New Macs - Page 7

s0nic · 27th June 2006, 12:11

can you get the 2.0ghz (white) anywhere in nz yet? im still waiting for one.....been more than 2 weeks.

Kidona · 27th June 2006, 12:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by s0nic

can you get the 2.0ghz (white) anywhere in nz yet? im still waiting for one.....been more than 2 weeks.

Client just got her order in last week. She had been waiting for 4 weeks! Nothing sitting in stock at the moment as pre orders are still flying out the door first for the 2ghz white.

Kidona · 27th June 2006, 12:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hannibal

Damn, that's pretty good. I have heard the macs are picky about ram so let us know if it works..

Yeah will keep you posted Hannibal.

Was a bitch to get the memory modules in though. As read in this forum you have to push damn hard to make sure they sit right.

Foggerty · 27th June 2006, 14:44

Magnum Mac in Welly have the Macbooks in store if people in the 04 want to go have a play.

$2,800 all up though - really] need to get work to send me to the States.

Clay · 27th June 2006, 15:09

If you get sent to the States can you hook me up with a MacBook

Biff · 27th June 2006, 19:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by s0nic

can you get the 2.0ghz (white) anywhere in nz yet? im still waiting for one.....been more than 2 weeks.

harvey norman has them in stock in akl 2ghz

homercles · 27th June 2006, 20:42

2GHz black in the Link Drive store (09).

AxioN · 27th June 2006, 22:00

Wow, never would've picked there'd be so many mac users / wannabe mac users on NZG. What's the deal, Is it because they run windows now?

I'm thinking about getting a laptop and I guess a mac would be alright, the price is quite high though (especially for the uber-sexy metal one ;o). Are we just paying for sexyness or are they a lot better than a 'normal' laptop? Someone sell me on one :P

homercles · 27th June 2006, 22:24

Running XP is handy if you have apps without Mac versions, or if you want to play games (probably more suited to the MacBook Pro/iMacs depending on the game). Personally I thought that would be a bonus but I've actually removed XP since I have no need for it anymore.

Selling points for me:
1 - Not Windows (security, registry sludge, etc etc)
2 - OS X is a pleasure to use and very easy to configure esp. networks. Connects to windows networks with no issues. Also it's damn pretty and even runs on the older machines. c.f. Vista and its requirements.
3 - iLife apps rock, especially iWeb. Front Row is great, too.
4 - Every app I use has a Mac version or a similar one that is the same or (usually) better.
5 - Size and weight: Thinner than Kate Moss after a crack binge and weighs even less

6 - The screen is high res (1280x800 for 13" widescreen =

) and very pretty.
7 - Price. Consider the features above and especially the included software, and its not too bad (though we get a bit shafted over here especially the Pros and the black MacBook).
8 - Performance of the 1.83GHz white (mine) is really good. Definitely get another 1GB of RAM though - especially if you want to run multiple desktops/Parallels/Aperture.
9 - Good resale value

I'm sure others have different ideas but for me it was a no-brainer and I haven't looked back.

The only downside is that I have Steve Jobs' next keynote in my calendar. I, for one, welcome my new Reality Distortion Field emitting overlord.

Bahamut · 27th June 2006, 22:45

I bought an Apple notebook (PowerBook 12") in early 2004 because I needed a computer and always thought I'd like to give a Mac a shot if I was ever going to get a notebook.

My main reason for the interest in the Apple notebooks was Mac OS X. I was never really interested in Mac OS before because my High School was still using Classic Macs until 1999. I had used Mac OS 9 at University in 2000, but I wasn't too happy working in that either, I think that was mostly due to the fact that Uni had the infamous Hockey Puck mouse. Anyhow, my interest was sparked because of the sexy Mac OS X interface and of course the UNIX foundation.

Since I took the plunge and bought a Mac, I haven't regretted it for a second. It is easily the most user friendly OS I have ever used. A few things caught me out when I first started, but once you get past them and get into day-to-day use, it all just makes sense. It's easy to manage your windows when multi-tasking (how many people do you know who just run all their MS Windows applications in full screen?). The amount of maintenance I've needed to do on my machine since I got it has been very minimal. I haven't had to worry about getting antivirus or anti-spyware software.

I think now that the Intel Macs are available, that it's all the better for the consumer who still needs to use Windows for some applications. I am going to sell my PC soon so that I can get a new Apple as a complete replacement. In New Zealand I think the Apples are a bit expensive (I bought mine there and nearly choked when I moved here and saw the price difference). Here in Australia, you're definitely getting a good bang for your buck when you compare a Core Duo MacBook with any PC equivalent. Plus you get the added bonus of Mac OS X and all of the other Applications which you get with new Apple hardware for free.

I don't know what else to say really, other than give it a go.

Kickass · 27th June 2006, 23:17

I had windows on my macbook pro for about 3weeks , now i have removed it.

OS X is only OS anyone needs, its just awesome.

Simon · 28th June 2006, 00:10

Right now the only reason I boot to Windows is to

a) play Warcraft III (which I haven't yet had time to do, so the point is moot);

b) run Adobe Audition, an audio-processing app for which I haven't yet found an OS X equivalent.

Day-to-day I use the MS Office 2004 suite (so Entourage for mail); Google Calendar subscribed in iCal for calendaring; Camino for browsing; iTunes for listening to music while I work. Having a bash prompt one click away is the awesome.

Kanz · 28th June 2006, 00:39

What are the advantages of Camino over Safari or Firefox Mac? AFAIK Safari is now supported by Google Calendar.

Kidona · 28th June 2006, 00:43

I started learning how to use a Mac back in 2000 as I was running out of excuses to get a pay rise while working for an advertising agency. I was hired to do the PC side and we outsourced our Mac issues to a company called Imagetext, figured if we paid these guys x amount then I might as well learn that stuff and redirect the x amount in to my pockets.

6 Years on and i'm glad I made that choice as the knowledge I learnt has allowed me to become self employed and has enabled me to pickup a lot of Mac support work for design companies around Auckland, being cross platform has helped heaps and I encourage people to learn how to use them as I guarantee there will be a lot of support work around once Apple's market share grows and by reading this forum alone it sounds like the growth has already started.

Simon · 28th June 2006, 00:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanz

What are the advantages of Camino over Safari or Firefox Mac? AFAIK Safari is now supported by Google Calendar.

Camino's basically Firefox rewritten for OS X. They're both based on the Mozilla codebase. Something about Camino just FEELS nicer, to me. I can't really put my finger on it.

Bahamut · 28th June 2006, 01:13

I have been using Safari since I started using Mac OS X, I have tried Firefox and Camino, which when I first started using Mac OS X weren't all that great... Safari just does everything I need, so I haven't really gone back.

Simon · 28th June 2006, 13:09

Yeah, but that brushed-metal look is so fucking ugly

BadNova · 28th June 2006, 13:38

You don't like the brushed metal look and you bought a Mac?

Bahamut · 28th June 2006, 13:50

There are hacks you can use to remove the brushed metal look if you really want to. I'm not really bothered by it at all, it's a good browser, and it passes the Acid2 Browser Test test.

Hannibal · 28th June 2006, 15:08

whoa, Camino is slick. sets to default browser...

Hannibal · 28th June 2006, 15:27

today is a good day, my 2gigs of ram for my core duo mini just arrived in the mail, and i noticed 10.4.7 has been released.

surgery time.. I've never opened up a mini so this should be interesting.

Kidona · 28th June 2006, 15:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hannibal

today is a good day, my 2gigs of ram for my core duo mini just arrived in the mail, and i noticed 10.4.7 has been released.

surgery time.. I've never opened up a mini so this should be interesting.

How much Ram did you have before the upgrade Hannibal?

Hannibal · 28th June 2006, 17:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kidona

How much Ram did you have before the upgrade Hannibal?

ok ram is installed and she's runnin like a dream, beyond my expectations. I had 512 previously and it was painful. I could not run safari, firefox, dreamweaver, and photoshop without horrible bouts of pizza wheel. with 2 gigs i am right now running safari, camino, fetch, dreamweaver, photoshop, parallels with xp running several xp apps and office 2004 word. Absolutely no lag at all and still 500meg free. lovin it..

s0nic · 29th June 2006, 14:41

does anyone know what the deal is bringing a laptop from overseas? ive got a few friends visiting the states in the next couple months. i could save big time if i could they could bring one in.

do i have to pay for gst/tax etc?

Foggerty · 29th June 2006, 14:45

As I understand it, if they think its a personal belonging they're not going to bother. i.e. I've been through customs a couple of times now with a work laptop and no one cared.

However, if your mates put it in their suitcase still in its original box there could be money involved

s0nic · 29th June 2006, 15:07

so when you brought it over, did you remove it from the packaging etc?
i can always get my mate to say its theirs.....i dont think hes going to bring more than 1 over..

Hannibal · 29th June 2006, 16:08

I would have him ditch the box and buy a nice bag for it instead. He can carry it on no probs.

homercles · 29th June 2006, 17:06

Mine was brought across out of the box & had no issues.

s0nic · 29th June 2006, 17:36

another quick question : if i bought this in japan, would anything be incomatible? i assume not and ill just have to change the language settings...?

Foggerty · 29th June 2006, 18:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by s0nic

so when you brought it over, did you remove it from the packaging etc?
i can always get my mate to say its theirs.....i dont think hes going to bring more than 1 over..

As I said, work laptop, so it was already in its carry bag and well used

Hannibal · 29th June 2006, 20:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by s0nic

another quick question : if i bought this in japan, would anything be incomatible? i assume not and ill just have to change the language settings...?

Friend of mine is having hassles buying one in Japan, something about them needing 2 days to swap out the keyboard.. He also says they are rude as hell and don't want his business.

s0nic · 30th June 2006, 09:41

keyboard swappped?
not sure what you mean..

[LvN]N3misiS · 30th June 2006, 10:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by s0nic

keyboard swappped?
not sure what you mean..

I assume it's because japanese people type on... uh i don't know... japanese keyboards.

s0nic · 30th June 2006, 11:53

oh true.hahaha

Tony Blair · 1st July 2006, 01:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon

Yeah, but that brushed-metal look is so fucking ugly

That's easy to fix. Obviously, make a backup copy of Safari first.
1. Install XCode (if you're a Unix guru you want this anyway, it installs GCC)
2. Find Safari in the Finder, right click and choose 'show package contents'
3. Navigate Contents --> Resources --> English.lproj
4. Double-click Browser.nib, this should open up Interface Builder (part of XCode)
5. In the 'Window' view (which should open by default), go to the Tools menu and click 'Show Inspector'
6. Untick 'Has Texture'
7. Save the changes, quit and reload Safari. Voila

7a. You might want to repeat the exercise with Downloads.nib to get a consistent look and feel

Sure, you could install a utility that takes away brushed metal, but it's better to do it this way as you'll get an idea of how to customise the look and feel of any OS X application with Apple's own developer tools.

If you get into it you can fiddle around with all sorts of stuff. Don't like the menu structure of your most frequently used apps? Change it!

Macs are cool

Spidey · 1st July 2006, 01:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon

Right now the only reason I boot to Windows is to

a) play Warcraft III (which I haven't yet had time to do, so the point is moot);

b) run Adobe Audition, an audio-processing app for which I haven't yet found an OS X equivalent.

Day-to-day I use the MS Office 2004 suite (so Entourage for mail); Google Calendar subscribed in iCal for calendaring; Camino for browsing; iTunes for listening to music while I work. Having a bash prompt one click away is the awesome.

Isn't Warcraft one of the few games you can play on the mac OS?

Bahamut · 1st July 2006, 01:23

No Intel binaries yet AFAIK.

Dunno how it runs under Rosetta, but I wouldn't think it would be amazing on a MacBook.

Jian001 · 1st July 2006, 01:37

warcraft runs very well on rosetta. bumped up everything and it's still silky smooth. i can't seem to figure out how to turn on AA tho :|

MACHINE · 1st July 2006, 10:32

Ah its great to see so many people have seen the light. I have always said that when you own a mac you have a weird emotional bond with it which you just dont get with a pc

Its almost like it has a personality

Agree?

Kanz · 1st July 2006, 10:41

let's not get carried away.

27th June 2006, 12:11	#241
s0nic	can you get the 2.0ghz (white) anywhere in nz yet? im still waiting for one.....been more than 2 weeks.

27th June 2006, 14:44	#244
Foggerty	Magnum Mac in Welly have the Macbooks in store if people in the 04 want to go have a play. $2,800 all up though - really] need to get work to send me to the States.

27th June 2006, 15:09	#245
Clay	If you get sent to the States can you hook me up with a MacBook

27th June 2006, 20:42	#247
homercles	2GHz black in the Link Drive store (09). __________________ Relax... The Sand People frighten easily, but they'll be back, and in greater numbers.

27th June 2006, 22:00	#248
AxioN	Wow, never would've picked there'd be so many mac users / wannabe mac users on NZG. What's the deal, Is it because they run windows now? I'm thinking about getting a laptop and I guess a mac would be alright, the price is quite high though (especially for the uber-sexy metal one ;o). Are we just paying for sexyness or are they a lot better than a 'normal' laptop? Someone sell me on one :P

27th June 2006, 22:24	#249
homercles	Running XP is handy if you have apps without Mac versions, or if you want to play games (probably more suited to the MacBook Pro/iMacs depending on the game). Personally I thought that would be a bonus but I've actually removed XP since I have no need for it anymore. Selling points for me: 1 - Not Windows (security, registry sludge, etc etc) 2 - OS X is a pleasure to use and very easy to configure esp. networks. Connects to windows networks with no issues. Also it's damn pretty and even runs on the older machines. c.f. Vista and its requirements. 3 - iLife apps rock, especially iWeb. Front Row is great, too. 4 - Every app I use has a Mac version or a similar one that is the same or (usually) better. 5 - Size and weight: Thinner than Kate Moss after a crack binge and weighs even less 6 - The screen is high res (1280x800 for 13" widescreen = ) and very pretty. 7 - Price. Consider the features above and especially the included software, and its not too bad (though we get a bit shafted over here especially the Pros and the black MacBook). 8 - Performance of the 1.83GHz white (mine) is really good. Definitely get another 1GB of RAM though - especially if you want to run multiple desktops/Parallels/Aperture. 9 - Good resale value I'm sure others have different ideas but for me it was a no-brainer and I haven't looked back. The only downside is that I have Steve Jobs' next keynote in my calendar. I, for one, welcome my new Reality Distortion Field emitting overlord. __________________ Relax... The Sand People frighten easily, but they'll be back, and in greater numbers.

27th June 2006, 22:45	#250
Bahamut The Lord of the Dragons	I bought an Apple notebook (PowerBook 12") in early 2004 because I needed a computer and always thought I'd like to give a Mac a shot if I was ever going to get a notebook. My main reason for the interest in the Apple notebooks was Mac OS X. I was never really interested in Mac OS before because my High School was still using Classic Macs until 1999. I had used Mac OS 9 at University in 2000, but I wasn't too happy working in that either, I think that was mostly due to the fact that Uni had the infamous Hockey Puck mouse. Anyhow, my interest was sparked because of the sexy Mac OS X interface and of course the UNIX foundation. Since I took the plunge and bought a Mac, I haven't regretted it for a second. It is easily the most user friendly OS I have ever used. A few things caught me out when I first started, but once you get past them and get into day-to-day use, it all just makes sense. It's easy to manage your windows when multi-tasking (how many people do you know who just run all their MS Windows applications in full screen?). The amount of maintenance I've needed to do on my machine since I got it has been very minimal. I haven't had to worry about getting antivirus or anti-spyware software. I think now that the Intel Macs are available, that it's all the better for the consumer who still needs to use Windows for some applications. I am going to sell my PC soon so that I can get a new Apple as a complete replacement. In New Zealand I think the Apples are a bit expensive (I bought mine there and nearly choked when I moved here and saw the price difference). Here in Australia, you're definitely getting a good bang for your buck when you compare a Core Duo MacBook with any PC equivalent. Plus you get the added bonus of Mac OS X and all of the other Applications which you get with new Apple hardware for free. I don't know what else to say really, other than give it a go.

27th June 2006, 23:17	#251
Kickass	I had windows on my macbook pro for about 3weeks , now i have removed it. OS X is only OS anyone needs, its just awesome.

28th June 2006, 00:10	#252
Simon SHG	Right now the only reason I boot to Windows is to a) play Warcraft III (which I haven't yet had time to do, so the point is moot); b) run Adobe Audition, an audio-processing app for which I haven't yet found an OS X equivalent. Day-to-day I use the MS Office 2004 suite (so Entourage for mail); Google Calendar subscribed in iCal for calendaring; Camino for browsing; iTunes for listening to music while I work. Having a bash prompt one click away is the awesome.

28th June 2006, 00:39	#253
Kanz	What are the advantages of Camino over Safari or Firefox Mac? AFAIK Safari is now supported by Google Calendar.

28th June 2006, 00:43	#254
Kidona	I started learning how to use a Mac back in 2000 as I was running out of excuses to get a pay rise while working for an advertising agency. I was hired to do the PC side and we outsourced our Mac issues to a company called Imagetext, figured if we paid these guys x amount then I might as well learn that stuff and redirect the x amount in to my pockets. 6 Years on and i'm glad I made that choice as the knowledge I learnt has allowed me to become self employed and has enabled me to pickup a lot of Mac support work for design companies around Auckland, being cross platform has helped heaps and I encourage people to learn how to use them as I guarantee there will be a lot of support work around once Apple's market share grows and by reading this forum alone it sounds like the growth has already started.

28th June 2006, 01:13	#256
Bahamut The Lord of the Dragons	I have been using Safari since I started using Mac OS X, I have tried Firefox and Camino, which when I first started using Mac OS X weren't all that great... Safari just does everything I need, so I haven't really gone back.

28th June 2006, 13:09	#257
Simon SHG	Yeah, but that brushed-metal look is so fucking ugly

28th June 2006, 13:38	#258
BadNova	You don't like the brushed metal look and you bought a Mac?

28th June 2006, 13:50	#259
Bahamut The Lord of the Dragons	There are hacks you can use to remove the brushed metal look if you really want to. I'm not really bothered by it at all, it's a good browser, and it passes the Acid2 Browser Test test.

28th June 2006, 15:08	#260
Hannibal	whoa, Camino is slick. sets to default browser...

28th June 2006, 15:27	#261
Hannibal	today is a good day, my 2gigs of ram for my core duo mini just arrived in the mail, and i noticed 10.4.7 has been released. surgery time.. I've never opened up a mini so this should be interesting.

29th June 2006, 14:41	#264
s0nic	does anyone know what the deal is bringing a laptop from overseas? ive got a few friends visiting the states in the next couple months. i could save big time if i could they could bring one in. do i have to pay for gst/tax etc?

29th June 2006, 14:45	#265
Foggerty	As I understand it, if they think its a personal belonging they're not going to bother. i.e. I've been through customs a couple of times now with a work laptop and no one cared. However, if your mates put it in their suitcase still in its original box there could be money involved

29th June 2006, 15:07	#266
s0nic	so when you brought it over, did you remove it from the packaging etc? i can always get my mate to say its theirs.....i dont think hes going to bring more than 1 over..

29th June 2006, 16:08	#267
Hannibal	I would have him ditch the box and buy a nice bag for it instead. He can carry it on no probs.

29th June 2006, 17:06	#268
homercles	Mine was brought across out of the box & had no issues. __________________ Relax... The Sand People frighten easily, but they'll be back, and in greater numbers.

29th June 2006, 17:36	#269
s0nic	another quick question : if i bought this in japan, would anything be incomatible? i assume not and ill just have to change the language settings...?

30th June 2006, 09:41	#272
s0nic	keyboard swappped? not sure what you mean..

1st July 2006, 01:23	#277
Bahamut The Lord of the Dragons	No Intel binaries yet AFAIK. Dunno how it runs under Rosetta, but I wouldn't think it would be amazing on a MacBook.

1st July 2006, 01:37	#278
Jian001	warcraft runs very well on rosetta. bumped up everything and it's still silky smooth. i can't seem to figure out how to turn on AA tho :\|

1st July 2006, 10:32	#279
MACHINE	Ah its great to see so many people have seen the light. I have always said that when you own a mac you have a weird emotional bond with it which you just dont get with a pc Its almost like it has a personality Agree?