Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with mac and macbookpro

Is 64-bit Win7/BootCamp worth some effort?

Zonker — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:25:04 -0800

Is 64-bit Win7 possible/worth the hassle on a somewhat elderly Macbook Pro? My late '06 Macbook Pro (version 2,2) won't boot the 64-bit Windows 7 installer (it hangs at "Select CD-Rom Boot Type"), but the 32-bit version installs fine through Boot Camp. It looks like there's a hack (here) that would allow me to boot the 64-bit version by burning it to DVD in a slightly different way.

Is the 64-bit version worth the effort? Is there a significant difference in compatibility with Parallels Desktop between the 32- and 64-bit versions? Any other considerations I should have in mind?

Pick the Perfect Mac Laptop

misha — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:52:16 -0800

Which Mac laptop should I buy? Needs and specs inside. So I need a new laptop, and serendipity is on my side, as the Apple store has just updated! Well and good. Which model should I get, though, that's the question.

I am replacing this:

Model Name: MacBook Pro 15"
Model Identifier: MacBookPro1,1
Processor Name: Intel Core Duo
Processor Speed: 1.83 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per processor): 2 MB
Memory: 512 MB
Bus Speed: 667 MHz

What I use it for: blogging, word processing, some photoshop creation (illustrations for the blog, mostly), saving pics from the digital camera, social media, lots and lots of email, light gaming of the Flo's Diner and Tower Defense variety.

What I liked: speed, powerhouse of a laptop.
What I didn't like: heavy, bulky, heats up fast.

I'm thinking that I could go down to the 13", but are the new 15" versions significantly lighter than my version?

Is the Macbook Air a bad buy (meaning not cost-effective) because of the one-piece construction? In other words, does pretty much any repair mean the whole thing has to be taken apart, thus costing more in the end?

Is it significantly slower or less powerful than the Macbook Pro that I would notice it with my modest needs?

I DO want Apple Care, right?

Thanks in advance, hive mind!

Help Me Learn More About the MacBook Pro 17"

Effigy2000 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:38:00 -0800

MacBook Pro owners... tell me all about owning a MacBook Pro 17". Pros, cons and people suffering from buyers remorse all welcome. A bunch of questions are inside. I am seriously considering buying a MacBook Pro. I've decided that if I get one I'll want the 17" screen and the 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU. I'll also get the anti-glare screen, which I understand is pretty much a necessity.

I won't bother getting 8GB of RAM (the extra 4GB from Apple costs far too much), and I wont bother with the solid state drive (again, far too expensive), opting to go with the 500GB SATA 7200RPM drive instead. I'll also get the AppleCare plan at the same time.

I plan on using it for drawing, writing, surfing the net and playing some games that my current PC is too slow to run (Neverwinter Nights 2, I'm looking at you).

My questions are;

1) In doing my research, I've read a lot of really good reviews for the MacBook Pro but I've really not read anything negative at all. What are the bad things about the MacBook Pro that no-one seems to be talking about? I want to know if there's any potential deal breakers for me here.
2) 4GB vs. 8G of RAM. Does the extra 4GB make a big difference in performance on the MacBook Pro, especially given I plan on using Windows 7 through Bootcamp?
3) Does using Windows 7 (or even XP) pose any issues on a MacBook? By that I mean is there any MacBook specific features that are only usable under MacOS?
4) Are there any potential problems migrating my PC files (documents etc) to the MacBook Pro, even if I use Windows 7? What about my PC games?
5) I'm thinking I may just end up getting third party RAM and a third party hard drive for more space. I assume doing so is frowned on by Apple. Is this something that could affect the AppleCare Plan I'm planning on getting? Can I get around this if I have an authorised Apple repairer put the drive and RAM in?
6) Portability; how cumbersome is it using a 17" MacBook while on the go? Much, or not at all?
7) My experience with Apple when my iPod broke down was quite positive. Will I experience a similar level of good service if my MacBook Pro breaks down, or am I in for a whole new level of hell?

Anything else you MacBook Pro owners feel is worth knowing, let me know. And also, if you bought one and regretted it, tell me why (but let's try and keep the Mac vs. PC fights out of it, if we can).

Thanks in advance!

I really WANT to love it...

StrikeTheViol — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:00:03 -0800

Macbook Pro display woes from a recent switcher: hardware or software? Will I be happy with Boot Camp? I'm starting to feel afraid... I bought my first Mac and find the display giving me terrible eyestrain out of the box, and unusual blurriness at any other resolution. I found some evidence my trouble is an artifact of the way OSX handles fonts, and so was resigned to waiting for my educational copy of Windows and then using Boot Camp. However, I read recently that some people run into similar problems using Windows on a Mac, pointing to a driver problem. How can I test if something is defective? Will my issues go away if I switch the OS? The universal access options all function like awkward kludges. Is there anything else I can do to get this display usable for me? (I'm willing to consider almost anything at this point

Cookies and Apple Juice

trueluk — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:47:58 -0800

I've been debating with myself for the last week or so about which Mac I should buy and when I should buy it. My brain could use a break from the back and forth, and that's why I'm asking for help. I recently sold my Asus laptop (offer was too good to refuse), and I've been computer-less now for about two weeks. I bought the Asus in December 2008, and during the six months I owned it, I rarely took it out of the house. This is partly due to the fact that I'm a programmer, work on a computer all day at work, and often have free time while there to do my 'browsing.' I don't have a current desktop computer, so anything I buy will be my main computer.

I like the idea of portability, but with a $2500 laptop I can't imagine I'd let myself take it out of the house during the first 6-12 months out of fear of breaking it.

I mention the MacBook Pro for $2,500 because the RAM is upgradable to 8gb in that model, and not in the $2,000 2.4ghz model. However, besides that fact, there is no other reason that I can think of for me to buy the $2,500 model (the extra vram is useless, minimal upgrade in processor speed, starts with 4gb RAM but I can upgrade the 2.4ghz model cheaply).

I've done a lot of thinking and have concluded that I could buy a 24" iMac (2.93ghz, 4gb ram, 512mb vram in the ATI card) for just over $1,800. And then also buy the smaller, 13" MacBook for just over a grand in a month or two if I feel like I need the portability. Or, I could buy a MacBook Pro now, and then buy an external display for that down the road if I feel like I need the screen space and am using the computer mostly at home. Those two options are practically identical in price when buying both components, however, in the first I'd have two computers, and in the second I'd have only one. I've also thought about buying a cheap netbook instead of a MacBook with the iMac, and that seems to make more sense financially.

The thing is though, money isn't an issue. But I am extremely cheap, and have a hard time making myself spend money in excess. And I have a history of being incredibly indecisive. Can anyone help me out here?

Oh, and should I wait until after the WWDC? What's the chance of Snow Leopard being released and for its distribution to start immediately? I don't want to buy a new computer and then have to upgrade the OS if I can help it.

Cross-Platform Crashing on a Macbook Pro

N2O1138 — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:04:43 -0800

I have Leopard and Windows 7 (7057) installed on my Late 2007 (possibly older, I got it refurbished) Macbook Pro 15". My problem is, every time I boot into either OS, I get a kernel panic or BSOD respectively. The fact that it happens in 2 different operating systems makes me almost positive that it's a hardware problem. Unfortunately, I don't know very much about computer hardware, so I don't really know what to troubleshoot first, and I don't want to void the warranty by opening the case (I plan to take it to the Apple Store if nobody here can solve the problem). Specifically, either operating system will crash about a minute into booting up. I don't think the problem can be too serious because everything graphically looks fine and all my files are intact. This leads me to think that maybe it's a RAM problem, and that it runs out of memory and crashes during bootup. Safe Mode in Windows works fine (I'm using it now), and still reports the correct 2gb of RAM. I haven't done safe boot to OS X yet.

The Blue Screen says
"Uncorrectable Hardware Error" and below it gives the code
*** STOP: 0x00000124 (0x00000000,0x85BAE024,0xF2000000,0x00060151)

If it were just what I'm experiencing on Windows, I might think it was something to do with drivers, but it's on both operating systems.

iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, what's a designer to do?

Bunglegirl — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:48:33 -0800

Time to replace the Mac. Should a graphic designer go for the economical iMac or is splurging for a MacBook Pro and external screen worth it? I desperately need a new computer and have been putting it off until the new Mac models came out. I have a G4 tower that's probably from 2002 or so and a cheap 17" screen. This is my work computer (I'm a print & web graphic designer —self-employed) but, since this is my only computer, it's my personal computer too.

I miss my old 12" iBook which died a few years ago. Ideally I would have a desktop with a big screen for work and a small laptop for personal use but I really can't afford two computers (and wouldn't want to deal with syncing). My screen is way too small when working in CS3. Please don't suggest any non-Apple solutions. I just keep going back on forth on a desktop vs a laptop. I'll be using Adobe CS4 most of the time and usually need to quickly switch between Illustrator, Photoshop & InDesign and also have mail, Firefox, iTunes running at once—sometimes Acrobat or another small program will be running as well.

The way I see it I have two options:

1. 24" iMac. This gives me a huge screen and a powerful computer and seems like the best value for my money. I don't work with video and don't use millions of layers in Photoshop so a Mac Pro tower is overkill. The only drawbacks to the iMac is portability and the glossy screen. It would be nice to have the option to bring it to client meetings (although this would probably be a rare occurrence), work on invoices etc. in a coffeehouse or hook it up to my TV.

iMac 24"
2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRam
640 GB Serial ATA Drive
ATI Radeon HD 4850 512 MB
iWork & Applecare
$2,217

Pros: economical, powerful, good value
Cons: portability, glossy screen

2. MacBook or MacBook Pro and an external screen. This gives me the portability I like but is significantly more expensive. Its also less powerful and just seems like an extravagance. Most of the reasons I really want a laptop are for personal use (hooking up to my TV, working away from home). I can certainly get around not having a laptop and I'm seduced by the huge iMac screens with isight built in. I haven't figured out if I can use iSight on the laptop with an external (non-Apple) screen.

Buying an external screen would probably be a good idea because I've heard all of the complaints about the glossy iMac screens. I don't sit in front of a window but 50% of my work is print and color calibration is already a mess without adding in a glossy screen. I've really been leaning toward an iMac but I keep going back and forth about the screen and the convenience of a laptop. I have looked at the screens in the store but I can't know how the glossy screen will work for me until I get it in my house and work with it a bit. It also seems that any non-Apple screen that's 24" and decent quality is going to be pricey. If Apple just made a non-glossy screen I would happily get it so everything works well together and isight is built in.

MacBook 13" (if I have a laptop I prefer a 13" or smaller but MacBook Pros don't come that small, arg!)
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRam
320 GB Serial ATA Drive @5400
iWork & Applecare & adapter
$2,130 + screen (24" Apple cinema screen = $899)

--

MacBook Pro 15" (this is pretty big to be portable in my eyes)
2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (-$300 for a 2.66GHz)
4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRam
320 GB Serial ATA Drive @5400
iWork & Applecare & adapter
$3,255 ! + screen

Pros: portability, pick any screen I want
Cons: expensive, more money for less power

I tend to keep my computers for a long time so I want something that can grow with the next Adobe CS update. My friends seem to think the iMac is the obvious choice, but I'm not so sure. Obviously this is tax deductible (I'm in the US) but money is money. Please help me with my indecisiveness and give me some solid arguments for either option. I also welcome any comments on the specs I've chosen.

Buyamac.

furnace.heart — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:47:35 -0800

Where to buy used mac? After years of purposefuly not paying attention to avoid being tempted, i'm in the market for a used, last generation macbook pro...Does anyone have a great place to find a used one? I'm trying to avoid craigslist due to the in-freaking-credibly high rate of scammers on there (6 for 6 so far...) I've checked out local retailers, but so far no real luck.

Are there any really good online retailers out there? Maybe with limited warrantees? Mac certified refurbished books?

Details: I've got a budget of about 1200, but can go a little bit either direction from there. Ram and HD don't concern me, they can be bare bones, and i'll upgrade them as i need, but i'd like to get a decent video card in there.

But this WAS my backup!

N2O1138 — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:02:37 -0800

How can I repair any broken files resulting from power loss during defragmentation? It seems that most file recovery applications want to move everything to a new disk, but this is not a good option for me because I don't have any other drives large enough. I was using iDefrag on my terabyte (My Book) external hard drive. It had gotten almost 21 hours in, and somehow the power cable got unplugged and the battery died. To make a long story short, iDefrag can't see the disk at all, Disk Utility sees the hard drive but not any of the data or the partition itself, and verify and repair are not selectable. So this is
Mac OS 10.5.6, Macbook Pro, My Book 1tb external hard drive, iDefrag.

Why would you defrag an HFS+ external hard drive, you ask? I'm about to set up Boot Camp, and I want some extra space for Windows-compatible storage, but it won't make an NTFS partition because the free space isn't consecutive.

I have a feeling that there isn't much to repair, and all the data (including backups of every computer in the house, including some long since reformatted, as well as my 30gb+ iTunes library that I just moved there) should still be there, I just don't know how to make anything see the hard drive in the first place.

I do have access to another My Book 1tb (this one is NTFS), but I don't know if it would have enough free space either (and it's my dad's)

Why can't iTunes 8.02 find my songs?

Lillitatiana — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:35:09 -0800

Why can't iTunes 8.02 find my songs? I have a brand-new MacBook Pro (10.5.6), to which I copied over all my files from the Time Machine backup of my previous computer. Everything is working fine except for iTunes. I need to manually locate each and every one of my songs. A Google search yield nothing but this. It's helpful knowing others are having the same issue, but not so helpful in that the issue has yet to be resolved. Any tips, tricks, and suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

Mac screen artifacts causing a headache

tanc — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:49:33 -0800

I'm getting some weird artifacts/corruptions appearing on my macbookpro screen. Any explanations? I've tried googling this, but as my description of what's happening is quite vague I haven't had any success...

It's been happening for a while. Here are two screenshots I took of different artifacts that are happening. 1 2

Generally the artifacting occurs within a specific window, although sometimes it occurs across windows.

I have an external monitor plugged in and it occurs on both my laptop screen and the external monitor.

I thought maybe it was due to how long I leave my computer on - it's often a week or two between reboots, but it's happening now and my uptime is less than 2 days...

It seems to start on video windows (quicktime) or tetris (Quinn) the most, but that may be due to those being my most common activities...

It doesn't happen constantly, but will come and go. At the moment it seems to be appearing for a few seconds and then going again, but sometimes it won't go unless I close a windows or somehow force a screen refresh. (I was typing this the screen became obscured by a large yellow block)

Any suggestions of how I can prevent it without the pain of a reboot/trip to an apple store?

there's got to be a way to save me money somewhere

kidsleepy — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:14:40 -0800

What's the best way to buy a Mac? I want to purchase a $1,500 refurbished MacBook Pro. I have $450 in Apple gift cards, and a credit card with a 9.99% APR. Other options for payment are using the Bill Me Later system, or getting a Juniper Visa Card. I could pay off the remaining $1,000 over about three months - which way of paying is going to be the best deal? Any promotions or penalties I need to be aware of?

Forgive me, Steve Jobs!

photomusic86 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:31:44 -0800

What do I need to do to prep my MacBook Pro for running Vista as a virtual machine? I need Windows to run two or three specialized programs. I am also a die-hard Apple lover. Thus, I don't know what needs to be done to a Vista system to keep it from catching every virus ever made. I'm running last year's MacBook Pro model OS X 10.5 with free virtualization software VirtualBox. And please explain everything as if you were teaching someone who knows nothing about Windows (of any type), and only just barely knows anything about VirtualBox, or any virtualization software. Links are appreciated.

Multiple monitors on my first-gen 15" MBP, can I get more than one?

dhammala — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:25:44 -0800

Multiple monitors on my first-gen 15" MBP, can I get more than one? How can I get three (or more, large) heads on my MBP and be uber-cool and productive? Is it as easy as a DVI splitter? Is there software that would stretch the screen onto another computer? So, I have a first-gen MacBook Pro... the kind that only goes up to 2GB RAM. It has one DVI port. I currently use a 19" LCD and the MBP's LCD, both at 1440x900, no problem. However, I am the only one left in the office after a recent layoff and I am surrounded by lots of LCD monitors, Linux workstations, even an iMac 20" (Intel). Help me find a way to have three heads!

Can the new macbooks handle HD DVR'ing?

middleclasstool — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 08:29:27 -0800

New Macbooks: how good are the integrated NVIDIA graphics? So I'm finally making the leap and buying my first Mac, hopefully by the end of this year. Now that the gap between the high-end MacBook and low-end MBP is so narrow, I can't justify the extra cost...except maybe for graphics.

I don't do hard-core gaming or anything, but I may use this thing occasionally as an HD DVR and to play high-def content. Will the regular Macbook with integrated graphics have enough juice to handle this, or would I need to upgrade to the Pro?

And yeah, I know I can get a Pro refurb for cheaper, but right now I just want to know all my options.

When will we see new MacBook Pros? When should I buy mine?

nokry56 — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:19:34 -0800

I will have $3000 saved by the end of this month. I am hoping to spend it on a high-end 15" MBP. I am currently a high school senior, and am looking to replace my aging P4 desktop with a laptop that will last me into college. When is it likely that Apple will release new MBPs? If they release them within the month should I go ahead and get one, or should I wait until closer to when I am starting school next year? (Fall 2009)

Is it likely that Apple releases new MBPs before Christmas? If they do will they likely release another new model before next fall?

I have read the macrumors Buyer's Guide, but am looking for more info. Such as where do quad-core mobile processors fit into the scheme of things, and where does Nehalem come in?

Will we see new graphics cards?

I realize these are questions without definitive answers, but am just looking for some advice/thoughts.

I'm Bill Curtis and I've lost the iternets!

spicynuts — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:35:44 -0800

Airport Extreme de-bugging help please! Downloaded firmware updates Monday and now Macbook won't find my airport. I have a Macbook Pro and an Airport Extreme hooked up to my cable high speed modem. On Monday my Macbook auto-updater notified me of a firmware update for the Airport which I allowed to be downloaded and installed. Immediately I lost my wireless connection. I started by calling the cable company and rebooting the modem. This did not stop the problem as my Airport is still blinking amber. My laptop will not find the baseport when I use the Airport utility. I rebooted the baseport. Still nothing. Any advice?

I tried the apple support site but...jesus, come on! Who designed that crap?

Refurb Macbook Pros - How current?

pzarquon — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:57:57 -0800

A friend of mine (ahem) is eying a refurbished MacBook Pro. (Even though a new one is supposedly imminent, we're sticking with refurb in this scenario.) How many generations old are the units in Apple's refurb store? How can you tell? Does the 2.4GHz 15" model there today include the "new" LED monitor technology introduced in February, for example? The Macbook Pro page brags: "The 15-inch and 17-inch LED backlit displays are lighter, more power efficient, and they deliver full screen brightness the instant you turn them on." And I know that was introduced on the 15" first in February. But you could get a 2.4GHz 15" MBP before then. There's a matrix at Wikipedia, but it notes "Merom" versus "Penryn" there, and of course the official product details don't tell you the chip codename.

Basically, does the refurb story only carry refurbs of the current product line? I'd guess so but want to be sure. Thanks!

Windows XP SP2 hangs on install. Why?

Electrius — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:56:19 -0800

Help me with a weird Windows install problem. I have a two-year-old MacBook Pro which I have upgraded with 10.5. I was able to successfully install Windows Vista on it with the Bootcamp Beta under 10.4. Later, I wiped my Windows partition and resolved to install Windows XP instead. Using a tested Windows XP CD, I started the install but it would hang when it reached this screen, before I even press ENTER or F3 or R, all of which I have tested and which have had no effect. I have tried this with two different Windows XP Professional SP2 discs and the result has been identical.

I have searched far and wide to try to find the answer to this problem on Google and have plumbed the depths of Apple's support files, but to no avail. Apparently this problem is either unique or I'm not calling it by the right name.

I would prefer to not have to either use Windows Vista or try to find another Windows disc, although if that's the only option I suppose I have no choice if I ever want to play Team Fortress 2 again. I am reasonably computer-literate.

So, then, the questions:
1) What is causing this? CD drive failure? Bizarre bug in the particular verison I'm using?
2) How can I fix the problem? Some voodoo key combination at bootup? Use a different version of Windows altogether? Give up? Repartition my hard-drive?
3) Does this problem indicate a larger issue with my computer?

Man Attempting to Move Leopard

indiewizard — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:41:38 -0800

Great MeFites, I come bearing but a humble request. I bought a MacBook Pro about six months before Leopard was released. When it finally came out, I installed it on a partition on an external drive, which I would boot from (because OS X is awesome like that, amirite?) so I could test out all my apps. Now I'm ready to commit to Leopard full-time - what's the best way to go about transplanting my Leopard partition? In my head, I would copy everything precious to the external drive, and then go into Disk Utility and select "Restore" (I'm not in front of my Mac right now, so I don't know the exact option, but it's a tab that comes up in the main pane when you select the root drive in the left-hand pane), where I would select Leopard as the source, and my internal drive as the destination. However, the internal drive is just slightly bigger than the Leopard partition - would this present a problem?

Also, what are my other options? Specifially, Carbon Copy Cloner comes to mind - is this what I need?

Also also, I would like to merge my Adium chat logs - any programs available? If this isn't possible, I'll settle for simply copying them to my Documents folder, and using Spotlight.

A thousand thank-yous in advance.

Laptop Hard Drive Decision - which one is best for my needs?

nokry56 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:50:01 -0800

Which HD would be a better (read: faster) drive for my soon to buy MBP? After Apple releases their new Mac Book Pros I will be purchasing a high-end 15" one. Will be purchasing 3rd party memory (4GB) and am thinking about buying a 3rd party hard drive to replace the 200GB that comes default. I'm torn between this more expensive 320GB 7200RPM drive, this slightly less expensive 320GB 7200RPM drive, or this 500GB 5400RPM drive.

I was reading online that the Seagate 500GB drive would actually be faster than a 7200RPM drive because of its platter size or something? Could anyone explain how this could be? Would the 500GB drive be faster than the other two drives I linked to?

I will be using the MBP for media storage, audio editing, and gaming, so want the largest drive possible that won't be a bottleneck for performance.

As a side question, how would I get the HD installed without voiding my warranty?

How ya like dem apples?

spicynuts — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:06:10 -0800

Brand new Mac convert - haven't used one since the IISE back in college. So far I love it but I have some questions about converting my peripherals or moving data like music, etc. So I bought a Macbook Pro. I have a self-built PC at home. All of my peripherals including digital film scanner, photo printer, color diagnostics, external storage, iPod, etc are PC. I'm going to slowly start migrating stuff over. So with that in mind, two questions:

1) How do I get my music that is stored in my PC formatted iPod or iTunes folders into my Mac so I can at least use the mac to play my music through iTunes?

2) Is it possible to reformat my iPod for the mac and have it function properly with the dock that I have? Or do I need to buy a mac specific doc?

Thanks!

Which Macbook for Music Production?

ilumos — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:38:10 -0800

Macbooks; I'm going to university this September to study a music technology course, all their computers are macs, I'd like to buy one so I can take my work home. For music recording and production, which macbook is most suitable for me? I'll be using ProTools, Logic, Ableton Live and Reason, and will need a moderate amount of hard drive space. It would be good if the computer has meaty enough hardware for games too (under paralells) but that's not essential.
I don't really want to spend much over £1,000 ($2,000) if I can avoid it.
Which macbook would be best?

Thanks in advance

OSX latency monitoring for windows games

mccarty.tim — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:07:43 -0800

Is there a way I can monitor latency to gaming servers easily in OSX, preferably through a widget? My computer spends most of its time in my college dorm. My college internet connection is good, not great. The speed is consistently fast enough to get things done, but latency fluctuates. Sometimes, it can stay around 400MS for an hour or so. At good times, the latency is around 12 MS for servers in the same region.

What complicates things is that I like TF2, a windows game, and I have to reboot my computer, a MacBook Pro, into bootcamp to play it. If I reboot into Windows and find that the latency is high, I just wasted a lot of time.

Is there a widget for the dashboard so that I could monitor Steam servers and their latencies so I know if it's worth my time to reboot? Or is there a webpage I could turn into a webclip to help me out? Thanks for your help.

Is my Ikea desk killing my MacBook Pro hard drive?

fenriq — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:47:19 -0800

Bizarre Hard Drive Failure Filter: Is it possible that my desk from Ikea is helping to send my hard drive to an early grave? Okay, I know this is going to sound insane but here goes. When I use my MacBook Pro on my desk the hard drive will soon start whining and screaming and sounding like it is about to explode. When I use the same exact computer on my table in the kitchen, it is almost perfectly silent. I can use it on the table in the kitchen for hours without even a slight whine. But within minutes of placing it on the desk from Ikea, its like there's a helicopter in my office.

The noise gets so loud I can't hear my television. And right now, on the kitchen table, it is almost silent.

Can anyone make heads or tails of this?

The sound does occur far less frequently when I use the computer while laying in bed and it sits on a pillow (these suckers run HOT!) but it appears that the issue is exacerbated by the desk.

Anyone have any insights? Yes, it is under warranty and I have the box ready to send it back to Apple but I'm pretty they don't use Ikea desks and they may not be able to replicate the problem.

Disk Utility says the disk is totally fine but I found I cannot upgrade to Leopard because of some failure (can't remember now) and I did try it several times.