If you're going to be hauling this around with you, in and out of your truck etc, have you looked at the Toughbook from Panasonic?

Just throwing that out there as an option. I personally am a PC person, but I'm a computer tech and all we work with is PC (software isn't written for a MAC).

Good luck.

 

I am thinking pretty hard about getting a MAC. Right now we are in the market for a new computer.

Has any MAC users used the software that will allow you run PC applications on the MAC?

 

I haven't actually installed Windows apps on a MAC, but, I've gotten MS Office for MAC and can take the files 'cross platform' on a 'flash drive'.

I'm using a MAC at work, right beside my PC and I found out quickly that MAC software is expensive.
(Thank goodness the company I work for has spent the $$$ and not me!)

 

So is a MAC built tougher than a PC, as far as hardware?
If not then, why buy a MAC to run Windows on it? If using a MAC with a Windows OS, would you not be inviting a virus?
Just some questions..

I run a PC that was home built just over 5 years ago running XP and have had no problems with it.....knock on wood!

 

Other than the case (or enclosure), I don't see how the 'innards' could be any tougher!

A harddrive is a harddrive. (Will work on either platform.)
Video cards, CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, etc., also.

With the Intel based MBs now, you can run multiple OS on the same machine!

As for toughness. . . just don't ask me to do the 10 story 'drop test' with either!

 

You would buy a MAC because you can run multiple OS's. IF you have 1 or 2 programs that only run on Windows then you can use them on a Mac. The rest of the time I do everything in OSX, Excel spreadsheets, word docs, publisher docs, I do all that on the Mac OSX. Screw Windows, I have had a Mac since 1993 and I can truthfully say I have NEVER no not one single time had to re-boot my freaking machine! My Windows computer at work sucks, of course the answer to everything in Windows is either alt-ctrl-delete or restart the thing! I have beetter things to do with my time, than screw around with a locked up computer or any other PC issues! My Mac freaking works great every time I use it!!!

 

I think you computer geeks should develop a new computer system.

Call it PMAC.

Project for a Monsterously Awesome Computer.

Of course, FTE members get a discount.

 

i used to fix computers, still do for charity/nonprofit.

In terms of tough, i think the best two non-industrial laptops out there are IBM (now Lenovo) ThinkPad and the Apple Powerbook/Macbook Pro line. I personally like the apple products because they are really overengineered and they have a metal case.

I wouldn't buy a dell anymore on general principals - they just closed a call centre and pulled 900 jobs out of my city. HP/Compaq, don't even think about it, total junk. i have qualms about the thinkpad now that it's lenovo, not ibm.

true stories -

Open, powered up thinkpad off standup test bench onto concrete. it bounced. hard drive anchor broke, drive popped out, keyboard came off. picked up the pieces, put things back together, it ran just fine. didn't look so great. thank goodness for cyanoacrylate.

Open, running Thinkpad, plugged into the wall. a quart of tap water into the keyboard (spilled sports bottle). while someone was using it. how he didn't get fried... took it apart, dried it out, put it back together, it worked for another couple years.

Open, running mac powerbook g4 (aluminum) launched at high speed off a music stand onto hardwood. looked like a car crash. banged the dents out and squared up the corner with a rubber mallet, pushed the keyboard back on, reseated the wireless, put in the battery, still using it a year later. it doesn't close exactly right, and the cd slot is kinda squashed, but it works.

spousal unit still uses 7 year old mac powerbook g4 (titanium). tough as nails. wish they still made the titanium cases, his doesn't have so many dents. that one's been off a superduty tailgate into muddy gravel while camping, also survived being "dropped" after an "inspection" by the TSA.

next laptop will be an intel macbook pro. macos, linux, solaris, windows, all native if i want. plus it's a real metal case, and I know it'll survive an awful lot.

/trill

 

Anyone remember these?

SGI (Silicon Graphics Industry) Indy computers?

I was given one; couldn't get pass the "password"; gave it to someone who use to work for SGI.

It's still in his garage.

 

I am actually on my 2001 iMac G3 700 mhz with 1 GB of ram right now. I run the latest OSX and it runs as fast as my 2 ghz pc with 1.5 GB of ram at work. This iMac has NEVER not worked, NEVER locked up, NEVER been re-booted. I know the APPLE commercials are pretty funny but they are really true! The Apple computers work and are very reliable and last a long long time! I still have a 1993 LCII 16mhz machine that still works?? It's way old though but the thing still works! Any way my money will always go to Apple! When you can use a 7 year old computer that will run the latest current OSX and still run fast, it's money well spent! I would have probably gone through 2 PC's in the time I have been using this iMac!! I keep wanting to get a new iMac but it's hard to justify it when this one still works great!!

 

Do you think that the current OSX would work on a 2003(?)MAC G4 667Mhz 1.5Gb RAM computer?

Someone gave me my MAC G4; It had no hard drive in it, so I threw in a new hard drive.
It's currently empty, and I want to play around with it. See how it works.

 

I would never buy a Mac because I hate thier comercials. What a bunch of BS, "hey I'm hip and cool cause I'm a Mac, PC's are dorky and your a dweeb if you use a PC". Gimme a break. Mac's cost more and they don't have as many choices for software. It's all about economics. Mac users are computer snobs just like BMW drivers are car snobs.

 

Mac if you don't like making lots of choices, have some extra $$ to burn & want the best looks. You will also be helping Steve Jobs out as he only gets $1.00 a year (the rest is in stock). Make sure you get that student or faculty discount too.

I will be sticking with my 4 AMDs for now as $$ with good performance was my focus. To be fair with Steve, I am not impressed with Hector's income when AMD is losing $$ like mad.

 

rating systems
The main issue is that you need a DVD player...... The OS X operating systems come on DVD discs because they are so large. If your G4 has a dvd player installed your good to go! I would go with OSX Tiger though instead of Leopard you could get it for cheaper.

 

Yes. It will run, at 667 it's not going to blow your hair back but it will work reliably. 1.5G RAM is plenty given the processor speed. you need to look out for your disk speed (RPM) and your graphics card.

/trill

ps 667 is circa 1999-2001 depending on model.