[Jayomatic]

do applications have to be coded for touch screen interfaces to work with them?

Not usually. A touchscreen basically functions the same as a mouse or any input device though some extra coding would be required for multi input functions as seen on the Iphone or microsoft's surface. Programs are also limited to no rollover functionality either which limits some functions.

 

[afransen]

Dentrobate, the poor performance issues would be caused by the options that your school chose. They probably went with a pretty low-end model for their lab. You'd get used to the different operating system pretty quickly if you used it regularly.

The School of CS at UW recently replaced some obsolete Windows machines in several labs with new 20" iMacs. They are quite high end machines (I think they were discounted to $1800/ea on a purchase of about 100). This thread prompted me to use one today for some simple web browsing and word processing. The performance was astonishingly poor (read: slow and unresponsive). Granted, I'm sure at least some of it was related to loading settings from the network drive, but Firefox crashed while loading. I ended up using Safari, which functioned adequately (still, simple things like the search dialog took half a second to appear after hitting 'symbol'-F). The word processing experience was fairly irritating, using NeoOffice (based on Open Office). I'm quite familiar with OO, and NeoOffice's interface was sufficiently different to be quite annoying. The one thing I enjoyed was the large, high quality screen. Oh, and the mouse had been replaced with a Microsoft one. Ie, the original mouse had been somehow destroyed in the last 18 months (not stolen--quite theft resistant). The keyboard had also managed to gum up rather quickly... don't know if that was typical or if something unusual had happened to the keyboard.

Maybe they make nice desktops outside of a network environment, but as a lab machine, they are unsuitable. I'd rather use a Windows machine on the atrocious network environment or a Solaris or Ubuntu thin-client. It makes me a bit sad that the School decided spending $200,000 on Macs was a better idea than getting 100 thin clients+monitors for $50,000 and spending the rest on front-end servers. I find Ubuntu much more user friendly and useful.

Any of the computer experts around here have any thoughts? I've had Dells until recently, but I don't think I want to go with them because of a long string of problems (4 power cables in one year!)

I got a Vostro 1400 last Sept. It's a very nice machine, very sturdy-feeling. Installing Ubuntu on it was a bit of a hassle, though I haven't tried 7.10 yet. Maybe the issue has been resolved. It's a bit on the heavy side (magnesium alloy chassis--helps it stay very cool), especially with the larger battery. I think the extra battery life is worth its weight, though. You can always get more discounts out of Dell by complaining about something... usually in the $100 - $200 range in addition to advertised deals.

 

[MetroMan]

That being said, I'm thinking of getting a new laptop sometime soon. I'm willing to spend a fair bit, and performance and durability are two big priorities. I've been a lifelong PC user, but I'm seriously considering switching to Mac because of some good recent experiences and horror stories about Vista. I figure that I'll have to get used to a new OS with Vista anyway, so I may as well just go with Mac OS rather than a poor imitation. On the other hand, I'm wary of some of the compatibility issues with Macs and I like knowing exactly how everything works on a DOS/Windows based machine. Any of the computer experts around here have any thoughts? I've had Dells until recently, but I don't think I want to go with them because of a long string of problems (4 power cables in one year!)

Hey Unimaginative, what compatibility issue are you wary of?

Most of what you hear is urban folklore and straightforward unfamiliarity with OS X.

If you're exchanging files with people i.e. Word documents, PowerPoint Presentations, Excel files, etc... you'll be able to read/write any of those files. In fact, you won't even need those programs to view those files. Quicklook for OS X Leopard opens them in a second without opening any application.
I've actually found myself sending people PDF's since OS X is vector based and PDF is built in. Any document that you can see can be made into a PDF to send to people.

If your concern is about compatibility with web pages, Safari or Firefox for Mac will access any page that's been designed according to w3 standards. Some of Microsoft's own pages won't be visible on a Mac (surprise surprise!). If you can see it on Firefox for PC, you can see it on a Mac on Safari or Firefox.

You'll also be able to use any peripheral (scanner, printer, webcam, mouse, keyboard, monitor) that you already own, often without even installing any drivers. I actually have never installed any driver for any peripheral that I've bought for my Mac. It's a true plug n' play experience.

I really can't think of any compatibility issues whatsover but if you have any special needs such as a custom program that you can't find a replacement for, your Mac will gladly boot into Windows or even launch the app right in OS X with WINE.

Unimaginative, you're in the same place that I was several years ago. I was fed up with spending most of my time managing my computer and little of it actually doing stuff that needed to get done.
Even as an advanced PC user and the go-to-guy for PC issues, I was still getting spyware and occasionally was hit by viruses.
I had enough and turned to Mac OS X. I never looked back and as you can see here, I'm a staunch Mac supporter.

I guess you have to ask yourself: why would this PC guy turned Mac guy be saying all this if he didn't mean it? I'm not getting paid by Apple to say this. I used PCs for long enough to know their ins and outs and getting on OS X was the best thing I could have done for my productivity, peace of mind and overall enjoyment of the computer experience.

 

[afransen]

I really can't think of any compatibility issues whatsover but if you have any special needs such as a custom program that you can't find a replacement for, your Mac will gladly boot into Windows or even launch the app right in OS X with WINE.

I think I'd use a virtual machine, but then you still need a Windows product key. Same goes for Wine, legally speaking.

 

[Brandon716]

Dentrobate, the poor performance issues would be caused by the options that your school chose. They probably went with a pretty low-end model for their lab. You'd get used to the different operating system pretty quickly if you used it regularly.

That being said, I'm thinking of getting a new laptop sometime soon. I'm willing to spend a fair bit, and performance and durability are two big priorities. I've been a lifelong PC user, but I'm seriously considering switching to Mac because of some good recent experiences and horror stories about Vista. I figure that I'll have to get used to a new OS with Vista anyway, so I may as well just go with Mac OS rather than a poor imitation. On the other hand, I'm wary of some of the compatibility issues with Macs and I like knowing exactly how everything works on a DOS/Windows based machine. Any of the computer experts around here have any thoughts? I've had Dells until recently, but I don't think I want to go with them because of a long string of problems (4 power cables in one year!)

If you're getting a laptop I see no reason to go with Dell again. Dell's specialty is selling mass computers to businesses, not laptop design, so I would recommend some of the other brands. When I worked for Dell some years ago, their laptop products were mostly built by outsourced companies as an "add on" line up to their main business unit, and while it may be fine they haven't made a great deal of innovation in laptop design or support.

*Toshiba has a good line up of laptops, and its a company that tends to stick with laptop design. They have some laptops designed for mobility, others for power and durability so they'll be heavier. But its a full, well rounded selection.

http://www.toshiba.ca/web/products.grp?lg=en&section=1&group=1&fm=top


*Sony's got a good line up of sturdy laptops, and I hear they have decent Canadian support.

http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/se...01&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&categoryId=32009



If you want a Mac based system, obviously Apple is your only choice, and if you feel like making the switch, go ahead. Apple has been known to build solid products, but remember that support and extras will cost a great deal more.

If you're looking for a desktop-replacement laptop that has the memory, graphics, hard drive space, and processor speed to get you by for a long time, you might wish to go ahead and invest into this widescreen laptop:

http://www.toshiba.ca/web/product.grp?lg=en&section=1&group=1&product=7277&category=#

If you are looking for a more lightweight laptop, this one looks decent:

http://www.toshiba.ca/web/product.grp?lg=en&section=1&group=1&product=7276&category=

 

[afransen]

My previous laptop (2003) was a Toshiba. I had numerous problems with it. I knew quite a few other people who also had Toshibas from that time through about 2006, and I can't think of one that didn't have significant problems.

Asus makes nice chassis as well, if you don't mind doing some assembly. I've known people who were quite pleased with hp laptops, but they incorporate some design decisions I don't really care for.

 

[syn]

I guess you have to ask yourself: why would this PC guy turned Mac guy be saying all this if he didn't mean it? I'm not getting paid by Apple to say this. I used PCs for long enough to know their ins and outs and getting on OS X was the best thing I could have done for my productivity, peace of mind and overall enjoyment of the computer experience.

It sure doesn't seem that way .

Unimaginative, get whatever you're happy with. Apple's are good machines but they can have problems like any other system, despite what Apple's marketing department might tell you. You're going to be paying a lot as well, and it isn't even the most flexible hardware.

Personally, I don't know anyone who's had a problem with Vista on their laptop, but such users obviously exist. It all depends on what you want.

 

[Brandon716]

My previous laptop (2003) was a Toshiba. I had numerous problems with it. I knew quite a few other people who also had Toshibas from that time through about 2006, and I can't think of one that didn't have significant problems.

Asus makes nice chassis as well, if you don't mind doing some assembly. I've known people who were quite pleased with hp laptops, but they incorporate some design decisions I don't really care for.

I've had the opposite experience, several people I know have owned Toshiba products and they have all worked without problems for years. I always thought because Toshiba focuses on making laptops only that its simple one of the names synonymous with laptop or notebook reliability.

Your opinion certainly shouldn't be discounted, if its happened its happened. I'd just say whatever you buy make sure it has some kind of good warranty policy should the worst thing occur.

 

[syn]

Here are some quality ratings from PC World Mag:

 

[MetroMan]

*double post*

 

[MetroMan]

*double post*

 

[MetroMan]

Apple has been known to build solid products, but remember that support and extras will cost a great deal more.

Again another misconception. Why would extras cost a great deal more? What kind of extras are you referring to?

If you're talking about peripherals, any USB peripheral will work, even those that you had for your PC. If you're talking about apps, then you're in for a surprise here.

All Apple systems come installed with iLife which is a suite of programs:

iPhoto - Best consumer level photo organization and productivity app out there.

iMovie - Easiest way to get your digital video camera's footage off tapes and into well produced little movies.

iWeb - Easy way to build your personal website

iDVD - Make great looking DVDs with professional looking menus and slideshows.

GarageBand - This app has been known to be used to produce entire music albums for amateur bands. It's quite powerful for a consumer level app.

iTunes - The well known music/movie organization app and online store.

... and if you're wondering. You can buy Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac but you really are better off not spending hundreds of dollars on that. Instead look at iWork. If iLife is digital tools for your life, iWork is a set of digital tools for your work:

Pages - Word Processing. Using templates, this is the easiest and most uncomplicated way to get great looking documents.

Numbers - Excel done easy. Excel was the last remaining Microsoft stronghold in my applications folder but they finally lost me to a third party application called Cells. It was easy to use, very straightforward and outputted great looking spreadsheets.... then Apple brought out Numbers and took it all to a whole new level again.

Keynote - Powerpoint has nothing on this app. Make cinema quality presentations with beautiful transitions. I know of offices picking up a Mac just for this purpose. Powerpoint presentations will just seem amateur after you've seen something done on keynote.

... iWork only costs $79.

What I love about all this is that OSX is so seamlessly integrated. Any of these apps (or third party apps) can access resources from one another. You can effortlessly integrate a photo from iPhoto into a Pages document or grab a spreadsheet from Numbers and drop it in Keynote.
You'll also have access to system level resources such as contacts in your Address Book and calendar items in iCal.

Everything has their place in OS X and it all flows so well to other apps. Come to think of it, I think this is why I've adapted so well to OS X from Windows. I like everything to be organized and to be able to access my stuff easily. OS X provides that.

Now to support: Support is amongst the highest in the industry by the way. Their support centre is not in India or China or wherever Dell and HP outsource theirs. Apple has a support system unlike any other that I know.

If you have a problem or even just a question, go to the Apple Store's Genius Bar. Face to face. High paid professionals will certainly know how to answer your questions. These aren't your Futureshop $8 an hour teenagers who are looking at the clock so they can leave to go play X BOX (or are already playing it when you need their help).
Before you leave home, go on www.Apple.ca/retail and select a time slot so when you get there, you're taken care of. It's free. $0.

Personally, I don't know anyone who's had a problem with Vista on their laptop, but such users obviously exist. It all depends on what you want.

Just look to the topic of this thread and you'll have your answer. Syn, I guess you don't know too many people. Everyone who I know who's installed Vista on their machines has gone back to XP. Everyone I've known who's bought a brand new system with Vista thus far, is asking me for my old XP disks (unfortunately for them, I've lost track of those long time ago).

I know that eventually, Microsoft will fine tune Vista and hardware will eventually catch up, but there's something wrong with a company that takes 5 years (??) to launch an upgrade to their most popular product and then needs to cut out major features and hurry it out the door (several times late). Complacency?

As for my passionate defense of Apple, you gotta ask yourself why Apple users are so passionate to begin with. Gotta wonder why they talk about OS X as if they've just discovered a gold mine... gotta wonder...

 

[MetroMan]

Here are some quality ratings from PC World Mag:

Thanks Syn. I was looking around for that. It lends to my perception that Apple's Support is hands down amongst the best in the industry.

In the two boxes that weren't filled:

- Average Phone Hold Time: Very little to no wait time. Try it: 1 (800) 263-3399

- Average Phone Service Rating: The friendliness and knowledge of the operator -- not to mention their perfect command of the english language -- (who'd thought we'd think that would be worth talking about) is excellent.
They'll want to know if you're within the 3 months free phone support so they won't answer your questions until that's been determined. That can be a bit peaving but I understand that it's a rule and mentioned in the warranty.
If you have the extended AppleCare warranty, you'll be treated like a king. If you're under the 3 months... you'll get that same degree of support. If not... they'll tell you to see an Apple Genius @ The Apple Store.

Generally, I recommend getting Apple Care for laptops and not for desktops.

Here's a personal experience: I had a PowerBook a few years ago that I dropped. I tripped on the cord and the thing went flying across the room. My precious aluminum laptop was scarred for life and within weeks started experiencing problems.

I took it to The Apple Store wondering how much it'd cost me to repair. I was dumb struck when the Genius called in his manager to assess things and the manager told me they'd give me a replacement. (I had AppleCare). She said that because it's a laptop, it should be able to withstand that kind of abuse.
The next revision of the PowerBook, the MacBook Pro comes with a mangetic power cord. If you trip on it, it just detaches. The laptop doesn't even move.

Ingenious!

 

[afransen]

I've had the opposite experience, several people I know have owned Toshiba products and they have all worked without problems for years. I always thought because Toshiba focuses on making laptops only that its simple one of the names synonymous with laptop or notebook reliability.

Your opinion certainly shouldn't be discounted, if its happened its happened. I'd just say whatever you buy make sure it has some kind of good warranty policy should the worst thing occur.

I totally agree with you--it's just an anecdote, and anecdotal evidence can be very misleading. However, the fact that I can ask owners of Toshiba laptops whether they've had problems (and I see quite a few--they make some fairly cheap entry level models) and more than likely hear a yes if it was from that time frame. A good friend of mine had a mid-range model that had repeated, very serious problems (the store refused to replace the motherboard--not Toshiba's fault, per se). Eventually, it was replaced with a new mid-range laptop, which he proceeded to have significant problems with. He doesn't seem like the type to drop his laptop in the bathtub, as he babies his machines. I'm just a bit amazed that I would know so many people who've experienced similar problems with the brand, and yet hear that the brand is reliable.

I guess there is one moral: always, always get a good warranty on a laptop.

 

[MetroMan]

I totally agree with you--it's just an anecdote, and anecdotal evidence can be very misleading. However, the fact that I can ask owners of Toshiba laptops whether they've had problems (and I see quite a few--they make some fairly cheap entry level models) and more than likely hear a yes if it was from that time frame. A good friend of mine had a mid-range model that had repeated, very serious problems (the store refused to replace the motherboard--not Toshiba's fault, per se). Eventually, it was replaced with a new mid-range laptop, which he proceeded to have significant problems with. He doesn't seem like the type to drop his laptop in the bathtub, as he babies his machines. I'm just a bit amazed that I would know so many people who've experienced similar problems with the brand, and yet hear that the brand is reliable.

I guess there is one moral: always, always get a good warranty on a laptop.

I completely agree. If Windows is your thing, Toshiba makes excellent laptops. I've heard nothing but good things about them.
I've had to downgrade a friend to XP who had a brand new Toshiba though. It wasn't able to handle the high requirements of Vista but which Q1-2008 laptop is?