Thread: Laptops

It depends on how much green back you have.

Well he says that he's looking for something around $1000 with basic business stuff. I would get a PC unless you're going to be doing graphics design.

You'll want something light I assume. My laptop is only 3 lb. and very easy to carry around. IBM has some good products in your range that you can check out. Also try looking at some Japanese brands like Fujitsu or Toshiba.

Sorry i didnt see that.

Look here http://www.ibuypower.com/ibp/store/c...r.aspx?mid=170

I would recommend a PC. Yes, it can do everything a Mac can (and it will inevitably cost less). The only real downside to picking a PC over a Mac is that you aren't really going to look very hip and trendy.

I just went through the process myself - my old Winbook finally tanked.

After a LOT of research and asking a lot of questions, I went with an HP - but not a "consumer" grade HP - they have a separate "business class" that is very well rated and comes with a 3 year guarantee - mandatory for a laptop. by my experience. I ended up with an Athlon Turion monster. It is an NX6325 series, which start out a bit over $600.

Bang-for-buck is excellent. What isn't excellent is delivery, if you go with a custom configuration, which I did. If you buy a pre-configured model, they can ship immediately - otherwise it is a three to six week wait.

I'm still waiting... but anxious.

Just to put it in perspective, my laptop is my life. It is my mobile office, my writing tool, my internet access and my musical Digital Audio Workstation. I beat the snot out of these things and take getting good ones very seriously! Going HP is a leap for me, as their consumer-grade stuff is crap... but I couldn't argue with the value, reviews or hands-on experiences of others I respect.

HTH.

Originally Posted by Elwood

Sorry i didnt see that.

Look here http://www.ibuypower.com/ibp/store/c...r.aspx?mid=170
[/b]

Thanks for the referance.

Originally Posted by Elwood

I would recommend a PC. Yes, it can do everything a Mac can (and it will inevitably cost less). The only real downside to picking a PC over a Mac is that you aren't really going to look very hip and trendy.
[/b]

Are you suggesting that the only reason to buy a Mac is to look cool?
Is there no real difference between the mac and the Pc. If so what is the difference, someone mentioned graphics, is that the main difference?
Is one anymore stable/reliable than the other?


pj, thank you for the info I'll check it out. I like the pricing but like you the wait sounds long...I may lose time with DV's and that would suck.


To everyone, is there such a thing as high speed internet via satellite connection?

Are you suggesting that the only reason to buy a Mac is to look cool?[/b]

Yes. I'm sure there are other reasons, but by and large this is what I feel the main, overriding one is. Do you want your laptop to actually have sex appeal? Buy a Mac. PCs do not look pretty. I would, personally (and bear in mind this is a personal opinion and not exactly unbiased) not buy a Mac because frankly appearance doesn't matter that much to me at all.

Is there no real difference between the mac and the Pc.[/b]

No. Not really. A PC is a PC. A Mac is a PC, a personal computer in every way shape and form, and because of the switch to (Intel, isn't it?) a different chipset there is now very little difference. A Mac does tend to run less software because it is less commonplace than Windows.

OS X itself is based on I think it's BSD or some form of *nix. So as far as stability etc goes, why pay for OS X? You would want to get *nix instead.

The only difference to me as far as PCs and Macs are concerned is the price tag. The very large, holy-shit price tag.

If so what is the difference, someone mentioned graphics, is that the main difference?[/b]

Yes. A Mac will look very pretty, because it uses OS X and desktop composition with something called Quartz. It's hot. Vista on a PC looks OK, but it has nothing on OS X. Linux looks like shit. Macs look very nice.

Is one anymore stable/reliable than the other?[/b]

No. I'm sure someone will be very eager to tell me how wrong I am and that I am surely a disciple of Microsoft etc, but I've seen Vista installations running for months on end just fine. I've seen Mac installstions run months on end. Linux installations that go for months on end.

My own installation of Vista has yet to 'crash'. But it all depends what programs you run - and whether your programs are buggy or not - not so much on the OS itself. Macs are just as stable as PCs. If you abuse your Mac or PC by downloading any spyware and crap, you will have an unstable, crap computer. Don't blame that on the OS.

It is worth noting Macs can only run one real OS, OS X (although slightly dodgy solutions are being brewed by Apple so you can run Windows too), and so the only comparison on the Mac side of the fence is with OS X for stability/appearance etc. Many more OSes tend to run on your PCs. You could compare OS X with Vista, 98, Debian, Gentoo, la-dee-dah. So the comparisons are a bit dodgy.

To everyone, is there such a thing as high speed internet via satellite connection?[/b]

Yes. Definitely.

I'll be getting what is effectively a free Macbook on the 5th next month. I think I might write a nice comparison thing once I get it. I'm interested myself to see if Macs really are any good etc.

They're good, but for the money, I believe not good enough.

Apparently most of the notable programs for PC have a similar replacement for Mac and Linux, but really, why even bother?

Make sure you get a battery with the most cells too, battery life is a very shaky thing for laptops.

If you are doing music, graphic design, or basically any kind of memory hog type situation... You'll eventually want to go Mac. For Games, though, you'll want to stay on PC. (Although, they do have windows emulators for Mac)

The reason being that, for the most part, Mac's are stable. PC's aren't. Yes, while Mac's did switch to intel-based chips pretty much everything else isn't third party, and has every program specifically geared for that EXACT setup, so there simply is less room for error. I have never had a lockup in over a year of owning my 17 inch Powerbook.

You simply don't get system lockups like you do on a PC. You don't have to constantly defrag, or use spyware. And everything moves about 2x's faster. The only people that hate on Mac's are those that can't afford them. HA-HA! It's that simple.

Someone used a great analogy for PC and Mac...
Sure, you can buy the civic, or invest in the porsche. Technically, both will get you where you want to be, but one of them will get you there in a fraction of the time, is more reliable, and has you looking stylish in the process.

In closing, sure, you have to pay more money, but Mac isn't successful because of it's price tag. While Kaniaz can say it isn't worth it, he obviously doesn't have the funds to drop on a nice piece of hardware as a Mac or he would've made the smart choice long ago. pwned.

Wow so far lots to think about.

Thank you all for the insights thus far.

I can tell this isn't going to be easy. *Pink Floyd music plays in my mind*

Unfortunately, with a 1000$ you're pretty much limited to a PC. Is there any way you can hold out for the Mac? I had a Toshiba Dynabook before my Mac and the hard drive crapped out as well as the screen. Sure, I thought it was a steal at 1100$ but later realized it was an absolute waste of money, considering I always kept it in my case, and rarely used it except when on the road for backup. I only had it 2years before breaking, and I'm not the only one to have Toshiba crap out on them. Whatever you do, stay away from Toshiba at all costs...


Just a thought... don't settle for something because you can get it right now. Impulse purchases are almost always regretted later.

If you have 1 grand for a PC BUILD ONE!!!! And if you cant build one one of your should. 1000 dollars will get you a faster PC than the best XPS (dell) on the market NO JOKE.

You can't build a laptop...which is what he is asking for...

Just more reference

Originally Posted by SolSkye

Unfortunately, with a 1000$ you're pretty much limited to a PC. Is there any way you can hold out for the Mac? I had a Toshiba Dynabook before my Mac and the hard drive crapped out as well as the screen. Sure, I thought it was a steal at 1100$ but later realized it was an absolute waste of money, considering I always kept it in my case, and rarely used it except when on the road for backup. I only had it 2years before breaking, effing Toshiba, and I'm not the only one to have Toshiba crap out on them. Whatever you do, stay away from Toshiba at all costs...
Just a thought... don't settle for something because you can get it right now. Impulse purchases are almost always regretted later.
[/b]

So your suggesting macs are more stable/durable overall, and as Kaniaz said, I get a sexy computer at hte same time. I'll keep that in mind.

Isn't htere a less expensive laptop by mac? I really don't need anything fancy.

They have the Mac Book (Starting at just $1099) which isn't as high-end as their Mac Book Pro (previously Power Book) series but probably are now about as fast as mine is, considering I bought mine a year ago.

Generally, a 1.6ghz Mac will run at the speed of a 3.0ghz PC because it really isn't bogged down with so-called Plug'N'play devices.

Here's my rundown

Mac

• You look cool (at least until this trend stays alive).
• Apple is a very good hardware company
• The Mac has a sweeet program packaging system
• It costs a lot more money (SolSyke, not everybody lives in kingly luxury like you do )
• You're screwing yourself compatibility-wise by using (and buying programs for) OSX
• You may just develop an obsession like other Mac and Linux users

PC

• More bang for your buck (why try and convince yourself that it's just as fast as 3.0ghz when you can actually have 3.0ghz?)
• You don't have to worry about "ugh, it's Windows-only" (people actually develop for Windows)
• Windows Vista is astronomically more stable than previous Windows versions, (perhaps even moreso than Mac or Linux, we'll have to see). (I'm currently sitting on 38 days uptime - and yes, I'm actually using my computer)
• You get wonderful spyware and viruses if you're too careless on the internet
• Like in the case of SolSyke's toshiba, the manufacturer you buy from might be really crappy

Linux

• ...Uhh.. well, you always have the possibility of recompiling your kernel <strike>if</strike> when something goes wrong&#33;

EDIT: I took out the "a bit more stable" entry under Mac because I just don&#39;t know&#33;

Originally Posted by MSG

Here&#39;s my rundown

(snip)
[/list]Linux

• ...Uhh.. well, you always have the possibility of recompiling your kernel <strike>if</strike> when something goes wrong&#33;

[/b]

A brilliant and quotable rundown. Very well done.

38 days uptime? That&#39;s not bad.

I prefer PC soley for the compatability issues... but that is a big issue.

Macs are as stable as the PC.

Really. I don&#39;t see how you can state "Macs are more stable" when there&#39;s pretty clear evidence that the two have no radical difference.

Like I said, the comparison doesn&#39;t even make sense. If you run spyware on Mac or Windows, you bet your ass it&#39;s going to be instable. A lot does depend on whether you&#39;re running Linux on your PC or Windows on your PC, what edition of Windows, what edition of Linux. You can&#39;t just say "PC" and "Mac". Really.

Vista&#39;s (i.e. PC) running 21+ days here. MSG is running Vista (i.e. PC), which has been running longer than I&#39;ve been born it seems.
Linux, when I had it, ran 14+ days. MSG didn&#39;t have so much luck. Maybe he configured it wrong.
Mac, when I had it, I didn&#39;t bother putting through the uptime paces. Unfortunately. Because I didn&#39;t have it that long, but I would imagine the uptime would also be very favourable.

Wait what kind of programs are you running or is "uptime/running time" just how long it&#39;s been since you last restarted? If so I&#39;ve restarted my computer maybe 3 times since I installed Vista close to 4 months ago.

Granted 2 of the times I did restart was because I tried screwing around with software that wasn&#39;t compatible with Vista and it crashed... Although MS has started releasing drivers now that Vista is officially out.

I&#39;d say go for a PC.

PC:
-Compatible with everything (A must-have for business use)
-Cheaper and cost-effective
-Stable (Trust me, Mac&#39;s aren&#39;t any more stable than PCs)
-Bigger selection

Mac:
-Looks shiny. ...That&#39;s about it.
It isn&#39;t faster, isn&#39;t more reliable, and by all means WON&#39;T do more than a PC capability-wise. Graphics work is the exception, but I&#39;m assuming you&#39;re not a graphics designer, and the benefits of it&#39;s capability in that area are only really noticeable if you&#39;re a hardcore developer. If you just want to dink around every once in a while, just get Photoshop for Windows. It&#39;s the exact same program hardcore Mac users use, and it runs exactly the same.
Plus, it will cost you an arm and a leg. Relative to comparably powerful PCs, Macs will run you several hundred (if not a thousand+) dollars more.
Really, they only look trendy. And hell, just buy an iPod and you can fit in with all the "cool" Mac people. That way you can still use Windows and not waste <strike>all</strike> as much of your cash on an Apple product.
Oh, and as stated earlier, it&#39;s a *nix based system, so you might as well just use Linux and not pay an arm and a leg.
In this case, though, I wouldn&#39;t even recommend Linux--It&#39;s notoriously bad with wireless drivers and connectivity, and since you need something that does exactly that...

Well, in short--Get a PC. Stick with Windows. And hell, if you get a Vista-enabled laptop, it will even look sexy like a Mac. Well, except that Vista can actually use color themes more than that fugly bland blue and gray Mac theme.