Suggestions on Laptop Computer

[Rondo2287]

I've had two Dell laptops, and both have been good to me.  However, as mentioned above, I have had some issues with the fans.  Otherwise, no problems.

My girlfriend has a Mac, and loves it.  I don't like it at all, though.  (Sorry, Mac fans, I'm not ready to join the cult yet. )

Honestly I have a mac, and I have never had problems with it.  But you really cant deny that PC's give you twice the computer for the price of the Mac.  Id say if you are good and dont go to bad sites online that are gonna mess with your computer go with a PC.  If you have a tendancy not to visit the safest sites, Mac's may be your best bet. 

[Brickowski]

Gee, I'm surprised Apple doesn't tout the abilities of the Mac as a "shady site" machine LOL.

I'm actually surprised at how virus free the Macs and other Unix computers are. (The Mac OS is just Unix with a pretty shell.) In theory Unix is no less susceptible to hacking than Dave Cutler's windows code.(Pre-NT 16-bit Windows is another story.)

[Rondo2287]

Gee, I'm surprised Apple doesn't tout the abilities of the Mac as a "shady site" machine LOL.

I'm actually surprised at how virus free the Macs and other Unix computers are. (The Mac OS is just Unix with a pretty shell.) In theory Unix is no less susceptible to hacking than Dave Cutler's windows code.(Pre-NT 16-bit Windows is another story.)

Haha they should. Online poker destroyed my pc, and my mac is unphased. 

[action781]

Gee, I'm surprised Apple doesn't tout the abilities of the Mac as a "shady site" machine LOL.

I'm actually surprised at how virus free the Macs and other Unix computers are. (The Mac OS is just Unix with a pretty shell.) In theory Unix is no less susceptible to hacking than Dave Cutler's windows code.(Pre-NT 16-bit Windows is another story.)

Haha they should. Online poker destroyed my pc, and my mac is unphased. 

I second that online poker comment.

My Toshiba hard drive crashed 3 times in 3 years of college and it wasn't all a result of online poker.  I was forced into learning Mac OS X as a TA my senior year, kind of liked it, then bought an iBook in January 2006.  Upgraded to Macbook when my friend sold his to me at a discount to upgrade to Macbook pro.  (Would anybody ever buy a used PC laptop and expect it not to come with problems???)  Almost 4 years of being a mac user and I'm very happy, crash-free, and don't find my machine obsolete at all.  I'll never go back to PC.

My friend did get the Sony Vaio and it seemed to work well for him though.  But he paid a pretty penny for that also.  My dad is an electronics teacher so has all the software for PC, but that has 0 effect on my computing decisions from here forth.  Find other Mac users to split the family pack with and it's definitely very affordable per user.  Plus ask about their student discounts on machines AND software like office.

[jackson_34]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmik-tH6dEs

(I own both a PC and Mac, Mac wins out purely because of Logic Pro and the fact that you don't need to reformat it every 6 months like a PC...)

[chief3233]

I have a Mac and would never touch anything else if given the choice. Check and see if there are any student discounts available. I received a free Ipod, along with discounts on the apple care software and Microsoft Office. To save a couple bucks you could sell the Ipod, or find another use for it. I know many people with Dells and other PC and are already having major issues less than a few months after getting them, while others love them just like I love my Mac.

[GroverTheClover]

I've had two Dell laptops, and both have been good to me.  However, as mentioned above, I have had some issues with the fans.  Otherwise, no problems.

My girlfriend has a Mac, and loves it.  I don't like it at all, though.  (Sorry, Mac fans, I'm not ready to join the cult yet. )

Honestly I have a mac, and I have never had problems with it.  But you really cant deny that PC's give you twice the computer for the price of the Mac.  Id say if you are good and dont go to bad sites online that are gonna mess with your computer go with a PC.  If you have a tendancy not to visit the safest sites, Mac's may be your best bet. 

I wouldn't go that far as saying you get twice the computer. If you spec similar out components you're going pay more for a Mac. For the price of a comparable PC laptop versus a MacBook, you're getting more bang for the buck with the PC.

However, I personally find the operating systems on my Macs to be far less troublesome as Windows. I am currently dual booting Windows Vista and Mac OSX on my MBP, and I'll probably be looking to upgrade to Windows 7.

I love my Mac for my needs and find them very flexible, but if you're going to look for a cheap PC laptop, check out newegg.com. I've had no problems with Dell and Sony laptops for personal/work use outside of Windows issues.

Also, if money is tight, use Open Office. It's a free office suite that allows you to save as Word/Powerpoint/Excel documents.

[MBz]

Yeah the programs on mac actually are actually less expensive then windows program.  I think my parents paid 50 dollars for iWork.  I am a 5th year senior in college, I wish I bought a mac my freshman year.  I bought a dell then, had to switch to Linux at the end of my junior year and had big time fan issues around year 3.  During the summer, I bought a Gateway laptop for about 500 dollars.  320 GB hard drive, 4 GB of ram and it works pretty well.  I've had no real issues with it.  Gateway is probably the computer that I've had the most luck with in the past with my parents PCs, but though Macs are expensive, they really are worth it.  They come with most of the programs you actually need.  If you do go with a PC, just make sure you get at least 4 GB of ram.  Vistas takes at least 2 GB of ram to run.  I am not sure on what Windows 7 takes, I'm still waiting for my copy to come in the mail.  Also with most companies, if it has Vistas on it, you should be eligible to get a free copy of Windows 7 through the mail.

[ben]

Mac all the way.  Life long PC user, I finally got a Mac.  Especially for a student, Mac mac mac

[indeedproceed]

Mac all the way.  Life long PC user, I finally got a Mac.  Especially for a student, Mac mac mac

Miggity Mac Mac.

The only issue I have ever had with my Mac is that it jumped out of my bag once when I left the side unzipped. Cracked screen. I lost not only a computer, but a friend.

[Brickowski]

Well if you have a windows computer, the first thing to do is scrap Vista and get Windows 7.  You'll be glad you did, even though you have to download the mail client from the web.

If you are a graphics professional, a Mac makes sense.  Otherwise, go with Windows.  Of course, you can run Windows on the Mac Notebooks with Intel chips, but dual boot setups are ultimately unsatisfying, especially since, when I last looked, you cannot use HPFS on the Mac and have to settle for FAT formatting, which is inferior.  

[CoachCowens]

Bought a Dell inspirion 1720 about a year and a half ago for my wife from the Dell Outlet store. Haven't had a problem with it. Knock on wood. I think I paid $600 for it. 17" screen, 4GB Ram, 320GB Antishock hard drive, built in camera, and DVD burner. Core2 duo processor was a must have for me. Pink was a must have for her. Was a little afraid of a refurb but you can't beat the price. Look for coupons at Slickdeals.net

 

[CoachBo]

One phone call to Dell tech support and you'll be a Mac guy forever.

Happily, I've now got access to a Mac discount through a gig, so this Dell - which is Vista and an absolute nightmare - will be going away. Soon.

[newdusk]

Well if you have a windows computer, the first thing to do is scrap Vista and get Windows 7.  You'll be glad you did, even though you have to download the mail client from the web.

If you are a graphics professional, a Mac makes sense.  Otherwise, go with Windows.  Of course, you can run Windows on the Mac Notebooks with Intel chips, but dual boot setups are ultimately unsatisfying, especially since, when I last looked, you cannot use HPFS on the Mac and have to settle for FAT formatting, which is inferior.  

You don't need a MAC just because you work in graphics. I use a PC and I think it runs 3D apps like Maya a heck of a lot better then the MAC. Adobe CS runs the same too.

Still the security issues with windows even with firewalls and good AV software are unacceptable. Norton is a multi-billion dollar corporation because of Microsoft. So although I am defending the PC for everyday I spend cleaning out virus's the more I want to stay away from windows. One of the "workarounds" has been to install Linux and run a duel boot just so I can feel safe browsing the web or downloading. 

[GroverTheClover]

Well if you have a windows computer, the first thing to do is scrap Vista and get Windows 7.  You'll be glad you did, even though you have to download the mail client from the web.

If you are a graphics professional, a Mac makes sense.  Otherwise, go with Windows.  Of course, you can run Windows on the Mac Notebooks with Intel chips, but dual boot setups are ultimately unsatisfying, especially since, when I last looked, you cannot use HPFS on the Mac and have to settle for FAT formatting, which is inferior.  

You don't need a MAC just because you work in graphics. I use a PC and I think it runs 3D apps like Maya a heck of a lot better then the MAC. Adobe CS runs the same too.

Still the security issues with windows even with firewalls and good AV software are unacceptable. Norton is a multi-billion dollar corporation because of Microsoft. So although I am defending the PC for everyday I spend cleaning out virus's the more I want to stay away from windows. One of the "workarounds" has been to install Linux and run a duel boot just so I can feel safe browsing the web or downloading. 

Though, one of the reasons that Mac viruses are so few is because of the relatively small market share. What's the point of developing a virus that only affects 5% of the computing world?

Once the population of Macs grow, the proliferation of Mac viruses will increase. It's inevitable. I'm enjoying it while I can.