Posted on 11/04/2009 7:32:27 AM PST by American_Centurion
My daughter a HS Junior is doing really well in school. I am planning to buy her a new laptop for school. She currently has a Dell 13" XPS that has been ok, but the battery has been replaced twice, the CD/DVD will currently only play CDs and it is getting slower to start up.
So I start looking and I know she wants a Mac because they are cool, I however am not a Mac fan. Not that there is anything wrong with Mac, I have a slowly dying PowerMac G5 Dual that has a nice monitor I use for Aperture, but it is on its last legs. I also look for Windows 7 PCs, I use Lenovo Thinkpads for work and know they are rock solid, sturdy, and long lasting. My old T40 is 5 years old and still runs like it did when I first got it. I now work on a T400 and it is a great machine.
Here is what I found:
Just remember you're pretty much out in the cold if you have any problems. Neither Lenovo nor Apple will give you support for that configuration.
You should see if she can get a student discount on the Mac as a high school student. College students get one and it cuts the cost. You can also wait until they put out new MacBook models. Either of those is usually worth at least $100-$200 off of the price.
For what it’s worth, I use an older MacBook Pro at home and a Lenovo T500 at work. The MacBook Pro’s keyboard has issues with the key surfaces and the DVD drive has gone out on me but other than that, it’s been fine. The Lenovo lost a latch clip when I dropped it in a case but it did survive a glass of milk being spilled into it while it was on (the spill resistant keyboard actually did work pretty well). I have to reboot the Lenovo more because it starts to bog down or have problems and I’ve seen Lenovos (not just my own) get stuck in a state where they won’t go to sleep and won’t wake up. Personally, I prefer using the Mac, enough that I’m willing to pay more to use one. If I were going to buy a PC laptop for myself, it would probably be a NetBook like the MSI Wind.
True....except that they knew my name when I came by to look at a new iphone. Seriously, should I insist on a new computer? I have a 3 year warranty. I've just been letting them tinker with it
She may be picking your nursing home someday, so get her what she wants. ;’)
I’m waiting for the big screen touch.
Waiting... ... ...
The quotation marks around that word are appropriate. She doesn't "need" a new one, she "wants" a new one. A Mac that is upgraded through software only can last you years. My daughter is running a 1981 iBook with OS X Tiger. Although not as fast as a new Macbook, it is quite servicable for most things one does with a notebook computer.
The only problems would be if there are no mac drivers for the hardware on the laptop. Anyone doing this should check the configuration of the PC they are buying to make sure that the hardware has mac drivers. For example, there are drivers for most wi-fi cars, but not all of them. There are drivers for most ethernet cards, but not all. Most graphics cards and chipsets are covered; some will not have all their features, so do your homework and look for a laptop that has been found to have everything working. I have found that there is a driver for just about any hardware; some is easier to find than others. The mac software will install on any new laptop with an intel processor and most AMD’s, too.
a 1981 iBook? [rib, rib]
Also, just read that the most recent update to Snow Leopard eschews Atom processor based computers, which is what many of the netbooks use.
Other than the slightly less than 2 inches of screen, I don’t quite understand the pricing of a MacBook Pro. The Lenovo, again other than the screen size, is a lot more like the MacBook than the Pro.
I have been using an iBook with 12” screen for several years. Quite honestly, I like the portability (small footprint) more than I like a bigger screen. I have a work HP Pavilion laptop that I have lugged around... sure like the lighter weight and small size better.
That being said - it sounds like you pretty much have your mind made up. If I were planning to spend around $1000-1200, there is no question, I would buy a MacBook.
Also - consider that there is some discount if you go through the Apple for Education page (which you easily qualify for, as it is for a daughter in school). Another consideration is Amazon, as they sometimes have a bit lower price, with free shipping and no sales tax.
Toshiba is making generally good stuff these days... BUT, getting replacement parts/service is often quite slow (I know of two people with less than 1 year old machines that had them off for warranty repairs - one took just shy of 4 weeks, the other almost 2 months). But with my understanding of their recent record, you might not need the service in the first place... but if you do...
I don't know anyone with a recent model Acer. I know for some time, they made some of the worst junk out there, but I have heard and read that their quality has come up quite a bit.
I second the hard drive trying to die. That is classic symptoms, regardless of OS, though Apple’s OS seems to go on a bit longer before it collapses under the dead drive.
If the original poster gets DiscWarrior, it will tell him if this is the case.
But I strongly suspect his HD is about to blow.
Yep, them thar antique iBooks are powered by buggywhips and beeswax. Good catch.
He can't use snow leopard on his dual G5... it works only on Intel Macs.
As for putting it on the PC laptop, I got the impression that AC and his daughter are not into pirating software.
That is apparently wrong... no one has been able to corroborate that claim from a single poster and there are thousands of people with the beta updates.
I came to this discussion late but hopefully can help. I would suggest a windows machine if she is going to do anything other than word processing or watching video’s. I have a nephew who is in an engineering college and he constantly is poking fun at the freshmen who bring macs and hope to do engineering on them. Not being an expert on all the software that engineers use, I cannot comment on that but he also states a lot of them are having a hard time getting connected on the schools internal LAN and using the dorm printers.
I personally like the screen on the macbook pro, but don’t own one - nor will (I don’t buy apple products). I think in a lot of ways the mac is superior but it is a personal preference - when they make a mac that doesn’t use apple components or software (IE third party) - I’ll stand in line to buy it.
Like I said - hopefully just something to discuss and think about.
Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret. - Robert E. Lee
They just need to tell your nephew “Real engineers use UNIX.”
The specs indicate it’s a 64-bit system. I recently purchased a 64-bit system — HP laptop. About half of my current software isn’t compatible with 64-bit, and neither is our security application. I hate it. (FWIW...)
That's why they should buy their own copy of the MacOS. I assume they would not want to use a copy of MacOS without buying it. Now, we know you are an apple phanboy and will spout the Apple company line about licensing. However, what Apple says about what you can do with software AFTER you purchase it is not necessarily the word of God. There are all kinds of legal issues, which we have discussed previously, that are, as yet, unsettled. Cloning is going on in Germany as we speak.
In a recent case, the court ruled that Autocad software could be sold on eBay despite Autocad's license, which stated that it was licensed only to the person who they sold it to. Restrictive licenses are not enforceable in all circumstances. Note also that Intel was just sued in several jurisdictions for its anti-competitive practices, MS has been sued for the same, and no longer does many things that it did in the past when it sells its software. Note also that there is a growing backlash against Apple and its questionable practices--for example, this article 5 Classic Apple Marketing Tactics that Lock You In.
People thought there was nothing they could do about Microsoft's questionable business practices with hardware sellers, software bundling, etc., but some people thought of good grounds to put a stop to it, and they won. Apple may face similar challenges to its practices.
Apple's defense is always market-share based. However, it is a fact that companies can violate antitrust and other laws designed to further competition without having to be as big as Microsoft or without being a monopoly. Companies smaller than Microsoft can still commit unfair business practices. Companies smaller than Microsoft might still have licenses that are overbroad or otherwise unenforceable. If you would get your head out of Apple corporate's derriere for a few seconds, the light of such truth might just shine on you.
Apple makes a good software product. If I decide to buy it, I will use it on the hardware of my choice, not necessarily on their overpriced and overhyped machines. When you get me a legal ruling that says I cannot, please let me know. Until then, spouting Apple's questionable license terms does not convince me.
Good hijack of a thread, though.
I use both. Mac’s worth the extra change for very solid reasons you’re failing to consider in your a:b chip-by-chip comparison. It includes a fantastic backup utility, for example, superior to anything I’ve found for Windows. Doesn’t need antivirus. Doesn’t need a disk defrag utility. Etc., etc. And battery life that beats any other laptop’s, so factor in the cost of a second Windows laptop battery too.
I also have a T40 (and a T60)— Mac laptops hold up way better. Both those ThinkPads have been marvels of cracked plastic bezels. I’m gentle with my laptops but both look like they’ve been hit with hammers.
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