<p>So when is the new Macbook coming out? My son would like the MacBookPro for graduation. Don't know if we should wait or get the MAcPro? What are your thoughts? Also, why get the MacBook Pro if it can get the same viruses as Windows computers???</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Also, why get the MacBook Pro if it can get the same viruses as Windows computers???
[/QUOTE]
You won't get the same viruses as Windows.</p>
<p>to everyone: the MacBook came out today and is pretty awesome</p>
<p>JohnnyK: On the ComputerConnection site you can reserve a MacBook, but it doesn't say the specs. I'm assuming they're the base models from the apple site, but what should I do if I want more RAM or something like that? Also, does Microsoft Office come with Penn Macs or would I need to buy that seperately? And if so, would it be possible to load something like Windows Me with Office 2000 or something?</p>
<p>i want a macbook so bad :O</p>
<p>I just went to the Apple store today and looked at the Macbooks. AH! I love them! I honestly never thought I would want to pay $2400 for a laptop, but the MacBook Pros are so nice. I just messed around for like 30 minutes getting acquainted. I was definitely under the misconception that Macs werent worth the extra $, but I am convinced they are now. I think Im pretty much sold. </p>
<p>Question: Do you think that prices will go down for Macs at all in the next few months? I have heard that with the new Windows OS coming out and whatnot that prices of laptops in general may decrease a bit, but I dont know if that would affect Macs. What do you think- buy now, or wait and see if prices change?</p>
<p>Well dude up there is saying the MacBooks are better than Pros..I don't even know the difference...except non-Pros are much cheaper.</p>
<p>If you use an apple on campus you get syphilis, and that's a fact.</p>
<p>why is does mac mount ftp as read only? it defeats the purpose, and ive had to deal with many a dummy who couldnt figure out how to access their account because of it.</p>
<p>i just got a macbook pro 17" and it is sweeeeeet....i'm on it right now</p>
<p>Johny,
The UPenn online store allows us to get the Macbook, the Macbook Pro (2.0 GHz), or the Macbook Pro (2.16) GHz. In a previous post, you said college students should get the Macbook, not the Macbook Pro. I can't really find a reason for that though, besides the price. Are you just saying buy the Macbook because on a college student's budget, the extras that the Macbook Pro has to offer aren't worth the money?</p>
<p>Hey Johnny, I'm thinking of getting a 13" MacBook--do you think this will be too small to do all my work on?
Also, is Apple going to start charging for BootCamp at some point or will it always be free?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Are you just saying buy the Macbook because on a college student's budget, the extras that the Macbook Pro has to offer aren't worth the money?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Correct. For creative professionals (and the DMD majors at Penn), the extra power of a MacBook Pro may be worth the money. But for the majority of us, those who just write papers, do spreadsheets, email, IM, iTunes, etc, the MacBook is more than adequate, for a good deal less money.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Hey Johnny, I'm thinking of getting a 13" MacBook--do you think this will be too small to do all my work on?
Also, is Apple going to start charging for BootCamp at some point or will it always be free?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It depends on what your work is. Odds are unless it's manipulating huuuuuge photshop files or something, the MacBook's display will give you more than enough space for all the programs--at once (Expose is a godsend).</p>
<p>As for Boot Camp...</p>
<p>Boot Camp (and much more) will be integrated into Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard." This will be a retail upgrade. While they normally cost $129, we get a sweet student discount that lowers the price to $69. For that $69, you get the WHOLE OS, not just an 'upgrade' a la Microsoft. Also unlike Microsoft, Apple includes no copy-protection 'activation' garbage, so you can install it on multiple machines. Apple of course doesn't support this, but as their main goal is just spreading Mac OS, they look the other way.</p>
<p>Current Boot Camp software has no beta expiration date, so it will be free. Should Apple remove it from their web site, it will still be available through other download websites and P2P.</p>
<p>I have been using PCs forever and I am considering jumping the great divide and buying a mac laptop for the start of freshman year. couple questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I have heard that the macbook pro has overheating problems, that the case can get so hot that it can almost burn you. was this just a problem with the first run of them which has been solved by now or what? I have a toshiba laptop which is 15 months old now with major fan and overheating problems and it is a major pain. i know that overheating is somewhat of a problem for all high performance laptops, its just the physics of it, but the toshiba gave me nightmares with how it would shut down and how loud it was. i turn it on and run it for 10 minutes and the fan will literally roar and act weird.</p></li>
<li><p>how efficiently can they run windows programs, i know virtual pc has been out for a while and can technically run windows programs but is a memory hog and goes slow, is this for real?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>also... can i not get the pro in black? ***! im looking at macs site and it looks like only the 13" version is in black or black and the other is in silver. silver always looked meh to me, the black did catch my eye.</p>
<p>Hi there newedition. Congratulations on considering the Switch. Should you follow through, I can promise you that your only regret will have been putting up with Windows as long as you did!</p>
<p>-More recently manufactured MacBook Pros (week 11 and later) do indeed appear to run more cooly than their predecessors. Additionally, you can turn off one of the cores in the dual-core processor to further reduce heat.</p>
<p>-As for Windows, you will be happy to hear that you were right about Virtual PC, but on the MacBook you no longer need it. Virtual PC was necessary because Macs used a different kind of processor (PowerPC) than Windows PCs (the x86, i.e. pentium etc). Thus a special set of software was required to essentially translate Windows codes into PowerPC code This complex process obviously sucked up resources and was slow as a dog. Now that Macs have migrated to Intel processors, this whole Virtual PC step is completely unnecessary. Using Apple's Boot Camp software, you can install Windows on your MacBook and choose to use either Windows or Mac OS X at startup. When it runs Windows, it is just like a Windows computer (no speed difference). There is also an open-source project underway called DarWINE that will enable you to run Windows programs from within Mac OS X (sweeet)</p>
<h2>Although you cannot get the MacBook Pro in black, there are a number of enterprising folk out there who will make it black, either through an adhesive layer or paint.</h2>
<p>"Now that Macs have migrated to Intel processors, this whole Virtual PC step is completely unnecessary."</p>
<p>this is what I was hoping for. Someone I know just bought a pro book (raving about it) and I am going to try it out, I am pretty much sold on it though.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I am going to be out of the country for late june and most of july, so I'd be buying in august. do you think there will be any significant changes to the configurations available between now and then?</p></li>
<li><p>I have a handful of USB devices which I use a lot, (a logitech wireless mouse, an external hard drive) how will these work on the macbook, will they only work when I load up windows?</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>My monitor is a dell 2001fp lcd monitor, I am looking at the online configuration and there is a "mini dvi adapter", will this stay at dvi quality? when I connect the monitor with my laptop via VGA, the quality really suffers compared to a DVI connection, what can I expect with the macbook? is there any ability to connect 2 monitors?</li>
</ol>
<p>thanks for answering my questions</p>
<p>So when's this Leopard coming out? Before the school year begins?</p>
<p>Being the renegade that I am, I will be using a mac at Wharton -- so, I've received all of the dire warnings from Wharton computing that Macs are not supported, but no word on MacBooks or MBPs.</p>
<p>What's the real story? Will I be able to run Crystal Ball and Access (and other nec. apps) on MBP? Can I log into the network at Huntsman? Should I start pre-term with my PBG4-12" and wait until the next series of MBs are released?</p>
<p>Can you help me sort this out?</p>
<p>thanks.</p>