Wey hey!!! New Apple MacBook C2D Laptops have been released! :-)

Apple have finally (as expected for a while now) released the New
Versions of their MacBook Laptop PCs which have been Updated to
include the new Intel Core 2 Duo Processor in them!
:-)

jackie...

Sound very good pmj.

~~Linda~~...

/counts pennies.... nope not enough yet lol

(The more expensive MacBook Pro had already been Updated to include
the C2D a couple of Weeks ago)

When you compare the actual (like for like) Specifications & Features
to many other (windoze) type Laptops, from firms such as Dell & HP/
Compaq etc, they (the Apple ones) are actually quite good value.

Plus, of course the (Intel) Apple Laptops can Run windoze on them as
well as their Native Apple Mac OS X Operating System - windoze can
be Installed on them either as a Dual Boot System or using something
like Parallels

As a Virtual Machine, which means you can Run windoze *at the same
time as* the Apple Mac OS X Operating System, with the Virtual Machine,
Running the windoze Operating System, either in a Window on the Apple
Screen, or Run it FullScreen
:-)

You can Share Files with & Copy & Paste stuff between both the Apple
OS & the windoze OS

Faolan...

With limitations, Bootcamp can't write to a NTFS partition and there is

pmj...

Yes it can!!!

Surely, it's the *Apple* (Mac OS X) Operating System that can't
*Write* to an NTFS Partition (without 3rd Party Utilities) - though
it can *Read* NTFS.

But the BootCamp (windoze) installation can't Write to (or even Read
from) an Apple HFS+ Formatted Partition.

So, if you want stuff on a Partition that *both* the windoze OS
(in the Boot Camp Installation) & the Apple OS can see, taht stuff
would have to be on a FAT32 Partition (with it's maximum 4GB File
Size Limit)

But with Parallels, when Running windoze in a Virtual Machine, the
(shared) stuff is Written (& Read) as a *Network* Drive, so the Format
of the Partition it's actually on doesn't matter - that's handled by
the Host Operating System.

some issues with cutting and pasting... Parallels also has these

pmj...

Yep.
I can accept some issues & limitations.

limitations (last I checked).

datasmog...

That's because OSX itself cannot write to an NTFS partition, although it
has no problem reading it.

pmj...

I've been using Parallels (on a WinXP Host machine) for a while now
& have found it very good.

& I've used it (briefly) on an Apple MacBook (Pro) 17 Inch

Yes, it's got *some* limitations (such as only handling 2 USB Devices
at a time), but again, I can live with those limitations & later
Versions are expecting to be able to handle more USB Devices

Add to the fact that Mac OS X handles fonts differently can cause more

pmj...

(Hopefully) that will just be a minor problem!!!

I've always had probs with things like poorly designed Web Pages when
it comes to the Fonts & Display, anyway, cos I have my "Font Scaling"
Settings & Options (in the Display Control Panel thingy) Set different
from the Default.

problems!

datasmog...

The Mac renders some fonts slightly different, some appear a bit smaller
than on Windows for example. Apple computers always have done.
Plus the Quartz rendering engine in OSX applies Anti Aliasing to smooth
them out. Similar to the Windows font smoothing wotsit.
I'm not sure where the 'problems' come in.

Oh and Mac OS X does crash, I've seen plenty of them... Usually during
installs. Though I have seen Mac Mini's crash when trying to run iLife.

datasmog...

Someone doing something wrong there then. And iLife will work fine on a
Mini. It works perfectly well here on a relatively old 500Mhz Cube. With
the possible exception of GarageBand which is a resource hog.
Our G4 Mini is running both iPhoto and iTunes constantly, plus recording
and playing movies. It's our media centre. It's never crashed.
The secret to success with OSX is RAM. Lot's of it.

MBP's are great systems I just hate using a single mouse button for

pmj...

Yep, but I really don't think I should be spending out on a MacBook
*Pro* (with its dedicated Graphics Card & Bigger Screen etc,) - I'll
prolly just get a MacBook.

pmj...

Yep, that does take a bit of getting used to. - I find I often use
RightClick (in windoze) - but I know a lot of people don't bother
with it (or know about it) & Apples *do* have a lot of very useful
"Context menus", which you can get to with (the equivalent of) a
RightClick

(though the Apple MacBook TrackPad thingy can be Set to use 2 Fingers
for a "RightClick", can't it?) I will prolly just use a separate Mouse
(with 2/3 buttons & Scroll Wheel etc,) cos I don't really like using
a TrackPad thingy.

everything and I don't fancy carrying a spare mouse.

datasmog...

It's surprising how quick you get used to the Control+click

pmj...

Good point.

But if I want to use a mouse, rather than a TrackPad, I need a Mouse!
Just like with any other Laptop.

Personally I would have held off for a few months till Leopard came out,
saves the hassle of paying for a upgrade!

datasmog...

Agreed

pmj...

Well, there's *always* something better on the way!!!
But the OS X 10.5.x thingy is basically just a *SoftWare* Upgrade,
isn't it?

It will Install OK on an existing Machine.

I was just waiting for these new MacBooks to come out with the new
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor.

I have to make the move *some* time & now seems to be the time.

Biggest issues to date I have seen with Macbooks is their logic boards
have a tendency to fail and there has been noted issues with their
batteries and cooling systems. Hopefully the later two are now fixed in
the latest generation.

datasmog...

Apparently they have been.

pmj...

Yep, let's hope so - though those probs have been relatively few,
haven't they?

Also the Radeon x1600 is running at 400Mhz, still underclocked by about
75Mhz but it's better than the previous generation.

pmj...

I'm prolly not going to get a MacBook Pro (with the separate,
dedicated Graphics Card - either the NVidia one or the ATI one),
so that won't worry me. I don't use much in the way of very heavy,
intensive 3D Graphics stuff, such as Games etc, anyway.

So, I will shortly be joining the (happy?, contented?) ranks of Apple
users!

MCC...

Must have more money than sense :-)

pmj...

Nope!!!

It's just that I can't see the point in buying a Laptop that only Runs
windoze, when you can now get Laptops (from Apple) that can (since they
now come with Intel Processors in them) run windoze *as well* as the
Native Apple Mac OS X Operating System.

Either as a Dual boot Setup, or (even better) *at the same time* -
Running windoze in a "Virtual Machine", (i.e. a Window on the Desktop
Display (or even FullScreen) directly using the Processing power of the
new Intel Core (2) Duo Processors.

datasmog...

There may be some truth in that, however the myth that Apple hardware is
expensive is just that, a myth.
You have to compare like with like.

:-)

No more "windoze Crashes" (which actually, with WinXP rarely occur)...
Just the "Application has Unexpectedly Quit" Messages that Apple gives
you, when (a poorly written) Apple Application Crashes.

Yes, Apples *do* still Crash - I've seen them.

- But I'm looking forwards to finding out more about this (so-called)
fancy, clever, easy to use Apple OS X Operating System (& also, at the
same time, being able to continue Running all the windoze stuff that
I have found out about, over the Years).