KinslayerMUD Forums

My girlfriend has decided to be very generous with me and is offering to buy me a new computer. I decided, against my better judgement, to go with an Apple. I've been wanting one for awhile, but the price has always pushed me away. Three thousand dollars for their top-end laptop. I could purchase a similar Windows notebook for half the price. Build one for even less. But since it's not my money I decided to go with it.

I have two options. I can either go with a high-end desktop (iMac 20") or a low-end desktop (iMac 17") and low-end laptop (13" MacBook). It's possible I could wiggle better features out of any of them, but the limit has been set around $2500.

Option 1:
# 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
# 2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
# 250GB Serial ATA Drive
# ATI Radeon X1600/256MB VRAM
# SuperDrive 8X (DVD+R DL/DVD┬▒RW/CD-RW)
# Apple Wireless Keyboard & wireless Mighty Mouse + Mac OS X (US English)
# AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac - Auto-enroll
# 20-inch widescreen LCD
# AirPort Extreme
# Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

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Option 2:
# 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
# 512MB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x256
# Keyboard & Mighty Mouse + Mac OS X - U.S. English
# 160GB Serial ATA hard drive
# Intel GMA 950 graphics with 64MB of shared memory
# 24x Combo Drive (DVD-ROM, CD-RW)
# 17-inch widescreen LCD
# AirPort Extreme

AND

# 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
# 512MB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x256
# 60GB Serial ATA drive @ 5400 rpm
# Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
# Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
# AirPort Extreme Card & Bluetooth

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Like I said, Option 1 is the most likely choice, but I've been wanting a notebook for the past three years. I could get a high-end MacBook (or even a MacBook Pro) but that would mean no desktop, and the girlfriend really likes the look of the desktop. So do I, for that matter. I'm really stuck on what to do, and we're going tomorrow morning to buy it before work.

I plan to pick up a few pieces of software, like Parallels and Windows XP (I didn't spend all that work on zMUD and cMUD to not be able to use it!) and I'm wondering if there are any other major titles I can't live without. Also, any news if Vista is usable on a Mac?

Appreciate the input.

Edit: I went through and did some pricing, and the best "deal" is the 20" iMac. I'd get the most for the price. I could go for a similarly priced MacBook but I'd get a lot less in it. As far as getting a lesser iMac and lesser MacBook, I'd have to convince my girlfriend to up her spending limit to $3000. I've already convinced her once to go from $1500 to $2000 but that's still quite a jump. Still, I'd love to see what other people think.

I wouldn't get a mac.

Everyone tells me that. I've basically gotten two responses (I was originally looking at an Alienware mALX).

"You're buying a Mac? You idiot. I can build you a badass PC desktop and a PC notebook for that price. Looks cool though."

"You idiot! You're spending that much money on an Alienware for what? The name? I could build you a badass desktop and a badass notebook for that price. Damn are they hot though."

So the general advice is that I build my own. I don't want to. I could. No problem. I just don't want that hassle. I work on PCs for a living. I'd like a little simplicity at home.

Got the iMac and a Wii. Using the Wii now.us

Good choice! Wii is fun I killed an entire day on Wii Sports when I got one.

Yea. I actually made my last post using my the Internet Connect thing on my Wii. Freakin' sweet. I spent all morning playing it, went to work, and the only reason I'm not playing it right now is because I'm transferring files to an external drive before I hook up my new iMac. Yum yum! I had to make sacrifices to the Mac so I could get the Wii, but I've been told I'm getting a MacBook (Pro) for my birthday in 3 months. I'm so freaking spoiled.

Some of us cant utilize our Wii internet functions! Stupid living in the middle of nowhere...

And now.. I'm on my Mac. This thing is insane. I'm having a load of trouble getting used to it. So glad I bought a copy of Parallels and XP Home. Heh.

Oh, and as far as the Wii bit... NEENER NEENER NEENER!

HP:Healthy SHP:Full MV:Fresh >
ban ereh

You have banned player Ereh!

I mean, enjoy your Wii!

Heh, my Wii gives me the "Haha, fuck you" error code when I try to connect to the Internet. It needs to be replaced if I ever want to go online

Looks like I lucked out all the way around.

Though this Parallels thing is a pain in the ass to setup. I still haven't got it right. And don't ban me! Fiendish of fiends!

Soon-to-be brother in law picked up a PS3 the other evening, because he had a $100 off coupon. It has full internet capabilities(you can browse the net as if on a PC). There was even an option to install your own OS...

The Blu-Ray drive itself is very impressive. We watched 10 minutes of a movie on it and even I was impressed(I don't notice that kind of stuff normally).

Lith if you havent you have to update the software first I do believe. My friend did it for me since I dont have a real internet connection so cant help ya beyond that.

A co-worker of mine has a PS3 in his house. Says the only really cool thing about it is the Blu-Ray bit. What gets me is that I read PS3 has the same sort've motion sensitve stuff that the Wii has. Plus better graphics, the option to install a secondary OS, etc etc. The only thing holding it back is the price.

Still, I do enjoy the Wii. Forces me to either stand and play or at least sit up straight. I've been playing Wii Sports mostly. Almost at Pro Level on Boxing and Tennis. But Zelda is tons of fun. When I can wrestle it away from my girlfriend that is.

Oh! And excitement for me. Apparently the Mighty Mouse can use Right Click as well, so that's good. All that's left is to expand Parallel's current allowance of Hard Drive space for my Windows installation. That, and get my settings back to custom for it. Woo!

Edit: On a side-note, my Wii originally wouldn't go online at all. I was using Wireless to do it. Then I remembered I'd set a specific MAC Address and WEP on my router. Fixed that, then it all worked. Now it won't connect at all. Did the first couple of days.. Nothing now. Haven't bothered to fix it.