The Astroman
Active Member
Hey all,
So, I am no stranger to laptops. I have owned a few, and even more desktops, over the course of my short life. I have always used Microsoft Windows, mainly because I was used to it. I recently switched to Ubuntu Linux (NW) on my netbook, which has it's ups and downs.
I need a new laptop, which will act as my main computer, so I need something "powerful". The most demanding usage I require is viewing 720p MKV videos, so I need something with enough power to decode that (dunno if it's CPU or GPU-intensive). Otherwise nothing very exotic; Microsoft Office, heavy web usage (720p YouTube), some coding, planning a hostile takeover of southern Namibia, etc.
Some other features I need from a laptop are worldwide warranty, and otherwise a durable, reliable and robust machine. My immediate thought was to buy a Mac (yikes) which has all these features, and installing Windows and Linux on it, as I'm not a big fan of Mac OS (I might give it a try though). Can the current MBPs and MBAs with the Intel HD Graphics 3000 be used to view HD content (720p MKVs)?
I am far from being an Apple fanboy (despite having owned several iPods, iPhones and an iPad), quite on the contrary. I have never advocated their computers for my sort of usage, but it would seem now that they have Intel processors and their price has come down a bit, they do offer exactly what I am looking for. The fact that the casing is pure aluminium, and as a consequence makes for a light yet sturdy machine, is very appealing. I do not know of any other manufacturer which makes a laptop feel so well made. Do you?
If I do decide on a Macbook, the next step would be whether to buy a MBP or a MBA. Despite having a slower processor, I am told the MBA has near identical performance to the MBP, I guess thanks to its NAND storage. That would make it the logical winner, as it also boasts extreme portability. What do you think?
Thanks for taking the time to read and answer.
So, I am no stranger to laptops. I have owned a few, and even more desktops, over the course of my short life. I have always used Microsoft Windows, mainly because I was used to it. I recently switched to Ubuntu Linux (NW) on my netbook, which has it's ups and downs.
I need a new laptop, which will act as my main computer, so I need something "powerful". The most demanding usage I require is viewing 720p MKV videos, so I need something with enough power to decode that (dunno if it's CPU or GPU-intensive). Otherwise nothing very exotic; Microsoft Office, heavy web usage (720p YouTube), some coding, planning a hostile takeover of southern Namibia, etc.
Some other features I need from a laptop are worldwide warranty, and otherwise a durable, reliable and robust machine. My immediate thought was to buy a Mac (yikes) which has all these features, and installing Windows and Linux on it, as I'm not a big fan of Mac OS (I might give it a try though). Can the current MBPs and MBAs with the Intel HD Graphics 3000 be used to view HD content (720p MKVs)?
I am far from being an Apple fanboy (despite having owned several iPods, iPhones and an iPad), quite on the contrary. I have never advocated their computers for my sort of usage, but it would seem now that they have Intel processors and their price has come down a bit, they do offer exactly what I am looking for. The fact that the casing is pure aluminium, and as a consequence makes for a light yet sturdy machine, is very appealing. I do not know of any other manufacturer which makes a laptop feel so well made. Do you?
If I do decide on a Macbook, the next step would be whether to buy a MBP or a MBA. Despite having a slower processor, I am told the MBA has near identical performance to the MBP, I guess thanks to its NAND storage. That would make it the logical winner, as it also boasts extreme portability. What do you think?
Thanks for taking the time to read and answer.
