Tech Help - Laptop Suggestions?
I'll be doing a LOT of traveling this coming Spring, and it's time to get myself a laptop. I'm looking for the following things:
1. Mac
2. Sturdy yet not too heavy
3. OSX 10.4 or higher compatible
4. Wireless Internet
5. Able to run my email (macmail)
6. Able to run Filemaker Pro
It's not vital that it do the following, but it would be nice...
1. Run my photoshop, quark or other big apps
Any suggestions? Any macheads out there totally in love with your laptop, which was a reasonable amount of $$ yet does all you need it to do? This will not be my primary computer, but something I can load my traveling files into and take with me so I'm not at the mercy of kind computer users and kinko's to check my email.
You guys have been an incredible resource so far on just about anything I ask, so I figure you'll have the thumbs up and thumbs down comments on various models that I probably won't get from the typical geek-search.
Antibiotics - yea or nay?
More than anyone else I understand the dilemma about antibiotics. We use them (overuse them) to the point that we grow super-infections in our systems as if we're walking petrie dishes. But I like to breathe. I am feeling much, much better today than I have in weeks - hey, we've been here before, n'est ce pas? - but I'm troubled by the 2 weeks of AB's I have to take to kill - yes, KILL - the growing beast within my lungs. Phlegm is a bitch.
Passport?
Last night I began the process to fulfill one of my NY resolutions. I filled out applications for everyone in the family to get passports, and if I can get my butt in gear I'd like to get the applications in by the end of the week. NOTE: This process will end up costing over $350 - for passports??? Geez, louise. And the kid's passports will only be good for 5 years. But I very much want to have the ability to just pack up and GO with them to someplace cool if the chance presents itself. Besides, we do travel to Canada (at least I do) every now and then, and soon we'll need to have passports to visit our friends to the north. Next - photos of the family! And you'll see it all here, folks, every step of the process. In painful detail. I promise to at least knit a bit in the waiting line...
And speaking of painful detail, here's my to do list for today. If I get half this stuff done I'll be in heaven!
1. Mac
2. Sturdy yet not too heavy
3. OSX 10.4 or higher compatible
4. Wireless Internet
5. Able to run my email (macmail)
6. Able to run Filemaker Pro
It's not vital that it do the following, but it would be nice...
1. Run my photoshop, quark or other big apps
Any suggestions? Any macheads out there totally in love with your laptop, which was a reasonable amount of $$ yet does all you need it to do? This will not be my primary computer, but something I can load my traveling files into and take with me so I'm not at the mercy of kind computer users and kinko's to check my email.
You guys have been an incredible resource so far on just about anything I ask, so I figure you'll have the thumbs up and thumbs down comments on various models that I probably won't get from the typical geek-search.
Antibiotics - yea or nay?
More than anyone else I understand the dilemma about antibiotics. We use them (overuse them) to the point that we grow super-infections in our systems as if we're walking petrie dishes. But I like to breathe. I am feeling much, much better today than I have in weeks - hey, we've been here before, n'est ce pas? - but I'm troubled by the 2 weeks of AB's I have to take to kill - yes, KILL - the growing beast within my lungs. Phlegm is a bitch.
Passport?
Last night I began the process to fulfill one of my NY resolutions. I filled out applications for everyone in the family to get passports, and if I can get my butt in gear I'd like to get the applications in by the end of the week. NOTE: This process will end up costing over $350 - for passports??? Geez, louise. And the kid's passports will only be good for 5 years. But I very much want to have the ability to just pack up and GO with them to someplace cool if the chance presents itself. Besides, we do travel to Canada (at least I do) every now and then, and soon we'll need to have passports to visit our friends to the north. Next - photos of the family! And you'll see it all here, folks, every step of the process. In painful detail. I promise to at least knit a bit in the waiting line...
And speaking of painful detail, here's my to do list for today. If I get half this stuff done I'll be in heaven!
Check PO Box
Take boxes to dump
buy bookcases - Ikea
buy rug - Ikea
pick up glasses - Costco
Drop off donated clothing - Costco Lot
Buy card stock & printer cartridge - Costco?
Straighten up HannahÕs room
Clean up basement (with kids...)
Send sketches to Interweave for Lace Book
Make votive kits & send to Stephanie
send out LOAÕs through May
Send out birthday invitations - Max's party
renew prescriptions
23 Comments:
Annie,
Check the State Department website for places other than the Post Office to apply for passports. I stood in line at the PO for over an hour and it didn't move and I had to leave. I went to the clerk's office at the county courthouse and had immediate service - no line at all. The pictures are terrible - no smiling allowed. Wear something colorful or they look washed out.
having asthma is the pits! I have it too and always opt for antibiotics. You dont want to get worse and end up in the hospital. I am dealing will major crud in the lungs too and have been on Levaquin. Also been on the breathing machine alot. Take care of those lungs Annie!!! I want to see you on TV some more!!
I have a Mac iBook G4 and I love it. The reason I decided on it and not a powerbook is the portability ease. It is a 12 inch screen and weighs less than 5 lbs. I also bought a case at the Apple store that is designed for it so it holds little else which limits the ammount of crap weighing me down. I am not sure if it would support Quark, etc, and I considered the powerbook for that reason, but all of the 'big' programs are on the sesk top and I do not need them with me. iPhoto is enough on the laptop.
Do you have an Apple store near you? They were very helpful in person. Maybe you should come to HYouston and we can go Apple shopping at the one here on the way to the LYS.
sounds like you have a busy day ahead-- when I am sick I tend to lay around like a lump -- I hate antibiotics--never fails you get "one of those" infections when you take them....aargh!! Hope you miss out on that side affect!!!
I agree with you about the antibiotics being a concern, but they're a lifesaver too: finish your course of treatment or the infection will just come back. I'm a bit puzzled by what you said recently about your steroids: you should take those daily to reduce the effects of the asthma, and they don't wear off by the following morning like you said on the 6th: they take a few days to wear on and a few to wear off. Inhaled, they're quite different from the streoids one takes orally and are effective in much smaller doses: if you can get the CFC-free one (it's called Qvar in the UK, might have a different name in the US) it is effective in an even smaller dose. If you're taking your steroids and bretahing more easily, you put much less strain on your heart. Sorry for the lecture :), and I'm glad you're breathing better, there's nothing like it.
PS Have you tried physiotherapy for your breathing? Or the Buteyko Method? I've found them very helpful.
Hey Annie-
I also use an IBook G4- which I LOOOOOOVVVVE. I have had it for about a year and haven't had a single problem- but I also bought the extended service in case. They are so great at our local Apple store and that way if there is a problem I can just pop over.
I find it can do whatever I need it to publishing wise, etc. I surf the net with Safari and love that, but also jump over to Explorer if I need it for some sites.
I considered the PowerBook G5, but couldn't justify the way increased price. But it is a beauty and is of course more powerful. I have friends that do a ton of graphic design and they think it is perfect for that stuff. I have a feeling that for the level you are working at, you could get the PowerBook and it would end up as your primary computer. My friend that has one has two computers as well and thought, oh I'll use the desktop when I'm home, the screen is huge etc. Yet she is hardly ever on it because the laptop is just that great.
Good luck with your choice.
And on the Upper Michigan front after you come to see us very excited folks here in Buffalo, I will put the word out about that as well. Maybe you just want to spend a couple more days at my house playing with yarn and teaching me even more tricks, haha. I promise to actually cook meals in between knitting!! Seriously, we'll try to hook you up with another gig.- Jill
You know what - take the antibiotics. Take them as directly RELIGIOUSLY. Then you don't have to go through another round with yet another antibiotic. And eat a lot of yogurt or take the acidophilus as a supplement...it should help!
Kick that infection's ASS!!!
I have a iBook G3 from about 2002/3 and it still runs great for all my graphic design, web design and photography work (Photoshop, Quark, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, etc) - you get more for your money with the iBooks than the Powerbooks, for sure.
Apple now offers referbished iBooks. If I were you, I'd look into those. iBooks have enough juice to run any of your apps independantly. You probably can't run them all at once.
Whatever you do, make sure you install an OS that allows you to run Classic (OS 9) if you need it. I don't know if all of your apps are now OS X compliant or not.
I believe it's an option, even in the newest versions of the OS, but I'm not positive.
Annie, your lucky day. I spec computers out for a living. And I would recommend the powerbook if you need a large laptop screen and work on a lot of graphics, but it compromises space and weight. I would agree with all the people above, the ibook would be ideal for you. Remember, get at least 1 GB memory. These days, memory is cheap. Go higher if you can. Hope this helps.
although the 12" ibook G4 is a sweet little computer, I'd spend the money to buy a 12" powerbook G4 from the get go. it is smaller and lighter than the ibook. the powerbook, with its aluminuim case, can take a little more brow beating than the plastic case of the ibook. that's my 2 cents.
I have an older 12" iBook (bought it about 4ish years ago?), it was the lowest end notebook computer that they had at the time. I've had a few things repaired - magnetic latch broke (within weeks), there was a motherboard recall (after I'd owned it for ~3 yrs), I've replaced the power supply b/c the wire eventually broke, I had a bad accident with solvent and dissolved part of the finish, and now the screen is on its way out (must be *just so* or it flickers out).
Sounds like hell, but it's wearing out b/c I LOVE my iBook, use it every day for hours at a time, and treat it kind of roughly. It rarely crashes, the battery life is great, I use it on our wireless home network, runs everything I need (MS Office and Internet apps). When it dies, I'm going straight to the Apple store and buying a new one. Rumor has it that a new Powerbook will be unveiled at the forthcoming Apple convention - if so, then the current low-end iBook will go on sale for clearance, etc.
I have an iBook. I bought it from Small Dog Electronics (online) and it came with a bag to carry it and extra memory installed. They sell a lot of used and refurbished machines, so their stuff is very affordable. If I recall correctly, my laptop cost me about $900 and has the maximum amount of memory available and was at least up to 10.2 (I think that getting it with 10.4 should be possible, but I don't know if they charge more).
OOPS! Don't do anything until after MacWorld. Rumor has it the laptop line is up for some big changes.
Your are headed in the right direction with the computer and asking questions at the right time... but wait until tomorrow. It might be interesting! :)
Steve Jobs will be at the MacWorld this week I think and the buzz is that they may have an intel version of one of thier MAcs to introduce. I bought a powerbook 12" G4 last year and love it.
Check with Apple before you buy because they are converting all thier computers to the Intel chip and it will be interesting to see the effect of the new chip on current programs. The employees at the Apple store are great. I love to visit and see all the new gadgets
annie,
i'm with ann on waiting for steve jobs at macworld tomorrow. should be some interesting news. that said, i have an ibook g4 that i got last year. it doesn't zip around as much as my husband's powerbook and they are the same size (12"). he paid a bit more than i did but he gets a lot more zip and he is a heavy graphics user. p.s. take the antibiotics. you certainly gave your body a chance to fight it, and now it needs some reinforcement help.
I also have a 12" iBook G4 and LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it! It will support photoshop, but I don't know about Quark.
You may want to spring for a larger hard drive. Mines only 30GB and theres a lot of times I wish it was larger so that I didnt have to back up to an external hard drive.
But, like others have said, wait until after Mac World to see what new is coming out.
I elventy-second the waiting until after Tuesday to see what is announced.
Then, I would recommend an iBook. Much as I love my Powerbook, I think you would be happier with an iBook.
Yay for passports! My sig. ot. and I made that a New Year's resolution a few years back. (The only one I've ever been serious about--we'd missed out on a trip to Italy 'cause we didn't have passports.) We've been to Scotland and South Germany (plus Prague) since then. It's worth every bit of bother to just have that bit of paper work done.
Julie
For traveling, you'll want a 12 inch iBook with at least 512 megs of RAM.
All new iBooks come with 10.4 and Airport Extreme so you won't need to upgrade anything there. BUT you will want and need at least 512 megs of RAM for Photoshop.
A Powerbook and the new Macs will be too much for you. Those can function as primary computers; iBooks have just enough power and size without the huge price tag.
(Wow a new look - where have I been?) Anyway, yeah, passports are very expensive for a family - but I think you'll be glad you are doing it. I sent mine back to Dc while husband did his and our son's at a po - both came about the same time. Not too bad an exp. The kids are at an age I think all kids are great for traveling - eps. w. someone as open and cool as you!
I love what I have been seeing in the mags that you have done - keeo it up! Gooooo Annie!! Your fan in SF, Terry
This stalker is just getting caught up on some blog reading, and I had to comment:
Antibiotics are a short-term blessing, but a long-term dilemma. Every time you use them your immune system gets weaker, and you're still young! YouÕll need to be able to use them when youÕre actually old!
Have you ever thought about getting a referral to a nutritionist who specializes in asthma diets? There are simple (not easy, but simple) diets for asthma that really help. You will be surprised at the difference. Also, please look into taking acidophilus after every AB regime to reinstate the "good" bacteria into your body. It also help prevent those after AB yeast infections.
I used to have a tiny Sony Vaio Picturebook that I loved, but last year I got a Mac i-book which I love even more. When I have to replace my desktop machine, I'm switching over to Mac also. I have the lowest cost iBook and it does everything. Of course, now that the new MacBooks running on Intel chips are coming out, you'll have to look into that.
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