Catkin, maybe this should be moved to the Conversations side.

Ann

You'll never regret your macbook. And let me give you a "home decorating" very relevant reason! :)

It is SO EASY to copy photos off the web and place directly in iPhoto. You can easily set up files such as bedroom inspiration, kitchen inspiration and place your photos, etc. Frankly, it was because of my iphoto files that I recognized that my personal style is a bit more contemporary, upbeat, and fun. (Think "Sarah's" farmhouse.)

Just don't post them (possible copyright violations) unless you are sure you can do so.

By the way, I have an iMac 24" since my eyesight isn't so great and I love photography. :)

I can't advise on specific Macs, but I can tell you that you can't go wrong with one. Like birdlover says, they almost run themselves. In 12 years of owning macs, we've never had any issues that weren't user error and easily resolved.

Sherry

I'd buy the best one you can afford. I get 6 years out of my Macs but buy the most expensive one because it seems to function longer.

I bought a Macbook Pro several months ago. I love it, but still don't know all the shortcuts, applications, or programs. I have the one with the lighted keyboard which is great. I would say, go for the most memory you can afford. We are off to buy a mouse for my DH this afternoon. Glad to heat about the iphoto application. Will be exploring that later!

There are 3 15" MacBook Pros? Or do you mean a 13", 15" and 17"?

I've had the 15" for over a year and love it! I'd never go back to a PC.

I got my daughter a MacBook Pro last year. She is an aspiring journalist and at the time was editor of her HS newspaper. Knowing she would be majoring in communication, I wanted a PC that could last through her college years. She absolutely loves it. And, what amazed me was that we bought it, brought it home, she went into her room and in 10 minutes announced 'I'm up and running'. Absolutely the easiest and most painless installation I have ever seen in my life.

It seems to keep running too. As far as I know she hasn't had a single software glitch or problem.

The only downside I can see is the price, which is literally 2-4 times that of a windows-based machine. We got ours at Best Buy which was running one of their ubiquitous extended payment specials. So I had, I believe, 18 months to pay for it with no interest.

Ann

I never use the software that comes with my digital cameras. Just pop out the memory card and insert it into my computer's (not a Mac) memory card slot. I don't see how there would be a compatibility issue between the camera and the computer. The images that are saved in jpeg format. My kids and my mom have Macs, and haven't expressed any difficulty with camera compatibility.

> I have the one with the lighted keyboard which is great.

All Macbook Pros have illuminated keyboards now. Only the non-Pro, low-end white one doesn't.

Note the discounts at MacConnection and the online coupon for MacMall (for the 13" MBPro) at that site.

The main difference between the 3 15" MacBook Pros are the amount of memory, and the speed of the processor. The 2.4GHz model (the cheapest one) has the slower processor and the smallest hard drive--note, the processor isn't slow, it's just not as fast as the most expensive one. The middle one, the 2.53GHz model, has the same processor and a larger hard drive. The most expensive one has the fastest processor, but the same size hard drive as the middle one.

That's just a general overview. If you want a detailed explanation of the differences, stop by an Apple store if there is one near you. The staff are pretty good about explaining things.

There's at least one review for the camera you mentioned in a Mac magazine, so I'm guessing it will work. Most cameras are PC and Mac friendly, but do check the fine print or contact the manufacturer before buying if you are at all unsure. When I got my digital camera, I just plugged it into my Mac and IPhoto opened and all was good. As compared to the 4 pages of installation instructions for PC users.

I've never owned anything but a Mac. In 20 years, I haven't had any problems, except when a computer got outdated and I was too attached to it to trade up for a new one. At some point, you just have to let them go.

21 year Mac user's take:

If I could afford the top of the line 15-inch at $2,199, I'd spend a hundred more and get the 17-inch MacBook Pro (if space were no problem). I think there is no significant difference in performance between Intel Core i5 and i7. Now if you really need processing speed, get the 15-inch/2.66GHz/i7, but if you're OK with 2.53GHz, go with the bigger model.

If the 17-inch, for whatever reason is wrong for you, the differences in the three 15-inch models are:
Speed: 2.4, 2.53 or 2.66 GHz
RAM (larger numbers needed for running multiple labor-intensive apps like Photoshop): 256 or 512 MB
File Storage (memory): 320 or 500 GB

Only you know how you will use your new Mac.

Congratulations and HTH!

Max has the 17" MacPro but he does film editing. Personally, I'd prefer the 15" for portability.

I've owned Macs since 1989 too, greenthumb! My first Mac was an SE30 (I think.) They are flawless. DH has a Dell and he's been forced to upgrade a couple times since I bought my last Mac. Too bad UPS software doesn't support Macs or I'd have him using one in a New York minute. The money he spends on anti-virus software upgrades is a necessary evil.

My BIL finally bought a Mac and chose the largest monitor Apple makes. The software doesn't fill up the screen so I think it was a waste of money. I have a 15" flat screen from 2001 and it's still going strong, though I had to buy a special adaptor so it would work with my mini Mac.

Next time, I'm buying a laptop.

Golddust, I'd always had desktop PCs. Was pretty sure I was ready for the switch to laptop when the last Dell got fried. Dh insisted I'd be more comfortable with the iMac and since it was cheaper I went along ... for all of one day. It was just way too big! Returned it and got the 15" MacBook Pro. Love it!

And when PC people start fretting about the latest computer "worm" or virus, you won't even start sweating!
I have the low-end MacBook--it's like my "starter" house or "starter" husband! I'll trade up eventually! So glad I went with the flow of my brainwashing Apple friend!

Golddust,

Too fun-nay! I have my very 1st Mac - an SE30 (this is an all in one with a black and white, 9-inch display, for those who need to brush up on their Mac history ;-) - sitting right next to my Mac G5 (earlier version of the Mac Pro, the current mama of all Macs), that I'm typing this on. I have no doubt I could fire that 21 year old baby up tomorrow and it would run like a top - S-L-O-W - but it would run ;-) Got the original keyboard, mouse and cable, and I bet if I looked hard enough I could find the software somewhere around here, not sure about the manuals ;-)

I'm terribly interested in your BIL's baby - do you know how old and what size his monitor is? Mine is the largest sold at the time (approx. 8 years ago - yep, I'm using an EIGHT YEAR OLD, albeit top-of-the-line, Macintosh and it runs better than any PC I've ever used, period, the end), a first generation 30" Cinema Display and I use it as a TV/DVD/DVR too - is he planning on using it this way or has he already got it set up? If already set, I would really enjoy hearing the specifics or, if not, I can make recommendations based on my experience (and would provide an email addy if you want to take this off-forum, JLMK, I don't work for any software or hardware company, just so you know). BTW, all of the software I use, even the ancient OS 9 apps mostly fill my 30-inch Cinema Display. I suspect there is a display settings change needed. I'm running (an older) OS10.4.11, aka "Tiger" (so I can keep my OS 9 apps, even though most are laughable crutches at this point), but I've been using this Mac since "Jaguar" and the software has always mostly filled the screen.

The current Mac OS, for those trying to keep up, is Snow Leopard, LOL!

If I could justify or luxuriously afford an iPad, I'd probably get one, but I've got an iPhone, and it's very efficient for how small it is, so I'd probably opt for the Macbook Pro instead, if I could afford/needed it, even! As I said above, my 8 yr. old G5 leaves nothing to be desired except an Intel chip to run newer apps and mobility. But it won't be long now... ;-) Oh, wait, my car will be 10 yrs old next year, LOL!

natal,

Glad you got what was best for you - it really depends on your usage and comfort when choosing a computer, even for PC users *roll eyes* *snicker* J/K

I have the 2.4 ghz, duo intel processor 4 gig Macbook Pro, going on 2 years, I love it to pieces. I've been on Mac since 1999.

The Apple store offers many workshops, you can also buy one on one sessions. The online tutorials are very helpful.

I am very close to purchasing a macbook pro also. I bought one for my niece for graduation a few months ago.. and I have an ipad and an iphone (absolutely no comparison to one another).

In my business, it is necessary to have a pc-- and quite honestly, the majority of the business world is still pc. I am able to justify the macbook because I pretty much need BOTH a mac and a pc... but I am buying it because of the durability, compatibility with other devices.. and it's sexy!

One thing I have seen peppered through this thread is the belief that buying the most expensive is your best bet. I absolutely disagree--unless you are producing videos or using high end graphics programs, it is very unlikely that you need the top of the line systems. If you are using the computer for surfing and email..no gaming, no high-end video production, you will be perfectly fine with middle of the line-- even the entry-level macbook pro. These aren't low end machines.

Check with your local Apple Store-- I received excellent advice when buying the macbook for my niece. We have the "bigger is better" mentality pounded into us and it very often equates to waste. Certainly, purchase a system that you can grow into but be realistic about what you'll use it for in the next few years. Don't overbuy for the purpose of .. well.. what would be the purpose of overbuying??

I've also got a Macbook - have no idea what it is, thou. When we got this laptop, it was also locking up when surfing the web and our old Mac never had a problem. Made an appointment & they couldn't replicate the problem. Suggested trying a different wireless router. Replaced router & still locking up. Took it in again - can't replicate. So we just live with it for awhile & DH starts thinking about selling it. I urged him to call Mac (not the local store) & complain. They were WONDERFUL!! The next day a fed ex box comes to send the laptop in to them (prepaid). We sent back & forth about 5 times and after replacing the motherboard(?) our Mac runs like it was always supposed to run. This is all after the warranty was out.

So, I have no advice as to which model, I just wanted to let you know that they truly do stand behind their products from our experience.

Smiles:)

These are the 15" they all come with 4GB Memory. The only real difference is hard drive size - the mid & best come with 500; while the graphics card is better in the best - the mid shares the same one as the least. IMO, the mid priced should be fine. If you want the extra video memory; get the best.

Having said that, is the best worth $500 more then cheapest? No.

$1799
2.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor
320GB 5400-rpm hard drive
Intel HD Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 256MB GDDR3 memory

$1999
2.53GHz Intel Core i5 processor
500GB 5400-rpm hard drive
Intel HD Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 256MB GDDR3 memory

$2199
2.66GHz Intel Core i7 processor
500GB 5400-rpm hard drive
Intel HD Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 512MB GDDR3 memory

You're right roselvr, my bad, all have 4 GB of RAM, but I still say if you can afford the most expensive 15-inch, go ahead and spring for 2 more inches in the display, but then I prefer large displays.

The thing about the display size is personal preference. My hub has a larger screen Toshiba & IMO; it's too large to carry around. It doesn't fit in some laptop bags & is on the heavy side.

My doctor has a Mac-book Air & loves it

FWIW, I see the 15 inch can be configured with a larger hard drive fairly cheap.

My BIL's monitor is about a year old. I can't tell you much more than that except it is huge. He does everything huge. I've only seen it once and my sister was showing me how none of the software apps filled the screen.

Funkart, you are right. More expensive isn't always better. Max has his editing software on my computer and has edited a few 'movies' on it.

Greenthumb, I still have my SE30 too! I have every Mac I've ever owned. I'm sure they all still run too! They are living in my (dry) basement and I swear I want them in a Mac Museum. I have all the cords, etc and my original external modem that I went on line with in 1993, WITH my SE30!! I had to have a handicap sticker back then because I only had 4 MB of memory. LOL!! If I had the address, I could get there! I used it mostly for email.

Roselvr, I know I'm a 15" laptop girl. I'm going to miss my Kensington mouse though.

Green, wasn't it a relief when Mac's went to USB?