Just recently my Black Macbook has started randomly shutting down.  I took it to the Mac shop and they wre recommending a new logic board.  At £400 I don't blame them (they are a business after all) but fromwhat I've read on the internet, that doesn't always fix the problem anyway.

I'm sure that it's in some way temperature related because if it happens, and I turn it on again, it occurs again very quickly.Also, if I type"yes" into the terminal to make the processor go atfull, it causes a shutdown after about 20 seconds.  However,I downloaded a temperature monitor and it indicated fairly low temperatures (about 48 degrees C) so I'm not sure what exactly is wrong

I'm now using my 5 year old "trusty" dell laptop and wondering where to go next. Can anyone recommend anything? If I bought a new machine, it would be an upgrade to a Macbook Pro but at £1300 and Christmas presents to buy for others, I really can't afford it right now

I expect you've probably already done this, but try installing this software update.

If that does nothing, your best bet is to claim under warranty (assuming it's still under warranty). If not, there's not much you can do! Really shouldn't happen this soon, but there will always be exceptions

It's now out of warrenty and apprently the RRS problem only really surfaces on somewhat older equipment anyway.  I've been wondering about perhaps buying a second hand system and replacing the hardrive with my one. Would that work?

I'm in a horrible dilema about it... On one hand I'm furious at Apple because I've effectively paid a lot of money for a system that's now useless, out of warrenty and going to cost £400 to fix (a fix that might not even work). However, on the other hand I couldn't go back to owning a PC with all the visuses, spyware terrible OS and crashing etc.  If anyone happens to be selling a MacbookPro for a decent price, I'd love to take it off their hands

It should work as long as the MacBook you buy is similar to yours. Some of the hardware changed from generation to generation.

As for the MacBook Pro, if/when you can afford it, get it! It'll be one of the best computers you've ever owned. I've had two now, as my first one was a lemon (bought it not long after they had first come out), and I had a million and one problems with it, persisting from a few months after I got it. Apple replaced it with my current one outside of warranty, but only because they admitted that the number of issues I'd had were way beyond what you would expect from a relatively recent computer and that they'd first began before the warranty expired (even though it had already been in for service several times). The one I've got now is absolutely fantastic - best computer I've ever had...

Interestingly recent music press I've read advocate just getting a Macbook as the extra cost of the "Pro" really only buys you extra graphics capabilities (which are unecessary for music making but then maybe you're a Video editor or a graphic artist)

I mentioned it to a friend earlier this evening and he recommended that because nearly all the work I do is in my living room, I should just buy a Mac Mini, hook it up to my AV setup and get a wireless mouseand keyboard.  I half agree with it actually, seeing as it's the same spec as a basic Macbook and I don't really have the use for a laptop now that I once did.  My laptop use was mainly on trains and taking to uni, and even if I go home, I suspect that it's quite easy to pack a Mini in a suitacase and hook it up to a spare computer monitor and mouse lying in the office.

My main concern would be that I use a projector but then if I use a computer for 5 hours per night and a bit ovre over the weekend, that's about 40 hours per week = about 2100 hours per year. At that rate (and because my bulb is 4000 hours) it works out at about a new £200 bulb every two years.  In 5 years (the break eevn cost) I'd have loads of cash and almost certainly be wanting a new system anyway.

As they say, I think I need to think about it over the next few days

I disagree with the "not being worth" it though agrument against the Pro. I think that if you choose to spend £900 (on a Mac) rather than £300 (on a generic PC) then you may as well just spend the extra £400 to get the memory and sheer power.  I agreed with the statement when I first went to get some kit, but then every time I saw a Pro, I would think of the £100 I wasted on a night out and think why did I not just save a bit longer.

Puncher:

Interestingly recent music press I've read advocate just getting a Macbook as the extra cost of the "Pro" really only buys you extra graphics capabilities (which are unecessary for music making but then maybe you're a Video editor or a graphic artist)

I couldn't disagree further though. I have both the MacBook and the MacBook Pro (well, the MacBook is my dad's, but I used it extensively whilst Apple had my first MacBook Pro), and it's definitely a fantastic laptop. However, the MacBook Pro is better overall. The ONLY thing the MacBook beats the MacBook Pro on is batterylife.

The MacBook Pro has a bigger screen/higher resolution (a huge benefit for pretty much anything, even browsing the net as I currently have a browser window and two chat windows on the screen at the same time and has massive benefits when it comes to making music and watching any kind of video). The MBP also has a backlit keyboard, which while I originally thought this would be more of a gimmick, actually has proven to be immensely useful in low light conditions. I've used my MBP on stage a few times, and often you're in almost pitch black, this is where the keyboard backlight really shines (pun intended).

Not to mention loads of other benefits, such as the performance gains I noticed (my original 1.83 GHz CD MacBook Pro notably outperformed my dad's 2.0 GHz C2D MacBook even around OS X)

Generally better built too. MBP >> MB

Would I expect anything else

Are the Macbook and the Macbook Pro you're comparing both current, as similar spec as you can get, models??

BTW - young fellow me lad, you seem to have stopped PM'ing me about your music - I still play your last EP in my car (albeit a lowly Ford Focus without B&O sound system)

How much RAM do you have in the MBP compared to the MB? Just bought a Black MB for my wife with 2Mb of Ram and it seems to fly!

I think thats their point - from a hardware point of view you can buy pretty much the same horsepower for a lot less with a Macbook - with a Macbook Pro you get a larger screen with a higher resolution  - the question being what do you need you notebook for - to do what you need to do or to impress other Macites?

 

I replaced my 12" Powerbook with a MacBook for the size but then needed the Power of a MacBook Pro so purchased one as well. I like the portability of the MacBook (I have removed the optical drive and hard drive and it now boots from compact flash, as a result it is light and has a long battery) but it is a tad slower than the MacBook Pro. I also like the larger screen, backlit keyboard and Firewire 800. The MacBook is a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo with 2 GB RAM and the MacBook Pro is 2.4 GHz and it originally had 2 GB of RAM but has since been upgraded to 4. The graphics card in the MacBook Pro, especially under Leopard, takes a lot of load off the main process and RAM and therefore makes a big difference.

 What I really want is a 12" PowerBook replacement as neither machine is perfect but for the time being the MBP see the most use with the MB is a bit of toy.

Nicholas 

Puncher:

Would I expect anything else

Are the Macbook and the Macbook Pro you're comparing both current, as similar spec as you can get, models??

BTW - young fellow me lad, you seem to have stopped PM'ing me about your music - I still play your last EP in my car (albeit a lowly Ford Focus without B&O sound system)

I've got some stuff done for the new album. I could always give you a sneak preview I suppose, but there are only 2 songs completely 'finished', one song 'almost there' and another 'finished' but I'm not sure if I'm gonna include it.

Strangely enough, it's already got some album art! A friend did a fantastic bit of work in Photoshop which I've fallen in love with...

Alex:

Puncher:

Would I expect anything else

Are the Macbook and the Macbook Pro you're comparing both current, as similar spec as you can get, models??

BTW - young fellow me lad, you seem to have stopped PM'ing me about your music - I still play your last EP in my car (albeit a lowly Ford Focus without B&O sound system)

I've got some stuff done for the new album. I could always give you a sneak preview I suppose, but there are only 2 songs completely 'finished', one song 'almost there' and another 'finished' but I'm not sure if I'm gonna include it.

Strangely enough, it's already got some album art! A friend did a fantastic bit of work in Photoshop which I've fallen in love with...

Woops!........I've just PM'd you about this very subject

The rumor has Apple will sell a portable computer with only flash memory soon.

It will probably have a not so large screen. And it supposedly will be twice as thin as the regular apple portable computers. 

 

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/macworld-rumors-du-jour-external-optical-drives-multi-touch-tr/

http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/16/rumor-rehash-apple-macbook-ultraportable-coming-soon/

 

Rumours have been flying around for ages. There was nothing to replace the 12" PowerBook...

Why would anyone by a laptop without Applecare?  That's 3 years that you can do anything to it and they'll fix it.  Best 300 bucks you'll ever part with.