MacBooks...cheaper to own?

GunJack

thing is, ANY laptop will last, if it's looked after properly.....

so, unless you want to drop it/hammer nails with it/etc., paying more ain't always the best idea

so...it it worth forking out for a mac ?? cheaper in the long run ?? I'd have to say no....

bazster

-TangleFoot- wrote: »

Remember what it took to get a man on the moon?

Yes, amazing wasn't it. Could probably get to Mars with not much more computer oomph than they had then, it's the money and patience that are in short supply!

Not that I would trust a modern retail computer (Mac or PC) to get a rocket 3 feet off the ground, let alone all the way to Mars. Power is one thing, bugs are quite another...

-TangleFoot-

bazster wrote: »

Power is one thing, bugs are quite another...

Puts me in mind of that time the US Navy tried Windows NT.

Windows for Warships, anyone?

Pugwash69

I'm a bit late to reply, but I bought a Asus UX31e last month from the Currys Ebay Outlet for £820. I got one with an i7 processor and comparable spec of a Macbook Air 13" which costs £1500

Near identical dimensions and construction. The box was supposed to be damaged but I can't find anything.

bazster

-TangleFoot- wrote: »

Puts me in mind of that time the US Navy tried Windows NT.

Windows for Warships, anyone?

I once worked on a huge, state-of-the-art "defence" project (can't say what, Official Secrets and all that, suffice it to say it involved boats capable of making very big bangs ) and the onboard computers were ancient. Why? Because they worked...

rockitup

gino_76ph wrote: »

Also, with my current Windows 7 laptop i almost never had to use my optical drive so i am now geared towards an Ultrabook or a mid-to-high spec Macbook Air.

What do you think guys?

If you don't need the optical drive try and hold off buying till June or July. I have seen rumours on Apple Forums that there should be a new Macbook Pro 15 inch out then and they reckon that the Optical drive will be done away with.

If that rumour is true then hopefully it will be much lighter and slimmer and have a better screen than the Macbook Air

http://forums.appleinsider.com/t/148698/availability-of-apples-15-inch-macbook-pros-constrained-ahead-of-redesigned-models

gino_76ph

Ok, let's for once put things into perspective.

Let's take the entry-level 13" Macbook Pro priced at £999 or the higher-spec 13" Macbook Air for £1349 i think . for something cheaper as a "general" rule can i get a Windows 7 laptop with better specs?

And, can i customise a Macbook Air or do i have more customisation options with the Pro?

I'm still undecided wether i need an optical drive on my laptop because the only time i used the dvd drive on my HP Windows 7 laptop is when i tried installing a PC game or watching a DVD movie which i can do with my PS3.

I am willing to learn an new OS. with the simplicity of the Mac OS it can't be that hard you think? i have an iPad 2 and if the upcoming Mountain Lion OS is what it says it is ("based on the iPad iOS features") then surely i will feel at home.

I know now Macbooks are light, sleek, very user-friendly, has an App store, boots up pretty quick, has great battery life, a very sexy multi-gesture trackpad, backlit keyboards and (still) not-so vulnerable to viruses.

My minor issues are still these: compatibility (either where you connect a portable hard drive and the Mac might not be able to detect the partition/files or programs that might not have Mac versions), fan noise & heat (after several months/years of use), resale value and the expensive Apple Care in order to access tech support + repairs options.

Those are my worries for now. Are they "manageable"? Are they non-issues at all?

Please tell me....

Figment

I've recently purchased a 13" MBA, having previously owned one of the iconic iMacs. I also have several Windows based machines.

The absence of an optical drive is not an issue, as I can 'borrow' the optical drive of any Windows based machine on the same network with just a few clicks. If I really need one, an external Superdrive is available (£66). That said, so far I've not needed the use of an Optical Drive.

I was concerned about accessing files on a portable hard drive, but can confirm that if the PHD is formatted as exFAT, it can be read from, and written to, by both Windows and OSX machines.

The MBA sees all devices on the LAN and connects seamlessly to shared resources. The same cannot be said of the Windows machines which often refuse to acknowledge the presence of the MBA on the LAN.

I didn't take out Apple Care, having purchased the MBA from John Lewis with a free 3 year warranty (normally 2 years). I accept this warranty isn't the same as Apple Care, but it didn't cost me anything either!

Gratis

gino_76ph wrote: »

Ok, let's for once put things into perspective.

With respect, I think you are looking at the wrong perspective.

gino_76ph wrote: »

What i am trying to ask/say here is is (Yes!) the cost/running cost/durability/performance/compatibility/light angles.

A similar specced (say) 13" i3 Macbook Air/Pro to a similar specced Windows 7 laptop/ultrabook factor in the angles above plus battery life/heat, OS features etc. which is cheaper to run in the long run?

You buy a Mac if you want to run your computer on Mac OS X.

If you want to run your computer on Windows or Linux only, you don't buy an Apple computer.

It's a simple as that. You pay the cost for whichever operating system you want to use. And stop worrying about it. The price is less important than the degree to which operating system is suited to your needs and personal preferences.

gino_76ph wrote: »

Those are my worries for now. Are they "manageable"? Are they non-issues at all?

Please tell me....

All are manageable. They are "non-issues".

And never forget, as those who rage against Macs without ever having owned one always do, that if you should actually need to do something esoteric in Windows that can't be done in Mac OS X, all you have to do is boot it into Windows, instead. With a (modern) Mac, you have both belt and braces.

The point made by nathand is also a very valid one.

nathand wrote: »

Something that's often not touched upon is the support. I work online so if my computer has a problem I'm losing money (or earning potential anyway). If I have a problem with Apple I can take it to a store and have it fixed or replaced the same day. I've had to do this before and the process is superb.

Chimpofdoom

Mac user here!

Currently sporting a 2009 iMac and my OH sporting a 2010 MBP.

Personally I like my Imac, don't need portability (that's what the ipad is for), would I miss the optical drive? Not really, I think I've used it twice in the whole time I've owned it.

OH has a similar view and would actually like a MBA as her next laptop, main reason is the weight of the pro vs the air.

Dont worry about the compatibility, everything I've plugged into my imac "just works" (compared to my old Unix days.. osx is a dream :rotfl:)

As for the guy saying office ran like a dog on osx.. never had a problem with office on my imac!

MKV playback.. VLC does the job.

The problem with starting a question about "which computer/laptop" everyone is heavily biased, if your interested in a mac, go try one in an apple store, attend some of Apples Free workshops.

Oh and you can also save cash by buying a refurb from apple, complete with a 1 year warranty.