Laptop Shopping...

I've worked for software companies for over 20 years and have used Macs a little and Windows a lot. I finally decided I was going to try a Mac so I bought a MacBook Pro last year and really wanted to like it. In the end, though, I found that I was about 10-15% less efficient than I was using Windows. If you're just beginning with computers a Mac is probably a good choice but to really get things done Windows is the way to go.

Now, on to your question...get a Dell XPS 1710. The things is loaded with the latest technology including a 17" widescreen. It won't be inexpensive or lightweight but it'll be the fastest, most loaded laptop you can get. Highly recommended.

* BTW, my MacBook Pro now has Windows on it...and I still don't like it as much as my Dell (it does run Windows extremely well though).

 

Plus if you have a coupon or a student discount it's even cheaper!

 

You should buy this computer...the price is incredible

 

I forgot to mention it also has a built-in 1.3 MP webcam and an open bay for an additional harddrive. I threw in another 120GB drive so I now have 240GB internal and another 120GB external drive. Sweet setup!

 

any good websites to share.. to buying a good laptop?

 

I have a MacBook Pro--I'm running a program called Parallels and Vista as well as the Mac OS. They run seamlessly at the same time. This allows me to run some proprietary Windows only software. By keeping the Windows part of the machine isolated (no internet) I am thinking I will be relatively virus proof.

To me, the biggest draw of any Mac is Apple's support, which consistently ranks as the best in the industry. I'm sure that there are Apple horro stories out there, but less than with other brands. And, if you happen to be in a city that has an Apple store, you can schedule a same day appointment to meet with a "Genius" who can help you sort through any problems you are having.

That said, you pay for this upfront in higher hardware costs.

 

Keeping in stride with the Ferrari family is the one-of-a-kind Ferrari laptop, made especially by Acer and sitting in eighth on The Style Group’s Top 10 Luxury Gifts List. Never knew this existed, huh? Not only does it resemble a miniature Ferrari with its bright red lacquered finish and übercool James Bond persona, but it also comes fully loaded with top-notch features like the car itself. Only this particular Ferrari ditches the GPS navigation system and unreal sound system for a 512 MB of RAM, 15-inch screen, 60 GB hard drive and DVD burner. $2500

http://www.thestylegroup.com/TSG_Optimized/top10/decret08_l.jpg

 

If you dont play games get a Mac

 

Or if you do play games -- still get a Mac

I've got a Macbook Pro. It was either that or an IBM T60p. I'm becoming more open to HPs since I like their company philosophy -- but honestly?

**** WINDOWS.

I'm so sick and tired of it. I'm glad I'm using Mac OS X.

I used to tell myself that it's just a phase. Maybe Microsoft will release a fantastic OS.

Haha.. hahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahaha.

Macbook sounds perfect for you. 999$. 5.2lb. 4 hour battery life EASILY. No viruses, no spyware, no crashing. 13" screen -- portable

What kind of issues are you having? Perhaps we can help?

Office 2008 will be out soon. It'll use the same ribbon layout Office 2007 uses for Windows. Office 2004 is actually pretty decent. If you don't like it, you can use Neooffice (free) or iWork (I don't know how much $$).

IMO wait until after summer as back to school sales are on.
Use this site
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/
to help you determine when to buy what (apple related).
So Macbook Pro is supposed to be updated soon according to that site (but it's just a rumor -- if you need one now, just buy it).

Sorry guys, I'm just way too tired to respond to the other posts. I still have three finals left. Let me know if you have any questions. I switched to Mac OS X and I don't regret it one bit. I've gotten a bunch of my friends and family to switch as well.

The best thing about it is student discounts. 10% off
That pretty much makes Apple laptops very price competitive to IBM laptops. The icing on the cake is that now that the processors are x86, you can run *whatever* you want to. You can do what my brother does -- Dual boot Windows XP Professional and Mac OS X. You can do what I do -- run Mac OS X and then WinXP within Parallels or VMWare Fusion. You can do what a friend of mine does -- wipe off Mac OS X and install Gentoo. You can do what my Aunt does and just USE the damn computer

 

Unless you're an exec with a ton of mail (many gigs worth) on an Exchange server. Entourage will wreck your computer in that scenario.

 

OMG Entourage sucks.
Outlook is probably the best application I've ever used. I love how Exchange can be setup so easily.

I'm moving towards becoming a gmail user though. I've been throwing around the idea of getting my own domain name and my own server, but having gmail hosted is so easy. And it works.

But oh how I wish it supported imap.

 

Get a Macbook Pro, you wont regret it.

 

If you want a good value and don't mind chintzy plastic peices, then Dell Inspiron. If you want an even better value and don't care about new, then find it on Dell Outlet.

I recently got a refurbed Dell Inspiron E1505/6400 with:

T2300 Core Duo
1GB 533mhz RAM
80GB 5400rpm HD
ATI Mobility X1400 w/ 256MB shared RAM
WSVGA+ (1680x1050)
DVD+/-RW
Dell 1390 Wireless B/G

$709 or 767/shipped w/ standard 1yr Dell factory warranty

Or, if you like new, then wait for a Dell coupon to show on dealsea.com. The new Santa Rosa laptops will be coming out soon so Dell wants to unload the "old" stuff now.

My new Inspiron is replacing an 8YO Inspiron 3700, which still runs (felt it's time for something w/ more juice). The only problems I've had w/ the 3700 was new batteries, new keyboard, and recently new LCD hinges. Beyond that, it fell out of my laptop backpack (I forgot to close the zipper) a year or two after birth and it landed on carpet. And that only bent the latch. I hope the new Inspiron is as "rugged."

IMO, if you're gonna drop the cheddar on a Mac, then I'd learn the Mac OS as that's part of the experience. I mean, what's the point of buying a Macintel and slapping on Windows when you can do the same w/ a Wintel laptop for less?

///Michael

 

If I got a Mac, then yes I would just use their OS, for what I use a computer for at home, I have no need for Windows.

 

Well for me personally getting a Macbook Pro w/ Windows XP Professional license was cheaper for me than getting an IBM T60P.

 

Your experience with the Apple warranty people is exactly why I consider their support inferior to dells (just as an example... but is true for others as well). Most of the problems we see with Apple machines are actually hardware problems. A couple times we've seen the OS just crap out completely for no apparent reason, but mostly it is hardware related.

With Apple, you call them up, then you have to ship your laptop out or take it to a store to get repaired. Thats wasting your time.

With dell, on the other hand, you call them up, talk maybe a little bit longer on the phone with them, but then they dispatch someone to come to you. 90% of the time, we have a dell licensed technician repairing the laptop the NEXT DAY, and he is finished in generally less than 30 minutes worth of work. Not three days later, but the very next day, and the laptop never has to leave our hands. The students that elect to not use our services have the same experience. (as a side note, we have no special relationship with the dell customer support. When we call, we call 1-800-www-dell just like everyone else)

In this day and age... thats the kind of service you should be receiving if you are paying for the top level warranty that the company offers. Thats only one of the areas where, IMHO, that Apple is severely lacking.

The common belief that Mac laptops are in any way less prone to breakage just is not true anymore, but Apple still makes you jump through hoops (comparatively speaking) to try to get it fixed.

 

Your experience is probably as such because Apple has horrible business support.

When my battery stopped working (the one I got after the recall) I went down to the Mall (five minutes away), described the problem. Reproduced it, and walked out with a brand new battery after ten minutes.

I also had a big dent in my laptop as well, the guy said he couldn't fix it under warranty, but if I came back the next day and dropped it off for a few hours, he'd take a look at it himself.

I no longer have the dent in my macbook pro

As far as I'm concerned, having Apple Stores in a bunch of locations helps them out a lot in support if you're a home user or a small business owner. Contracts are just too expensive and it sucks to call someone up rather than see someone in person.

[qupte]The common belief that Mac laptops are in any way less prone to breakage just is not true anymore, but Apple still makes you jump through hoops (comparatively speaking) to try to get it fixed.[/quote]
I think you've said it yourself when you called the Dell a plasticy piece of hardware. Pick up a Dell. Pick up an IBM. Pick up an Acer. Pick up an Apple. You'll be able to tell just by how little the chassis flexes and squeks when you pick up the Apple or the IBM. I like to think quality is there (or perhaps I can tell... ).

 

Office 2004 for Mac Student and Teacher Edition by Microsoft
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=BROWSE&cmid=topnav&N=200201+4294967191&Ne=500936&product_code=312656&Pn=Office_2004_for_Mac_Student_and_Teacher_Edition

its for home use. $149.99

 

I recently got a refurbed Dell Inspiron E1505/6400 with:

T2300 Core Duo
1GB 533mhz RAM
80GB 5400rpm HD
ATI Mobility X1400 w/ 256MB shared RAM
WSVGA+ (1680x1050)
DVD+/-RW
Dell 1390 Wireless B/G

$709 or 767/shipped w/ standard 1yr Dell factory warranty

Or, if you like new, then wait for a Dell coupon to show on dealsea.com. The new Santa Rosa laptops will be coming out soon so Dell wants to unload the "old" stuff now.

My new Inspiron is replacing an 8YO Inspiron 3700, which still runs (felt it's time for something w/ more juice). The only problems I've had w/ the 3700 was new batteries, new keyboard, and recently new LCD hinges. Beyond that, it fell out of my laptop backpack (I forgot to close the zipper) a year or two after birth and it landed on carpet. And that only bent the latch. I hope the new Inspiron is as "rugged."

IMO, if you're gonna drop the cheddar on a Mac, then I'd learn the Mac OS as that's part of the experience. I mean, what's the point of buying a Macintel and slapping on Windows when you can do the same w/ a Wintel laptop for less?

///Michael[/QUOTE]

Dude, why would you pay more money for less? The specs you posted are:

Dell 1505
T2300 Core Duo
1GB 533mhz RAM
80GB 5400rpm HD
ATI Mobility X1400 w/ 256MB shared RAM
WSVGA+ (1680x1050)
DVD+/-RW
Dell 1390 Wireless B/G

The HP dv9207us has:

T2250 Core Duo
1GB 533mhz RAM
120 5400rpm HD
GeForce Go 7600 (256MB dedicated RAM)
17" Widescreen 1440 x 900
LightScribe DVD+/-RW
Built-in Wireless

Also the HP is brand new and not a refurb. Just curious as to why you think the Dell is a good deal?

 

10% off Lenovo code.
Use Lenovo coupon USP418TP10 during checkout to get 10% off ThinkPad notebooks. Online coupon is stackable with the $275 to $350 offer mentioned on their site.
Lenovo / IBM Coupon: USP418TP10

http://www.dealcatcher.com/index.asp?v=8&m=1304&c=84800&o=1

 

great post, i am on the verge of getting one. i need one with at least 2 gigs of ram and a good video card. other than Catia and the operating system, i wont be running much else.

thank you for sharing this!

michael

 

Actually we don't interact with Apple as a business, as all of the macs we troubleshoot are student owned.

a "bunch" is a relative term. I live in Virginia, yet the nearest Apple store is no less than 2 1/2 hours away if you are driving like a bat outa hell. This is not an acceptable drive for most people just to get a laptop fixed, and so everyone in my area will have to send it through the mail.

hey, I bought an acer...

hehehe, after handling hundreds of laptops (of All makes) I do understand what you are saying. But you can compare Apple and IBM to, lets say, Mercedes or Cadillac. Just because they are perceived to be the 'luxury' brand doesn't mean that it doesn't break down just as frequently.

In any case, I think my advice to buy the best possible warranty possible, no matter what laptop the OP decides to buy, is still good advice. Thats really the only thing that matters in everything that I've said.

 

Yeah I agree.

There is 1 Apple store five minutes from me, and then another one 30 minutes from me

 

Good specs... did you confirgure it at hp.com or buy from a retailer?

 

well, make sure you know what you're getting. that is, you might just be getting what you pay for.

apple stores can't fix any material laptop problem. busted lcd. failed motherboard. and so on and so forth. they do not stock a real parts inventory at those stores. they can help you with software problems in the store, which is great, but most pc vendors can remotely diagnose software problems now - so you don't even need to leave your home or office.

apple will sell you a next-day, on-site service plan for their desktops and servers, but not their laptops. their laptops as a general rule get shipped out and you wait.

doody.