<p>Macs are able to connect to PC and Mac networks.</p>
<p>welshie,</p>
<p>you're making my point that OSX is better by showing how you can make your XP as much like OSX as you can. No one tries to make OSX look like XP...</p>
<p>I have crashed XP more times than I can count in HS, and I was only in the computer lab every other day for Comp Sci...</p>
<p>To add to what pennhopeful said, OSX can crash as a whole. In 3 years, I've probably crashed mine like 3 times, because I have too many programs open. (Too many being like 10+, including visual programs like iPhoto and iMovie). You get a really cool error message that comes up in like 4 languages, haha.</p>
<p>Macs do need wireless cards, but they've been included for ages. I laugh when I see people at school with their wireless card sticking out the side of their PC...</p>
<p>osx definitely crashes. i only use macs in the computer labs at my university, but i've managed to crash macs at least 8 or 9 times since i've been here, and i'm i freshman.</p>
<p>kewkiekid, a university-owned mac is also subject to whatever junk/fouling up other people can manage to put on the computer.</p>
<p>I HATED macs until senior year in HS, when I used one for journalism. I went on a limb and bought a 12.1" powerbook and have never looked back. I still use a PC occasionally, but my little mac is so light, cool-looking, easy-to-use and smoothly operating that even my Windows-using friends compliment it. It may be worth noting, though, that I am not a gamer... otherwise, I might not be using a mac.</p>
<p>"welshie,</p>
<p>you're making my point that OSX is better by showing how you can make your XP as much like OSX as you can. No one tries to make OSX look like XP...</p>
<p>I have crashed XP more times than I can count in HS, and I was only in the computer lab every other day for Comp Sci...</p>
<p>Macs do need wireless cards, but they've been included for ages. I laugh when I see people at school with their wireless card sticking out the side of their PC..."</p>
<p>So an OS is better because it's prettier? Second, as drownindreams made reference to, a school-owned computer goes through a lot of a crap. Who knows what your schools PCs had faced before you got your hands on them. Lastly, many Macs don't come with the necessary Airport (Extreme) cards. Take a look at most of the iBooks-- they are Airport Extreme ready (you still have to buy the card so they can install it for you).</p>
<p>10.3 doesn't crash
Occasionally I will have to force quit a program but that is usually a Ram issue( never enough) not a problem with the OS
My ibook doesn't come with a card, I bought an Airport card for $60. If you need some body to install the card for you, you shouldn't be let out after dark alone :eek:</p>
<p>The brand new iBooks (that came out in October?) are standard with AirPort cards.</p>
<p>My ibook is 5 years old!
I love it!</p>
<p>"The brand new iBooks (that came out in October?) are standard with AirPort cards."</p>
<p>I just checked, and you are correct. The new iBooks come standard with Airport Extreme cards.</p>
<p>Second, the reason I mentioned having to buy an Aiport card for them to "install it for you" was because I was working under the assumption that you'd buy it with the computer from the get-go and thus Apple (or Best Buy or wherever you buy the computer from) would install it before it even got to you.</p>
<p>often you can get a much better deal buying extras ( like RAM) from another dealer. Ram is soo much cheaper than it used to be, and I have had good luck buying it at the best price from the best manufacturer and installing it myself.
The prob with MACs IMO is that you will not find them discounted generally.
You may find factory refurbished computers at the APPLE website or at places like smalldog.com, but generally it takes some searching. We have bought refurbed computers and not had a problem.
I would recommend getting the computer online once you find what you want. The APPLE website offers education discounts for students while the APPLE store does not.</p>
<p>apples suck......they are the minority</p>
<p>Hmm. Really smart people are a minority too.</p>
<p>Hee hee to TheDad's comment.</p>
<p>I think it depends on what you want to go into as a major. For engineers, I would recommend PCs - so much easier to get copies of MathCAD, AutoCAD, or whatever and use those.</p>
<p>Some colleges have electronic assignment drops. Not sure how those would work with Apples. Would you be able to drop the document in there and have the professor open it?</p>
<p>um, you can get the Student Discount at the Apple retail stores in addition to the website. Just take your acceptance letter or ID. </p>
<p>There are many places to get refurbished/used Macs, from the original Macintosh computer up to the new dual processor G5s. Just search the net, there are tons of stores to get them. And nothing beats eBay.</p>
<p>Also, I found two funny video clips:
<a href="http://webpages.charter.net/thetruedarkone/billgates.mov%5B/url%5D">http://webpages.charter.net/thetruedarkone/billgates.mov</a>
<a href="http://www.schpaa.com/humor/show.asp?id=gates_30_240.mov%5B/url%5D">http://www.schpaa.com/humor/show.asp?id=gates_30_240.mov</a></p>
<p>im majoring in mechanical but i still may want to try the apple experience.</p>
<p>2 more questions:
how long will it take to completely switch over to the macs?
if public computers on campus are powered by windows, does this mean that an apple will not be compatable with those public computers?</p>
<p>1)If you mean how long it'd take to get used to Mac OS X 10.3(or 10.4, as it's being released sometime soon), it probably would take you a month or two at the most, if you've NEVER so much as opened the Safari web browser or used the Finder. It is not as complicated or foreign as most people think it is. Also, there are many books available to help switchers, as well as websites that can help. Also, there are programs that will allow you to transfer all of your files from your PC to your Mac. However, unless you have documents that are an absolute necessity, that step isn't needed.
2)I'm kind of confused by that question.</p>
<p>ie transfering files across</p>
<p>say i edited a paper on a windows based computer and need to copy it over to a mac based computer. such a feat should be possible, but complicated? or is it a simple click and drag, and im overblowing the complexities of the mac and the difference between it and windows?</p>
<p>If it was the other way around say you were using appleworks and wanted to open it on a PC you could save it as a windows file and open it on your PC.
Do PCs have a comparable translation capability?</p>
<p>I have been able to open excel and doc files on a mac that haven't been translated( from a pc), but I lose formatting. It would be best if the translation is done on both ends.</p>
<p>Well, you could always email it to yourself and open it on the Mac. Or if you're on a network you can transfer it. Apple's can work on Windows networks. I can't really say much more on networks as I don't have a lot of experience with them. Documents created in Word on Windows can be opened on a Mac. You can open .pdf files, etc. You don't need to convert anything or do anything complicated to do this.</p>
<p>I feel like i'm still not answering your question,lol.</p>
<p>well I was referring more to Macs that still had factory warranties. smalldog and apple will sell refurb macs with the year warranty just as if it was new.</p>
<p>While the apple stores may give you a student discount with your student id ( which I am not sure of), the apple store in seattle will not give me an education discount ( I am a school board member) but the website will.</p>