ARR and Mac

[Laume]

Just for full disclosure, this is my windows 7 laptop. Next to me is a Debian machine and I run a debian lamp server from home. I also have a macbook at home that I use when I don't need a heavy-duty machine but still would need the basics *nix tools.

Some people like macs and they don't want to spend 83% of their time in bash like we do. That's their freedom. Please lay off.

Hippo, here's what I'd personally recommend. Check the specs and make sure it has the hardware specs required. Especially the video card. This will usually mean a macbook pro. Then do what I do, dual-boot/boot camp it. No emulation overhead or messing with configs.
http://www.apple.com/support/macbook/bootcamp/
As long as the hardware is up to specs to play the game, it'll work.

Oh yeah, get an external drive for the DVD's. Worse comes to worse, if you have a machine with a drive, you can probably write an iso from it and bring it over to the mac.

[Altena]

I installed OS X in a VM and used it for 3 hours and had a crash, but from what I saw "someone who is good with computers, but pretty much the first time on OS X) and what ever you do you are chained down, you can have 2 colours for the theme, nothing else if Linux is a country with no rules or laws and you can do anything you want, OS X is a prison you do what the warden Mr. Apple wants and not much else, to complete this analogy Windows is like most countries with laws you have freedom but there are certain thing you aren't allowed to do.

OS X is the most locked down OS I have seen.

Software compatibility. You use the OS that has the support for the applications you need the most.
/end

[Huginn]

The alpha worked on mac, i am pretty sure the beta will too. and i am fairly certain that the final release will as well.
http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManage...sion&iId=26800
Sorry we can not post screenshots of it working due to the NDA.

Macs are PCs. there has not been a real mac since 2005 when they moved to the intel processor.
a mac is now just a super expensive pc with an extra "security" (read "authoritarian regime, you have no rights") chip that tells OS:X (read "FreeBSD rip off") that it is OK to install. You could install windows if you felt like it, good luck with drivers, or you can use bootcamp, the sad attempt at a hypervisor.

The bottom line is that although apple tends to not make any computers that are, from a technical standpoint, utter garbage, they also do not make any premium quality and performance computers.
If you are indeed looking to spend at least US$1,799 on a macbook from apple's store, might i instead suggest the ASUS G75VW-DS71 for US$1,560. It outclasses the macbook in every single specification, with the exception of being heavier and thicker (which i do not consider a bad thing) and having the exact same processor. that will leave you US$249 left over with which you could pay your monthly subscription for two years, or for one year and donate the rest to the tohaku earthquake fund or buy polar bear credits, or even get a nice Walther PK380 to protect your new laptop. I don't care, it is your money and your life, you can buy a few tanga flip holes to mount on your new laptop for all i care, im not going to judge you... unless you buy a macbook.

[Huginn]

Interesting to know. They have come a long way then..

As far as software, I did a quick google and the main piece of software I use does not support Linux. - Ableton.
I also use a lot of Mac OS exclusive software that I have been using for years and can't imagine switching to a "similar but different" piece of software. Examples are-
Logic
FinalCut
Apature

So Linux truly wouldn't suit me personally, but I am sure it is perfectly fine for other people.

Ableton may not support Linux, but Linux supports Ableton.
Ableton works FLAWLESSLY, out of the box, with no modifications in WINE http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManage...ation&iId=2113

[Hippo]

Just for full disclosure, this is my windows 7 laptop. Next to me is a Debian machine and I run a debian lamp server from home. I also have a macbook at home that I use when I don't need a heavy-duty machine but still would need the basics *nix tools.

Some people like macs and they don't want to spend 83% of their time in bash like we do. That's their freedom. Please lay off.

Hippo, here's what I'd personally recommend. Check the specs and make sure it has the hardware specs required. Especially the video card. This will usually mean a macbook pro. Then do what I do, dual-boot/boot camp it. No emulation overhead or messing with configs.
http://www.apple.com/support/macbook/bootcamp/
As long as the hardware is up to specs to play the game, it'll work.

Oh yeah, get an external drive for the DVD's. Worse comes to worse, if you have a machine with a drive, you can probably write an iso from it and bring it over to the mac.

Thanks Laume, I will wait until Beta phase III to see if there's anyone who tried to run beta on a macbook pro

Who knows, there might be a new macbook pro released in spring!

[Ashiee]

I am torn between buying the latest 27' iMac vs the 15.4' Macbook pro. I already have the previous generation 27' iMac so if I buy the Macbook Pro, can I use the 27' iMac as my monitor?

Can anyone give me some advice? As the new generation macs don't come with a dvd drive, anyone knows how to install windows on it?

I would definitely get a Macbook pro over an iMac. I would just say build a desktop if you were going for an iMac... you can get something much cheaper with way better specs since I'm assuming you keep your iMac in one place.

As for laptops, I think Mac is a decent. I have had both non-Mac and a Macbook pro. I have to say, the Macbook pro is way overpriced, but it is great for a traveling around with, and has been very reliable hardware wise. The other laptops I have had (both Asus) were good, but at some point have had hardware issues within two years, and is not nearly as convenient design wise as the Macbook for carrying around and traveling.

Also just get an external disk-drive to install windows.

[Eekiki]

OS X is the most locked down OS I have seen.

Anything Mac can do, Linux can do better as long as you hold its hand every step of the way.

The graphic design, photo/video editing, and publishing apps on Linux are superior if and only if you know how to make them work.

But most liberal arts majors are real good at liberal arts, but not good with computers. So they use Macs. /shrug

[Delsus]

Anything Mac can do, Linux can do better as long as you hold its hand every step of the way.

The graphic design, photo/video editing, and publishing apps on Linux are superior if and only if you know how to make them work.

But most liberal arts majors are real good at liberal arts, but not good with computers. So they use Macs. /shrug

The thing with Linux is there is a distro for everything (almost), if you want an OS you can make into what you want, get Ubuntu, Fedora or Kubuntu, if you want penetration testing get backtrack, you want an extremely lite version get damn small linux, Mythbuntu has packages to act as a media center, Ubuntu Studio for multimedia creation, aimed at audio, graphic and video editors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._distributions

[ArkhamNative]

FWIW: It's a violation of the NDA to say if or how well the alpha software ran on Macs or any other computer or OS.

And a correction: Boot Camp isn't hypervisor. It's a dual-boot setup utility for disk partitioning and includes Windows drivers for the Apple hardware. That's it. You still buy Windows (or download Linux) and you install it directly onto the hardware. Mac OS doesn't even run during the install or while you're booted into the other OS. You might be thinking of VMWare's or Parallels's Mac products, which does create a virtual machine session hosted inside Mac OS X.


Not sure why mentioning Macs brings out the genocidal rage-aholics. Like with cars, it's a better world with a variety. Some people like to just enjoy the looks and a soft ride. Others like just getting work done, like ambulance drivers. Nothing wrong with doing your own maintenance and obsessing over component specs as a job or hobby, either.

If Macs were completely horrible at gaming we wouldn't see companies increasingly making games for Mac OS X. Guild Wars 2, Elder Scrolls Online, Borderlands 2, to name a few. There's money in it, even for indies, and entertainment for the consumer, or it wouldn't continue.

[Mikita]

I use both PC and Mac all the time and don't have any particular loyalty either way since I don't care about computer operating systems as long as I can use them for what I want to do.

I must say, though, that Macs are absolutely beautifully made down to the smallest details. Some things that come to mind:

- Mac screens are gorgeous and good for color fidelity and off-angle viewing.

- The Unibody aluminum case is beautiful, and for the Macbooks they slip into a bag smoothly -- unlike most Windows notebooks I've used where there are protruding feet, batteries, jacks, or whatnot that snag on things.

- The magsafe power cord attachment is better than the power plug on any PC notebook I've used.

- The Magic Mouse inertial scrolling works wonderfully. I've tried many PC mice trying to find one that works the same as my Magic Mouse but they all fall short in one way or another.

- Closing the lid on the Macbook to go somewhere, then opening it back up instantly brings you back to a usable state. Most Windows notebooks need to do some "thinking" before you can start using them again.

- The iMac is a very nice all-in-one design that really simplifies the table top clutter.

It's true that if you look at specs alone, Macs will usually be a few hundred dollars more expensive. I personally appreciate the attention to detail and physical quality of the the finished product, so I consider it money well spent. But I understand that these things will not be important to many people, so at least there are many cheaper Windows notebook options.