Complete newbie lookin for a Mac

[gnubie]

Good day all,

I am new to this place and I have never owned an Apple computer (I have used them before back in the 80s that's how old I am!). I am looking for a new laptop and seriously considering getting the iBook G3 or PowerBook G4. I am from the Window$ community and looking to migrate away from them. Currently I have a PC desktop with a triple boot between WinXP/Win98SE/Mandrake Linux 8.1. I also have an ancient laptop with Win98 as part of a network. So the questions that I have are:
1) What can Macs do for me that Windoze can't do?
2) Why are Apple computers generally more expensive that PC based computers?
3) Is MAC OS X similar to UNIX? I believe so but tell me if I'm wrong. Does it have less functionality/features?
4) Is there a significant increase in performance between the G3 (high end) and the G4 (low end)?
5) Why are Mac computers performance rated lower than PCs yet cost more? Is it because of the software bundles that come with the computer?

That's generally it. Thanx 4 ne response!

[themacko]

I'm by no means a Mac expert so I'll give you the response any 'typical' Mac user would give:

1) I'll twist this one around a bit, here's some stuff Windows can do that Macs generally won't do: Crash, get infected with a virus, require reboots after avery day/software install, look ugly.

2) I think Apples are more expensive simply because they aren't mass-produced like the cheap PCs are. Also, you can consider the customer service, quality design and bundled software (iApps) as part of the up-front cost.

3) I really don't know anything about UNIX. From what I understand, OS X is much more like UNIX than Windows is. Heh.

4) Yeah. iBooks are great little laptops (the 500mhz iBook was my first Mac) and they do just about anything you need them to, except play games. G4's are, however, noticeably faster (I now own a 700mhz G4).

5) This was pretty much answered in #2 but here are my thoughts on computer speed: I don't understand why people get so hung-up on how fast their computer is. I own the slowest available G4 and it is more than enough for me. Plenty of people are still using 400mhz G3 iMacs with OS X and its fine for them. Unless you are doing professional work I can't see why anyone would need a 2 or 3 Ghz computer, expecially when all they use it for is internet, typing and a little graphics stuff like Photoshop or iMovie.

I paid like $1200 for my 'slow' Apple when I could have gotten a really 'fast' Intel computer for the same price, because I enjoy the ease-of-use of the Macintosh OS. There is nothing, in my opinion, that replaces things such as iPhoto, iMovie and general Mac-environment on a PC.

[boi]

1: it's all about ease of use. nothing we say here can convince you either way. go use OS X for awhile and if you don't love it, a mac is not for you. i couldn't stand OS 9. OS X is what convinced me to make the switch. it doesn't crash; i never shut it down (just sleep it); i don't have to screw around with drivers; the OS isn't 'in my way' so to speak; etc. just use it, you'll see.
2: if you compare an Apple computer to a PC spec for spec, you'll find they are not more expensive. they are more expensive than Gateways, yes, but those computers have been having lots of problems lately. when you buy a mac you're almost guaranteed everything is going to work flawlessly for years. a lot of design work goes into these macs, and you're sure the get the best bang for your buck. it's really the little things that push the cost up on the more expensive units. the backlit keyboard, the easy to open/tinker with case, the smoothness and sturdiness of the LCD arm, the super-bright and crisp LCD screen, etc. just how a BMW doesn't have a billion things a nice Acura doesn't have-- it does do things with a little more quality if you get my drift.
3: mac os X is unix. don't let its user friendliness fool you. a trip in the terminal will bring back all the scary memories of unix you have ^_^. the developer tools give you everything you need to create applications/a server/etc. if that's your thing. there's nothing in Mandrake you won't find in X, i'm quite certain.
4: Altivec. it makes a difference. also cache size(excluding the 12" powerbook). the video card is very important when looking at a Mac, too, because OS X relies heavily on its graphic-intensive GUI. lightning fast it is not. ultra cool it is. if you get a powerbook or powermac with good video card (they all have good ones these days) then it's lightning fast and ultra cool ^_^. all in all OS X just feels quicker on a G4, but there's nothing wrong with a G3. after using my PowerMac Dual 867, though, i couldn't go back to a G3. even the ibooks.
5: yes, the software that comes with it does rock (iapps specifically), but see my answers to the questions above for more insight. the mac is rated slower, yes, but for video editing and games and other huge tasks that benchmarkers love to eat up. if you're a developer/surfer/movie watcher/editor then a Mac is a great choice. if you love to tinker with the OS in a billion ways, play with things called 'registries' and edit obscure numbers, run different 'shells' etc. then a mac is not really the choice for you; although you can edit quite a bit if you know what you're doing. Apple just restricts innocent bystandards from deleting the shell, changing too much crap, etc.

hope i helped ^_^

[gnubie]

Damn you people. You have convince me to by a Powerbook G4

[ksv]

Originally posted by gnubie
Good day all,

I am new to this place and I have never owned an Apple computer (I have used them before back in the 80s that's how old I am!). I am looking for a new laptop and seriously considering getting the iBook G3 or PowerBook G4. I am from the Window$ community and looking to migrate away from them. Currently I have a PC desktop with a triple boot between WinXP/Win98SE/Mandrake Linux 8.1. I also have an ancient laptop with Win98 as part of a network. So the questions that I have are:
1) What can Macs do for me that Windoze can't do?
2) Why are Apple computers generally more expensive that PC based computers?
3) Is MAC OS X similar to UNIX? I believe so but tell me if I'm wrong. Does it have less functionality/features?
4) Is there a significant increase in performance between the G3 (high end) and the G4 (low end)?
5) Why are Mac computers performance rated lower than PCs yet cost more? Is it because of the software bundles that come with the computer?

That's generally it. Thanx 4 ne response!

Welcome to the site, and welcome as a potential new Mac user
I'll answer your questions as good as I can.
1) Usually you would work more efficiently. In my opinion, the Mac OS X graphical user interface is also way better than any version of Windows. And don't forget Apple's own applications, all the iApps and more professional software like Final Cut Pro.
2) You get quality and an unique support service and warranty. Apple also use high quality components, and the Motorola PPC processors cost way more than Intel and AMD x86 processors.
3) Mac OS X is based on Darwin OS, which is a variant of FreeBSD 4.4. Darwin OS can actually also be downloaded for x86 based computers from http://developer.apple.com/darwin/. Darwin can be accessed through the Terminal which comes with Mac OS X, and therefore most UNIX software can be ported to run on Darwin.
4) Yep. Not very significant in normal usage like web browsing and using other non-G4-optimized applications, but the G4 is extremely much efficient in G4 optimized apps like Adobe, Emagic and most Apple applications thanks to its AltiVec 128 bit floating point engine.
5) Partially because of the software I'll guess, and Apple's standards are generally very high. Also, a G3 or G4 is much fasted than an AMD or Intel consumer processor if you compare them by MHz.

If you can afford a G4, go for it
But don't buy a 15" model yet if you're considering it. A new 15" will probably be released in a few weeks.

[gnubie]

Originally posted by ksv
But don't buy a 15" model yet if you're considering it. A new 15" will probably be released in a few weeks. [/b]

Does the 12" Powerbook come with a 1 MB level 3 cache? I looked on apple's website and it didn't say on the 12" but it did mention it on the 15" and 17"

[hulkaros]

Originally posted by gnubie
Does the 12" Powerbook come with a 1 MB level 3 cache? I looked on apple's website and it didn't say on the 12" but it did mention it on the 15" and 17"

The 12" aBook has "only" 256KB of l3 cache while the 15"&17" have 1MB!!!



Although, it sounds dramatic and in some apps surely is, in everyday "normal" use you will not understand the difference

[hulkaros]

"Good day all,"

Good day to you too!

"I am new to this place and I have never owned an Apple computer (I have used them before back in the 80s that's how old I am!). I am looking for a new laptop and seriously considering getting the iBook G3 or PowerBook G4. I am from the Window$ community and looking to migrate away from them. Currently I have a PC desktop with a triple boot between WinXP/Win98SE/Mandrake Linux 8.1. I also have an ancient laptop with Win98 as part of a network. So the questions that I have are:"

Why exactly do you want to switch? Maybe this will not do to you ANY good

"1) What can Macs do for me that Windoze can't do?"

Will not let you play Solitaire all day instead of doing your work

"2) Why are Apple computers generally more expensive that PC based computers?"

SEEM to be more expensive is the real answer and when you will try to compare them with a similar high quality PC (is that EVEN possible ) you will see that Macs are actually cheaper...

"3) Is MAC OS X similar to UNIX? I believe so but tell me if I'm wrong. Does it have less functionality/features?"

OS X is a "variant" of UNIX actually but as a bonus you get the legendary Apple ease of use

"4) Is there a significant increase in performance between the G3 (high end) and the G4 (low end)?"

In the majority of apps and especially in games YES. But if all you do is listen to some music, watch a DVD, write, browse the internet, etc. the G3 >=500 is more than fine...

"5) Why are Mac computers performance rated lower than PCs yet cost more? Is it because of the software bundles that come with the computer?"

Actually we never saw an apples to apples comparison anywhere which shows that Macs are slower than Wintels... We have YET to see Macs compared to Wintels under heavy tasks while multitasking (which if you ask me the Macs beat EASILY the Wintels). Don't forget that performance is just one factor when one decides to buy a computer! The most important factors are: What you want to do with your computer and how you want to do it! Even on Wintels when one wants stability AND performance he doesn't buy JUST the top performing parts but the most stable ones... Some examples:
-ECC SDRAM PC133 versus DDR266
-Athlon MP 2400 versus Athlon XP 2800
-Xeon/2800 versus P4m/2400 versus P4/3060!!!

"That's generally it. Thanx 4 ne response! "

You are welcome and I really hope that you will be able to buy a Mac ASAP

If money isn't a problem (I know that always is but...) go with the best G4 based Mac you can! And in any way you can't go wrong by buying a Mac with the word Power infront of it