Need a new Laptop.Should I choose a Mac?

debitcardmayhem

Whether you do or you don't I have nothing to sway your decision but at least you will get lots of fun reading the Apple vs WinX vs Linux wars on the posts :eek:
Edit: There will be some Subjective and some Objective views but always Invective

jbreckmckye

Apple make fantastic computers. They're very well put together, have some very nice features, and they're very nice to use. Comparable PCs usually cost the same or more than a Mac.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

No.

poppy10_2

Marty_J wrote: »

You're really appealing to the lowest common denominator. Is that it? a bigger hard drive? More RAM? Good grief. Next you'll be arguing a Fiat is better than a BMW because the Fiat has more cup holders. ?

Yes, apart from the faster, bigger hard drive, twice the RAM, much faster graphics, what have the Romans ever done for us?

Look, even hardened mactards acknowledge that the hard drive speed and the RAM capacity are the two most significant upgrades you can make in terms of improving performance. You were banging on about the bloomin' frontside bus a moment ago, now you are acting like the most basic fundamental components such as the RAM, GFX, and hard drive don't matter and are equivalent to 'cup holders.' A far cry from your original claim that "Comparable PCs usually cost the same or more than a Mac"

Now all you have to fall back on is your entirely subjective opinion that the software is somehow 'better' and that the 'build quality' (aka ooh, it looks shiny) is nicer on the macboook. I don't see how a battery expanding with time and warping the case counts as better build quality, but in any case that is solely based on your individual preference. Your argument is like saying an Alfa Romeo is superior to a Ferrari, cos you prefer the looks and the way it feels to drive.



Last post from me this topic, I should have known better that to try to hold a reasoned argument with someone who is so unquestioningly in love with everything Apple does. How many people on this forum have a Microsoft or a Windows logo as their avatar? This Apple worship is really tragic.

debitcardmayhem

poppy10 wrote: »

Last post from me this topic, I should have known better that to try to hold a reasoned argument with someone who is so unquestioningly in love with everything Apple does. How many people on this forum have a Microsoft or a Windows logo as their avatar? This Apple worship is really tragic.

Just need to clear up something about my Avatar - Yes its a pint of cider and yes it made of Apples - that does not imply that I have any opinion Apple Corp Products

busenbust

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Just need to clear up something about my Avatar - Yes its a pint of cider and yes it made of Apples - that does not imply that I have any opinion Apple Corp Products

No way am I talking about my avatar :rotfl:

Marty_J

poppy10 wrote: »

Yes, apart from the faster, bigger hard drive, twice the RAM, much faster graphics, what have the Romans ever done for us?

Look, even hardened mactards acknowledge that the hard drive speed and the RAM capacity are the two most significant upgrades you can make in terms of improving performance. You were banging on about the bloomin' frontside bus a moment ago, now you are acting like the most basic fundamental components such as the RAM, GFX, and hard drive don't matter and are equivalent to 'cup holders.' A far cry from your original claim that "Comparable PCs usually cost the same or more than a Mac"

Now all you have to fall back on is your entirely subjective opinion that the software is somehow 'better' and that the 'build quality' (aka ooh, it looks shiny) is nicer on the macboook. I don't see how a battery expanding with time and warping the case counts as better build quality, but in any case that is solely based on your individual preference. Your argument is like saying an Alfa Romeo is superior to a Ferrari, cos you prefer the looks and the way it feels to drive.

Last post from me this topic, I should have known better that to try to hold a reasoned argument with someone who is so unquestioningly in love with everything Apple does. How many people on this forum have a Microsoft or a Windows logo as their avatar? This Apple worship is really tragic.

You're really missing the point though. Both computers are around the same price, and they're both generally comparable. Sure, there are some things that are better about the Dell, but there are also some things that are better about the Mac.

Which is more important: battery life or HDD space? Display quality or graphics card?

I think the answers are largely subjective.

Now, whether we accept your price (making the Dell cheaper) or my price (making the Mac cheaper), I think most people would agree that they're around the same price.

If we can agree on the above, which seems pretty reasonable to me, I don't see how we can't agree that the Mac isn't horribly over-priced.

As I said before, Apple just don't have a range of cheap computers in addition to the higher-end models as most manufacturers do. To hear people talk, you'd think that if Apple made a range of cheaply built computers with terrible displays, awful battery life, slow processors, mismatched components, and their huge, no name HDDs stuffed full of trialware, all of a sudden their computers would be reasonably priced.

Which is weird.

Millionaire

Marty_J wrote: »

They did add an LED backlit display and a 7 hour battery.

I understand that the LED display is desirable but it's not a deal breaker for me. Most people would be hard pushed to tell the difference between the LCD and LED if you stuck them in front of them.

The extended battery life is is a plus however my issue is with the lack of ports on a £816 machine when a PC for £350 has better connectivity options.

You get two USB ports and a propriety display port on the Macbook. IMO it's just not good enough especially for the price.

The Dell XPS (which is being compared on previous posts) has, as well as two USB ports and a Display port the following over the Macbook,

VGA port
HDMI port
Express card slot
Firewire port
Esata port
Audio in/out - individual instead of combined

and add to that a backlit keyboard.

Apple are just trying to wring out as much money as they can on the back of their success over the last few years. It's just getting less and less value for money IMO.

and I'm typing this off my MacBook.:rotfl:

Marty_J

Millionaire wrote: »

I understand that the LED display is desirable but it's not a deal breaker for me. Most people would be hard pushed to tell the difference between the LCD and LED if you stuck them in front of them.

The extended battery life is is a plus however my issue is with the lack of ports on a £816 machine when a PC for £350 has better connectivity options.

You get two USB ports and a propriety display port on the Macbook. IMO it's just not good enough especially for the price.

The Dell XPS (which is being compared on previous posts) has, as well as two USB ports and a Display port the following over the Macbook,

VGA port
HDMI port
Express card slot
Firewire port
Esata port
Audio in/out - individual instead of combined

and add to that a backlit keyboard.

Apple are just trying to wring out as much money as they can on the back of their success over the last few years. It's just getting less and less value for money IMO.

and I'm typing this off my MacBook.:rotfl:

I get what you're saying, but most people look at the whole package (or at least they should). If you just want a box to plug things into, then I won't disagree that you can get more for less elsewhere.

I wish Apple would stop removing Firewire from their products. It was bad enough when they did it with their iPods.

p.s. DisplayPort isn't a propriety connector; unlike HDMI, it's a royalty free VESA standard.

Scrilla

poppy10 wrote: »

mactards

I see many reasoned arguments with regards to the Mac vs Windows debate and yours do, on the whole, make sense. However, most Mac vs Windows debates tend to centre on the machines and the software; ill words are directed at the hardware or software the posters are enthusiastically arguing their case against. However, rarely do we see ill words directed at the posters themselves. Your rudeness makes me wonder why I am even posting this, but I see your points, so this post is worthwhile. I'm not going to call you a Wintard (or whatever - Windoze user still insults the OS and not the user), so drop the insults.

poppy10 wrote: »

'build quality' (aka ooh, it looks shiny)

Yes it looks shiny, but it is also feels very sturdy as opposed to the plastic construction most other laptops use. I would not purchase a polycarbonate MacBook as I do not like the material used. If it was a desktop, I would not mind the polycarbonate, but that's me.

poppy10 wrote: »

Last post from me this topic, I should have known better that to try to hold a reasoned argument with someone who is so unquestioningly in love with everything Apple does. How many people on this forum have a Microsoft or a Windows logo as their avatar? This Apple worship is really tragic.

Mac users are better placed to provide a reasoned opinion on Mac vs Windows. Bear with me here, cause I feel many will disagree before I present my argument.

The majority of Windows users will have used Windows for the majority of their computer usage history. Thus their opinions will be greatly biased as they will have little experience with the Mac OS on a variety of tasks.

Mac users will have used both Windows and Mac a greater proportion of time. Those who have a Mac may use a Windows machine at their workplace for example. I, myself, use Windows at work (at my workplace and when I need to go to other sites), Mac at home and have Windows 7 dual booted on my Mac. I use Windows more than Mac - I spend more time on Windows (on work computers or on my laptop) at work than I do on Mac (at work or at home). I would imagine many people who use Macs will have a similar experience; I recognise my usage is not typical. I prefer Mac and my verdict is based on years and years of using both platforms (as well as the occasional Linux and Unix) and I think I, personally, am in a better position to debate which is better and why. I am in a better position to debate why my Mac hardware/software is better than the Dell or Sony or whatever it was I used last at work. And so on.

I feel most Mac users maybe in a better position to argue the Mac vs PC debate. Would this be reasonable to agree to due to the software and hardware experience of Mac users compared to the software and hardware experience of Windows users?

To echo what Marty J has said in previous posts on this forum: perhaps it's enthusiasm as opposed to fanaticism?

To the OP: Go into an Apple store. Try a computer, if you like it, debate the premium pricing and see if it compares favourably for you.
(It's a premium brand, it's premium pricing. The difference is not as much as some people make out, but Mac computers are generally more expensive.)

sweetstudent

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Just need to clear up something about my Avatar - Yes its a pint of cider and yes it made of Apples - that does not imply that I have any opinion Apple Corp Products

I thought that the Beatles were signed to Apple Corp's!