Computer FUBAR looking for a new one

[Alpha81]

My computer is toast...looking for a new one. Please don't flame me for this, but I'm looking at a new MAC, will the game play on a MAC? If it won't I'll be forced to buy another PC for the game and a MAC for the wife. Any recommendations would be appreciated, especially in the video card department....thanks

[gyrene81]

if you use a mac you will have to use either boot camp or parallels to provide an environment for windows to run, and there will be some issues that you will have to work out.

personally, macs are great for a lot of things but not for real gaming.

[titanic3]

Macs aren't really made for gaming. Even the most advanced ones probably won't even be able to run AH on max settings. Any chance you can change your wife's mind and get a real good PC instead?

You could also buy her a cheap MAC for ~$200-300 and buy a decent gaming PC for ~$700-800.

[Tigger29]

Now now lets be fair now. Modern macs will let you dual boot to windows (if you buy windows 7) and should work just fine for ah

[WWhiskey]

Bummer!   We could look at what you have and fix what's broken maybe?
Even if you dual boot the Mac  it isn't going to be all that great

[Pigslilspaz]

food for thought.

Also, I didn't know mac's could cost only 200-300 dollars. Don't think it'd be able to do much.

http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/tech-fun/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/whynottobuyamac.png

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Even if you dual boot the Mac  it isn't going to be all that great

Why would you think so? New Macs are based on same PC hardware like your computer. All you need to do is make sure your Mac has a graphics card that's suitable for gaming - the cheapest models certainly won't.

[gyrene81]

Now now lets be fair now. Modern macs will let you dual boot to windows (if you buy windows 7) and should work just fine for ah

i've seen people dual boot a pc with windows 7 sp1 64bit and mac os 10.6 or 10.7, but no dual boots on an intel based mac.

Why would you think so? New Macs are based on same PC hardware like your computer. All you need to do is make sure your Mac has a graphics card that's suitable for gaming - the cheapest models certainly won't.

check again, mobo is apple proprietary based on intel standards, they are not off the shelf intel.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

check again, mobo is apple proprietary based on intel standards, they are not off the shelf intel.

Just like Acer HP or Dell uses Acer HP or Dell proprietary based on Intel standards, nothing new there. Apple hardware will run win7 better than any off the shelf 'pc' hardware in most cases.

[gyrene81]

Just like Acer HP or Dell uses Acer HP or Dell proprietary based on Intel standards, nothing new there. Apple hardware will run win7 better than any off the shelf 'pc' hardware in most cases.

ah once again the voice of some knowledge...almost a clue.

unlike apple/mac...acer, hp, dell, ibm, lenovo, toshiba, sony, etc...use the same chipsets that you can find on a retail mobo, the only thing that is proprietary is the bios and the basic architecture (i.e. placement of slots and connectors). i happen to know that without the specific mac hardware drivers included with bootcamp 2.0 or 2.1, windows 7 will not fully function on the mac hardware platform.

[guncrasher]

you both gotta stop fighting on every thread you post.  you both are pretty knowledgeable and your help is appreciated but you guys sound stupid when you start trying to outdo each other. both of ya.

semp

[MrRiplEy[H]]

ah once again the voice of some knowledge...almost a clue.

unlike apple/mac...acer, hp, dell, ibm, lenovo, toshiba, sony, etc...use the same chipsets that you can find on a retail mobo, the only thing that is proprietary is the bios and the basic architecture (i.e. placement of slots and connectors). i happen to know that without the specific mac hardware drivers included with bootcamp 2.0 or 2.1, windows 7 will not fully function on the mac hardware platform.

First of all windows 7 _will_ function i.e. boot up fine without these drivers.

When you do a normal windows installation, you always need either OEM or hardware manufacturers drivers to be installed. In this case the drivers come with the Mac setup disks instead of motherboard supplier. The only part where the installation does differ is the need to install a hotfix to windows after the first boot.

Why are you so scared of Macs?

[Hap]

alpha, in 2006 i bought a sweet iMac with the good vid card and fast processor.  ran AH just fine.  i don't know if the same would be true now.  boy i loved that box; used it to watch movies; could easily tote it from office desk to coffee table.  loved the OS.  the bad thing was it did cave 6 months out of the 3 year warranty.  i suspect that was bad luck rather than Apple building wonky boxes.

[gyrene81]

First of all windows 7 _will_ function i.e. boot up fine without these drivers.

When you do a normal windows installation, you always need either OEM or hardware manufacturers drivers to be installed. In this case the drivers come with the Mac setup disks instead of motherboard supplier. The only part where the installation does differ is the need to install a hotfix to windows after the first boot.

without the bios emulation software, which is the equivalent to pc chipset drivers, windows 7 will not "boot fine". and that sir is because of the apple proprietary architecture.

Why are you so scared of Macs?

it's disdain, not fear. i was dealing with macs as an end user and support tech for many years before you put on the rosey red apple glasses. the intel hardware platform is nice and all but it's nothing more than an expensive dressed up pc. if

i suspect that was bad luck rather than Apple building wonky boxes.

actually, apple has a history of building "wonky boxes". last gen of powermac g5 and imac had units ship out with defective logic board components and power supplies. second gen macbook air had a random capacitor issue that required a full replacement of logic board, memory and cpu. first gen intel imac numerous random issues from bad memory to bad capacitors. apple is just very good at covering it up, even after repeated warranty replacements.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

without the bios emulation software, which is the equivalent to pc chipset drivers, windows 7 will not "boot fine". and that sir is because of the apple proprietary architecture.

Once you start the setup from bootcamp assitant everything works normally. It makes no difference if it's 'proprietary' or not - it works, period.

it's disdain, not fear. i was dealing with macs as an end user and support tech for many years before you put on the rosey red apple glasses. the intel hardware platform is nice and all but it's nothing more than an expensive dressed up pc.

So you had to deal with support of the old power-pc based macs and now have an unbased hatred against the platform. Every car repairman hates the cars they repair, they seem to be broken every day at work

actually, apple has a history of building "wonky boxes". last gen of powermac g5 and imac had units ship out with defective logic board components and power supplies. second gen macbook air had a random capacitor issue that required a full replacement of logic board, memory and cpu. first gen intel imac numerous random issues from bad memory to bad capacitors. apple is just very good at covering it up, even after repeated warranty replacements.

Yeah and surely Apple is the only company in history to get faulty hardware components from its suppliers 

A dualboot mac is an excellent and versatile machine like it or not. Would I buy a Mac for gaming? No. PC has much better price/performance ratio. But if I had to buy just 1 laptop for all use, a high-end MBP would be my choice - and most others who ever had the chance to try one.

If I wouldn't have OSX I would have to dualboot to linux then due to my work, windows boxes are just cumbersome and clumsy when dealing with linux servers for example.