Thinkin of switching to Apple Mac laptop - good idea?

defenstration

Got a Dell Inspiron a while ago but the screen, even after having it replaced, is still making my eyes bloodshot. Tried messing with the brightness, contrast, resolution etc. but still not agreeing with my eyes.

Was thinking of switching to a HP but saw one of the lads' Apple Mac laptops there recently and the screen is like nothing I've ever seen before - it's absolutely immaculate. Now there's still no guarantee that it will agree with my eyes either, maybe there's just sumthin about LCDs that my eyes don't like, but anyway, thinking of giving the Apple Mac a try.

Work in computers so should have no bother getting use to the new os, but just wondering are there any good or bad points that I should be aware of before switching from Windows on a Dell to an Apple Mac?

Conor108

Take it its a MacBook Pro your getting? Might it would be best to ask in the Mac forum (if there is one). If your a gamer btw, alot of games will not work on a mac and you need to buy mac versions but you probably know that working in IT. I don't really keep up to date with macs but podcasts like Macbreak will have the latest mac news.

Good luck

defenstration

Nah, all I'd be using it for is the Internet and then typing up college stuff. As far as gaming is concerned, I play a bitta Football Manager and that's about it, but if anything I might be better off if I wasn't able to play that - might force me to give it up!

mathias

Got a Dell Inspiron a while ago but the screen, even after having it replaced, is still making my eyes bloodshot. Tried messing with the brightness, contrast, resolution etc. but still not agreeing with my eyes.

This being your main issue I would suggest you get your employer to have you tested for ergonomic VDU eyestrain. This is a standard test and should be given regularly to employees anyway.
( Its run on your working display and is a visual test )

All LCDs should be set at native resolution with the correct refresh rate , and if they are set at this then they should be significantly better in terms of eye strain than any CRT.

Have the test done , it seems like its the most important thing to do in your case anyway.

defenstration

Went to Specsavers shortly after the laptop started givin me bloodshot eyes and they told me that I needed glasses. But thought it might be in their interests to tell me that so I got a second opinion from a specialist and he told me there was nothing major wrong, so hopefully its the laptop...

Anyway, tbh I'm fed up trying to sort out all that eye stuff at this stage. Laptop is at the native resolution and all that, wasted too much time on it already. Have decided to switch laptops and hopefully that will fix it. Shouldn't put me at any extra cost cos the Dell I got was 1800 euro for a loada functionality that I will never use, so I'll sell that and buy a lesser laptop for more or less the same price as I get for my current one...

mathias

Bear with me for a second , what you are describing , bloodshot eyes after working , is a definite symptom of Ocular nerve strain caused by working with computers displays , Sure , you can replace your computer , but you cant replace your eyes ,
You really should get this looked at , its so common these days , have a read of this , when getting tested it should be specifically said that there is a possibility of eyestrain due to working on a VDU....

http://www.dit.ie/DIT/healthandsafety/sept2005/Procedure-for-the-provision-of-eye-and-eyesight-tests2.doc

Your employer is obliged to cover the costs and the time to take the test. Details within.

440Hz

Conor108 wrote:

best to ask in the Mac forum (if there is one)

How special do we feel now! Of course there is one!!!

Ham'nd'egger

defenstration wrote:

Have decided to switch laptops and hopefully that will fix it. Shouldn't put me at any extra cost cos the Dell I got was 1800 euro for a loada functionality that I will never use, so I'll sell that and buy a lesser laptop for more or less the same price as I get for my current one...

Dare I ask you what spec you got on the Dell for your €1,800?

defenstration

mathias wrote:

Bear with me for a second , what you are describing , bloodshot eyes after working , is a definite symptom of Ocular nerve strain caused by working with computers displays , Sure , you can replace your computer , but you cant replace your eyes ,
You really should get this looked at , its so common these days , have a read of this , when getting tested it should be specifically said that there is a possibility of eyestrain due to working on a VDU....

http://www.dit.ie/DIT/healthandsafety/sept2005/Procedure-for-the-provision-of-eye-and-eyesight-tests2.doc

Your employer is obliged to cover the costs and the time to take the test. Details within.

The thing is though that I never had this problem until I got this laptop - I studied computers for 4 years, working with VDUs for a considerable amount of that time, I've been working in IT for another 4 years since, working with VDUs all day every day during that time, and never did I get this problem until I started using that new Dell laptop! Ya hafta say that the problem definitely seems to be the laptop rather than my eyes!
That said, I don't suppose there is any way that my eyes might not agree with flatscreens/LCDs perhaps? Cos this is more or less the first flatscreen/LCD that I've ever used proper...

440Hz

Nothing really mac-specific here so I'm gonna move this one on...

art

The Mac OS is the most advanced one available and the most stable and secure (says me, a Windows user!) - especially the "Leopard" release that is immanent. I'd certainly switch if I could afford it but, if I were you, I would definitely wait until either they start shipping Leopard with the new laptops or they start offering free upgrades to Leopard (which is what they did when the previous OS was about to be released).

defenstration

Any idea how long it will be before Leopard is released here? Or if I am understanding you correctly, if I buy now, will I be able to get a free upgrade anyway whenever it is eventually released?

Dublinstiofán

I'd imagine with Leopard due to be released in October they will start offering the free upgrade in September, so just hang on a week or two. €129 otherwise

Oriel

And why is this not in the Mac forum? :rolleyes:

art

Dublinstiof&#225 wrote: »

I'd imagine with Leopard due to be released in October they will start offering the free upgrade in September, so just hang on a week or two. €129 otherwise

Yeah, I'd guess the same. I'm expecting to see offers of a free upgrade appear quite soon as I'm pretty sure a similar offer was available for some time prior to "Tiger"s release. The Apple Store phone no is 1800 92 38 98 if you want to ask directly but not sure if they would want to give away that information yet whilst waiting old stock to clear etc.?

art

Oriel wrote:

And why is this not in the Mac forum? :rolleyes:

Because it's about a "laptop"?

BostonB

defenstration wrote:

The thing is though that I never had this problem until I got this laptop - I studied computers for 4 years, working with VDUs for a considerable amount of that time, I've been working in IT for another 4 years since, working with VDUs all day every day during that time, and never did I get this problem until I started using that new Dell laptop! Ya hafta say that the problem definitely seems to be the laptop rather than my eyes!
That said, I don't suppose there is any way that my eyes might not agree with flatscreens/LCDs perhaps? Cos this is more or less the first flatscreen/LCD that I've ever used proper...

You've been working with screens for 8yrs and yet you seem to know nothing about them. Go do your homework before buying anything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_display_standard