So, right now I'm currently using a(very) old iBook G4. For the first time in 3 years, the OS is actually crashing. The report is saying Kernel errors. D: So, here's my solution(s): 1. Reinstall the OS 2. Buy a new laptop I would prefer to go with the latter of the two, seeing as how I'm going to school in the fall for a Recording Arts degree, I figured I might as well upgrade finally. Now, I'm thinking either a MacBook 13" with: 2.4GHz Core2Duo, 4GB RAM, 250GB HDD(5400RPM), and of course the 3 year protection plan. With student discount- $1652 Or I could go with the MacBook Pro 15" with: 2.4GHz Core2Duo, 4GB RAM, 200GB HDD(7200RPM), and the 3 year plan. With student discount- $2308 Now here's my conundrum, if I go MacBook I will rely waaay too much on my processor-because the processor in the MB acts as a video card(there is no video card on the MB). But I don't want to pay $2300 for the MBP. So, what would you go with? Because I'm looking to be running Logic Pro 8 on either computer.
I realize you're most familiar with Macs and that you prefer the audio/video software available with Macs, but you can buy a Dell Inspiron Laptop with these exact same specifications for about $400 less, and it will have an actual non-integrated graphics card. Plus a 14.1" monitor instead of 13". And again, for about $525 less, you could buy a Dell XPS Laptop with the exact specifications (250 GB instead of 200 GB HDD, though). In all seriousness, you should just buy a Windows based laptop. They're a hell of a lot cheaper and easier to upgrade once they become outdated in 3-4 years. As for the problem of Logic Pro 8 being for Mac OS only, there are actually some comparable audio programs available for Windows. I don't know much about them, but there's a list of other applications similar to Logic Pro located here. But meh, you'll probably ignore all this and just stick with a Mac. I'd say go with whatever is cheaper, though I really dislike integrated graphics cards. Is the Mac Book Pro the only one that features an actual graphics card, or would such a thing be available for the lower end model? Edit: Actually, I also really dislike laptops, so I suggest you get a desktop instead. The iMac or whatever it is.
I would go with an iMac or a MacPro, but I need something I can take to class with me as well. Then again, I could always just re-install the OS on my iBook and get an iMac. I can at least transfer the stuff using my iBook. I understand your reasoning for getting a Windows based computer because it would be cheaper, but I've barely had to do any "upkeep" with my iBook in the 3 years that I've owned it and it's just now starting to crash. The first time it ever crashed was just last week. And considering that my iBook is considered the "low-end" of Macs, that's pretty freakin' good. 3 years, no crashes? Hell yeah. I'll take that for $500. I mean, the most upkeep I've had to do on my iBook was move all my music from my internal HDD to my external HDD. Also, I think that Mac OS X is far superior to XP or Vista; and that's not just based on everyone elses opinion. I'm the only Mac user in my family and I've had to deal with every version of Windows since 3.1 and honestly, none of them have ever come to close to even performing as well as Mac OS X. EDIT: Alright, I think I might go this route.... I will keep my iBook and re-install the OS on it and wipe it clean. Mainly so it can be used to takes notes and transfer data to and from classes. I will purchase 24" iMac with: 3.06GHz Core2Duo, 4GB 800MHz DDR SDRAM, 320GB ATA HDD, and the 3 year plan. Now, I can either stick with ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO w/ 256MB GDDR3 graphics card or I can upgrade, for $135 to the NiVidia GEForce GS 8800 w/ 512MB GDDR3. I'm trying to decide if that will be overkill or not. I mean, LP8 is demanding graphics-wise at times, but it's not that demanding. In total, (w/o the NiVidia card) it would be $2178.
That actually sounds like the perfect option. Get a newer desktop for more processor/graphics intensive programs and still have your laptop for every day stuff. I prefer Nvidia, and you may as well go with the extra RAM in your video card. At least it won't seem to wear get slower as the years go on. My six year old Dell PC has crashed maybe once a year, and that's because I'd do stupid shit and push it beyond its physical limits. I have no upkeep beyond a free firewall. It's easier to keep something clean than to clean up a huge mess. Yeah, Mac OS X is really really nice, I'll at least agree with that. Especially compared to shit like Windows ME or Vista. But for what I need my computer to do, XP hasn't failed me yet. Plus it looks better and handles more smoothly. I guess my only problem with it really is the price and the unfamiliarity. Also, I had a seething hatred of the school iMacs I had to use throughout middle school and high school, especially in my journalism class. I'd see that freaking window with the bomb on it so much, and it would give me so much lip about not having enough memory to open a Word document. But anyway, definitely go with the old laptop + brand new desktop setup for school.
This is the first time I've actually been able to have a discussion about Mac vs. PC without someone going off on me. Thanks! Also, I understand almost everything about computers, but when thing I've never understood is the ram on video cards. What's the purpose? Also, school computers in general usually suck. Be it Macs or PCs, they're going to suck, they always do.
try running diskwarrior on it. Do you have that? It probably won't fix this, but it's a nice program to have
The 3.06 GHz iMac is really nice. If I didn't need the portability, I'd get one. It compiled LLVM and Clang in 5 minutes. Versus 90 minutes on my poor PowerBook.
Well if a computer has an integrated video card, it just shares the ram and processor to run graphics and stuff. But if it has a separate card with its own RAM, that RAM is dedicated just to graphics processing. I guess it also kinda acts as a separate more specialized CPU. Edit: hah, a GPU not a CPU: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_processing_unit
So, thank you to Timmy and my Mac Master(someone on another forum), I've decided to go with a 24" iMac with a 2.8GHz Core2Duo, 4GB Ram,
So, thanks to Timmy and my MacGuru(a friend), I've decided to go with a 24" iMac with: -2.8GHz Core2Duo -4GB RAM -256MB video card -500GB HDD It will definitely be a great buy and I should be ordering it within the week. [action=KamelReds]crosses fingers.[/action]
I went from 1GB to 4GB on my iMac and 2GB to 4GB on my MacBook Pro a month ago and it has made a world of difference. Didn't even cost that much. Which reminds me, buy the RAM from Crucial or somewhere not Apple, it should save you considerable $$. A word of warning, on the 24" screen... the reason I opted for the 20" was because my MBP was a 15" and moving back and forth from such a huge display to one almost 10" smaller, I was afraid, would be too jarring. Might not bother you but it did me.
^Aye; Apple's not as overpriced as they used to be in terms of real $$, but proportionally just as expensive as ever. On the plus side though, they do use low-latency RAM, so the difference isn't quite as wide as it looks.
Yeah, I know my OS is hosed. I just have to find my freakin' re-install disc. D: I may go with the 20" though, cause it's cheaper. I mean, the thing that I'm going to be doing on it the most is obviously browsing, but I will also be editing/mixing/mastering music on it as well. What would you do in that situation? Should I go for the big screen? Or should I go for the normal sized one?
I've got a 20 inch intel imac (still white, pre-leopard) and it seems fine. I run camino in just over a half, and have itunes/lastfm in the top right, adium in the bottom right, and vlc take up the space in bottom right if I have it open. I'd say it gives a good amount of space for what you need. Garageband is full screen, but it just stretches out a bit more. No real biggie.
Only thing though, with the 20" I can't do the 2.8... I would have to do the 2.66. I mean, .14GHz shouldn't make that big of a difference, so I'll probably end up doing that anyways. Gah.
Yeah dude, big monitors are the rule. One thing I'm glad I invested in at work is good monitors for my people. Every one of them has dual 22" lcd's. Everyone. Well, except mother, who says it would confuse her. Is it wrong to want to fire your mother, or pay her not to come in?
I'm jealous of your financial ability to buy a new computer I've told myself I can't get a new one until I pay off the credit card that the last one was on. This is the second Powerbook G4 I've had, and it's really done wonderful things, as much as I try to do stupid things (although I haven't tried to change the MAC address on this one after I "lost" the Airport driver on the last one, and I'm getting better at terminal commands). I'd go with the bigger screen and the better processor. I would soooo like a MB for portability, but I'm used to the 15" screen on the Powerbook. I wouldn't know what to do with a 24" though! I probably won't get an iMac or Mac Pro just because I bring my PB everywhere with me.
