[BCPhoto]

The local Costco is selling an HP Media PC that I'm looking to purchase for my dorm room at University.

Right now, I'm using an old iBook (G3, dual-USB, OSX 10.2).

How hard would it be to transfer all my files from the iBook to the HP? How long does it usually take?

I'm assuming I'll have to download Mac-soft like iTunes for the music to transfer too, right? Is there some kind of software I could use that makes it really simple (like Move To Mac...except moving back to the PC).

[mduell]

Pretty easy. Plug both into the same network (or just plug the network cards directly into each other), share the files on your iBook (or share a folder on the HP), and copy away. More detailed instructions for copying files between Macs and PCs are available on Google.
Copying will take about 2 minutes per gigabye and no special software is needed to copy any of your files.

[bluedog]

If your ibook has the CD-burner. You may be just as good burning out your files onto CD. You'll have backups of your files to boot.

BUT, your iTunes purchases will need to be reauthorized for the new computer. You should be able to unauthorize your older iBook if you don't plan on keeping it.

Depending on the age of your iBook, I can't imagine getting a PC laptop to replace your iBook. What's the reason to go HP? The only reason I could imagine is if you are going to be doing Windows software development.

[ghporter]

A brand new "media PC" laptop is worlds ahead of an old G3 dual-USB iBook. You will see an amazing difference in the speed of the machine. But it's still a Windows machine, and you'll have to put up with Windows oddities.

Media PCs are supposed to be equipped to do a lot of things like record TV off the air or cable, author and organize DVDs, host all your media files including music and video, and so on. That's a lot to cram into a laptop, so don't be surprised at the HP being kind of heavy, particularly compared to an iBook. But think of one thing before you splurge on the HP: can the Costco price for that laptop beat the STUDENT price for a new iBook, and can the HP perform so much better than a new iBook that you're willing to change platforms and face the learning curve that goes with that?

[BCPhoto]

Media PCs are supposed to be equipped to do a lot of things like record TV off the air or cable, author and organize DVDs, host all your media files including music and video, and so on. That's a lot to cram into a laptop, so don't be surprised at the HP being kind of heavy, particularly compared to an iBook.

It's actually a desktop (sorry I never made this clear).

But it's still a Windows machine, and you'll have to put up with Windows oddities.

Windows has improved a lot since the ME nightmare. Plus, I haven't read many poor reviews about Media Center.

But think of one thing before you splurge on the HP: can the Costco price for that laptop beat the STUDENT price for a new iBook, and can the HP perform so much better than a new iBook that you're willing to change platforms and face the learning curve that goes with that?

I've used both Windows and Mac, so no learning curve exists. I use Windows everyday at school for a class involving photography.

The Costco price for the HP Media Desktop is about $1699 (USD), so I doubt it's any cheaper than an iBook. But it's certainly faster, and it allows me to save space in my dorm room (it can replace the TV).

What's the reason to go HP? The only reason I could imagine is if you are going to be doing Windows software development.

Until Apple comes out with a computer that allows me to do everything a normal computer can do, as well as watch and record television for under $2000, I have no choice.

It's not that I want to leave the Mac world, but my choices are limited. Apple just doesn't offer full-blown Media Centers like HP does.

[goMac]

Rumor has it in January Apple will release a new Mac Mini media center, and of course you can run Windows on it too because it would be an Intel.

[BCPhoto]

BUT, your iTunes purchases will need to be reauthorized for the new computer. You should be able to unauthorize your older iBook if you don't plan on keeping it

I plan on keeping it. It's old, but it still runs surprisingly well.

So, I can authorize up to 3 computers right? Is it more difficult to authorize one on the PC (I haven't used iTunes on a PC yet). I'll have to reformat my iPod too, right?

Rumor has it in January Apple will release a new Mac Mini media center, and of course you can run Windows on it too because it would be an Intel.

Another reason I like the HP is because unlike Dell media centers, they use AMD-64 chips.

A Mac-mini as a media center sounds slow. Does the Intel switch for Apple begin immediately next year?

[mduell]

Originally Posted by BCPhoto

Until Apple comes out with a computer that allows me to do everything a normal computer can do, as well as watch and record television for under $2000, I have no choice.

Now everyone who reads my posts on these forums knows I'm not a blind Mac zealot but doesn't the iMac (with an elgato or miglia TV tuner) fit that discription pretty well?

Originally Posted by BCPhoto

Another reason I like the HP is because unlike Dell media centers, they use AMD-64 chips.

A Mac-mini as a media center sounds slow. Does the Intel switch for Apple begin immediately next year?

Have you looked at media benchmarks lately? Like transcoding to MPEG4.

Yes, the Intel switch begins next year. Some say it will start in January, others say it will start in June.

[BCPhoto]

Now everyone who reads my posts on these forums knows I'm not a blind Mac zealot but doesn't the iMac (with an elgato or miglia TV tuner) fit that discription pretty well?

Why would I pay $349.95 for a feature that comes standard on the HP?

Have you looked at media benchmarks lately? Like transcoding to MPEG4.

Other reports have shown the AMD-64 as the faster chip.

[Pogomwg]

If you decide to get an HP google HP student discounts. They do have a student purchase program just like apple. Every little bit helps as a broke college student. Beleive me i know There student purchase program takes a bit of searching for however, its not like apples thats easy to find. Google it and it should show up.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by BCPhoto

Why would I pay $349.95 for a feature that comes standard on the HP?

Other reports have shown the AMD-64 as the faster chip.

Because $1199 (17" new or 20" refurb) + $349.95 is less than $1699.

It is faster at some things, but for typical Media PC tasks like transcoding video.

I'm not trying to sway you on Mac vs PC or Intel vs AMD (and by extension Dell vs HP), I just want to show you the options and their merits.

[BCPhoto]

I'm not trying to sway you on Mac vs PC or Intel vs AMD (and by extension Dell vs HP), I just want to show you the options and their merits.

Thanks, I appreciate it. If I find that I an iMac is a better option, I'll probably opt to go that route.

If your ibook has the CD-burner. You may be just as good burning out your files onto CD. You'll have backups of your files to boot.

I'm assuming this would work just as well using an External USB HD instead of CDs?

[Helmling]

For my part, the iMac sounds like a much better deal for what you want to do--especially saving dorm room space.

However, I'm holding out on buying a media-center type PC because this seems to me to be the worst possible time to purchase such a machine. We're on the cusp of two emerging technologies that will be worming their way into the PC within a year or two. Once PC's and Macs are doing high definition TV and movies, I'm betting you're going to wish you'd hung on to your iBook and waited a little while.

And one more bit of advice: You don't need a TV in your dorm. I took everything and the kitchen sink to my dorm when i was in college--everything except a TV. Smartest ommission I ever made. Why waste any time at school in front of a TV? Go out and live.

[BCPhoto]

It is faster at some things, but for typical Media PC tasks like transcoding video.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7....html?tag=lnav

Because $1199 (17" new or 20" refurb) + $349.95 is less than $1699.

Right now, I'm considering the 17' new model +$349.95 remote. I don't like the idea of getting a refurb when I can get a new computer that's even faster.

Only problem is that for the HP, I could have a 21" screen, while for the iMac, only a 17" screen. Screen size maters for media.

Thanks for the advice, I'll probably play around with the HP (then the iMac) before making a decision.

And one more bit of advice: You don't need a TV in your dorm. I took everything and the kitchen sink to my dorm when i was in college--everything except a TV. Smartest ommission I ever made. Why waste any time at school in front of a TV? Go out and live.

Two reasons:

1. Lost
2. Amazing Race

[mduell]

Originally Posted by BCPhoto

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7....html?tag=lnav

Right now, I'm considering the 17' new model +$349.95 remote. I don't like the idea of getting a refurb when I can get a new computer that's even faster.

Only problem is that for the HP, I could have a 21" screen, while for the iMac, only a 17" screen. Screen size maters for media.

For the video encoding benchmark in that test, the only AMD chips that can beat the PD chips (at each performance level) cost $100 more; although Intel does't take the absolute performance crown, for the same price you can get a faster Pentium D than Athlon 64 X2. Also, does the HP Media PC have a dual core AMD64 chip?

If screen size matters, get the 20" refurb. You're not going to notice the 100Mhz difference.

[bluedog]

The authorizing of music purchased throught the Apple Music Store should authorize automatically. Then when you have three machines authorized, it'll warn you. You can log in to your account and reset all the computers (do a search for iTunes authorization). Its really quite liberal for someone who is not trying to evade legal usage of their music.

Good luck with your choice. The desktop PC would have greater drive capacity (than an iMac) and upgrade flexibility. The main thing about iMac's that bug me is even though they have a great form and design, their inside space just doesn't have enough room for extra drives or more than a stick or two of RAM.

Desktop towers are still more flexible for upgrades.

All flexibility aside, I have a strong preference for OSX and its unix background rather than the virus prone swiss cheese security models of Internet Explorer on a PC. Using Firefox exclusively makes things much better on a PC. I assume you've had experience with WinXP. If not, then I would reallly lean to recommend the ElGato/iMac choice.

[Hi I'm Ben]

Thank god for Costcos 6 month return policy on computers!

I can't stand manufactered machines. I think if HP shipped me a computer with a blank hard drive and the CDs to install everything myself, i may be happy. However this day will never come and for that reason I'll continue to piece together make shift computers from Newegg.

I can't stand all the software PC manufactures try to shove down my throat and make me use. WHo are they to put stuff all over my desktop that expires and is trial and bug me? Why do you have to install AOL on my machine before I get it? That's quite possibly the last thing I want. Or a copy of norton which doesn't work anyway but merely slows down my computer while I'm trying to install files because it's scanning each file to its out of date data base.


I suppose maybe you have to buy this because it's a christmas gift for next semester? Personally i'd wait.

I'd wait to see if some really killer Intel macs come out, and of course you'll always find a better deal on a PC if you wait longer. So no harm there either.

By the way, TV, cable tv, is going to look horrible on a flat panel 20+ inch monitor. Either the monitor will have to reduce resolution to view it (and look horrible) or the broad cast will have to be stretched to fit on your screen (and look horrible).

Originally Posted by BCPhoto

I'm assuming this would work just as well using an External USB HD instead of CDs?

\

Only if you format this computer on your Mac first to FAT32 to both the PC and the Mac can read it. However remember FAT32 has file size limitations of like 4 gigs I think. So saving an image copy of your hold mac drive or anything like that may not be possible. However I keep a FAT32 drive for file transfers between all machines and yes, I think it's the easiest solution.

Just buy a hard drive and an enclosure and you're good to go.

[ghporter]

Any "from the factory" PC will definitely have a bunch of stuff most users don't want-along with a few things they do want. The key to remember here is that the software comes free because of all the other stuff the manufacturer preloads with it.

New PC: pop in the Windows XP disc and install fresh, including remapping the partitions (all manufacturers seem to like making even huge hard drives a single partition, which is not smart). Trick: some manufacturers don't provide "Windows XP" discs, but rather "restore discs." Shop before you buy. I bought XP pro from my university (<$8), so I have a "real" XP disc to use, and I can use it with the license that comes with any new PC to reformat and reload clean and still have the original license code connected to the computer.

Yes, that's a lot of stuff to do, but don't a lot of Mac users reload the OS and just the apps they want? (Of course it's simpler, easier, and quicker with a Mac... )

P.S., Norton for the PC is actually functional and worthwhile. Really. I have no idea what sluggard they hired to hose up the product for the Mac. And you DO need a good AV for a PC. My sister-in-law has been using some no-name AV and it's kept her drive from melting, but not much else. I'm visiting this weekend to, among other things, rebuild her PC. Wish me luck!

[tooki]

Originally Posted by ghporter

all manufacturers seem to like making even huge hard drives a single partition, which is not smart

The consensus here is that partitioning is detrimental to most users. Perhaps on Windows there are compelling reasons to partition, but on the Mac there certainly are not, for the vast majority of users. For most people, folders are a better organizational structure.

tooki

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by tooki

The consensus here is that partitioning is detrimental to most users. Perhaps on Windows there are compelling reasons to partition, but on the Mac there certainly are not, for the vast majority of users. For most people, folders are a better organizational structure.

tooki

Sorry I wasn't clearer. I did mean manufacturers of Windows computers. Windows sometimes goobers up the boot drive, so it's useful to both keep a working image of the boot drive offline (DVDs are great!) and to keep the boot code and OS isolated from everything else. But PC manufacturers bet the customer's ranch on the drive not goobering up, in spite of what they KNOW users are going to do-practically beg the OS to goober itself.

Sorry for the editorial there, but I think it was needed to explain why I'm so strongly for partitioning a Windows computer's hard drive.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Hi I'm Ben

I can't stand manufactered machines. I think if HP shipped me a computer with a blank hard drive and the CDs to install everything myself, i may be happy. However this day will never come and for that reason I'll continue to piece together make shift computers from Newegg.

I can't stand all the software PC manufactures try to shove down my throat and make me use. WHo are they to put stuff all over my desktop that expires and is trial and bug me? Why do you have to install AOL on my machine before I get it? That's quite possibly the last thing I want. Or a copy of norton which doesn't work anyway but merely slows down my computer while I'm trying to install files because it's scanning each file to its out of date data base.

Some OEMs will let you pay more to get a machine that comes with a blank disk (well, it includes FreeDOS). Why does it cost more? Because they don't receive the kickback for installing AOL, MusicMatch Jukebox, etc. So you have a choice: accept the cheaper machine with preinstalled software, or opt out of the software and the accompanying discounts.