About to become a "Switcher!"

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I have waited almost three years for this day and I am just a few days shy of recieving my very first Mac, fresh from Shanghai.



It is a Powerbook HD 17" with 2 GB RAM and 7200 RPM HDD.



Needless to say, I am excited as can be.



I will be using Adobe CS2, Macromedia Studio 8, Quark, and Final Cut Studio.



I cannot wait. I cannot believe I am posting aobut this, but I cannot help it. That is how excited I am.



I thought about waiting for the Intel versions, but I really think the current one is perfect and I don't want Apple to change anything.



I cannot wait to be done with Windows.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Me too man. January will show me buying my first new Mac in years.



    I'm tired of Windows...it's just not teh sexy.



    I'm expecting that the new Macs that are announced in January will be like taking a huge body shot...and liking it. :P
  • Reply 2 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by 9secondko

    It is a Powerbook HD 17" with 2 GB RAM and 7200 RPM HDD.





    Very nice. I got my first Mac in May after using Windows for the past 16 years and doing Windows software development for the past 11 years.



    You are going to love the Powerbook. I want to get one as well, but I am going to have to wait a while on that.
  • Reply 3 of 17
    pyrixpyrix Posts: 264member
    One of my freinds just brought one of these new powerbooks - absoloughtly buitiful machine - the speakers, while a little lacking in the bass department are crystal clear. Its so thin, even though its a 17" laptop, its really easy to carry around. Be careful thoigh, whole thing scratches really easily.



    Really, really nice notebook - screen is amazing.
  • Reply 4 of 17
    Those new 1680 x 1050 pixels HD-Displays sound awsome. It's like getting the Apple 20'' (1680 x 1050 pixels) display in a laptop.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    justinjustin Posts: 403member
    Quote:

    I have waited almost three years for this day and I am just a few days shy of recieving my very first Mac, fresh from Shanghai.



    Ohh. Are these 17" Apples made over there?



    Good luck with it - they're lovely kits. I envy you - I only got the 1GB memory, but actually it's all I need (so far).



    I'm a bit of an obsessive laptop user - the Apple 17" certainly does it for me.



    It is more hefty - does it scratch easily? I treat mine with kiddie gloves so I don't get any. Buy a Radtech sleeve and screen protector to stop it - these are custom-sized for the 17". Those are great programs and with the Mac you'll have more stability in running PS CS without crashing.



    Btw - the screen of the Apple is not as cool as that of a Sony Vaio series, but that's unfair since Sony have got the most refined screen technology on the market at the moment(wait until the new Sony-Intel-Apple comes out for that beast!). If you are using PS CS, you'll find however that the accessory monitor plug is indispensible - that way you can get brilliant screen quality from an external CRT.



    I had to buy a spare battery for mine - one battery alone only lasts 2 hours on the move.



    Good luck.
  • Reply 6 of 17
    Really? That kinda sucks for battery life. Does that mean that using PS would it dwindle it down to like a hour-45 minutes?
  • Reply 7 of 17
    justinjustin Posts: 403member
    Frankly I've not tried PS on the move - I have problems concentrating on the move, unless I'm just typing. PS being

    so intensive, particularly with the power required for a larger 17" screen will most certainly drain the battery off faster.



    Closing down some of the applications (inc. Spotlight) seems to make the powerbook a lot more efficient as well. Remember that 17" powerbook is more or less like lugging a good sized operating monitor around on a flat battery. Long train rides are out, as are airplane flights - I couldn't get the space to open mine and view the LCD screen comfortably in the confined space. The beautiful blue backlit Apple icon on the case cover also adds to that drain no doubt, but just for aesthetics I think it's worth it
  • Reply 8 of 17
    pyrixpyrix Posts: 264member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Applehaus

    Really? That kinda sucks for battery life. Does that mean that using PS would it dwindle it down to like a hour-45 minutes?



    No, the new ones get much better battery life - my freind gets up to 5 hours on his - not sure what apps that is using, but he is a web developer, so dreamwever, photoshop and divx movies are likely knowing him.
  • Reply 9 of 17
    justinjustin Posts: 403member
    Quote:

    No, the new ones get much better battery life - my freind gets up to 5 hours on his - not sure what apps that is using, but he is a web developer, so dreamwever, photoshop and divx movies are likely knowing him.



    5 hours is claiming in excess of what Apple offer in their manual for the 17" powerbook.



    Also Dreamweaver is nowhere near as memory-intensive/power draining as Photoshop. I wonder what I've got wrong if my battery's only lasting half of that....
  • Reply 10 of 17
    Justin, go into the terminal and type

    Code:


    ioreg -w0 -l | grep 'Capacity'





    to find out if your battery's current capacity has dropped well below the AbsoluteMaxCapacity. If it has, you may want to get it replaced, which apple will do for free if it's under warranty.

    Also, check out NewerTech's line of increased capacity batteries for Powerbooks, they have up to 50% more mAh than the stock Apple batteries http://www.newertech.com/powerbook
  • Reply 11 of 17
    pyrixpyrix Posts: 264member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Justin

    5 hours is claiming in excess of what Apple offer in their manual for the 17" powerbook.



    Also Dreamweaver is nowhere near as memory-intensive/power draining as Photoshop. I wonder what I've got wrong if my battery's only lasting half of that....




    http://silentguardian.deviantart.com/



    So doing digital art like that with intensive renders doesn't chew through battery life... news to me.



    But as for the hours long battery life, I'm just going off what he told me.
  • Reply 12 of 17
    Well, I have recieved my new Powerbook this morning (EARLY!) and I have to say that it is a dream machine. No dead pixels. No flaws of any kind to report. After being a Windows guy for so long, I cannot believe how easy the Mac makes things.



    first, I opened the box and was greeted with a wonderful new computer smell and beautiful packaging layout.



    then I popped open the computer and turned it on. to my surpise, the battery was pre-charged and I went mobile. The machine quickly connected me to my wireless network and then I go busy with figuring out how to install apps.



    No registry?! Amazing.



    the screen is the best I have seen on a laptop and the overall design just looks like a million bucks.



    I am really liking the switch. I cannot see my self even using Windows again.



    A laptop like this will every last feature I could possibly need built in - this is amazing. Everything "just works" just like they say. Way cool.



    I was a little worried after upgrading this thing to the hilt and then reading about erratic behavior with over 1 GB RAM, but mine is flawless.



    Awesome machine. this thing is like the Mercedes of computers.



    I really do have to comment on Safari though. It is great. It renders web pages exactly how the were designed to lay out. Awesome. Sure beats IE.



    Thank you all for your comments. This machine is great.
  • Reply 13 of 17
    I'm geeking out with you! Have fun!
  • Reply 14 of 17
    Well, Mercedes has kinda dropped in quality in the past years, so Apple is more like a BMW. Or God forbid a VERY VERY VERY VERY stylish honda. Though I'd probably buy a Benz if I had the money.



    Peace. Thread end.
  • Reply 15 of 17
    Takes me back to Opening my new 14" Ibook G4 1.33 1.25 GBs Ram Super Drive.... Earlier this year!!!!!!



    Nothing Beats The experience of a new Mac Fresh out of the box.....



    and that Smell.... nothing beats it... Minty fresh. congrats
  • Reply 16 of 17
    just got my mac like a month and a half ago, Oh man, the best invesment I ever made. I am a photography student, and powerbook comes with me everywhere I go. I do think the 17 inch is a little to big, but its all one's preferance. I love my 15 inch. yay..Im happy for u lol..
  • Reply 17 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by 9secondko

    I have waited almost three years for this day and I am just a few days shy of recieving my very first Mac, fresh from Shanghai.



    It is a Powerbook HD 17" with 2 GB RAM and 7200 RPM HDD.



    Needless to say, I am excited as can be.



    I will be using Adobe CS2, Macromedia Studio 8, Quark, and Final Cut Studio.



    I cannot wait. I cannot believe I am posting aobut this, but I cannot help it. That is how excited I am.



    I thought about waiting for the Intel versions, but I really think the current one is perfect and I don't want Apple to change anything.



    I cannot wait to be done with Windows.




    Welcome to the dark side.



    Bwahahaha....



    Just kidding, congrats.
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