Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pangaea]

I know this has probably been discussed here. For my next computer purchase, I don't know if I want another PC laptop or a Mac. I have heard that Macs are much better but I have never personally compared the two. It might be worth the extra money to buy a Mac if I can avoid some of the problems I have with my computer.

Things that annoy me about my laptop:

Viruses, tracking cookies, etc. I have heard that Macs don't get viruses. Is this true? Are they susceptible to any other threats?

Slooooooow start up and sometimes processing while I am on the internet.

Constant system pop ups. Do you want to show the secure items? Do you want to show the non-secure items? There may or may not be a problem with your computer! Click here to find out if a problem does or does not exist! Updates are available to a program you never use and didn't know you had!

Can I avoid any of this with a Mac?

[Slowmotion]

Your going to have other issues with a mac, especially if you're only used to a PC.

And forget about using a mac if you need access to Korean websites, because most of those won't even work.

There's still many things you can't do on a mac, which is why a lot of mac users end up using a virtual version of windows along with their mac.

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

I hardly have to use Korean sites, but I can always go to the pc bang down the block or use my smart phone. I don't like running virtual windows on my computer. Mac takes all of 10 minutes to learn. I like it, but you should certainly try it out at the store to see if you like it.

[ttompatz]

[JMO]

Yea I use ubuntu(linux) on my laptop and that would solve most of your problems without the outlay on the mac.

[JMO]

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

[Caffeinated]

I have a Mac and use KEB's Mac online banking software. It doesn't have all the features available that online banking using Windows and IE does, however, such as paying your credit card. I wait to do those at school or at the local coffee shop which has a public computer available. Sometimes I have to install the security software all over again which is a pain in the ass.

I think KEB has a smartphone app available for 900 won a month. Has anyone tried that out? It could be worthwhile if it has all of the online banking features available.

[JMO]

[tatertot]

I primarily use an Apple laptop, but I use a Windows 7 Nettop at home sometimes, too. If I was going to run a full-blown desktop, I'd probably want to use OS X on that, too.

Since other people will address issues such as viruses, using with Korean Internet, etc., I will try to address different concerns.

First the hardware:

There are a few things about Apple notebooks that I think really stand out. The first thing is the trackpad. It is really big and has really nice multi-touch gesture capabilities. The next thing I like is the battery life. I get about 5-7 hours of real-world usage with my 15" MBP. My usage includes Internet and programming (note that these are not very power-intensive ways of using the computer). Another thing that I like is that the computer just feels solid because of the aluminum unibody construction. Lastly, the computer just looks nice. However, the components inside the computer are nothing special. They are the same as those found in other PCs.

Some things that I don't like about the notebook follow. The screen resolution is too low. It's only 1440x900. There is an option for 1680x1050, which I would have bought if I hadn't purchased the computer used. For programming work, there is practically no resolution at which I would say "I don't need a higher resolution screen." Even 1680x1050 is too low, in my opinion. I would prefer a full 1920x1200 (or higher) resolution on laptops, regardless of screen size. Another issue is that there are only 2 USB ports, and they are really close together. The maximum number of USB peripherals I can use is 2 (unless I have a port), and if one of my devices is particularly fat, I can only use 1. I also think the glowing Apple on the back of the lid is really stupid, and it just screams "look at me!" I'd rather not have people looking at me or my computer while I'm using it outside my apartment.

For good points about the software:

It's based on BSD, so it has a lot of stuff that I am used to using from school and work. Most OS X users will never use any of these features. If you are a scientist, programmer or engineer, then you will probably appreciate them. The learning curve for OS X is quite low, so don't worry too much about relearning things. Almost all of the programs I want to use are available for OS X (the one exception is Subtitle Workshop, which is Windows only).

For me, there are no real downsides regarding the software (except for being unable to use Subtitle Workshop). If you need Windows only programs, then you can use a VM or dual-boot Windows quite easily. However, Apple notebooks aren't really optimized for Windows and they really lose a lot of their benefits running Windows. The trackpads don't work as well and the battery life is much worse. I don't really recommend running Windows on an Apple laptop full-time.

There are lots of computers out there that are better than Apple notebooks at 1, 2, or several things. However, as a whole package, Apple notebooks are the best for me. My ideal computer would be Sony Vaio Z series running OS X, or a Macbook Air with the amazing screen of the Vaio. It's almost impossible to find the "perfect" notebook, though.

So there's no simple "buy" or "don't buy" conclusion. It depends on how you're going to use the computer.

Also, for some bizarre reason, Apple notebooks retain their value pretty well. You can buy a used Apple notebook and resell it a year or two later for almost as much as you paid for it. It's silly, but it's true.

I'm sure I forgot all sorts of stuff, but I'm tired of writing this post, so I'm going to post it now.

[eamo]

Mac or PC has become a redundant question to ask........Mac's are just PC's on the inside now.

They use exactly the same CPU's, graphics processors, RAM, hard drives and screens as PC's. Apple has become a PC manufacturer.

They only difference is the OS...and Mac's can run Windows now anyway.


The only useful question to ask nowadays when considering which computer to buy is how high a spec do you need. What tasks will you be doing on the thing and what spec do you need to run those tasks smoothly.

[SeoulNate]

Mac is a bad call for several reasons

As eamo noted, Macs are more or less just expensive PCs now. They use all of the same parts (or vastly inferior quality parts if we are talking about custom PCs). Why pay more for the same thing?

In the long run, people end up buying a Mac because they are either uninformed about the differences between PCs and Macs or they just want to look 'cool'.

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

[Kheldar]

I paid $1000 for my new 18.4" Toshiba Qosmio notebook with an i5 and a backlit keyboard (Mac fans really seem to love the backlit keyboard). I spent $200 adding a SSD Drive and now Windows 7 boots in under 30 seconds and Photoshop almost instantaneously. I can play all the games and watch HD movies on that glorious screen. I'd like to see Apple offer something similar for $1200. I don't think so.

This is the reason why people pay double and triple the price of a PC for a Mac:

[Slowmotion]

Whatever happened to the lie about "Macs are better for graphic design"