Buying a new laptop- Apple?

[GreekGodX]

I'm in the market for a new laptop. Have had a Dell for the past 5 years and it is time for a new one. In most of my computer experiences they performance goes down after the first year. I've only ever owned Dell computers and used Windows. Not a fan of Windows in any way, just always seemed very buggy. Cost isn't an issue in this as I want to get something that will last a while and not give me many problems...

Step in Apple. I've never really heard bad things about them, but at the same time I don't really know what is so much better about them. My personal experiences with Mac's have been great. Fast startups (from off or sleep mode), easy to use OS, great movie/photo editing, and the trackpad without the buttons is great.

Anybody out there that uses Linux? I've considered this but I don't want to spend a lot of time configuring the new computer. So if anybody could give some input on ease of use and what is out there for it.

I need the laptop for presentations (30%), photo/movie editing (10% of use), internet use (lots of this 45%), and movies/music (15%). I am rarely ever in one spot with a laptop so portability is important. I have a 17 inch screen now but probably will move down to a 15 inch.

I'm 51% sold on the Apple. Is it worth it? or should I be looking at something else?

[elderboy02]

Get a Dell with Windows 7 Professional with at least 4GB of Ram

[68TriShield]

Originally Posted by elderboy02

Get a Dell with Windows 7 Professional with at least 4GB of Ram

Celeste and I both just bought new Inspiron Dells.

Windows 7
Power up and down is as fast as I've ever seen Christos.
We are really liking them so far.

[GreekGodX]

Originally Posted by 68TriShield

Celeste and I both just bought new Inspiron Dells.

Windows 7
Power up and down is as fast as I've ever seen Christos.
We are really liking them so far.

I would love to hear more about Windows 7. I'm not opposed to getting another Windows based computer... I just am kinda sick of windows.

[68TriShield]

Originally Posted by GreekGodX

I would love to hear more about Windows 7. I'm not opposed to getting another Windows based computer... I just am kinda sick of windows.

I would let you test drive it if I could. Very fast from start up to access. Access meaning anywhere you want to go. My youngest has a gaming pc with Vista.
Even after a good friend and botl(I.T. guy)lopped a good amount of BS off the system,it still is nowhere near as easy and pleasing to navigate as this 7.

Kind in mind this is coming from a computer idiot <---

[GreekGodX]

Originally Posted by 68TriShield

I would let you test drive it if I could. Very fast from start up to access. Access meaning anywhere you want to go. My youngest has a gaming pc with Vista.
Even after a good friend and botl(I.T. guy)lopped a good amount of BS off the system,it still is nowhere near as easy and pleasing to navigate as this 7.

Kind in mind this is coming from a computer idiot <---

Oh come on Dave! You don't want to just ship me your laptop for a week

Let me know more when you start getting more use out of it. Even if you are a computer idiot, I appreciate any feedback. I'm no Bill Gates either

[DrDubzz]

Get this, or something like it
http://www.amazon.com/N61VN-A1-16-In...=106Y6QZEHK8CX

[elderboy02]

Originally Posted by 68TriShield

...
Windows 7
Power up and down is as fast as I've ever seen Christos.
We are really liking them so far.

I can't believe how fast the startup and shutdown is.

[Blueface]

This one is going to generate lots of responses going both ways.
I have an Apple MacBook for about two years now and love it.
I don't see myself going back to a PC.
You have highlighted many of the reasons why but more importantly, with the PC, I was always being attacked by worms, viruses and so on. With the Mac, I have yet to ever have any issues.
My only regret is not knowing why I waited so long to finally switch over from PC.

BTW,
You want to know about any program? Go to Apple for an online tutorial video that teaches you.
Don't remember that with any of my PC's in the past. With PC's, you figure it out, find someone to figure it out, or never use it.
Not with Mac.

[smokehouse]

Get an apple Christos. You won't be sorry.

[AD720]

Originally Posted by smokehouse

Get an apple Christos. You won't be sorry.

It sounds like you decided.

If you don't like to tinker I wouldn't really recommend Linux. IMHO.

Originally Posted by Blueface

You want to know about any program? Go to Apple for an online tutorial video that teaches you.
Don't remember that with any of my PC's in the past. With PC's, you figure it out, find someone to figure it out, or never use it.
Not with Mac.

I'm with Blueface on everything he said. This point in particular though. You can also attend free workshops or set up appointments for instruction on many if not all of Apple's apps. I was sick of crashing and infected PC's. Haven't had a problem with the Mac.

Originally Posted by AD720

It sounds like you decided.

If you don't like to tinker I wouldn't really recommend Linux. IMHO.

I was thinking the same thing.

Also, remeber that Mac's come with Bootcamp so you can have Windows still just in case you need it. I have XP on my Mac also as a duel boot and in a virtual machine. There are a few programs through school and games that I need XP for.

[bazookajoe]

You can have both Windows and OS X on a MacBook using BootCamp.

[JE3146]

Originally Posted by bazookajoe

You can have both Windows and OS X on a MacBook using BootCamp.

I say go with this.

The Macbook Pro hardware is impressive. I love mine.

I do miss Windows on occasion(specifically minor irritations with OS X) and putting it on there with Bootcamp is the best of both worlds imo.

[gvarsity]

Originally Posted by bazookajoe

You can have both Windows and OS X on a MacBook using BootCamp.

As long as you are not doing anything taking significant advantage of the onboard video processing primarily new graphically intensive games you can run Windows in an emulator like Vmware Fusion or Parallels and have the best of both worlds simultaneously without having to boot into bootcamp. Many of the games you can run on boot camp. Essentially anything but the most high end games. You can also run a linux virtual machine on either of the emulators as well.

If money is not an option Macs tend to be more future proof than PC's. Meaning they last longer before they are obsolete. My wife is still using a five year old MacbookPro and for photo editing, internet, email, documents etc... 95% of what she does on a computer it is holding up fine with just a memory upgrade. We did end up upgrading her machine only because I had one come to me through work.

If money is a concern pc's definitely are better bang for buck. Also for people used to windows there is no reason to retrain them to a new OS.

There is not a "right" answer just whatever works for you.

[bazookajoe]

Originally Posted by gvarsity

As long as you are not doing anything taking significant advantage of the onboard video processing primarily new graphically intensive games you can run Windows in an emulator like Vmware Fusion or Parallels and have the best of both worlds simultaneously without having to boot into bootcamp. Many of the games you can run on boot camp. Essentially anything but the most high end games. You can also run a linux virtual machine on either of the emulators as well...

Agreed. Emulators have the convenience of access without rebooting - in my case I need to run AutoCad and Solidworks so I prefer the performance of Windows 7 in Bootcamp.

[357]

Originally Posted by bazookajoe

Agreed. Emulators have the convenience of access without rebooting - in my case I need to run AutoCad and Solidworks so I prefer the performance of Windows 7 in Bootcamp.

Personally I don't get this. If I needed CPU/RAM intensive Windows only apps I wouldn't buy a Mac. Please give me an example of someone needing a Mac only app for their Windows box so bad that they dual boot.


I expect nothing but crickets because so few apps actually exist.


I will continue beating the Windows drum

BTW...resistance is futile you will all be assimilated.

[JE3146]

Originally Posted by 357

Personally I don't get this. If I needed CPU/RAM intensive Windows only apps I wouldn't buy a Mac. Please give me an example of someone needing a Mac only app for their Windows box so bad that they dual boot.


I expect nothing but crickets because so few apps actually exist.


I will continue beating the Windows drum

BTW...resistance is futile you will all be assimilated.

I utilize a lot of UNIX programs with the comfort of a stable OS that I don't have to tinker with (Don't get me wrong, I love Linux, but it can be a pain sometimes).

In addition to all my programs, a native coding environment for me to run just about any script or compiler I need, and also I have access to the microsoft office suite, which is far and away better than Open Office.

It's everything I need to get the job done.... which the exception of a graphical SPICE tool... but I can remote desktop into a Vista PC and utilize LTSpice if I need to run graphical simulations.

[bazookajoe]

Originally Posted by 357

Personally I don't get this. If I needed CPU/RAM intensive Windows only apps I wouldn't buy a Mac. Please give me an example of someone needing a Mac only app for their Windows box so bad that they dual boot...

Well, I currently have Macs so the best option was to get Windows 7 so I could run those programs on my current machines. For a new purchase, I would still get a Mac because for 90% of what I do (graphic design, audio and video editing, etc.) Macs are just more pleasant to use. So far Windows 7 seems stable but my previous experience with Windows (always had PC laptops for work) was that it's glitchy and simply required to much attention. As Jordan put it, it's the "comfort of a stable OS".

Originally Posted by 357

...BTW...resistance is futile you will all be assimilated.

In the overall scheme of things Mac users barely show up on the radar. Why do Windows users care so much about us?

[T.G]