Macs

[Johnparrack]

sorry I'm not a Mac person...eventhough I really like Keynote as an alternative or interface to powerpoint.Great transitions and can even do a crossfade and also embed most digital video files (say most because I've had issues with some files)

BUT: this shiny screen lark that keeps being mentioned as quoted below

 

"Maybe they are moving too fast for the market now? The product is great, but will you Pete, be buying glossy display's to use on shows where the reflection will totally screw the ability to see a display?"

 

Don't you boys sit in the dark on shows like the rest of us.......you lucky lucky B..........** laughs out loud **

[tom_the_LD]

Just thought it would be worth a chip in at this point - They released a new line of macbooks about a week ago. I'm asuming that it would only be used for video projection (as it's in this forum) but thought if you were planning on using it for audio you might like to know that they have now dropped firewire from them and it's now only available on the pro.

 

Some apple shops may have old stock from the previous line of macbooks sitting around - if so then they will be cheaper than buying a brand new one from the new line!

[Andrew C]

A bit of an unusual suggestion, but have you considered the Mac Mini Andrew,

Does anyone know if you can do a dual display in the style of M$ "Presenter Mode" using some form of output device? Other than that, an interesting idea.

Don't you boys sit in the dark on shows like the rest of us.......

Yep, I'll be at theback in the dark, but the Lappy will be on a lectern.

Some apple shops may have old stock from the previous line of macbooks sitting around

Thanks for that. With the demise of firewire, and shiny screens, this points me towards an old one!

[jimbo7744]

A bit of an unusual suggestion, but have you considered the Mac Mini Andrew,

Does anyone know if you can do a dual display in the style of M$ "Presenter Mode" using some form of output device? Other than that, an interesting idea.

As far as I can see, the only way of doing this would be to use something like a Matrox DualHead2Go

Digital Edition USB to display adaptor. Whether the Mac Mini would allow you to use the presenter view mode with this, I'm unsure.

 

Some apple shops may have old stock from the previous line of macbooks sitting around

Thanks for that. With the demise of firewire, and shiny screens, this points me towards an old one!

 

The White MacBook is still available, although it has a glossy screen, it still has a Firewire 400 port and the ability to use the presenter view mode in PP or Keynote (will require either a Apple mini-DVI to DVI Adapter or Apple mini-DVI to VGA Adapter at £15.00. Whichever output you choose)

 

The Mac Mini does not come with any peripherals, so you will need a display (unbranded 15" TFT approx £80), Apple keyboard and Mighty Mouse £64 (or you can use any PC keyboard and mouse), to have the presenter view option then if it works a Matrox DualHead2Go Digital Edition approx £134.90 from dabs.com.

It all starts to add up. £678.90.

The White Macbook retails at £734 with a display adaptor, and then you have the portability and security of being able to lock it away when not in use.

 

Just some thoughts

 

Jimbo

[peternewman]

A bit of an unusual suggestion, but have you considered the Mac Mini Andrew,

Does anyone know if you can do a dual display in the style of M$ "Presenter Mode" using some form of output device? Other than that, an interesting idea.

As far as I can see, the only way of doing this would be to use something like a Matrox DualHead2Go Digital Edition USB to display adaptor. Whether the Mac Mini would allow you to use the presenter view mode with this, I'm unsure.

I'd not considered about needing presenter mode, that may be a bit of a big downfall for the Mac Mini. I've not met the DualHead2Go Digital USB one before, but if its like their old analogue ones and just gives you a double width screen from one output, presenter mode may be a struggle as the computer will see it as one screen, so won't go neatly into presenter, if at all, without much resizing of windows. Saying that, I've got a USB2 to VGA adaptor for my laptop, to give me an additional separate monitor, but I think it works at a Windows software level, so won't necessarily be Mac compatible, although if you could find an equivalent it should do the job.

 

The White Macbook retails at £734 with a display adaptor, and then you have the portability and security of being able to lock it away when not in use.

But also the inherent fragility and stealability of a laptop. :unsure: If you were so inclined you could rack up the Mac Mini and remote all its connections to a nice patch bay, although as mentioned above the presenter view issue could be the killer.

[Nick S]

if you were planning on using it for audio you might like to know that they have now dropped firewire from them and it's now only available on the pro.

 

Some apple shops may have old stock from the previous line of macbooks sitting around - if so then they will be cheaper than buying a brand new one from the new line!

 

Actually, the old stock is still being produced. It's the entry-level Macbook. It's not been discontinued yet. They're hugely popular with the US college student crowd. This leads to the somewhat odd situation of the entry-level Macbook having FireWire, the Pros having FW, but the mid-range new all-metal MacBooks going without.

[eventstudio]

get KeyNote and dump PowerPoint, it makes it look archaic!