Support NeoGAF

[Jasoco]

Sounds like the low-end 13" sounds just fine for you from the info you gave, is the i7 that big of a difference for you? I have the low-end, and if I could afford to buy anything more I probably wouldn't have. It seems like a huge price difference for someone who considers price a major factor and you could probably get a price-cut if you don't buy it from Apple.

Also, are you willing to wait for a major 2012 update for either the Pro or Air or do you need a new one now?

My impression of my low-end Air experience: SSD makes small tasks faster (as you know) but it slows down or freezes for a short after sleep for me, unlike my 15" Pro (maybe a Lion issue). Also, my fan speeds up a lot.

I don't NEED a new one, but my dad's PC laptop is about to die and he said he is replacing it this year, and if I don't sell him my Mac, he's gonna buy yet another PC laptop to up and die on him.

Plus I want myself one of them newfangled processors! This Core2Duo is so old and busted. I want the new hotness. And I decided I either go cheapest or go all out. Which left me with either the 11" (128GB model. Fuck that 64GB model.) or the highest 13" which would last me a while.

Then there's whatever 13" Pro comes out hopefully this year. If it does that is.

I was just rambling anyway. Purchase is still a few weeks off at least.

 

[Barrett2]

Tech illiterate question on how to interpret my system memory.

What does the 'wired,' 'inactive' mean, exactly?

Thanks!

 

[Jasoco]

Wired is memory that is used by the system and will not be let go.

Active is memory currently used by apps.

Inactive is memory that has been given up but wasn't released properly so it sits unused, but can be claimed by new programs if they need it. This memory can be freed up by using a developer tool called "purge" in the Terminal if you have Developer Tools. But it's not something to worry about. It will be freed up as more apps ask for RAM.

 

[Barrett2]

Cool, thanks for clarifying.

 

[Foov]

Has anyone been having any issues with their macs crashing after updating to lion 10.7.2? I have a 2010 macbook pro, and it's run near perfectly the entire time I've had it, except for the last couple days where it's suddenly started to occasionally crash on me. Just a minute ago it completely froze on me and had to hard reset it.

 

[Jasoco]

Not me. Same model.

 

[Alfarif]

Has anyone been having any issues with their macs crashing after updating to lion 10.7.2? I have a 2010 macbook pro, and it's run near perfectly the entire time I've had it, except for the last couple days where it's suddenly started to occasionally crash on me. Just a minute ago it completely froze on me and had to hard reset it.

Not I. My 2008 Macbook, 2009 Mac Mini, and 2010 Mac Mini have all gotten much better with the update. Lion feels way more stable, now.

 

[whitehawk]

Question: Is it possible to hook up a 360 or PS3 to an iMacs screen?

 

[Krelian]

Has anyone been having any issues with their macs crashing after updating to lion 10.7.2? I have a 2010 macbook pro, and it's run near perfectly the entire time I've had it, except for the last couple days where it's suddenly started to occasionally crash on me. Just a minute ago it completely froze on me and had to hard reset it.

Yes. My Macbook (late 2009) has been working perfectly until yesterday when it froze after I tried to wake it up from sleep mode. I could see the beach ball but it didn't spin like usual and I couldn't move the mouse or do anything else. I hope that was an exception, though.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

Question: Is it possible to hook up a 360 or PS3 to an iMacs screen?

2009/2010 iMac, Yes.

Anything older or newer, no.

 

[SeanR1221]

Upgraded my memory from 1gb to 4gb on my late 2008 iMac and threw lion on it. Feels real good, man

 

[whitehawk]

2009/2010 iMac, Yes.

Anything older or newer, no.

...That's pathetic of apple. I'll probably end up getting a high end mac mini instead of an imac now.

 

[Enco]

Just got a Macbook Air.

So sexy and slick. Pretty darn speedy too. Overall very happy. It does get quite hot when watching videos though.

 

[whitehawk]

Just got a Macbook Air.

So sexy and slick. Pretty darn speedy too. Overall very happy. It does get quite hot when watching videos though.

I'm going to be doing a lot of video editing and audio recording, that wont work.

 

[Enco]

I'm going to be doing a lot of video editing and audio recording, that wont work.

Yea that might be tough. No idea why.

edit: To clarify, this is only an issue on some sites like megavideo and when watching things fullscreen (either streaming or downloaded).

 

[whitehawk]

Apple launched a $999 iMac today but it is edu only. I wonder how well something like that would do if released to the general public.

http://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/08/apple-launches-999-imac-for-educational-institutions/

Wait, is it actually $999 for students in the U.S? In Canada my edu discount only get's $50 off, bringing it to $1149.

edit: Just realized that the version you posted is an i3 with a 250GB hard drive. Seems to be a completely different model we can't get in Canada.

 

[scogoth]

Just got a Thunderbolt Display and had major issues with the USB ports on them. Got it replaced and still presented problems, but less often. Mouse would sometimes drop, keyboard would stop working, get stuck keys or send the wrong key code. Does anyone have a working thunderbolt display hooked up to a Macbook Air? If so whats your serial number? I want to get a replacement but not from the same batch.

 

[Azzurri]

Any news on the MBP?

 

[noah111]

^ ?? No, but what are you talking about exactly..

 

[Jasoco]

^ ?? No, but what are you talking about exactly..

Supplies are constrained. Usually a sign that old models can't be acquired by stores for retail and that a new model is on the way.

Usually, when true, new models show up within a few weeks.

 

[Sofo]

Hello Mac-GAF. I've been a Windows user ever since Windows 95, but I'm finally jumping on OSX. I currently have a desktop computer, the one I use the most at home and that I enjoy using for some light gaming (mostly Steam), instant messaging and Adobe CS4 (mostly scanning, editing pictures). Fact is, I don't want another desktop, so I'm looking at moving towards the laptop line.

Mostly I've looked into the Macbook Pro 15', the higher end, which costs around 2,000€ when educational promotion is applied. My fiancé though, has talked me into getting the Macbook Air, but I keep hearing about some of its problems and I think it might be too small (I have a 10~11' netbook already, so portability isn't an issue).

I'm almost decided on the Pro, but I'm not sure if I should wait for a new one to come, or just splurge it now and chalk it up. Also, I believe the Pro will be better, for the activities I would use it with. It's portable enough that I can carry it, even if the Air would be much portable, it feels too slim and not something I could spend lots of hours on.

Going to the point, should I wait for a revision on the Pro? Is the Pro more suited for my activities? I was told that maybe around March there's a revision, but I don't think I can wait that long.

Thanks for your replies!

 

[lunarworks]

Wired is memory that is used by the system and will not be let go.

Active is memory currently used by apps.

Inactive is memory that has been given up but wasn't released properly so it sits unused, but can be claimed by new programs if they need it. This memory can be freed up by using a developer tool called "purge" in the Terminal if you have Developer Tools. But it's not something to worry about. It will be freed up as more apps ask for RAM.

It will be freed up when and if Mac OS X feels like it.

 

[Jasoco]

It will be freed up when and if Mac OS X feels like it.

That too. Doesn't Lion do it more often as well as killing off apps that are idle if you have low RAM? I have 8GB of RAM and have never seen it kill any apps. But people complain about it all the time.

Hello Mac-GAF. I've been a Windows user ever since Windows 95, but I'm finally jumping on OSX. I currently have a desktop computer, the one I use the most at home and that I enjoy using for some light gaming (mostly Steam), instant messaging and Adobe CS4 (mostly scanning, editing pictures). Fact is, I don't want another desktop, so I'm looking at moving towards the laptop line.

Mostly I've looked into the Macbook Pro 15', the higher end, which costs around 2,000€ when educational promotion is applied. My fiancé though, has talked me into getting the Macbook Air, but I keep hearing about some of its problems and I think it might be too small (I have a 10~11' netbook already, so portability isn't an issue).

I'm almost decided on the Pro, but I'm not sure if I should wait for a new one to come, or just splurge it now and chalk it up. Also, I believe the Pro will be better, for the activities I would use it with. It's portable enough that I can carry it, even if the Air would be much portable, it feels too slim and not something I could spend lots of hours on.

Going to the point, should I wait for a revision on the Pro? Is the Pro more suited for my activities? I was told that maybe around March there's a revision, but I don't think I can wait that long.

Thanks for your replies!

The Pro's are rumored to be updated very soon. But rumors are never guarantees. So don't count on them. The Air's are fine. I don't know what problems there are besides the slower SSD (Which people assure me is unnoticable) so I don't see them being a bad purchase.

A Pro of course will be more flexible but heavier, but it'll be faster but it then again has a HDD and mostly useless Optical Drive (If you're one of those people who never use them) and HDD's are sloooooow once you've used an SSD. The Air will be great for speed, but it only has max 4GB RAM and 256GB SSD if you want to spend $300 more for the extra 128GB.

What will you be using it for? CS4 will work fine, but are you a really heavy user?

 

[Dog Problems]

I bought a Macbook Air (13", 128) and am looking for a good case to keep it in for transport. Does anyone have any recommendations?

 

[scorcho]

I bought a Macbook Air (13", 128) and am looking for a good case to keep it in for transport. Does anyone have any recommendations?

i'm partial to Incase. i have their Protective Sleeve Deluxe, which has a cushy faux-fur interior, an external pocket that could hold the power adapter or external HD, and a separate opening along the bottom that allows you to charge the laptop without taking it out of the sleeve - a very handy feature.

http://goincase.com/products/detail/protective-sleeve-deluxe-cl57566

 

[timnich]

I'm finally ready to upgrade the hard drive for my 13" Macbook Pro. Despite my best efforts, I am constantly running out of space, so I was thinking of maybe getting a terabyte hard drive. There are plenty of videos online and the whole process seems rather straight forward, but does anyone maybe have some tips? Is there anything else I should change while I have the laptop open? Also, where can i find the best and cheapest hard drive? I'm assuming it would be cheaper to buy online. Thanks!

 

[Jasoco]

Just make sure it's not too thick. I think, but am not positive, that the HDD slot only accepts 9mm drives, but most 1TB drives are 12mm.

Unless changes have been made in the past few months.

 

[timnich]

Right now I'm looking at this one:http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148599

750GB will work for me, and it seems like the terabyte drives are not only larger in size but also slower. I would appreciate some feedback before I order, as I really dont know too much about hard drives.

 

[whitehawk]

Apple store is down, could this mean anything

http://store.apple.com/us

 

[Sofo]

The Pro's are rumored to be updated very soon. But rumors are never guarantees. So don't count on them. The Air's are fine. I don't know what problems there are besides the slower SSD (Which people assure me is unnoticable) so I don't see them being a bad purchase.

A Pro of course will be more flexible but heavier, but it'll be faster but it then again has a HDD and mostly useless Optical Drive (If you're one of those people who never use them) and HDD's are sloooooow once you've used an SSD. The Air will be great for speed, but it only has max 4GB RAM and 256GB SSD if you want to spend $300 more for the extra 128GB.

What will you be using it for? CS4 will work fine, but are you a really heavy user?

Thanks a lot for the reply! That's what I've heard, about the update. I guess I wouldn't appreciate an update right as I buy the Pro, but I can't really depend on waiting. I need my desktop at home for the office, I'm currently doing most of the work "on the cloud" on my little netbook (connected to a monitor though), so once we get a license for a software we use at work, I'll need to move in my desktop as soon as possible.

From what you've said I think I'll go for the Pro. Even if I'm not a heavy user of CS4, I could really use the slightly bigger screen and the robust appearance of the Pro, compared to the Air. Having never had a "big" laptop, but being used to a desktop, I think the Pro will prove a wonderful transition and a good deal for all the trade offs of both a big desktop and the Air? I'm not sure. I haven't had the chance to try SSDs, and my desktop is old enough to still work on an HDD.

Problem of the Air could be the RAM. I'm used to scanning stuff, with lots of resolution, so even on my old desktop sometimes things slow down a bit. I was even thinking of upgrading the RAM on the Pro (my fiancé has told me it's very easy and doesn't devoid warranty?).

Anyway, I'm fairly convinced the Pro will be a love match. I had the chance to try it out at a friend's house, with Lion, and it was wonderful! Such a refreshing experience. Thanks again for the help!

 

[Ninja Kn1ght]

Apple store is down, could this mean anything

http://store.apple.com/us

Probably slightly refreshed MPBs.

 

[Sofo]

Probably slightly refreshed MPBs.

If that was to be true, I'd cry in tears of joy!

 

[Jasoco]

Right now I'm looking at this one:http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148599

750GB will work for me, and it seems like the terabyte drives are not only larger in size but also slower. I would appreciate some feedback before I order, as I really dont know too much about hard drives.

There's always the "Optibay" route where you buy a super awesomely fast SSD for the HDD slot and a large gigantic HDD and an Optibay mounting bracket and put the HDD in the DVD drive slot. If you buy the right mode, you will also get a case for your optical drive so you can still use it. That way you get the speed, but also the capacity. Because the HDD might be thicker, but the optical drive bay can support the 12mm drive even if the HDD slot can only do 9mm. So put the SSD in the normal slot and the HDD in the optical drive's place. Then use an external DVD drive for when you need one and you're set.

Of course, that's all just one option. But you get the best of both worlds if you don't mind some work installing the bay. Personally, what I think they should do with the Pro's over time is remove the optical drive, and offer an Air style SSD for the main OS, but also use some of the freed up space for a 12mm (Or 9mm if they really want to make it that much thinner) slot for an optional second drive, whether it's another SSD or a large capacity HDD. They'd probably never do it though, but it'd be neat and still stick with the Pro feel. Of course this would be in the 13 and 15" models. The 17" would retain an optical drive for a little longer until Apple felt confident enough they can really kill it off without putting too many people out. But really, is it so hard, if you're already carrying a 17" laptop around, to also carry a stupid optical drive too for the times you may need it? It's not like you'll be using it in an airplane seat. But then again I'm just rambling.

Probably slightly refreshed MPBs.

Nope. Doesn't look like it. Oh well. Just maintenance.

Thanks a lot for the reply! That's what I've heard, about the update. I guess I wouldn't appreciate an update right as I buy the Pro, but I can't really depend on waiting. I need my desktop at home for the office, I'm currently doing most of the work "on the cloud" on my little netbook (connected to a monitor though), so once we get a license for a software we use at work, I'll need to move in my desktop as soon as possible.

From what you've said I think I'll go for the Pro. Even if I'm not a heavy user of CS4, I could really use the slightly bigger screen and the robust appearance of the Pro, compared to the Air. Having never had a "big" laptop, but being used to a desktop, I think the Pro will prove a wonderful transition and a good deal for all the trade offs of both a big desktop and the Air? I'm not sure. I haven't had the chance to try SSDs, and my desktop is old enough to still work on an HDD.

Well you could buy a Pro now. But remember, the Air also has a higher resolution, which may or may not (It better be) resolved with the Pro refresh when it happens. The current Pro's are perfect in every way except for the screen resolution which somehow escaped a whole update without being bumped to match the Air. So it has to happen sometime. Hopefully this time.

Also remember, if you did buy right now, you'd have two weeks (14 days) to return it for an upgrade. Chances are it could happen within then, but it is nooooot guaranteed at all. So it's a gamble. Unless you're looking into a 15" model in which case it already has a perfect larger resolution option (1680x1050) if you need it.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[bionic77]

I am thinking about an upgrade for my 2006 CoreDuo (yes you read that right) MBP to something more modern.

My wife is currently rocking a 15" MBP from last year which is amazing.

Instead of getting 2 MBPs I was thinking of getting a MBA instead. Is there anything I would miss going to the MBA and what are GAF's preferences for screen size on the MBA? The 11" seems tiny but at the same time it is amazingly portable.

Suggestions, ideas?

 

[planar1280]

Question for Gaffers:

I really want to get a Macbook but I want to make sure Apple is as committed into OS X as Microsoft is to Windows. I have read too many places Apple dropped the ball with the latest OS update where they tried to make it too much like iOS central.

 

[bionic77]

Question for Gaffers:

I really want to get a Macbook but I want to make sure Apple is as committed into OS X as Microsoft is to Windows. I have read too many places Apple dropped the ball with the latest OS update where they tried to make it too much like iOS central.

OS X is really nice right now and I have been on the platform for more than 6 years now, but it does seem to me like Apple is more interested in the iOS stuff than OS X now.

Hopefully they will prove me wrong and come out with a huge update in the next 2-3 years that will blow us all away, but there hasn't been much happening with the platform since I came aboard.

 

[planar1280]

OS X is really nice right now and I have been on the platform for more than 6 years now, but it does seem to me like Apple is more interested in the iOS stuff than OS X now.

Hopefully they will prove me wrong and come out with a huge update in the next 2-3 years that will blow us all away, but there hasn't been much happening with the platform since I came aboard.

that is my concern too. I mean I have used it (didnt own it) and I love the hardware and the ability of having bootcamp and the simplicity of the OS but when MS brought their A game with Windows 7, I thought they would bring their own with their OS updates but they were all good and nice but nothing as big of a jump as MS made with 7. I love the hardware, but I want to know if I am going to pay $1200+ on a machine that the core OS is better than Windows.

 

[Sofo]

Well you could buy a Pro now. But remember, the Air also has a higher resolution, which may or may not (It better be) resolved with the Pro refresh when it happens. The current Pro's are perfect in every way except for the screen resolution which somehow escaped a whole update without being bumped to match the Air. So it has to happen sometime. Hopefully this time.

Also remember, if you did buy right now, you'd have two weeks (14 days) to return it for an upgrade. Chances are it could happen within then, but it is nooooot guaranteed at all. So it's a gamble. Unless you're looking into a 15" model in which case it already has a perfect larger resolution option (1680x1050) if you need it.

Good luck with your decision!

Could it happen "this" soon? I thought it could go as far as March, for which I can't really wait, but if it's a couple of weeks or well before Christmas, that should be doable. For some reason I expected much more noise for a refreshment on the Macbook Pro line. Maybe I'm used to the iPhone and the sort of events they organize for it (the only Apple product I have, minus an old 3G nano).

Thanks a lot, and I think my decision is pretty much 90% MBP and 10% Air. (I'd choose the 15" with the larger resolution, yes)

 

[bionic77]

that is my concern too. I mean I have used it (didnt own it) and I love the hardware and the ability of having bootcamp and the simplicity of the OS but when MS brought their A game with Windows 7, I thought they would bring their own with their OS updates but they were all good and nice but nothing as big of a jump as MS made with 7. I love the hardware, but I want to know if I am going to pay $1200+ on a machine that the core OS is better than Windows.

To be fair it looks like MS is also trying to merge desktop/laptop with phone/tablet. Apple has a different strategy but the end goal appears to be the same thing.

Mobile seems to be where all the focus is, which kinds of sucks for everyone still using a laptop or desktop as their primary device.

 

[teamaxe]

I really want to get a Macbook but I want to make sure Apple is as committed into OS X as Microsoft is to Windows.

Hmm. This is tough to to say. Apple has spent a lot of resources getting iOS decoupled from the desktop, but they certainly can't abandon the desktop market. Also, Apple cannot be as committed to OS X as MS is to Windows. MS is Windows. They have no other product. Apple is not OS X. Most of their revenue comes from iOS devices.

I have read too many places Apple dropped the ball with the latest OS update where they tried to make it too much like iOS central.

The span of OS X Lion 10.7.0 to 10.7.2 was the worst experience I've ever had with Apple products. I've been a user since Tiger.

Now, it is great again. That being said, I do think that there is some correlation between how bad the Lion rollout was with how many iOS centered features Lion has; iCloud in particular. I don't feel, however, that Lion is iOS-ified at all. It's as pleasant and consistent to use as any OS X release before it while allowing me to be a *NIX power-user with it as well.

But, I certainly am not looking at any alternative OS's in either the desktop or mobile spaces.

 

[planar1280]

I am saving up 50$ a month since last year to pay fully for a macbook pro so I will end up getting up next year but it also depends on how Apple delivers on OS updates which I am assuming will happen between now and fall next year

 

[teamaxe]

The last conference they gave, though, they gave an inordinate amount of focus to how well the iMac's and Macbooks are doing. They even talked about marketshare which they never do. Perhaps, they'll begin focusing on that segment again. Of course, then you have the earnings call information that makes it hard to make the case that iMacs/Macbooks will be given more focus.

Of course, if you want the best of both worlds, you can obviously get a Macbook Pro and run Windows on it in addition to OS X.

 

[bionic77]

The last conference they gave, though, they gave an inordinate amount of focus to how well the iMac's and Macbooks are doing. They even talked about marketshare which they never do. Perhaps, they'll begin focusing on that segment again. Of course, then you have the earnings call information that makes it hard to make the case that iMacs/Macbooks will be given more focus.

Of course, if you want the best of both worlds, you can obviously get a Macbook Pro and run Windows on it.

I disagree with that. Windows has really developed a lot faster than OS X has in the last 6 years, but that is because it had a lot further to go to catch up.

I will admit that the 2 OS's are almost comparable now, it is more of preference on what you like better, but I think that OS X can still hang with Win7 (and I still prefer it in most ways).

 

[teamaxe]

I disagree with that. Windows has really developed a lot faster than OS X has in the last 6 years, but that is because it had a lot further to go to catch up.

That was not my intention. I probably should've said, run Windows on it in addition to OS X.

I do not use Windows on my Macs at all. That's not a comment on the quality of Windows OS's, though, as I haven't used anything other than XP with any regularity.

 

[whitehawk]

Alright so I'm going to buy a 21.5" iMac in the next few weeks, and so I present GAF with a question. Should I buy Applecare?

It's $199.... That's quite a bit of money, I'm not sure if I should.

edit: with my education discount it's $139.99. Still pricey though.

 

[Chris R]

Alright so I'm going to buy a 21.5" iMac in the next few weeks, and so I present GAF with a question. Should I buy Applecare?

It's $199.... That's quite a bit of money, I'm not sure if I should.

edit: with my education discount it's $139.99. Still pricey though.

Are you careful with your hardware? Do you have any reason to think your system might break between the time the regular warranty ends and Applecare ends? If your iMac died outside of the warranty, could you afford to replace it in a timely fashion? Just things to think about. I didn't get one on my MBA though I treat the thing like a baby.

 

[polyh3dron]

Always get AppleCare.

ALWAYS.

I would have been so fucked with my MBP I bought in 06 if I hadn't bought AppleCare.

The display could fail, their could be an inherent defect that Apple won't own up to... As an owner of many Apple products over the last 10 years I STRONGLY recommend it.

 

[whitehawk]

Yeah. It should be fine. It's an iMac too so it's not like I can drop it. It will just be sitting on my desk. I'll put that $139 towards an iPod or something.

always get applecare.

ALWAYS.

Why is that?

 

[polyh3dron]

Why is that?

If you get bad luck with a computer that starts fucking up outside of warranty like with the logic board frying or whatever it'll be a life saver.
My G4 tower had lots of hardware failures and I paid a shitload to keep that thing running, got Applecare for my MBP, took it in 3 times for issues and they ended up replacing it with a brand new MBP.

 

[Jasoco]

Agreed. Get AppleCare. You have 265 days to save up the money too. Computers like to die at inopportune times. Don't be caught with your pants down when you suddenly have to pay a few hundred to fix a logic board or display because you didn't have coverage.