How come my Mac doesn't do that? I guess it's time to call tech support. Anyhow, I've been using Macs since 1988 when a computer geek friend told me Macs are the only way to go, so I'm partial to them. And I've been driven nearly insane for years by the PC's at work, not to mention the aggravating Dell laptop my wife uses to run some professional software that they don't make for the Mac. So I think the choice is a no-brainer if you can afford it. In fact, I can't afford it I get them anyway. They're far more stable, rarely if ever get viruses (so you don't have to load up the system with all that anti-virus junk), they're far simpler to trouble-shoot. A cool blog deserves a cool computer. Get a Mac!
I go back to the old DOS days, when computers had 5.25 inch drives and no hard drives. You had to actually type in what you wanted the computer to do, with precise syntax, or it would offer you another C prompt. (Actually, I go all the way back to TRS-80s and Commodore 64s, but that dates me more than I care to think about.)
As a result, I am a PC guy (actually, there is no such thing. I'm a Windows guy. Mac people forget that Mac computers are also PCs). I don't understand all the chatter about how "hard" Windows is, because all you really need to know is where your files are and how to click on them. In my view, if someone needs a Mac because Windows is too hard, they should join the other Luddites fiddling with their antennas while we switched to digital TV.
I know, if I'm such a nerd, why not use Linux? I have, and I'm not overly impressed with it. It's too time consuming to find programs that do exactly what I want, and don't get me started on drivers for hardware.
If I were you, I'd wait until October and buy a notebook with Windows 7. Netbooks have small screens and they are s-l-o-w. You can get a decent Windows notebook with the latest OS for only a few hundred dollars more. And at least $500 less than a Mac.
I hope your admins give out the wireless password for your school's network, no matter what you buy. My school won't give it out at all--only school bought computers can use the network. Without the internet, a netbook is pretty useless.
Macs are overpriced and don't do anything PCs don't. They look cool though. You can get virus software programs for free if you look, and pro versions free after rebate if you look a little harder.
Got my kid a new, 13.3 Macbook Pro. Prices came down recently and they updated several accessories. Very powerful and cool. And, you can get a free Ipod touch. Use your .edu account for more savings.
Just to clarify, it's not that Windows is "too hard"; in fact if anything the interface is probably too simple (I do have a bit of the computer geek in me). It's just that I've rarely known a Windows machine that didn't eventually slow down horribly and/or do some really funky stuff. Yes, there are ways of cleaning it out, but many of the PC's I've used eventually needed a complete system reinstall to really get back up to par. Macs don't put stuff all over the system when you install a program, there are no registry files all over the place; when you uninstall a program you can truly "leave no child behind" (sorry about the reference). The anti virus issue is not the cost, it's just that there are almost daily updates to go along with the constant "Windows updates", and the anti virus stuff just hogs more system resources and further slows down the computer. If you want something you can just turn on and use without any hassles; or, if you like to get under the hood a bit as I do, with a Mac you can do either.
I'd question whether you need a laptop. For $10, you can get a 4GB thumbdrive and carry all your stuff around on it - that's what I do. It's easier and certainly lighter and definitely cheaper if stolen or lost. I work off the drive all day and then synchronize to my computer at home.
If you do need a machine, I'd stay away from the netbooks, though. They are quite limited because they are meant to be ultra-portable and ultra-cheap. They're meant for limited uses, mostly Internet. The compromises made are enough to drive you batty if you are really expecting to use it for more than checking email and facebook.
First, the screen is tiny and is impossible to see if you're older than 25. The keyboard is cramped as well. The OS and the software is likewise limited because of cost and because they can. It's not worth $300 when $400-450 gets you so much more.
I went to Tiger Direct (although Best Buy and others are just as good) and quickly found this:
Acer Aspire AS5535-5452 Notebook PC - AMD Athlon X2 QL-64 2.1GHz, 3GB DDR2, 320GB HDD, DL DVDRW, 15.6" WXGA, Vista Home Premium
http://www.tigerdirect.com/appli...5456&
CatId=2510
The fact of this matter is that you'll quickly come to use it as more than a toy - you're a professional. Get something that'll be good enough for you, but not as expensive and overcute as a mac. You can use the difference in cost to get a portable projector and display your screen contents on any white wall.
Like this one:
Sanyo PLC-XW55A Ultra Portable Multimedia Projector - 2000 Lumen, XGA, 1024x768, 4:3, 400:1, 6.4 lbs
http://www.tigerdirect.com/appli...9&Sku=S680-
1060
Projecting it onto the wall is 90% of a SmartBoard but better because it's larger. I did it this way for nearly a year until the Science teacher refused to learn to use his SmartBoard and I borrowed it.
Please note:
I am not recommending either of these specifically, just giving you an idea of what's available.
There may be better deals or there may be other brands that you're more comfortable with or, in the case of the projector, lightbulb requirements from your district - replacement bulbs are expensive and they might be on a different part of the school's budget and available - I just don't know your situation well enough.
Wow. Lots of differing opinions.
Actually I already have a laptop, the Toshiba I'm using now. I was thinking of it as too heavy to carry around all the time, but maybe I'll try it a while and see how it works out.
The projector is a great idea, but definitely more than I'm willing to carry as I trudge through the rain and snow every day between the building and the trailers. I share Gary's feelings about Dell computers, about which I learned the hard way, but I haven't had those issues on, say, the one I'm using now.
It's discouraging to hear from multiple sources the limitations of those netbooks, as they seemed an easy solution a few short hours ago.
The pen drive seems like a good idea, even though I wouldn't have a computer in class. I wonder, though, how good an idea it is to type anything on DoE computers. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I know they monitor email.
Thanks for all the input, and any more is certainly appreciated.
If you're comfortable enough with computers to run a blog, you can manage with either. You'll have way less frustration over time with a MacBook and have the option to run both Windows and OS X (I was doing that last night). But there's no question that the 13" MacBook Pro is really closer in nature overall to a $800-$1000 Windows laptop than a $350 Netbook barely running Windows on its tiny screen with its little keyboard. You can get the job done with a PC or Mac but if you have the time, wait to buy your laptop with Windows 7 and save some time down the road and frustration. Windows 7 runs very nicely on a MacBook by the way. I put the one year free version on it a few weeks back. BTW, I manage about 500 of these things at work (10% Mac, 90% PC). If we were 100% Mac I'd have almost nothing to do
Let's not forget that the reason Leopard is so much more "stable" than Windows is that OS X runs on a closed system with limited hardware. You can't choose your own specs on hardware--you can only choose from the very limited and expensive options Apple offers. With Windows, you can use virtually any hardware or software that YOU choose--not just what Steve Jobs has chosen for you.
As for viruses, it's ridiculous to think that OS X is more secure than Windows. It's simply that since 90% of computers run Windows, virus writers attack the dominant platform. OS X can be hacked like any other OS. In 25 plus years of computing, from BBSes to Compuserve to Road Runner, I've gotten exactly one virus, and my firewall has been breached precisely zero times. If you keep your software up to date and stay away from clicking on that ad for free nude pics of Brittney Spears, Windows is as secure as anything else.
BTW--Apple fanatics rarely mention the cost of additional software, which can be astronomical because you are limited to a few vendors. For example, if you want to edit movies, you buy Final Cut studio for over $1000. In Windows, there is an abundance of programs that do the same job for a LOT less--under $100.
I have a Dell Mini 10 that I purchased about 2 months ago. Does it do everything that my regular laptop did or my desktop, no, but for the purposes that I need it for, it has proven to be very useful.
As a 43 year old woman, I can read the screen just fine and the keyboard and keys are regular size. I love it for ease of use and portability. I have not found it to be slow at all.
The type of a typical 1024x600 resolution netbook screen IS NOT too small to read. It's actually quite comfortable. The problem is that it's so short vertically that you're scrolling constantly and looking for ways to get the browser (or word processor, etc.) controls off your screen. Again, it's a fine second computer. It's not a good choice to get work done. It's much like trying to use the web on an iphone or blackberry. It can be done but you'll get annoyed if you know how it should work.
Macs aren't more secure. They're simply ignored far more by the evildoers out there. Outside the DOE, you'll almost never come across a Mac user with anti-virus software and even fewer will even know what it's like to have a virus or spyware, etc. I've been using both systems since the 80's and other systems before that (C64, Amiga, Atari, Radio Shack, etc.) and to date these simple realities have not changed. Perhaps some day but that day hasn't come close yet.
The software argument is silly. You can do everything with the software that comes standard on every Mac though I'd recommend you purchase the student edition of Office 2008, download a few freebies like Firefox. If you know so little about computers that you have to ask, you're not going to outgrow the standard compliment of Mac software any faster than the far more pathetic stuff you'll get on a low end Windows laptop let alone a Netbook. And if you, the software prices are pretty much the same (Adobe and the like).
The ONLY important reason to get a Windows computer is if you want to run something that is Windows only and those are rare (Techsmith Camtasia comes to mind but the Mac version is imminent). And now that Macs can run Windows very nicely (my absolute fastest Windows computers are my Macs and I can buy and use anything I want but there's no junkware on them from the manufacturer, just Windows and absolutely necessary drivers), I can't justify PC purchases on price unless you're going ultra cheap AND don't care about the negative ramifications (malware, the 100% inevitable slowdown that occurs within months unless you do a format and reinstall of everything regularly, usually poorer quality components). For me it's almost always worth spending another $200 or so to have a pleasant computing experience with the option of living in the unpleasant world as needed.
For what it's worth, the laptop I use now cost $450, and it's just fine. I just think it may be heavy to lug around all the time. I could be wrong.
I have MS Office on my desktop, but I'm running Open Office on this one and it's fine. It's freeware, and there's another freeware suite for Mac called Neo Office that people around the net seemed to like.
Mac offers something called iWork that looked pretty interesting, and it's 41 bucks installed on a new Mac. If I get a Mac it won't be to run Windows, though. I'm halfway tempted to jump on the offer that gets you a free iPod touch, but my daughter has one already and I just don't love it the way you're supposed to for some reason.
The 13 inch Mac is not any more pricey than 13 inch PCs, for the most part, and a Sony Vaio that size will run you twice what the Mac will. After reading all this stuff I think I'll stick with what I've got and see how that works.
If this laptop is too heavy I'll look for another one in October. By that time both the Mac and the PC will have new operating systems and computers will probably be half the size, half the price, and five times faster.
Thanks for all the great comments, folks.
Go to the Little Laptop Shop on Clinton Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. You can google it. They sell lovely 2nd hand laptops for cheap. They were corporate use computers and are generally 18 months old when sold off to Joe. Talk to him. He owns the place and knows everything. He'll set you up.
As you know I am a big mac fan. The issue raised by Mr. A. Talk about expensive software like Final Cut Pro is innaccurate because Imovie comes free and is easy to use to edit, though I prefer the old discontinued version. The only additional software needed is office but Apple does sell a much cheaper package of spreadsheet, presentation and word processor. There's also that cute built-in camera. The mac laptop allows you to do video podcasts right from your classroom or at faculty conferences with little fuss. Leave it on and we can all watch your trailer crumble in real time.
I think the big question is whether or not you'll be able to access the internet at your school. Most districts secure their networks and don't allow outside computers to access them.
You could get around it by paying$60 a month to ATT for a cellular card.
Well, at my school they typed a code into my computer that gives me access to Wi-Fi. Also, my laptop has a camera, for whatever that's worth. Many do nowadays.
Once you use the DOE servers, anything you do can be tracked--email, blogging--anything. This includes wi-fi or ethernet.
ATT is a good option, but pricey. You should see if you can piggyback on an unsecured wi-fi network in the area of your school. As far as I am concerned, if someone doesn't secure their network they are inviting you in.
The DoE does not allow us to use our own computers nor check our home emails for fear of viruses. We are not even allowed to bring in or share our own programs. They can only be registered to one computer unless the school gets it through the network.
Before you make the purchase, check the regs. The wifi is for school computers. You do have the right to ask for a computer in your room. There is "hardware" money in the budget. My school has almost every classroom filled with a Smartboard, so money does exist.
The DoE does not allow us to use our own computers nor check our home emails for fear of viruses.
Did this happen last school year? I taught from 2004 to 2008 and was always able to check my e-mail on the web on school computers.
I think it's up to the discretion of individuals at schools.
It's according to the interpetation of the regs by the principal. If your principal is a neandrathal luddite you are lucky to get a portable dry erase board. Some of these guys think post-notes are suspect.
The regs for my school were from the Region not the principal. My former school is getting high tech and almost all classrooms now have Smartboards.
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