[Screech]

To make a long story short, I'm typing this from a Dell Inspiron 700m. My fourth one. All of these that I've received have been defective out of the box. This one may shut off randomly and start flashing weird colors on the screen any moment, so I'm trying to get this typed fast. Hehe, that's how bad it has gotten. And that's only one of the errors..

So I have forced a complete refund out of Dell, and I'm in the market for a notebook a mere three months after first purchasing the Dell. I think I'm ready to make the Switch.

I've heard that Mac is best for what I do: web design, namely lots of Photoshop work and HTML and stuff like that. I am looking to get a little bigger (the Inspiron was a 12-incher) and buy the new Powerbook 15".

Being a complete n00b in the Mac world (haven't used one. ever. Well, maybe for a few minutes in the Apple Store). I'm impressed by everything it has to offer. But I have some questions.

1. What am I going to be most impressed with, being a guy who, again, has never used a Mac and has lived in a Windows world since Windows was conceived? No Blue Screens? Amazing interface? I just think this is an interesting question, can't wait to hear the answers on this one.
2. Is the advertised 5.5 hours of battery life true? Apple tends to inflate their supposed battery times (see iPod).
3. Is Photoshop CS2 as capable on a Mac as it is on a Windows computer?
4. I will probably need the computer right away, as Dell is going to take this one away with them in the next few days. I'll have to go to the Apple Store and buy it with 512 MB of RAM as opposed to ordering it and getting 1 GB. a) Where would you buy more RAM? b) Is 512 going to be that bad?
5. How can I get my iTunes songs moved over? Can I put them on an external hard drive using Windows and just get them on the Mac?
6. Anybody know any good HTML authoring software for the Mac? I hand-code everything, so I just want a nice, robust editor.

I'll come up with more questions. Trust me. Thanks in advance for your response.

This is a turning point in my computer life, and I need your help. Heh. Can't wait to dive in.

[BenP]

Hi, welcome to AN.

1) Exposé

2) Not really, in my experience, although I don't have the new battery. I average around 3 with reduced performance settings.

3) I'd say it would depend on which Mac you're using. My 1.67 GHz G4 PowerBook is about on par with my parents' 2 GHz Pentium 4.

4) You're going to want more than 512 if you're using Photoshop. Buy it from Crucial.

5) I'm not 100% sure on this one, but I believe you can (although it would be pretty slow).

6) I think BBEdit and SubEthaEdit are favorites around here.

[Screech]

Thanks a ton, BenP.

Originally Posted by BenP 4) You're going to want more than 512 if you're using Photoshop. Buy it from Crucial.

How easy is installing RAM?

[Brad]

Very easy. All you need is a #0 Phillips screwdriver.

[julesstoop]

On a PowerBook 15" it's pretty straightforward. There is a small bay with a seperate door on the centre of the bottom of the machine. Just make sure you use exactly the right screwdriver: the screws tend to be tight and you don't want to damage them.

edit: you beat me, Brad

[Yontsey]

It's really easy on a PowerBook. You just flip it over to the underside and theres a little "door" type thing (cant think of any other way off hand to describe it) and you take out the screws (#0 phil. I believe). Actually, here's a PDF from Apple about how to install it. This is what i used to do it (my first time ever) and it took me about 15 minutes. It's quite easy.

Apple 15'' PB Ram Install PDF Link

[Koodari]

Originally Posted by Screech What am I going to be most impressed with, being a guy who, again, has never used a Mac and has lived in a Windows world since Windows was conceived? No Blue Screens? Amazing interface? I just think this is an interesting question, can't wait to hear the answers on this one.

Expose.
Security designed in from the start and not as an afterthought.
Settings both easier to find and use, and more powerful than Windows'. (Want to run a web server? Click on a checkbox. Done.)
*Good* bundled software. Whereas on Windows, the first thing you do to secure your install is to hide Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, with a Mac an average person can stay with just the software that comes bundled. You have Safari, Mail, iTunes. iMovie, Garageband, iPhoto. OmniOutliner and OmniGraffle (bundled with both Power lines).

Is the advertised 5.5 hours of battery life true? Apple tends to inflate their supposed battery times (see iPod).

I wouldn't expect much more than 3 hours. It depends on what you do and how aggressive you go with power saving features though.

I will probably need the computer right away, as Dell is going to take this one away with them in the next few days. I'll have to go to the Apple Store and buy it with 512 MB of RAM as opposed to ordering it and getting 1 GB. a) Where would you buy more RAM? b) Is 512 going to be that bad?

512MB is good for basic use. I would recommend more for a power user.

[WMD]

The older models were advertised as 4.5 hours and really last 3. The new ones are advertised as 5.5 hours and will probably last 4, maybe 3.5. (They do actually use less power than before.)

[Yontsey]

Like everyone else said, I would expect about 3 hours out of your PowerBook battery. That's what I get and i usually turn the screen brightness down and turn off bluetooth. As for the ram, if I were going to be using Photoshop, I would think about getting atleast another 512 stick, if not another 1 gig just for the sake of having more ram. It really makes a difference whether your actually working or just have a lot of websites and other 'BS' stuff going. You can get some good ram from www.newegg.com . I hear crucial is a good brand to go with even though I got a Kingston and I haven't had any problems.

[Luca]

I'd recommend buying Crucial from NewEgg. It's the same high-quality RAM, but it's less expensive.

[Screech]

Now, I've posed these questions on other Mac forums, and on one, two people have suggested that I wait for Intel iBooks. I hear they are coming out in June -- that's an eon away, and I need the computer NOW.

Are they going to be that much better? Are they coming out in June or January?

I also heard that the 15" Powerbook has some screen problems. Anybody care to elaborate?

[Yontsey]

well if you do decide to buy a PB now, make sure you get the Applecare, then worst case scenario you can sleep at night and dont have to worry

[Luca]

If you need it NOW, buy it NOW. That's the #1 rule regarding Apple purchases, regardless of how long X or Y has gone without an update. You are the only one who can judge how long you can put off this purchase, so make an informed decision based on the urgency and how long it is before a new product is likely to be released.

It's very likely that the iBooks will get an update in a month, at the MWSF expo in early January. It's almost certain that SOMETHING (probably the iBooks, but maybe the Mac mini or another product) will get a major update in early January. So if you're able to wait until January 9th or 10th to buy something, you may as well do so. But if you need it now, you need it now.

You might also consider a refurbished PowerBook. They're as good as new (same warranty, no physical signs of use or wear) and they cost less. If you buy a refurbished 15" PowerBook for $1600 or $1700 and there's an update to the current ones in January, you won't feel as silly as if you had paid the full $2000 for one (since the updated ones will probably cost the same $2000).

[torifile]

Regarding iTunes: yes, you can put the tunes on an external drive. I'd recommend having iTunes import them for you (when you start iTunes the first time, it'll ask if you want it to search for music. Say yes and then it'll copy them where they should be.)

I'd HIGHLY recommend trying to learn OS X rather than trying to reproduce what you expect from windows. The learning curve will be slightly steep at first, but you'll learn to appreciate it in the long run.

[shell]

Well yes, intel PowerBook's might come out in January, I chose not to wait till then and bought the 15'' last month. So far, I'm quite happy with the purchase, I hear that some people are having problems with the new screen, although I haven't had any issues with mine. If there is a problem with your screen you can have it fixed as long as you take care of it within a year (three years if you buy AppleCare).

We really don't know how much better (or worse ) the new laptops will be that may (or may not) come out in January. If you want to wait, do so, although it sounds like you are pretty desperate.