# Notebooks....



## Expiry (Feb 16, 2009)

Does anyone here have a notebook? Are they worth looking at?

I'm thinking of getting an apple mac to replace my PC. I'm getting into photography, so I figure a mac will be better.

I thought I would get a cheap laptop for general internet browsing and email etc, but I was looking at notebooks as well. Which would be the better option?

I do still want to use Excel/ MS Office etc.


----------



## Richard Schollar (Feb 16, 2009)

Do you mean a netbook?  If not, how does a notebook differ from a laptop?


----------



## Expiry (Feb 16, 2009)

Yes, I did. Just shows how much I know about them, eh?

Sorry.


----------



## Richard Schollar (Feb 16, 2009)

Well, I recently (6 weeks ago) bought a Samsung NC10 and I find it superb for using as a video player on the train and for general websurfing at home.  I have installed a full edition of SQL Server 2008 on it and Office 2007 Professional and it works fine (a little slower than my main dual core laptop and the lack of screen real estate causes a problem with the Ofiice 2007 ribbon but otherwise it's great!).  I love the fact it doesn't weigh me done much when I carry it in my back pack.


----------



## Expiry (Feb 16, 2009)

I'll take a look at that. I've noticed that some (Acer) have a Linux software, not MS Office. I'm assuming that's not compatable with Excel, for example and therfore I shouldn't bother.


----------



## Angie1313 (Feb 16, 2009)

My brother just picked up an HP mini.  It's really cute and perfect for those who only go online to check their facebook and such.  It really wouldn't be functional without picking up an external harddrive.


----------



## RoryA (Feb 16, 2009)

Expiry said:


> I'll take a look at that. I've noticed that some (Acer) have a Linux software, not MS Office. I'm assuming that's not compatable with Excel, for example and therfore I shouldn't bother.



You can install WINE, which is a Windows emulator, on Linux distros, and run Office that way, or you can use Open Office which has pretty good compatibility with MS Office, other than VBA. I think a lot of the Netbooks now are available with either Linux (I think it's usually Ubuntu) or Windows XP as long as they have enough RAM. Most have enough space that you could even dual boot them if you fancied it (install Windows first!).


----------



## Greg Truby (Feb 16, 2009)

Expiry said:


> I'm thinking of getting an apple mac to replace my PC. I'm getting into photography, so I figure a mac will be better.
> 
> I thought I would get a cheap laptop for general internet browsing and email etc, but I was looking at notebooks as well. Which would be the better option?
> 
> I do still want to use Excel/ MS Office etc.


 
I don't have experience running a Windows version of Office on a Mac.  But I think it can be done.  Do be aware that starting with the 2008 version of the mac version of office, it no longer supports whatever it was that they called the mac equivalent of VBA.


----------



## SydneyGeek (Feb 17, 2009)

I wroked with a guy a few months back who had a Mac and used Parallels to run Windows. In the Windows PC he had Office 2007 and MYOB, and from what I saw they both ran fine. He was running Access, which hooks deeply into Windows, and everything was predictable and stable. 
So, if you want to use both environments, it defenitely looks viable. As Greg said, Office 2008 uses AppleScript instead of VBA. I read somewhere that VBA will make a comeback in the next version but it would be interesting to see whether they base it on VB6 (like Office 2000 and higher on Windows) or VB5 (like previous Mac Office versions, and Office 97)

Denis


----------



## Expiry (Feb 17, 2009)

Thanks for your advice, all of you. That gives me some better understanding.

Basically, all I want is a reasonably cheap notebook/ netbook that the girlfriend can use without me having to worry that she's pressed the wrong button on my new mac, or spilt a glass of chardonnay over it.

Honestly, if I hear "Oops. Does that matter?" again!!!!


----------



## RoryA (Feb 17, 2009)

You can also use Boot Camp to run a full version of Windows on a Mac (assuming it's a new Intel Mac).


----------



## Domski (Feb 17, 2009)

Expiry said:


> Thanks for your advice, all of you. That gives me some better understanding.
> 
> Basically, all I want is a reasonably cheap notebook/ netbook that the girlfriend can use without me having to worry that she's pressed the wrong button on my new mac, or spilt a glass of chardonnay over it.
> 
> Honestly, if I hear "Oops. Does that matter?" again!!!!


 
In which case do you really want to mess with running 2 OS's?

Seems to me just a cheep netbook that will surf the net would do, Linux and Open Office would probably suffice otherwise your just going to leave yourself open to a load more oops moments.

Dom


----------



## SydneyGeek (Feb 17, 2009)

Look for one with a spill-resistant keyboard too 

Denis


----------



## RoryA (Feb 17, 2009)

Or one without a keyboard at all. (viewer discretion advised - some rude words on site!!)


----------



## DonkeyOte (Feb 17, 2009)

I love the Onion... brilliant...

"...everything is just a few hundred clicks away... "


----------



## RoryA (Feb 17, 2009)

Did you watch the Sony one? Rude, but very funny!


----------



## yytsunamiyy (Feb 17, 2009)

A bit outdated by now - but what an important reminder on keeping data secure...  - You gotta love the onion.


----------



## Hoggle (Feb 17, 2009)

Expiry said:


> Thanks for your advice, all of you. That gives me some better understanding.
> 
> Basically, all I want is a reasonably cheap notebook/ netbook that the girlfriend can use without me having to worry that she's pressed the wrong button on my new mac, or spilt a glass of chardonnay over it.
> 
> Honestly, if I hear "Oops. Does that matter?" again!!!!


 
You probably won't hear that again, there's virtually no 'wrong' button on a mac, almost foolproof - iLife09 is a fabulous suite for organising photos and bootcamp lets you run all your windows programmes - however with that comes the need for good antivirus cover which is seldom needed on the mac platform.


----------



## Domski (Feb 17, 2009)

Aren't the word "Mac" and the phrase "reasonably cheap notebook" slightly at odds with each other??? 

Dom


----------



## arkusM (Feb 18, 2009)

Domski said:


> Aren't the word "Mac" and the phrase "reasonably cheap notebook" slightly at odds with each other???
> 
> Dom


 
It come down to pay me now or pay me later... Later being the hrs and $$'s spent fixing a Windows box.


----------



## Domski (Feb 18, 2009)

arkusM said:


> It come down to pay me now or pay me later... Later being the hrs and $$'s spent fixing a Windows box.


 
I'm only on my second ever PC, the first one lasted 6 years before something on the motherboard gave up and the second which I think is over four years old now is still going very strong with the only problem being the cd writer packing up last year. Other than that I've never had any problems to speak of.

I guess I've never quite got the Mac worship thing (although I do admit to owning an iPod).

Dom


----------



## arkusM (Feb 18, 2009)

Domski said:


> I guess I've never quite got the Mac worship thing (although I do admit to owning an iPod).
> 
> Dom


 
touche


----------



## Domski (Feb 18, 2009)

arkusM said:


> touche


 
I never said I used it


----------



## Richard Schollar (Feb 18, 2009)

I must admit I'd *like* a Mac - I just can't justify the expense (especially since I will be shelling out for a new desktop computer given my wife's transgressions already brought up in another thread ).


----------



## arkusM (Feb 18, 2009)

RichardSchollar said:


> I must admit I'd *like* a Mac - I just can't justify the expense (especially since I will be shelling out for a new desktop computer given my wife's transgressions already brought up in another thread ).


 
I hear you. I noticed a tiny little dell for $400 CND.
But as far as the Mac goes for pictures and videos I love my Macs...
(but not worship them as Dom suggests )

I have access to an iBook for about $1200 CND (not sure if the link will work)

My work has a really nice program for buying tech, they offer intrest free loans for up to $2500. It has made our computer buying much more pallatable.


----------

