As some of you hear me say a lot, the computer I have currently sucks muchly, and I'm pondering buying a new one next year, probably a laptop. I've been hearing a lot about macs lately, and I'll admit I'm intrigued, but I know pretty much nothing about Macs. So I was wondering if any of you people had something to say on the matter. Some specific questions I have:
* Will a mac work off my wireless microsoft router?
* Is there a decent mud client for macs?
* Writing code is going to be necessary for me. Would C++/java/visual basic/other code that works on a mac work on a windows machine, and vise versa? Would Visual Studios work on a Mac without loading windows?
* Macs look more expensive then their PC counterparts, but how does software and hardware compare price wise?
* I've never had a PC break in a way that a reformat couldn't fix. Never had any hardware failure, so my computers have always lasted until I'm tired of them and want to catch up with the times. Can I expect the same of Mac hardware?
* Would you recommend loading windows on the mac for anything?
* Every PC I've ever had eventually gets slower and slower, from no reason that I can determine. This one is at the point where often on AIM I can have several sentences typed out and entered before my screen updates. Will Macs do the same thing over time?
* Will spyware/virus scanning be needed? Defragging? Other maintenance?
* Have a specific computer you recommend?
Thats all I can think of for now, any info would be much appreciated.
* Will a mac work off my wireless microsoft router?
* Is there a decent mud client for macs?
* Writing code is going to be necessary for me. Would C++/java/visual basic/other code that works on a mac work on a windows machine, and vise versa? Would Visual Studios work on a Mac without loading windows?
* Macs look more expensive then their PC counterparts, but how does software and hardware compare price wise?
* I've never had a PC break in a way that a reformat couldn't fix. Never had any hardware failure, so my computers have always lasted until I'm tired of them and want to catch up with the times. Can I expect the same of Mac hardware?
* Would you recommend loading windows on the mac for anything?
* Every PC I've ever had eventually gets slower and slower, from no reason that I can determine. This one is at the point where often on AIM I can have several sentences typed out and entered before my screen updates. Will Macs do the same thing over time?
* Will spyware/virus scanning be needed? Defragging? Other maintenance?
* Have a specific computer you recommend?
Thats all I can think of for now, any info would be much appreciated.
QUOTE(Acrune @ Dec 8 2007, 12:03 PM) 463464
As some of you hear me say a lot, the computer I have currently sucks muchly, and I'm pondering buying a new one next year, probably a laptop. I've been hearing a lot about macs lately, and I'll admit I'm intrigued, but I know pretty much nothing about Macs. So I was wondering if any of you people had something to say on the matter. Some specific questions I have:
* Will a mac work off my wireless microsoft router?
It should. I run my macbook off of a linksys router that's run through a Windows machine-based network.
* Is there a decent mud client for macs?
Atlantis isn't bad, but its still in development. There are ways around it though, using CrossOver and Parallels, which will run MUSHclient or ZMud or whatever else just fine. Also, you have the option of Bootcamp that comes with new macs. Basically, if you keep the version of Windows you have you can install it on your Mac in a partition and choose which to boot into. Also, if you get your hands on Parallels, you can even access the partition while in Mac OS.
* Writing code is going to be necessary for me. Would C++/java/visual basic/other code that works on a mac work on a windows machine, and vise versa? Would Visual Studios work on a Mac without loading windows?
I'm afraid I don't know the answer to this one. But a little research online could tell you.
* Macs look more expensive then their PC counterparts, but how does software and hardware compare price wise?
Well, software wise, the latest Mac OS, Leopard, puts Vista to shame. It actually works.
And that'll come installed. But for the rest of the things, the price isn't much different. As for Hardware, the computer itself might be a liiiittle more expensive, but not by much. A good way to reduce the cost is to pick the lowest amount of ram and smallest HDD and then buy bigger ones separately and install them yourself.
* I've never had a PC break in a way that a reformat couldn't fix. Never had any hardware failure, so my computers have always lasted until I'm tired of them and want to catch up with the times. Can I expect the same of Mac hardware?
Having my macbook for a year now, it didn't lockup/crash once until this past month, and that was my own fault for installing some unstable software. I haven't had a single problem with mine at all, and I haven't read about people having any major issues. But there's also always AppleCare 3 year warranty (which extends not just to your computer, but all ipods and such as well) that you can pick up for a little extra.
* Would you recommend loading windows on the mac for anything?
Yeah, I'd recommend having a partition for Windows XP if you have the space on your Harddrive. There are just certain programs that are a little slow to come out on Macs at the moment, mainly games, but also some piracy software for cracking DVD/CD protections and the like, if that's your thing.
* Every PC I've ever had eventually gets slower and slower, from no reason that I can determine. This one is at the point where often on AIM I can have several sentences typed out and entered before my screen updates. Will Macs do the same thing over time?
Macs have a completely different file format to Windows machines. There is no such thing as defragging a Mac because of how this works. You can also move programs that are running or files that are open from one directory or another without any problem. And because of this filesystem, it greatly reduces the sort of slow-down produced by aging Windows machines, at least that I've seen. You will want to pick up a program like MacJanitor though, unless you leave your computer on all the time, since Macs do perform certain maintinence on themselves in the middle of the night, since they're designed to be run without being shutdown for months at a time.
* Will spyware/virus scanning be needed? Defragging? Other maintenance?
As stated above, no defragging, and you can use a virus scanner if you want, but there are only a handful of mac viruses, and you'd be hardpressed to find them. I don't use any other than what comes with my email and stuff, and i've not had a problem. Most spyware and such is designed in a format that only runs on Windows--Macs simply don't recognize the file formats, and so no harm can be done.
* Have a specific computer you recommend?
It depends on what you're after. Macs have 2 different variety--the basic and the Pro. The basic macbooks/imacs don't have replaceable graphics cards, which is sorta meh, since the cards they come with kinda suck, but unless you need a good graphics card, its not an issue. The Pro versions, however, don't have this problem, and you can upgrade the graphics card as you see fit, they just cost a bit more, but they also have bigger harddrives, more max RAM capacity, bigger screens, better processors and stuff like that.
Thats all I can think of for now, any info would be much appreciated.
* Will a mac work off my wireless microsoft router?
It should. I run my macbook off of a linksys router that's run through a Windows machine-based network.
* Is there a decent mud client for macs?
Atlantis isn't bad, but its still in development. There are ways around it though, using CrossOver and Parallels, which will run MUSHclient or ZMud or whatever else just fine. Also, you have the option of Bootcamp that comes with new macs. Basically, if you keep the version of Windows you have you can install it on your Mac in a partition and choose which to boot into. Also, if you get your hands on Parallels, you can even access the partition while in Mac OS.
* Writing code is going to be necessary for me. Would C++/java/visual basic/other code that works on a mac work on a windows machine, and vise versa? Would Visual Studios work on a Mac without loading windows?
I'm afraid I don't know the answer to this one. But a little research online could tell you.
* Macs look more expensive then their PC counterparts, but how does software and hardware compare price wise?
Well, software wise, the latest Mac OS, Leopard, puts Vista to shame. It actually works.
And that'll come installed. But for the rest of the things, the price isn't much different. As for Hardware, the computer itself might be a liiiittle more expensive, but not by much. A good way to reduce the cost is to pick the lowest amount of ram and smallest HDD and then buy bigger ones separately and install them yourself.* I've never had a PC break in a way that a reformat couldn't fix. Never had any hardware failure, so my computers have always lasted until I'm tired of them and want to catch up with the times. Can I expect the same of Mac hardware?
Having my macbook for a year now, it didn't lockup/crash once until this past month, and that was my own fault for installing some unstable software. I haven't had a single problem with mine at all, and I haven't read about people having any major issues. But there's also always AppleCare 3 year warranty (which extends not just to your computer, but all ipods and such as well) that you can pick up for a little extra.
* Would you recommend loading windows on the mac for anything?
Yeah, I'd recommend having a partition for Windows XP if you have the space on your Harddrive. There are just certain programs that are a little slow to come out on Macs at the moment, mainly games, but also some piracy software for cracking DVD/CD protections and the like, if that's your thing.
* Every PC I've ever had eventually gets slower and slower, from no reason that I can determine. This one is at the point where often on AIM I can have several sentences typed out and entered before my screen updates. Will Macs do the same thing over time?
Macs have a completely different file format to Windows machines. There is no such thing as defragging a Mac because of how this works. You can also move programs that are running or files that are open from one directory or another without any problem. And because of this filesystem, it greatly reduces the sort of slow-down produced by aging Windows machines, at least that I've seen. You will want to pick up a program like MacJanitor though, unless you leave your computer on all the time, since Macs do perform certain maintinence on themselves in the middle of the night, since they're designed to be run without being shutdown for months at a time.
* Will spyware/virus scanning be needed? Defragging? Other maintenance?
As stated above, no defragging, and you can use a virus scanner if you want, but there are only a handful of mac viruses, and you'd be hardpressed to find them. I don't use any other than what comes with my email and stuff, and i've not had a problem. Most spyware and such is designed in a format that only runs on Windows--Macs simply don't recognize the file formats, and so no harm can be done.
* Have a specific computer you recommend?
It depends on what you're after. Macs have 2 different variety--the basic and the Pro. The basic macbooks/imacs don't have replaceable graphics cards, which is sorta meh, since the cards they come with kinda suck, but unless you need a good graphics card, its not an issue. The Pro versions, however, don't have this problem, and you can upgrade the graphics card as you see fit, they just cost a bit more, but they also have bigger harddrives, more max RAM capacity, bigger screens, better processors and stuff like that.
Thats all I can think of for now, any info would be much appreciated.
Hope that helps!
QUOTE(Xinael @ Dec 8 2007, 03:25 PM) 463473
Finally, what're the specs of your computer? You really shouldn't be seeing slowdowns that drastic unless your hardware's very old or there's a problem with something (despite your claims of not having any problems). I'd check airflow first, that's the thing that degrades most over time as stuff gets clogged with dust.
I literally bought the cheapest computer I could find. Was something like $450.
Does dust slow down computer performance? My fan doesn't run too much, so I assume it isn't overheated, especially since the outside is completely cool, but I dunno. I suspect the slowdown is from my having 448 MB of RAM and a weak processor, combined with the numerous anti-virus updates and windows updates my computer afflicts itself with.
QUOTE(S.A.W. @ Dec 8 2007, 03:27 PM) 463475
Hope that helps!
It does, thanks.
Hi darling. Why didn't you just ask me, I am Mac queen with my G5 tower and my Macbook . I know SAW answered things but I've used macs my entire life so..I'll just answer too.
I wanted to add in as a side note, a lot of the crap Mac gets tends to be about software it seems, however the only things I've wanted to use on a Mac but couldn't were either games or something like CMud, and even now this isn't even an issue. There's usually someone out there who's made a program that will do what some Windows program did for you.
. I know SAW answered things but I've used macs my entire life so..I'll just answer too.QUOTE(Acrune @ Dec 8 2007, 03:03 PM) 463464
As some of you hear me say a lot, the computer I have currently sucks muchly, and I'm pondering buying a new one next year, probably a laptop. I've been hearing a lot about macs lately, and I'll admit I'm intrigued, but I know pretty much nothing about Macs. So I was wondering if any of you people had something to say on the matter. Some specific questions I have:
* Will a mac work off my wireless microsoft router?
Simple answer is yes. I've never had any problem with airport hooking me up. I HAVE however had problems with the Vista on my Macbook connecting to the Airports at my house, however I think this has to do with the security settings my parents have set up and I haven't been home long enough to really need it fixed.
* Is there a decent mud client for macs?
Atlantis is decent but will not work for you. It is very slow with combat spam. You will basically have to make the jump to Tinyfugue which is insanely fast and very good.
* Writing code is going to be necessary for me. Would C++/java/visual basic/other code that works on a mac work on a windows machine, and vise versa? Would Visual Studios work on a Mac without loading windows?
Visual Studio is only on Windows, however Eclipse works on a Mac for java, and there's good software like BBEdit or TextWrangler which is good for writing code in (but not an IDE). And there is XCode which I've dabbled in, but I really haven't had to use it because I just use Eclipse, emacs or TextWrangler. From what I've seen, it looks like a good tool.
* Macs look more expensive then their PC counterparts, but how does software and hardware compare price wise?
Apple's OS in my opinion is better than Windows. The updates are more frequent and they work on EVERY Mac, and the latest one is pre-installed. You don't have to worry about getting Home or Home Premium and having to pay more just to get all of the features, it's all in one. As for hardware, Macs tend to be a bit more expensive but not in all cases.
* I've never had a PC break in a way that a reformat couldn't fix. Never had any hardware failure, so my computers have always lasted until I'm tired of them and want to catch up with the times. Can I expect the same of Mac hardware?
I've had two occasions on an older G4 where my computer wouldn't show me any data when I logged into my account, but it was -only- that account. I had to connect it via firewire to another computer to get my files (all were fine) and then just reformat. Aside from that, I don't have any problems and I've had my G5 tower for 2 1/2 years and my Macbook for a year. And even if you do encounter a problem, the applecare is AMAZING, they do most everything for free while you're under warranty.
* Would you recommend loading windows on the mac for anything?
I use Windows with Cmud. Honestly I think it's worth it if you have games and such you want to play that aren't for Macs, or if you wanted to use visual studio. Just make sure your hard drive is large enough so that you have adequate space in the partition. Vista runs like it does on any non-Mac on the Mac, so it's really up to you.
* Every PC I've ever had eventually gets slower and slower, from no reason that I can determine. This one is at the point where often on AIM I can have several sentences typed out and entered before my screen updates. Will Macs do the same thing over time?
Not really in my experience, at least with later models.
* Will spyware/virus scanning be needed? Defragging? Other maintenance?
I think you should have spyware/virus scanning. I have NEVER had a virus on any of my computers I've used, and I have exclusively used Macs my entire life, even though I download lots of things, have been to websites with scary popups, etc. Most of the time the viruses are in .exe files which aren't recognized. Of course if you use windows on the mac you will HAVE to get the virus scanning software. You don't really need to defrag either. I have never defragged my computer and it still runs fine.
The one thing I would say is if you are going to install windows, do it FIRST before using your computer for a while (although it probably isn't as big of an issue if you have a lot of hard drive space). I installed Bootcamp/Windows onto my Macbook a year after I had it, and because it has a small HD (40 gigs I think) it wasn't able to partition correctly, so I ended up just starting from scratch and reinstalling OS X.
Here's a little article from Apple about defragging
* Have a specific computer you recommend?
I dunno! I have an older G5 (the cheese grater) which is good, but I got a more basic one, but it still runs fine. The Macbooks are awesome IMO. I have just a plain Macbook because I was buying it just to have a laptop and such, so I would recommend you get the Pro at least.
Thats all I can think of for now, any info would be much appreciated.
* Will a mac work off my wireless microsoft router?
Simple answer is yes. I've never had any problem with airport hooking me up. I HAVE however had problems with the Vista on my Macbook connecting to the Airports at my house, however I think this has to do with the security settings my parents have set up and I haven't been home long enough to really need it fixed.
* Is there a decent mud client for macs?
Atlantis is decent but will not work for you. It is very slow with combat spam. You will basically have to make the jump to Tinyfugue which is insanely fast and very good.
* Writing code is going to be necessary for me. Would C++/java/visual basic/other code that works on a mac work on a windows machine, and vise versa? Would Visual Studios work on a Mac without loading windows?
Visual Studio is only on Windows, however Eclipse works on a Mac for java, and there's good software like BBEdit or TextWrangler which is good for writing code in (but not an IDE). And there is XCode which I've dabbled in, but I really haven't had to use it because I just use Eclipse, emacs or TextWrangler. From what I've seen, it looks like a good tool.
* Macs look more expensive then their PC counterparts, but how does software and hardware compare price wise?
Apple's OS in my opinion is better than Windows. The updates are more frequent and they work on EVERY Mac, and the latest one is pre-installed. You don't have to worry about getting Home or Home Premium and having to pay more just to get all of the features, it's all in one. As for hardware, Macs tend to be a bit more expensive but not in all cases.
* I've never had a PC break in a way that a reformat couldn't fix. Never had any hardware failure, so my computers have always lasted until I'm tired of them and want to catch up with the times. Can I expect the same of Mac hardware?
I've had two occasions on an older G4 where my computer wouldn't show me any data when I logged into my account, but it was -only- that account. I had to connect it via firewire to another computer to get my files (all were fine) and then just reformat. Aside from that, I don't have any problems and I've had my G5 tower for 2 1/2 years and my Macbook for a year. And even if you do encounter a problem, the applecare is AMAZING, they do most everything for free while you're under warranty.
* Would you recommend loading windows on the mac for anything?
I use Windows with Cmud. Honestly I think it's worth it if you have games and such you want to play that aren't for Macs, or if you wanted to use visual studio. Just make sure your hard drive is large enough so that you have adequate space in the partition. Vista runs like it does on any non-Mac on the Mac, so it's really up to you.
* Every PC I've ever had eventually gets slower and slower, from no reason that I can determine. This one is at the point where often on AIM I can have several sentences typed out and entered before my screen updates. Will Macs do the same thing over time?
Not really in my experience, at least with later models.
* Will spyware/virus scanning be needed? Defragging? Other maintenance?
I think you should have spyware/virus scanning. I have NEVER had a virus on any of my computers I've used, and I have exclusively used Macs my entire life, even though I download lots of things, have been to websites with scary popups, etc. Most of the time the viruses are in .exe files which aren't recognized. Of course if you use windows on the mac you will HAVE to get the virus scanning software. You don't really need to defrag either. I have never defragged my computer and it still runs fine.
The one thing I would say is if you are going to install windows, do it FIRST before using your computer for a while (although it probably isn't as big of an issue if you have a lot of hard drive space). I installed Bootcamp/Windows onto my Macbook a year after I had it, and because it has a small HD (40 gigs I think) it wasn't able to partition correctly, so I ended up just starting from scratch and reinstalling OS X.
Here's a little article from Apple about defragging
* Have a specific computer you recommend?
I dunno! I have an older G5 (the cheese grater
) which is good, but I got a more basic one, but it still runs fine. The Macbooks are awesome IMO. I have just a plain Macbook because I was buying it just to have a laptop and such, so I would recommend you get the Pro at least.Thats all I can think of for now, any info would be much appreciated.
I wanted to add in as a side note, a lot of the crap Mac gets tends to be about software it seems, however the only things I've wanted to use on a Mac but couldn't were either games or something like CMud, and even now this isn't even an issue. There's usually someone out there who's made a program that will do what some Windows program did for you.
QUOTE(Veonira @ Dec 8 2007, 06:13 PM) 463534
Hi darling. Why didn't you just ask me, I am Mac queen with my G5 tower and my Macbook . I know SAW answered things but I've used macs my entire life so..I'll just answer too.
. I know SAW answered things but I've used macs my entire life so..I'll just answer too.Thanks.
I didn't just ask you because I knew you'd post too. Plus you haven't been on AIM all day 