Been seriously thinking about getting a Macbook Pro

[fistfulofmetal]

I currently own a low-tier Dell Inspiron that I got for my birthday last June. It's pretty slow but it's been getting the job done. I take it around with me every day to my client sites.

One of my problems is that I have very little experience using Macs and there's a lot of clients in my job that either have heavy Mac usage or they are full Mac shops.

Using a Windows laptop isn't really helping me much. I already know Windows and have no problem using it. Forcing myself to use a Mac every day would help get me more familiar with the ins and outs of using a Mac.

But I'm torn on which to get. My gut feeling is to just say fuck it and get a Macbook Pro with 16gigs of ram and a quad core CPU. It would ensure it would be good for me for a pretty decent amount of time.

But the sticker shock tho. Over 2gs for a laptop? They got financing and I was already approved for it. ~120 bucks a month is easily doable for me right now.

Is it a good idea?

Thoughts?

[Tasty]

They're not bad. The new one that combines the Pro + Air is hot. Just wipe it and install Linux.

[Madrun Badrun]

They are expensive pieces of shit and every software update just makes things more and more intrusive. 

[meeb]

They're not bad. The new one that combines the Pro + Air is hot. Just wipe it and install Linux.

Why...

[Tasty]

They're not bad. The new one that combines the Pro + Air is hot. Just wipe it and install Linux.

Why...

every software update just makes things more and more intrusive.

^

[archnemesis]

I second the call for installing Linux. It's like OS X, but good.

I avoid using the two Mac laptops that I own.

[Tasty]

Yeah. I'd recommend Elementary for beginners. Shit's pretty fly.



Otherwise Ubuntu GNOME is my favorite. Ubuntu is kinda the standard but the UI is super-butts. Gnome 3 is the best desktop environment of any desktop OS IMO.

[D3RANG3D]

Wait you pronounce "Gnome" Guh-nome lol.

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Keep hearing that Elementary OS's packages are out of date?

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[Tasty]

Wait you pronounce "Gnome" Guh-nome lol.

Apparently. And yeah it's stupid. Thankfully you'll never actually have to say it IRL lol.

Keep hearing that Elementary OS's packages are out of date

I dunno, wouldn't surprise me. Development seems to be fairly glacial. You should be able to keep most stuff up to date with the Software Center though.

[D3RANG3D]

I like Mint personally, but when I looked on their page I was baffled as which one to get, I guess Cinnamon is some kind of fork of Guh-nome.

[archnemesis]

I'm evaluating Elementary OS now and although it's pretty it does seem to have some issues. I get random crashes of non-important background processes and some of the UI elements have bugs.

Mint Cinnamon is great. I run that on one of my computers.

[Dennis]

They're not bad. The new one that combines the Pro + Air is hot. Just wipe it and install Linux.

How do I downvote?

[Tasty]

I like Mint personally, but when I looked on their page I was baffled as which one to get, I guess Cinnamon is some kind of fork of Guh-nome.

Cinnamon is basically an evolution of the Gnome 2 UI. Same with Mate. Lots of nerds didn't like Gnome 3 (even though it's perfect.)

I checked Mint out early on in my Linux lifestyle but it seemed too complex for me.

[TakingBackSunday]

Linux?  Why pay that much money for maining linux...

[fistfulofmetal]

I'm not installing Linux on it. The entire point, which is said in my post, is to get a Mac so I can learn how to use OSX.

Why would I spend 2gs on a laptop just to install Linux on it. Fucking Nerds.

[Tasty]

Linux?  Why pay that much money for maining linux...

OSX is butts overall. It's getting super creaky. Like does anyone use that widget view or whatever?

[brawndolicious]

Do you do anything that could need that much power? I thought OSX was generally leaner than Windows and an 8GB dual core i5 is plenty for regular  Windows 10 users. Generally a laptop can be good for 5 years before the battery capacity and dings and dents make you want to upgrade so consider that.

[Brehvolution]

2g's for a laptop that can't play vidya on ultra ?

[bork]

Linux?  Why pay that much money for maining linux...

OSX is butts overall. It's getting super creaky. Like does anyone use that widget view or whatever?

OK, you don't like OSX, fine-- why the hell would you recommend someone buy a MAC then?  Just get a much cheaper Windows laptop and put Linux on it.

Moreover, this doesn't help fistful at all. 

[Human Snorenado]

Linux?  Why pay that much money for maining linux...

OSX is butts overall. It's getting super creaky. Like does anyone use that widget view or whatever?

OK, you don't like OSX, fine-- why the hell would you recommend someone buy a MAC then?  Just get a much cheaper Windows laptop and put Linux on it.

Moreover, this doesn't help fistful at all.

Fandrex gonna Fandrex. Can't stop, won't stop.

[bork]

I'm not installing Linux on it. The entire point, which is said in my post, is to get a Mac so I can learn how to use OSX.

Why would I spend 2gs on a laptop just to install Linux on it. Fucking Nerds.

I missed this post. 

[TakingBackSunday]

OSX works great for me for what I do.  Full screen modes + spaces + mission control + hot corners = productivity awesomeness.

Not to mention most IDEs I work in are on OSX

[Madrun Badrun]

I thought OSX was generally leaner than Windows

Its not in both CPU and especially memory.

[Samson Manhug]

If you need experience with OS X, want a Mac, and have money, I recommend getting a Mac. The high end MBP will make you never come back to Windows laptops, so if you are scared of that, maybe try the sub-$1000 Air. That way you can still feel superior when it constantly pinwheels since there is not enough RAM soldered to the motherboard, making it unupgradable. (Though they are awesome for using away from the desk.)

[Tasty]

OK, you don't like OSX, fine-- why the hell would you recommend someone buy a MAC then?

Mac hardware is the best. Very well assembled with the best hardware design around.

[nudemacusers]

Linux 

Linux on beautiful hardware   

[Tasty]

If you need experience with OS X, want a Mac, and have money, I recommend getting a Mac.

I mean, yeah. This thread seems kinda superfluous, if you want a Mac, get a Mac.

I will say if you're only getting it to "learn" OS X, then it's probably not a great investment. OS X isn't some Calculus class you need to study for, and it sounds like you don't actually need to interact with Macs directly (only your clients/field.)

[nudemacusers]

But macs are cool. You can't put a price on cool.

[Tasty]

But macs are cool. You can't put a price on cool.

Apparently Apple disagrees.

[thisismyusername]

Just wipe it and install Linux.

Then what's the fucking point of buying a Mac?  If you're gonna wipe OS X off it, you might as well get a shitcheap Wintel Laptop to do that shit with. "Good hardware" isn't reason alone to dump $1000 into something you can spend $200 on and get a worse user experience from.

That way you can still feel superior when it constantly pinwheels since there is not enough RAM soldered to the motherboard, making it unupgradable. (Though they are awesome for using away from the desk.)

This was my problem with Macs and why I went back to Windows/PC after a few years with a PPC Mac Mini. The fact they want you to spend ass-loads of money to get RAM put in killed me. I love OS X and I love Macs but Jesus Christ the hardware costs are insane. I want to get a Hackintosh going just because I prefer OS X over Windows, but the headache of doing that because "we gotta protect our closed-input hardware!!!!!" is too much.

[Fifstar]

If it's mainly about OSX, why not just get a Macbook Air? Super portable and if you like to upgrade you can sell it at a decent value.

Though to be honest you sound like your mind is already settled on the MacBook pro, so if you can afford it, just do it

[Fifstar]

Then what's the fucking point of buying a Mac?  If you're gonna wipe OS X off it, you might as well get a shitcheap Wintel Laptop to do that shit with. "Good hardware" isn't reason alone to dump $1000 into something you can spend $200 on and get a worse user experience from.

General design, keyboard, trackpad, build quality, resell value are a lot more important than the OS? There are few pc laptops that are on the same level in just one of these categories, let alone in the total package.

I don't get OS wars though. Almost everything works much smoother and with less hassle than it did 10 years ago. Most people seem to get hung up on trivial details.

[Cerveza mas fina]

I think a Macbook Air might make more sense, think they have better battery life too. I had one for a few months and loved it.

It's also lighter and easier to carry around, great for client visits.

I'm not installing Linux on it. The entire point, which is said in my post, is to get a Mac so I can learn how to use OSX.

Why would I spend 2gs on a laptop just to install Linux on it. Fucking Nerds.

Logged in to like this

[fistfulofmetal]

I had considered an Air, but I want it to be more powerful than the laptop I currently have. And an Air is barely. Honestly if I'm going down that road I kinda wanna just get the best there is.

Anyway, I talked it over with the SO and we decided it's better to wait. Soon she'll be living with me so my costs will reduce and I can actually save some money and buy it instead of financing it.

Thanks for the responses everyone!

[Fifstar]

Now i want to buy a MacBook pro... too broke and to much other stuff to buy tho

[Atramental]

Get one, Ruzbeh.

It'll give you an excuse to go to a coffee shop and awkwardly stare at cute girls while pretending not to. And you can pretend to be writing down your deep thoughts on your blog but really you're just posting on The Bore.

[Rufus]

Alternitively, refurbish a Thinkpad X200 and put Arch Linux on it, for the 'learning experience'. Then proceed to ceaslessly tweak your tiling window manager, because a fullscreen terminal needs all the bling you can squeeze out of it.

[Syph]

As someone who used Windows forever but has been using a Macbook Pro for the last 5 years......
Only get one if someone else is paying/helping you pay. By that I mean if you are funding this purchase entirely yourself, don't waste your money on Apple; your dollar will go much farther somewhere else, and many other companies have caught up ergonomically. Yes, Macbooks are sleek, but for my next purchase, I'm definitely shifting away from Apple. Just too difficult to justify when you can get so much more spec wise with basically any other company.


edit: if it's easily doable though then go for it. Just be careful as to which you purchase. (Macbook vs. Macbook Pro vs. Air)

[chronovore]

If you want your laptop to play games, go Windows. Still not much representation of games on OS X.

If you want to have parity with clients and coworkers, cool, get a Mac -- but do not buy an Air if you want performance. They're light and sexy. That's all. The MacBook Pro have the Retina display, which is fuckawesome sexy.

Linux nerds: stop this japery. At the very least, users can enjoy using their Mac without installation, package, and maintenance bullshit. If you want your machine to work without drama, buy a Mac.

[Atramental]

I've gotten so used to OSX it's hard for me to do work on a computer with Windows installed.

Also, I kept on running into weird scaling issues when I installed Photoshop and other Adobe programs to my Sager laptop. I could only set the UI to be microscopic or cartoonishly large with nothing in between. Probably more of an Adobe issue than a Microsoft one but still...

[D3RANG3D]

If you want your laptop to play games, go Windows. Still not much representation of games on OS X.

If you want to have parity with clients and coworkers, cool, get a Mac -- but do not buy an Air if you want performance. They're light and sexy. That's all. The MacBook Pro have the Retina display, which is fuckawesome sexy.

Linux nerds: stop this japery. At the very least, users can enjoy using their Mac without installation, package, and maintenance bullshit. If you want your machine to work without drama, buy a Mac.

Pardon, but I'd just like to interject for a short while. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully working GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.

Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called Linux, and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by GNU.

There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called Linux distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.

[chronovore]

:slow_clap.gif

[Human Snorenado]

Very nice. For a rebuttal, we turn to Ogre. Ogre?

[bork]

If you want your laptop to play games, go Windows. Still not much representation of games on OS X.

If you want to have parity with clients and coworkers, cool, get a Mac -- but do not buy an Air if you want performance. They're light and sexy. That's all. The MacBook Pro have the Retina display, which is fuckawesome sexy.

Linux nerds: stop this japery. At the very least, users can enjoy using their Mac without installation, package, and maintenance bullshit. If you want your machine to work without drama, buy a Mac.

Pardon, but I'd just like to interject for a short while. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully working GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.

Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called Linux, and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by GNU.

There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called Linux distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.

 

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[Tasty]

I kinda agree but it's a moot point these days. The distro is the name as the OS as far as people are concerned, "Linux" just means it can run "Linux apps" instead of "Mac apps," etc. (Nevermind that there's also a schism there between Yum and Debian packaging, lol.)

When you're running Linux, you don't say you're running "Linux" or "GNU/Linux," just say you're running Ubuntu or Mint or whatever.

[bork]

[D3RANG3D]

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[D3RANG3D]