ok which laptop computer should I get?

[bill4588]

I'm going to college in the fall and I'm getting a laptop as a graduation gift. My parents want to stay under $1000 and a couple weeks ago I was set on getting an iBook. But I've been looking around and I'm seeing Windows laptops with better specs for less money and they are starting to appeal to me. I really like the fact that macs cannot get viruses, they're very portable and they just seem so simple. But then again I've been with PC's my whole life and am pretty efficient with them. In college I plan to use the notebook for papers/notes, AIM, watching movies and downloading music. No photo editing or video editing. I'm just wondering which machine would be best for my needs. And I realize that this is a MAC forum, but I know that MAC users are more intelligent and not as hardcore and biased as PC users.

 

[kretzy]

Can you wait a little while? There should be an upgrade to the iBook line pretty soon, which might make them a bit more appealing to you. The iBook as it is, will be more than capable of doing what you need, but so will a cheaper PC. The biggest thing about buying a Mac is OS X, it doesn't matter that you're used to windows, you'll pick OS X up quickly and that is the really amazing thing about Macs.

 

[cnakeitaro]

One thing I also noticed about my iBook is that is pretty much kicks the crap out of any other laptop around me in terms of wireless connection to the school WLAN. It might be something to consider.

 

[1rottenapple]

If you've managed to avoid viruses and spyware on a pc, then stay, why not!

 

[bill4588]

If you've managed to avoid viruses and spyware on a pc, then stay, why not!

Well i havnt been able to avoid them....just get rid of them....which is a hassle....

 

[watchmainspring]

as a man that uses both PC and mac: for college get the iBook.

Why? It's simple, straightforward for what you need, and it will not get junked up, creating a hassle during times that could be spent studying. (Trust me, I know).

I seriously urge you not to get a pc, regaurdless of how apealling the specifications may be. If it works it works, but this PC probably will only work most of the time, and in my book that's nowhere near enough, especially for what you pay for it and how much you depend on it.

 

[bill4588]

as a man that uses both PC and mac: for college get the iBook.

Why? It's simple, straightforward for what you need, and it will not get junked up, creating a hassle during times that could be spent studying. (Trust me, I know).

I seriously urge you not to get a pc, regaurdless of how apealling the specifications may be. If it works it works, but this PC probably will only work most of the time, and in my book that's nowhere near enough, especially for what you pay for it and how much you depend on it.

I would love to get the iBook....the only thing that's giving me second thoughts is if the 40GB HDD is enough. Plus I would have to get the MS office student edition which is a lot (yes even at my college's store it's 150).

 

[T-Stex]

Another college student posting his opinion here. I'd definitely suggest the iBook. It'll do everything you need it to throughout the time while you're at school. It'll also give you many less worries than a comparable PC. I've had my PowerBook G4 at school with me for about three years now, and it's given me no troubles. Scratch that... I think I restarted Safari once...but you get the point. The Mac will do everything you need it to and then some, and let you focus on the stuff that needs to get done without worrying about your computer. I'd wait a little bit to for Apple's back-to-school sale. You'll be able to get a great deal on a great computer.

 

[balamw]

I would love to get the iBook....the only thing that's giving me second thoughts is if the 40GB HDD is enough. Plus I would have to get the MS office student edition which is a lot (yes even at my college's store it's 150).

Won't you need to buy Office for the PC too?

I swear by my iBook, I swear at most PCs I have to use, like the loaner Dell laptop I took with me on a business trip last week.

The big pros for me:

1) Battery life.
2) Wifi just works
3) The box is solid and doesn't feel like it's going to fall apart in any way.

EDIT: As max_altitude said, if you can, wait about 6 weeks and see what gets announced in early April, you might be surprised.

B

 

[T-Stex]

Won't you need to buy Office for the PC too?

I swear by my iBook, I swear at most PCs I have to use, like the loaner Dell laptop I took with me on a business trip last week.

The big pros for me:

1) Battery life.
2) Wifi just works
3) The box is solid and doesn't feel like it's going to fall apart in any way.

B

Exactly. I think by going with the iBook, you're just going to remove a lot of the hassle that gets associated with Windows-based laptops. Granted, you may be able to get a Windows laptop and have it serve you well, but I think there's a much greater chance that you'll be satisfied in the long run with the iBook.

 

[dmw007]

Definitely get the iBook...although, wait for its replacement with what will probably be called the MacBook. Its specs will be more than enough for your needs and will save you from the horror that is known as Windows.

I use my 12" 1.33GHz iBook G4 at college almost every day and I LOVE IT. Works awesome for taking notes, word processing, power point, surfing the web wirelessly , etc... Don't worry about learning Mac OS- its a snap!

 

[bill4588]

thanks for the advice! I'm set on getting a mac again, but I won't be getting it until May. Now I just need to take my parents to an apple store so they can test them out. So does the word processor that comes with it work well? If I dont have to get MS word then I wont....

 

[balamw]

thanks for the advice! I'm set on getting a mac again, but I won't be getting it until May. Now I just need to take my parents to an apple store so they can test them out. So does the word processor that comes with it work well? If I dont have to get MS word then I wont....

Depends on what kind of word processing you will be doing. (i.e. what's your major going to be).

IMHO. Most people don't use any of the features of Word that are not already in WordPad. Similarly TextEdit does 90% of what most people need. Pages is cheaper ($79) than even the student version of Word, but many people don't like it. I find it does fill some of the gaps left by TextEdit or WordPad. Keynote (the other component of iWork) however is superb and far outranks PowerPoint.

What you don't get with iWork is a spreadsheet, and for many fields on endeavor Excel is more useful than Word.

If you're going into math or physics, you be best off learning LaTeX earlier rather than later.

So, it really depends on what your major will be whether Office, iWork, TeX, or the built-in tools will best satisfy your needs.

 

[dmw007]

thanks for the advice! I'm set on getting a mac again, but I won't be getting it until May. Now I just need to take my parents to an apple store so they can test them out. So does the word processor that comes with it work well? If I dont have to get MS word then I wont....

I still prefer to use M$ Word- although there are alternative word processors out there. All Mac come bundled with TextEdit, but you will want something with more bells & whistles.

Plus, some Profs require their students to use M$ Word exclusively.

 

[balamw]

Plus, some Profs require their students to use M$ Word exclusively.

What they don't know won't hurt them. Just save as .DOC from Pages or even OpenOffice. I do this frequently.

Even Word to Word compatibility sucks from version to version when dealing with complex documents.

B

 

[i4k20c]

Hey man, i purchased a powerbook and am a freshman at college, my thoughts...

Call the school and see if they support mac's..do not ask if they have macs, but if they support them. B/c my school has 1-2 mac labs compared to the 20 dell labs , but they don't really support them that well. Most the tech's at my school will help you with apple problems anyways since most of them own a mac and like them better than windows, , but the fact remains that windows is still more supported. When has this become a issue?

-Once i couldn't connect to the wireless network, called school computer tech, guy was very helpful, seemed to be a problem with a upgrade they did and forget something to upgrade for allowing macs to or something, fixed.
-In math class, we have to buy a program, for very simple math, college algebra, pre-calc, and we do these 30 minute online quiz once every 2 weeks or something. This website will NOT work on a mac, now its not a big prob cos i can just go downstairs to my comp lab, but if you go to a school that has just one huge comp lab, i doubt you want to walk twenty minutes, the night before its do (gurantee as a college student, you will procrastanate) to the nearest lab. For me, not a big deal, cos we have a 30 dell lab in my dorm downstairs.
-Alot of people allow their music to be shared on itunes, now in the windows world, they can connect and hear their music as much as they want, me in the mac world, is only limited to connecting 5x a day, which pretty much gets used pretty quickly.. .

Now, don't get me wrong, each month i seem to love mac osx more and more, but nonetheless these are minor inconveniances and could be big inconviences to others (programs in math not being able to work).. so just realize that..

some things to ponder..lol
hope i helped a bit..

 

[i4k20c]

btw.. to clue you in.
my roomie has the toshiba quasimo 17inch or w.e.. that thing is a beast, fast, very good screen, awsome graphics, the works..

he got a virus in the beginging of the semester (some aim virus), had to send it in to get repaired (1-2week turnaround).. as well as he is having some issues right now with it. So i mean.. i have a windows at home and in my 6 years of having a windows computer, got one virus which really screwed me over, had to get the hardrive replaced which was luckily taken care of under warrenty..

idk, everyone saying they never had a problem with mac osx, as much as i love it.. i've had to quit safari multiple times, stupid reasons like myspace crashing it, but still.. also VLC player randomly stops working at times.. so it's now flawless like some have you belive, atleast for some (me), but deffinetly a better overall experiance imo compared to windows.. whenever i go home, id rather be on my dinky 12inch powerbook..than my big monitor windows comp at home..

 

[balamw]

Alot of people allow their music to be shared on itunes, now in the windows world, they can connect and hear their music as much as they want, me in the mac world, is only limited to connecting 5x a day, which pretty much gets used pretty quickly.. .

Not really on topic, but . I thought the rules were the same on both platforms.

You could always share you music with mt-daapd instead and avoid the restrictions. http://mt-daapd.darwinports.com/

B

 

[i4k20c]

Depends on what kind of word processing you will be doing. (i.e. what's your major going to be).

IMHO. Most people don't use any of the features of Word that are not already in WordPad. Similarly TextEdit does 90% of what most people need. Pages is cheaper ($79) than even the student version of Word, but many people don't like it. I find it does fill some of the gaps left by TextEdit or WordPad. Keynote (the other component of iWork) however is superb and far outranks PowerPoint.

What you don't get with iWork is a spreadsheet, and for many fields on endeavor Excel is more useful than Word.

If you're going into math or physics, you be best off learning LaTeX earlier rather than later.

So, it really depends on what your major will be whether Office, iWork, TeX, or the built-in tools will best satisfy your needs.

Correct me if im wrong, but don't you get apple works with the ibooks? I mean that should be more than fine for word processing and such, kinda wish my pb came with it..i'd prob still buy micrsoft office for students, cos i love the notetaking layout.. but appleworks seems like it'd be fine imo..

 

[i4k20c]

Not really on topic, but . I thought the rules were the same on both platforms.

You could always share you music with mt-daapd instead and avoid the restrictions. http://mt-daapd.darwinports.com/

B

I'm pretty sure its not, cos my roomate loves to give me crap about that.. hmmm.. ill take a look at it, but that just lets other ppl view my music, if only everyone else used that.. be alot cooler!

 

[bill4588]

thanks for the tips i4k20c. I'm pretty sure my college supports macs quite a bit cuz I can buy mac products at their online store ( http://bookstore.kennesaw.edu/catal...id=7&mscssid=16UKXKMPR9N88GHVB1B9U40NUESU5N00 ).

 

[balamw]

Correct me if im wrong, but don't you get apple works with the ibooks?

You're absoultely right. Sorry! I found TextEdit better than the AppleWorks, so I didn't consider mentioning it.

I'm pretty sure its not, cos my roomate loves to give me crap about that..

If your computer is connected to any other computers over a local network (and in the same subnet), and you are using iTunes 4.5 or later, you can share the music in your library and playlists with up to five of those computers.

Looks like the same limitation, so unless your roomie is still running 4.4 ...

I'm pretty sure my college supports macs quite a bit cuz I can buy mac products at their online store.

The bookstore and IT don't necessarily follow the same rules, but it is a good sign.

B

 

[Felldownthewell]

I'm going to college in the fall and I'm getting a laptop as a graduation gift. My parents want to stay under $1000 and a couple weeks ago I was set on getting an iBook. But I've been looking around and I'm seeing Windows laptops with better specs for less money and they are starting to appeal to me. I really like the fact that macs cannot get viruses, they're very portable and they just seem so simple. But then again I've been with PC's my whole life and am pretty efficient with them. In college I plan to use the notebook for papers/notes, AIM, watching movies and downloading music. No photo editing or video editing. I'm just wondering which machine would be best for my needs. And I realize that this is a MAC forum, but I know that MAC users are more intelligent and not as hardcore and biased as PC users.

I am a current PC user (until I get a macbook in April...or possibly later, I don't know), and really, I think it is a personal preference choice. I have managed to avoid viruses and spyware but I am also really into computers and have 4 virus/pop-up/spyware blockers and have moded my desktop to look like OSX including the dock, so maybe I am an exception. I need the macbook because I do heavy video and photo editing, but I have plenty of friends with ibooks who do exactly what you want to do and love it. I would suggest waiting until the intel ibooks come out. The specs may be more appealing, and you may get some great non-windows features. If the new ibooks are not to your liking/too expensive, you will still be able to buy ibook G4s, and probably quite cheaply off of ebay. Wait it out (I am waiting for a rev. B macbook even though it is physicaly painful to do so), and you will benefit. With the new intel mobile chips coming out, the windows laptops you are looking at will probably change as well. I am wondering though, what windows machines you are looking at, so I can give you a more accurate comparison.
At this point, having to wait until may is probably a good thing.

 

[Xephian]

I'm going to college in the fall and I'm getting a laptop as a graduation gift. My parents want to stay under $1000 and a couple weeks ago I was set on getting an iBook. But I've been looking around and I'm seeing Windows laptops with better specs for less money and they are starting to appeal to me. I really like the fact that macs cannot get viruses, they're very portable and they just seem so simple. But then again I've been with PC's my whole life and am pretty efficient with them. In college I plan to use the notebook for papers/notes, AIM, watching movies and downloading music. No photo editing or video editing. I'm just wondering which machine would be best for my needs. And I realize that this is a MAC forum, but I know that MAC users are more intelligent and not as hardcore and biased as PC users.

It's Mac, not "MAC". Mac isn't a acronym.

Anyway, Dell is the best notebook IMO.

 

[Xephian]

I am a current PC user (until I get a macbook in April...or possibly later, I don't know), and really, I think it is a personal preference choice. I have managed to avoid viruses and spyware but I am also really into computers and have 4 virus/pop-up/spyware blockers and have moded my desktop to look like OSX including the dock, so maybe I am an exception. I need the macbook because I do heavy video and photo editing, but I have plenty of friends with ibooks who do exactly what you want to do and love it. I would suggest waiting until the intel ibooks come out. The specs may be more appealing, and you may get some great non-windows features. If the new ibooks are not to your liking/too expensive, you will still be able to buy ibook G4s, and probably quite cheaply off of ebay. Wait it out (I am waiting for a rev. B macbook even though it is physicaly painful to do so), and you will benefit. With the new intel mobile chips coming out, the windows laptops you are looking at will probably change as well. I am wondering though, what windows machines you are looking at, so I can give you a more accurate comparison.
At this point, having to wait until may is probably a good thing.

Paragraphs people.