<p>I'm going to buy a MacBook tomorrow and I'm satrting at Cornell as a transfer in the. I wanted to know if I'm going to have any problems with compatability at Cornell. Will Napster work on macs? Will DC++ work on macs? And if I download videos off of DC++ will I be able to play them on my mac (and so with what program)? Thanks.</p>
<p>i haven't used a MAC since grade school. back in the days of oregon trail. </p>
<p>oh, those were good days.</p>
<p>You can buy a macbook through the cornell store (store.cornell.edu or something like that) and get $200 off. You shouldn't have any compatibility problems. DC++ is only available for windows on their official website, but it's open source and I think it's been ported to mac, though probably not as developed as the windows version. you shouldn't have any problem playing videos. the formats are all pretty standard (mpeg, wmv, or avi). get a macbook pro, not a macbook. The macbooks have glossy screens which will drive you nuts unless there's no light at all.</p>
<p>You will not have a problem connecting to DC++. There is a program called ShakesPeer that is a DC++ client and also Mac DC++ which works as well. I was in Cornell last week and it worked perfectly. I was picking RedRover wireless with no problem on my 12" Powerbook. You will not have a problem playing files as they are all supported.</p>
<p>TBH the glossy screen is a pain in the ass. Sitting in a lecture with tons of lights is definitely going to suck.</p>
<p>Well, there's no way to know for sure about many of these things, but there's always bootcamp. You may end up installing Windows XP on your Macbook anyway because you may be using software for a class that requires it. Don't worry, buy the Macbook, it's a great machine.</p>
<p>there should be no reason why you should have to run bootcamp. osx is much more powerful that windows. unless you're using specialty engineering/science programs (CAD and stuff like that), anything you need will run on mac. Even if you are, chances are you won't have the program on your computer and you'll do that stuff at the computer lab.</p>
<p>It doesn't matter how "powerful" it is (although saying one OS is more powerful than another sounds foolish), it's just that some software doesn't run on OSX. In fact, a lot of software doesn't run on OSX, especially for engineers. Even in my introductory statistics class, if you didn't have a PC you had to use minitab at a computer lab.</p>
<p>Bootcamp, however, greatly increases the versatility of Mac machines. No there's no reason not to get one (except maybe price).</p>
<p>To those considering buying a macbook pro, just keep in mind that installing Windows XP can fry your laptop and void your warranty. Before buying a macbook pro, check out some of the overheating/fan problems that a lot of people are complaining about.</p>
<p>Two things about the MacBook Pro:</p>
<p>One: The overheating and fan problems are not as big an issue any longer. They are in their 8th or so rebuild of the MacBook, so they have made significant upgrades. I have not experienced any overheating on mine. The computer got very warm after 3 hours of importing music into iTunes and talking on AIM.</p>
<p>Two: The glossy screens aren't that bad. They are great if you want to watch movies or look at pictures on the computer because there is a better blend of color. They are (obviously) flat screens, so there is really minimal reflection from lights. In fact, when compared to your normal laptop screen which can get kinda fuzzy in bright lights, the "glossy" screen is competitive because they maintain their clarity quite well.</p>
<p>As far as compatability, you should be fine with a MacBook Pro.</p>
<p>The Napster subscription service is a Windows "plays for sure" DRM (Digital Rights Management) service. It will not work with your Mac on Mac OS X. It will, of course, work fine in Windows through boot camp. Or, possibly in the future, with Windows virtualization technology through OS X (but don't count on this). If you stream music through the Napster website, it will probably work fine with Mac OS X, unless it requires Internet Explorer.</p>
<p>One important aspect you may need to think about is:</p>
<p>Napster blows.
You are better without it.</p>
<p>Yeah, use Allofmp3.com instead. It's some Russian site that's technically legal over there, although in the US the legality is dubious. Still, it's not like you will be charged if the company is ever sued or anything. The best part about it is that it costs $2-$3 per album, you can choose whatever quality settings you want, and it gives you the music as good ol' normal MP3s.</p>