My bday is coming up soon and I'm determined to get a new computer. I have a 4 year old Dell with a busted screen and it can barely run D2. I'm sick of windows vista. I want to get a MacBook pro but I want to make the best choice. I was looking over the latest 2011 eleven models compared to the refurbished 2010 models. I'm not much of a gamer, but I want to be able to play Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 (when it comes out) and I don't want to be limited to low resolution and lagg. Is it worth dishing out the $$$ for the latest 15 inch models or are the refurbished ones worth it? Any advice would be much appreciated.
I don't know very much about MacBooks or Apple hardware in general. If you post the specific models you're looking at though I'll do my best to figure out if the specs are good enough for gaming.
I don't know very much about MacBooks or Apple hardware in general. If you post the specific models you're looking at though I'll do my best to figure out if the specs are good enough for gaming.
Awesome, these are all the ones I'm looking at:
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
250GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.53GHz Intel Core i5
15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1440 x 900 pixel)
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
500GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory
New 2011 MacBook Pro. 13-inch: 2.3 GHz
2.3GHz dual-core
Intel Core i5
4GB 1333MHz
320GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
New 2011 MacBook Pro. 15-inch: 2.0 GHz
2.0GHz quad-core
Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz
500GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256MB GDDR5
"I want to get a MacBook pro"
"I want to make the best choice"
I'm sorry but it's impossible for you to have both. If you want the best choice, get a real computer.
I'm looking for a sleek, light-weight computer on which I can write, do research, listen to music, edit and watch HD video, and occasionally play games for under or around $1500. You would suggest what instead? Or does your breathtakingly useful advice stop at "get a real computer"?
I have a 13 inch MacBook Pro and it runs SC2 fine on a mix of medium/low graphics. In fact I'm pretty sure its this one:
New 2011 MacBook Pro. 13-inch: 2.3 GHz
2.3GHz dual-core
Intel Core i5
4GB 1333MHz
320GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
Blizzard has also said that if you can run SC2, you'll be able to run D3. Obviously if you're barely running SC2 you might have some problems, but it works fine for me. I personally really like my MacBook for Apple's interface and OS, but I would readily admit that its nowhere near worth the price and lack of hardware for that price. Usually refurbished ones are fine, based on my friend's expirience, but I haven't personally lined up a new one against a refurbished one and seen the differences.
If you're looking for the best computer (in terms of hardware) for your money, go for something with Windows 7. If you're looking for something that'll be fine for D3 and great for other stuff, and are OK with it becoming outdated, again in terms of hardware/gaming, faster than you would like, and just want a change of OS, then go with a MacBook. I will say that Windows 7 is nowhere near the nightmare of Vista though, so its not as bad as you may think. But for everything except for gaming I would definitely say Macs have the better OS, having used both the new Macs and Windows 7 extensively.
I'm sorry but it's impossible for you to have both. If you want the best choice, get a real computer.
Funny, but its thanks to the competition from Macs that Windows 7 isn't a piece of shit.
I have a 13 inch MacBook Pro and it runs SC2 fine on a mix of medium/low graphics. In fact I'm pretty sure its this one:
New 2011 MacBook Pro. 13-inch: 2.3 GHz
2.3GHz dual-core
Intel Core i5
4GB 1333MHz
320GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
Blizzard has also said that if you can run SC2, you'll be able to run D3. Obviously if you're barely running SC2 you might have some problems, but it works fine for me. I personally really like my MacBook for Apple's interface and OS, but I would readily admit that its nowhere near worth the price and lack of hardware for that price. Usually refurbished ones are fine, based on my friend's expirience, but I haven't personally lined up a new one against a refurbished one and seen the differences.
If you're looking for the best computer (in terms of hardware) for your money, go for something with Windows 7. If you're looking for something that'll be fine for D3 and great for other stuff, and are OK with it becoming outdated, again in terms of hardware/gaming, faster than you would like, and just want a change of OS, then go with a MacBook. I will say that Windows 7 is nowhere near the nightmare of Vista though, so its not as bad as you may think. But for everything except for gaming I would definitely say Macs have the better OS, having used both the new Macs and Windows 7 extensively.
I'm sorry but it's impossible for you to have both. If you want the best choice, get a real computer.
Funny, but its thanks to the competition from Macs that Windows 7 isn't a piece of shit.
Ya I have vista right now which probably propelled me to look at Macs, but I also plan on doing HD video editing (I'm a film studies student) with Final cut. I also really want to look hip and cool, you know?
"I want to get a MacBook pro"
"I want to make the best choice"
I'm sorry but it's impossible for you to have both. If you want the best choice, get a real computer.
FACTS OVERCRIT YOU!
The fact that your sick of windows already makes me want to smack the newbnes out of you. and troll you to death. However im not going to do that... But il tell you what i wil do: *Grabs Shotgun and loads shells*
But in al seriousness tho.. get a PC brah.
PC > mac>consoles>handhelds>newbs,
Sorry bout that pal, I guess my newbness made me omit the word "vista" after windows - "I'm sick of windows vista". I'll be the first person to admit that I know very little about computer specs. I really wasn't looking to incite a brand war here, just advice. Besides just getting a PC, you have any specific models in mind? I'm looking for something with a big screen and that is light-weight too. Oh ya, and don't forget coolness and hipster cred. Gotta have that these days.
The fact that your sick of windows already makes me want to smack the newbnes out of you. and troll you to death. However im not going to do that
I don't see how anyone could've used Vista and honestly think its not reasonable to be sick of it.
Ya I have vista right now which probably propelled me to look at Macs, but I also plan on doing HD video editing (I'm a film studies student) with Final cut. I also really want to look hip and cool, you know?
Then definitely go Mac IMO. For photo/video editing its pretty great.
I worked at an Apple retail store for 3 years, and consider myself a fan. Not fanboy, a fan.. Sad truth is though you can always get a better gaming experience for the money you'd spend on a mac if you buy a PC. It's not so much the specs, it's the OS. Boot camp works alright, though I have problems with my house holds 2010 27in iMac sometimes when gaming. It's my house holds work PC, though I use it for gaming sometimes. For the specs it has it should theoretically fly through any game I through at it, and for most it does. I play Dirt 2 on it with Max settings across the board and it holds 40-60 FPS just fine.
Thing is... It was $2700... With $1200 I could put together a costume gaming rig, 1920x1080 monitor and all that would kick the iMacs ass at gaming.
I understand your not an hardcore gamer, so this might all not be a big deal, and if that's the case go Mac, they are beautiful machines, and run video editing and multitasking like none else.
Bottom line is macs are great, all around. That's not to say that you don't pay a lot extra for the looks, and prestige that comes with Apple products. If you want the best gaming experience for your buck, go to Newegg.com and build yourself a gaming rig.
If you need help I will help you, my friend and I have built over 15 gaming PCs for my friends and family. Given they buy all the parts :thumbsup:
“We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” - Albert Einstein
I worked at an Apple retail store for 3 years, and consider myself a fan. Not fanboy, a fan.. Sad truth is though you can always get a better gaming experience for the money you'd spend on a mac if you buy a PC. It's not so much the specs, it's the OS. Boot camp works alright, though I have problems with my house holds 2010 27in iMac sometimes when gaming. It's my house holds work PC, though I use it for gaming sometimes. For the specs it has it should theoretically fly through any game I through at it, and for most it does. I play Dirt 2 on it with Max settings across the board and it holds 40-60 FPS just fine.
Thing is... It was $2700... With $1200 I could put together a costume gaming rig, 1920x1080 monitor and all that would kick the iMacs ass at gaming.
I understand your not an hardcore gamer, so this might all not be a big deal, and if that's the case go Mac, they are beautiful machines, and run video editing and multitasking like none else.
Bottom line is macs are great, all around. That's not to say that you don't pay a lot extra for the looks, and prestige that comes with Apple products. If you want the best gaming experience for your buck, go to Newegg.com and build yourself a gaming rig.
If you need help I will help you, my friend and I have built over 15 gaming PCs for my friends and family. Given they buy all the parts :thumbsup:
Hey thanks a lot man, but yeah, at this point I'm only planning on playing some SC2 and D3 on it. In your opinion how do the latest 15 inch models look in regards to graphics? Will I not be able to go much higher than low-medium settings for SC2?
Oh ya, and don't forget coolness and hipster cred. Gotta have that these days.
I'm sorry for being such a windows fanboy but I just wanted you to know that there are other options out there and to really find the "best choice" you should compare the two. If you really want to focus on HD video editing then a Mac will most likely be the best choice, I might be a fanboy but I'm not a liar.
It's just that I hate it when people that clearly only wants to focus on gaming buys one.
Ya I'm not a gamer by any means, and I will be using Final Cut but I would like the optimal D3 experience when it comes out. But seriously, none of you windows/pc guys are giving me any alternatives.
TL;DR - Windows is good, but as someone who has used both OSX and Windows extensively for programming, Adobe CS, and gaming... I would choose OSX everytime. Laptops are built much more solid and UNIX based OS is hot. Buy the high end 13inch if you have the money. Desktops are a waist of space and between my girlfriend and myself we both went though 5 laptops. Be both have MacBook Pro's now and love it.
My background: software engineering student, gamer, enjoy working with adobe CS, been on windows most of my life, and i've built my own windows desktop.
When I see people dismiss OSX so easily, I laugh.
So heres my story. Built my desktop a few years ago, was super pumped about it and got some pretty decent hardware. It was very useful at the time but after a few years things started to get funny. Parts started overheating and graphics cards started to work incorrectly (artifacts appeared on screen). Around this time I was heading off to university so I decided to get a laptop. This way I could bring my computer around campus with me. My first instinct an a PC gamer was to get the most powerful laptop I could find. I wanted a huge screen, awesome graphics cards, and a fast processor. "I'm going into software engineering, I NEED a fast computer" I told myself.
I ended up buying a decent Dell. 15inch screen. It was awesome, payed some decent games on medium graphics, which was fine for me. Right after I bought my laptop I was convinced that is was 10x better than a clunky desktop. But first problem I noticed was that carrying a 15 laptop was very tiring. Next thing that started happening (within 5 months) was that my battery was dieing fast. Unplug my laptop it would die in 10 minutes. Soon after the laptop started to get extremely hot. Eventually, I think it just fried itself and would no longer turn on. Dell replaced the battery issue but wouldn't replace the overheating because it was out of warranty. Even though soon after I found out that was a manufacture defect and a lot of the same model computers had the same issue.
Since I had an xbox and couldn't really afford another gaming laptop I decided to get a netbook. I though, I'll just program on this and do small stuff. Turned out that I could run photoshop. I just couldn't play games, which was fine. Netbook was super light and I could carry it around with me everywhere. Eventually that laptops screen broke. Somehow I had wore it out by reopening it countless times.
FUCK. Time to get a new laptop. By this time my girlfriend had gone through 3 laptops herself. 2 HP's and 1 Sony. HP's had serious HDD crashes and Sony had battery issues, overheating, and shut down randomly (probably due to overheating).
I decided to buy a MacBook Pro (cheapest model 13 inch about 2 generations old now). I've been using windows my entire life so this was a pretty big change. I'd be starting from scratching with what I know about the OS. I love this computer. The aluminum case gives the computer a much more sturdy feel. Since Apple only makes 6 different types of laptops ever, they are always working on perfecting the product. I run most games on low/mid graphics which is alright for me. If I had the money I would have bought the higher performance 13 inch. Screen size is overrated on a laptop. Get a HD LCD screen instead, and a small screen laptop.
TL;DR - Windows is good, but as someone who has used both OSX and Windows extensively for programming, Adobe CS, and gaming... I would choose OSX everytime. Laptops are built much more solid and UNIX based OS is hot. Buy the high end 13inch if you have the money. Desktops are a waist of space and between my girlfriend and myself we both went though 5 laptops. Be both have MacBook Pro's now and love it.
My background: software engineering student, gamer, enjoy working with adobe CS, been on windows most of my life, and i've built my own windows desktop.
When I see people dismiss OSX so easily, I laugh.
I ended up buying a decent Dell. 15inch screen. It was awesome, payed some decent games on medium graphics, which was fine for me. Right after I bought my laptop I was convinced that is was 10x better than a clunky desktop. But first problem I noticed was that carrying a 15 laptop was very tiring. Next thing that started happening (within 5 months) was that my battery was dieing fast. Unplug my laptop it would die in 10 minutes. Soon after the laptop started to get extremely hot. Eventually, I think it just fried itself and would no longer turn on. Dell replaced the battery issue but wouldn't replace the overheating because it was out of warranty. Even though soon after I found out that was a manufacture defect and a lot of the same model computers had the same issue.
Apple has converted me to a permanent customer.
Haha same thing happened to me. Graduated from high school and few years ago and bought my first Dell laptop. Super excited. Problem #1 Windows Vista. Problem #2 with textbooks and campus hikes, WAY too heavy. Problem #3 screen stopped staying up. Problem #4 battery is effed. Needs to be plugged in and if the cable comes lose the whole thing shuts down. Problem #5 it gets friggin' hot!
I'm lucky enough to be able to afford the 15" Macbook models, I just wish I knew more about the graphics in relation to playing Blizzard games because they're all I play at this point.
Haha same thing happened to me. Graduated from high school and few years ago and bought my first Dell laptop. Super excited. Problem #1 Windows Vista. Problem #2 with textbooks and campus hikes, WAY too heavy. Problem #3 screen stopped staying up. Problem #4 battery is effed. Needs to be plugged in and if the cable comes lose the whole thing shuts down. Problem #5 it gets friggin' hot!
I'm lucky enough to be able to afford the 15" Macbook models, I just wish I knew more about the graphics in relation to playing Blizzard games because they're all I play at this point.
Thanks for the post.
Any MacBook Pro should be able to run D3. Just choose the price range your willing to spend. I prefer smaller screens and faster hardware because they are lighter and I also have an HD TV which I will be playing on.
You probably want something with a discrete graphics card, so anything but the integrated Intel HD graphics. You should be able to get around Medium settings with the 3 you listed there (not counting that one with integrated). The thing is games on Macs just run worse than on PC. Part of it has to do with developers not knowing how to get the best performance out of Mac, but some of it is because DirectX is just more efficient than OpenGL as far as gaming is concerned.
Take a Mac and benchmark a game on it. Then install Windows and benchmark the same game. The framerate will be higher on the Windows side even though the hardware is the same. But I think you are fine with Mac for Blizzard games. They usually do a good job with the Mac version of their games. If you intend to play other games, you really need a PC thoiugh. Most developers get a third-party to make the Mac version, which means crappy support, bugs, and delayed patches.
I worked at an Apple retail store for 3 years, and consider myself a fan. Not fanboy, a fan.. Sad truth is though you can always get a better gaming experience for the money you'd spend on a mac if you buy a PC. It's not so much the specs, it's the OS. Boot camp works alright, though I have problems with my house holds 2010 27in iMac sometimes when gaming. It's my house holds work PC, though I use it for gaming sometimes. For the specs it has it should theoretically fly through any game I through at it, and for most it does. I play Dirt 2 on it with Max settings across the board and it holds 40-60 FPS just fine.
Thing is... It was $2700... With $1200 I could put together a costume gaming rig, 1920x1080 monitor and all that would kick the iMacs ass at gaming.
I understand your not an hardcore gamer, so this might all not be a big deal, and if that's the case go Mac, they are beautiful machines, and run video editing and multitasking like none else.
Bottom line is macs are great, all around. That's not to say that you don't pay a lot extra for the looks, and prestige that comes with Apple products. If you want the best gaming experience for your buck, go to Newegg.com and build yourself a gaming rig.
If you need help I will help you, my friend and I have built over 15 gaming PCs for my friends and family. Given they buy all the parts :thumbsup:
Hey thanks a lot man, but yeah, at this point I'm only planning on playing some SC2 and D3 on it. In your opinion how do the latest 15 inch models look in regards to graphics? Will I not be able to go much higher than low-medium settings for SC2?
The new 15in with the Sandy bridge processors should be able to run both SC2 and D3 fine on medium settings. The integrated graphics on the processor alone is now decently powerful, and if you have the laptop plugged in it switches to a dedicated graphics card to which I'd bet you can run both games on high settings. I'd upgrade to 8 gigs of ram, and a high-res display either model you start with.
“We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” - Albert Einstein
Alright, got it. Now let's say I run the games with windows on the Mac and wanted to upgrade my discrete card for a not too hefty price - any suggestions?
I don't know very much about MacBooks or Apple hardware in general. If you post the specific models you're looking at though I'll do my best to figure out if the specs are good enough for gaming.
Awesome, these are all the ones I'm looking at:
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
250GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.53GHz Intel Core i5
15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1440 x 900 pixel)
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
500GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory
New 2011 MacBook Pro. 13-inch: 2.3 GHz
2.3GHz dual-core
Intel Core i5
4GB 1333MHz
320GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
New 2011 MacBook Pro. 15-inch: 2.0 GHz
2.0GHz quad-core
Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz
500GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256MB GDDR5
Hmm I think most of these systems will run the game on low, but probably not more than 30 FPS so be prepared for some choppiness at times. As for the CPU, it's a bit of a hard call. Go for the ones with higher clock speed (more GHz) if you get a dual core. Quad core is likely the best, however.
I know you want a mac, but I want to take a moment and point out how ridiculously overpriced they are. If you are going to spend up to $1500 you could buy a windows-based gaming laptop that will be capable of running Diablo 3 on high graphics settings with very smooth frame-rates. You could run other modern games smoothly on high settings as well. Since the processor will be faster, any other stuff you do (Video editing, watching HD videos, ect) will run faster as well.
If you want a Mac just be aware that you're taking a significant hit in performance.
I don't know very much about MacBooks or Apple hardware in general. If you post the specific models you're looking at though I'll do my best to figure out if the specs are good enough for gaming.
Awesome, these are all the ones I'm looking at:
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
250GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.53GHz Intel Core i5
15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1440 x 900 pixel)
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
500GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory
New 2011 MacBook Pro. 13-inch: 2.3 GHz
2.3GHz dual-core
Intel Core i5
4GB 1333MHz
320GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
New 2011 MacBook Pro. 15-inch: 2.0 GHz
2.0GHz quad-core
Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz
500GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256MB GDDR5
Hmm I think most of these systems will run the game on low, but probably not more than 30 FPS so be prepared for some choppiness at times. As for the CPU, it's a bit of a hard call. Go for the ones with higher clock speed (more GHz) if you get a dual core. Quad core is likely the best, however.
I know you want a mac, but I want to take a moment and point out how ridiculously overpriced they are. If you are going to spend up to $1500 you could buy a windows-based gaming laptop that will be capable of running Diablo 3 on high graphics settings with very smooth frame-rates. You could run other modern games smoothly on high settings as well. Since the processor will be faster, any other stuff you do (Video editing, watching HD videos, ect) will run faster as well.
If you want a Mac just be aware that you're taking a significant hit in performance.
They are absolutely pricey. But I'm also looking to make a relatively long term investment. I have a 2007 Dell Inspiron 1520 and after 3.5 years, its literally falling apart on me (besides being good for very little beyond word processing). I know a lot of people with Macs far older than my Dell and they're still in great shape. The weight of the computer is actually a big factor since I travel a lot, and I'm constantly walking long distances in city streets - something I haven't been able to do with my current computer. Regardless, do you have any specific examples of PCs that you think could change my mind. I'd like to check them out.
Thanks.
Awesome, these are all the ones I'm looking at:
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
250GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.53GHz Intel Core i5
15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1440 x 900 pixel)
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
500GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory
New 2011 MacBook Pro. 13-inch: 2.3 GHz
2.3GHz dual-core
Intel Core i5
4GB 1333MHz
320GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
New 2011 MacBook Pro. 15-inch: 2.0 GHz
2.0GHz quad-core
Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz
500GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256MB GDDR5
I'm looking for a sleek, light-weight computer on which I can write, do research, listen to music, edit and watch HD video, and occasionally play games for under or around $1500. You would suggest what instead? Or does your breathtakingly useful advice stop at "get a real computer"?
New 2011 MacBook Pro. 13-inch: 2.3 GHz
2.3GHz dual-core
Intel Core i5
4GB 1333MHz
320GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
Blizzard has also said that if you can run SC2, you'll be able to run D3. Obviously if you're barely running SC2 you might have some problems, but it works fine for me. I personally really like my MacBook for Apple's interface and OS, but I would readily admit that its nowhere near worth the price and lack of hardware for that price. Usually refurbished ones are fine, based on my friend's expirience, but I haven't personally lined up a new one against a refurbished one and seen the differences.
If you're looking for the best computer (in terms of hardware) for your money, go for something with Windows 7. If you're looking for something that'll be fine for D3 and great for other stuff, and are OK with it becoming outdated, again in terms of hardware/gaming, faster than you would like, and just want a change of OS, then go with a MacBook. I will say that Windows 7 is nowhere near the nightmare of Vista though, so its not as bad as you may think. But for everything except for gaming I would definitely say Macs have the better OS, having used both the new Macs and Windows 7 extensively.
Funny, but its thanks to the competition from Macs that Windows 7 isn't a piece of shit.
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Ya I have vista right now which probably propelled me to look at Macs, but I also plan on doing HD video editing (I'm a film studies student) with Final cut. I also really want to look hip and cool, you know?
Sorry bout that pal, I guess my newbness made me omit the word "vista" after windows - "I'm sick of windows vista". I'll be the first person to admit that I know very little about computer specs. I really wasn't looking to incite a brand war here, just advice. Besides just getting a PC, you have any specific models in mind? I'm looking for something with a big screen and that is light-weight too. Oh ya, and don't forget coolness and hipster cred. Gotta have that these days.
Then definitely go Mac IMO. For photo/video editing its pretty great.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the news team.
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Thing is... It was $2700... With $1200 I could put together a costume gaming rig, 1920x1080 monitor and all that would kick the iMacs ass at gaming.
I understand your not an hardcore gamer, so this might all not be a big deal, and if that's the case go Mac, they are beautiful machines, and run video editing and multitasking like none else.
Bottom line is macs are great, all around. That's not to say that you don't pay a lot extra for the looks, and prestige that comes with Apple products. If you want the best gaming experience for your buck, go to Newegg.com and build yourself a gaming rig.
If you need help I will help you, my friend and I have built over 15 gaming PCs for my friends and family. Given they buy all the parts :thumbsup:
Hey thanks a lot man, but yeah, at this point I'm only planning on playing some SC2 and D3 on it. In your opinion how do the latest 15 inch models look in regards to graphics? Will I not be able to go much higher than low-medium settings for SC2?
Ya I'm not a gamer by any means, and I will be using Final Cut but I would like the optimal D3 experience when it comes out. But seriously, none of you windows/pc guys are giving me any alternatives.
TL;DR - Windows is good, but as someone who has used both OSX and Windows extensively for programming, Adobe CS, and gaming... I would choose OSX everytime. Laptops are built much more solid and UNIX based OS is hot. Buy the high end 13inch if you have the money. Desktops are a waist of space and between my girlfriend and myself we both went though 5 laptops. Be both have MacBook Pro's now and love it.
My background: software engineering student, gamer, enjoy working with adobe CS, been on windows most of my life, and i've built my own windows desktop.
When I see people dismiss OSX so easily, I laugh.
So heres my story. Built my desktop a few years ago, was super pumped about it and got some pretty decent hardware. It was very useful at the time but after a few years things started to get funny. Parts started overheating and graphics cards started to work incorrectly (artifacts appeared on screen). Around this time I was heading off to university so I decided to get a laptop. This way I could bring my computer around campus with me. My first instinct an a PC gamer was to get the most powerful laptop I could find. I wanted a huge screen, awesome graphics cards, and a fast processor. "I'm going into software engineering, I NEED a fast computer" I told myself.
I ended up buying a decent Dell. 15inch screen. It was awesome, payed some decent games on medium graphics, which was fine for me. Right after I bought my laptop I was convinced that is was 10x better than a clunky desktop. But first problem I noticed was that carrying a 15 laptop was very tiring. Next thing that started happening (within 5 months) was that my battery was dieing fast. Unplug my laptop it would die in 10 minutes. Soon after the laptop started to get extremely hot. Eventually, I think it just fried itself and would no longer turn on. Dell replaced the battery issue but wouldn't replace the overheating because it was out of warranty. Even though soon after I found out that was a manufacture defect and a lot of the same model computers had the same issue.
Since I had an xbox and couldn't really afford another gaming laptop I decided to get a netbook. I though, I'll just program on this and do small stuff. Turned out that I could run photoshop. I just couldn't play games, which was fine. Netbook was super light and I could carry it around with me everywhere. Eventually that laptops screen broke. Somehow I had wore it out by reopening it countless times.
FUCK. Time to get a new laptop. By this time my girlfriend had gone through 3 laptops herself. 2 HP's and 1 Sony. HP's had serious HDD crashes and Sony had battery issues, overheating, and shut down randomly (probably due to overheating).
I decided to buy a MacBook Pro (cheapest model 13 inch about 2 generations old now). I've been using windows my entire life so this was a pretty big change. I'd be starting from scratching with what I know about the OS. I love this computer. The aluminum case gives the computer a much more sturdy feel. Since Apple only makes 6 different types of laptops ever, they are always working on perfecting the product. I run most games on low/mid graphics which is alright for me. If I had the money I would have bought the higher performance 13 inch. Screen size is overrated on a laptop. Get a HD LCD screen instead, and a small screen laptop.
Apple has converted me to a permanent customer.
Haha same thing happened to me. Graduated from high school and few years ago and bought my first Dell laptop. Super excited. Problem #1 Windows Vista. Problem #2 with textbooks and campus hikes, WAY too heavy. Problem #3 screen stopped staying up. Problem #4 battery is effed. Needs to be plugged in and if the cable comes lose the whole thing shuts down. Problem #5 it gets friggin' hot!
I'm lucky enough to be able to afford the 15" Macbook models, I just wish I knew more about the graphics in relation to playing Blizzard games because they're all I play at this point.
Thanks for the post.
Any MacBook Pro should be able to run D3. Just choose the price range your willing to spend. I prefer smaller screens and faster hardware because they are lighter and I also have an HD TV which I will be playing on.
Take a Mac and benchmark a game on it. Then install Windows and benchmark the same game. The framerate will be higher on the Windows side even though the hardware is the same. But I think you are fine with Mac for Blizzard games. They usually do a good job with the Mac version of their games. If you intend to play other games, you really need a PC thoiugh. Most developers get a third-party to make the Mac version, which means crappy support, bugs, and delayed patches.
The new 15in with the Sandy bridge processors should be able to run both SC2 and D3 fine on medium settings. The integrated graphics on the processor alone is now decently powerful, and if you have the laptop plugged in it switches to a dedicated graphics card to which I'd bet you can run both games on high settings. I'd upgrade to 8 gigs of ram, and a high-res display either model you start with.
Hmm I think most of these systems will run the game on low, but probably not more than 30 FPS so be prepared for some choppiness at times. As for the CPU, it's a bit of a hard call. Go for the ones with higher clock speed (more GHz) if you get a dual core. Quad core is likely the best, however.
I know you want a mac, but I want to take a moment and point out how ridiculously overpriced they are. If you are going to spend up to $1500 you could buy a windows-based gaming laptop that will be capable of running Diablo 3 on high graphics settings with very smooth frame-rates. You could run other modern games smoothly on high settings as well. Since the processor will be faster, any other stuff you do (Video editing, watching HD videos, ect) will run faster as well.
If you want a Mac just be aware that you're taking a significant hit in performance.
They are absolutely pricey. But I'm also looking to make a relatively long term investment. I have a 2007 Dell Inspiron 1520 and after 3.5 years, its literally falling apart on me (besides being good for very little beyond word processing). I know a lot of people with Macs far older than my Dell and they're still in great shape. The weight of the computer is actually a big factor since I travel a lot, and I'm constantly walking long distances in city streets - something I haven't been able to do with my current computer. Regardless, do you have any specific examples of PCs that you think could change my mind. I'd like to check them out.