Need help picking a new computer

popcornjack · Post by **popcornjack** » November 4, 2008 1:03 pm

So, my laptop is about to top it's last lap (or lap it's last top, if you prefer.) My computer knowledge is pretty limited, so I figured I'd ask what people have, what they like about it, what they don't, etc...

What I need is is pretty basic. A good writing program, a cd player/burner, a dvd player (use my computer as my source of home entertainment) doesn't necessarily have to be a laptop, something I can upload and store photos on to, and download and store music. Pretty much that's it. Have no preference between PC or Mac, so a convincing argument could sway me either way.

phjrsaunt · Post by **phjrsaunt** » November 4, 2008 1:16 pm

popcornjack wrote:So, my laptop is about to top it's last lap (or lap it's last top, if you prefer.) My computer knowledge is pretty limited, so I figured I'd ask what people have, what they like about it, what they don't, etc...

What I need is is pretty basic. A good writing program, a cd player/burner, a dvd player (use my computer as my source of home entertainment) doesn't necessarily have to be a laptop, something I can upload and store photos on to, and download and store music. Pretty much that's it. Have no preference between PC or Mac, so a convincing argument could sway me either way.

I recently got a HP Pavillion laptop for much the same purpose..LOVE it!

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » November 4, 2008 1:17 pm

popcornjack wrote:so a convincing argument could sway me either way.

hehe. you're a swinger.

AlbatrossFlyer · Post by **AlbatrossFlyer** » November 4, 2008 1:28 pm

i work in both the Mac & PC worlds. My company & personal choice is a Mac, however I frequently need to use a PC for client compatibility or PC software only applications. If you don't need 100% perfect compatibility with the PC world I'd recommend a Mac.

Macs just work....

Nobody writes viruses, worms or trojan horses for Mac, so you can leave your anti-virus software on your PC.

OS X is really UNIX which is time tested and pretty damn bulletproof.

For the same configuration, Mac's are equal to or cheaper in price than a PC, however there are PC configurations which offer less and therefore are cheaper out there.

The Mac Laptops have just been refreshed and represent the latest technology. The iMac, Mac Mini, 17" laptop, and Mac Pro tower have not. Expectations are they will be refreshed and available in January after the MacWorld Expo. The iMacs were refreshed about 6 months ago.

Mac OS X will work with your older peripherals whereas Windows Vista may not. You need to check the peripheral manufacturer to make sure there are Vista drivers for them.

the Mac iLife suite of software included with your computer purchase (iPhoto, iWeb, iMovie, iDVD, & garageband) all work great and can handle your creative needs without buy additional software.

Apple retail stores are a godsend of customer support, if there's an Apple store near you go and visit it. If you buy a Mac they'll even move your PC files over to your new Mac for you.

I'm typing this on a Mac laptop that will be 6 years old in April and has seen thousands of miles of travel thru airports et al. Never a problem with it.....

ph4ever · Post by **ph4ever** » November 4, 2008 1:34 pm

AlbatrossFlyer wrote:i work in both the Mac & PC worlds. My company & personal choice is a Mac, however I frequently need to use a PC for client compatibility or PC software only applications. If you don't need 100% perfect compatibility with the PC world I'd recommend a Mac.

Macs just work....

Nobody writes viruses, worms or trojan horses for Mac, so you can leave your anti-virus software on your PC.

OS X is really UNIX which is time tested and pretty damn bulletproof.

For the same configuration, Mac's are equal to or cheaper in price than a PC, however there are PC configurations which offer less and therefore are cheaper out there.

The Mac Laptops have just been refreshed and represent the latest technology. The iMac, Mac Mini, 17" laptop, and Mac Pro tower have not. Expectations are they will be refreshed and available in January after the MacWorld Expo. The iMacs were refreshed about 6 months ago.

Mac OS X will work with your older peripherals whereas Windows Vista may not. You need to check the peripheral manufacturer to make sure there are Vista drivers for them.

the Mac iLife suite of software included with your computer purchase (iPhoto, iWeb, iMovie, iDVD, & garageband) all work great and can handle your creative needs without buy additional software.

Apple retail stores are a godsend of customer support, if there's an Apple store near you go and visit it. If you buy a Mac they'll even move your PC files over to your new Mac for you.

I'm typing this on a Mac laptop that will be 6 years old in April and has seen thousands of miles of travel thru airports et al. Never a problem with it.....

I'm typing this on a Dell Inspiron Notebook that I love but I may have to check into a Mac when I make my next purchase. The only drawback for me might be some work related issues - but then I rarely use my notebook for work.

AlbatrossFlyer · Post by **AlbatrossFlyer** » November 4, 2008 1:35 pm

here's a couple reviews of the new macbook laptop you might want to read.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/artic ... sr=hotnews

http://www.computerworld.com/action/art ... sr=hotnews

http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20081022/ap ... sr=hotnews

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/ ... sr=hotnews

SharkOnLand · Post by **SharkOnLand** » November 4, 2008 1:38 pm

What kind of budget are you talking about?

A laptop will run probably twice what a desktop computer will run you. Is the portability necessary?

My wife has a Compaq laptop that's served us pretty well. It's nice and small (14" screen), so it's easily taken on trips and different rooms of the house.

I have my eyes on a nice Asus laptop, one of these days when I win the lottery

Edit to add: A great resource for laptops is here: http://www.notebookreview.com/ A ton of expert and user reviews.

TheSecretsInTheCrust · November 4, 2008 1:58 pm

I have been a MAC guy for over 10 years. I would never go back and now with Vista being force fed to new buyers....my choise is even more confirmed. As far as compatibiulity, Windows XP can run on Mac faster and more effiecently than on a PC

oph · Post by **oph** » November 4, 2008 2:03 pm

in my line of work (Network/Server/Storage/Virtualization/Security Administration) both Macs and PCs have their pros and cons. It almost all comes down to how comfortable you are with the intended user interface, i.e. the graphical-windowed, mouse-command setup, and existing program(s) requirement(s) in terms of a home user (the enterprise is a completely different can of worms).
You can take MacTel (Mac on Intel) hardware and install Windows onto it, it's not too difficult but not for the unexperienced. There are also 3rd party software companies that offer the ability to "virtualize" Windows on a Mac if you have the necessity and licenses.

The big difference that I have seen first hand is that a comparably spec'ed Mac will cost more than it's PC conterpart.

Also AF's comment about no virus, malware, worm writers is incorrect. I know of at least 2 dozen attempted runs that have indeed "infected" Macs. The infection might not be as drastic as those that might be seen in the PC realm but the mere fact that they did happen shows that ignoring that aspect with a Mac is going to eventually have adverse affects.

Lightning Bolt · Post by **Lightning Bolt** » November 4, 2008 2:07 pm

Mac man here... absolutely love it. It's just about bulletproof.

Everything that AF and Crusty said, I would second wholeheartedly.

irishcajunphan · Post by **irishcajunphan** » November 4, 2008 2:08 pm

I use a Gateway. It has everything you are looking for, but Vista sucks. It takes some getting used to. It also has a wide screen 15.4 with dvd/rw drive.

AlbatrossFlyer · Post by **AlbatrossFlyer** » November 4, 2008 2:08 pm

oph wrote: Also AF's comment about no virus, malware, worm writers is incorrect. I know of at least 2 dozen attempted runs that have indeed "infected" Macs. The infection might not be as drastic as those that might be seen in the PC realm but the mere fact that they did happen shows that ignoring that aspect with a Mac is going to eventually have adverse affects.

i would be interested in knowing more about these. i've only heard of 2 or 3 in the mac security world. and they were more theoretical than actually damaging.

alphabits · Post by **alphabits** » November 4, 2008 2:24 pm

Wino you know · Post by **Wino you know** » November 4, 2008 2:32 pm

alphabits wrote:

Actually, I'm still trying to decide between a new Dell or Hewlett Packard desk top.
We have Dells at work so they MUST be okay, but this P.O.S. I have at home is a refurbished Dell that's never worked quite right.
As for Hewlett Packards, I've only heard good things about them, so I'm leaning toward them, but still haven't made up my mind.
So, Jack-thanks for posting this, and I also appreciate everyone's answers.

Especially Bit's.

Frank4 · Post by **Frank4** » November 4, 2008 2:34 pm

Most IT people I talk to recommend Dells....

LIPH · Post by **LIPH** » November 4, 2008 2:35 pm

There's a guy named Walter Mossberg who writes a technology column in the Wll Street Journal. He does 2 columns a year suggesting what people need in a computer. I'm sure his columns are online somewhere but I read the paper on the train in the morning so I never looked for his stuff online. I guess it should be pretty easy to find though if you want to check out his suggestions.

AlbatrossFlyer · Post by **AlbatrossFlyer** » November 4, 2008 3:37 pm

LIPH wrote:There's a guy named Walter Mossberg who writes a technology column in the Wll Street Journal. He does 2 columns a year suggesting what people need in a computer. I'm sure his columns are online somewhere but I read the paper on the train in the morning so I never looked for his stuff online. I guess it should be pretty easy to find though if you want to check out his suggestions.

Mossberg's review of the macbook is the 3rd link i posted above. it should get you to his other reviews.

springparrot · Post by **springparrot** » November 4, 2008 3:40 pm

Just got a new Dell laptop

pbans · Post by **pbans** » November 4, 2008 3:44 pm

I have a compaq presario (HP) and it is the biggest piece of CRAP I've ever owned....I know I got a lemon because a lot of people are really happy with them....but STILL...it's on it's way back to HP for the THIRD time to replace the motherboard....good news is that they extended the warranty because they know these units have problems.....but seriously.....

Dutch Harbor PH · Post by **Dutch Harbor PH** » November 4, 2008 4:12 pm

Hmmmm..... PC user here...recovering Mac user.....been off the Mac for ...well...quite a while now.....(and as such I'm no longer qualified to give Ops on them....or so says the restraining order...

) BUT...that said... It depends on several things;
- What Do YOU want?
- How do you use it?
- What can you afford?
- How comp literate are you/do you want to become?

I have been using a variety of laptops both personal and business. At home I have a quiver of laptops of various ages.... I have a 8 year old Dell Inspiron laptop that I have upgraded (memory) and still works fine....granted a little slow when downloading big files but the kids seem to like it just fine....Wifey-poo has a 4 year old HP pavillion with a 17" screen, had to replace the DVD drive/burner about 18 months ago and I just replaced the Hard drive (tragic death), upgraded the memory and is now back to the screamer it was before....it has a Wireless G adapter so internet download is constrained by that.....I had a 5 year old Dell 14" laptop, no upgrades still cruising along just dandy... I have a 4 year old Dell Inspiron that recently had a tragic hard drive failure...just upgraded the hard drive and memory and it is screamin' along just fine and dandy...
My new work laptop is a Dell Precision, 17" screen.....I like it...I ust hope it is as durable as the Inspirons have been for me (they have all been dropped multiple times)....

On the fishing boats (Bering Sea Trawlers) we have both Dell Inspirons and Toshiba Sattelites....again...very durable....they have all been dropped and skidded across the wheelhouse deck....On 1 boat the dells screen hinged broke after a spill....it is now velcroed down to the chart table and the screen is velcroed to the bulkhead The only thing connecting the two is the display's ribbon cable.... Haven't had to replace any hard drives as yet (they usually die a violent death before the hard drive goes) Most of these laptops are between 3 and 4 years old. In addition each of the boats has anywhere from 5 to 12 other "desktop" computers onboard. These are all dedicated platforms running a variety of equipemnt.....Radars, Sonars, Net sounders, Doppler shift systems, trawl control systems, engine room management systems, communications (satellite, vhf's, SSB's etc), Plotters and Gps sytems..... Anyway these are all PC's and run either windows or linux ....NO macs....

So like I said before...just depends on what YOU want....
And as you can see....I am somewhat invested in PC's (the reason being that NONE of the platforms on the boats are avalible in MAC form they are PC only....That AND, for right or wrong, compatability with the rest of the world is very important to what I do....as such...I'm a PC)

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