Get a mac?

I'm thinking of getting a new Macbook, but I'd like to know first - can it handle SL well enough?

I'm talking about the 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, with 2GB RAM total, a 13.3" screen and a 80GB hard disk. Anyone has experience with this model?


http://www.apple.com/macbook/macbook.html

Thanks in advance,
-JL.

Dunno about the Macbook, but I'm running SL quite nicely on an iMac, 2.16ghz Intel Core 2 Duo with 1GB ram. Hope this helps! I'd get a bigger hard drive, though, if I were you....

Same here, I just got the iMac 2.16ghz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2GB ram and the 256mb video card (as opposed to the standard 128mb). It flies on SL compared to my old iMac G5. I now get between 4 to 10 times better fps. Don't know about the MacBook though, sorry.

I really don't know where the people having SL run 'fine' on an iMac are getting them from.

Last week I had to go out and get a working Mac - instantly - to meet a production deadline after my G5 blew up comprehensively.

All I could buy locally off the shelf was a 24" 2.16, 256 graphics, 3Gb iMac. When I got myself out of the cack workwise, I decided to try SL on it.

Firstly it wasn't as good as my 2Ghz G5 had been - and that was nothing to shout about. In fact it was all but unplayable. Slow framerate in a known good location with most enhancements off and a 128 draw - which is pathetic with that graphics spec. I've seen previous generation PCs with a single processor and the same GPU run far better with everything maxed out and a 300 draw.

So, what's my personal baseline? Core2Duo 2.4 Ghz, 2Gb RAM, Nvidia 7900 GTX 512.
Yup, a PC. Less than half the price for superior performance - and you don't have to buy a complete new computer to get it's hardware fixed in 24 hours!

Macs are OK for what they are good at. Which definitely isn't playing SL. I wouldn't even have one if it weren't that certain software I have to use requires a Mac...

And the question about MacBookPro's? I know someone who bought one at the beginning of the year and I've used it - being a laptop it's not as fast as the 'equivalent' iMac and has all the normal laptop (Mac OR PC) 'features' - limited screen, awful keyboard, trackpad, slow HD, slow bus...

It certainly wouldn't be my tool of choice for SL. If you HAVE to have a laptop, my suggestion would be a high end Dell running XP. If you HAVE to have a Mac, I'd suggest a high spec MacPro.
If you want to play SL though, the optimum is definitely a modest gaming spec PC... (sure, you can get a killer PC, but SL just doesn't work any better past a certain hardware performance level)

Sadly, a MacBook is about as far from the optimum choice as you can get for playing SL, in my considerable experience.

The biggest problem I think you'd find on a Macbook is going to be the graphics card / graphics RAM. Second to that would be system RAM but you can at least increase that yourself. I'm running SL fine on a year-old intel iMac 17", with 1.5GB and it runs smooth and fast. To be fair, I keep my draw-distance at 128m while on the mainland. Cranking it to 512m on the mainland really does slow me down.

If you have to use a Macbook and you want to run SL on it, just put as much RAM in it as you can afford. And maybe turn down the draw distance.

I should also mention, I also use a 2 or 3 year old Powerbook G4, it has 1.5GB of RAM as well, and although it is noticably slower than my iMac, it does handle SL acceptably (i.e. it is not intolerably slow or anything). Again, lower draw distance and maybe disable some of the other eyecandy.

-Atashi

I priced a Vista machine and a Mac and found that no matter what the hardware configuration, desktop, notebook etc., the Vista machine was always cheaper for the same hardware or had much better hardware for the same money. I guess this is because Apple has a monopoly on hardware running OSX, and the lack of competition means they can sell you what they want at whatever price they want. I wanted a Mac bad, but gave up because it just didn't seem worth it. Glad I did, I really enjoy Vista. I have a Dell with a Radeon card, and it is 50% cheaper with more memory and better graphics.

I realize I'll get flamed by the faithful flock of Steve Jobs for heresy against the church of Apple, but I love it.

SL runs beautifully on my 2.33 GHz MacBook Pro with 2 GB memory. I get a good fps for smooth looking animations. Textures don't load instantly, but fast enough so I don't get impatient with it. I run shiny graphics options and local lights just fine. I am very happy with it.

Before I bought it I read comments of the fan being loud. It is loud enough that I am aware of it but not so loud as to be distracting. SL does use the computer's resources to the max and the fan will kick on noticably when am running SL.

The April 2007 edition of Macworld included an article with recommended Second Life settings for Macs that seem to help people a lot. Find it archived at www.macworld.com.

Thanks for the advice. I never visit the mainland anyway, so I can handle the 128m draw distance.

Occasionally, I review laptops for work, and last week I attempted to run SL on a new LG R400. Needless to say, the client repeatedly crashed. Whenever I zoomed on an object - crash. It could be the hardware configuration, but I am under the impression Vista can only handle browsers and Microsoft software for now.

http://www.macworld.com/forums/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=486018

Thanks to the MacWorld lead I found this link, which supports the notion that MacBooks do NOT have an appropriate graphics card for Second Life. Is that true? Anyone tried using the Intel GMA 950 card?

I am so not getting a MacBook Pro instead. They cost a 1,000 extra USD here, and the aluminum case heats up in a swift.

ppl have reported that it works, altho since its not supported your millage may vary, all it takes is a driver update or a sl engine update, and your new mackbook is a SL brick

Thanks, Har. Here is a direct link to that article.

http://www.macworld.com/2007/03/secrets/aprilgeekfactor/index.php

JaneLame,
I am running the exact macbook you are looking at. It runs SL well, (every update works with little or no problems) but, the video draw is not as fast as a laptop with a dedicated video card AND THE INTERGRATED VIDEO CHIPSET IS NOT SUPPORTED! so any day with some new update it may fail to work ever again. I just ordered a new macbook pro to replace it before that day happens.

No intention of flaming, but are you sure you compared everything fully, including software that comes with each package? Eaqch time I did (which I admit is not often) I found comparable hardware/software packages to be fairly close in price.

In general, I think the difference between PC and Mac is like the difference between GM and BMW. From GM, you can get a far wider variety of "hardware," and if you buy a stripped Chevy, for example, you can get a way lower price. The GM products will take you down the same roads as the BMWs, to the same destinations, and at about the same speed (if you are not on a German autobahn). But what the hell, some people woould just rather own a BMW.

Come on.. Mac is BMW?! From someone who just got a Macbook pro from with 2.33 Intel Core2Duo.. which I believe is the top model.. I would really said I am so not driving a BMW. First the fan noise... yep it is loud and it does disturb me. I mean with a $2000 machine I would expect more.. and the keyboard is not full size. I mean go and find a $2000 Windows Laptop without a full size keyboard! I need to use 2 keys for page up and page down?! And the build is also terrible, 2 of the new laptop we got already has the power buttons sink into the case.. my colleague actually go to apple store and check if this is a common problem and almost all of the macbook pro have the power button sinked in the case! My old IBM T40P I used to have perform much better then the macbook I have.

I love my ipod.. but as a computer macbook is really overrated.

I really, really wanted to get a MacBook Pro. I always had windows PCs and I thought it would be cool to have a Mac for a change.

They cost a lot here- nearly £2000. All the display models I saw looked shabby and cheaply made. In the end I bought a Rock laptop for the same money, which had much more in the specs, and looks well built. Of course the last laugh was on me- it came with Vista, and started crashing in SL two updates ago. If I'd bought the Mac I probably would have been ok I just couldn't pay that kind of money for something that looked so cheap and nasty.

I will get a Mac, probably a cheaper one to ooh and ah on, and learn about the system.

128m? I have my PC set to 256m & the PC Laptop set to 196m. 20-30 FPS in most areas. But then... I'm not an average user.

At 128m, I get a lovely sea view from my deck lounger.

At 192m, I... don't.

This is exactly what I fear. Thanks.

LOL you think a Mac doesn't crash.. think again. I got at least 6 crashes.. ah maybe not crash.. they show you a nice black transparent screen with a message that tell you to restart your computer ahh.. that beats the Windows blue screen any other day.

It works well for most things, a few SL crashes here and there. But if a get many people around me and moving my graphics just can't handle it. (still waiting for my PC to get fixed )

I love my Macbook and SL currently works in it, but depending on what you want to do, it may not give you what you want.

Currently, I crash in most sims at ground level every time I teleport there (on my Vista laptop). And again when I log back in. Then again, in which case I give in and log into my sky platform, or else it's ok again.

I could take a risk on getting burned by a smouldering magsafe cord for the chance of some good login time in SL Just wanted to balance my comments a bit

That analogy only works with prebuilt PCs which don't offer the best hardware available. The processor and video cards are good but everything else is rubbish. My Dell notebook's dvd drive has needed to be replaced 3 times and I often have to flash the Bios to fix the on board audio. The problems didn't start until about 2 years into owning it, as they want you to have to buy another machine from them every couple of years.

The "Chevy" desktop I built myself doesn't crash and gets around 120fps on my sim. I can also upgrade constantly allowing me to never have to buy a full machine again. Not to mention it cost 1/2 the price of a prebuilt PC and 1/4 of the price of a Mac (with even higher specs) when I first built it.

With a Mac I'd have to shell out £2000 every couple of years all in one go to stay up to date and still not be able to play 90% of the games out there.

Personally I'd rather own a Mustang then a BMW.

I have a 24" iMac here along with a laptop with the same PC specs as you mention (other then laptop has faster CPU) and i find the iMac runs SL great if not as good as my 4800+ /w 4GB Ram and NVIDIA 7800 GTX video card.

Har Fairweather: "In general, I think the difference between PC and Mac is like the difference between GM and BMW. From GM, you can get a far wider variety of "hardware," and if you buy a stripped Chevy, for example, you can get a way lower price. The GM products will take you down the same roads as the BMWs, to the same destinations, and at about the same speed (if you are not on a German autobahn). But what the hell, some people woould just rather own a BMW."

Do you realize BMW also offers MANY Different forms of its vehicles for those who can't afford the top models. That is why most of the BMWs you see on the road are the cheap models not the top of the line. For example, how many 3 Series 335i's do you see vs 328i? And if you see X5's they are usually 3.0i models. 4.8is's are few and far between. BMW offers many more models and a wider variety of choice then Chevy.

So if anything Apple = Chevy with few models and basic options.
PC = BMW with many models and loaded with options.

Also, a stripped chevy does not drive nor perform like a BMW.