Yes I have a Mac, where to go from here...

[Mr Minor]

I priced out a MacBook Pro a few nights ago.  Think I'm finally gonna make the crossover.

Do it.  I switched this year years ago and have zero regrets.

fypfm

I got my wife a new Macbook last year for Christmas and I am hoping she repays the favor with a Macbook Pro for me this year.  My G5 is on a slippery slope of obsolete/beginning to fade.  Power issues, but it's 7 years old...

[rowjimmy]

I priced out a MacBook Pro a few nights ago.  Think I'm finally gonna make the crossover.

Do it.  I switched this year years ago and have zero regrets.

fypfm

I got my wife a new Macbook last year for Christmas and I am hoping she repays the favor with a Macbook Pro for me this year.  My G5 is on a slippery slope of obsolete/beginning to fade.  Power issues, but it's 7 years old...

I've started an account to secretly save for my wife & kids' imac.

[Mr Minor]

I priced out a MacBook Pro a few nights ago.  Think I'm finally gonna make the crossover.

Do it.  I switched this year years ago and have zero regrets.

fypfm

I got my wife a new Macbook last year for Christmas and I am hoping she repays the favor with a Macbook Pro for me this year.  My G5 is on a slippery slope of obsolete/beginning to fade.  Power issues, but it's 7 years old...

I've started an account to secretly save for my wife & kids' imac.

Nice.   that will be a nice surprise for them.

[sls.stormyrider]

thanks

switched over this summer - once I got over the transition, which was a little rocky at first, I would say I'm about 95% satisfied (which is likely much happier than I would be if I bought another pc). Also, I just don't like MS.

[Buffalo Budd]

What are you using the computer for?

The MPB will have better specs almost across the board.

I will be using it for some recording, downloading music and burning DVDs.  Probably working with our photos as well.  I'm buying a terrabyte external so I don't slow down it's operating speed.  I'm only going on what I've read and a few friends say that the only diff is the video card. 


Actually just found this easy comparison on the differences so I can decide from there I guess.

If you can swing the extra 200 bucks, go for the Pro. If you don't need the SD card reader, firewire, aluminum frame, etc... get the MacBook.

Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/computing/mac-platform/articles/61978.aspx#ixzz138GMBFQe

[rowjimmy]

If you want to do music and photography, having a built in sd reader and FW800 is probably worthwhile as it will give you options. Especially if you want to record directly to an external hdd.

Something to consider, when pricing is that you don't want to pay for extra RAM as it's cheaper and not hard to do it yourself. Same for the hdd (especially if you plan on using externals.) Processor, however, is worth spending a dime on. Also, if you or you wife is a student you can probably get the educational discount.

[mattstick]

I think Firewire is on the way out for music production too, only get Firewire if you plan on doing video capture.

[Multibeast12]

If you want to do music and photography, having a built in sd reader and FW800 is probably worthwhile as it will give you options. Especially if you want to record directly to an external hdd.

Something to consider, when pricing is that you don't want to pay for extra RAM as it's cheaper and not hard to do it yourself. Same for the hdd (especially if you plan on using externals.) Processor, however, is worth spending a dime on. Also, if you or you wife is a student you can probably get the educational discount.

Got mine when i first started college back in 08 and i got a free iPod touch with it that i gave as a Christmas gift, and i absolutely love my MacBook. Its not the pro but for what i do it serves its purpose.

what's the best way to rip cds with Mac?
The simplest seems importing into itunes with either aiff or wav, and as a bonus, it even tags the files. I wasn't sure how "accurate" a rip itunes does.

I tried last night also with xact but it was taking a long, long time.

About the accuracy issue -- I assume this would mostly be connected to the physical condition of the disc, and your program's ability to rip through that. iTunes has "error correction" but it's unclear what exactly this means. Other programs I've used (XLD?) have more complex sets of preferences and also error reporting.

But I assume if you have a pristine disc and your hardware is functioning properly, iTunes or any quality program should be able to rip the digital data fully and accurately based on the instructions in the software -- where/why/how would the process break down at that point?

The discussions I've been able to find online about CD ripping accuracy have been incomplete at best.

For a little while I was having a fair bit of trouble ripping via iTunes, especially with my Live Phish discs, and when I tried in another program, XLD I think, I had problems with the same tracks. More recently iTunes has been able to breeze its way through discs that I might have thought would give it trouble, based on scratches and spots on the surface. Mind you, I haven't listened to all the music yet to see how exactly it sounds coming off the computer.

Same here. Sometimes it would rip like shit and just freeze up. But now it works fine. So i don't know whats up with it. But yeah the LP Discs were a bitch and i don't know why, LP vol 3 would never go on until one day it just decided to work.

[whatapiper]

after bumping up from 1 gig ram to 4 and storing all large files on externals I have pretty much zero performance issues

it def helps me to "eject" externals not in use, at first i would have 3 or 4 drives plugged in and randomly they would "wake up", slowing down whatever I was doing.   

RJ, last month I started a secret savings as well for a mac book pro, it may take a while but i hope to have enough by this summer.

[VDB]

after bumping up from 1 gig ram to 4 and storing all large files on externals I have pretty much zero performance issues

it def helps me to "eject" externals not in use, at first i would have 3 or 4 drives plugged in and randomly they would "wake up", slowing down whatever I was doing.   

RJ, last month I started a secret savings as well for a mac book pro, it may take a while but i hope to have enough by this summer.

Definitely, whenever my external (backup) drives wake up, it throws a snag in things, but this is temporary and from what I can tell it doesn't affect performance beyond those moments when the drive is coming back to life. Since we're talking (automatic) Time Machine drives here I leave it plugged in to go to work at its will.

[sls.stormyrider]

which do you prefer for PDFs, Adobe or Preview?
why?

[mbw]

from here, you should throw it in the trash.

[Lifeboy]

 :hereitisyousentimentalbastard

[VDB]

which do you prefer for PDFs, Adobe or Preview?
why?

Just viewing PDFs? Preview seems pretty lean and quick, and invariably it gets opened up early on in the day and stays open.

[mattstick]

Preview - Adobe takes forever to open.