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8 Replies Last post: Jul 17, 2008 2:02 PM by jroller

safetyfast

2 posts since
Jul 10, 2008

Jul 10, 2008 8:40 AM

Making the PC to Mac switch

I'm planning to purchase a Macbook. This is my first Mac. Initially I was going to purchase a black 2 gig 250 gb Macbook, but then noticed I could get a 4gb 250 white for slightly more. What's up with the price premium for black? The only advantage I see is that it will potentially stay cleaner looking. How well does the white keyboard and case hold up? One the one hand it doesn't look like all the dell and HP laptops out there. On the other, I think back to those off white keyboards all PCs used to come with and how grungy they looked.

Would the upgrade to 4gb upgrade be worthwhile, or should I save my dollars? I'll be doing some photo editing, basic office type stuff, and will run Windows XP occassionally through Boot camp.

Tom_Diola

2,246 posts since
Oct 19, 2001

1. Jul 10, 2008 9:49 AM

in response to: safetyfast

Re: Making the PC to Mac switch

My Son has had his White Macbook for a year now.... We can clean the thing with those Klear Klean things and it looks good.

He's pretty particular on who uses his machine though - I have an account on it though ... I'd go for the more GIGS and clean

your hands before using the machine ...

rickcarl

251 posts since
Feb 27, 2008

2. Jul 10, 2008 10:11 AM

in response to: safetyfast

Re: Making the PC to Mac switch

safetyfast wrote:
I'm planning to purchase a Macbook. This is my first Mac. Initially I was going to purchase a black 2 gig 250 gb Macbook, but then noticed I could get a 4gb 250 white for slightly more. What's up with the price premium for black?
Apple makes more money because some people will pay it.
The only advantage I see is that it will potentially stay cleaner looking.
I have one black and one white. Black shows fingerprints a lot and needs frequent cleaning. Black develops a shiney spot on the space key from frequent use. Black has an interesting white apple in the lid and white power cord so it's not all black.
How well does the white keyboard and case hold up? One the one hand it doesn't look like all the dell and HP laptops out there. On the other, I think back to those off white keyboards all PCs used to come with and how grungy they looked.
It's not all white. The palm rest and surrounding top plate are a light grey. Some people have reported yellowing on the case. I've had mine a year and everything is fine - no grunge.
Would the upgrade to 4gb upgrade be worthwhile, or should I save my dollars? I'll be doing some photo editing, basic office type stuff, and will run Windows XP occassionally through Boot camp.

I have 4GB RAM in the black MB running XP and Adobe apps in Bootcamp and I can't tell any difference in performance over the 2GB RAM in the white MB running Leopard 10.5 and Mac apps. The MB is designed to be a mid-level performer with a 1.5GB/s mobo and hard drive, standard cd/dvd burner, middling 667MHz RAM and a lower level screen. It is however a nice computer for the price. Don't forget the cost of Applecare.

donbadgr

3 posts since
Jul 3, 2008

3. Jul 12, 2008 1:47 PM

in response to: rickcarl

Re: Making the PC to Mac switch

Purchase the MB w/250 and 2Gb of memory. The additional memory is easy to purchase on the web and install if you need it. Third-party memory can be found for about $100 less.

I am a .NET and web developer that has to make sure the stuff I am currently developing works with the Mac, so made the switch. I do not want to dual-boot, so I use VMWare Fusion instead of bootcamp. With Fusion and 4Gb of memory, I can run fully loaded XP and Vista virtual machines each with 40Gb virtual disks in separate windows at the same time. Everything works perfectly.

Yes, the black MB does develop a shiney area on the spacebar. Every black laptop that I've ever owned has similar marring on the keycaps because I USE my computers, so I don't find the effect unusual. I love the Mac!

Oh, BTW; sometimes you can find the Macbook on Amazon with a $100 rebate. That rebate along with the savings with third-party memory gets you the 4gb Macbook for the same price as the 2Gb one.

Hope this helps.

Martian

1,484 posts since
Sep 27, 2001

4. Jul 12, 2008 6:21 PM

in response to: rickcarl

Re: Making the PC to Mac switch

if I am not mistaken, running Windows in both Bootcamp and within a virtual machine is considered by Microsoft as two separate machines thus requiring a second license. So if I am correct, it is a bit of a hassle to re-register your Windows if you change your mind.

My point is to run the virtual machine from day one and skip Bootcamp unless you really need the extra speed (if there really is extra speed).

I use Parallels, which I believe is more seamlessly integrated with Mac operations than is Fusion. If you use Windows just for light duty, the better integration is more important than the theoretical advantage Fusion has by using more than one processor.

donbadgr

3 posts since
Jul 3, 2008

5. Jul 12, 2008 6:48 PM

in response to: Martian

Re: Making the PC to Mac switch

I have Ubuntu, Windows XP, Vista, 2003, 2003-SBS and 2008 VM's. All the VMWare virtual machines were moved over from a Windows XP machine when I made the switch to the Mac, so the re-registering wasn't necessary. Although VMWare Fusion can open a bootcamp partition, I did not feel like parttioning my mb hard drive for each machine. I basically stayed away from the reparitioning quandary altogether.

Because I haven't tried Parallels, I can't make a comparison to VMWare Fusion, which I think is slicker than sliced bread. Especially with its Unity view. The virtual machines moved nicely from my PCs and I now have the same complete development environment on the Macbook that I had before. Speed doesn't appear to be an issue in my case.

You may be correct on the licensing issue. As I have an MSDN subscription, I already have valid licenses for each virtual machine.

safetyfast

2 posts since
Jul 10, 2008

6. Jul 12, 2008 6:57 PM

in response to: donbadgr

Re: Making the PC to Mac switch

You've lost me. Are you saying you were able to migrate a copy of XP you were already running on a PC to Mac using VMWare fusion?

donbadgr

3 posts since
Jul 3, 2008

7. Jul 12, 2008 8:30 PM

in response to: safetyfast

Re: Making the PC to Mac switch

No, I migrated the VMWare virtual machines that I ran using VMWare Workstation from the PC to the Mac where I could use them with VMWare Fusion. VMWare Fusion runs virtual machines and can mount bootcamp partitions.

Although I haven't tried it yet, there is a free download on the VMWare site called VMWare Converter. This product is supposed to be able to convert a physical machine into a virtual machine.

jroller

109 posts since
Jun 26, 2007

8. Jul 17, 2008 2:02 PM

in response to: safetyfast

Re: Making the PC to Mac switch

Welcome to the Mac! After an adjustment period that is natural for switchers, I think you will wonder why you didn't make the switch sooner.

My advice is to get the white macbook (though my personal preference is for the black, but it is merely aesthetics) with 250 and 2 gigs of RAM. As mentioned, Apple seems to charge a premium for RAM, but do run the numbers to see if it is worth the extra effort to go through the ordering and installation process; not that it is hard; it's just one more thing to do. Sometimes I've found Apple's RAM to be close enough to warrant adding it with my purchase. Invest in RAM instead of CPU power. Also, you may consider a faster hard drive. As I recall, Apple has one with fewer GB's (200) but faster speeds. I would choose more RAM and a faster HD than the fastest CPU. All other things being equal, I think that scenario offers the greatest value.

iSwitched: A Guide for Switchers
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Apple Buyer's Guide

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This Question is Possibly Answered

Jul 10, 2008 8:40 AM

Making the PC to Mac switch

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