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  • Apple

    Does anyone know if Apple makes a docking station for the Apple MacBook Pro?
    I’m looking to buy a new laptop and like this one but I find it on the pricey side. Any advice on Apples or other laptop choices?

  • #2
    Quoth Last Jewish Cowboy View Post
    Does anyone know if Apple makes a docking station for the Apple MacBook Pro?
    I’m looking to buy a new laptop and like this one but I find it on the pricey side. Any advice on Apples or other laptop choices?
    First off, wait until tomorrow at the earliest. New product annoucements from Apple are due out then. Speculation says they may have an under $1000 notebook to unveil, but Apple plays their hand very close to their chest, so it's all pure speculation until Mr. Jobs shows up on stage.

    Second: um, why do you want a docking station? I'm not sure why you would want a dock, so I can't answer the question. You can hook outside monitors and keyboards up to an Apple, though you may need it open to run (never tried it myself). They've got built-in airport and bluetooth, so you can connect to most devices wirelessly.

    Beyond that... just the usual questions. What do you want to do with it? That will determine what to get. Is it worth the premium price? I think it is, for most people, but keep in mind that I'm extremely biased towards Apple. (Hell, if I stuck with them after the Performa line, that says loyalty, right?) Is it worth it to you? Well, here's my list of pros and cons, and I'm going to do my best to keep fairly neutral. Well, I'll try, at any rate.

    • Different operating system. I find Mac OS easier to understand and harder to screw up, though your milege my vary, and there will be a learning curve, though not, in my experience, a rough one. You can run Windows on a Mac if you have a copy of Windows that's not machine-specific. You may need more software, though I think Boot Camp is either free or inexpensive. Oh, and that rarest of rare things: you get an actual system disk, in case you need to replace a scrubbed hard drive. In my experience, most devices have a better plug-and-play capability than with early versions of Windows, though I don't have extensive experience here, and no experience with Vista (my experiences were mostly "Oh, I don't need to find any drivers for this camera with my Mac? Cool. Oh, I have to jump through a zillion hoops to get the Widows machine to do wireless communications with the router? Sucks.")
    • Good reliability scores for Apple, though laptops are not as good as their desktop units, which consistently rank at the top of Consumer Report's reviews.
    • Very good tech support, always at the top of CR's reports, when the nearest competition in ranking isn't even average. If you're near an Apple store, it's even better, as you can get serious hands-on support free.
    • iLife comes free. Don't know if that's a bonus to you, or what the Widows world is giving away these days, so I don't have good comparison. I also prefer iWork to the MS Office suite. It doesn't have as many bells and whistles, but honestly, I don't need them; it's less confusing (I'm about to change my work mail back to Mozilla just becase of headaches dealing with Outlook); and it's cheaper. Much cheaper.

    Hope this helps. Oh, and if you do get an Apple, also pick up a two-button USB mouse. That's one thing Apple could really use.

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    • #3
      If your still out there here are the new updated MacBooks:
      http://www.apple.com/macbook/

      Its looks like Apples lowered their prices on all their MacBooks so that might make it a bit more affordable. The only thing I don't like is the new trackpad. I doesn't have a button, so I second the request to get a 2 button mouse. Mac still doesn't have a docking station but they just made a new monitor specifically for the MacBooks. It has USB ports, iSight & a mic. It doesn't look like its available yet but should be soon.

      Edited to Add: Ok, I'm an idiot. All the current and brand-new Macs have a DVI port for the monitor. Therefore if you really want a docking station and don't want to shell out money for the Apple display (cause its gonna cost big bucks) any universal docking station would work. Just get a DVI to VGA connector, and go. The only thing is because all your connections are on the side of your laptop, it won't be as pretty as when you use a docking station with a pc.
      Last edited by PhotoChick; 10-14-2008, 07:35 PM.

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      • #4
        Quoth PhotoChick View Post
        Its looks like Apples lowered their prices on all their MacBooks so that might make it a bit more affordable. The only thing I don't like is the new trackpad. I doesn't have a button, so I second the request to get a 2 button mouse.
        The $1000 MacBooks are the older design, and probably still have the original trackpad. Get the mouse anyway, mostly for applications needing two buttons. For most things, though, use the trackpad; it's generally better/faster.

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        • #5
          The new one seems quite nice. The 13 inch monitor seems a little small to me though.

          What are your opinions?

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          • #6
            My opinion is do not get an Apple laptop unless you specifically need Mac software. You can get a more powerful machine for the same/less, with more options on accessories.

            If you're looking to spend ~$1000, here's one.

            Don't want Vista? One for $900.
            Ba'al: I'm a god. Gods are all-knowing.

            http://unrelatedcaptions.com/45147

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            • #7
              Bear in mind, smaller monitor = longer battery life. Similarly, slower processor = longer battery life.

              I swear if my ibook still worked I'd never have bought my new laptop. It struggles to get to two and a half hours, while my ibook would get well over three, sometimes four.
              Supporting the idiots charged with protecting your personal information.

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