Ruse

I realize that this might turn into a small flame battle but please, try and keep it civilized - I'm just looking for some information.

Im planning to get a laptop for school that I can hopefully keep for the next few years without having problems with ( crashing, having to reformat, etc. ). I just need it to function as something I will be able to write papers on, have a wireless connection, email/go online, and a little photo editing here and there. Before I had really thought much about it, my mind completely passed over Mac. I never looked at it for a second but a friend brought it up, and it seems that theyre not as bad as Ive heard them made out to be.. that and it would be nice to be able to apply what linux / unix knowledge I have right now into an operating system that I would be using at all times. Anyway, for a price tag of about $1500 which would better serve me? Mac or PC?


Thanks for your time!

Amnesia620

PC, in my opinion. Easier to work (more popular is a slight bonus) and navigate the operating system. I recently bought the HP Pavilion zt3000 (zt3340us, exactly) and it's fast, wireless, plenty of harddrive space (60 gigs), memory, great battery, etc. I've had it a few months and have had absolutely no problems with this computer. I paid $1300 plus 3 year warranty...I also purchased a notebook backpack, etc (grand total $1700) The laptop and warranty are important, the rest is optional or can wait...Check out:

http://www.bestbuy.com

They usually have awesome prices, very competitive...if there is anything specific you want to know or are concerned with, I'm happy to help.

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soccerchamp76

Nobody can convince you either way. Whatever you are used to you should use. I would never use a Mac but that doesn't mean they aren't good (they are), I just have been used to PCs and I don't want to bother to switch.
Advantages/disadvantages for both? That would be hard.

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metalgeek

Mac's are nice, but I'd go for a powerbook over an ibook.
Remember, with laptops, you definetly get what you pay for. stay away from no names. Some people like compaq's, some Dell's, some Toshiba's, and almost everyone loves IBM's..
The best list I've seen:
1)IBM
2)Toshiba
3)Dell
4)compaq
5)HP
(although the last two are the same now...)
Anyways my suggestion for a laptop is the IBM X31
Technically this years model is the x40, but the major difference betwen them is the X31 has 16MB video ram, while the X40 shares.
It's ultralight weight, (about 1.6kg) and the battery life is around 4-4.5 hous (depending on usage, wireless, etc.)
It has no cdrom built in, but you can get an external one, or buy the ultrabase as well, which add's around 1.4kg, but includes an ultra bay (for cdrom type drive, extra hd, etc. plus space for an extra battery, bringing the battery life to 8-9 hours.
Should be around 1500US, note entirly sure, as I purchased mine here in Taiwan for 1200US (including targus carrying case, crappy optical mouse, and an external cdrw/dvd drive)
They are cheaper here however, and mine does have chinese characters on the keys as well as romanized characters)

bendsley

I would certainly go for an IBM Thinkpad or Dell Inspiron (consumer/non business line)

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Ruse

Honestly, I wouldnt mind either way really. Ive had experience in Windows, Linux and Mac ( VERY limited ) and I havnt had a problem in navigating any of them.

While its not the deciding factor, the school Im attending has a deal with Dell, Apple and IBM for student discounts of 8%, so it would be nice if it was one of the three. However, the Dell Inspiron series, the Apple Powerbook series and HP Pavilion zt3000 look great ( and very similar at that.. ) but the IBM X ( why is their site so slow??? ) seems like the point is to take power out of the machine to increase battery life. Even so, I guess its a trade off between power and battery life but when there are only 2 options for configuations - Ultra Low Voltage and Very low voltage ..Im not really that interrested.

At $1500 it seems like you can basically customize the laptop to about the same place. The only difference seems like OS, battery life and weight.. that might just be me thought.

cyrnel

All of these brands (and the no names) resell laptops built by Original Design Manufacturers. The ODM's (Acer, Sager, Quanta, Twinhead, etc) put together new models, shop them around to the resellers (usually with short-term exclusivity), and each brand chooses their own marketing configurations. (HD/RAM/net/...) (Macs are the most customized since it's a different processor platform.) Not to say there isn't a difference in quality, but the difference is between ODMs and not Dell et al, and it changes over time and between lineups. It's tough to buy smart with any recent models because neither side of the arrangement would benefit from you knowing who made what for whom. Best you can do is find a specific model you like and see if you can find the same from a non-"brand" source for a better price.

Edit: Oh, as for Mac vs. wintel, go with what's comfortable. The Mac laptop price premium isn't so bad as with desktops. You'll still pay a bit more for Mac but the interface is nice and its *nix underpinnings are generally more interesting to those with a CS background.

Ruse

I have one other question, in dealing with laptops, why is it so important to have a big warranty? Do you just fall apart after a year or two?


Thanks for the replys so far

Spritebox

I just bought an Apple powerbook G4 (12")and am anxiously awaiting its arrival via FedEx.

I'm all giddy!

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Amnesia620

I, myself, will not be falling apart after a year, two years, even ten years. For HP, however, their warranties protect your laptop if there is any defective component (battery, memory, hard drive) and also from accidental damage (broken screen, keyboard damaged, etc.). HP has very good warranties for their computers (Compaq, of course, included) as well as the notebook replacement plan.

Have fun shopping.

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For example, I find that a lot of college girls are barbie doll carbon copies with few differences...Sadly, they're dumb, ditzy, immature, snotty, fake, or they are the gravitational center to orbiting drama. - Amnesia620

Ruse

Bleh you know what I ment, lol

BuDDaH

As an H-P laptop owner well over a year now (an custom ordered HP Pavillion ze4545us), I have had 0 (zero) problems with it.
And the workmanship and warranty that comes with it is unbeatable. I actually fried my power supply and they Fedex'ed a replacement from California in 3 days, no questions asked. I thought I had a problem with my DVD / CD burner and they offered to ship it to them and fix it, but I didn't feel like being without a laptop for a week. It's that they offered to fix it for free AFTER the warranty expired that had me sold.
Take the plunge.

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Ruse

After looking around A LOT more Ive narrowed it down to either Apple or IBM for the company even though Im not sure what type of IBM it will be. Both of them seem dependable and from what Ive heard are the best all around.

IBM has weight, battery life and durability ( I even heard a story about a military version stopping a bullet - which is a testament in itself ) going for it but I doubt it will be able to do too much photo editing with the ram and video cards that come in those things at the $1500 range (assuming I still get the bonuses - battery life... ).

The Apple Powerbook looks great. It basically has better specs in about the same package size but not quite as durable.

Either way I turn I can see myself spending $1500 pretty easily. Also, does anyone know about whether colleges do repairs on campus if you get it through the college or if a standard warranty be a better idea?

Spritebox

My powerbook came in today. I can't stop admiring it.

Join me?

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kolila

i bought a toshiba a1 tecra last year, im very displeased with the faulty hand rest design that damages the screen when the laptop is closed, they call them "hotspots".

Bryndian_Dhai

I have an HP Pavilion ze5170 that I have had now for a little over three years. I absolutely love it.... the only problems I've had with it were user errors (it slid off my lap and the power plug broke)

My hubby bought a comparable Compaq this year, and he loves his. The only issue I have with mine is weight... I have arthritis, and I wish it wasn't quite so heavy. And hubby's has an internal wireless card, which is great for simply having one less thing to tote around, however mine being external means I can replace it relatively cheaply when it craps out.

The only warranty I can suggest, on the advice of a friend who works at Best Buy and knows why they push certain warranties, is the one for the monitor. Laptop screens will eventually need to be replaced, especially if you use it a lot.

I wish my battery lasted longer, too, but I carry a powerstrip with me, lol, and that takes care of 90% of my problems... I just find a plug and away I go. It lasts long enough for a class, so for now that's enough.

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fluzza

Would be cool to get one of the newer ones with built in wireless network for easy access to net and the school network (if they have one). I heard that the Centrinos are good

d*d

I have an apple ibook, when I did have some trouble with it apple took it away from my house fixed it and returned it with no fuss (when under warranty of course), I know of a friend who had a HP laptop which had to be returned three times. I am not a mac loving anti PC fanatic I have and use both systems, I find Mac OSX is the more stable and you don't have to worry about viruses. PC's are cheaper so you'll get more processing power for your buck and since it's the more popular system support and software is easier to come by.

Halx

Nobody is touting Sony Vaios? Well let me be the first to say.. they absolutely rock.

My 12" v505ax is awesome. The only issue I have with it is the touchpad.. but I've never liked touchpads anyways.

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AngelicVampire

Vaio's rock, but the price will be a millstone round your neck! Dunno how American prices compare to British ($1500 = £1500 in tech markets?), if they compare favourably I would buy a Vaio for 1500 (Got mine for £1400, its great, no problems at all!), they are expensive however generally are high quality and good service.

Ruse

I think $1500 is about £1050 - £1500 is about $2150.

For thoes Sony lovers - I tried playing around and customizing a few but even with baseline stuff it adds up quickly. I went from $1100 to $1800 in a heartbeat after minor upgrades with ram, the processor, wireless stuff, etc.

Looking more and more at these laptops has made me realize I dont in any sense of the phrase want a "desktop replacement". I just want something that is wireless that has a decent battery life and mild processing power for *minor* photo editing at around $1500.


BTW thanks again to everyone who has read and replied to this thread.

RAGEAngel9

Well I have a Dell and I both love it and hate it.
I have always been impressed that it ran linux so well (w/ wireless mostly too) and the hd has held up better than I expected.
However, the design and laptop hardware kidn of sucks. The hinges aren't metal so now they can't hold as well as they used too. Also the fan IS LOUD and tends to annoy people when I use it in class.
I would actually recommend against Dell now on the basis of their business practices alone.
That said, I would go with IBM or Apple too. I don't know Toshiba's, so I can't comment. The new HPs seem to be ok, but I refuse to EVER EVER EVER recommend anything with the word compaq on it.

cyrnel

Discountlaptops.com sells quite a few ODM models at a nice savings. They won't have the status models like Vaio's that get custom shells but you can choose any set of options at whatever performance. You'll recognize several as models resold by HP/Compaq, Dell, et al.

Bryndian_Dhai, I also have a ze5170. It's gone back twice. It's on its 3rd motherboard, 2nd set of fans, 2nd keyboard, 2nd touchpad. The screen has always flickered. They've been very good about handling the problems but none of the motherboards have been able to handle more than one DIMM at a time (theirs or mine) without crashing within 30minutes. It has served my basic requirements but I'm glad it was cheap!

Molo

When I used to work at a computer store, one of the main selling points we used was taking the customers to our repair centre in the back and showing them how many laptops were waiting to be repaired. There were rarely any mac's or Toshiba's back there, and a large amount of Dell's. And it's not just because our tech guys got them out of the way fast, there aren't an extensive amount of problems with Toshiba's.

However mac's never seem to have problems either. And you could easily find one in the 1500 dollar price range.

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VitaminH

I think a lot of it comes down to personal opinion. There will ever be the Mac/PC debate as to which is easier to use and all that, and what it really comes down to on that scheme is what you know. A definite advantage to Macs is they are essentially immune to spyware, adware, viruses and most of that evil software floating around out there. I've also gotten numerous testomonials that they last longer, as apple insists on quality hardware. Honestly I don't know. Advantages to PCs are things like greater software availability, and if you do have a problem it's often easier to get it taken care of since they have most of the computer market.

I won't say this is unbiased, because personally I prefer Macs, but both sides have ups and downs. I did recently talk to a girl who'd just bought a digital camera and had a pile of problems with drivers and everything trying to get it to import to her PC. Her roommate had a mac, and all she did was plug it in, and it worked perfectly. Way to remeniscent of that commerical that was on tv a few years ago about some girl doing just that and "saving christmas" or something, but it did actually happen.

I'd say poke around on both systems, talk to people who are maybe going to be doing similar things as you on it, and see what they think. Beware of evangilists on both sides. Way to many PC users just blindly say Macs suck when they have no experience, and way to many Mac users have a 'holier than thou' attitude.

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rubicon

I use a Mac PowerBook G4 for work. It runs everything I need, Office, etc., and connects to WIndows networks without a hitch. Unless you need to run non-mainstream software, the Mac will work just fine in a Windows world.

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mazagmot

from what I understand, photoshop works better on macs than pcs. Not sure if it's operating sytem hooks, or if there is genuinely something in the OS or hardware that handles the stuff that photoshop needs better. If you're just doing basic photo editing, I doubt it matters, anyway.

I wish I had the cash to pay for a second comp so I could get a mac to sit next to my pc. Or I might do Linux... oh well.

genuinegirly

Seems like everyone has good advice, and has more pertinent things to say than I could. Still I'd like to give my two cents.

My Dell has been great to me all through school. I'd like to say you can get more for your money with a PC system, but I'm not sure what programs come standard with a Mac. You may be able to save a bundle on software alone depending. My friends in graphic design swear by their macs and can't understand why I find my Dell sufficient. It all depends upon your needs. Where do you see yourself going in your studies? Just what all will you want to do with your system? Make sure that the programs you will want to use are available for the system that you choose.

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Ruse

Well, I got the chance to play with a few laptops this week and I think I made up my mind.. I think I'm going with mac. I ended up going down to a local apple store and I got to see the powerbook and ibook "in person" and I was amazed how nice it was. At first glance it was the sharpest screen I had ever seen. Everything was so sharp (for lack of a better word) and beautiful. I even tried to open up the copy of Microsoft office they had on there and typed a little bit in ~size 10 font zoomed where it would just fit screen and I could read it without squinting and having to move closer to the book. It also seemed to have enough power for what I would be doing. I tried to open various applications and multiple applications at once to see how long it would take to load and how quickly they would run and it was pretty quick - everything was smooth and had hardly any loading time.

I also got to play with a few other laptops down at best buy. I think I looked at a few Toshiba, Sony, Compaq and Gateways. I wasn't really amazed by any of these but maybe that is because Ive been using windows for so long and it just didn't have that shine anymore. None the less, they all were fine but if I were to buy from just those brands I think I would go with Toshiba because of how it felt.

So basically, after hours of reading reviews and customizing laptops from different vendors, I think that over all I'd get about the same performance anywhere if I were to spend about $1500 - the difference between them is going to be whether or not I prefer one thing over another... Power vs. Battery life, Size vs. Power, and the feel of one keyboard over another for example. While my mind is not completely made up, I'm almost positive I'll be purchasing a mac soon enough.

Edit: typo