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My boyfriend has a new macbook and I love it. I really would like to have one. I like that they are simple to use and understand, and have great customer service.
The only problem with the MacBook is the price. It's almost prohibitive -- the only way I could afford it would be to make some SERIOUS sacrifices in my life, and possibly donate plasma.
With a PC Laptop, it's more affordable, plus I have used Windows all my life, so obviously I am used to the system. The only thing is the problems you have with PCs. Plus the fact that a PC Laptop may not be as durable as a Mac.
I really want a Mac, but I am thinking I may settle for a PC because of price.
I need advice! I don't know what to do! I'm so torn! Convince me! Go!
What are you doing with it? If you are just doing the basics on it, it probably is not worth the sacrifice to get a Mac.
Well, mostly I use my computer for internet, business use (think excel, powerpoint, word), and music downloading. I have close to 50 gigs of music so storage space is important.
Most of what is drawing me to a mac is simplicity of design and use, reliability, and durability. I want something that is going to last. I also like how good their warranty is.
Post by ziggyandthemonkeys on Jan 9, 2009 14:57:46 GMT -5
From what you said, I would definitely get a PC. PC's are plenty durable, and if you are just using it for those things, they will not be outdated anytime soon. They also tend to have larger hd's. I just highly doubt that having a Mac would be worth the sacrifices you would have to make. IMO the only reason to get a mac is if you work with digital media, or have the money to blow.
Edit: I use my desktop PC for the same reasons you listed, and it is still running just fine after 4+ years. I also do some gaming, and it wasn't outdated on that front for over 2 years.
Post by freedomofmusic on Jan 9, 2009 15:11:45 GMT -5
I switched to a MacBook last summer and LOVE it. I've partitioned the hard drive so it is also a PC for those programs that just aren't available on the Mac. I try to never go to that side though. It just seems so lame in comparison.
Bamadancer, I was in this exact position about a month ago. When the time came for me to get a new laptop, I was really drawn to the macbook. I've always used PCs, but I've also always envied the ease of use with a Mac. I consulted many of my friends who insisted I would love a mac so much more than a PC. So after months of research, deliberating, and saving, I took the plunge and bought a macbook. It's what I'm typing on right now!
I've had it for about a month now, so I'm not quite able to give it a completely thumbs up or a thumbs down. I do enjoy the ease of use; even though I've never worked with a mac before now, it's been really easy to pick up. However, I have been having some issues with my optical drive that have frustrated me. I know I can take it in the Apple Store and have it looked at since I'm still under warranty, but I'm a little disappointed that I'm having issues at all.
I also get frustrated when something goes wrong and I get an error message. With my old PC laptop, I was so used to the error messages that I knew what each one meant and what to do about it. With my macbook, I have no idea! So I end up frantically calling my mac-saavy friends to help decipher the errors. I guess I was under the naive impression that macbooks were infallible and well, they're not. They're still computers that can have errors and can crash just as easily, as it's happened to two of my macbook friends in the past 6 months.
To conclude, for what you're wanting to do with a computer, Bamadancer, I would probably stick with a PC. What you want to do with a computer is basically the same things I do with a computer-- I'm not tech-saavy enough to do much else with a computer. I have enjoyed my macbook, and I'm sure you would too, but you might save your money, get a PC for now, and buy a macbook pro when you're out of school. I have the cheapest, least-amount-of-frills macbook... but I can guarantee that I would enjoy my mac MUCH more if I could have afforded the Macbook Pro. Play with your boyfriend's mac when you have the hankerin' for something cooler than a PC
I have a Macbook at home and an HP Laptop at work. I 100% prefer my Mac (but cannot work on it due to my industry). However, jhointn is right. They do still have some problems and quirks. I almost never get error messages but they do pop up from time to time.
BUT, if its that cost prohibitive its not worth it. The cost of using a Mac only goes up from the purchase. As you want other things its harder to find compatible hardware and software and often times its more expensive.
It's got 4 gigs of ram and a good processor, so it's pretty fast. Plus 320 gigs of HD space, so your music needs will be endless. Webcam, CD/DVD player/burner, and all the goodies.
Oh and there's a slightly lesser version of the Satellite priced at $650. Still a decent laptop. All in all this one would cost you around $1200-$1400 total with your Office package, OS, warranties, etc. Totally worth it for me so far, best computer I've ever owned.
Bama to bama here....and speaking as someone who uses a computer (mostly PCs but some Macs) all day every day...Macs ARE really good but they have tradeoffs....they are NOT PCs...and if you are trying to USE them like PCs they will frustrate the heck out of you!
Macs are really good for music, publishing, graphics and any kind of art/printing/documentation et al. They are much better than PC's for anything dealing with color saturation, photography and photo editing etc. They ARE very durable, but there are some PCs that rank up there with them in that department.
Macs are also user friendly from an APPLICATION and ease of use perspective. Macs are NOT user friendly from an application debugging, error reporting, application installation (or application installation failure) complex networking hookup or any detail level hardware/software geek-level thing. In other words...as long as you don't have to "pop the hood" on them they are great...as soon as you open the cover or try to penetrate that goregous user interface you see what all that pretty chrome and paint is covering up
Also....the business apps you mention wanting to run...don't run NEARLY as well on Macs...most of them are made by Uncle Bill or other Apple competitors...and well....that's when you start having to crack open that hood thing...
and besides - you can also find really good external hard drives fairly cheap - I have a 500 gig external that I picked up for $80.00. I store all of my music and pictures on it instead of the computer itself
Post by rideincircles on Jan 9, 2009 21:40:07 GMT -5
If I got a mac laptop, I would want a bigger screen than the standard macbook, but its so expensive. I have a 4 year old Toshiba that has been left in my car for Coachella and two Bonnaroos and the heat doesnt phase it. I like my macmini at home, and its also about 4 years old, it works great but is kinda slow now, once either of these go out I will probably buy the same thing as a replacement.
I love my mac interface wise, and there are way fewer virus type problems to deal with from file sharing and such. After four years I have never had to reinstall my OS on my mac, but my main complaint with windows right now is vista, although i dont have much experience with it yet.
For some reason firedox sucks on my mac though, so I dont use it at all. Safari is great for me, and I have always had problems using internet explorer on my mac. Overall my mac is great and I use the hell out of it. Overall price would be my main issue.
Post by ziggyandthemonkeys on Jan 9, 2009 22:28:48 GMT -5
What really needs to be remembered here is this. Is the 500-1000 dollar price difference really worth getting the Mac to just use it for home office work? I mean it is well known that Mac's have their perks, and are usually well liked, but I could never find a way to spend that much more money, unless i was using it to work on digital media. For the needs listed, it just does not justify the price. Now I'm gonna feel like an ass if she ends up getting a Mac.
Post by strumntheguitar on Jan 9, 2009 23:07:46 GMT -5
I agree with the general consensus here and say get the PC. It's cheaper and I know a lot of my friends who have macs get frustrated when trying to get certain software and stuff to work on it
I'm going to be the Kanye of this thread - I vote Mac.
I got an Apple about a year and a half ago after being a lifelong PC user. It's miles above and beyond my old Dell, and it suits my needs just fine - though I realize they're not for everyone. Macs have a much more user-friendly interface, some cool extra goodies, and they're better for the creative stuff, like music and movie editing. However, there are definite drawbacks. If you only need to use it for Word, some of those pre-installed apps can just be a nuisance, taking up extra space on your hard drive. Then again, it's nice to have everything set up and ready to go right out of the box. Also, they are definitely a lot more secure against viruses and crashes, but by no means immune. Make sure to back up your stuff - Apple offers some extra program (I forget what it's called) where it automatically makes a secure backup of all your files and stores them on an online database.
The price tag is certainly more restrictive, but Macs age more gracefully (for lack of a better term) - mine is as fast as when I bought it, whereas after my first couple years with a Dell, it was boggled down with a ton of spyware and had become very slow. Even after uninstalling some of the troublesome programs and running a spyware cleaner, it still lagged greatly. In that sense, it seems like it's more of a long-term investment. If you're still in college, Apple will shave a couple hundred bucks off the price tag for you.
I'd suggest an Intel-based Mac for you, bamadancer. It'll still have Word, Excel and all that stuff, and it's not that unlike a PC once you get used to it. It takes a couple weeks to get fully adjusted to the different OS, but once you do, they're great.
I voted Mac as well. I have an iMac and I will never go back to a PC again. The previous style macbooks are more affordable than the new aluminum cased macbooks. But ultimately, this is going to be something you have for the next few years. So depending upon your situation, it may make sense to plunk down the extra dough now for something that is going to last for a long time.
Post by ☮ superbek ☮ on Jan 10, 2009 2:37:44 GMT -5
bama I am having this same exact problem right now, I am sooo glad you started this thread... except that the fact that it is pretty much split down the middle, hahaha so I guess we're back where we started.
Post by bamadancer on Jan 10, 2009 16:18:18 GMT -5
Well, when it came down to it, my grandparents decided to buy me a computer...so the Mac won out. I had a Sony Vaio picked out at the store, and when I added on the warranty it wound up being the same price as the MacBook (which has 1 year of AppleCare included in the price).
So...yeah, I'm officially one of those Mac Nerds now! Honestly though, if it had been MY money, I would've bought a PC.
Post by ziggyandthemonkeys on Jan 10, 2009 16:55:21 GMT -5
Congrats on the purchase. Thats pretty much the way to look at Macs. They are a luxury, and if you can afford them get one, but if you can't its not worth selling the car for.
If you didn't have to pay for it, that's awesome! I recommend downloading senuti and open office, if you didn't already purchase the office apps for mac.
Right after I responded in this thread last night, I was installing Open Office and my mac did one of its hateful things. I opened the program and it wouldn't respond. I couldn't force quit either or open any other apps. When I tried to shut my computer down, the spinning beach ball of death was up for almost 10 minutes. I finally did a cold shut down and called my Mac friend. He came over and fixed it all with his magic touch. Seriously, my computer knows when I say bad things about it! Guess that's tech-karma for ya....
LOL! Ouch...yeah....it's like I said....they are great until something goes wrong...then they are a real beeeyatch!
The thing with Macs is that they're really an all or nothing deal. What I mean by that is that, if something quacks up with a PC, you can take it in and replace the troublesome part for however much it costs. Macs are way less likely to crash - certain programs might freeze from time to time, but it will only be that program which messes up. However, when something major does go wrong, you basically have to deconstruct the entire system and rebuild it all again, which is a major pain in the ass.
If you want a computer that is easy to use, fun and snazzy, but which is more limited in its abilities, go with a Mac. If you want a computer that is more powerful, but less sleek and also far more prone to crashes, viruses and trojans, go with a PC. PC's are more for the practical stuff, whereas Macs are more for the creative and fun stuff.
And then there's Linux, which is kind of like the Ralph Nader of the computer world.
Last Edit: Jan 12, 2009 18:01:46 GMT -5 by jack324 - Back to Top
FTW.
