Hi everyone. I have my heart set on a Mac (even though everyone is nudging me towards a Dell Inspiron 1420) and I want to see it through. So I need to fight a good case to get my Macbook. (I'm a student, okay? I don't have wads of cash or an income.)

I know that Mac's are pretty much virus free, they run smoother, and faster. But they are also more expensive and are not so commonly used. (In Malaysia, anyway) Also, I've looked through the complains of Macbooks... (Not Pro, I couldn't afford /that/.)

- Do they still overheat?
- Does the screen this reflect oddly?
- Apart from the OS what justifies the almost double price tag from (for comparision reasons) the Inspiron 1420?
- Is the 3 year protection plan worth it?
- If something goes wrong with it, must I go only to Apple authorized people (because others might not no how to deal with it?)
- Besides buying the unit, what extra expenses will I have to incur for other stuff that i will require to run the mac?
- can I get a student disc.?
- Where is the best place to buy it?


Thank you very much, in advance.

This post has been edited by James_Padfoot: Nov 9 2007, 12:00 PM

- They don't overheat anymore, but they get far hotter than previous Apple laptops. However it's not an Apple problem, the HP Core 2 Duo laptops used here at work heats up just as bad as the Macbooks.

- It's a glossy screen, takes some getting used to. Similar to current PC laptops

- I don't see where the double comes from. I configured an Inspiron 1420 similar to the mid range Macbook (2.2GHz, DVD-RW etc) and it came up to be around RM4100, about RM500 less than a Macbook. RM500 = iLife plus a far nicer OS in my opinion Just look at the regular mobile phone integration between the Macbook and your phone and you'll be impressed.

- ACPP is worth it in my opinion. Don't buy retail, shop around in ebay or at other places. I've gotten it as low as RM500.

- Yes. In KL go to VR Tech on Jalan Yap Kwan Seng.

- A modem is not included. VGA/DVI out is not included. This was a bad move by Apple IMO to drop these items to save cost.

If you're getting the white book then prepare to spend on
- Silicon protectors for the keyboard and arm rest
- Sleeve/bag
- MSOffice
- The virtualization program but I think it comes together with Leopard now
- A VGA cable if you want to use the Macbook on your LCD monitor
- Some sticker for the front panel so that it doesn't scratched

I bought my Macbook in Ikano power Center. Service there is pretty good.

This post has been edited by sugarboi: Nov 9 2007, 01:18 PM

A Mac out of the box is pretty much usable already.

But if you want to be like me, you can get protection and stuff.

For student discount, refer to this thread.

The best place to buy it is the US. Seriously, they are so much cheaper there But yeah, just make sure you get it from an Apple authorised reseller. Safer

I bought > RM10k worth of computers at the Mac retailer at Ikano at one point. I think the service sucks big time, unfriendly, unsmiling staff.

Go to MacAsia, they have good people.

Its got to do with the thermal paste or something like that. Blame the processor

Reflect oddly , I am not too sure about that. Sometimes glossy screens tend to have this problem

You see , you are paying for the build and quality of MacBook vs cheap plastik(R) look from Dell. You be the judge , cool looks vs cheap looks. Thats all. Apart from that you are paying for the software and the OS. MacBook comes along with iLife , iWork and MacOS X 10.5. Uh for your Dell , you dont get something like that iLife. Plus there is no replacement that comes close to iLife product suite. You'll find iLife is part of your life.


If you got the money. Its worth it. The extended care is always a must for laptops. But then Apple's extendedcare is again overpriced. On the other hand Dell's TrueCare or whatever they call it is cheaper.

If something goes wrong. Pick one. Be a daredevil and figure it yourself or send it to Apple. I would choose the latter if I were you and not the former. Oh yeah , I've opened the mac several times , replaced its RAM , HDD. Next up , I should try replacing the CD-RW to a DVD-RW Drive. But its very hard to find spare parts for iBooks/mac mini g4 these days


As said by the rest


I am not sure about the discount. I highly doubt it


Any Mac centre will do

Before you take your Macbook out of the store. Check for these issues

* Make sure you turn it on to check for dead pixels
* Check the fitting, Macbooks have a tendency not to fit in perfectly. The area you should look out for is the keyboard area.


* Get Applecare. Unless you are getting Mac Pro or iMac, the Macbook is portable and not as easy to service yourself. However, purchase this Applecare only when are about to finish your 1st year warranty. No point having Applecare if you somehow dropped your Macbook or get it stolen.
* If you getting a White Macbook. Get a casing. The Glossy finish means that it is pretty much a scratch magnet, just like the iPod.
* The price? It's not almost double. I think what you pay for reaches beyond the hardware. You are buying an experience. An awesome one that is.
* The student discount is only 5% in Msia. Bring along student ID when buying.



This post has been edited by kwekeugene: Nov 9 2007, 04:48 PM

If you will be using your Macbook for presentation (with those projector) you will need a mini DVI to VGA cable. Well, i bought mine for RM120+

That is the only thing i bought for my Macbook, and a sling bag that i can put my MB in

- Do they still overheat?
Not that I know of. DId previous Macs overheat? I only had 2 cases of overheating and I only had myself to blame by playing a game at med-high settings in a room without aircon

- Does the screen this reflect oddly?
Not sure about this...

- Apart from the OS what justifies the almost double price tag from (for comparision reasons) the Inspiron 1420?
Against the Inspiron 1420? Let's do some basic comparison.

MacBook
* 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 1GB memory
* 80GB hard drive
* Combo drive
$1,099.00


* 2.0Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 1GB memory
* 80GB3 Hard Drive
* Combo Drive
$924 (build to order to match the Macbook Specs, added Vista Home Premium, built-in camera, bluetooth, etc)

Not much difference isn't it? Not when you get the power of Mac OS X.

- Is the 3 year protection plan worth it?
Yes, it is but you need not purchase it right away. You can get it within a year.

- If something goes wrong with it, must I go only to Apple authorized people (because others might not no how to deal with it?)
Go to the place you bought your Mac from or go directly to VR Tech.

- Besides buying the unit, what extra expenses will I have to incur for other stuff that i will require to run the mac?
A mouse (if you can't get a free one from them)
External HDD
Extra RAM


- can I get a student disc.?
someone answered that for you.

- Where is the best place to buy it
MacAsia has a good reputation

Totally agree with you on that point. Was planning to get the 24 inch iMac, but not there anymore. Going somewhere else.

Tishaban, sugarboi, peanutz, prasys, allornothing, axzel, ed0gawa, kwekeugene, THANK YOU so very much for all your valuable input.

I emailed MacStudio, who replied with a swift response, much like yourselves. Our student disc. here is 5%, 3% if you're paying with a credit card. Also, looks like I'll definitely have to invest in sleeve protectors.

Thank you very much, if anyone has anything else to add, or your own experience, or differences you feel from windows vs. macs, please do share. =)

Honestly , you'll find using a mac gives you the total feeling of using a supercomputer. Its totally different mate. I can't say it out. You'll have to try. I have yet to seen people who have said mac sucks (well there but most switches say omg'). Trust me , it makes your computing experience so much soo easier

Since you are a student , I am telling you Macs are life savers. I dont have to worry about my virus gawking my computer. Trust me , I've used several thumb drivers which is infected by virus. On my mac , I dont have to worry, plug , copy my friend's assignment stuff , then back and do my work and they will ask me 'OMG..my pen drive got virus i can't open my own file..how u can'...Simple , I just say use a mac. I know Its safe whenever I use the mac. I use windows for gaming and to run those stubborn applications !

James_Padfoot: Hey dude, did they mention if they were throwing in any freebies if you did not opt for the student rebate?

Peanutz, I didn't ask. Those things though, can be negotiated. My pal got the Mighty Mouse when buying the MB. In the US, students get about $300-$400 off. Here, it's about 199-119 RM. I guess we pay for the quality (and the superb OS.) I've pretty much made up my mind about getting it, so right now I'm just browsing around about 'things every switcher should know' and stuff. Although I have to say, trial and error is most satisfying, haha.

Prasys, that I can definitely be happy about. So far, there is no known virus that affects it. It's not magical, I get that, and it'll crash and whatever, but it's still better. XD




by the way, whats the average life span of a Mac?



Here are some links, if anyone is interested in doing their own research.

http://teenagefanboy.blogspot.com/2007/01/...w-before-i.html

http://danwarne.com/?p=20

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/apple-macb...08.html?tag=txt

This post has been edited by James_Padfoot: Nov 11 2007, 12:52 PM