Mac? OT?

I have been a Dell user since early 90's and currently have a desktop
(9200) and a laptop (Inspiron 8600). Both are working fine but the
laptop is 6 years old.

I am including a Mac as a possible laptop replacement and am looking for
feedback.
The main concern is compatability with:
- existing files and programs(MS Office 2003, old DOS program MYM10,
- printer, scanner etc

any other issues?

Thanks

Robert

Robert243 wrote:
> I have been a Dell user since early 90's and currently have a desktop
> (9200) and a laptop (Inspiron 8600). Both are working fine but the
> laptop is 6 years old.
>
> I am including a Mac as a possible laptop replacement and am looking for
> feedback.
> The main concern is compatability with:
> - existing files and programs(MS Office 2003, old DOS program MYM10,
> - printer, scanner etc
>
> any other issues?
>
> Thanks
>
> Robert
>
>
>

You're not likely to find anything compatible with DOS programs. That
said, hardwarewise, the Macbooks are fabulous machines and run Windows
as well as any dedicated Windows laptop I've seen.

Bootcamp is very simple to set up or you can run Windows under Parallels
or VMWare.

Most printers have OSX drivers.

You probably already know this, but they're not cheap. Check out
www.expercom.com. Good pricing and service. And no, I have no connection
to them except as a satisfied customer.

Bob

Hi!

> I am including a Mac as a possible laptop replacement and am
> looking for feedback.

I've been pretty happy with the ones I have (two Mac minis and a
Macbook). Apple's pricing for hardware can be higher than that of a
comparable PC in some cases. You have to look at what you're getting
and make sure that you are doing a fair comparison.

Mac OS X 10.5 is annoying in spots. It is nowhere near the level of
"annoying" that Vista is.


> The main concern is compatability with:
>- existing files and programs(MS Office 2003, old DOS
> program MYM10, printer, scanner etc

You can run Windows on the system either natively (treating it just
like it was a Windows PC--Apple calls this "Boot Camp") or you can
virtualize Windows (run it side-by-side with the Mac OS). If your DOS
program can run under the psuedo-DOS provided by Windows, it should
run fine with Windows running under virtualization. Or if you need
real DOS, you can virtualize that as well. Two popular products for
virtualization on Mac OS X are Parallels Workstation and VMWare
Fusion.

You will also need a copy of Windows to install.

There's a very good chance your printer will work as Mac OS X supports
a *lot* of printers. This is especially true if it is a USB printer.
All you have to do is plug it in. Parallel printers can work and to
use them you will need an adapter. I haven't worked with scanners on
Mac OS X.

William

Christopher Muto wrote:
> "Bob Levine" <> wrote in message
> news:h0j55c$jlv$...
>> Robert243 wrote:
>>> I have been a Dell user since early 90's and currently have a desktop
>>> (9200) and a laptop (Inspiron 8600). Both are working fine but the
>>> laptop is 6 years old.
>>>
>>> I am including a Mac as a possible laptop replacement and am looking for
>>> feedback.
>>> The main concern is compatability with:
>>> - existing files and programs(MS Office 2003, old DOS program MYM10,
>>> - printer, scanner etc
>>>
>>> any other issues?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> Robert
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> You're not likely to find anything compatible with DOS programs. That
>> said, hardwarewise, the Macbooks are fabulous machines and run Windows as
>> well as any dedicated Windows laptop I've seen.
>>
>> Bootcamp is very simple to set up or you can run Windows under Parallels
>> or VMWare.
>>
>> Most printers have OSX drivers.
>>
>> You probably already know this, but they're not cheap. Check out
>> www.expercom.com. Good pricing and service. And no, I have no connection
>> to them except as a satisfied customer.
>>
>> Bob
>
> i agree with what bob said and only have this to add...
> you may find that you have just as many compatibility issues with your
> existing hardware (scanner/printer) with 'upgrading' to vista as you might
> with upgrading to osx. so either way you may need to replace something as
> the solution.
> as for how much more expensive apple gear is than others is not just in the
> initial purchase but further down the road as well. since they are not
> nearly as prolific as pcs, the new replacement parts controlled entirely by
> apple, and the used parts being of limited supply, means that even a do it
> yourself repair down the road is expensive. ie, you won't be able to pick
> up a cheap replacement lcd from ebay in four years time. you could look at
> this as a positive as it means the resale value of a mac is much stronger
> than any pc, but for repair of a machine that you want to keep it is
> shockingly expensive to fix.
>
>

I have not gotten extensively into what it takes to run older DOS
programs, but there are several non-Microsoft add-ons that can be
installed to run DOS in a command (cmd) type of window.

In fact: http://www.dosbox.com/

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 - Qbix
DOSBox 0.73 has been released!

Most noticeable changes:

* Support for more graphics modes and cards.
* Improved Vista support.
* New OPL emulation cores.
* Sound fixes and improvements for Mac OS X.
* Lots of compatibility fixes.
* Lots of cdrom detection improvements.
* Lots of memory (EMS/XMS) improvements.
* Various fixes and enhancements for the recompiling core.
* Support for evdev.
* Lots of DOS fixes.
* Slightly faster!
* More stable.

Note the reference to OS X! ... Ben Myers

Christopher Muto wrote:

> as for how much more expensive apple gear is than others...

<SNIP>

Pretty dramatic price decrease yesterday. The Macbook Pro line is pretty
competitive with HIGH END Windows only machines and they're beautifully
built.

AFAIC, nobody has anything remotely comparable.

Bob

Christopher Muto wrote:
> "Bob Levine" <> wrote in message
> news:h0ll2i$tbf$...
>> Christopher Muto wrote:
>>
>>> as for how much more expensive apple gear is than others...
>> <SNIP>
>>
>> Pretty dramatic price decrease yesterday. The Macbook Pro line is pretty
>> competitive with HIGH END Windows only machines and they're beautifully
>> built.
>>
>> AFAIC, nobody has anything remotely comparable.
>>
>> Bob
>
> i totally agree that there is not one laptop in the pc world that compares
> to any apple product in terms of aestetics, fit and finish, and build
> quality, but even with the significant price cuts yesterday they still
> remain expensive. i am not saying that they are not worth it, just that in
> terms of bang for the buck, total cost of ownership, etc, they are pricey.
> still, love them.
> have you seen this new apple laptop...
> http://www.theonion.com/content/vide..._revolutionary
>
>
>

Just my opinion, but for me a computer is a tool, not a fashion statement.

Daddy

Christopher Muto wrote:
> "Bob Levine" <> wrote in message
> news:h0ll2i$tbf$...
>> Christopher Muto wrote:
>>
>>> as for how much more expensive apple gear is than others...
>> <SNIP>
>>
>> Pretty dramatic price decrease yesterday. The Macbook Pro line is pretty
>> competitive with HIGH END Windows only machines and they're beautifully
>> built.
>>
>> AFAIC, nobody has anything remotely comparable.
>>
>> Bob
>
> i totally agree that there is not one laptop in the pc world that compares
> to any apple product in terms of aestetics, fit and finish, and build
> quality, but even with the significant price cuts yesterday they still
> remain expensive.

Yup...but you get what you pay for. And in my case (graphic design and
design related consulting and training), I really need Windows and Mac.
This gives me both and there's really no way to put a price on that.

I can't see going to Mac for my desktop, because it's way more
economical to use Windows and build my own. Not to mention that I'm not
much of an OSX fan, but for laptops, it's Mac for me.

Bob

i am not saying that they are not worth it, just that in
> terms of bang for the buck, total cost of ownership, etc, they are pricey.
> still, love them.
> have you seen this new apple laptop...
> http://www.theonion.com/content/vide..._revolutionary
>
>
>

RnR wrote:

> I would not mess with Apple
> because in my opinion, if you have to use software to make windows
> work, why bother when you can run windows as the native OS on a pc or
> laptop like dell, etc..

With bootcamp, you boot the machine right into Windows. No different
than any other laptop.

Bob

Christopher Muto wrote:
> "Daddy" <> wrote in message
> news:h0m1po$dl4$...
>> Christopher Muto wrote:
>>> "Bob Levine" <> wrote in message
>>> news:h0ll2i$tbf$...
>>>> Christopher Muto wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> as for how much more expensive apple gear is than others...
>>>> <SNIP>
>>>>
>>>> Pretty dramatic price decrease yesterday. The Macbook Pro line is pretty
>>>> competitive with HIGH END Windows only machines and they're beautifully
>>>> built.
>>>>
>>>> AFAIC, nobody has anything remotely comparable.
>>>>
>>>> Bob
>>> i totally agree that there is not one laptop in the pc world that
>>> compares to any apple product in terms of aestetics, fit and finish, and
>>> build quality, but even with the significant price cuts yesterday they
>>> still remain expensive. i am not saying that they are not worth it, just
>>> that in terms of bang for the buck, total cost of ownership, etc, they
>>> are pricey. still, love them.
>>> have you seen this new apple laptop...
>>> http://www.theonion.com/content/vide..._revolutionary
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> Just my opinion, but for me a computer is a tool, not a fashion statement.
>>
>> Daddy
>
> tell that to dell who is more focused on color and 'designer' skins these
> days than on quality or technical support.
>
>

Well, the market for laptops as tools is somewhat saturated. The market
for laptops as fashion accessories is brand new, so Dell has jumped
right onto this new trend. They all disregard the fact that basic black
goes well with anything you wear.

Next thing you know, you will be able to buy a laptop with a whole set
of interchangable skins, and you will likely be able to send Dell a
color swatch so Dell can "engineer" a skin in an exactly matching color
to go with your favorite Prada accessories. Really, GUYS! ... Ben Myers

RnR wrote:
> On Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:57:58 -0400, Bob Levine
> <> wrote:
>
>> RnR wrote:
>>
>>> I would not mess with Apple
>>> because in my opinion, if you have to use software to make windows
>>> work, why bother when you can run windows as the native OS on a pc or
>>> laptop like dell, etc..
>> With bootcamp, you boot the machine right into Windows. No different
>> than any other laptop.
>>
>> Bob
>
> Thanks Bob. I guess this sounds like a dual boot setup so in that
> case I guess the OS is native. That said tho, I still think if
> compatibility is the only issue, I'd play safe and go with the most
> popular wares. I'm not trying to bash Macs but just give an honest
> opinion using the OPs original concerns.

It's a legitimate concern but almost every major application is totally
crossplatform and for those that aren't, you can run Windows either with
bootcamp or with Parallels or VMWare.

Bob