GreekChat.com Forums  

Go Back   GreekChat.com Forums > General Chat Topics > Chit Chat

Chit Chat The Chit Chat forum is for discussions that do not fit into the forum topics listed below.


Register Now for FREE!
Join GreekChat.com, The Fraternity & Sorority Greek Chat Network. To sign up for your FREE account INSTANTLY fill out the form below!

Username: Password: Confirm Password: E-Mail: Confirm E-Mail:
 
Image Verification
Please enter the six letters or digits that appear in the image opposite.

  I agree to forum rules 

» GC Stats
Members: 325,125
Threads: 115,503
Posts: 2,196,047
Welcome to our newest member, PiperJarma
» Online Users: 1,656
2 members and 1,654 guests
Overthinker, Sister Havana
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #16  
Old 08-29-2011, 01:58 PM
shirley1929 shirley1929 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 655
I too, went kicking & screaming into the Mac world. I got a baseline MacBook about 6 years ago and I still have it. Had one hard drive failure about 6mos ago (so, after 5+ years) but had a wonderful external backup. $150 later, I was back up & running completely (and with a larger hard drive!).

We will be Mac users for life in my house!
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 08-29-2011, 02:19 PM
shirley1929 shirley1929 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 655
Apologies for the double-post, but thought I would also through an additional plug in for Apple. The Genius Bar at the Apple store is...well...genius! The fact that you can go sit with a LIVE person and get help for free is wonderful! They have all sorts of classes you can take to get you on your feet as well.

The other thing I love is that my 70 year old Mom can go in there and they do not talk to her like she's a moron. Which, she would be the first to tell you that she IS, in fact, a moron when it comes to computers.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 08-29-2011, 02:35 PM
ASTalumna06 ASTalumna06 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 6,290
Quote:
Originally Posted by DubaiSis View Post
I meant your favorite person who IS a geek, not one of the many companies who use geek in their name. In general they are not very highly reputed, although I'm sure there are some out there that are fine.
Haha oh, ok. I thought that because you mentioned Best Buy and geek within the same sentence that you were referring specifically to their Geek Squad. I think one of my friends actually used to work for them anyway (and while I think he's one of the smartest people I know, I wouldn't call him a geek ), so maybe I'll ask him.

And what is the difference between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air (besides size, weight and price), that would relate to my needs in a laptop?

(Btw.. I should have also mentioned that while I'm very good in dealing with the software side of computers, when you start talking about things like RAM and GBs, I need you to talk to me as if I'm a 5-year-old)
__________________
I believe in the values of friendship and fidelity to purpose

@~/~~~~
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 08-29-2011, 02:41 PM
ASTalumna06 ASTalumna06 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 6,290
Quote:
Originally Posted by shirley1929 View Post
Apologies for the double-post, but thought I would also through an additional plug in for Apple. The Genius Bar at the Apple store is...well...genius! The fact that you can go sit with a LIVE person and get help for free is wonderful! They have all sorts of classes you can take to get you on your feet as well.

The other thing I love is that my 70 year old Mom can go in there and they do not talk to her like she's a moron. Which, she would be the first to tell you that she IS, in fact, a moron when it comes to computers.
That would be perfect for me! Lol
__________________
I believe in the values of friendship and fidelity to purpose

@~/~~~~
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 08-29-2011, 02:49 PM
AOII Angel AOII Angel is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Santa Monica/Beverly Hills
Posts: 8,636
Quote:
Originally Posted by ASTalumna06 View Post
Haha oh, ok. I thought that because you mentioned Best Buy and geek within the same sentence that you were referring specifically to their Geek Squad. I think one of my friends actually used to work for them anyway (and while I think he's one of the smartest people I know, I wouldn't call him a geek ), so maybe I'll ask him.

And what is the difference between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air (besides size, weight and price), that would relate to my needs in a laptop?

(Btw.. I should have also mentioned that while I'm very good in dealing with the software side of computers, when you start talking about things like RAM and GBs, I need you to talk to me as if I'm a 5-year-old)
The only real difference is that you don't have any drives. If you don't plan to use any CD-ROMs or DVDs, then you shouldn't have a problem. I've never looked to see if it has a USB drive. (I would think it's too thin for even that.) BTW, HP is getting out of the laptop game.
__________________

AOII

One Motto, One Badge, One Bond and Singleness of Heart!




Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 08-29-2011, 02:56 PM
Xylochick216 Xylochick216 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: just another day in paradise...
Posts: 2,225
Quote:
Originally Posted by AOII Angel View Post
BTW, HP is getting out of the laptop game.
Thank goodness. I had an HP that I bought in 2001 that I loved, but the one I got in 2008 died just after the 1 year warranty ran out. The computer ran a bit hot (which was normal according to HP support) but it ended up frying the motherboard. Same thing happened to my husband's. We've both switched to Macbook Pros and we're ridiculously happy. We got the Pro for the aluminum body, DVD-ROM, and USB and memory card ports. It took my husband about 2 days to get used to it (he'd never touched a Mac before, aside from one at elementary school in the 80s). We'll never switch back.

At my office, we just purchased Acer laptops that we dock during the day. It's a bit heavier than my Macbook, but I've been happy with it for the past 3 months. I switch back and forth between the Mac and Acer with no issues.
__________________
AlphaChiOmega
Life Loyal
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 08-29-2011, 03:50 PM
unarose unarose is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Alabama’s Renaissance City
Posts: 312
Quote:
Originally Posted by AOII Angel View Post
The only real difference is that you don't have any drives. If you don't plan to use any CD-ROMs or DVDs, then you shouldn't have a problem. I've never looked to see if it has a USB drive. (I would think it's too thin for even that.) BTW, HP is getting out of the laptop game.
I believe the MacBook Air does have at least one USB port—and the good thing there is that if you really need more than one when you're at home, you can get a decent USB hub to plug into it. I have a hub for my MacBook Pro 13" because two USB ports isn't always enough for my mouse, printer, external hard drive, iPods, and my Droid phone.
__________________
Sigma Alpha Iota
Lambda Psi Charter Member/Alumna

Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 08-29-2011, 03:52 PM
AOII Angel AOII Angel is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Santa Monica/Beverly Hills
Posts: 8,636
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xylochick216 View Post
Thank goodness. I had an HP that I bought in 2001 that I loved, but the one I got in 2008 died just after the 1 year warranty ran out. The computer ran a bit hot (which was normal according to HP support) but it ended up frying the motherboard. Same thing happened to my husband's. We've both switched to Macbook Pros and we're ridiculously happy. We got the Pro for the aluminum body, DVD-ROM, and USB and memory card ports. It took my husband about 2 days to get used to it (he'd never touched a Mac before, aside from one at elementary school in the 80s). We'll never switch back.

At my office, we just purchased Acer laptops that we dock during the day. It's a bit heavier than my Macbook, but I've been happy with it for the past 3 months. I switch back and forth between the Mac and Acer with no issues.
My mom had the same experience with a Dell. She got one for her birthday. Took a long time to boot up. Never worked well. Ran hot. Fried the motherboard. They actually replaced it. After a year, it died again. I think my dad bought her a different one and bought more than just the basement model. I think she barely uses it now between her iPhone and Kindle.

Quote:
Originally Posted by unarose
I believe the MacBook Air does have at least one USB port
That's impressive. It's pretty dang thin!
__________________

AOII

One Motto, One Badge, One Bond and Singleness of Heart!





Last edited by AOII Angel; 08-29-2011 at 03:55 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 08-29-2011, 04:14 PM
DubaiSis DubaiSis is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Back in the Heartland
Posts: 5,424
Quote:
Originally Posted by ASTalumna06 View Post
Haha oh, ok. I thought that because you mentioned Best Buy and geek within the same sentence that you were referring specifically to their Geek Squad. I think one of my friends actually used to work for them anyway (and while I think he's one of the smartest people I know, I wouldn't call him a geek ), so maybe I'll ask him.
I use the term geek with only the most love and affection. As an honorific if you will.
__________________
"Traveling - It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller. ~ Ibn Battuta
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 08-29-2011, 04:16 PM
Munchkin03 Munchkin03 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Home.
Posts: 8,256
Quote:
Originally Posted by AOII Angel View Post
That's impressive. It's pretty dang thin!
It's got 2 USB ports and a Thunderbolt, as well as an SD card slot.

I was shying away from the MacBook Air because it didn't have drives--but this is sounding better and better.
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 08-29-2011, 04:51 PM
christiangirl christiangirl is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: in the midst of a 90s playlist
Posts: 9,816
I've only known one person with an Acer and she wasn't impressed. It wasn't a bad computer just everything (the OS, the speed, the display, etc) was mediocre. After the pop and sizzle of other computers, mediocre = torture for her.
__________________
"We have letters. You have dreams." ~Senusret I

"My dreams have become letters." ~christiangirl
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 08-29-2011, 06:33 PM
KSig RC KSig RC is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Who you calling "boy"? The name's Hand Banana . . .
Posts: 6,981
Quote:
Originally Posted by Munchkin03 View Post
It's got 2 USB ports and a Thunderbolt, as well as an SD card slot.

I was shying away from the MacBook Air because it didn't have drives--but this is sounding better and better.
In a lot of ways, you should consider the MacBook Air in the same vein as a netbook ... unless you're a "power user" you'll be using it in basically the same way.

Like most Apple products, it's smooth as hell though.
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 08-29-2011, 06:44 PM
AGDee AGDee is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 15,390
I prefer Dells and Acers to other brands personally. I have a hard time dealing with Macs at all. I am firmly a Windows or Linux person but that's due to familiarity, I'm sure. I just don't know how to do anything on a Mac and I don't find it intuitive. If you need to interface with a work system, be sure that if you do decide on a Mac, that you can do what you need to do for work. Lots of people I worked with at my last job were very upset when they spent $1500 on a Mac to find that they still needed a Windows based laptop to work from home.

I'm a very, very heavy user and my Dell laptop is doing phenomenally.

ALL laptops these days run hot. I was told that's why they started calling them notebooks. You cannot use it on your lap or on a soft surface because you'll block the air flow for the fans for the processor and it will fry. Fast processors are hot, that's life.
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 08-29-2011, 08:01 PM
DaffyKD DaffyKD is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: When you find me, please let me know
Posts: 1,023
Quote:
Originally Posted by shirley1929 View Post
Apologies for the double-post, but thought I would also through an additional plug in for Apple. The Genius Bar at the Apple store is...well...genius! The fact that you can go sit with a LIVE person and get help for free is wonderful! They have all sorts of classes you can take to get you on your feet as well.

The other thing I love is that my 70 year old Mom can go in there and they do not talk to her like she's a moron. Which, she would be the first to tell you that she IS, in fact, a moron when it comes to computers.
I have always appreciated that they do not treat me like a moron when I go in with a problem of some kind. I have always been a windows advocate but the change over was really very easy.

DaffyKD
__________________
KD
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 08-29-2011, 10:45 PM
VandalSquirrel VandalSquirrel is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,945
I'm both a mac and PC user, and only have portable machines. I have had one problem with my Mac in the almost three years I have had it, and it was fixed quickly & easily. I had a Dell laptop from 2005 that the Mac replaced in 2008, but picked up a Dell netbook with some crazy rebates & deals about a year and a half ago for about $100. I have a monitor, wireless keyboard, and wireless mouse I can use with both machines and swap them out at home depending on what I'm working on.

I love the netbook for traveling, especially in the field as space and weight are a concern. As mentioned it has no CD or DVD drive, and I didn't purchase one as I can just use my portable hard drives to transfer anything by using another computer, even my Mac. I figure since I paid so little for my netbook, if it gets broken or lost I've gotten more than my money's worth. They keyboard I use is also great for portability, it is the Microsoft Arc, which is very light and flat, comes in a little case, and is great if I want to work elsewhere.

The reason I have both is the work and research I do is easier to accomplish with both machines. When I'm manipulating and cleaning up images, the Mac is amazing, but for some GIS uses PC is the way to go. I'm constantly using MS Office programs and documents between the two with no problems, but I have easy access to the newest versions due to my University affiliation.

The one really dumb thing on my netbook is the port for the monitor cable doesn't have any holes for the screws to attach, so I only use it on my little stand. I use the same stand for both machines, it doesn't fan capabilities but it keeps it cool. I love having dual screens for working, and my biggest issue is keeping my cats off the table/desk. I know quite a few people who have netbooks and think they are the bee's knees, and they actually stream netflix to watch movies. I had both the netbook and Mac hooked up to my television before I bought a new DVD player & netflix streamed through it fine.

Last thing I thought of, make sure to get a good case when you buy it. If you plan on toting it around, I have found Built NY bags/sleeves to be great, and though they have a high price point I found mine on sale at Staples, and REI, and I've seen them in discount places like Ross & TJ Maxx. I'm a huge fan of The Hoodie as you can slip the cords & such in the pouch and there are no zippers. I did get a great one from our campus store, but that was just because they had a sale, a coupon, it was the last of the older style, and it was VANDALIZED.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Laptop suggestions... Kevin Chit Chat 18 04-11-2007 03:28 PM
Buying a Laptop, but what should I get? Senusret I Chit Chat 17 08-25-2006 01:58 PM
Cheap Laptop? Drolefille Chit Chat 2 06-29-2006 05:45 PM
Selling my laptop bjriffel Sigma Chi 0 04-02-2005 02:32 AM
My laptop was stolen AlphaSigLana Chit Chat 8 09-20-2002 04:55 PM



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:18 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.