and type.
I'm thinking of selling the Mac and creating a Hackintosh as well with my Aspire One d255 that I'll be getting soon or with my Thinkpad X32. but I need to look into how it's done, if Voiceover will work etc.
I hardly ever use the Mac anymore and mostly just for creating Youtube videos, since I now know that it's possible to upload with Windows. But I'll now have a built-in cam and mic with my new machine so won't need to use the Mac for that. Other than that, I occasionally need it for sites which are inaccessible with Windows. Those are few and far between, but they do exist, and I was always afraid to sell the Mac incase I ran into them.