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Time for a new computer, MAC OR PC?


Chrisjd

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As far as laptops go, I vastly prefer Macs in that department. Unfortunately I feel the current batch of Macbooks isn't that great and has its fair share of problems.

 

In any case I'd wait at least a few weeks because there's an Apple conference coming where they may announce some updates.

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I don't NEED a 15", but it is nice considering I use the computer as a desktop 90% of the time. I can't believe these prices.....
:facepalm:


in that case I'd lean towards a windows computer, since for desktop use, ergonomics and whatnot take a backseat to performance (for me anyway). though in which case it might be better to just get a proper desktop :confused:

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I highly recommend an mac, however, you can get a killer pc laptop for next to nothing, for example I just bought my wife an HP for 600$. The specs are, 2.1ghz core 2 duo, 4gb of ram and 250gb hd and it's a 15" screen. Pretty screaming machine and a pretty good deal. You really can't go wrong with that.

 

 

The DV series is what I've got. HUGE value for the money.

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dont bother with linux at all unless you want to have command line and text file fun!

as far as mac vs. windows, it really depends on what you want to run, both are on pretty much even ground otherwise.

and yes, if you have a personal home pc and get a virus, you are visiting pretty shady sites, and have no protection? = stupidity, get a mac.

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http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_pro



+ 1,000.

Having just switched from a PC laptop to an iMac about 3 weeks back, I can safely say that I've been missing out on a pretty awesome computing experience this whole time. I run Windows 7 via VMware Fusion 2, everything works fine. Transferred all my old files over, still run all my old Windows programs plus the new Mac ones.

Man up and get the Macbook Pro. :cop:

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in that case I'd lean towards a windows computer, since for desktop use, ergonomics and whatnot take a backseat to performance (for me anyway). though in which case it might be better to just get a proper desktop
:confused:

 

This has mostly been my feelings in the past, however, as a designer, I'm not sure what it is about the mac but I find that I feel more motivated to be creative on it.

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I think things are changing, i also know the PC experience for me left me with a very bad taste and 20,000.... dollars loss.


Here is a small graph:

Picture2-10.png




The chart above shows that Apple has made steady gains since 2003 in the percentage of incoming UVA freshman who own a Mac. The latest year (2008) shows that 37% of incoming students owned a Mac while the percentage owning a Windows computer had shrunk to 62% from a peak of 96% in 2001. The growth tracks closely with the trend towards laptop ownership amongst the Virginia freshman. In 2008, 99% of the incoming students owned a laptop.


Hope this helps in your decision, i think more apps and better days are coming for the Mac Platform

 

 

That chart doesn't tell the entire story. Many university degree programs require students to own a particular type of computer upon entry to the program For example, university A may require their BA in fine art students to have an macbook whereas university B may require their engineering students to have a PC

 

there really is little difference these days from the nuts-n-bolts level view - it comes down to applications and in some cases, the stubborness of people to stick with what they know. Macs seem to portray that they are inherently better than PCs for art / photo / video and PCs are better at business apps. Thats not true, there is alot of overlap there between mac and pc, its a gray area. which one is right for you comes down to your proficiency level, budget, style / size requirements, etc.

 

As an engineer, I work almost exclusively on PCs because a) they're cheap(er) and easily upgradeable, b) they are better suited for developing hardware and embedded systems. and c) i have yet to see anything for mac that compares favorably to programs like autocad, solidworks, altera quartus, cadence layout/capture, etc.

 

So in my personal opinion, for work related tasks (my work, not generalizing here) i'd lean towards pcs (running linux), and if i had to recommend a computer to a virus-prone in-law or a computer noob to buy as their first pc, it would probably be a cheap mac, or an e-machine that is running ubuntu with the root user account disabled

 

now i know what you're saying.. a computer noob running linux? sure why not? if kids can learn to use ubuntu (or kubuntu.. or...) as their first PC there is no reason an adult can't get reasonably proficient on it in short order. Don't need to type everythign into the command line like you did in th eold days with VT100 terminals. lol. nowadays its like windows..

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Damn MAC cost way way too much money bar none over a PC
I say get a PC and with money your saving over a mac, you can buy a NICE guitar or amp!
No sense blowing gobs of cash on something that will be worth 1/3 the price later on.
look here:
System Buyers Guide: PCs under $825
http://www.anandtech.com/guides/showdoc.aspx?i=3563
You can get lots of muscle that will do all of your pc demands and then some.
most if not all can be had at newegg

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I don't NEED a 15", but it is nice considering I use the computer as a desktop 90% of the time. I can't believe these prices.....
:facepalm:







I'm saying you should get a PC. Aren't Thinkpads in that price range? Build wise, they're not loaded down with stupid flashing lights, etc that make most PC's unbearable to use imo.

I {censored}ing hate our Toshiba laptop as far as it's cosmetics. Shiny, distracting crap all over it, and the keyboard sucks ball sack.

Anyway, I prefer the 13" Macbook because of it's overall design. Much cleaner than the oddly shaped sub $1k PC laptops. Bulky "extended life" batteries hanging off, flimsy tray loading optical drives, etc...

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Interesting figures, and I mean that sincerely, but I am really not swayed by a bunch of sheeple getting mom and dad to buy them whatever it is they want no matter the cost. Apple makes a good product and all, but I still hold to the fact that when these college folks have rent, a car payment, and student loan payments, and they've got to shell out their own money for a computer, their next one is much more likely to be a PC.

 

 

well , i am on the other side of the fence.

 

I have been using Apple computers since 1986 89, can't really remember right now.

One of my Thesis was about Apple computers and i must tell you that we had 2 windows pc's and a Mac.

 

The windows had two different windows OS and in order to have them read each other everything had to go thru the Mac, every Word Document, everything, we had to send it to the Mac and then to one of the PC's because they couldn't read the word documents or any document between them, so go figure.

 

In the early 2000's i tried a PC and the thing made me loose 20000 plus dollars in work.

 

So, i use what works and will take good care of me and won't make me loose any money.

 

In a Free Zone in the caribbean they had everything working with PC's,, this isn't a 20 workers place, i mean , thousand of people work there.

 

Form the moment they installed Macs to the very first fiscal year they saved 100% form what they used to loose due to Pc's problems.

 

 

Ex:

If they required , let's say, 2 million dollars from the moment they bought the machines to past one year , with the macs they only spent 1 million, this includes buying the machines and the cost of maintenance for a year.

 

So yes, they spent probably more when the installed bought them, but they saved big time.

 

Mind you, Mac are even more expensive down there.

 

Another thing is the price in the USA, if you configure a PC (say a Dell) and a Mac, i am sure that by the time you have the exact same specs, there won't be a big difference.

 

Of course you can buy a 15 inch w computer, but what is inside?

 

Al in all, people are free to go buy what they want, but for me, after such a bad experience with PC's and after i did my Thesis on Apple and saw the horrors and lived in my own flesh the horrors of W X86 based computers, i will stay on the safe side.

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No sense blowing gobs of cash on something that will be worth 1/3 the price later on.

 

 

mac's hold their value really well. look at a 17" mbp that is 2 years old on ebay and they are still selling for 2k (which is 2/3 the price of a new one.)

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I've been using Windows and Linux for over 15 years. I still use Unix and Windows daily.

But two years ago i bought a Macbook Pro and it has been without a doubt the best machine I've ever owned.

It runs as fast and perfect today as it did when i first got it. It takes all i throw at it (Windows in VMware, Photoshop CS4, Lightroom2, Office, Final Cut) without a hiccup. It multitasks so fantastically. I can also dual boot with Linux, Windows, etc. I'm currently dual booting with Windows 7.

I also greatly prefer the MacOS window management. It is extremely fast and efficient, especially if you use a lot of keyboard shortcuts.

The "it just works" thing is true. From Time Machine backup to native PDF support, everything works really well and is quite robust.

Hardware wise, my laptop is 2 years old and is thinner, lighter, and better built than pretty much any 15" laptop on the market. Its a beautiful machine.

On top of that, the Macbook trackpad beats the living piss out of anything else i've seen. two finger scrolling is worth $300 easily. Its beautiful. three and four finger swiping is also quite useful, but two finger scrolling is where its at. I have a bluetooth mouse, but 90% of the time i prefer the trackpad.

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The 15" MBP is a glorious machine...I say make your decision on whether or not you want to run OSX or Windows....

 

The MBP will of course run Windows but if that's all you run....you're just paying a premium for fit and form factor over most windows machine.

 

EDIT: I'm a mac user if that sways your opinion in an way...'switched' years ago tho...just before OSX came out in fact.

 

Resale value is a good thing..I've owned maybe three high end 15" machines (four if you count the Powerbook G4 I flipped quickly) and each time I've typically paid around $2500 (after maxing memory out) and sold later for around $2k. The most recent machine I had for two years so it basically cost me $500 to own the machine for that long.

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The 15" MBP is a glorious machine...I say make your decision on whether or not you want to run OSX or Windows....


The MBP will of course run Windows but if that's all you run....you're just paying a premium for fit and form over a windows machine.

 

 

+1

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mac's hold their value really well. look at a 17" mbp that is 2 years old on ebay and they are still selling for 2k (which is 2/3 the price of a new one.)


Kind of makes sense to me.
A good MAC is $$$ no matter what. New or used
I always considered MACs to be high end computers that are best for
photography / music / video that the pro's use and PC's are for game weenies like me LMAO
I did not know they held their value that well :cop:

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