Another Question About Apple Laptops

[your_dreamguy]

Thanks for all of you responded to my Apple laptop post. I went to an Apple store to look at some laptops. Apple is what I'm leaning towards. However, I understand that you need to spend an additonal $200 or so if you want to get Microsoft Word, Excel and Office. Is this true? Also, is the Apple laptop still worth it after paying the addtional money?

 

[flydrummer]

Well I personally think MACs are superior computers. I AM biased though as i have used them since 1988. Yes you do need to purchase Microsoft Office 2004 serperately. I think it's worth it. You'll have a computer that will last you a long time. Just make sure you get Apple Care. Chances are nothing will go wrong with it in 3 years but if something does you'll be glad you had that extra protection.

 

[njcapt]

Keep an eye on eBay. I see new, full featured versions of Office going for around $100 to 150. Once you buy a full version you can play the upgrade game indefinitely. My last full version of Word was 5.0 back in 1998.

 

[CFIcare]

Yes you need to buy the Microsoft stuff separately, but $200 is peanuts compared to what you would pay for firewalls, virus protection, anti-spyware/malware packs and regular trips to the doctor to disinfect/partition/rescue your hard drive like I had to every two months with my old Dell.

I've had my Powerbook G4 for a year and a half and I haven't had a problem. Mac's don't get viruses/worms unless you authorize the download, which no one does, so you don't get them.

Sure you could get a $400 Dell with a lot of cheaply made extras, but you'll pay at least the price of a nice Mac in the first year just fixing and protecting it.

Get the Mac. You know you want it....

 

[sweptback]

Keep in mind that if you buy a PC you're not going to get Office either. I mean, you might, but you're paying at least $200 for it, you just don't know it.

 

[Foxcow]

Here is a free Office Suite. Its pretty nice. Available for Windows/Mac/Linux/etc

http://www.openoffice.org/

 

[CA1900]

Yes, Microsoft Office is an extra-cost item, just as it is with Windows machines. Nobody's bundling Office for free. Many include a basic productivity package; Dell includes MS Works in their high-end laptops, and nothing in their low-end. Apple includes AppleWorks in their low-end laptops. All Macs include a 30-day test drive of Microsoft Office if you want to try it out and see if you really need it.

As mentioned above, OpenOffice might be helpful. And, specifically for the Mac OS, there's a separately-compiled version of OpenOffice, called NeoOffice/J. It's a little more polished and doesn't require X11, but it's the same core as OpenOffice. http://www.neooffice.org/

Hope that helps. They're terrific machines.

 

[RockbrigadePC1]

Can someone please really get into what I need on a powerbook. I want to run Photoshop CS, and just basic applications and word. I want the 15 inch. Do I get the bigger processor? Do I need a gig of ram like I have on this Dell?

Any apple junkies, I need you!

 

[flydrummer]

Can someone please really get into what I need on a powerbook. I want to run Photoshop CS, and just basic applications and word. I want the 15 inch. Do I get the bigger processor? Do I need a gig of ram like I have on this Dell?

Any apple junkies, I need you!

If you're gonna be doing Photoshop work then get the most RAM and fastest processor possible.

 

[CA1900]

Agreed on Photoshop. If your budget will only allow you to pick one, though, go for more RAM over a faster processor.

And don't get it bundled with the machine; you can get more RAM for the money getting it aftermarket, and install it yourself. Between the two stock 15-inch models, the primary difference is the DVD-burner drive (SuperDrive) versus the CD-RW/DVD-reader drive (Combo Drive). The small bump in processor speed isn't too significant.

The extra RAM (to go from 512 to 1GB) is $150 from Apple, or $71 from Crucial, or $75 from RamJet.

The 512MB included is adequate, but OS X is very good in its use of RAM -- if you have more, it will use it to great advantage to make your whole system faster. I have 768MB in my desktop machine, and it's nice and fast -- but I don't do much in Photoshop. I'd go ahead and get the machine at 512MB, and if it seems to be bogging down, add the aftermarket RAM later.