Mac Users Of Mtc (apple: Go Ahead, Take A Bite!)

[boomouse]

Hi sir Boom

 

Galing mo mag Filipino hehehe... I had to read some parts twice to understand the sentences. Anyway, I need your advice on something, and since you have never failed to present a logical view on things, I would really appreciate your opinion. My old macbook is due (in my opinion) for replacement later this year. Of course, I would prefer replacing it with another MAC, but the economical cheap part of me is thinking, why not just get an Acer or an HP that is about a third of the price of a Mac? Then just use the rest of the money left over for the budgeted Mac and upgrade or something? I mean i enjoy using my mac without much fear of viruses, system crashes, compatibility issues... but is 40thousand pesos additional worth it? Or are we all just being snobs by preferring a mac over a pc? Please humor me, I know I sound stupid, being a mac user and asking this, but this debate has been playing around in my head. Thoughts anyone? Help me from falling over back to the dark side

 

Thank you for the compliment but I had several nosebleeds writing that last reply. I had no choice. The question was posed in Pilipino so common courtesy dictates that I respond in Pilipino. I grew up in a household that taught me to reply in the same language that I was addressed with because it would be insulting to the other person to respond to him in a language he may not be comfortable with. For example, "non parlez vous Français" would be my stock answer to a question from a Frenchman.

 

But back to your question. Buying a Mac is really a question of economics but the economics affects people in different ways. You simply have to assign values not just to the tangible product but to the intangibles as well. You probably have heard of the Microsoft campaign that talks about the extra price you pay for a Mac as the "Apple Tax". I think that the amount of money you might save in not buying a Mac is rightfullly referred to as the "Microsoft Discount".

 

If you are looking only at store prices, you will pay more for a Mac. But have you every bought a big ticket item on pure price alone? Would you buy a Toyota instead of a BMW on pure price alone assuming you have the money to buy either? I don't think so. You don't just compare specifications and prices. You inspect the cars in person. Sit in the cars and feel how your body fits in the seats. Open and close the doors to see which one makes a more solid sound. You smell the interior and notice that one brands 'new car' smell is like adhesive and cerbon tetrachloride while the other's smells like fine leather. You see how the controls fall to hand. Then you invariably ask your wife or girlfriend or even just the sales staff if you look good being seen inside it.

 

All told, you will end up buying the car that you think best fits your preferences, and the personality that wish to project to anyone who might see you in it.

 

In the way you posed your question, you seemed to have assumed that the quality of a Mac is the same as that of an Acer or HP. That's like saying that all bicycles are the same. That the China-made mountain bikes are just as good as say, an Ellesworth or Colnago. They're not. One of them is likely to break down at the wrong place at the wrong time and probably k*ll you.

 

There are hidden costs too. Provided you are reasonably responsible about where you click, you won't need anti-virus software on a Mac. And you don't have to fiddle with pirated software for most of what you do because iLife (and probably iWork) comes with the Mac and its is legit.

 

Then there is your productivity. You time must be worth something right? Never mind all the crapware you get preinstalled on a Windows laptop. I have one of those too and every six months, the only way to get it working well again is to do a clean reinstall of the OS. Every six months because Windows has a nasty habit of slowing down with use. One of my Macs is a 2007 Macbook Pro and it never even needed a restart for probably the last 12 months.

 

I have been in a position in the past where I had to grit my teeth and do with a Windows computer and that was because I could not afford a Mac at the time that I needed to buy another laptop. And that is not something to be ashamed of. It is what it is.

 

If you find yourself in a situation where you can make better use of the price difference you must be true to yourself and live without a new Mac for a while.

 

thanks for the opinion sir!

 

gagamitin ko din sana sa work, my cousin uses a mac and he said the macs are great especially on presentations... sobrang ganda tlga pang present ng mga reports mu....

 

anyway, i also visited apple stores and checked the prices.... nabasa ko pa about snow leopard....

 

But do you also do client presentations? A Mac not only allows you to make great looking presentations (Keynote is superior to Powerpoint) but it also makes a statement for you in the minds of your audience. They will assume that you are respected enough by your employer to either pay you a high enough salary to let you afford a Mac or that you are considered valuable enough to warrant a Mac on company account. Either way, you proceed with your presentation with some shock and awe on your side.

 

one more question po sana regarding mac, pede po ba gamitin ung USB broadband ng Sun? kasi sinubukan namin ng pinsan ko pero nde namin mapagana. sabi nya pede daw pero nde namin napagana sa mac nya e....

 

You have to ask Sun if they have the drivers for their wireless USB modem for OS X.

 

nya ha ha !!! eh bossing 3 in 1 instant coffee lang iniinum ko. :thumbsupsmiley:

 

Baka naman UCC No. 177 ang 3-in-1 na iniinom mo?

Edited August 29, 2009 by boomouse

[gardeningmomma]

just got my apple macbook yesterday. yipee!!!!

 

so this is how it feels like. after using a mac for hours, you find yourself slowly hating your old pc. haha. i'm using the pc right now and i swear, even just setting it up made me want to k*ll myself. i know it's too soon but that's really how it feels.

[Manthao]

lahat ng kilala ko na nag-shift sa mac, pareho din ang cnsbi... ayaw na nila bumalik ng windows.... dhil sobrang ganda nga daw ng mac.... tpos lumabas pa ngaun ung snowleopard...

[GreenMan]

i want to upgrade to snow leopard. do i need an anti-virus software? just bought my Macbook Pro 13 couple of weeks ago..

tnx mga boss..

[boomouse]

i want to upgrade to snow leopard. do i need an anti-virus software? just bought my Macbook Pro 13 couple of weeks ago..

tnx mga boss..

 

You will have to make a realistic examination of how you use your computer and surf the net and decide if your practices make you prone to malware activity.

 

Snow Leopard already has built-in anti malware protection. Although the built-in malware protection into Apple’s Snow Leopard upgrade appears to be nothing more than a XProtect.plist file containing five signatures for two of the most popular Mac OS X trojans - OSX.RSPlug and OSX.Iserv.

 

Should you upgrade? Funny you had to ask...

 

By upgrading you save 6GB of hard disk space, get a speed increase, and benefit from the future use of Open CL in new applications. Open CL allows the powerful processor or GPU in your video card to be used as an additional processor. Like an additional core. Every Mac now has a GPU. SL also has a few other upgrades under the skin but you'll have to read about that elsewhere.

[serpentor_ph]

Baka naman UCC No. 177 ang 3-in-1 na iniinom mo?

 

Bossing di naman, nescafe 3 in 1 lang ako. Ako ay isa lamang busabos na mac user. :goatee:

Edited September 1, 2009 by serpentor_ph

[jayar]

Hello!

 

Looking to upgrade to Leopard. Not Snow Leopard mind you, PowerPC pa rin Mac ko.

 

Where are they still available? Checked several stores, including the apple online store, nada.

 

 

Thanks.

[boomouse]

Hello!

 

Looking to upgrade to Leopard. Not Snow Leopard mind you, PowerPC pa rin Mac ko.

 

Where are they still available? Checked several stores, including the apple online store, nada.

 

 

Thanks.

 

Apple Store in Greenbelt 3 had it a few weeks back. They still should.

[Manthao]

noob question: ok lang po gamitin ung macbook for downloads, i mean to use it overnight downloading files and stuff? or macbooks should not be use that way?

[boomouse]

noob question: ok lang po gamitin ung macbook for downloads, i mean to use it overnight downloading files and stuff? or macbooks should not be use that way?

 

Leaving your Macbook on for days on end should not be a problem unless you locate it in a place where:

1. There is inadequate airflow for it to cool down. Remember that the air vents of this computer are between the screen and the lower section, just behind the hinge.
   
2. The entire casing is a heat sink (which is why it is made of aluminium) so try to position it so that air can circulate around it. One trick I use is a pocketbook under the computer--effectively raising it a few millimeters. Do not rest your computer on top of anything soft like a pillow or blanket as that reduces heat dissipation.
   
3. Download SMC fan control (note there is a new version for Snow Leopard) so that you can override your sistem fan speed if you wish--at a penalty of shorter under-battery operation and noise (not an issue). I find this program handy as I try to not run the computer beyond a core temperature of 88°C (indicated in the menu bar). I also get the fans to go to full speed (6,000 rpm) at a lower temp and set a higher minimum fan speed from about 1500 rpm to 4000 rpm.
   
4. Be also careful about power brick placement. On top of carpet, bed, pillow or anything that might diminish cooling is a no-no. I buy those stick-on plastic feet at Ace Hardware and stick four on each side so anyway it land on the floor it is raised a few millimeters.
   
5. Finally, I must say that downloading is a wasteful use of your laptop. I use a Mac Mini which is on all the time for this. Before that, I bought a second hand iMac and used that.
   

I hope this helps.

[whabboi]

ok ba ang mac na laptop?

[Manthao]

Leaving your Macbook on for days on end should not be a problem unless you locate it in a place where:

1. There is inadequate airflow for it to cool down. Remember that the air vents of this computer are between the screen and the lower section, just behind the hinge.
   
2. The entire casing is a heat sink (which is why it is made of aluminium) so try to position it so that air can circulate around it. One trick I use is a pocketbook under the computer--effectively raising it a few millimeters. Do not rest your computer on top of anything soft like a pillow or blanket as that reduces heat dissipation.
   
3. Download SMC fan control (note there is a new version for Snow Leopard) so that you can override your sistem fan speed if you wish--at a penalty of shorter under-battery operation and noise (not an issue). I find this program handy as I try to not run the computer beyond a core temperature of 88°C (indicated in the menu bar). I also get the fans to go to full speed (6,000 rpm) at a lower temp and set a higher minimum fan speed from about 1500 rpm to 4000 rpm.
   
4. Be also careful about power brick placement. On top of carpet, bed, pillow or anything that might diminish cooling is a no-no. I buy those stick-on plastic feet at Ace Hardware and stick four on each side so anyway it land on the floor it is raised a few millimeters.
   
5. Finally, I must say that downloading is a wasteful use of your laptop. I use a Mac Mini which is on all the time for this. Before that, I bought a second hand iMac and used that.
   

I hope this helps.

 

 

 

thanks!

[boomouse]

ok ba ang mac na laptop?

 

Eh partner, dito ka nagtanong sa thread ng mga gumagamit ng Mac. Eh di malamang OK ang isasagot sa iyo. Depende na lang yan sa pakay ng pagtanong mo. Kung gusto makahanap ng sagot na kukumbinsi sa iyo na OK sya, eh di tama lang na dito ka nagtanong. Kung hinahanap mo naman eh mga dahilan para makumbinsi ka na hindo sya OK, doon ka sigura sa kabilang thread nagtanong.

 

Pero dito ka na lang. Dahil mas mahirap pagsisihan ang pagbili ng Mac kaisa sa pagbili mo ng computer na mas mura nga sa umpisa pero puro mura na naman ang aabutin sa iyo pagdating ng panahon.

 

=================

 

My Snow Leopard has Arrived!!

 

Finally. Amazon just delivered my Snow Leopard family pack today and I have installed it on my oldest Macbook Pro. Upgrade install from Leopard 10.5.8 was smooth and uneventful. It took 45 minutes and I am now using it to post to MTC.

1. Before installation of Snow Leopard [sN] I had 27GB of free space in the 128 GB SSD on this MBP, post-install, it tells me that 36GB is free. Now mind you, SN counts GBs differently. In SN, one GB is 1,000 M bytes when prior to this it was 1,024 M bytes. This is good because hard disk manufacturers use the 1GB:1,000 M bytes count. So your HD will appear to be bigger but I wonder if the files will appear to be bigger as well.
   
2. There is a very noticeable speed increase even when surfing especially when we consider that speed is highly influenced by bandwidth rather than software execution. Firefox which was definitely slower than Safari in Leopard, is much faster in SN (as fast as Safari in Leopard?) but Safari got a speed boost too.
   
3. Later in the evening, installed SN on four cascaded mac minis being used as file and xgrid servers at home. Uneventful upgrade and install. Took about one hour each.
   
4. Its true, while SN is 64-bit, it loads a 32-bit kernel just to make sure that some extensions (that may still be 32 bit) will work. You find out which ones if you go: About this Mac:More Info"Software:Extensions. I found that my airport driver, and phone sync software (the Missing Link for my infernally lousy, overpriced, HTC Touch Cruise phone). No matter, any 64-bit apps will load as 64-bit.
   

I think this issue with the kernel still running at 32 bits is a temporary issue. A measure that was taken to avoid the Vista experience of sudden and discovered incompatibilities with legacy software and hardware [people an off-tangent point I wish to make here on a frequent grammatical mistake among Filipinos: any word that ends in '-ware' is both singular and plural. Thus, it is incorrect to use SOFTWARES and the more horrible EQUIPMENTS to refer to more than one of such items. We can live without the 'S' at the end]. I expect that 64 bit versions of these extensions and apps will soon be rolled out as i know a lot of them are already in the pipeline.

 

At any rate, if any of you wish to run under the 64 bit kernel simply hold down the "6" and "4" keys on start up and the 64 bit kernel will load instead--but you may lose functionality in apps and extensions that are still 32 bit.

 

Adobe Photoshop is 32 bit on Mac OS [stupid Adobe] - apparently the only major app still in the dark ages. CS4 is supported under SN but Adobe has announced they are not supporting CS3. I have CS3 and I can say that with what I have tried, it works as advertised in SN with no hitches.

 

Why I seemed to be hung up on the 64-bit issue

 

Remember the Y2K issue? When doomsayers were predicting all sorts of digital disasters that would befall our computing systems if we do not change the way we digitally represent and store time? As it turned out, nothing major happened except for the major income of consultants and equipment suppliers.

 

Mac OS is based on code technology referred to within Apple as Darwin. Darwin is essentially the NextSTEP OS used by Steve Job's NeXT computer which is in turn based on the FreeBSD and Mach kernel — ergo UNIX.

 

Unix under 32-bit operation (remember most PCs were 8 bit and 16 bit only when UNIX was being developed) has what is called the 2038 problem. Because time is expressed as a 32-bit number, on January 19, 2038, the current time will roll over from a zero followed by 31 ones (0x7FFFFFFF) to a one followed by 31 zeros (0x80000000), which will reset time to the year 1901 or 1970, depending on implementation, because that toggles the sign bit. As many applications use OS library routines for date calculations, the impact of this could be felt much earlier than 2038; for instance, 30-year mortgages may have been calculated incorrectly beginning in the year 2008.

 

To simplify a complicated story, all of this is fixed by going 64-bit. The OS itself and 64-bit applications will correctly handle dates for some 292 billion years. Existing 32-bit applications using a 32-bit time_t continue to work on 64-bit systems but are still prone to the 2038 problem. Anyway, I don't expect to be alive in 2038.

Edited September 5, 2009 by boomouse

[Manthao]

bosing, me alam ba kaung murang bilihan ng mac ngaun, sa powermac centers kasi prang 56k ung mac, sbi ng pinsan ko baka meron pang under 50k lang.... totoo po ba to?

[boomouse]

bosing, me alam ba kaung murang bilihan ng mac ngaun, sa powermac centers kasi prang 56k ung mac, sbi ng pinsan ko baka meron pang under 50k lang.... totoo po ba to?

 

Yun mga Apple VAR madalas mas maganda ng konti ang prices kasi halos wholesale sile pag bumenta sa mga industry clients nila. Try mo www.ynzal.com officially hindi na sila Apple outlet pero makakabili kapa rin sa kanila, at meron pa rin warranty kasi accredited Apple service shop pa rin yata sila. Magaling service nila. Sila ang pinaka-experienced sa pag service ng Mac ngayon. Mga tech nila 1991 pa lang gumagawa na ng Mac.

 

Kung gusto mo ng mura, at meron ka naman monitor, keyboard at mouse, bili ka ng Mac Mini. Pareho din ng Macbook na puti ang specs pero below P50k. Way below.