sophinisba | seeking computer advice

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seeking computer advice

This morning I accidentally dropped my backpack that had my beloved laptop Kimiko in it in the street. It's still working fine but one corner of the casing is a little dinged up and some of the paint is chipping off. I just backed up the files on my external hard drive.

I've only had this computer (a Toshiba Satellite) for a year and a half and it's been great for what I need it for but I'm a little worried about how banged up it's gotten. Also its battery only lasts about 25 minutes these days, so it's getting less and less practical for taking places. Of course I could get it a new battery, but I've been thinking about whether I should try getting a new computer instead rather than lugging this one around all the time and worrying it might actually crack up one of these days.

I've been thinking about Macbooks and how pretty they are and how Mac people are so ~~cultish~~ ~~snobbish~~ enthusiastic about them. I've heard they're sturdier, and that would certainly be a good thing. But then I look at the prices and I think, okay, technically I could maybe afford to spend that much money, but how do I justify it when I could get a PC laptop for half of that? Mac people, can you help me?

So then on the other hand I think about these new mini-laptops, netbooks, which are around 3 pounds and $300 and cute. I guess they're mostly supposed to be for the Internet but I could install a word processor on it too, and that would pretty much take care of the stuff that I do when I take my laptop to campus or a coffee shop (reading and writing). Then I could keep Kimiko at home for reading and writing but also watching movies and TV shows, and it wouldn't get so banged up. Anything PC would also probably be more compatible with school/work computers than a Mac. Maybe the small keyboard would make typing on a netbook uncomfortable though, I don't know.

What do you think?

ETA: My eyesight is not awesome. I mean, it's not bad, I wear glasses and they're okay but I still really hate small type and lack of contrast. Does that make a difference? Do netbooks make type any smaller or do they keep it the same size so you just have to scroll more? What's with Apple's website and all the gray-on-white text? Are the computers like that too, when you're doing...operating system type stuff?

ETA2: If you've got all your files on a PC (Mostly Office documents but also PDFs pictures and some videos and other things), how easy is it to transfer them to a Mac?

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I can't help you with the Mac stuff since I have never had one. I know my parents have a Mac desktop and the whole hard drive crashed about six months after they got it! They got it fixed, but still...makes me wary.

The cute mini laptops? M has one and he loves it and it is very light and convenient for taking places. However...the keyboard can be difficult and annoying. My fingers are about as tiny as you can get (for an adult), and I still think the keyboard is too small! :D

Maybe later this week I will go to the store just to try out typing on a netbook and see what that's like. That e-mail I sent you yesterday afternoon was from a Mac at school that I was trying out just because Mac people always say that they are easy to use but I have not found that, but I know I really need to try to get more familiar with them.

Also my roommate just pointed out that sometimes you can get a deal where a Macbook comes with a free iPod Touch, and I would love to have one of those!

One thing to remember about netbooks is that they are, in general, no where near as powerful as full laptops, so you may get frustrated with how slow it is. If that doesn't bother you, they are definitely made to be transported more than full-sized laptops. Personally, I can't even type on the keyboard on a laptop for more than a few minutes, so a netbook would really make my wrists ache.

But they *are* really cool, and really cute, and much lighter & portable.

Lots of people love Macs for the operating system (which *is* quite cool and in general more stable than Windows) but if you're worried about things being compatible with school or work, that can be a big issue, and might require you to install Windows on your Mac, which leaves your Mac just as vulnerable as a PC.

Hewene

Thanks, that is helpful. Can you say more about the Mac OS and what makes it better? I've always found using them to be kind of confusing but I figure that's mostly just because they're unfamiliar.

If I were to get a netbook and carry it around, I'd mostly use it for reading off web browsers and for writing with Word or another word processor, so I don't think the slowness would be a big problem, but the keyboard definitely might. I'm completely used to typing on my laptop but I don't know how well I'd deal with something smaller.

The Mac OS is more stable (far less bugs and holes that are vulnerable to hackers). It's also way more integrated. There are all sorts of media pieces that are integrated right into the OS (movie makers, video players, etc) so you don't need a bunch of extra software, and they all "talk" to each other. Whether you find it "easier" to use or not is rather subjective, I think, but people who do get used to it seem to really love it.

I was seriously considering getting a Mac, but they did not make one that met my needs. I really can't use a laptop; I have to use an external ergonomic keyboard and a track ball instead of a mouse, and I already have a gorgeous 19" monitor. For me, a laptop would really just be a glorified, very expensive harddrive. If they'd made a tower PC with a decent amount of power that wasn't several thousand dollars, I'd've probably bought it.

Re: the netbook: I would definitely recommend going to a store & working on one for a while to see how the keyboard is for you.

Hewene

Thanks, that bit about the media pieces being part of the operating system sounds really great. I've had trouble with that on my other computers.

I think I can get a Macbook and an iPod Touch for $950 plus tax and stuff. I am leaning toward this option right now because Kimiko does have some other problems besides being banged up and it would make sense to get a more reliable computer rather than have two that have problems. I will try typing on a netbook though and see how that goes.

That's a really good price for the Macbook, and getting an iPod touch in there to boot makes it a good deal. I would definitely consider that.

Hewene

I <3<3<3 my Macs, but the laptops are not any more sturdy than Windows laptops. They are much less infested by viruses and malware, but that may change at any moment. If you feel comfortable with Windows and have applications and support system, there's no good reason to change. Unless you want to!

The netbook might be a good compromise, you have your full-featured laptop for serious work and the netbook for surfing.

Ah, that is disappointing that they're not more sturdy. I am starting to get tempted because it turns out they're cheaper than last time I looked a few months ago, and since I'm a student I could get a free iPod Touch if I bought one, and I would love to have one of those. Hmmm.

I think it's really going to come down to the keyboard issue because I actually do get most of my best writing done at the coffeeshop and not at home. So a super-portable laptop that I didn't enjoy typing on would really not be a good thing.

I have an Acer Aspire One netbook that is my sole computer and I love it. It's tiny (I named it Hermia) and my dad can't stand typing on it because it's so small (8.9 inch screen), but I have small hands so I don't mind. (My dad has a netbook with I think a 10.1 inch screen which he finds much more manageable). One nice thing about PC netbooks is also that they tend to come with Windows XP rather than Vista, because they're used so much for business, and XP is a great operating system. I've never had any problems with bugginess or crashes, and mine actually runs very fast (well, not that I use it for much beyond internet and word processing and listening to music, but it works great for all those things).

My sister has a Mac and says it's very user-friendly but she does run into the compatibility problem.

Ooh, I don't know anyone else who uses it as their main computer. That is great that the small keyboard doesn't give you a problem! I also noticed in the reviews that they tend to use either Linnux or XP rather than Vista, and that is a very nice thing. The computer I have now was only available with Vista and I would've had to pay extra to get it changed to XP.

The Mac compatibility thing... I mentioned it but I don't actually think it would be a huge deal. There's a cable that I could buy or that I could borrow from an office if I needed.

Be not afraid of Vista. On a new PC with enough RAM, it works just fine... the big issue with Vista is retro-fitting it to old PC's, or to a PC with less than 2G of RAM

Hewene

Oh, and part of the compatibility issue is documents. I know people who create documents on Macs, and then their profs' PC can't read them. You'd want to check that out... because if that ended up being the case, you'd need to install Windows & Word on your Mac in order to have your docs be read by others.

Hewene

Would that be a problem if I got the Mac version of Office?

That I don't know. I suggest asking someone with a Mac, or the Apple store...

Sorry!
Hewene

Each laptop I've gotten has crapped out, either entirely or almost. I don't know much about Macs, so I can't really help much. Sorry you dropped it, though! I woulda freaked.

It seemed to hit the ground really hard. I felt stupid for trying to carry too much stuff at once. :(

*avidly reading the recs you're getting*

omg I know, I always read the comments when someone on my f-list asks for advice about what kind of computer to get.

seconding the 'macs are not more sturdy' comment. but they are very light (much easier to carry around) and feel lovely and are v pretty. the operating system is pretty easy to get along with (and as with the macbook in general - much prettier than windows. but if you know windows, it's not easier really. the things i really like about my macbook are its lightness, the built in camera/microphone, various mac only applications like iSquint (easily converts file formats to other formats), but i'm more accustomed to it than out and out in love with it. there are things definitely wrong with the miracle macbook - where is the delete key? where is publisher? (though i don't love publisher and haven't found any other programs that don't work with mac) why is iPhoto such a piece of crap? (i was happy just scrolling through my pictures in windows - no joy in macbook land).

good and bad points to each - i do feel cooler, owning a macbook, but i feel out of place when i go to the apple store. so - good and bad...

Ah, thank you very much for addressing the coolness issue, and also the pretty. Good to know there's truth in advertising there. :)

That is a shame about the sturdiness and would make it more difficult to justify buying a new computer when Kimiko is still working and is not very old. And a Macbook would only be 1 pound lighter than the one I have. :( I've actually had serious problems with Windows destroying my photo files though, so even if iPhoto isn't awesome it would probably be an improvement for me.

I jumped from PC to Mac last summer when my beloved 6-year-old PC became a crispy critter (literally!) I have a Mac Book which I am quite happy with. I also have the 2008 Word for Mac, and it will open any Office program (Powerpoint, Word, Excel, etc) with no problem. Very occasionally I might find that a field (embedded in a file) might not drop down at the click of an arrow and so I must manually enter something instead of clicking and choosing. This is if the original file is from a PC and I'm opening it on a Mac (something I have to do for work). Otherwise, I've had no problem.

Vista is a horrible, horrible program, and part of my jumping was because I didn't want to deal with it. I've used PCs all my adult life and felt comfortable with them, but for a long time I kept hearing about the simplicity and stability of Mac's OS, so I decided to make that change once my computer died and Vista reared its head. I'm glad I did, and I can't see myself going back.

Macs very rarely crash (mine never has), they're harder to infect (because of the base programming), and there's a simplicity to the programming that generally makes things more intuitive.

I don't know if this helps--I'm not a computer guru--but I do feel Macs are worth the money.

Oh, about your ETAs

The grey on white thing must be the Apple website design. I see black on white when I look at settings, type something as text, etc. I don't think you need to worry about that.

I dumped all my old PC stuff onto my laptop, and it will open any jpeg, any video I take on my camera, any pdf. Any rich text document... no problem. MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc. do need to have the Mac version of MS Office to open them (which I have and I do with very little problem). Other specialized programs' files would present problems if you don't have the equivalent Mac-type program to open them, but then that would be true too if you had a PC but didn't have that program!

No, this is especially helpful because you're not a computer guru. I sometimes think of Macs as being aimed for people who are serious about their computers and think that we plebes are better off using plain old PCs, but if you also are happy with the switch then that means a lot. Also thanks for the practical advice about moving files and all. I'd be able to get Microsoft Office cheap so I shouldn't have any big problems there.

I just remembered this morning that Macs have a different system than PCs for typing letters with accents and other diacritical marks. That could be a pain to get used to.

Re: font size, you can fix that in any computer by goin to:

Start >> Control Panel >> Display >> Appearance (tab) >> Font size (dropdown box)

By contrast do you mean screen brightness or...?

Re: typing, you can always get a rollable/foldable keyboard. I used to have something like this (http://www.wipeme.co.nz/bigpicture.mvc?p=KB-2003N-l.jpg).
If you tap your keys super-hard, you'll probably "break" a few keys within 6 months (Break in the sense that it feels unhinged when you press on them, not that they stop functioning).

I like it because I'm super-messy and I used to be obsessive about dirt/dust getting in between the keys. With that keyboard I can clean it without breaking the keyboard ^^;;
Also, squishy keyboard > teeny tiny keyboard any day.

By contrast I just mean that the Apple people seem to be really fond of grey text on a white back ground, or sometimes black on grey, and also really small type, at least on their website and on the directions for my iPod. Also today I was playing with some Macbooks and when I brought up Microsoft Word or Excel I had to bring the zoom up to 200% in order to read the text. I understand that once I get my own computer I'd be able to set the default to 200% but I don't understand why they would do this when they're supposed to be known for having awesome design. Fixable and not a big deal, just kind of obnoxious.

That squishy keyboard! It is so cute! I've never seen one of those before!

My v. v. brief experiences with Mac were in college, whenever I couldn't get ahold of a PC, so I don't remember that font size/color thing.

As long as you don't mind that it feels squishy as you type (and it doesn't provide the same counterpressure), that keyboard's great =D
When I bought it 5 yrs ago it was ~$15. I want to someone to build a Steampunk-looking one for me *_*

I've been a long time PC user and I bought a macbook last summer because of my return to school and wanting to take graphic design classes - mac's graphics are better than the PC's most people will agree. I love having something portable that I can take along, and I don't really find it that hard to switch using from the PC to the Mac. Sturdy-wise it seems comparable to most other laptops.

I think this one would only be a pound or two lighter than the one I have now, and it's a shame about them not being sturdier, though now I'm looking at the Macbook Pro with the aluminum exterior that looks pretty impressive. The graphics wouldn't make a big difference to me but I was surprised to realize as I was playing yesterday that it would actually be easier to handle typing in Spanish on the Mac than it is on the PC, and that makes a difference for me.

It's good to know that the switch wasn't difficult for you! It seems like most people who switch don't want to go back.

You should ask your brother.

I personally think there are a lot of little tricks that make the mac a lot easier to use. I also think the mac software tends to be better and have more options, but there is also significantly less of it.

I've never had any compatibility problems. I send word and excel documents I've created on the mac all the time to pc users. I know that some pc versions have difficulty reading mac office 2008 files, but you are always given the option of saving them in a 2007 format. The other thing is that almost all (all?) the macs nowadays have an intel core so you can run any windows program you want as long as you have the right software (parallels - the one I like, VMware, I think there are a few others).

I know that for people that actually do programming one of the big virtues of the mac is that it is just a really nice graphical interface over a unix operating system. There is a program that comes on all macs (Terminal) that lets you program directly in the unix os.

I think there are two big problems with the mac. First, they are just flat out more expensive. Depending on what you are planning on using it for it might not be worth it. It seems like if a netbook would do everything you need then it might not make sense to spend all the extra money. Second, if you are used to using windows there is definitely a period of adjustment. B was recently using my computer and kept on trying to click on the right corner to close windows.

You can always play around with mine sometime if you want. I can show you some of the tricks and software I've mentioned.

I did talk to my brother about it and what he said was along the lines of what

msilverstar said here: he likes his a lot better, but it won't necessarily be the right thing for me; and it's a myth that they're so much sturdier and more reliable than PCs.

About price I think they've gone down a bit and when you get the student deal where the MacBook comes with a free iPod touch that is really not so bad. I think I might try to get one if I still have money at the end of the summer.

I've been playing with them at school and I have a lot of trouble with the windows being all over the screen, going off the screen so I can't reach the lower right corner in order to adjust them, disappearing completely when I minimize. I find these things very frustrating but they seem to be things a girl can get used to.

I'm thinking a netbook wouldn't be the right thing for me because what I really need it for most is writing, and I wouldn't want to to a ton of writing on a supersmall keyboard.

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