[comptr]

Hi i have been a pc user for almost my hole life and i an thinking about getting a power book. I need the computer for collage. I want to be able to do some video editing, collage work, play some games,listen to music, and watch dvd's. with virtual pc can you take games that were made for pc and play them on a mac and will they run good. The only reason for this is that there is not a huge selection of games for mac. Also which powerbook is better 15inch or the 17 inch because i am used to either size but i do not like the 12 inch because it is small. i am going to be takeing this laptop back and forth to collage. And also are macs easy to get used to from a pc because i have never owned a mac. I need some opions on the size because i can't deside and also how do the speakers sound on a powerbook are they ok or is it better to buy external speakers?

[striker100]

I have had both the 15" and 17" Powerbooks and my personal preference is definitely for the 15". It really hits the sweet spot between size and portability.

[Ω]

I have a 15" and I find it to be just the right size, though I am far from being an uber-user.

As for your VPC and games option, do not even bother, it will not work, especially on more recent releases.

As for ease of use, I use both platforms and prefer the mac way of doing things as well as the fewer hassles that I seem to have with my machine. You shouldn't find the basics to be too much different, and if you are someone who likes to poke around in preferences/menus then you should have no issues whatsoever.

For speakers I would say stick to the built in initially. Your laptop is meant to be portable so lugginf around a set of speakers is a burden. If you find you want more then look at externals later.

[comptr]

So is the 15 or 17 inch better there is only a 120.00 difference with edu discount they are both loaded with eberything.

[cyberwarrior]

15" or 17" choice, in my opinion is purely personal , what size screen do you want? I would never consider the 17" because for me it defeats the purpose of a laptop, it's far too big (for my uses). I have a 15" and it is perfect, the screen is ample, if you are doing lots of multi-windowed use, then a bigger screen might be nice, i plug an external monitor in at home when necessary.

The speakers are the best i have heard on a laptop, but again for high quality you can't beat a decent pair of external speakers, as the laptop one's lack depth (obv.)

There are a few games for the mac, look on Apple's website under games (i just got x-plane -it's great).

I would start witht the assumption that you can run no PC apps on the mac..! My experience of VPC is a slow one, at best. If you need to run PC apps, use a PC (note: some people may disagree with this).

The mac is v.easy to get used to once you dispel your windows way. It took me, from having never even seen a mac, 8 months. But, i didn't switch over night, i started gradually using it for mail, then WP and presentations and music and browsing etc, then i moved over for development.

Enjoy! I've never looked back.