About To Become A Reluctant Apple Owner

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
O

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
My son is required to buy a 15" Powerbook for school. It sucks, but not as bad as being required to buy an Apple desktop!

We're getting the protection plan added, as well as adding it to our homeowner's policy, so that's all covered.

The first issue I have to figure out, is how to get it to print via a wireless access point or wireless router with a print server. I found a couple of decently priced units, but the Powerbook isn't supported unless it's printing to a Postscript printer.

Speaking of decently priced, I was looking into upgrading the memory from 512MB to 1GB. That's a healthy $130.00 fee from Apple. If I buy it after the initial purchase, it's $150.00, or $110.00 from a third party. Then, there's the question of a second battery... sheesh! Is there a cheaper place to buy this stuff? How do I get the thing to print over our network via the router's print server? Anything else that should be upgraded before the purchase?
 
E

EyeMWing

Banned
Jun 13, 2003
15,670
1
0
For the love of god, get your memory quotes from Crucial. It's just a standard DDR SODIMM, but if you want guaranteed compatability, Crucial will do ya. And batteries are ALWAYS expensive. Sorry :(

Oh, and if you don't get Apple official memory (AKA not Apple brand), like your link) just remove it before you do any RMAs :p
 
M

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
66
91
yup, batteries are normally a special item, and you wont find ANY notebook batteries for under about $80

MIKE
 
R

Rogue

Banned
Jan 28, 2000
5,774
0
0
Make sure your son learns Unix while he has that thing. Don't bastardize him with ONLY the GUI. Shut him in his room with it and say things like, "Damnit! You'd better be reading those man pages or so help me God I will beat you with no mercy!"
 
O

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
Will do, Mark. :thumbsup:

I'll have to check back later. Time for family movie night...
 
daniel1113

daniel1113

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2003
6,448
0
0
Originally posted by: Rogue
Make sure your son learns Unix while he has that thing. Don't bastardize him with ONLY the GUI. Shut him in his room with it and say things like, "Damnit! You'd better be reading those man pages or so help me God I will beat you with no mercy!"
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:
 
H

hevnsnt

Lifer
Mar 18, 2000
10,868
1
0
Originally posted by: Rogue
Make sure your son learns Unix while he has that thing. Don't bastardize him with ONLY the GUI. Shut him in his room with it and say things like, "Damnit! You'd better be reading those man pages or so help me God I will beat you with no mercy!"
Click to expand...


:thumbsup:

 
Kadarin

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,296
16
81
Originally posted by: aswedc
I'm also curious what school would do this...
Click to expand...

Yep, definitely an odd policy to try to enforce. Unless it's a high zoot private school or something.
 
ViRGE

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
31,516
167
106
2 things:

1) What kind of printer do you have hooked up to your router?

2) This is sort of a crappy attitude to have going in to owning such a high-end machine. Get a better attitude, otherwise you're going to make yourself miserable and treat the machine poorly in the process(and may I remind you these things have a killer resell value).
 
daniel1113

daniel1113

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2003
6,448
0
0
Get him a high end PC instead, with a $500 Mac Mini and KVM switch to play with instead. I mean, the kid's gonna need to play some quality PC games while at school :)
 
IAteYourMother

IAteYourMother

Lifer
Nov 3, 2004
10,491
22
81
Even in rich, private schools that require laptops, I am extremely surprised that this school would require a Macintosh. What school is this?
 
B

BullsOnParade

Golden Member
Apr 7, 2003
1,259
0
0
I'm sure you instinctually wish to provide him with the best things you can, but more than likely
he'll be just fine making use of labs at school. I'm guessing he's going to some art school of sorts
in which case get him a great camera or something more useful than an expensive overpriced computer.
 
O

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
University of CincinnatiComputer requirements...


Originally posted by: ViRGE
2 things:

1) What kind of printer do you have hooked up to your router?

2) This is sort of a crappy attitude to have going in to owning such a high-end machine. Get a better attitude, otherwise you're going to make yourself miserable and treat the machine poorly in the process(and may I remind you these things have a killer resell value).
Click to expand...
I've got a Canon IP3000 connected to my PC, and an HP 895cxi connected via LPT port to an SMC Barricade 7004BR. I've looked at Netgear and D-Link wireless routers with print servers, and they'll only work with Windows machines.

I ordered the Powerbook this evening, and asked the CSR about the wireless print server. They had a $300.00 "Air Port" (or something), and $200.00 unit that would connect to a USB printer. I ended up ordering a refurbished, D-Link DI-713P Wireless 802.11b Router Broadband +ACCESS Point 3PT Switch for $32.00. He can "sneakernet" anything he has to print while he's home, I guess.

I didn't have such a bad attitude, till I saw this issue pop up, as well as the upgrade prices. Hell, I haven't even taken delivery, and already know it won't be able to print via the router. But, I'm glad to hear I can stick cheaper memory in there, which I intend to do.
 
UglyCasanova

UglyCasanova

Lifer
Mar 25, 2001
19,275
1,361
126
I had to buy a mac laptop for school (graphic design major) and I got a 1.5 GHz Powerbook, 15" screen, 1 gig ram (got my other 512mb stick from Crucial), 128mb radeon 9700, 80gb 5400 rpm hd, and whatever else it has. This is mac I have ever used, I've had it for almost a year now, and it is by far my favorite computer I've ever used. They are expensive, but they are incredible. I went from an Inspiron 8200 to my Powerbook and now I'm an Apple fanboy (used to hate em lol).

For all of you who say nothing runs on an Apple every kind of program I need to use runs on it, the only thing I can't do is play many games but I never ever play video games anyways so it doesn't really matter. I do a lot of work in Illustrator, Painter, and Photoshop, and if he is going into graphic design get as much memory as you can in there and buy the kid a scanner!
 
J

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
As for the battery, the only way to get "cheap" batteries for laptops is to buy dead batteries, and replace the individual cells yourself. It takes a bit of skill, but can save you a CRAPLOAD of money.

<--paid a total of $30 to replace the cells in an old laptop battery, instead of paying $115 for a new battery
 
N

nsafreak

Diamond Member
Oct 16, 2001
7,093
3
81
Originally posted by: Ornery
University of CincinnatiComputer requirements...


Originally posted by: ViRGE
2 things:

1) What kind of printer do you have hooked up to your router?

2) This is sort of a crappy attitude to have going in to owning such a high-end machine. Get a better attitude, otherwise you're going to make yourself miserable and treat the machine poorly in the process(and may I remind you these things have a killer resell value).
Click to expand...
I've got a Canon IP3000 connected to my PC, and an HP 895cxi connected via LPT port to an SMC Barricade 7004BR. I've looked at Netgear and D-Link wireless routers with print servers, and they'll only work with Windows machines.

I ordered the Powerbook this evening, and asked the CSR about the wireless print server. They had a $300.00 "Air Port" (or something), and $200.00 unit that would connect to a USB printer. I ended up ordering a refurbished, D-Link DI-713P Wireless 802.11b Router Broadband +ACCESS Point 3PT Switch for $32.00. He can "sneakernet" anything he has to print while he's home, I guess.

I didn't have such a bad attitude, till I saw this issue pop up, as well as the upgrade prices. Hell, I haven't even taken delivery, and already know it won't be able to print via the router. But, I'm glad to hear I can stick cheaper memory in there, which I intend to do.
Click to expand...

Huh? If the Powerbook has wireless built into it you can easily print via the router, I don't know where you got the idea that you couldn't. An airport is nothing more than an 802.11b/g Access Point with the Apple brand on it.
 
ViRGE

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
31,516
167
106
Originally posted by: Ornery
I've got a Canon IP3000 connected to my PC, and an HP 895cxi connected via LPT port to an SMC Barricade 7004BR. I've looked at Netgear and D-Link wireless routers with print servers, and they'll only work with Windows machines.

I ordered the Powerbook this evening, and asked the CSR about the wireless print server. They had a $300.00 "Air Port" (or something), and $200.00 unit that would connect to a USB printer. I ended up ordering a refurbished, D-Link DI-713P Wireless 802.11b Router Broadband +ACCESS Point 3PT Switch for $32.00. He can "sneakernet" anything he has to print while he's home, I guess.

I didn't have such a bad attitude, till I saw this issue pop up, as well as the upgrade prices. Hell, I haven't even taken delivery, and already know it won't be able to print via the router. But, I'm glad to hear I can stick cheaper memory in there, which I intend to do.
Click to expand...
I'd have to check my Mac to be sure(I have it out on loan right now), but it should be possible to get those printers working with a printer server + Mac via CUPS. Which specific printer would you be hooking up to the print server/switch?
 
B

BillyBatson

Diamond Member
May 13, 2001
5,715
1
0
d00d what school is he going to!? why does he need a mac?! what is his major!? and even if his mahor for some reason requires one it should be his choice as to what sort he wnats ie notebook or desktop and not a notebook just so the school won't have to buy desktops themselves and make the students bring in theirs! also why would the screen size matter AND me mandatory!!?!?!
 
O

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
They are expensive, but they are incredible.
  • If I were buying my personal choice of laptop, it would be an IBM. That's because of their reputation for being sturdy, and the fact that it can use software we already own. Things like printing via our router's print server would never be an issue, not to mention the gaming situation. So far, "incredible" is not the first thought that comes to my mind.


...get as much memory as you can in there and buy the kid a scanner!
  • The Apple CSR told me I can add RAM of a different size than is currently in there, that it doesn't have to be paired. I intend to get a 1GB stick later, when some kind of hot deal pops up. That will total 1.5GB. Enough?

    Got a slick scanner recently. Now, if I can only figure out how to access that via the network...


...replace the individual cells yourself. It takes a bit of skill, but can save you a CRAPLOAD of money.
  • I'm with ya on that! Trouble is, these batteries are Lithium-ion. I know they're expensive, but I also know from owning a digicam with a Lithium-ion battery, that cheaper third party alternatives exist.


If the Powerbook has wireless built into it you can easily print via the router, I don't know where you got the idea that you couldn't.

I'd have to check my Mac to be sure(I have it out on loan right now), but it should be possible to get those printers working with a printer server + Mac via CUPS. Which specific printer would you be hooking up to the print server/switch?
  • Thanks ViRGE, it's the HP 895Cxi that's available to all PCs on the network. My PC has the iP3000 hooked up via USB. Perhaps it could be accessed via the network, but my PC would have to be on to do it. I read something about "gimp" for translating PostScript or some such. Guess I'll have to do more research...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom