Macbook Pro's are ace buy one immediately :D

[cojak]

Apple. Products so cool we don't need customers.

[Sysman]

Well, for once I'll have to agree. Previously Mac notebooks certainly went at a premium price. But since the switch to Intel Duos the prices for comparable kit are not too bad. And if you look at say the MacBook Pro models then yes you're getting the more or less top of the food chain Intel T7600 Core 2 Duos for much the same, occasionally better, price as any PC notebook out there.

Unfortunately, unless you're a Flash/Photoshop guru, you'll still have to install something else on it to earn your daily crust.

When I bought my iBook, it cost something like 50% more than a similar Compaq laptop a mate bought. His Compaq died a couple of years ago, and my iBook is still going strong. Raw purchase price isn't everything, and as you say, the prices are a lot more competitve now.

On the software side, I always seemed to be shelling out for something else when I ran Windows. Not so with the Mac. A full development environment and X11 are included, for starters.

There's boatloads of free software, and a lot of Unix/Linux stuff is just a matter of recompiling.

Avoid Norton at all costs. I've heard more than enough horror stories there.

[cojak]

When I bought my iBook, it cost something like 50% more than a similar Compaq laptop a mate bought. His Compaq died a couple of years ago, and my iBook is still going strong. Raw purchase price isn't everything, and as you say, the prices are a lot more competitve now.

That's an interesting aside, Sysman. I'm replacing my laptop in the New Year even though it's still going strong. It's a bluddy heavy Pentium III without wireless. I got it 6 years agao from Mark Snowdon (an ex-poster on these) boards.

I'll be sorry to see it go, but now is the right time...

[Joe Black]

What happened to all of us. I used to be a just another Joe before we moved here...

[ratewhore]

G4 Powerbook bought for 800 notes 3 years ago still going strong. Best laptop I've ever had and I will get another one when the time is right. G5 Powermac in the office for my music and video editing and also a big windoze server that I never switch on anymore...

[where did my id go?]

Whatever happened to Mark?

Anyone know?

He's been around now and then under different ID's.

Gave up contracting when the kids were born. I was soooo bored and just not enjoying it any more.

so now doing childcare and trying to write fiction.

Pleased your lappy is still going strong Jacko.

[Sysman]

What happened to all of us. I used to be a just another Joe before we moved here...

I had to sack the place when Fiddleabout kept posting NSFW stuff in General. I suspect many others did too.

It's a pity, because there was many a time that the mix of humour and sensible comments got me through an otherwise tedious day.

[OrangeHopper]

Good to hear you are still around Mark.

[scotspine]

He's been around now and then under different ID's.

Gave up contracting when the kids were born. I was soooo bored and just not enjoying it any more.

so now doing childcare and trying to write fiction.

Pleased your lappy is still going strong Jacko.

wotcher ms...didn't know it was you. good to hear you're alive and well.

[where did my id go?]

Thanks for the kind thoughts.

I dont drop in that frequently, but its always interesting to see how things are going.


Happy Christmas All!