Soon-to-be Macbook Pro convert asks questions

well..it is a long list but I will answer as many as I can.

onslaught wrote:

1. Price

The Cheapest Macbook Pro is down for £999. with the same (or less) of the price for a Windows 7 laptop i can have a high-end laptop with a little more specs inside (disregarding wether you "need" the specs or not). Why buy a Mac?

http://www.apple.com/why-mac/

2. Camera

Does the FacetimeHD Camera allow for 3rd-party chat like Skype, Facebook video chat, Google talk or Yahoo Messenger?

I know for sure it works with Skype, not sure about the others as I do not use them.

5. microSD card slot

Is the microSD card slot universal and is compatible with most if not all types?

Cards that conform to the SD 1.x, 2.x, and 3.x standards should work. The SD card slot can use cards that are Standard SD (Secure Digital) 4 MB to 2 GB, SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) 4 GB to 32 GB, and SDXC (Secure Digital Extended Capacity) 4G B to 2 TB. MMC can also be used in this slot. MiniSD, MicroSD, and higher density formats like MiniSDHC and MicroSDHC can also work with the use of "passive" adapters that conform to the width and thickness specifications listed above.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3553#3

6. Keypad

It does say somthing as "multitouch". would that mean pinch-to-zoom photos/videos/websites? swiping as well?

Yes. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3211

7. Software & Programmes

I like my Windows 7 laptop as i can download almost any WIndows-compatible softwares & programmes. things such as a browser (Firefox & Chrome), music management (3rd-party alternative to iTunes), anti-virus, etc. Will the Macbook Pro "in general" allow us to do that as well?

There are Mac compatible versions of Firefox and Chrome (I use both). You don't need anti virus on a mac unless you also have Windows installed on a seperate partition.

8. Web Apps

Much i am not familiar with these web apps. All i know is they are just like apps on a smartphone. The Google Chromebook was built for the web and has loads of web apps on its Market. does Apple have a similar system? can i download Apple and also Google web apps on the MBPro?

Apple has the App store where you can access free and paid apps. I have used Google Chrome Apps on the Chrome homepage (anrgy birds).

10. Uploading & Editing photos

Say i have a 32GB microSD card with photos or videos. i want to upload them to Facebook or Flicker or videos onto Youtube. i can do that on the Macbook Pro can i? do i need a 1st-party or 3rd-party software to do that?

I'm also into basic editing of photos like with Picassa. is there a similar/equivalent product to edit a photo? (like cropping,sharpness, background effects, etc.) and after editing the photo can i easily save it on my Mac and attach as an email?

Yes, Macs have a built in photo software that will do this. It is called iPhoto

11. Hard Drive

I read its an SSD-type. but can i easily partition the hard drive into equal or uneven parts? do i need a 1st-party or 3rd-pary software in order to do that? (the reason being so to organise my files properly and avoid "errors" in them)

Yes you can partition you hard drive as you like without any additional software

12. Fan Noise

I have a 1-year old HP Windows 7 laptop and after watching a movie for an hour the fan starts to become noisy and heats up after 2 hours. do i need to worry about fan noise or overheating with the MB Pro? does it have a fan or an exhaust?

MacBooks tend to run hot when doing intense things, such as watching movies or using demanding programs. The 13" models have 1 fan and the 15" and 17" models have 2 fans.

14. Wallpapers

can i change the wallpaper easily on a MB Pro like in a Windows 7 laptop?

Yes.

15. Startup & Shutdown

I have heard both processes are quick and fast but is it just a one-touch/one-button thing? (unlike with Windows 7 you have to go to the symbol then...you know what i mean)

You can shut down the mac in a similar manner like on a PC or use a keyboard shortcut.

13. Warranty & Buying

What is the standard local UK/EU warranty and what does it cover? do i have a choice of an "extended" warranty? or can i just bring in my MB Pro for repairs only on an Apple store or a PC World/Currys store? would it be free if its in an Apple store?

What are the advantages of buying one at an Apple store? more perks/benefits/deals,etc.?

Every new mac comes with a 1 year hardware warranty and 90 days of phone support. You can purchase an extended warranty which will provide a total of 3 years of hardware warranty and phone support. It is called AppleCare. Here is what it covers: http://images.apple.com/legal/warranty/docs/cpuwarranty.pdf

16. Speakers & 3.5mm jack

Does a MB Pro have dual stereo speakers? do they have any other effects (or say equalizers) i can change or tweal to make it more louder or more surround in sound? can i connect any standard speakers on the standard 3.5mm headphione jack?

In my opinion, the speakers on the 13" MacBook Pro are sub par. I can't say how they are on the other models. They only have basic adjustments for the internal speakers. You should be able to hook up any external speakers that fit in the jack.

17. Games

Now, lets face it. most games are on the home consoles then second is for the PC. i want to ask first: can i download games on iTunes and be able to play them on my MB Pro? (e.g. an iPad game) and say if i have a Google account can i (in theory) download games off the Android Market to play on my MB Pro?

You can download games from the App store and play them as long as your mac meets the games requirements. For gaming, I would suggest a 15" or 17" model as they have 2 graphics cards, the 13" only has 1 graphics card. Apps for iPads can not be played on mac computers, they are specific for iDevices or Macs. Not sure about the Android question.

18. Browsers

Safari might be better & faster than IE but i like mine Chrome. can i download ANY 3rd-party browsers (like Chrome or Firefox) on the MC Pro?

I have Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Chrome on my mac. Internet Explorer stopped support for macs in 2005.

19. Antivirus

No need? and why?

Read this: http://www.reedcorner.net/guides/macvirus/

20. OS

Does the MB Pro come with the latest OS X and with back-up disc on the box?

No. It has a built in recovery partition. Read this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

21. Updates

Like any PC or smartphone how often does Apple release updates for its Macbook range? and how do i update mine?

Yes, Macs have "software update". Updates are released as Apple determines they are necessary. You can chose to have it look for software updates in certain intervals or you can easily do it manually.

Not bad. 18/21 questions answered 🙂

onslaught wrote:

6. WiFi

With Windows 7 it almost instantly detects existing or nearby wifi signals. does the MB Pro do the same thing? how fast & easy to connect to a standard home wifi connection?

Yes. Very easy and fast (for me anyway)

7. Blu-ray

No Blu-ray player option as an upgrade?

No.

8. Screen

I read there are options for Glossy and Anti-glare. is the price the same for both? what's better?

for the 13" models, you don't get a choice, just glossy. For the 15" and 17" models glossy is standard (free). I can't tell you which one is better, it is a personal preference.

• MacBook Pro Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen Display [Add $100.00]
• MacBook Pro Hi-Res Antiglare Widescreen Display [Add $150.00]

  9. Hard Drive

  Is the MB Pro able to "format" a device (such as a connected 3rd-party portable hard drive) to Fat32 or NTFS

yes

1. about the fan issue - i will only be using it to surf the net, downloading & uploading files to different device (music to a phone, photos to facebook, etc.), printing Office and other documents (to a printer) and the odd movie. would a 15" Mac better (like you said) as it has 2 fans? are the fans underneath or on the sides?

Heat build up is not an issue with any mac. Whether to buy a 13 inch or a 15 inch screen should be your decision based on your needs. You need to go down to the apple store and get a feel for the machine yourself.

2. speakers - are the speakers on the side or underneath the Mac?

The speakers are inbuilt. Again to understand this clearly I think you need to go to a store and see the machine yourself.

3. the base 15" Macbook Pro has USBs on each side is that correct? 3rd-party peripherals such as hard drives, mice, printers can be connected is that correct?

Yes this is correct. Your mice and peripherals will work. But if you are buying a mac then you really should explore the trackpad for gestures and touch controls as that is one of the USP's of the Mac.

As both a Mac users, fairly new to them, and a long time Windows (and DOS before that) user I have no stake in either platform. I own & run older and new PCs. Newest being a Dell Latitude E6420 notebook and oldest being a Dell i8200 notebook (which still runs very well) with a bunch of desktop PCs in the middle the newest one I built about a year ago and the oldest a Dell Optiplex that was about 3 years old when I bought it as a Refurb from Dell and has ben running for the past 7 years 24 hourse a day 365 day a year.

"Quicker & Simpler"

That is not going to happen until you get use to the Mac platform. Even then I'm not sure Mac's are any simpler or easier to use. they are slightly different but in the end it is a computer just like w Windows based system.

Original Qs

1) Because you want a change and want a look at the other side. There is nothing a Mac can do that a Windows base computer can't do. And the same is true the other way around.

2) Don't know I don't use any of those things.

3) Don't really know as I haven't had the opertunity to try it out. I was going to buy a BT mouse but haven't so far. As for the other devices I would hope so.

4) Don't know.

5) The SD card slot on the MBP is not a MicroSD slot and to my knowledge there is no MicroSD card reader anywhere. That is why when you buy most any MicroSD card it comes with an SD card adapter to work in SD card readers.

6) The Touch pad has MultiTouch features, 2 finders do one thing, 3 finders another, 4 fingers another, Swipe left/right up/down do something altogether different.

7) Chrome and Firefox work on Mac. iTunes alternative, I haven't found one yet (I use WinAmp on PCs). This is one place you have to watch out for. If you are using a iPod it will not work on both platforms at the same time. In fact if you started using it on a Windows base computer it might not work at all on a Mac. If it does the Mac will re-format it to Mac specs. I was reading about that the other day in the iTunes help system.

As they say at this time there is no need for Anti Virus on the Mac platform. That is not because Mac's are immune to them. It just because no one has written any for the Mac platform. To small a market share.

8) The Apps for the Mac computer are differnt then Apps for iPhone or Android device. Although Web based apps can run on both (but they are not really the same App. They are written, or should I say Re-Written, to run on the different devices/Platforms).

If it wiil run in Chrome on a PC it will run in Chrome on a Mac.

9) Yes you can use external hard drives. Formatting can be a issue if you want to share those external drive between the 2 platforms.

Yes JPG/MP3 are universal formated read on either system. Not sure about AVI but there is a great program calle VLC that will play most any format and can be used on both Windows and Mac.

10) Yes you can uplaod files to any website from a Mac. iPhoto is included. I have no experience with it as I use Photoshop on PC and Adobe Lightroom on Mac.

11) if the Mac you are looking at comes with a SSD then it is a Macbook Air. I would sugest you look at the regular Macbook Pro line. The Air's, IMHO is not a computer to do all your work on. The drive are relatively small and expensive and can not be changed. With a MBP you can install a SSD in the main drive area and replace the opticle drive with another drive.

As far as partitioning, you can but the whole Mac Idea is one big drive. I do partition my drives on PC into multiple drives but on the Mac side I have left them as complete drives, although shortly I will have a second physical drive in my MBP. I'm replacing the optical drive with a Spinning HDD and I put a SSD in the main slot.

12) I have a MBP i7 2.2 Ghz and don't hear the fans, although they always run. I haven't taxed my MBP yet but I would suspect that after watching a movie for short period of time the fans will run at a higher speed and make some noise. All the intaking of air and exhausting of it is done at the screen hinge.

13) With PCs I rarley get the extended warranties, although I do have a 3 year on the new Dell I just got as that is what came with it, because it is usually easy to find parts for them and easy to change those parts.

Mac's are highly Proprietary as to how they mount components to circuit boards (The CPU is Solder on not in a socket that can be removed). So because of that I just got the Applecare extened warranty and I would suggest that to anyone buying a Mac. Yes this is a added cost but because they are more proprietary then PC if it dies it will COST you to have fixed.

14) Yes.

15) Stratup and shut down are the same. You have to hit the power button to start the system. Yes you have to either select a menu item or hit the power buttom to shut down. Actually in every Windows OS since the advent of ATX power supplies you can shut the system down by hitting the power button or make a chnage in Power Options to either shut down or go into sleep or hibernate mode with the press of the power buttom.

16) Yes, On top next to the keyboard and Yes you can connect speakers.

17) No, iPad games are for the iPad. No you can't run native iPad/iPhone/Android games on a Mac.

What most do is install Windows on there Mac's so they can run games.

18) This was covered already. But there is no IE for the Mac.

19) Because it is not a widely used platform so no virus writer bothers with the Mac.

20) Yes it comes with the newest OS but it may not be fully updated. No it does not come with any backup discs. To reinstall you have 4 options. 1. Run the recovery partition included on the hard drive and download and install the OS from the Apple website. 2. If for some reason the hard drive fails you would need the recovery files on a USB stick to boot the system, go to the Apple website and downlaod and install the OS. 3. Or use the Online boot feature to actually boot the system straight from the Apple website to download and install the OS 4. Buy from Apple a USB stick that contains the OS at an additional cost of $69 (US) plus tax (that is what I did).

21) All depends.

Hope this helped

P.S. Buy a PC.

onslaught wrote:

1. about the fan issue - i will only be using it to surf the net, downloading & uploading files to different device (music to a phone, photos to facebook, etc.), printing Office and other documents (to a printer) and the odd movie. would a 15" Mac better (like you said) as it has 2 fans? are the fans underneath or on the sides?

I only own a 13" model, so I can't guess as to whether or not the 15" would be better becasue it hs an extra fan. The fan is inside the mac in the corner and the exhaust blows out the back.

onslaught wrote:

2. speakers - are the speakers on the side or underneath the Mac?

They are on top of the keyboard in each corner..they are VERY tiny. (again this is the 13" model)

3. the base 15" Macbook Pro has USBs on each side is that correct? 3rd-party peripherals such as hard drives, mice, printers can be connected is that correct?

No, they are only on the left side, the optical drive is on the right. And yes.

4. tech support - is there a freephone UK national customer support/tech support number? are they 24 hours?

It is free for the first 90 days after the date of purchase, unless you get the extended warranty. The support is not 24 hours (in the USA the hours are 6am PST - 6pm PST. You can find the # for your country here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57

5. buy in-store in Apple store? online? which is better?

I bought mine in-store and I believe that is the best, because you get to actually see it in person and decide what type of screen you like best.

23/27

Not sure what you mean by "Will I be need my Mac beyond one year with improved feature (and whatever)

Well if you want it to function better you do updates. Whether they come out in 2 months or 2 years.

3) Right, that is why I said to buy a PC. I have both. I am basically a Windows guy, have been a PC guy for 20+ years. I still like my Mac but I do run windows on it as some of the software I use just isn't made to work on OS X.

4) Noramlly you don't partition a Mac hard drive like you would in Windows. Until you start using one it's hard to explain. The main user of a Mac system doesn't have full access to the complete file system, they can by logging on as ROOT. And actually that is where Windows is going.

5) for what you say you are doing there is no fan noise, even though they always run. I was using mine last night in bed with no other noises and I didn't hear the fans even though both of them wer spinning at close to 2000RPMs.

6) The new Intel 3000 GPU is very good but if you need more the 13" doesn't allow that. With the 15 and 17 inch models they have both so if you need more GPU power it switches to the add-on card. you can also set it to be the main card. But if you use it on battery having the add-on card always active will drain the battery faster.

7) You got me on that one. It is a pain. I had a 13" model for about a week + then I desided to return it. I wanted to wipe my info off the drive so I was forced to do the download routine not once but twice (my fault on the first go round. I didn't wipe the drive first and when I was done all my dtat was still on the drive).

So now that I have the 15", and I'm keeping this one, I bought the Apple Lion install on USB stick (yes it costs) but this way I never have to download the whole OS again. Only updates.

8) Don't know but I wouldn't think they aren't anything like a Leica Camera or lenses. Would you buy a year old second hand computer with no warranty for near what a new one costs? No, then I doubt anyone else would either.

MacBook Pro 15 and 17 only have an integrated Intel HD3000 that shares memory with the CPU. They also have a discrete AMD video card with its own VRAM. Each model has a different level of card.

I recently made the switch from Windows to Mac. (MBP 15" Late 2011 model) The only regret is not switching sooner! You won't be dissapointed. The support is unbelievable and the machnines.. they work.

When you buy a Mac don't you also get a PC for free?

http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/

samberl wrote:

When you buy a Mac don't you also get a PC for free?

http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/

No you have to buy a Windows License. And with Lion the only Windows OS you can install is Win 7.

Shootist007 wrote:

samberl wrote:

When you buy a Mac don't you also get a PC for free?

http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/

No you have to buy a Windows License. And with Lion the only Windows OS you can install is Win 7.

Not true, you can run other older versions of Windows through Virtual Machines, such as Parallels.