Apple has today announced that the release of MacOS X 10.5 Leopard will be delayed until October due to the development of iPhone.

so.. wait till oct for a super laptop.

Yeah. I know they're at the end of a product cycle and it's not a good time to buy. Apparantly the "Intel" part of the processor will be more optimized, among many other cool upgrades from the current version.

I would still consider buying one in October, so I'd love to know how people are doing using AutoCAD and Rhino 3D.

thanks

standaman, I have installed Parallels - a virtual PC platform - on my MacBook Pro and so far, it runs like a charm. I have installed both AutoCAD on it and Rhino. I have used AutoCAD on it without any problems but I am admittedly just learning Rhino so I haven't really pushed it to the max yet. However, I've found that I like this set up more than Bootcamp because I can have my Parallels (Windows) desktop on one monitor and my Mac desktop on the other, which means that I can not only go back and forth between programs, but I feel like I am working in some sort of harmonious computer universe where Macs and PCs can coexist. It's beautiful!

Parallels is much more stable than any previous virtual PC programs, BTW.

However it is my understanding that when you install Bootcamp, you will get the full power of the computer's processor when in PC mode which means that your rendering programs will run very, very fast.

MacOX 10.5 is going to be super. That's all I wanna say. It will be able to run all PC programs. Bootcamp wil not be Beta. Let's just wait. PC users are going to get jealous soon. Remember my statement here.

It's my understanding there won't be any hardware changes when the new version of Mac OS comes out, so you can probably feel safe going ahead and getting the MacBook Pro now. You'll just have to pay to upgrade to Leopard when it's released, if you feel inclined to do so.

As for performance of Windows apps on a Mac, I've heard that Boot Camp is the way to go, and everybody I've spoken to seems to have had good experiences with it.

Wow, I only cross-posted with about a million people there... I remember hearing somewhere that you can now run Parallels and Boot Camp with the same installation of Windows, so you can use Parallels when you need Windows for something quick and convenient, or boot straight into Windows via Boot Camp if you need hardcore performance. Best of all worlds.

I would suggest people to wait. There will be hardware upgrades for the next MacBook Pro. For example:

graphic card
hard drive
ram
wireless card
longer battery life
Possible LED monitor

when does the mac tablet come out?
i am mac illiterate and would never prbly use osX
to me a new mac is just another PC w/o a button

i would advise running bootcamp to get the needed video hardware support and i have set a few up for friends.

but me, what i do own is a toshiba tablet and ever since i went tablet i could never go back. if mac is making a tablet i would wait for that before getting a Intel clone mac PC thingy.

good choice on the Rhinoceros 4, i haven't had to use autocad for a long time now... when the 1 year transition comes i think a party is in order ;) July(the same month i can start my ARE)....

As I've mentioned elsewhere, I've been a PC user for about 15 years now, but my next computer will be a MacBook Pro. I wouldn't touch Vista with a 10-foot pole.

The delay is going to fuck up my graduate school computer plan. This is not good. I don't wanna get a freaking dell.

I believe Apple will release the New MacBook Pro this June at WWDC with other products, such as Ipod etc. I'll get 10.5 in Oct.

Don't bother waiting until October unless you really want to. There will always be the next, most amazing update just around the corner.

To all the Mac fans here:
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com

I probably won't be able to afford one until after Ocotber, anyway. I was hoping to get one this spring, but decided to enroll in Columbia's summer program instead.

Is there really a big difference between the 2.17 processor and the 2.33 processor? I've just made a bargain with myself that if I get a scholarship or any other sort of unexpected income, I'll get a macbookpro. I know I can live with a 15" screen, as I've got a 17" Dell right now that I consider a royal pain in the ass to actually take anywhere. Now I'm trying to decide whether the processor is enough better to be worth it.

It's not the weight, it's the bulk. In order to fit a 17" computer in, I end up carrying the mother of all gigantic bags. I'd rather get a smaller laptop, I like them smaller. If it didn't come with a lesser graphics card, I'd be getting the 13" MacBook. If I feel I need a bigger screen for layouts, I'll get a monitor to sit on my desk at home, and hook it up to that when necessary.

rationalist:

you are a graphic designer. how can you have a PC? this is against the law. Get rid of your PC.

of course 2.33 is faster. you should wait until this June. They are going to release something at the WWDC.

how can I have a PC? I was architecture for undergrad. My PC has always done fine work for me, and I've never noticed increased performance when I have used a Mac. And nobody's ever given me a good reason why graphic designers are all on Macs, so I chalk it up to the fact that people frequently behave like lemmings.

Pc users are going to get jaleous soon? I don't really see how since pretty much every piece of software on the market is already available for PC anyway... I've not used Vista yet so i can't really say anything good or bad about it, all I know is that I find OS X quite unbearable to use. But I guess that's just me, people seem to love that platform and granted, Mac laptops are things of beauty... What cracks me up is that for years I've been listening to diehard macsters telling me how motorola processors were faster than Intel ones (depite having lower frequencies) and now that apple has switched to Intel chips every mac user around me swears by them and keeps mentioning how much faster they are than PC's that have been equiped with them for years... Go figure. At the end of the day they're only just tools to me.

doberman: "OS X quite unbearable to use." hahaha. I think you aren't capable to ....... Sorry, once you know a little more about OS X. You will never go back to a PC.

I was talking about using OS X and Windows on a same machine. Anyway. Stay with the PC.

I got a Macbook Pro in October because it was the most compact of all the big-powered laptops. There will always be something better coming out soon, so don't wait any longer than you want to.

The latest version of rhino does not run well under parallels, at least for the intel mac. Runs quicker under boot camp than it does on my friends pc. Autocad 2007 runs haphazardly under parallels if you have a heavy file. If you get the .shx file that Autocad automatically generates with every .dwg, opening .dwg files with Archicad is no problem at all. Without the .shx file sometimes you get funky lineweights. I've never run into compatibility issues with PC users unless someone is using some bizarre filetype.

I use Adobe CS2. Occassionally you get unexpected errors using Illustrator or InDesign CS2 if you a zillion things running, or are opening really old versions of files, since the program runs on Rosetta, but that's very infrequent. Never had that problem with Photoshop. CS2 runs fast, CS3 is lightening fast.

Rationalist - Upgrading the ram as much as possible is more important than the difference 2.17 vs. 2.33. If you buy refurbished or sale, make sure you get the Core2Duo processor, not the first generation Core Duo, unless you want burn marks on your lap.

Careful standaman, once you go mac you'll never want to go back.

CM, I'm quite capable to, thanks very much, and no need for you to be a condescending prick as i was only expressing an opinion. And FYO i've used both and I'll stick to PC, it does exactly what I need to do, I don't feel it justified to pay the extra cash for a Mac yet. Yep I'll stay with the PC for the time being and when Apple lower their prices then I will happilly buy their products and believe the hype...

didn't anyone read the thread title?

I did. I tried. I just asked a question about the macs, and other people started asking why I still had a pc...

LOL, despite the title, I fully expected it to turn out like this. ;)

Thanks to everybody who has replied. First-hand experience was exactly what I was looking for and the few posts that answered my question were perfect. However, everybody else's input has also been very insightful. Looks like I'm clear to get a mac since it seems to support these applications fine. I'm gonna get the 15" because I already have a PC desktop and portability is the main issue.

FYI, here are the expected upgrades for the new macbook pro.
http://www.macrumors.com/2007/02/25/next-generation-intel-platform-santa-rosa-tracking-for-may/
I think those are SIGNIFICANT hardware upgrades that fully justify waiting a couple months.

Oh jeez.

rationalist, my 15" works just fine......however I do have a second monitor. It's a small luxury.

Those do sound like some good upgrades. However, I'm concerned about cost (yeah, grad students are cheap, what else is new?)... will the upgrades cause the cost to jump? Will it remain the same? Will there be a higher price for the new generation but a nice clearance sale on the old (current) generation? I don't usually track the trends and product development, just buy it when I need it, so I don't know how this stuff tends to work.

so far it seems like apple has a good track record of keeping costs consistent on upgrades. (note: iPod's)

oh yeah, that's already a plan. I'm also watching the refurbished list (don't worry, I'd get the apple care plan) to see if anything great pops up in there in the next few months.

Although I'm eligible for a student discount, I'm more attracted by the refurbished models that are available on the Apple store website. They usually give you a good 20+% discount.

standaman - those changes seem pretty drastic if you are looking at a mini mac or a mac book but they don't seem to effect the mac book pro all that much.

standaman- I agree 100%. I've been looking at those for a while too, but right now it doesn't seem like there are any MacBooks or Pros on there, so I'm waiting for them to get some up. But the extended warranty/care plan is a must for a refurbished model.

the refurbished list is a great way to get one. i had a buddy get a macbook pro for 1300 a few months ago. they go really fast when they do have them

does anyone know anything about new macbook pros coming out anytime soon?

I have a friend who just switched over to a MacBook Pro when he needed a new laptop. He ran Parallels and said things worked pretty fast...faster autocad and 3dmodelling. that is, until late last week when his 4 month old apple laptop died.

but that is an isolated incident.

I've been using PC's before windows existed. I mean, I worked on DOS as a kid, writing basic programs and drawing with LOGO. So I think windows is a bit strange, albeit somewhat convenient for this new discourse in architecture. the condition of an OS gui tends to hide some things that can hold users back, no?

Still, I do wonder Chairman Mao, what are the advantages to this new Apple OS you speak of, because I have limited experience with the Apple OS gui? I must admit though, I've always been intrigued by the backend posix os (is it free bsd?).

from what little I've been reading, dollar-for-dollar, alienware laptops pack just as much punch as the apples for a bit less price.

Personally, if there were opensource apps that were OK for drafting, I suppose I would reinstall my Fedora Core and customize it. I mean, I dabble in GIMP from time to time anyway...

if you read the stuff above on this post someone posted a link to a mac rumor site and it said that the new OS may not be out until October so a new mac book pro wouldn't come out until sometime after that.

" I've been a PC user for about 15 years now, but my next computer will be a MacBook Pro. I wouldn't touch Vista with a 10-foot pole."



dido. except i will be getting a mac pro quad-core, i have no need for a really good laptop.

Alienwares are fat, in a fat albert sort of way.

Leopard OS will have notes integrated with calendar and mail, which is the big highlight for me. You can drag-drop links to files into your notes. And it comes with a time machine.

would you guys rather have two 7800 gt gpu's or one quadro fx 4500? personally, i work with a quadro 3500 at work and i have not been really impressed with it. for the money, i dont really think quadros are worth it, but i wonder if anyone else has had better experiences with them. i was just configuring a mac pro on their website and the quadro is over $1000 more than getting even 4 7800 gt's, crazy.

whats a gt?

skinny -

true, the alienware is thicker and a bit over one pound heavier than a comparable apple notebook. my bad.

the OS advantage comes down to an integrated calendar/mail/notes feature? I trust there's something more. ms outlook has been doing these tasks for some time (although it is an extra purchase...however, it's safe to say that $45 or so for outlook isn't taking up the bulk of application expenses in this field). but, I will give the apple os some credit for inherently integrating something like this into the OS (an everyday operation for the everyday software - the OS).

I'm cool with the time machine. mine's a delorean.

quadro ain't worth it.

time machine is too cute.
vista sp1 will blow leopard out of the water.

nvidia geforce 7800 gt.....sorry. i just read that they do have sli capability, so you can use two of them together for twice the performance.

Seems like the refurbished models come in spurts. There weren't any for a couple weeks, but the other day I saw about 15 of them. I guess they release them in batches from their factory.

all joking aside, I am astounded by the notion of apple's time machine. the trash in the os gui is for holding things you delete. so you get ANOTHER shot at redemption with this time machine? Granted, I don't know how it works, but I mean...I suppose these things are NOT being deleted from your system (which is the case in windows until you write zeroes, up to a point). if this is the evolution of the os, I am curious to see what will be next...the GENESIS machine, where all files are conceived of, and permanently exist, regardless of whether you create, delete, or even think of them?

time machine requires a hard drive partition that info is backed up onto.

Command+Shft+3 I think. Or have they gotten rid of 'Command'? If so, try Apple+Shft+3

tumbles

Im the Miggidy Miggidy Miggidy Mac Daddy

advanced-style: Command+Shft+4+drag mouse= printscreen for a defined rectangle. Command+Shft+4+CapsLock+click= printscreen for a browser window on which you click as the last portion of the sequence.

Where's Try Google when we need him?

And yes, I would expect that's because the key commands are controlled by the operating system, and your mac keyboard is not working well with your windows OS.

Option+F4?