what should I buy?

[handball4me]

I'm in the market to buy a new laptop. I own a Dell desktop now and I'm thinking of getting a Mac laptop. I'm a student (at a university) and I'm looking for advice. I figure the advice I get will be a little biased here but I need info. Also, I want to get some sense of how difficult it will be to switch to using a Mac. I would appreciate any help I can get.

I will be using the computer for word processing of course. I'll be using it to do presentations. It'll be that sort of basic computer work that I'll do.

 

[devilot]

It's really important to know what your needs and wants are in a computer. As in, it helps with suggestions.

 

[baby duck monge]

Get a MBP (or a MB whenever they're finally released). It's the newest tech, and if you end up feeling uncomfortable with OS X you can always run Windows.

/Someone was going to say it; might as well be me.

 

[Shamus]

Yeah, specify your needs, then a computer can be recommended.

As for switching to Mac: peace of cake. The design of the OS is so intuitive, you can work your way through it. If you are concerned about it, buy a book.

One thing is for sure; you wont regret it.

 

[taytho]

Yeah, specify your needs, then a computer can be recommended.

As for switching to Mac: peace of cake. The design of the OS is so intuitive, you can work your way through it. If you are concerned about it, buy a book.

One thing is for sure; you wont regret it.

amen to that. Even low end apple products will make you sooooo happy. I notice that when i have to work with a pc now that i get a little stressed..... oh how i have not missed this feeling of mistrust and rage with my PeeCees.

 

[student_trap]

dont worry about switching, OSX is really intuitive. The biggest problems will probably be adjusting to non-full-screen windows and control-clicking (that is unless you get a multi button mouse), but once you overcome the differences, you'll adore the platform!

 

[twoodcc]

if anything, switching is fun get a mac

 

[iPie]

Get a MacBook XXX as soon as they have solved their product quality problems.

I myself am waiting impatiently.

 

[dbruzzone]

As someone who's owned Apple laptops in the past, and who currently owns an Apple desktop and a Dell Inspiron 700m laptop (and who's just ordered a 17" MBP), I second what everyone else has said...

- Tell us what you need the laptop for... For example, are a large screen and more features more important to you than light weight? What are you studying? A film or design student's needs are typically not the same as an economics major's needs.
- Definately get a Mac!!! I love my Inspiron 700m (whose build quality I consider to be excellent by Dell standards) but it just doesn't compare to the PBs that I've owned in the past. Apple's hardware is well designed, nice to look at and it works very well (I'm a Java developer who, by virtue of my job, am pretty demanding on the computers that I own, and I've always been very happy with Apple's products).
- As far as switching, OS X is very easy to use... You'll love it... And like others have pointed out, if you really don't like it, you can always download Boot Camp and install Windows (assuming you get one of Apple's new Intel-based machines).

Cheers...

Dave

 

[Mernak]

i dont know, a macbook pro seems like overkill in this place 2000+ for what seems like a computer thats not going to be doing anything to processor/graphics/RAM intensive. I would rather wait for a macbook or buy a refurbished G4 ibook or powerbook, and save the cash(probably have enough to buy a macbook too, as long as they arn't too expensive, for the price of the macbook pro). As for switching, it will take a bit to get used to the GUI but after that you will love it.

just my 2 cents

 

[Xeem]

I use an iBook on the go and have my own (somewhat dated) gaming PC at home, and I have to say that I think choosing a Mac laptop over a PC laptop (my fiance has a newer Toshiba that I have occasionally borrowed) is even more important than choosing a Mac desktop vs a PC. OS X feels much better portable than Windows XP does, and if you get a new Macbook, which should be out soon, you can use both anyway.

 

[dbruzzone]

i dont know, a macbook pro seems like overkill in this place 2000+ for what seems like a computer thats not going to be doing anything to processor/graphics/RAM intensive. I would rather wait for a macbook or buy a refurbished G4 ibook or powerbook, and save the cash(probably have enough to buy a macbook too, as long as they arn't too expensive, for the price of the macbook pro). As for switching, it will take a bit to get used to the GUI but after that you will love it.

just my 2 cents

Without more information about the OP's exact needs, you can't really make that determination. If he's a graphics design student, then he'll be doing graphics-intensive work (not in the gaming sense of course... Perhaps a film student would be a better example since he really would be taxing the machine to compress video, render, etc.). If OTOH, he just needs it to check e-mail, surf the Web and write papers, then you're absolutely right... A G4 iBook or PowerBook would be more than enough.

Cheers...

Dave

 

[T-Stex]

As long as you're not going to be doing anything too intense (like you've said), I'd suggest going with either a PowerBook, iBook, or waiting for the MacBook. I think going with a MacBook Pro would be overkill in this situation, and the other computers will be more than enough for your needs. You could check out the Apple Refurb store and get some good deals on a PowerBook or iBook. I might be a little biased, but I think a great combination would be a 12" PowerBook and an external monitor from Dell. I've got a 20.1" widescreen LCD hooked up to my PowerBook when I'm at my desk, and an extremely portable laptop when I'm taking it to the library or around campus to do some work.

 

[D34th]

As many people have said, I would wait for the MacBook. Rumors say it will be out sometime this month, possibly May 9th, but who knows for sure? I would think that it would do fine for your needs. And, also said, if you really can't handle OSX (which is an absolute delight compared to Windows), you can just run Windows...