Forums | MacLife

Well, I started out on a 128k long, long ago.  And I've had plenty betwixt now and then.  Some of the highlights were a Mac Plus, a PowerBook 520c, a Power Computing Power Tower Pro 250, a Motorola StarMax something or other (4000 I think?), a 9600/300, a MDD 867 G4, and a 15" Al PB.  All of these are still in my possession, and all but the StarMax are in working order.  And there are others that shall remain nameless (think Quadra, an LC, a Mac II).

My 15" PB began developing backlight problems.  I took it in to be repaired and they said it could be one of two things.  One was $50, the other was about $700.  It wasn't the $50.  And, lo and behold, it wasn't the $700, either.  So they called Apple and got someone on the line who told them it could be one of three other things, two less than $100, one well over $800 (a new motherboard).  One of the two $100 things seemed to do the trick (I think he called it a "Diversity Board" -- something I've never heard of).  But then less than a week later it started exhibiting the same backlight failures.  So I called up my tech and told him and he said, "uh oh." 

It seems this is some sort of cascading problem where the real problem is the motherboard causing problems with things down the line.  The fixing of the down the line things appeared to have fixed it, but didn't.  So I asked if it was worth putting the money into this three-year-old machine and he said, "honestly, not really." 

So I bit the bullet and ordered the MacBook Pro.  Actually my wallet bit the bullet.  But that's another story. 

The 15" Al PB still works about 60-70% of the time, so it'll be good to have around as a spare or for the rare LAN gaming sessions (assuming it works), and I can always use it in FireWire target mode as an external drive.

Be warned, if you go with that bundle the computer won't come with Mac OS X (at least as far as I could tell from their web site).  I ordered mine from MacMall, as I've had good experiences with them in the past, but I opted for the Mac OS bundle (I can get XP Pro very cheap [and, in fact, just did] through school).

I'm chomping at the bit for my MacBook Pro to arrive!

They (today) have changed the web site to say just what you said.  But when I was browsing their wares (up until yesterday) the product specs made no mention of Mac OS being included, while the "standard" version clearly listed Mac OS as being included. 

Perhaps it always was, but it was not clear from their blurbs.  Under "Operating System" it listed only Windows XP (whatever flavor you chose).

Agreed.  I found it odd, as, were I not in a school with a licensing agreement with Microsloth, I'd have considered getting a bundle with Windows XP, so long as it included Mac OS.  Though I have a copy of Mac OS X 10.4, I'd not have felt comfortable (given my previous job in the software industry and my future job in the legal industry) installing it on a new computer when I had already installed it on other machines (I had a "family pack" that I used up). 

I'm glad to see the change on their web site.

VegasACF wrote:

Agreed.  I found it odd, as, were I not in a school with a licensing agreement with Microsloth, I'd have considered getting a bundle with Windows XP, so long as it included Mac OS.  Though I have a copy of Mac OS X 10.4, I'd not have felt comfortable (given my previous job in the software industry and my future job in the legal industry) installing it on a new computer when I had already installed it on other machines (I had a "family pack" that I used up). 

I'm glad to see the change on their web site.

Your 10.4 Disc wouldn't have worked anyway.

VegasACF wrote:

They (today) have changed the web site to say just what you said.  But when I was browsing their wares (up until yesterday) the product specs made no mention of Mac OS being included, while the "standard" version clearly listed Mac OS as being included. 

Perhaps it always was, but it was not clear from their blurbs.  Under "Operating System" it listed only Windows XP (whatever flavor you chose).

That can't possibly be right.  Apple would cut their balls off.

VegasACF wrote:

I just ordered a 2 GHz 15.4" MacBook Pro.

Wheeeeeeee!

I think you are going to love the speed, the versatility of being able to run multiple operating systems, and everything else about it. I never thought I'd get into using a laptop, but I've almost stopped using my G4 desktop since getting this.

Have fun!

My iBook G4 is boring me; I want a new 13" iBook but otherwise I'll get a MBP.

Sounds Cool.