Mac or PC and why?

[Going2Baja]

Hi all - it's time for me to buy a new laptop. I have a home PC and haven't used MAC since college 15 years ago. All I have been hearing and reading is how Mac is so stable and safe and easy to use.

My question to you all is who is using what type/brand/Size/HD/RAM/ETC. and any suggestions you may have.

Thanks - Baja.

 

[Flybet3]

Hi all - it's time for me to buy a new laptop. I have a home PC and haven't used MAC since college 15 years ago. All I have been hearing and reading is how Mac is so stable and safe and easy to use.

My question to you all is who is using what type/brand/Size/HD/RAM/ETC. and any suggestions you may have.

Thanks - Baja.

I just bought a mac no more than 2 months ago and I love it! i bought the macbook, it's fast, easy to use, it has some very cool programs for music editing and even move making (i'm in to that) The best thing about these new macs is that they are very reliable. I've had two dell laptops in the past 3 years and nothing but headaches. PC laptops are really only good if you just want to check e-mail and work with office. But if you want or like doing multimedia stuff, then macs are great. Also no viruses for macs my friend. Way to many for PCs, mac last a long time and dont really break. I carrie mine pretty much everywhere I go and I just love it. Now if you want a PC I would recommend staying away from Dell, HP and even Compaq. Not very good machines, I would recommend a sony Vaio. I have a Vaio desktop and its very fast and hasnt given me any problems yet. The vaio laptops are slick, light and fast. But I would still go for a mac.

Mac is making a comeback baby!

 

[beechjetpilot1]

I will echo the praise of the macs...I have been using one for the past 2 years and had zero problems...my former PC was nothing but headaches! The other plus of buying one of the new macs is that you can run windows on them...so you have the best of both worlds...a mac and the ability to run windows when you might need it!

 

[RNObased]

I just bought a mac no more than 2 months ago and I love it!

I'm looking at getting my first laptop for the road and have been looking very hard at the mac-book I think it is. Price around 1499, but does some damn cool stuff. Is that the one you got or something similiar??

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

I have a 12in powerbook I bought about 8 months ago and have a whopping 25 hrs use on it. Absolutely great machine though now I have the one company gives me so I don't need two. If anyone is interested in an almost new Powerbook let me know. Out the door was around $1600 with taxes. I will let it go for about $1000. Has got the TV cable so you can watch DVD's on the hotel tv. If I didn't have the company one I would not even think about selling it. Awesome.

 

[Joshrk22]

Sony Vaio with Microsoft Vista has my vote...

 

[CA1900]

...except that Vista is still in development, running so late that it's almost funny. While Microsoft is still plugging holes in it, Apple is working hard on its next version of the OS, with some amazing new features. It should be ready around January, when Vista may or may not be. Take a look at Apple's new "System Restore Point" interface, for example.


To answer Baja's question, they're fantastic. These aren't anything remotely resembling the Macs you used back then -- the "dark days" of the Mac, as I remember. The operating system has been totally rewritten on top of a unix (FreeBSD) core. That unix base makes for stability and security that's leaps and bounds above Windows. And it means a lot of unix software can be easily compiled and run natively.

It has an integrated search function called Spotlight that's just phenomenal; faster and more thorough than the Google one. I can type the name of a street on a map in a PDF file, and dang if it doesn't find it for me in about half a second. Truly, truly amazing.

The hardware is fast, and it's really not more expensive than a comparably-equipped Windows laptop. Yeah, you can get a $500 Dell, but when you start configuring one with a 2GHz Core Duo processor, the full (non-"home") operating system, and the other goodies that are included on a Mac system, the Dell ends up more expensive. And it still doesn't come with the terrific software bundle that Apple includes.

I bought one of their new MacBook models a couple weeks after it was released, and I couldn't be happier. It's screaming fast -- I can transcode a DVD to an MPEG-4 at over 60 frames per second, and still be doing other work with nary a slowdown. I can plug my external monitor into it, and have extra workspace. With a third-party program called Parallels, I can run Windows (or linux, or DOS, or OS/2) in a window if I want, or even on that second monitor, with the mouse pointer simply rolling between them. Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and 802.11a/b/g WiFI are standard. The software bundle is terrific. And so on.... It's just a fantastic machine.

I bought the stock mid-range model (the 2.0GHz with DVD burner), and added 2GB of third-party memory that I bought at NewEgg. (It uses standard PC5300 notebook memory.) The standard 60GB hard drive is a little tight, but it'll be very easy to replace it when I feel the urge.


If you're a heavy gamer, buy an Alienware with Windows. It's a terrific machine for that purpose. For internet, videos and photos, and the other cutting-edge stuff, I think you'll be happier with a Mac.

 

[Going2Baja]

Great reviews all - after doing some of my own research I've decided on the MacBook w/ 13.3 screen 2 gig Duo for $1200, add Full MS Office for $99 and a Free Nano and I'm SOLD! Did I mention free shipping?

Keep up the posts though - I like the intel. Thanks all!!

Baja.

 

[CFIcare]

I've had my Powerbook g4 for 2 years and the only problem I had was a shift key that liked to pop halfway off so they sent me another key. Compare that to taking my PC to the witch doctor every month to exorcise the demons from the hard drive. No viruses, trojans...very little spam, and no pop ups. Also, they are ridiculously simple operating systems to learn.

Join the Mac side of the Force....sounds like you already have

 

[Slice121]

PC cause I don't want to have to sell my truck and drive a Prius.