My New Toy

[MikeP]

After 15 years (since Windows 3.1), I finally made the switch.

Three days ago I snagged a 17" MacBook Pro --- 2.6ghz, 2GB RAM, 200GB 7200rpm drive. I wanted 4GB RAM, but couldn't justify the extra $600 right now, perhaps I'll upgrade later on. :( It will replace my Dell laptop and Sony Vaio desktop, which I already have buyers for....I'd like to keep them, but as a small-time hobbyist I don't really have a need for more than one system at this point.

My impressions? All I can say is WOW! The Mac OS runs better than I ever imagined...faster and much more robust and intuitive than Windows, IMO. To me, Windows seems clunky in comparison. I'm still acquainting myself with it and getting it configured the way I want...the Help files are great and making it quite simple.

The only thing that is really sucking right now is doing without Photoshop. When I called Adobe for the platform cross-grade, I had to delete PS on both systems, destroy the physical disks and send a letter to them saying that I had done so. No charge for the swap, except for shipping. Should get the disks next week.

As I gaze into my digital crystal ball, I see good times ahead!
:)

[Edited on 1/20/2008 by MikeP]

[dogtrombone]

Welcome O New Mac Person!
I've never had the misfortune to work on PC... I started on Mac, and have never had the urge to try PC. You're right, it just looks clunky.

[kiwicolin]

Congrats and welcome to the cult of Mac.
That's pretty cool of Adobe to not charge for the cross-grade

It will take a little getting used to but as they say "when you go mac, you won't go back"

[padiq]

Congrats on ur new MAC MikeP! ... Although I don't think I have the rebelliousness or money to change.... for now anyway.

I am surprised Adobe didn't want video proof of you destroying the old drives! :D

[jk]

So they make you delete the program, destroy the CD's and then they take your word for it?

Wouldn't it make more sense just to have you send the cd's back to them?

That wouln't garauntee that you removed them but it would garauntee that you never loaded it on a PC again.

As it is they have no idea whether or not you actually uninstalled OR destroyed the discs. Even if you had to send a pic of the destroyed discs that could easily be photoshopped
:lol

[dogtrombone]

Originally posted by jk
So they make you delete the program, destroy the CD's and then they take your word for it?

Wouldn't it make more sense just to have you send the cd's back to them?

That wouln't garauntee that you removed them but it would garauntee that you never loaded it on a PC again.

As it is they have no idea whether or not you actually uninstalled OR destroyed the discs. Even if you had to send a pic of the destroyed discs that could easily be photoshopped
:lol

It reminds me of the opening line often used on the cracker radio show, The Goon Show (Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan in the 60's)... "Good evening, this is the BBC, and here's a picture of me saying it".

[MikeP]

dog - I used to be a software junkie, and back then software for the Mac was very limited. So I stayed with the PC to satisfy my software addiction. Nowadays there is much more software available for the Mac.

Colin - The cross-grade wasn't entirely free...I had to pay $6 for shipping. LOL :P

Padiq & jk - IMO, they want the Letter of Destruction in the event the serial number appears anywhere in the future...then they could come after you with it as evidence. So I did just as I asserted in the letter...call me old-fashioned, but I don't want anything coming back to bite me later on by not complying.

[TheDoc]

Congrats and welcome to the club!

In terms of the RAM, you NEVER buy it directly from Apple. For whatever reason they but an unbelievably high premium on it. I just recently got 4GB for my Macbook for a little over $100 (there are always good sales going on). Just keep your eye out.

[MikeP]

Originally posted by TheDoc
Congrats and welcome to the club!

In terms of the RAM, you NEVER buy it directly from Apple. For whatever reason they but an unbelievably high premium on it. I just recently got 4GB for my Macbook for a little over $100 (there are always good sales going on). Just keep your eye out.

Thank you for that, Doc... :notworthy I'll definitely be on the lookout!

[rAyVoLvEz]

congrats on new toy.

[MikeP]

Thanx, Elaine :)

[mixedupmacandpc]

Hi there welcome to the MBP club, where all new owners get a free external usb drive! no, no not really, but get one and then use CCC (carbon copy cloner) to clone your Leopard install disk to the drive. Then use th drive as your Time Machine Drive ad u will never have to worry about losing a file again, or have to dig thru piles of DVDs to find ur install disk to do any repairs/reinstalls.

But MBP owners BEWARE! be very careful of ur powerbrick. Even if u have the 85w model 1222. Mine just went out and there are about 300+ others on the apple site that have the same problem. Which really sucks for me as am in Nepal, and 85w powerbricks don't grow on trees here. This may be the Achilles Heel of the mbp line. So I am back in XP and totally baffled and confused (I have a spare Sony laptop that I just thru in the MBP spot). It's too strange...no dock, no spotlight, no finder, no performance to speak of. Twilight zone man. But I have both flavors of PS CS3, which pretty much work the same on both platforms. I think Adobe got that right. Cheers and enjoy!

Ps. try ur toy with just the 2gig mem for awhile. u may be pleased. osx does some crazy wild mem management and u may find 2gig is just fine.

[Edited on 1/21/2008 by mixedupmacandpc]

[MikeP]

Thanx for the solid advice, mixed...maybe I'll look into snagging a spare battery, good idea to have one on hand anyway. And I agree with you about waiting on the memory too....thanx, man! :)

[mixedupmacandpc]

Originally posted by MikeP
Thanx for the solid advice, mixed...maybe I'll look into snagging a spare battery, good idea to have one on hand anyway. And I agree with you about waiting on the memory too....thanx, man! :)

ur welcome mike, but note i was referring to the power adapter and not the battery, although having a boatload of those will be nice if your powersupply fails as mine has. that laptop is now in the junkdrawer waiting for a new powerbrick to charge the single battery that i have. arg.