MacBook vs.???

DyingToLearn
2007-07-03T03:59:36Z

Hi,

I need some help on a new laptop purchase!

I have an old toshiba laptop that is currency running Ubuntu 7.04. The
machine is definitely on it''s last legs; I expect it to die any time
within the next 3 months, probably a lot less. I''ve been looking
around at laptops to replace mine when it dies, and I was surprised at
the hardware in a MacBook (not pro) for the price.

I am in Canada, so I am quoting the specs/prices that relate to me.

This is the MacBook that I am looking at
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/canadastore.woa/61024006/wo/B15TNtnqe8KH3jHmExt10XriAfp/8.?p=0

It is $1250 (CAD), shipping included for an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 Ghz
processor (no upgrades).

The best non-Mac comparisons that I can find are:
1300 + shipping for an Intel Core Duo 1.83Ghz
http://www.toshiba.ca/web/product.grp?lg=en&section=1&group=1&product=5732&category
1400 + shipping for an Intel Core 2 Duo 1.67 Ghz
http://www.toshiba.ca/web/product.grp?lg=en&section=1&group=1&product=7211&part=6484#spectop

1330 + shipping for an Intel Core 2 Duo 1.66 Ghz
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3106996

1300 + shipping for an Intel Core 2 Duo 1.73 Ghz
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3113048

1300 + shipping for an AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile 2.0 Ghz
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3203544


There are three common things that the PCs tend to have better than
the MacBook:
-More RAM (some have 2GB)
-More HD space (many are 100-150 GB)
-DVD-Burner


I don''t think I have a problem with the RAM, but I''d like the
opinion
of a MacBook user: Will 1GB RAM be enough for Rails development,
watching DVDs, surfing the web, and instant messaging? I may do some
word precessing and spreadsheets too (OpenOffice)--but most of the big
documents will be done on my desktop.

I don''t about the DVD-Burner. I have one on my desktop and that is
enough.

Can I format a USB hard drive so that it is readable and writable by
both the MacBook I am looking at and Windows XP Pro (and preferably
Ubuntu 7.04)? If so, I don''t care about the HD space.


Here is the really trick part of the question: Both my wife and I love
Ubuntu. Both of us have used macs and don''t like the UI. So I will
almost definitely erasing whatever OS comes with the laptop I buy and
instead installing Ubuntu.


Given the above, my decision should be based primarily on the
hardware''s price/performance/reliability. Should I buy the MacBook?

Here are a few other considerations:
-Lighter is highly valuable - the MacBook is lighter than all the PCs
i noted
-Screen clarity is important - I think the MacBook is better here; can
anyone confirm?
-I will be doing rails development at least part time. Is it possible
to dual boot Ubuntu and Mac OS X? If so, considering that I have tried
and generally don''t like the OS, how valuable is booting into Mac OS X
just for rails development? Currently I use jedit. It''s been great,
but I don''t have the time to add all the shortcuts that seem to be
built-in to TextMate
-Does the MacBook I am looking at come in black? I couldn''t figure it
out from the apple website. This isn''t that important, but black is
much cooler.
-My wife will KILL me if I make her use Mac OS X. So far I have
assumed that I could install Ubuntu on it, is that assumption true?
Can someone who has done it say how easy/hard it is?


Thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to reply!!!

PS. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not make this into a Mac is better than
Windows. My laptop will not have Windows (except if I have to test in
Internet Explorer 6/7).