I need reassurance.

[zazen999]

Yeah - nothing wrong with G4... lololol

That's a whole nother thread....

[zazen999]

Bob, just a bit of a curve ball, but have you considered Th'iPad? Lighter than a laptop, cheaper than a MacBook and does those things you need to do.

Takes a bit of a mind-leap in terms of what it does and how it does it, but that's all we use ours for.

That's what I came back to say....g'won g'won...and get one of those funky covers/holder thingys. very very tactile the whole kitten caboodle.

[zazen999]

Will be honest big fella, not given it a thought.
I'm going to reinforce my total computer ignorance, but is Ipad Windows based or does it have a different operating system? My real issue is that my current lappies (no matter which model) have all been Windows os and they have all only really lasted a couple of years before starting to give me grief.
If its not Window's I'd certainly give it a look, but I'm fed up of paying a reasonable sum of money for something that doesnt do what I want 2 years later.
From all that I've read, Apple stuff seems to last a lot longer, no viral issues and not doing exactly what this flippin thing is doing right now and just freezing as I'm trying to type.

No - it's not windows [spit spit] based.

the difference is thus:

imagine eating a meal with splinters in it = windows
imagine eating a meal where the juice dripples down your throat as the nectar is so sweet = mac

[bobleponge]

So the ipad is Mac os?

[Florence Fennel]

Bearders, I'm a grown up, I dont play games, *hides from all adult gamers.

How very dare you Bob? I'm more grown up than you and I do . Stay in hiding and be afraid, be very afraid.

[zazen999]

So the ipad is Mac os?

Yes, Mac have their own operating systems which are not like windows at all - in that they work

[bobleponge]

Yes, Mac have their own operating systems which are not like windows at all - in that they work

Hmmm, this could be very interesting. Especially as I touch type at a very decent speed but to type this little phrase has taken me over 5 minutes because it keeps freezing.

[chris]

I've had macs for ages now. I bought my first one in uni, back in 2000 - it still works fine now. That was a powerbook g4. I've since upgraded to a macbook pro, and it's great.

My reasoning for going to mac was that I was sick of updating my OS (back in Uni I ran a different OS to windows), I was sick of virus and malware on windows previous to that. I was sick of going through 4 laptops a year. Sooo, as Apple make the hardware (or, are in control of it), and also the OS - they work great. My MBP is a year old now, and I have around 8hrs battery off a charge. When it was new I had 13hrs off a single charge I've got the 13" version as I wanted something a bit more portable than my old 15" powerbook.

Since having them though, I've bought quite a bit of apple hardware, all the phones, apple tv, ipad - but I remain adamant that I'm not a fan-boy I like the laptops, so that's why I have them, I like the phones - my wife has Android, but I still prefer iOS. I bought the Apple TV so I could jailbreak it for a media centre (thus, replacing my xbox - with a small black box the size of a hockey puck... I can now stream movies from where I store them, to my TV very easily with an almost invisible solution - before now I've used my xbox, which is big, runs hot and noisy and stands out in the room). Erm, ipad erm. *shrug*

As andrea says, the os (Mac OSX) works very well...the transition from windows to mac is quite straight foward - there's a few differences, my father is in the same boat. They have some videos on their site that explain the differences and how to get started with OS X - give them a run through and see how you feel after that? Windows virus/malware can't infect OS X (different file system/structure - based on a completely different OS than windows), which is great as all the scams going around online now aren't a concern.

They are expensive in comparison though, but for me having had my original one last over 7 years still working fine as the day I bought it (I needed a new charger though) it's worth it.

[VirginVegGrower]

I'm not posting an answer in case I incriminate myself! OK, go for it - blame Andrea, I did!

Me Andrea or do we have another one.
Buying a Mac is the best decision - next to living En France - that you will ever make. We love Uncle Stevie's toys and that's from two people who have worked in IT for a combined 40 years. Micros**t is a necessary evil with work but for play I'm not a PC.
Plug any item into a Mac and it will tell you what it is right down to the model and will give you a set of choices of things you may want to do. Plug the same into a PC and ooh we've got an unidentified threat sir - shall we insist upon asking for a name, drivers, help pages - yes sir we will. Intuitive is not in a PC's job title. Have I said enough? I think so!

[VirginVegGrower]

I've had macs for ages now. I bought my first one in uni, back in 2000 - it still works fine now. That was a powerbook g4. I've since upgraded to a macbook pro, and it's great.

My reasoning for going to mac was that I was sick of updating my OS (back in Uni I ran a different OS to windows), I was sick of virus and malware on windows previous to that. I was sick of going through 4 laptops a year. Sooo, as Apple make the hardware (or, are in control of it), and also the OS - they work great. My MBP is a year old now, and I have around 8hrs battery off a charge. When it was new I had 13hrs off a single charge I've got the 13" version as I wanted something a bit more portable than my old 15" powerbook.

Since having them though, I've bought quite a bit of apple hardware, all the phones, apple tv, ipad - but I remain adamant that I'm not a fan-boy I like the laptops, so that's why I have them, I like the phones - my wife has Android, but I still prefer iOS. I bought the Apple TV so I could jailbreak it for a media centre (thus, replacing my xbox - with a small black box the size of a hockey puck... I can now stream movies from where I store them, to my TV very easily with an almost invisible solution - before now I've used my xbox, which is big, runs hot and noisy and stands out in the room). Erm, ipad erm. *shrug*

As andrea says, the os (Mac OSX) works very well...the transition from windows to mac is quite straight foward - there's a few differences, my father is in the same boat. They have some videos on their site that explain the differences and how to get started with OS X - give them a run through and see how you feel after that? Windows virus/malware can't infect OS X (different file system/structure - based on a completely different OS than windows), which is great as all the scams going around online now aren't a concern.

They are expensive in comparison though, but for me having had my original one last over 7 years still working fine as the day I bought it (I needed a new charger though) it's worth it.

A sensible boy - and don't you design within an IT environment for a living. Ask the pros and they are all "I'm not a PC". Nothing to do with snobbery, purely about security and stability.

[HeyWayne]

Bob - get yerself to an Apple store if you have one nearby, have a play on an iPad, I think you'll like it.

If just using it to browse t'web, and occasional typing stuff it's more than adequate. A hi-end laptop will be a waste of money, and as you say will die slowly.

Or, pay me a visit and I'll show you mine ;-)

(with green tactile cover thingy wot Andrea said about)

[Glutton4...]

OMG - TWO Andreas on the Vine Can we stand it? LOL

Chrismarks - you're suuuuch an anorak!


Hang on - you're both in south Derbyshire - are you the same person?

[VirginVegGrower]

OMG - TWO Andreas on the Vine Can we stand it? LOL

Chrismarks - you're suuuuch an anorak!


Hang on - you're both in south Derbyshire - are you the same person?

Are we talking Mrs Z? I am an A...Andrea, not anorak - leave that to the boys. I am in SD, we could be the same person...but I don't shoot people and then take them into dark rooms. Two Andreas - enough? Never!

[Glutton4...]

Are we talking Mrs Z? ...we could be the same person...but I don't shoot people and then take them into dark rooms...

... and blow them up!

Ah, that's OK then!

[taff]

you can make your laptop run a bit faster with a few basic pointers.
Download 2 programs, ccleaner and defraggler. They're both free, and small. Open ccleaner and run a clean, ticking which boxes to clean on the left hand menu [ if you want a list of the ones I tick, let me know and defninitely click on cache for firefox or IE] When it's finished that bit, go to the Tools section and click Start up. You only need a very few programs in there at start up, send me a list of whats in yours, and I'll telll you which ones you can remove. Then go to the system restore tab. Select to remove all but the latest restore point. Then go to the registry cleaner tab and do that bit.
Then open defraggler, analyse and defrag.
And run a virus check too. AVG is free.