The Official Mac Thread (Docs, Themes, Apps, Etc.)

[cwrite78]

i swear, thegoat is the only mac user that i can stand

i dont think i've ever seen dude push apple products like some of these fanboys. always helping people out too. i still owe you an invite

Originally Posted by DiPlOmAt TDOt

^ I miss our AIM/iChat convos, your MIA now.

i had jblack PM me the other day saying the same

been too busy enjoying my gaming pc to get on aim

 

[DYNAMICS]

PM's it is then.

 

[23legacy45]

Originally Posted by thegoat121886

Originally Posted by LB510

thegoat121886- How's the G Drive?

it's pretty, and it has eSATA which is miles faster than even FireWire 800, but it's nothing a cheaper WD or Seagate couldnt handle. The extra money you spend on one could return it's value in its aluminum casing though, which is obviously more hearty than hard plastic

Should I get a Macbook Pro to replace my Compaq laptop? Someone please tell me the pros and cons of the macbook pro.

Nobody can really convince you one way or the other. If you like windows, stay with a Windows laptop and save some money. If you like Mac OS, spend the extra and go with a MBP. It's all personal preference. I don't really find there to be much difference between the two honestly. 

I don't know what I like really

. I want a laptop for essays, video editing, and for tumblr and ebay. Not using it for gaming. I have an extra 1k to spend so if I get the Macbook, I would need to add roughly $260 with my student discount. If I get a PC, I would buy a LV pocket organizer and some nice headphones with the extra $. 

 

[23legacy45]

double post

 

[tj detweiler]

how are you guys connecting your macbook to the tv for the sound? I have a mini dvi to hdmi cable and bought a 3.5mm Stereo Plug/2 RCA Plug cable but not sure where I plug in the audio cable to the tv, theres nothing next to the hdmi port on the back.

 

[23legacy45]

triple post

 

[23legacy45]

Quadruple post

What's going on? I didn't even click "enter" and it posted mins after

 

[DYNAMICS]

Originally Posted by TJ Detweiler

how are you guys connecting your macbook to the tv for the sound? I have a mini dvi to hdmi cable and bought a 3.5mm Stereo Plug/2 RCA Plug cable but not sure where I plug in the audio cable to the tv, theres nothing next to the hdmi port on the back.

I got my MBP at the end of 2008 and when it came time to do this I got the dvi to hdmi cable. While the picture showed fine on my tv the audio was still playing off my comp, I think the new ones that came out after that automatically have it built in the ports that both the picture and sound transfers. But yeah I think I need another cable..

 

[thegoat121886]

Originally Posted by CWrite78

i swear, thegoat is the only mac user that i can stand

i dont think i've ever seen dude push apple products like some of these fanboys. always helping people out too. i still owe you an invite

i just don't get jaded by all the aesthetics. I'm a lifelong mac user...didn't even really start using PCs until high school and that's just because of mandatory computers classes. Probably the only reason now that i still use them over windows PCs is because i know the system inside out and it's comfortable. Outside of viruses, i've seen macs get plagued with the same problems PCs do so i have an objective opinion of what Steve Christ's Apple is all about. When people ask me to recommend them things, i just give them all the options. I'm not anti-Microsoft at all. I will stand behind iPod classics to the death though

. I don't care how many problems they have. I'm not trippin too hard off that invite. Free is free and i'm reeeaaal patient 

 

[thegoat121886]

Originally Posted by 23legacy45

Originally Posted by thegoat121886

Originally Posted by LB510

thegoat121886- How's the G Drive?

it's pretty, and it has eSATA which is miles faster than even FireWire 800, but it's nothing a cheaper WD or Seagate couldnt handle. The extra money you spend on one could return it's value in its aluminum casing though, which is obviously more hearty than hard plastic

Should I get a Macbook Pro to replace my Compaq laptop? Someone please tell me the pros and cons of the macbook pro.

Nobody can really convince you one way or the other. If you like windows, stay with a Windows laptop and save some money. If you like Mac OS, spend the extra and go with a MBP. It's all personal preference. I don't really find there to be much difference between the two honestly. 

I don't know what I like really

. I want a laptop for essays, video editing, and for tumblr and ebay. Not using it for gaming. I have an extra 1k to spend so if I get the Macbook, I would need to add roughly $260 with my student discount. If I get a PC, I would buy a LV pocket organizer and some nice headphones with the extra $. 


oh ok gotcha. I wasn't trying to be a jerk or anything so sorry if i came off that way. I was just saying that no one can really tell you 100% go get a mac or 100% go get a pc..it really just boils down to preference. you sound like you could definitely save some money and get a really good PC laptop for well under $1K. If not that, a 13" MacBook would do you just fine.
Pros of MBP's

• Relatively high resale value- you can easily sell a 2-3 year old mac for anywhere from 50-75% of it's original sale value. this makes the upgrade process a lot sweeter when you have extra cash to work with
• Very good native creative suites- if your focus has anything to do with digital media arts (music production, film, photography/print manipulation, etc), OSX offers an extensive library of in-house software, most of which is the industry standard in a given field
• Low-risk of viruses- you still take a gamble going online raw, but i can say that in nearly 20 years of Mac-ing, i have never gotten a virus. Watch pr0n with confidence
  
   
• Design- there's no denying that MBPs are sexy beasts. They also have relatively high battery life ON PAPER. Your own experience and usage may prove otherwise
• The Apple Store- if you're not computer/tech saavy, having a retail store to troubleshoot your computer can be a lot easier to deal with than a tech support phone rep in India. This is not a reason to put your faith in every Apple Genius you come across though. Many will still jake you around if you need repairs/can't pinpoint an issue/etc. The peace of mind may just be worth it however.

Cons of MBP's

• Price- I can't really agree that the markup on these things compared to other computers in their respective classes are entirely worth it. The 15" MBP is the best value of any MBP with it's mix of functionality, features and price. The current 13" should be no more than $1K, and the 17" is highway robbery considering its a 15" computer with a higher res, 2" larger screen real estate. There just isn't enough product differentiation to justify the stark price increases at those levels.
• Limited user upgrades: outside of RAM and hard drives, none of the components of a mac are upgradable. You'll need to buy a mac pro just to get the option of a semi-custom machine. If you do choose to go Mac, just understand you're pretty much stuck with that configuration for as long as you own it. If you would like to upgrade from the standard options available, DO NOT buy the RAM/HD upgrades from apple. They charge a whole lot for a whole little. buy those things from a place like Newegg and sell the parts that come out your Mac for a little extra money. Replaceing RAM and HDs are easy DIY jobs that take no more than 5 mins each. Apple charges a 100-300% premium
  
   
• Product updates are few and far between: The computer world moves at a very fast pace. Apple moves at it's own pace and adopts new hardware at a lower rate than PCs. It took them a year to adopt Arrandale chips on MBPs, and now we're about to be on Sandy Bridge 
  
  
  . The last MBP update was in April 2010. We're in January 2011... Along with the updates, Apple is slow to adopt new chipsets. Intel Core 2 Duos are STILL being used in modified forms on the 13" MB/MBP, MBA, and Mac Mini, 4 years after they were first introduced. While a fast chip is only a part of the equation in a quality computer, it is disheartening that a company who claims to be so innovative can't balance out profit margins and upgrades a little better.
  
  
  Let me know if you need more info

 

[thegoat121886]

Originally Posted by DiPlOmAt TDOt

Originally Posted by TJ Detweiler

how are you guys connecting your macbook to the tv for the sound? I have a mini dvi to hdmi cable and bought a 3.5mm Stereo Plug/2 RCA Plug cable but not sure where I plug in the audio cable to the tv, theres nothing next to the hdmi port on the back.

I got my MBP at the end of 2008 and when it came time to do this I got the dvi to hdmi cable. While the picture showed fine on my tv the audio was still playing off my comp, I think the new ones that came out after that automatically have it built in the ports that both the picture and sound transfers. But yeah I think I need another cable..

@TJ: what model do you have? 2010 macs put out audio through DisplayPort. You would just need a DisplayPort-to-HDMI cable and plug it up to your computer.
If none of this applies, then the 3.5mm-to-RCA cable should have red/white stereo inputs to plug into the back. If your TV doesn't have those, a 3.5mm-to-TosLink (optical cable) may work given that you have that input on your tv instead. both will be analog signals fyi

 

[DYNAMICS]

 

[fresh prince of nowhere]

 

[tj detweiler]

Originally Posted by thegoat121886

Originally Posted by DiPlOmAt TDOt

Originally Posted by TJ Detweiler

how are you guys connecting your macbook to the tv for the sound? I have a mini dvi to hdmi cable and bought a 3.5mm Stereo Plug/2 RCA Plug cable but not sure where I plug in the audio cable to the tv, theres nothing next to the hdmi port on the back.

I got my MBP at the end of 2008 and when it came time to do this I got the dvi to hdmi cable. While the picture showed fine on my tv the audio was still playing off my comp, I think the new ones that came out after that automatically have it built in the ports that both the picture and sound transfers. But yeah I think I need another cable..

@TJ: what model do you have? 2010 macs put out audio through DisplayPort. You would just need a DisplayPort-to-HDMI cable and plug it up to your computer.
If none of this applies, then the 3.5mm-to-RCA cable should have red/white stereo inputs to plug into the back. If your TV doesn't have those, a 3.5mm-to-TosLink (optical cable) may work given that you have that input on your tv instead. both will be analog signals fyi

This is for my girls macbook. She liked mine so much that she went and got the white macbook. She bought it in June of this year I believe. I bought her a mini dvi to hdmi that said supported audio for 2010 models but no audio went through. After that I bought the rca red/white cable but not sure where I would plug that in the back of the tv.

 

[bozo7000]

Had my imac for over a month now. It's

I still need to customize it though.

Whats with the mac apps coming this week

 

[thegoat121886]

Originally Posted by TJ Detweiler

Originally Posted by thegoat121886

Originally Posted by DiPlOmAt TDOt

Originally Posted by TJ Detweiler

how are you guys connecting your macbook to the tv for the sound? I have a mini dvi to hdmi cable and bought a 3.5mm Stereo Plug/2 RCA Plug cable but not sure where I plug in the audio cable to the tv, theres nothing next to the hdmi port on the back.

I got my MBP at the end of 2008 and when it came time to do this I got the dvi to hdmi cable. While the picture showed fine on my tv the audio was still playing off my comp, I think the new ones that came out after that automatically have it built in the ports that both the picture and sound transfers. But yeah I think I need another cable..

@TJ: what model do you have? 2010 macs put out audio through DisplayPort. You would just need a DisplayPort-to-HDMI cable and plug it up to your computer.
If none of this applies, then the 3.5mm-to-RCA cable should have red/white stereo inputs to plug into the back. If your TV doesn't have those, a 3.5mm-to-TosLink (optical cable) may work given that you have that input on your tv instead. both will be analog signals fyi

This is for my girls macbook. She liked mine so much that she went and got the white macbook. She bought it in June of this year I believe. I bought her a mini dvi to hdmi that said supported audio for 2010 models but no audio went through. After that I bought the rca red/white cable but not sure where I would plug that in the back of the tv.

no, DVI only carries video. No audio. what you need to get is a Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter, with an HDMI cord, or a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI cord that carries audio. Monoprice.com has both of these. This would be an all digital signal, which is significantly better than the RCA plugs. If you want to keep what you have, just plug those into the red/white composite audio inputs in the back of the tv. What model tv set do you have? 

It would go into the red/white inputs like above

EDIT here's an adapter that supports audio via HDMI 

 

[thegoat121886]

qwerty

 

[tj detweiler]

sorry goat, I meant mini display port to hdmi. This is the one I bought since it was 6.99 shipped when I got it. link

She bought a crappy 32" lcd emerson from walmart like a month ago.

I tried so hard to tell her not to but she's hard headed.

 

[yungrich 702]

i got say after acquiring my MBP 13 inch couldnt be happier coming from windows took a little to getting familiar to the os but overall would recommend it.
heres my current setup.
i still have alot to learn but im keep lurkin this thread.

 

[wada7]

Originally Posted by Bozo7000

Had my imac for over a month now. It's

I still need to customize it though.

Whats with the mac apps coming this week

last month all the blogs were reporting that the Mac App Store would open on January 6, so we'll just have to wait and see tomorrow

 

[thegoat121886]

Originally Posted by TJ Detweiler

sorry goat, I meant mini display port to hdmi. This is the one I bought since it was 6.99 shipped when I got it. link

She bought a crappy 32" lcd emerson from walmart like a month ago.

I tried so hard to tell her not to but she's hard headed.

Do you have a high speed HDMI cable? (Hh Speed= HDMI 1.4)
Looks like you need at least 1.3 to support audio

 

[tj detweiler]

Originally Posted by thegoat121886

Originally Posted by TJ Detweiler

sorry goat, I meant mini display port to hdmi. This is the one I bought since it was 6.99 shipped when I got it. link

She bought a crappy 32" lcd emerson from walmart like a month ago.

I tried so hard to tell her not to but she's hard headed.

Do you have a high speed HDMI cable? (Hh Speed= HDMI 1.4)
Looks like you need at least 1.3 to support audio

yea, the mini display port came with a high speed hdmi cable.

 

[thegoat121886]

Originally Posted by TJ Detweiler

Originally Posted by thegoat121886

Originally Posted by TJ Detweiler

sorry goat, I meant mini display port to hdmi. This is the one I bought since it was 6.99 shipped when I got it. link

She bought a crappy 32" lcd emerson from walmart like a month ago.

I tried so hard to tell her not to but she's hard headed.

Do you have a high speed HDMI cable? (Hh Speed= HDMI 1.4)
Looks like you need at least 1.3 to support audio

yea, the mini display port came with a high speed hdmi cable.

sounds like it's the adapter you have for some reason or another jus won't pass audio. If the HDMI input on the tv functions fine and the macbook is for sure a 2010 model then it's clearly that
Read through this and this. Other people seem to have the same issues and have fixed it by taking the suggestions there

 

[wada7]

Originally Posted by thegoat121886

Originally Posted by TJ Detweiler

Originally Posted by thegoat121886

Originally Posted by TJ Detweiler

sorry goat, I meant mini display port to hdmi. This is the one I bought since it was 6.99 shipped when I got it. link

She bought a crappy 32" lcd emerson from walmart like a month ago.

I tried so hard to tell her not to but she's hard headed.

Do you have a high speed HDMI cable? (Hh Speed= HDMI 1.4)
Looks like you need at least 1.3 to support audio

yea, the mini display port came with a high speed hdmi cable.

sounds like it's the adapter you have for some reason or another jus won't pass audio. If the HDMI input on the tv functions fine and the macbook is for sure a 2010 model then it's clearly that
Read through this and this. Other people seem to have the same issues and have fixed it by taking the suggestions there

i'm not sure if this will help or not but when you have the HDMI cable plugged in to the adapater you have to select the TV for sound output in System Preferences

 

[tj detweiler]

I'll look into it, thanks goat and wada.