Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CBP]

Hello,

For years I've used a Toshiba Satelitte laptop. I enjoy using PCs, but now that I'm in the market for a new computer, I'm giving serious thought to a MacIntosh. Everyone I know who has one loves it and says that they rarely have virus/spyware issues. For that reason alone, I would consider shifting gears and getting a Mac.

But I'm overwhelmed in my search for a computer, and no matter how much I read it just all seems to run together. Can someone please tell me what I need to know? Or perhaps recommend a specific laptop and tell me why you like that one?

I primarily use my laptop for writing, very basic website design for my blog, and Internet research. I also upload photos to Flickr. I'd like a larger screen, not one of those compact sizes but also not so large that the laptop isn't portable.

I leave for Korea in two weeks. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Canadian Club]

I have a MacBook, and love it... I think that if you cange your title to "Macs in Korea", then you'll get Mac fans.

[CBP]

Thanks for the suggestion. (But why such a disturbing avatar? Are you promoting animal rights? Spreading awareness?)

[Missile Command Kid]

I'm in the same boat as you. In fact, I went so far as to bring my IBM Thinkpad X31 with me to Korea. Unfortuntately, it has a 12" screen, which is far too small for everyday use. I'm looking into a 17" 2.0GHz iMac (MUCH cheaper in North America than it is in Korea, by the way), which is compact, powerful, and won't strain your eyes. Unless you need *portability*, bringing it with you back and forth to work every day, forget the laptop and get a desktop. Make sure you get it in North America before you leave! I'm having a devil of a time trying to get ahold of somebody at Apple Korea who speaks English!

[Canadian Club]

[OiGirl]

I have the bottom-of-the-line iBook G4 (bought shortly before the dual-processor machines came out.) It is more than sufficient for my needs--word processing, web browsing, podcasting and streaming audio. Slow but works for torrents and PowerPoint. It is much easier than it used to be to get Internet techs who can/will install broadband for a Mac in Korea.

[AbbeFaria]

The main question is how much do you want to spend. Their 15 inch MacBook Pro's run $1999 with the dual core processors, 120 gig harddrive, superdrive (read/write cd's and dvd's) built in camera and all that jazz. The 13 inch iBooks come stock at $1099.

There's not a lot of fiddling around with the inside, after you've chosen your base model, it's just deciding on what extras you want. More ram, bigger HD, etc. All of this can be found on Apple's website, however, so it's not really news.

As far as what do you need to know to use a Mac, or if you're looking for more experiences, I can say they're great machines. 7 years with no viruses/spyware/adware and since I upgraded to OS 10 I haven't had a system freeze once.

If you have specific questions, you'll need to be more...well, specific.

Oh, and if you're getting a Mac, you'll need to start referring to them properly. Only PC users call them Macintoshes.

-S-

[CBP]

Yo, so I'm getting a Mac and I'm all down with the Mac thing, cuz Mac's are de bomb and is that a Mac jack in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Okay!

I want something that's uncomplicated, straight forward, easy on the eyes, fast and cute, portable, and that won't give me any problems. Haven't met him yet, but I'm sure he's out there.

About broadband, I haven't a clue what's involved in getting Internet in my apartment, what equipment I need to purchase, what needs to be installed on my computer, etc.

Have you seen the new PC/Mac commercials on TV? Two guys are in therapy, one is your typical straight-laced anal accountant type. The other is a laid back artist type, earthy and open, good with eye contact. One is named PC, the other is Mac. Funny stuff.

Anyway, thanks for the help.

[AbbeFaria]

Well, like I said, the MacBooks are good machines. I'll be upgrading to one of those after the new year. The MacBook Pro if I've saved that much by then.

About internet, you'll have the ethernet built in so you'll just have to get the boss to hook up the juice to your apartment, get a cable or dsl modem and have them hook it up. There's no software to install for broadband. At least I haven't had to do it yet and I've been on highspeed for about two years now. A year at home and a year here.

I've been told Mac's are cute, but cute is not a word I use much as a guy unless I'm talking about babies. The Macbooks come in white and black, but the black comes with a bigger harddrive and a faster processor stock, so it's about $400 more expensive. It has a 13 inch screen and the OS is very easy to use. If my email challenged mother can figure out the one I got for her last year then I'm sure you can.

You'll want to spring for the power adapter so it will be able to charge on their plugs. Just tell the salesman that you'll be using it in Korea and he'll get you the right one. Or look on their website, it's there too.

-S-

[CBP]

I have a cheapie power adapter I bought at a hardware store. Radio Shack next door had some really nice but expensive ones. Mine seemed to work fine in Hungary recently, but it got really warm. Are special ones needed for laptops?

[OiGirl]

You only NEED a 50 cent flat-pin-to-round-pin converter. I bought the World Travel Adapter Kit because it is so damn cool.

[rocklee]

[CBP]

All excellent points. I usually attach an ergonomic keyboard to my laptop because it's MUCH more comfortable. And I attach a trackball for the same reasons. I was thinking of getting a wireless keyboard and trackball, but the hippie-girl that I am is concerned about excessive EMFs in my home. So is a Mac really warmer in your lap than a PC? I'm not sure why that would be. Last night I noticed how incredibly warm my Toshiba was. I'm going to design a laptop table for when I'm using my laptop in bed or on the couch.

To be frank, Macs annoy me. I was kidding when I said I wanted a "cute" laptop, by the way. Macs are excessively cute. But it's the virus/spyware thing that has me thinking I ought to purchase one. They're really expensive, though. I think for about $1000 I can get a nice PC that will more than meet my needs. Macs don't come loaded with Word, right? So like with PCs, I'd have to plunk down additional money to get up and running.

[rocklee]

I hear ya. I used to carry my laptop all over the place because I travelled so much. Weight was an issue, but at the same time I didn't want to be watching from a tiny screen so I went with the best featured 15.4" computer that was also light enough (3kg). I don't carry any external devices, save for a 250GB external HD which is part of my media system. With the power box and cables my bag would weigh about 4kg which is ok. Once you bring all the other stuff you may end up looking like a hunchback.

Laptops will usually get warm, but that is only noticeable when the fans blow out air. With the Mac, the whole thing gets hot, the top near the keyboard and the screen. They found a problem with the design so you had to open the computer up to fix it. Its not a big deal if you're good with using thermal glue. I think Apple should have resolved this by now.

I think if you don't mind buying a lot of accessories for your laptop (external keyboard, mouse etc) then the Mac would be good for someone who needs something to work out of the box. Just as long as you don't need to carry it all over the place. Macs don't come loaded with MS Office but you can download some other software that is free (OpenOffice?).

[CBP]

I'm on the fence. I think I'm going to wait until I get to Korea. Once I'm more comfortable financially, I'll find something that feels right and order it from the States. I just can't stand wires everywhere. I want something clean and simple. My old Toshiba is super heavy and bogged down with bugs and spyware. But I'll have to bring it, I guess.

That's weird about Macs getting hot.

Thanks for your input on this thread!