Switchers! - Did you make it ?

[cwestpha]

I havent had a Apple PC since the old Performas running Mac OS 7
Between then and now I have only gotten a Newton (best PDA ever) and an iPod (thank you Yamipod). Now I have an old Dell Inspiron 8000 laptop that is nearing its retirnment age. I am thinking of getting a Powerbook G4 to replace it.
It is my hope that between this and my ability to get a free verson of Virtual PC 7.1 for the Mac (Microsoft likes me), I can get an Apple laptop that will last me more then the 4 or 5 years a regular laptop lasts me. The good thing is that a Mac would probebly stop me from playing games and spend more time doing actual work.

Here is the power book I am thinking about:
Powerbook G4
1.67 Ghz
the ATI card with 128 megs ram
1 gig single dimm memory modual
100 gig hard drive
superdrive (wish it was dual layer)

Of course I would also get a seccond battery and the 3 year APP.

(3,133 USD after student discounts and stuffs.. compared to almost 4 grand for a Dell laptop)

What do you guys think?

How fast of a x86 PC does Virtual PC 7.1 emulate on a 1.6ish Ghz G4? I just need it for IRC, and a few other applications.

How does one play Xvid, DivX, etc under OS X?

P.S.
Help me get a Mini to go with my would be laptop. ^.^
http://www.macminis4free.com/default.aspx?r=389509

P.P.S
I dont think a G5 laptop will ever come out (especialy considering G6 isnt that far off). They simply run to hot and Apple wont release a laptop that isnt small and astheticly pleasing.

[Sam0r]

[quote:f77ad9ffc1]
P.P.S
I dont think a G5 laptop will ever come out (especialy considering G6 isnt that far off). They simply run to hot and Apple wont release a laptop that isnt small and astheticly pleasing.
[/quote:f77ad9ffc1]

G6??

No. Apple are switching to Intel.

I used PearPC then boughtt an old 266mhz iMac. Since then, I've added a new hard drive and overclocked it to 300mhz.

Its my baby

Getting a mini mac soon though

[prasys]

the reason i like macs , because of the powerpc chips , now they are x86 which sucks..(for me)


1. Virtual PC , ratio of emulation 1:8...8mhz of Host CPU Speed = 1Mhz x86

2. Yeah , it can play dvix , etc

[Sam0r]

[quote="prasys":ae5dc8ae62]
the reason i like macs , because of the powerpc chips , now they are x86 which sucks..(for me)


1. Virtual PC , ratio of emulation 1:8...8mhz of Host CPU Speed = 1Mhz x86

2. Yeah , it can play dvix , etc
[/quote:ae5dc8ae62]

For a start, Virtual pc will be a LOT faster, as it doesnt have to emulate anything, so thats not an issue.

And ANY processor/arc can play DivX etc

I dont agree with Apple's descision to move to x86, but thats not up for discussion in this thread.

[Gregmundo]

i'd like to get a mac to compliment my pc, have it kvm'ed, and use it just for giggles, but im not a switcher, i'm still a windows fanboy. It's been my experience working in IT that macs are a grat hassle to fix and windows machines take alot less

[Yukon Kid]

I always giggle when I use my Mac, it is cursing that I do when working in windows.

This is not a Windows Mac argument.

I have both in the house, in fact I have 2 macs and several Windows machines.

truth be told, when it comes to making something work the mac is the system of chioce.
not because I like it better but because it is usually easier and more reliable.
Yes there are programs that are written only for the Windows machines that I wish I had in the Mac but there are more that I wish worked in the PC.

It is not the hardware that makes a computer better, it is the software that works with the hardware, if you need to keep updating the drivers for this and that hardware then you struggle to have a great system.

Did I switch, nah I use anything I can get my hands on.
my fav hardware was a motorola 68030 33mhz that had limited hardware add ons. but it is like driving backwards by todays standard.

I would love to see Apple provide a computer from both cpu providers and let the user choose which he wants to run. I fact I would love to see Apple provide a working version of OSX that I could put in my PC's ( give it some limits so I can run most programs but keep the carrot to sell hardware).
I would love to run Linux but the kids have enough trouble trying to get windows to co-operate. (I would run it in all my computers so they all feel the same)
p.s. I have virtual PC and it does not make my mac a windows machine, it tries but it is lacking.

well time to go back to playing .

[deg2800]

I bought myself a mini a month ago. At the time I bought it to experience Mac OS X, and to be a secondary computer. since turning it on for the first time, I've used my eMachines desktop twice and my laptop only to get files that I needed and to use the internet in the living room. I would have to say that I've switched and I'm enjoying it for the most part. Yes, there are a few things I have that are incompatible with Mac OS X, my webcam being one of them. But so far everything on the Mac has just plain worked without me having to beg and offer sacrifices to Steve Jobs. I can't say the same for my spyware and virus infested Windows boxes, which ironically are firewalled and have the latest anti-virus updates.

[Jinji]

i am pretty sure i will be getting a mac mini for xmas. i know that it comes witrh mac osx tiger, but does it support my current monitor/mouse/keyboard/wireless internet connection? sorry if i sound kind of stupid but i am new to the mac!!!

[deg2800]

If your keyboard and mouse are USB, then yes, they will work. You can get PS/2 to USB adaptors, but I find it's better to just get newer stuff if you don't already have it. Your monitor should work. The Mac mini comes with a VGA adaptor, so if you don't have a brand new DVI display, you can still use your old monitor. Any internet connected that you use for the PC should work with the Mac as well, whether it be dial-up, DSL, or cable. I've had my mini for 3 1/2 months now and I have no complaints. Sure, it's not high end, but it's great for what I need.

[joostpossemiers]

Afteri bought a Mac mini, i tried PearPC.