• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Mac Hardware and Software |OT| - All things Macintosh

check your activity monitor before giving bad advice...there's a reason apple doesn't sell 2GB computers anymore

Salty much?

But hey, let's play ball for a moment.

CS6, ST2, Safari open. Used? 1.65GB. 1GB is being paged to disk which quite frankly one might not even notice since an SSD is so much more responsive than a magnetic hard drive.

The bad advice would be holding on to your money assuming a 4GB that's just as much a deal is (a) ready and waiting on Craigslist and (b) that it will somehow enable the laptop to maintain much more value over time when it's already an old, cheap min spec model. (Value is pretty figurative when you got it for ~400 dollars.) The value here is in getting the discount up front.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
The bad advice would be holding on to your money assuming a 4GB that's just as much a deal is (a) ready and waiting on Craigslist and (b) that it will somehow enable the laptop to maintain much more value over time when it's already an old, cheap min spec model. (Value is pretty figurative when you got it for ~400 dollars.) The value here is in getting the discount up front.

Buying a computer on Craigslist seems sketchy. My limit is eBay, although I usually go to refurb/used stores if I want to make sure the thing isn't going to fall apart in two months.
 

TUSR

Banned
You guys still arguing about this?

Pros: decent price
Cons: low ram

Needs are met, he made the right choice.
 
Buying a computer on Craigslist seems sketchy. My limit is eBay, although I usually go to refurb/used stores if I want to make sure the thing isn't going to fall apart in two months.

It's a mixed bag. eBay is obviously a more secure purchasing system, but CL gives you the item immediately and you can inspect on the spot. With the Air there's no easily performed disassembly either so it would be pretty tough to hide damage.

The downside is really just last minute negotiations; some folks love to change the terms on you at the meet. Plenty of times I've seen someone agree to buy something but at the meet immediately ask for a big discount or they walk.

Refurb shops can be more reliable but I find their prices are always in line with a price guide + 20%. So you're rarely going to find a deal.
 

muddream

Banned
I am on a pretty tight budget, thing is I don't really see the point in having an Air if I have to have an external HDD/Optical drive as well. If it had 512 then yeah. The weight and portability/design is really nice, but those two things inconvenience me too much.

Display (including screen real estate), speed and battery life on the Air are lightyears ahead of the cMBP. You're making the wrong choice, but since you're already planning to swap it with a retina in a few months (the lack of cheap huge HD and optical drive doesn't seem to bother you in this case) it either won't matter or you're just bad with money management.

Crazymoogle, I'm gonna give you crazy noogies if you keep this up. Yeah, a turdbook seems to be a good deal for that extremely limited theoretical usage model, but it's still dumb to buy something with a huge non-upgradable bottleneck. It's a pretty safe bet that the actual usage model will differ (at least from time to time), it will be an unpleasant experience and the higher spec models retain their value better in general.
 

mrkgoo

Member
Display (including screen real estate), speed and battery life on the Air are lightyears ahead of the cMBP. You're making the wrong choice, but since you're already planning to swap it with a retina in a few months (the lack of cheap huge HD and optical drive doesn't seem to bother you in this case) it either won't matter or you're just bad with money management.

Crazymoogle, I'm gonna give you crazy noogies if you keep this up. Yeah, a turdbook seems to be a good deal for that extremely limited theoretical usage model, but it's still dumb to buy something with a huge non-upgradable bottleneck. It's a pretty safe bet that the actual usage model will differ (at least from time to time), it will be an unpleasant experience and the higher spec models retain their value better in general.

I thought the air displays weren't top of the line like the MBP? OR am I thinking of the retina?

My recommendation is still to get teh air, and live with an external drive or less, if 6 months is all you're intending on keeping it anyway. After 6 months, teh current air will still be current and thus much more resellable. The current MBP won't be as much. It will be replaced by a much better machine.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
It's a mixed bag. eBay is obviously a more secure purchasing system, but CL gives you the item immediately and you can inspect on the spot. With the Air there's no easily performed disassembly either so it would be pretty tough to hide damage.

The downside is really just last minute negotiations; some folks love to change the terms on you at the meet. Plenty of times I've seen someone agree to buy something but at the meet immediately ask for a big discount or they walk.

Refurb shops can be more reliable but I find their prices are always in line with a price guide + 20%. So you're rarely going to find a deal.

On the plus side with Craigslist, at least you don't have people who inflate the price for no good reason... I mean what the hell, why would you bid against yourself to raise the price from $100-300 with 14 hours to go on an auction? Do sellers have alt accounts so they can goose prices or something?
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Any of you know about Pcsx2 and Dolphin performance on the 2.9 Ghz 13 inch MBP? Can it run in full speed?

I haven't done a lot of tests, but I didn't have too much issues with the one game I played on my 2.5 C2D w/ 6GB. At the very least I was getting solid frame rates.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Ok, so if I'm getting a mini for Thunderbolt I really don't have any reason to hang onto my MacBook Pro. Anyone know what I should ask for it?

eBay gives some wild price differences. http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Apple-MacBo...ized-/108849237?_tab=1&_trksid=p2047675.l2644

On the plus side: I've replaced my battery recently, I maxed the RAM to 6GB and it's got the BTO best option for graphics (Nvidia 8600GT 512MB), so it's a better machine than what I'm seeing listed. It is however somewhat beat up, with the plastic corners nicked, and the paint rubbed off from the palm rest area.
 

TUSR

Banned
Ok, so if I'm getting a mini for Thunderbolt I really don't have any reason to hang onto my MacBook Pro. Anyone know what I should ask for it?

eBay gives some wild price differences. http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Apple-MacBo...ized-/108849237?_tab=1&_trksid=p2047675.l2644

On the plus side: I've replaced my battery recently, I maxed the RAM to 6GB and it's got the BTO best option for graphics (Nvidia 8600GT 512MB), so it's a better machine than what I'm seeing listed. It is however somewhat beat up, with the plastic corners nicked, and the paint rubbed off from the palm rest area.

Aside from the GPU being a ticking time bomb, ~400 seems fair for a laptop from 2008.

I doubt you'll get it though
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Aside from the GPU being a ticking time bomb, ~400 seems fair for a laptop from 2008.

I doubt you'll get it though

Haha, how so? Sure, just about everything else had to get replaced but I haven't had any issues with the GPU. Sometimes you're lucky and get the one with no issues :p
 

TUSR

Banned
Haha, how so? Sure, just about everything else had to get replaced but I haven't had any issues with the GPU. Sometimes you're lucky and get the one with no issues :p

My 08 MBP finally bit the dust. RIP in piece.

I sold mine in September of last year for 400 CAD cash. Upgraded processor and 8600M GT 512MB
 
guys, my chrome for some reason has been rendering text like utter shit lately. like fonts are so much smoother and fuller on safari and firefox. chrome looks like the text on windows. thin and jaggy. any idea what could have happened?

I just ordered a 13" i7 Macbook Pro (Non Retina) with 750gb hdd, moving abroad and it was the most affordable.

Anyone here own one? Thoughts?

I was torn between it and the new air but 128gb just doesn't seem sufficient enough for me even if it is ssd.

i have a 2012 regular MBP. its i5 but after upgrading to 16gb of ram myself, its been able to handle all the work i throw at it. i just really have the low resolution but since i use an external monitor, its not a big deal.
 

TUSR

Banned
I miss antiglare screens. How much better are the new iMac screens compared to the old ones?

The screens are a decent amount better because of the processes involved in producing them.

Im really just hoping for a slimmed down TB Display with new IO
 
I have a quick question re: replacement Macbook batteries. I have a white 13" Macbook - identifier, 3,1. After more than five years the battery has finally given out.

The official Apple replacement battery is around £45-60, but I have seen that there are third party offerings in the region of £23-30. Does anyone have any experience with third party Macbook batteries, or am I better off sucking up the initial cost and going for the official one?
 

Fuchsdh

Member
I have a quick question re: replacement Macbook batteries. I have a white 13" Macbook - identifier, 3,1. After more than five years the battery has finally given out.

The official Apple replacement battery is around £45-60, but I have seen that there are third party offerings in the region of £23-30. Does anyone have any experience with third party Macbook batteries, or am I better off sucking up the initial cost and going for the official one?

I've had two MBP third-party batteries from Newer Technology which have served me well with no problems.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Has anyone had any experience in transferring analog video from a Sony Handycam across to a Mac?

I'm wondering if something like this would be up to the task.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00466VIB4/

At least according to the specs it should be fine. Use the S-video input if you can, it'll be nicer than analog.

I'm just waiting on a set of composite cables to arrive, then I'm starting in on my own conversions, but I've got a Blackmagic Intensity for capture, and that's overkill for most SD conversions.
 

caramac

Member
At least according to the specs it should be fine. Use the S-video input if you can, it'll be nicer than analog.

I'm just waiting on a set of composite cables to arrive, then I'm starting in on my own conversions, but I've got a Blackmagic Intensity for capture, and that's overkill for most SD conversions.


Haha, thanks for the replies. Seem you guys have some nice hardware.

Ok, here's the deal. I send you the tapes and some blank DVD's and then .......... :p

Seriously I'll give the one I linked a shot and see what happens.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Haha, thanks for the replies. Seem you guys have some nice hardware.

Ok, here's the deal. I send you the tapes and some blank DVD's and then .......... :p

Seriously I'll give the one I linked a shot and see what happens.

Haha, if it weren't for the hassle of shipping I'd do it. :)

Going to be leaving my new Mini running around the clock sucking up tapes for the forseeable future. We'll see how badly the tapes of my childhood have gotten. I'm sure there's a lot of stuff that I'm going to get a kick out of. "My parents thought that was interesting enough to record?"

As for nice hardware, getting to pick up the leftovers of tech from work certainly has its perks. Getting this for the price of $0 is a nice bonus. I've also gotten to cart off a Time Capsule, extra RAM for my Mac Pro and a couple 3.5" drives (Although I think the Quadro is technically an "evaluation copy" for review that PNY never actually requested back. Oh well.)
 
I'd like some advice:

I've wanted to buy a 15" rMBP for a while, which would help a lot with work, but haven't worked up the nerve to drop the necessary cash for it. Ideally, I want a Haswell one, whenever it is it will come out, and I'll even spring for the one with most RAM, larger storage, etc.

However, my need for one has accelerated lately because of various logistical issues, having to do mainly with being away from my desktop, and my productivity is dropping.

What do you guys think I should do while waiting for the new rMBP? Should I buy an older model and resell it in a few months? When are the Haswells expected anyway? How will the value of my unit hold up? Should I go for a higher end one like 16GB RAM or go for the more affordable, maybe even an MBA?

Any advice would be highly appreciated.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
I'd like some advice:

I've wanted to buy a 15" rMBP for a while, which would help a lot with work, but haven't worked up the nerve to drop the necessary cash for it. Ideally, I want a Haswell one, whenever it is it will come out, and I'll even spring for the one with most RAM, larger storage, etc.

However, my need for one has accelerated lately because of various logistical issues, having to do mainly with being away from my desktop, and my productivity is dropping.

What do you guys think I should do while waiting for the new rMBP? Should I buy an older model and resell it in a few months? When are the Haswells expected anyway? How will the value of my unit hold up? Should I go for a higher end one like 16GB RAM or go for the more affordable, maybe even an MBA?

Any advice would be highly appreciated.

Good money is that Haswell will largely not increase performance, but will be a battery booster.

If the new models have integrated graphics, then I'd suspect the previous gen with discrete graphics will hold a good resale value--trying to shop for a Mini I found that they were selling the 2011 discretes for just shy of $25 off the current gens.

Considering that the new MBPs were showing up in Geekbench scores a month ago, I'd say they'd be dropping in the next three or four months.
 

tsumineko

Member
I'm really temped to just get a refurb 15inch rMBP right now for $1800 AUD considering that the next gen will probably drop the nvidia card and keep processing power about the same.

I'm pretty concerned the cheap previous gen refurbs will fly off the shelf when the new one is announced without discrete gfx, especially at that price.
 
Guys, I'm on the verge of buying a Magic Mouse. I've done a crap ton of research and it's almost universally hated BUT

1. Having used a magic trackpad for the past 6 months, I still haven't 100% gotten used to it. A lot of times, I almost feel like I have to concentrate on where I'm going with the pointer. My biggest issue with it is the tilt and how difficult it is to click anywhere not at the two corners. I love the trackpad on my MBA but it's totally not the same experience with the magic trackpad.

2. I have a Razer mouse and an old Logitech Anywhere MX and I just can't get used to them on a Mac. I've been able to get used to the pointing on OS X thanks to Smooth Mouse but the scrolling on both mice are terrible. Each click on the wheel moves the page maybe 3 pixels down and the accelerated scrolling just doesn't work for me with wheel mice.

I tried the magic mouse out for all of 10 minutes at the Apple store and it didn't seem too bad. obviously need more time to really know but is there anyone that actually likes it at all? do you eventually get used to it? I use a Razer Abyssus (which is a fingertip/claw grip) so I don't really "palm" my mouse anyways.
 

tsumineko

Member
Guys, I'm on the verge of buying a Magic Mouse. I've done a crap ton of research and it's almost universally hated BUT

1. Having used a magic trackpad for the past 6 months, I still haven't 100% gotten used to it. A lot of times, I almost feel like I have to concentrate on where I'm going with the pointer. My biggest issue with it is the tilt and how difficult it is to click anywhere not at the two corners. I love the trackpad on my MBA but it's totally not the same experience with the magic trackpad.

2. I have a Razer mouse and an old Logitech Anywhere MX and I just can't get used to them on a Mac. I've been able to get used to the pointing on OS X thanks to Smooth Mouse but the scrolling on both mice are terrible. Each click on the wheel moves the page maybe 3 pixels down and the accelerated scrolling just doesn't work for me with wheel mice.

I tried the magic mouse out for all of 10 minutes at the Apple store and it didn't seem too bad. obviously need more time to really know but is there anyone that actually likes it at all? do you eventually get used to it? I use a Razer Abyssus (which is a fingertip/claw grip) so I don't really "palm" my mouse anyways.

I bought one yesterday actually and I really like it. I'm not finding it uncomfortable at all, really like the solid click of it too. It's quality.
 

muddream

Banned
Guys, I'm on the verge of buying a Magic Mouse. I've done a crap ton of research and it's almost universally hated BUT

1. Having used a magic trackpad for the past 6 months, I still haven't 100% gotten used to it. A lot of times, I almost feel like I have to concentrate on where I'm going with the pointer. My biggest issue with it is the tilt and how difficult it is to click anywhere not at the two corners. I love the trackpad on my MBA but it's totally not the same experience with the magic trackpad.

2. I have a Razer mouse and an old Logitech Anywhere MX and I just can't get used to them on a Mac. I've been able to get used to the pointing on OS X thanks to Smooth Mouse but the scrolling on both mice are terrible. Each click on the wheel moves the page maybe 3 pixels down and the accelerated scrolling just doesn't work for me with wheel mice.

I tried the magic mouse out for all of 10 minutes at the Apple store and it didn't seem too bad. obviously need more time to really know but is there anyone that actually likes it at all? do you eventually get used to it? I use a Razer Abyssus (which is a fingertip/claw grip) so I don't really "palm" my mouse anyways.

Well, you could try using tap to click like any respectable Mac user.
 
2. I have a Razer mouse and an old Logitech Anywhere MX and I just can't get used to them on a Mac. I've been able to get used to the pointing on OS X thanks to Smooth Mouse but the scrolling on both mice are terrible. Each click on the wheel moves the page maybe 3 pixels down and the accelerated scrolling just doesn't work for me with wheel mice.

I had the same experience with a MS mouse; solution was to uninstall whatever shitware came with the mice and use them as bog-standard USB mice. I had installed the driver in the first place to use the side-to-side scrolling but it totally wasn't worth it.

Well, you could try using tap to click like any respectable Mac user.

WHAT IS THIS NONSENSE BURN THE WITCH USE MY ABSENT PUNCTUATION AS FUEL
 

caesar

Banned
I have my new Pro now, very happy with it. Are there any Mac exclusive apps I should know about? I'm coming from a Windows PC. I'm a fan of things like f.lux and pocket etc.
 

gokieks

Member
2. I have a Razer mouse and an old Logitech Anywhere MX and I just can't get used to them on a Mac. I've been able to get used to the pointing on OS X thanks to Smooth Mouse but the scrolling on both mice are terrible. Each click on the wheel moves the page maybe 3 pixels down and the accelerated scrolling just doesn't work for me with wheel mice.

I don't know what software you use with the old Logitech, but with the new G series mice, Logitech Gaming Software (their driver/configuration app) on Mac OS works quite well. I use a G500 and it's works perfectly (aside from my still preferring the thumb button layout of the old G5 SE).
 

Baconbitz

Banned
I can't figure out why. My iMac won't fall asleep. I thought it was asleep this afternoon. When I woke it up, the irc client was still connected. I worked from 1 to 9:30. Before I left for work it was on, when I got home at about 10:30 it was still on. I don't know if this was a factor but, I had my fitbit flex charging. It wasn't charging this afternoon though.
 

fireside

Member
Guys, I'm on the verge of buying a Magic Mouse. I've done a crap ton of research and it's almost universally hated BUT

1. Having used a magic trackpad for the past 6 months, I still haven't 100% gotten used to it. A lot of times, I almost feel like I have to concentrate on where I'm going with the pointer. My biggest issue with it is the tilt and how difficult it is to click anywhere not at the two corners. I love the trackpad on my MBA but it's totally not the same experience with the magic trackpad.

2. I have a Razer mouse and an old Logitech Anywhere MX and I just can't get used to them on a Mac. I've been able to get used to the pointing on OS X thanks to Smooth Mouse but the scrolling on both mice are terrible. Each click on the wheel moves the page maybe 3 pixels down and the accelerated scrolling just doesn't work for me with wheel mice.

I tried the magic mouse out for all of 10 minutes at the Apple store and it didn't seem too bad. obviously need more time to really know but is there anyone that actually likes it at all? do you eventually get used to it? I use a Razer Abyssus (which is a fingertip/claw grip) so I don't really "palm" my mouse anyways.

The Magic Mouse is awesome! Buy it, download BetterTouchTool, and fuck the haters.

And if you don't like it after 14 days return it.
 
I can't figure out why. My iMac won't fall asleep. I thought it was asleep this afternoon. When I woke it up, the irc client was still connected. I worked from 1 to 9:30. Before I left for work it was on, when I got home at about 10:30 it was still on. I don't know if this was a factor but, I had my fitbit flex charging. It wasn't charging this afternoon though.

I've found various bits of software over the years that prevent it; of course I can't think of an example right now.
 

The Real Abed

Perma-Junior
Tap to Click can bite my shiny metal ass. The delay is unbearable and the accidental misclicks are worse. I had to use it for a while when my old Air was having problems with its trackpad click and I hated it. Made doing pretty much anything a chore.
 

muddream

Banned
You motorically impaired folk should thank cancer every night for taking Steve before he could literally take over the world and harvest the organs of people who insist on holding their phones wrong and making humanity look bad by being too much of a spaz to tap with a single finger.
 

TUSR

Banned
You motorically impaired folk should thank cancer every night for taking Steve before he could literally take over the world and harvest the organs of people who insist on holding their phones wrong and making humanity look bad by being too much of a spaz to tap with a single finger.

Tap to clik suxxxx lol!
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Mudd, maybe you should lay off the hyperbole.

Mini is shipping. Nothing like getting a new computer, if I could stay at home I'd be like a dog at the window.
 
Top Bottom