[WEADHD]

Ok. I really want to ditch my Dell and switch to MacBook Pro. I went to an Apple Store and was impressed with how easy I would be able to make brochures and presentations for my business. But hereare my obstacles:
1. I'd like to get Parallels so that I can save a relatively large chunk of change by installing XP and MS Office that I already own (My wife has to work on Excel projects from her office that uses PCs). The problem is that I've been ready some customer reviews that warn to wait for the next generation of MacBooks because of various problems with using XP. Is that still a problem?

2. I'm having trouble convincing my wife to switch because of the higher cost compared to a Dell notebook (to be fair, it really is pushing our budget since we have our first kid on the way). I'm the one that's going to realize the main differences since I'll be using iWork and the film editing stuff (She only uses it for Word, Excel and e-mail.
Any advice for quantifying the differences for her?
Hope someone can help!
Thanks

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by WEADHD 

1. I'd like to get Parallels so that I can save a relatively large chunk of change by installing XP and MS Office that I already own (My wife has to work on Excel projects from her office that uses PCs). The problem is that I've been ready some customer reviews that warn to wait for the next generation of MacBooks because of various problems with using XP. Is that still a problem?

Well, I've not heard of problems with Parallels and the current MacBook Pros, but supposedly Apple is going to be updating them real soon. Intel just announced their Santa Rosa chipset architecture and Apple will be adopting that for sure. Best guess at this time is that they'll be updated at WWDC, which is June 11-15.

2. I'm having trouble convincing my wife to switch because of the higher cost compared to a Dell notebook (to be fair, it really is pushing our budget since we have our first kid on the way). I'm the one that's going to realize the main differences since I'll be using iWork and the film editing stuff (She only uses it for Word, Excel and e-mail.
Any advice for quantifying the differences for her?
Hope someone can help!
Thanks

That might be more difficult. I'll let others tackle that one.

[mduell]

1) I'm not aware of any problems with running Windows in Parallels (or on bare metal) on the MacBooks. But if you're buying Parallels just for Office, you may want to consider just buying Office for Mac; it's only about twice the price of Parallels, will use a lot less memory than emulating Windows, and saves you all the other hassles associated with running Windows.

2) Good luck. If you already have an external monitor, maybe a MacBook would be a better choice budget-wise? It doesn't sound like you really need the graphics performance of the MBP.

[Simon]

Since you can't use an OEM Windows version with Parallels, you'll not only be buying Parallels, but also a new Windows license. I'm pretty sure it would be cheaper and it's certainly a lot easier to just get MS Office for Mac OS X.

[badnewsblair]

1. I also have not heard of these issues with Parallels. I hear it is actually a very solid product at this point and can even attempt some harder-core/intensive applications. I have a friend that loves it. I personally use Boot Camp for my Windows needs (which aren't much, gaming and testing websites).

2. The higher price is marginal. Think about the anti-virus, anti-spyware, tech tools you will need to buy just to maintain your new Windows machine. Think about all of the issues you've had with Windows (mine include errors, sluggish performance for unknown reasons, trojans and viruses, etc.) and compare them to the Mac. The commercials aren't wrong. These are things that us Mac user do not experience (though most of us are less "snotty" about it than Justin Long). If you are the one that will be gleaming the most reward from the pruchase (as in you will be using it the most) then you are the person that is the only one that needs convincing at this point. If all she wants to do is web, email then this machine will do that and more. And if you have a kid coming (congratulations by the way) then think about how awesome it will be to record your kid's childhood and make awesome home movies and iPhoto books and web page with iLife. The Window equivalents PALE in comparison. If you have the Apple store handy (I worked at one for 2+ years) then go sit in on an iLife course and see the amazing things you will be able to capture as your child is growing up!

[JonoMarshall]

Any advice for quantifying the differences for her?

up to 300% longevity* and 400% more happiness** leading to 250% increased relaxation*** in life.

*compared to equiv. PC machine
**during computing hours only. (Note. Apple products may not improve your life.)
***as said longevity plus happiness leads to a rewarding experience that makes you go "that's better".

Seriously though, Apple products generally out last their PC counterparts and allow you to work in a content and more efficient manner.

If cost was an issue, I'd still buy an old TiBook or something over an equiv. priced "better" PC. (My flat mate was given a top-spec windows laptop from the governement and has ditched it to use my old G4 cube, heh.)

[peeb]

If your budget is tight, consider getting a MacBook with a native Office suite. It will be much nicer than parallels. Try it out at the Apple store.

[Atheist]

If all you need Windows for is MS Office, don't bother. Get Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition from Amazon for $130. You don't need all of the added headaches of Windows (and overhead of Parallels) just to use Word and Excel.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Simon 

Since you can't use an OEM Windows version with Parallels, you'll not only be buying Parallels, but also a new Windows license. I'm pretty sure it would be cheaper and it's certainly a lot easier to just get MS Office for Mac OS X.

Why do you say Windows XP OEM won't work in Parallels? Seems like it should work just fine, and I know many people who use it every day.

Since the OP already owns Windows and Office for Windows, it's cheaper to go with Parallels, but I think he's better off spending the $130 (Student and Teacher) to $180 (OEM) on Office for Mac.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by mduell 

Why do you say Windows XP OEM won't work in Parallels? Seems like it should work just fine, and I know many people who use it every day.

You can use an OEM version of Windows, but it can't have been activated on another PC first. In other words, he can't take the license that came with his Dell and use it on the MBP. He needs to buy a new license. Once used, an OEM license cannot be transferred.

[mpancha]

I have tried Parallels and Bootcamp, and I actually settled on a third option, VMWare. Parallels does work fine, I ditched it b/c of slowdowns I experienced having Parallels running XP while I was switching between my XP virtual machine and OS X to do work. Bottom line, it will work, it will work great if you get 2GB of RAM. With VM Ware, I didn't have to bump up to 2 GB of ram. The negative on VM Ware, its still in Beta, but I've been using it for 3 weeks now, and haven't had any issues.

As for convincing your wife... do you have to have the MBP? WOuld it be cheaper to get an external wide screen monitor (Acer sells a widescreen 19" for under $200) and getting the MacBook?

Regarding the OEM version of XP that came with the Dell... according to the SLA for XP, you can't use it on another computer at all b/c its an OEM version. But, on the same note, if you try to install, and call Microsoft to activate, the agent will tell you "if you say you replaced a motherboard or hard drive, I can give you another activation code. If you say you are using the OEM copy on another machine, I can't." The legality is all gray there, but several MS agents will flat out tell you what I quoted above. What you choose to do, that is your choice to make, and consequences good or bad are for you to accept as your own consequences.

[peeb]

Ditch windows, get the Mac version of office. You will be SO much happier, really.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by Person Man 

You can use an OEM version of Windows, but it can't have been activated on another PC first. In other words, he can't take the license that came with his Dell and use it on the MBP. He needs to buy a new license. Once used, an OEM license cannot be transferred.

Exactly. My Parallels manual actually specifically mentions this.

The $130 for Office for OS X is definitely cheaper than Parallels plus a Windows license. And of course it's a lot less hassle.

Of course the cheapest solution of all would be to ditch MS Office as well and go with OpenOffice or NeoOffice.

[highstakes]

I made the jump to OS X mainly because I had a good amount of exposure to the Mac programs that I would use (like Office, some games, HTML editors..etc), and I really liked it. May be letting your wife test out the Mac-environment at the stores will help you out?

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by highstakes 

I made the jump to OS X mainly because I had a good amount of exposure to the Mac programs that I would use (like Office, some games, HTML editors..etc), and I really liked it. May be letting your wife test out the Mac-environment at the stores will help you out?

Have your wife bring in a CD-R with her Excel and Word files so you can open them on the Mac Office at the store.

Also, see if someone can give you a demo of Keynote. It's arguably better than PowerPoint, and apparently it's compatible with PowerPoint projects as well.

[peeb]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

Someone can give you a demo of Keynote. It's better than PowerPoint, and arguably it's compatible with PowerPoint projects as well.

Fixed that for you.

[analogika]

Actually, "OEM" over here (Euro-land) just means that it has to be sold with another bit of hardware - it's illegal to mandate that this be a computer.

So you can buy an "OEM" version of Windows XP for $100 online - you just have to order an external hard drive or a USB stick or something with it.

[WEADHD]

Originally Posted by Atheist 

If all you need Windows for is MS Office, don't bother. Get Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition from Amazon for $130. You don't need all of the added headaches of Windows (and overhead of Parallels) just to use Word and Excel.

I'm confused about this post from Atheist. Is "Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition" for Mac?
The memory usage of Parallels is a good point. I hadn't considered it.
I also like the idea of getting a MacBook and a Monitor. I really only favored the MacBook Pro for the screen size and it's slick looks.

Thanks a lot for all the great input everybody!

[Atheist]

Originally Posted by WEADHD 

I'm confused about this post from Atheist. Is "Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition" for Mac?

Sorry.. I should have included a link.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by analogika 

Actually, "OEM" over here (Euro-land) just means that it has to be sold with another bit of hardware - it's illegal to mandate that this be a computer.

So you can buy an "OEM" version of Windows XP for $100 online - you just have to order an external hard drive or a USB stick or something with it.

It's no longer required that an OEM version of Windows be purchased with specific hardware in the States, either. You can find it (sometimes, if you search) for as little as $80 online (Newegg is a good place to start).

However, I too believe that buying Office:Mac is a superior solution to buying Parallels and installing XP on your Mac, if all you really need is Office functionality. Even cheaper is OpenOffice, but there's something of a learning curve, even though it does provide completely compatible file formats with all MS Office apps (with the possible exception of Access).

I have done statistics work using Excel on both platforms seamlessly, using the same USB flash drive for all my files, getting source files produced on Windows and directly using them on my Mac using Office:Mac. And if either you or your wife is a student, you may be able to get Office:Mac (whatever the current version it) for a LOT LESS than $130-it cost me $25 or so at my campus bookstore.

[WEADHD]

Thanks Atheist!

So what's the difference between the Student and Teacher Edition Office and the regular edition?

[pcryan5]

#1 - Parallels works just fine for me on my MacBook and MacBook Pro. (2G ram each)

# 2- Position this as your next 5 Christmas and 6 birthday presents....

[Atheist]

Originally Posted by WEADHD 

Thanks Atheist!

So what's the difference between the Student and Teacher Edition Office and the regular edition?

The price!

Seriously... you are somehow "supposed" to be a student or teacher but you don't have to prove it. Just as everyone can get the Apple Education discount.

[WEADHD]

How do I go about getting the Apple Education Discount?!? I was in the Apple store and they said I'd have to show an ID or a check stub from a School.
Sorry to keep peppering you with questions.

[Atheist]

If you buy online... you don't have to prove it. At least as of last August when I bought my SO a new MacBook.

[WEADHD]

Thanks for all the help Atheist!

[analogika]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

However, I too believe that buying Office:Mac is a superior solution to buying Parallels and installing XP on your Mac, if all you really need is Office functionality. Even cheaper is OpenOffice, but there's something of a learning curve, even though it does provide completely compatible file formats with all MS Office apps (with the possible exception of Access).

I find that OpenOffice (or rather NeoOffice, the Mac port of O.o) suffers from the big problem affecting much GUI-based open-source software: It's an imitation of a bad thing.

I.e., NeoOffice attempts to imitate Microsoft Office, which is so completely overloaded with complete bullshit already that any copy is doomed to interface horror from the outset.

That said, it appears to deal with Microsoft Word documents that Word itself rejects as corrupt or damaged, so it's actually more compatible with Word than Word itself.


As for Microsoft office:mac, if your workflow relies heavily upon Office macros, then you *might* encounter documents that won't function correctly on the Mac.

[Thraxes]

The Excel dilemma is actually the more tricky bit. I find that Office:mac 2004 runs unacceptably slow in Rosetta on my MBP - I ditched it after just one week, even NeoOffice-J is faster and that is saying something! The universal binary is much anticipated but I have the feeling that a few of the Excel sheets your wife uses may have some VB scripting which makes Office:2008 useless.

So that leaves either running Office in Parallels and paying for Parallels AND a Windows license, or if it is just Office that needs to run, give CrossOver Mac a try. I know that the Linux version actually runs rather well in most cases, as long as you stick to Office.

[analogika]

Actually, the latest update to Office 2004 (like two weeks ago) made the bastard run quite a bit faster on my MacBook (unless I'm imagining things).

And it is VITALLY IMPORTANT to go into the Word Preferences and switch OFF "Check GRAMMAR as you type".

Typical Microsoft: It ain't a function unless it's turned on by default. I've not, in twenty years of using Word, EVER met a SINGLE person who would have needed, let alone WANTED, active grammar check, even IF it would work properly, which of course it DOESN'T. ****ers.

Switch it off, and Word becomes MUCH more responsive immediately.

[Alphadork]

(1) A comparably configured (that's key) Dell will cost as much as a Mac. Dells only seem cheaper because their advertised models are stripped down, while Macs all come with "all the options," to use autombile terminology. By the time you configure a Dell to compete with a Mac, it costs as much or more.

(2) Macs will save you hours and hours (and hours and hours) of frustrating IT nightmares and headaches. How much is your time worth to you?

(3) Your Mac, when you decide to upgrade, will have a legitimate resale value (I sold my old PowerBook for $1,600 when I upgraded to an Intel MacBook Pro). Your Dell will never have any meaningful resale value.

Those are the three best arguments I can think of, and they are all 100% true and correct.http://forums.macnn.com/images/smili...chool/cool.gif

[uicandrew]

i actually would recommend against getting MS Office for mac........until the next version comes out later this year. you can use free open source alternatives (open office or neo office) until then.

my reason is that they are coming out with a new version of Office that is a universal binary, which is going to be optimized for the macs with intel chips. that version will boot up quickly.

[kgretton]

I am running Office:mac on an MBP 2.33Ghz and it runs perfectly well - faster than on my old PowerBook. I have 3Gb of RAM but only so that I can test out different OSs in Parallels and VMware.

My use of Office is for business documents and I am constantly exchanging them with PC users - including embedded macros, etc. Never have a problem with Word or Excel. I actually much prefer iWork and generally use those for stuff that I originate and then just export to Word or PowerPoint.

The Student and Teacher edition is also, according to Microsoft, fine for home installations for anyone. I believe that they are renaming it 'Home and Student' for version 2008 as they have done for the Windows version. They just don't want you installing it at work on commercial machines. It includes everything that the Office:mac Standard Edition includes - no differences at all. Note that Office:mac Professional is a waste of time on a MacBook Pro since it includes Virtual PC which does not run on Intel Macs.

Parallels works very well. I have Win2k, WinXP, Windowns Vista and Windows Server 2k3 R2 all installed as well as Ubuntu. I often run 2 other OSs at the same time - although don't try that with Vista since its a resource hog.

I can't actually configure a Dell with a similar spec to a MacBook Pro that comes close in price. Has anyone else managed to?

Most Dells either have some jurassic Intel CPU (P4 or old Pentium M) when they are cheap or they come with low-end versions of current parts that Apple either never used or long ago abandoned. For example, they sell notebooks with 1.6Ghz CPUs.

Also, when you look at the specs, they are generally closer to a MacBook. Try finding one with decent dedicated graphics.

Nothing seems to match the features + size + specs of the MacBook Pro in the Dell line-up.

And the point about resale value is completely true: I sell my Mac every year and get the latest model and get pretty close to what I paid for it (I am a developer so I get 20% off from Apple).

[voicebox]

'The higher price is marginal. Think about the anti-virus, anti-spyware, tech tools you will need to buy just to maintain your new Windows machine. Think about all of the issues you've had with Windows (mine include errors, sluggish performance for unknown reasons, trojans and viruses, etc.) and compare them to the Mac. The commercials aren't wrong. These are things that us Mac user do not experience (though most of us are less "snotty" about it than Justin Long). If you are the one that will be gleaming the most reward from the pruchase (as in you will be using it the most) then you are the person that is the only one that needs convincing at this point. If all she wants to do is web, email then this machine will do that and more. And if you have a kid coming (congratulations by the way) then think about how awesome it will be to record your kid's childhood and make awesome home movies and iPhoto books and web page with iLife. The Window equivalents PALE in comparison. If you have the Apple store handy (I worked at one for 2+ years) then go sit in on an iLife course and see the amazing things you will be able to capture as your child is growing up'!
Hi there WEADHD,
badnewsblair has given good advice -
If you have a budget then you may be interested to know that the latest MacBooks have just had a speed hike to 2.16 Ghz plus a price drop - well over here in the UK anyway! Because of this I would suggest the white MB over the black MB - the white MB is now on a par with the black MB and finger marks etc tend to show up more with the black MB!
The MacBook range is now an even more stunning piece of kit.
Good luck!

[ghporter]

I wouldn't say that ALL Windows machines are subject to sluggishness, errors, and so on, but you DO need an antivirus program on ANY Windows installation-even running Windows under Boot Camp or Parallels on a Mac. These are important considerations, but not necessarily deal breakers. The most important issue is track record: does the maker of the computer you want to buy have a good record for hardware reliability? Apple does, in spite of the fact that you seldom find testimonials posted here. I will now testify that my MBP has been outstanding and unfailing for almost a year of constant use. The ONLY problem I've had was that I needed to learn to let the machine finish shutting down before closing the lid because failure to do this can confuse it and make you have to hard start a couple of times. That happened ONCE.

I'm also running Windows XP on this MBP (right now I'm running a test under Parallels) and I find the MBP to be a remarkably good XP hardware platform. All the "the software on Mac is SO much better..." arguments really boil down to habit and preference, but I do find that Mac apps are generally smoother and better integrated, and of course it is so much easier to install or remove an app on a Mac than on any Windows machine, so that's a definite user plus.

[henjin]

I mostly use my Dell Inspiron E1505 1.6ghz duo and a MacbookPro 15 inch 2.33ghz. My personal experience is that I need both. For multi-media design the Mac wins hands down for ease of use. For opening DVDs with large video files my Dell OS XP can read them easily with no wait...also playback is smoother. my MBP takes longer not as bad as my powerbook 17"G4 but still slower. However my MBP has had to be sent back to Apple due to a faulty on board MagSafe connector. Even now while working the power will switch to battery even though the Magsafe shows a green light.
As for support when my power-brick for the Dell went down, I used the online chat tech support and had a new one delivered by Dell free of charge the next morning. With the problem I had with my MagSafe not charging it took 4 different phone calls, talking to Apple tech support that did not seem to understand what a MagSafe was and only after a toll call direct to Apple did I get the correct support.

I would not ditch any computer as when one fails you have the other and when Skype comes out with new features like Adobe only for XP you have the best of both worlds. I would not for mission critical files use my MBP for OSX and XP/Vista, keep it clean, two machines means backup.

Last night my MacBookPro would not accept a charge from my brand new backup MagSafe, which leaves me Monday inline seeking tech support. Despite many customers loving the MagSafe I find it impossible to take on the road as the magnetic connection keeps failing. My main beef with this expensive notebook is that it cannot do what all my other powerbooks can which is stay powered up. My Dell has no problems other than running XP!

I'd wait anyway as apple needs to upgrade the MBP line and since I'm not the only customer to have problems with the MagSafe, just google, I hope they make a better job of it the next time round.

Essentially all computers are faulty. Apple/Dell/Sony etc do not really care about it's base other than hiding faults or claiming you are the only one to have this problem.. sir... so don't rush. Google problems with Apple macBookpro and see the long lists ranging from displays, keyboards, paint rubbing off or getting scratched, batteries, MagSafe and so on. Remember of course that most customers do not have major issues as is the case with the much maligned Dell. Apple is also a complete monopoly and this is also something to consider. Though the recent move by Adobe has mitigated this a little... now with the return of Premier.
I'm happy having two separate systems. Apples are not the only fruit. Though they are tasty

[majordude]

Originally Posted by WEADHD 

I'm having trouble convincing my wife to switch because of the higher cost compared to a Dell notebook (to be fair, it really is pushing our budget since we have our first kid on the way).

Dude, have you read any of those "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" books? You're about to become the Poor Dad. You don't need a Mac right now.

[hominid4]

Are you needing to be portable? To save some cash you could pick up a Mac Mini or even the $920 iMac would save money and be much more of a machine.

[shinykaro]

When you say you do film editing, do you mean professional-level stuff (I'm thinking final cut pro) or just polished but home-quality (like iMovie)?

Obviously if you're doing more of the former, you definitely need the MBP, but if it's the latter, I'd say get a white MacBook with maxed out specs for much less money and it will serve you incredibly well. It's also sturdy and more portable and your wife will go gaga for the cuteness factor.

Lastly, I'm just echoing other folks here, but definitely bring her to an Apple store and let her play around. She'll fall in love.

And congrats on the little one!

[vasic]

One thing hasn't been suggested here, and it saves quite a chunk of change. Buy refurbished. If you have a few weeks to wait, since these items come and go from Apple.com, stick around until the one you're looking for (MBP, or MB, or perhaps 24" iMac) shows up. They are most often around 15% off for the current models (Core 2 Duo), and much more discounted if buying a previous (discontinued) model (Core Duo). You could get a MacBook for $850 (or nicely equipped for under $1,000; or a 24" iMac for $1,700 - less than MacBook Pro!). They come with the exact same options, accessories and software, same warranty, and the only difference is a brown box with simple foam packaging (rather than beautifully designed white sculpted Styrofoam package). Oh, and the other difference is, you definitely WILL NOT have a problem with the MagSafe connector, or with the 'blurry' display, or with the magnetic latch, or whatever may be a hardware problem that a few people have been complaining about. Refurbs are ALWAYS thoroughly inspected before they ship. Each and every one.

As for XP on Parallels, it works well. If you have all the necessary licenses, go ahead and install. It will work well while you're waiting for Office 2008 to come out. I am convinced that, on Intel Macs, Office:Mac 2008 will blow away Office for Windows running on XP in parallels. If you don't have the licenses, and have to buy, this may be a hard choice. Spending money on XP, then on Office for Win, only to abandon it and spend more for Office:Mac 2008 when it comes out, would be almost like buying a new Mac (there is a refurb iMac 17" for $750 from time to time!). If I were in you shoes, I would buy the Mac now (most likely either a refurb MacBook, or an iMac; MBP seems just a bit too expensive); I would set up an Open Source Office solution (as mentioned in this thread); actually, ThinkFree could also work well, if you have constant broadband everywhere (works extremely well). I would then wait for MS Office:Mac and buy that (preferably, student/teacher, or whatever becomes the equivalent, edition). Spending money on MS Office 2004 at this point makes very very little sense, especially if you're not getting a PPC (G4 or G5) machine (who would nowadays?). Microsoft is very tight-lipped about the release date for Office 2008 (Since January, they haven't talked about it), but everyone still seems to believe they're on track for late summer/early fall delivery. We'll see.

There you have it. My US$ 0.02 worth.

[wubrew]

Originally Posted by henjin 

I mostly use my Dell Inspiron E1505 1.6ghz duo and a MacbookPro 15 inch 2.33ghz. My personal experience is that I need both. For multi-media design the Mac wins hands down for ease of use. For opening DVDs with large video files my Dell OS XP can read them easily with no wait...also playback is smoother. my MBP takes longer not as bad as my powerbook 17"G4 but still slower. However my MBP has had to be sent back to Apple due to a faulty on board MagSafe connector. Even now while working the power will switch to battery even though the Magsafe shows a green light.
As for support when my power-brick for the Dell went down, I used the online chat tech support and had a new one delivered by Dell free of charge the next morning. With the problem I had with my MagSafe not charging it took 4 different phone calls, talking to Apple tech support that did not seem to understand what a MagSafe was and only after a toll call direct to Apple did I get the correct support.

I would not ditch any computer as when one fails you have the other and when Skype comes out with new features like Adobe only for XP you have the best of both worlds. I would not for mission critical files use my MBP for OSX and XP/Vista, keep it clean, two machines means backup.

Last night my MacBookPro would not accept a charge from my brand new backup MagSafe, which leaves me Monday inline seeking tech support. Despite many customers loving the MagSafe I find it impossible to take on the road as the magnetic connection keeps failing. My main beef with this expensive notebook is that it cannot do what all my other powerbooks can which is stay powered up. My Dell has no problems other than running XP!

I'd wait anyway as apple needs to upgrade the MBP line and since I'm not the only customer to have problems with the MagSafe, just google, I hope they make a better job of it the next time round.

Essentially all computers are faulty. Apple/Dell/Sony etc do not really care about it's base other than hiding faults or claiming you are the only one to have this problem.. sir... so don't rush. Google problems with Apple macBookpro and see the long lists ranging from displays, keyboards, paint rubbing off or getting scratched, batteries, MagSafe and so on. Remember of course that most customers do not have major issues as is the case with the much maligned Dell. Apple is also a complete monopoly and this is also something to consider. Though the recent move by Adobe has mitigated this a little... now with the return of Premier.
I'm happy having two separate systems. Apples are not the only fruit. Though they are tasty

Summary:
Apple: Isolated hardware problems.
Dell et al:Software+ problems?

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by henjin 

My Dell has no problems other than running XP!

That's very fortunate for you. Having dealt with hundreds of Dells here at work, I can confidently say that they're only second to Pacard Bell as the worst computers ever made. Absolute pieces of sh*t. Non stop problems with both hardware and software. I wouldn't wish a Dell on anyone.

[timewind]

In response to 1, Paralells runs well on my MacBook, with Core 2 Duo, thanks largely to 2GB of RAM, but, unless you really need those complex macros that someone else mentioned (which are also infamous as virus vectors for the Windows/Office combination) I wouldn't run Paralells to run Office. (I use it to run a program caalled "Battle Planner.") Others have covered the other issues well, although I can say that I have seen the current version of Office for the Macintosh runnig well on a MacBook very similar to mine. If you want to do "heavy" video editing you will want a machine (MBP or iMac) that has an Nvidia or ATI graphics chipset and sepaate viteo RAM, as upposed to the MacBook or Mini with the Intel graphics chipset that uses part of the system RAM, otherwise the MacBook can do a great job for you, as it has for me, for much less money.

As for 2, aside from the price difference not being as bad as it seems, longer usefull life, don't forget to add in not only the cost of the anti-virus software, anti-spyware, etc. but also the manditory yearly subscription prices that stack up with all the big commercial ones. Also, if it is around in your area you might want to show your wife the recent laptop and computer buying issues of "Consumer Reports" where apple comes out very favorably on many fronts (although they make it look worse in at least one instance, by comparing the MacBook Pro to a group of PC laptops that are comparable to it in screen size, but otherwise are more like the MacBook). I should mention that while I previously wished for a bigger MacBook display, my back has been so much happier with hauling around the smaller, lighter, MacBook than my old, much larger, 14" iBook.

When you start hauling the stuff associated with a baby or small child around you will be very greatfull for any reduction in your load of other items.

[JEB]

*subliminal message*subliminal message*subliminal message*

It's simple, you will go buy the following 2 machines for your growing family: MacBook (for when you need to work close to the baby--and you definitely will) + iMac 20" (for editing baby photos/video/dvds)

Do the math -- ditch the MacBook Pro, and go for 2 great Macs. Then, you both won't be frustrated at times when you both have things to do on your Macs. It's worked in our home for about 2 yrs now; after spending the $$ it was well worth it. Babies don't eat much, and their entire wardrobe fits into the laundry at once. That'll leave you enough for extra RAM upgrades, plus a new, quality AirPort base station.

</subliminal message>

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

That's very fortunate for you. Having dealt with hundreds of Dells here at work, I can confidently say that they're only second to Pacard Bell as the worst computers ever made. Absolute pieces of sh*t. Non stop problems with both hardware and software. I wouldn't wish a Dell on anyone.

My experience with Dells is the exact opposite. I've NEVER had problems with them, either personal purchases or corporate purchases. I did have an order go wrong once-they didn't send the external CD drive I'd ordered. When I let them know, they expressed it to me. I've never had a hardware or software problem with a Dell in operation.

On the other hand, my experience with corporate Dells was with VERY carefully locked down machines. NO user could do anything like installing software or changing a configuration without an administrator allowing it, and our admins were, shall we say "reticent" to allow this sort of thing. In my experience, Windows as a whole, and Dell PCs in general, run best when the well-meaning but extremely ignorant user can't do anything but run the software he's given. Windows has far too many things you can goober up with just a simple mouse click for your basic user to have access to those configuration buttons.

[SEkker]

I'm surprised noone seems to have mentioned a third option for running office for windows on a new mac:

crossover for the mac

this software allows one to run many windows apps without having to install (or own) a windows license.

[shinykaro]

Crossover has its limits. I was actually very disappointed by how few programs it supports, although it's a great solution if you want to play certain games on your Mac. It doesn't even support the new Internet Explorer.

I'd still say go with Boot Camp or just buy Office for Mac.

[peeb]

Just buy office for Mac.

[wubrew]

Originally Posted by JEB 

*subliminal message*subliminal message*subliminal message*

It's simple, you will go buy the following 2 machines for your growing family: MacBook (for when you need to work close to the baby--and you definitely will) + iMac 20" (for editing baby photos/video/dvds)

Do the math -- ditch the MacBook Pro, and go for 2 great Macs. Then, you both won't be frustrated at times when you both have things to do on your Macs. It's worked in our home for about 2 yrs now; after spending the $$ it was well worth it. Babies don't eat much, and their entire wardrobe fits into the laundry at once. That'll leave you enough for extra RAM upgrades, plus a new, quality AirPort base station.

</subliminal message>

Oh great one!"I am yours to command".
I shall sell my MBP and acquire 2 BRAND NEW mac as you instructed. Then I shall have a total of 9 functioning mac! Life shall be great. May I quote you to my better half?