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So my girlfriend spilled orange juice all over (and inside--I poked around and found corrosion and orange pulp) her Mac and is going to have to get a cheapie Windows laptop to replace it. However, she uses iPhoto and iMovie often.
Are there any programs for Windows with similar functionality that are free/relatively inexpensive? I really don't want to tell her "GIMP and Windows Movie Maker", but this is not my area of expertise.
if she used Mac previously, then I suggest replacing windows on the laptop with Ubuntu Linux, both linux and osx are Unix based, so that has similarities there and there are some pretty awesome video editors that are linux only such as shotwell and vino video editor. And plus there is a software center that allows you to pick and choose what apps you want and the description of what each software does.
Good advice, but I would advise dual-booting instead of plain-out wiping windows.
I had that thought too, but I was really hoping I would find a Windows alternative to save me the trouble. I'm a Linux newbie and would prefer giving her something I know instead of learning as I go.
If I do go the Linux route though, I'll definitely have to set up dual-boot. I don't want to throw away an OEM license for Windows on an OS that I have no experience with.
well to be honest Ubuntu while not my favourite Linux distro, it's the most user friendly linux out there. And there is a huge community too that will be more than happy to answer any questions.
I know. I would've picked Ubuntu for her for that same reason. I know a bit about various distros as well as the general nature and how-to of Linux, but I have little to no hands-on experience with it. That's what makes me feel a bit wary about thrusting it on someone with no experience and little computer knowledge.
(a side note to help explain: my girlfriend is hesitant to use Windows because she's so familiar with Mac and is intimidated by the idea of learning a whole new system.)
there are used ones out there. just dont expect the top tier performance.
Geeks.com has G5 macs on sale for under 400
That's not a bad idea. I'll see if I can find an inexpensive ($300-$400) Apple laptop.
a core 2 mac laptop for under 600$
I was actually looking at this. http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=M9846LLA-B&cat=NBB
I was gonna ask though: have you ever bought from these guys before? The notebook is said to be in "Grade B" condition, meaning it has some cosmetic bang-ups and the battery isn't guaranteed to work. Can/should I trust this site? They say that there's a 90-day warranty on it, but I don't know what that necessarily entails.
i had a friend who bought a dual dualcore XEON from them to replace his Dell XPS gen 2 which had died (he works in video editing). the only issue was the worstations front heaphone jack had a broken headphone tip inside it. because i was not the person who purchased it i could not help them and the family waited too long to call and complain.
I bought a 24" LCD 1920X1200 monitor from them, 2 graphics cards, a power supply, and i have had no issues so far.
go with the intel one. dont get the G4 unless they sell out of the Intel one. it will be more modern and supported and she will be able to find current mac software that will work. the G4 is pushing it on that. Mir points out the article where Adobe has stopped DMG development for the PowerPC Macs.
I hear you on the Intel thing. The problem is that we only have around $300 to spend. Hence the reason why I wanted to go for a cheapie Windows machine.
I have used iMovie before and I get it.. it's easy to use. I totally get that people find applications they like and stick with them. But if she is an avid video producer she should give Adobe Premier a try. Also Adobe Lightroom is a great iPhoto replacement. Find Adobe CS5 from the netz, that's free... 
trrnts mk hppy ppl
is no longer supported on the PowerPC macs as most of the lightroom support was through DWG. More reason to spend 200$ extra for that Intel Mac :). Soulmech you will find a 300$ or less windows machine to be painful in what your female friend wants to do.
if you do go that route get the ASUS 1015PN or 1205PN. both are Intel Atom computers (the 10" is dualcore) with the latest Nvidia Ion chipsets which is based off the Nvidia GeForce 320M (which is in turn based on the Nvidia Geforce 9200). thats 16 graphical cores and 512MB gddr3 ram in a small sub 500$ windows netbook.
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=1015PN-PU17-BU-DT&cat=NBB
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