MacBook advice & Tips
 

I have been considering getting a laptop, and I'm starting to lean towards the MacBook. This is the one I am interested in thus far:

http://store.apple.com/Catalog/regio...ery-big-01.jpg
13" White

* 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 512MB memory (I would upgrade to 1GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x512 for an additional $75
* 60GB hard drive
* Combo drive

Ships: Within 24 hours
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$1,099.00 + $75 memory upgrade = $1,174

Here are my questions:
- For those of you that have one, how do you like it?
- I hear that you can run Apples Mac OS X or Windows XP. Does that capability come standard, or is that an additional software purchase?
- I will assume that if it can run windows XP, that I can install my legal versions of Office 2003, Outlook 2003 etc...??
- In addition, I cannot find a spec on how much this thing weighs??

Your feedback is appreciated in advance,

Thanks

You should get it!
"- I hear that you can run Apples Mac OS X or Windows XP. Does that capability come standard, or that is an additional software purchase? Parallels $79, also Apple's Boot Camp which requires addt. software. You can run both, and with parallels, you can run XP inside OSX in its own window
- I will assume that if it can run windows XP, that I can install my legal versions of Office 2003, Outlook 2003 etc...?? Well, I am running Office 2004 for Mac on mine, but let's just say I didn't exactly buy it. ;) Not sure about existing software from a pc, but mac-to-mac transfers of the software do work
- In addition, I kind find a spec on how much this thing weighs?? 5.2 pounds

I would suggest, if you have the $, to get the 2.0 GHz version. When the Macbook was updated, the 2.0 got most benefit from it. It also has a DVD burner, which is helpful for backing up data. Make sure to wait until Leopard comes out if you do decide to buy.

Greg,

I don't have one... not yet, at least, but I know several people who do. They all just LOVE the thing. Incidentally, I work in an IT department, and almost all our managers have Macs at home, or on their desk next to their company-issued PC.

You have to download Bootcamp from Apple to be able to run Windows on it. It's a free download. You can also get Parallels, an application that allows you to run Window (or any other OS, for that matter) on your Mac. Parallels is better, but it is not free. The question is... why do you want to do that?? You can get Mac's version of Office and Outlook (called Entourage). Anything you do on your Mac (Word docs, powerpoint presentations, excel spreadsheets, and so on) is compatible with Windows.

Read the tech sheets on Apple's website for weight. I know they're light, though.

I will get one soon, and you should too. Great machine. :)

Juan

- I have a pro and I love it. Many people have macbooks in my dorm though and they love theirs. Personally the keyboard design is awesome, as is the magnetic latch. Truly ingenious...

- It can run OS X & XP. To run XP, you will have to have a full copy of XP though. Boot camp (Apple's software that lets you run either XP or OS X) is free provided that you own XP. Or you can do Parrelel's, which is more convenient allowing you to run windows apps & mac os apps side by side on OS X. Note: When I say full copy of XP I mean a copy you bought. Dell or other PC makers will give you a stripped down version of XP with a new PC purchase that can't reinstall XP (on a dell, compaq, or any computer) - this won't work with boot camp or parrellel's - just a heads up... (Or you could just pirate a copy... cough, cough)... Also I had vista (beta) running on my macbook pro for a while, so these machines can handle Vista - although it was so buggy that I ended up removing it...

- If your running XP just to run outlook & office, I say just go out and buy the student edition of Office for Mac. At $150 its a bargain - and its the same bundle as the regular version. Plus its no questions asked...

- http://www.apple.com/macbook/specs.html lists it as 5.2 pounds.

I think you should go to an Apple store (www.apple.com/retail) and play around with one. All demonstration computers in the Apple store are fully functional (connect to the internet, loaded to to the brim with software) and basically let you test drive the machine. Also Apple people can help you with your questions...

If you have any more don't hesitate to ask...

group buy! ;)

It is a good idea to get Apple's extended warranty, AppleCare, if you plan on holding on to it for over a year....service visits can be very expensive.

I have one and it's great! Go for it!! :thumbup:

Yes, the Apple Stores are great. They usually have one computer with Parallels installed, so ask someone there which one it is....it's usually one of the nicer more expensive desktop models. When you buy a mac, you usually get a $100 dollar printer instant rebate, so they basically throw in a nice printer! (At least that's how it was for me. I got a free iPod mini, a free printer, and $200 the normal price).
:thumbup:

How long after purchase are you able to get AppleCare? I regret not getting it.
I got an imac and macbook in January 07.

You can definately get it now...you can get it until January '08 in your case.
I regret not getting it too....