Everything Apple (the Mac heads thread)

must be in the US for it to work

^ Really? Bugger!

woo! so happy I was wrong.

Amazing!! Have they been reading this thread? Almost unbelievable that this is launched the day after my rant...

happyface.jpg

^^^^ should be worldwide:

http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/12/3760770/google-maps-iphone-available-features-navigation-transit

Looks nice, make me slightly jealous that it doesn't look that good on android...

must be in the US for it to work

? Seems to work well on my iPhone

Just downloaded google maps. So so much better than apple's piss-poor attempt.

Works for me now

So, my 3 year old, second gen MacBook Air is crashing a lot. I've reinstalled, reformated, all the usual shit I do (I'm a sys admin). So I'm fairly sure it's a hardware issue.

So I'm going to buy myself a new 11" MacBook Air.

I'm going to get the 128GB HD, and upgrade to 8GB RAM, but I'm undecided about the processor. 1.7 i5 vs 2.0 i7

1) Money isn't really a factor on this, sure I'd like to save the £130, but it's not a big deal.
2) I don't really need the extra performance, I don't edit video, stuff like that, I mainly browse, use terminal, and watch video
2) Battery life is a major factor, I travel a lot. But I'm not running the processor at 100% very often, and I've read in some circumstances the higher processor can produce longer battery life, as it does things more efficiently (bigger cache, etc).

thoughts? experiences?

Does the i7 get very hot?

As they're both dual core and the boost in cache is only about 30%, i wouldn't personally bother upgrading given what you're saying you want to use it for...

The added RAM is a must though.

Although i got rid of my air last year in favour of an iPad, it was the base model w/ upgraded ram only and the speed was more than enough for HD video and the odd game along with all the normal work stuff.

Yep, my 2nd gen Air, with a Core 2 Duo is more than fine, for what I do. Yeah, I've come to the conclusion, while it's not conclusive if it will give better battery life or not, it's not worth the extra £130.

So, my 3 year old, second gen MacBook Air is crashing a lot. I've reinstalled, reformated, all the usual shit I do (I'm a sys admin). So I'm fairly sure it's a hardware issue.

So I'm going to buy myself a new 11" MacBook Air.

Is this a typical age for MacBook Airs? I've used my shitty PC now for five years, and I'm now looking to upgrade it to a Mac--not because there are any problems with the PC, but just because I'd like to have something lighter. I've realized that iPad just isn't versatile enough for me.

Specifically, I've been considering the Air as it appears solid and durable, but I must say that getting just three years out of it would be a massive disappointment. Would the Pro be more durable?

I just realised the fact that the icon of Apple Maps advised you to drive off the overpass should've set the alarm bell.

Ha! Well spotted.

Is this a typical age for MacBook Airs? I've used my shitty PC now for five years, and I'm now looking to upgrade it to a Mac--not because there are any problems with the PC, but just because I'd like to have something lighter. I've realized that iPad just isn't versatile enough for me.

Specifically, I've been considering the Air as it appears solid and durable, but I must say that getting just three years out of it would be a massive disappointment. Would the Pro be more durable?

I get the feeling the more Apple miniaturises it's products the shorter the life expectancy due to finer tolerances etc.
Could be wrong though.
I have a 5 year old Macbook Pro thats still just about useful (for work stuff).

Do you need a laptop? I'd go for an iMac if I were to buy a new mac... or maybe even a Mini.

hi everyone, i've got a late 2010 macbook pro 13" (the last of the core 2 duo models i believe) and need a new power adapter.

it originally came with the 'l-shaped' magsafe adapter like this:

do i need to get this shape or is it okay to go for the other type, like in this auction: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Uk-ship-White-60W-MagSafe-AC-Power-Adapter-Charger-for-Apple-MacBook-UK-plug-/251074230655?pt=UK_Computing_LaptopAccessories_PowerSupplies&hash=item3a7530b97f?

also is there anything to be wary of when buying these non-apple adapters?
thanks

The magnet is very slightly smaller on the l shaped adaptor, might be worth trying to find someone with the older one and testing it out before you buy.

Just tried it out with an original one and it worked fine.

I get the feeling the more Apple miniaturises it's products the shorter the life expectancy due to finer tolerances etc.
Could be wrong though.
I have a 5 year old Macbook Pro thats still just about useful (for work stuff).

Do you need a laptop? I'd go for an iMac if I were to buy a new mac... or maybe even a Mini.

Unfortunately yes--I definitely need a laptop and I'm practically carrying it with me all the time. iPad was great for this, and it was pretty useful with an external keyboard, but I've recently realized that I've again started to use my old laptop more and more because iPad just isn't ideal if you need to deal with lots of documents, send lots of emails, and so on.

I guess I'm going to decide between MBA and MBP. I'm confused about the price of the 13 inch retina MBP--the RRP seems to be something like £1500, which is too much, but some sellers have it for £1200 on Amazon, which would be tolerable.

Just tried it out with an original one and it worked fine.

thanks both, this is good to know

I'd avoid the 13inch Retina Pro for now, first gen and with no decent graphics card it struggles powering the display.
Air's are great, SSD's are sooooo fast (and CPU isn't taken up powering the retina display). I'd go with that, upgrade the ram, and you're on to a winner.
I think it won't be until 2nd or 3rd gen until the Retina Macs are really what they should be - and a bearable price.

Is this a typical age for MacBook Airs? I've used my shitty PC now for five years, and I'm now looking to upgrade it to a Mac--not because there are any problems with the PC, but just because I'd like to have something lighter. I've realized that iPad just isn't versatile enough for me.

Specifically, I've been considering the Air as it appears solid and durable, but I must say that getting just three years out of it would be a massive disappointment. Would the Pro be more durable?

Well, i've had 4 laptops in 12 years, 4 different manufacturers, so I'd say it's about average. It still works, it just has days where it crashes a lot.

Also, you have to remember that this is the second generation, they are on to the 5th now, so they should have ironed out issues.

But of course, they put some very high power parts into a tiny space, so it's always going to be more unreliable than a standard laptop. And all the parts are soldered in, so once it breaks, you can't fix it (easily).

Personally I wouldn't buy a Pro, unless you need the power, they are more expensive, bulkier, heavier, etc. I'd rather buy 2 Airs over the lifetime of one Pro.

You can of course look at other Ultrabooks, too.

Or if you want to save money, look at the refurbished ones, http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

also is there anything to be wary of when buying these non-apple adapters?
thanks

Just make sure you get the same power rating, there are different ones. They will still work, but it's better to get a matching one.

Thanks for the answers guys. I just discovered the university discount thing: looks as though I'd be able to get the Air with 8GB RAM for around £900, so I'll probably go for that and just hope for the best.

Where's good, I mean free, for streaming tv these days?