Mac Book or Mac Book Pro?

[dannopelli]

Ok, so I am going to take all y'all's advice and go Mac with VMWare. That way I don't have to buy a new Office, etc.

But for recording and such, can I get a Mac book with 2G of RAM or do I need to go Mac Book Pro? I like the footprint of the Mac Book.

Also, your thoughts on recoding software? Is Logic Express worth it? What about an external mixer?

Thanks again. Sorry for being a pest about this.

[mbrown3]

I use a Tascan US-428, but there are some other great options for hardware. For software, I use and HIGHLY recommend Cubase.

Re: a Mac, any will work. :)

[kiko]

Mac book pro, it worth the extra money. BTW you dont need VMware just use boot camp and you can have dual boot with MAC and Winsh@#

hahahahahaha

If you need advice shoot me a PM. I work in IT and i am a mac lover also :D

[Pietro]

If you save the money on the mac by getting the MacBook (enough for most recording imho) you will be able to afford the new interface from Apogee. Will you need a keyboard and midi interface or keyboard with usb, too? For me, I don't use one of the external mixers/control surfaces because I find it easier (yes easier) to do all that stuff on screen.

Get a reasonable external hard drive, too. And imho, invest in the full Logic program, not Express. The extra stuff is worth it.

Also, I'd switch to the mac versions of the software you want to use. Running Windoze on a Mac is a little like running your TAG through a Peavey Rage.

Buy the black one, too.

[dannopelli]

...Running Windoze on a Mac is a little like running your TAG through a Peavey Rage...

GOOD ONE!

I just like the footprint of the Mac Book.

Thanks!

[pipedwho]

I put 2GB of memory into my Macbook, and it's great. You're right about the form factor, the Macbook Pros are just a little big in comparison.

I use VMWare for those apps that I haven't found a replacement for (or just don't care to bother replacing because I don't use them often enough). It works very well. Perfect for MS Office.

For recording, I use a MOTU Traveler, but any other firewire (or USB) interface would work well. I have Tracktion for recording, because that is what I was using on the PC and it's pretty good, but Logic is definitely a huge step up. Actually, Garage Band (which comes free on the Macbook) is surprisingly usable for recording and basic mixing duties.

[Stys]

I was looking at both but decided to go with a 2.4Ghz iMac. Although the plan was to have something mobile, I figured things can easily get damaged when moving them around. Anyway, I plan to upgrade to 2G anyday now. You can visit www.crucial.com for discounted Ram.

I picked up the Apogee Duet interface and am extremely happy with this piece. I'm running Logic Express which is a really nice DAW. I have not picked up a midi keyboard yet. You will need one to take advantage of the Ultrabeat drums and synth sounds.

Logic Express is working well for me. I've just begun my first song and have tracked 12 tracks thus far. Interface is easy to navigate. You can purchase a book published by Peach Press that has interactive lessons. Also, you can buy DVD lessons from www.macprovideo.com

[MEP]

I was in the quandry about the MacBook or the MacBook Pro myself. We just bought my wife a MacBook so I had a little time to check it out and play with it. After that, I decided to go for the MacBook Pro and I definitely like it better. The foot print of the MacBook is great but the larger screen real estate and keyboard of the Pro are definitely worth it. I have not done audio work on my MacBook Pro yet but have been working with photos and web site things and I really like it. However, there is a learning curve and adjustment coming from being a hard core windows user.

If you decide on the MacBook and don't have to have a black one, you can have Apple put in a 160gig hard drive in the more expensive white MacBook for just $75 and it will be exactly like the black one. I think that they are ripping people off who just have to have black (like my wife).

[pipedwho]

If you decide on the MacBook and don't have to have a black one, you can have Apple put in a 160gig hard drive in the more expensive white MacBook for just $75 and it will be exactly like the black one. I think that they are ripping people off who just have to have black (like my wife).
When I got mine about six months ago, the black one also had a slightly faster processor - although, that may have changed of late.

[dannopelli]

THANKS GUYS!

I travel quite a bit. So I end up taking two PC's with me, business and personal. I likely will go with a Mac Book, but MEP your keyboard comments intrigue me. I'll have to look at that again.

[marsodude]

As usual, I agree with Pietro. I bought a macBook and recently purchased the Apogee Duet, made for Garageband, Logic, etc.

I would most surely select a larger hard drive with 2gig of RAM and an upgraded processor and then spend the rest of the cash on a good interface and an external drive. I even bought Office for mac and use the Excel, Word, and Powerpoint for work stuff. It was a lot cheaper than the non mac version. I have no Windows software on my mac so I run no virus protection. Startup is 24 seconds.

I have the white one, wife has black and both teenagers have a white one a piece.

I was a PC guy since the Army and now I tell everyone that I hope I never have to buy another PC!

[killerburst]

Started back in the day on Atari 800XL, then Commodore 64, then 386 16Mhz w/ 4MB RAM, all the way up to a Core Duo Asus laptop. I just bought my first Mac in September- 24" iMac. I used that for a desktop along with my XP laptop on the road for a couple months. Finally I gave the XP laptop to my wife and bought the latest rev MacBook. I went with the base model. I ordered 4GB RAM for the iMac, put the 2GB from the iMac into the MB (anybody want 2x512MB RAM?). I bought an external USB Hitachi 200GB 7200RPM HD from Best Buy. I cloned my 80GB 5400 stock drive to the external, then swapped the stock drive into the external housing and put the 200GB drive in my MB. I use the 80GB exernal hooked up to my Airport as a household catch-all Airdisk for file sharing, backup, whatever. The combo of the 24" iMac for games, audio, video, etc. heavy lifting and the still quite powerful MB for easy transport is awesome. All told it cost me less than a 17" MBP for both comps with the upgrades.

[pipedwho]

+1 on the Mac conversion stories. Commodore 64 -> 8088 PC / DOS + Amiga -> 386 PC / DOS -> 486 PC / Win 3.x -> Pentium PC * 2 / Win95 -> Pentium III PC * 2 / Win2000 / Linux -> AMD Athlon PC / WinXP / Linux -> Dual Core AMD Athlon XP PC / Linux ----------> Macbook!

And I too hope to never have to buy another Windows based machine ever again. :D

[tom]

how'd you get by without a 286?

[GaryMcT]

I spend enough time trying to figure out why a particular hardware configuration won't work with our games at work that the last thing I want to do when I get home is use windows. :) I'm contemplating giving a Mac a try soon. I already play most games on a console at home.

[pipedwho]

how'd you get by without a 286?
Haha, I didn't thnk anyone would actually read through the list!! ;)

The 8088 was a turbo'd 10MHz NecV20 (8088 clone). That got me by until the first 386 came out, of which I was an early adopter (Hooyeah!! 20MHz of raw screaming computer power!!). I even dropped the extra coin on 8087 and '387 floating point co-processors for those machines!

[Stys]

I agree with all the posts indicating never going back to a windows based system. Once you get an Apple, you will love the simplicity. Not that I want to spend money to replace a two year old Gateway, I'm sorta wishing it would blow up so I can get another iMac for the family computer.

[Son of Anderson]

I spend enough time trying to figure out why a particular hardware configuration won't work with our games at work that the last thing I want to do when I get home is use windows. :) I'm contemplating giving a Mac a try soon. I already play most games on a console at home.


Booooo Console games!
I'm a PC'er for life. Gary, dont turn to the Dark side.

[tom]

haven't done recording, but we have both at home and i really don't find the mac any more or less troublesome or intuitive. apple does an infinite amount better at packaging and feel than most pc's though. there are apps that i use that won't run native on a mac. my wife got the blue screen of death after the spinning beach ball on her mac book the other day so i got to tease her about it. can't remember the last time my xp machine locked up.
my first cad system used a 286 with a whopping 30 meg, that's meg, not gig, hard drive! had to write all the machine code by hand in a word processor.

[GaryMcT]

Booooo Console games!
I'm a PC'er for life. Gary, dont turn to the Dark side.

I'm already there. :) Don't worry though, we still focus on PC games at work.

[dannopelli]

Well I got the Mac Book. White with the 120G hard drive and upgraded to 2.5G of memory. Also got Office Mac, rather than VMware. MAde more sense.

Been a bit of a learning curve. Screens are different and there is no right click which is weird for me. But so far so good!

Thanks for all the help guys!

[killerburst]

In System Preferences you scan set up a right click menu by tapping with two fingers. You can also scroll with two fingers. Wasn't hard to get used to. Or you can get a mouse and right click to your heart's content.

[dannopelli]

In System Preferences you scan set up a right click menu by tapping with two fingers. You can also scroll with two fingers. Wasn't hard to get used to. Or you can get a mouse and right click to your heart's content.

I tried that but can't seem to get it to work? Maybe I am crazy, (OK so I am).

When I tap with two fingers it acts like a double click.

OH BTW the white one I got has the same processor as the black one and the Mac Book Pro. And the memory upgrade resulted in 2.5G of Ram vs 2.4 for the Black one. Essentially I gave up a bit of HD space to save money. But I run an external HD anyway for data and back up.

And rather than run VMware and have to buy virus software every year and such I just got Office for Mac. That is really the only Windows app I need.

I do need to know about recommendations for firewall? The built in one looks a bit cheezy. I know I can do a harware wall on my router, but that is a bit above my skill set. So I run a software wall on all our PC's.

[dannopelli]

I agree with all the posts indicating never going back to a windows based system. Once you get an Apple, you will love the simplicity. Not that I want to spend money to replace a two year old Gateway, I'm sorta wishing it would blow up so I can get another iMac for the family computer.

Since most of what we do is spreadsheet and presentation work, I gather that in a year or so we will be 100% Mac too. I noticed Photoshop runs so much better already.

This thing is awesome. Even the screen! Pictures look like they do when they print. It is just really cool.

I imagine it is all just a learning curve thing for me.

[dannopelli]

Haha, I didn't thnk anyone would actually read through the list!! ;)

The 8088 was a turbo'd 10MHz NecV20 (8088 clone). That got me by until the first 386 came out, of which I was an early adopter (Hooyeah!! 20MHz of raw screaming computer power!!). I even dropped the extra coin on 8087 and '387 floating point co-processors for those machines!

We must be getting old if we can remember that!

This is all starting to sound like one of those "remember when" emails about dials on telephones, remote controls, etc.

[MapleGuitar]

As a guy who makes a living developing Mac software, this thread warms my heart ;)

[pipedwho]

I do need to know about recommendations for firewall? The built in one looks a bit cheezy. I know I can do a harware wall on my router, but that is a bit above my skill set. So I run a software wall on all our PC's.
All NAT routers (which is pretty much every consumer internet router on the market) are firewalls by default. Unsolicited incoming traffic is inherently stopped as a side effect of the way they work.

The better type of 'firewall' is something like Little Snitch (similar to Zone Alarm) which prevents individual applications from accessing various internet addresses that you don't want them to. Combined with a router, this gives you a huge barrier of protection against remote attackers, and just as importantly, rogue/insecure applications that try to access the outside world.

[Pietro]

Firewall Schmirewall...

I have a Mac. I don't even run Norton Antivirus. Have never had a problem since the first OS X came out... NEVER...

I LOVE my mac...

[tom]

my wife's office is all mac and they did get hit with a virus once. rare, but it happens.

[Suriel Zayas]

how'd you get by without a 286?

tom, you beat me to it, cause i did have the 286. my friend still has his 286, which we bought together,

[tom]

it's funny, my fadal cnc machine still uses a 286 as it's main processor. that was an upgrade back in the early 90's:eek:

[Stys]

Ok, last night I got the swirling beach ball and blue screen. Everything locked up. I shut the iMac down. Did I do the right thing? If not, an Apple users out there care to share with me what to do when this happens again?