mac or pc?

[mdquestion]

With $1600 I can build a top of the line GAMING machine. Nowhere near the same league as an iMac. Trust, I'm into computers and I know what I'm talking about. Plus, you can't really upgrade Mac's like you can PC's and that's a fact. Unless you want to pay hundreds out of pocket.

OK. A Custom gaming machine...with a 27" iPS LED backlight 2560X1440 Monitor?

A Dell 27" non-iPS, non-LED backlight 1920x1080 monitor is $800. Let's say a similar quality monitor as to the iMac (seriously best monitor I've ever had) would probably run around $1000 retail for it's higher resolution and iPS panel. The 30" Apple Cinema Display (which is a non-LED with the same amount of pixels in a larger size) runs $1800 alone for comparison. So that leaves about $600 for the rest of the components and a $100 printer.

PCs are always cheaper, but the new iMac is not a terrible deal for what you get.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Narmerguy]

So, while Apple laptops are better, faster, and prettier, you'd be better off getting a $500 pc laptop every two years and spending your money on good peripheral equipment. Yes, having windows crash once every two months is annoying - but not as annoying as losing files or having your printer not work!

This simply is NOT true.

I think the debate really comes down to the type of person buying the computer. Are you a:

-Mac commercial type individual? Do you want your computer to "Just work?" Are you interested in amateur photo and video editing? Get a mac.

-Technically inclined person that likes an advanced operating system with advanced options? Do you like to play video games? Are you a rational person capable of using a computer without being freaked out by buttons and commands? Get a PC.

Really, if you're a competent individual, I see no reason not to get a PC, as it has so much more program compatibility than a Mac. But, if you aren't technologically inclined, and find that PCs keep on "GETTING SLOW" on you, do yourself a favor and pay for the mac.

This is pretty much true.

 

[StormingWynn]

OK. A Custom gaming machine...with a 27" iPS LED backlight 2560X1440 Monitor?

A Dell 27" non-iPS, non-LED backlight 1920x1080 monitor is $800. Let's say a similar quality monitor as to the iMac (seriously best monitor I've ever had) would probably run around $1000 retail for it's higher resolution and iPS panel. The 30" Apple Cinema Display (which is a non-LED with the same amount of pixels in a larger size) runs $1800 alone for comparison. So that leaves about $600 for the rest of the components and a $100 printer.

PCs are always cheaper, but the new iMac is not a terrible deal for what you get.

Hate to break it to you, but dell LCD's suck. They are a rip off. I prefer ASUS which run at about $200 for a 24" with resolution of 2048 x 1152. I'd buy 2 or even 3 and set them up in series. Gaming is not all about the screen size and resolution. It's about the response time, which mac's are known for being horrible at. 2ms on the ASUS compared to the 20ms on the macs from what I can remember. That's terrible. The components on the imac are 3 generations behind and honestly I could buy those components for a mere $600, if not less. Graphics card = $75, precessor = $85, motherboard = $150, hard drive = $100, power supply = $50, mouse and keyboard ~$70, those are the main components. If you want current generation components on the iMac, the computer will run you $2500+.

I could build a computer that Apple would price at over $4000 with the $1699 I'd invest in it.

 

[JJMrK]

Ok I have an issue with posts like this.

A comparable Windows laptop will run close to the same amount as a Macbook. Yes, it's true. You get a student discount from Apple (as well as a free iPod touch and printer), and you'll only end up paying a little bit more.

Why I think paying the small amount more to invest in a Macbook is a smart idea: The build quality on Apple's laptops far exceeds any other laptop manufacturer out there currently. The aluminum body is sturdy and does not feel cheap/breakable, yet it is lightweight. The glass trackpad is amazing- 2 fingers scroll up and down, 3 fingers go back and forth on webpages, you can zoom in and out with it, it's great. I find myself using the trackpad instead of my mouse even at home. The LED lit screen is just fantastic to look at. I compared it against quite a few other laptops and nothing compared. Another thing I love is the hardware-software synergy. Having keys at the top to activate Expose (an OSX feature to organize windows), changing songs in iTunes, and activating the dashboard so I can see the weather and other things is just super convenient. The backlit keyboard is also something you don't normally see at this price range. It looks great and is extremely handy for typing in the dark. Probably the biggest draw though is the battery life. 7 hours, which is unheard of among other laptops. It's extremely handy that it lasts all through my school day plus has enough juice to study all night with me at the library. Definitely handy not having to drag a power cord around.

So, although I sound like an Apple rep, I would seriously ask that you consider it, because the build quality on these things are great- they will last you a LONG time. I'm willing to bet that in one Macbook's lifetime, a more shoddily designed laptop would need to be replaced.

That is certainly not true. Apple computers are much more expensive than their PC counterparts.

 

[psipsina]

I love love love my mac. I run windows on it for when I need windows so no compatibility issues whatsoever. I can drag and drop between windows and OSX or I can boot directly into windows so its the best of both worlds.

I love the new glass trackpad on the macbooks. After having all the gestures for the past year I have a hard time on other people's laptops even just surfing. Expose and spaces alone is an amazing reason to get a mac. When you're multitasking it makes your little laptop screen go so so much farther. Not to mention the stability of the OS. My mac has never ever crashed in a year of hardcore use (on pretty much whenever I'm awake + my husband uses it when I sleep to game on).

I have my old imac that I bought for college, its 8 years old and only had one problem ever for which the mac customer service was outstanding. Its still running beautifully, just a little slow with its ancient 800 mhz processor lol. It also is selling on ebay for $450 so it retains value way way better than a PC. In between the imac and the macbook my school forced me to buy a gateway which died 4 times in the 2.5 years of its life and crashed more times than I can remember.

If you are the type of person who likes to tinker and customize then you'll probably hate a mac. If you want something stable and easy with good customer service and are willing to pay a little extra for that you'll love a mac.

 

[JJMrK]

That is certainly not true. Apple computers are much more expensive than their PC counterparts.

Just to back this up:

Here's the standard Mac Pro:

• One 2.66GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
• 3GB (3x1GB)
• 640GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 512MB
• One 18x SuperDrive
• Apple Mouse
• Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (English) and User's Guide

Not a bad computer, but as you can see from the link it's 2500 bucks.


Let's do some comparisons. These are both Dells:

........

Here's a comparable PC:

Software & ServicesGenuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English

AMD Phenom™ II X4 820 (2.8GHz, 6MB)

20" Dell ST2010-Black High Definition Monitor

4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 4 DIMMs

640GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™

16X DVD+/-RW Drive

ATI Radeon HD 4350 512MB

Dell AX210 1.2 Watt 2.0 Stereo Speakers

Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio

Dell Consumer Entry USB Keyboard and Mouse

No Floppy Drive or Media Card Reader Included

No Modem Option

Piano Black

It's got the quad core processor, more RAM than the Mac, a similar graphics card, and the same size hard drive. Also note that this comes with a 20" monitor, while the Mac does not. Guess how much this one is? $830.

.........

Now let's see what you can get if you spend $2500 on a PC (This is where things get really crazy):

Software & ServicesGenuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English

Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor(8MB L3 Cache, 2.66GHz)

12GB Tri-Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz - 6 DIMMs

1.5TB Performance RAID 0 (2x750GB SATA 7200 RPM HDDs)

Dual Drives: Blu-ray Disc (BD) Burner (Writes to DVD/CD/BD) and DVD+/-RW

24" Dell ST2410 Full High Definition Monitor

nVidia GeForce GTX 260 1792MB

Soundblaster® X-Fi™ Xtreme Audio

Dell USB Consumer Multimedia Keyboard

Dell Studio Optical Mouse

No Modem Option

Dell 1525 Wireless-N PCIe Card




Compared to the Mac, this has:
-A much faster quad-core processor.
-FOUR TIMES as much RAM, and faster RAM at that.
-TWO 750 GB hard drives in a RAID 0 setup.
-A 1792 MB graphics card opposed to a 512 MB.
-A decent sound card (the Mac probably has integrated sound).
-A wireless N card (the Mac probably has G).
-A 24" HD monitor (the Mac doesn't come with one).

The best part? This computer is 2300, $200 cheaper than the Mac Pro.

 

[FIREitUP]

for people who have posited mac customer service as a reason to pay a premium for their product or because they are more functional, please don't post as if you are an authority on the issue or actually know anything about computers. i can buy a $200 computer with ubuntu, make it look like a mac and have it even more stable. just come to terms with the fact that you are following a trend and have purchased a mac because you are the sheep that apple marketing attracts.

and a little extra $? if i'm running just word documents, why do i have to spend $1k on a computer? i can buy multiple computers for the price of a "hasslefree" mac. bottom line, if you're not using your mac for video editing you are underutilizing your computer and have paid a premium to sit at the cool kids table at lunch time.

@jimmerjammer: the sad thing is that those prices are inflated by PC standards! I can configure a computer and build it for even cheaper.

 

[dw2158]

for people who have posited mac customer service as a reason to pay a premium for their product or because they are more functional, please don't post as if you are an authority on the issue or actually know anything about computers. i can buy a $200 computer with ubuntu, make it look like a mac and have it even more stable. just come to terms with the fact that you are following a trend and have purchased a mac because you are the sheep that apple marketing attracts.

and a little extra $? if i'm running just word documents, why do i have to spend $1k on a computer? i can buy multiple computers for the price of a "hasslefree" mac. bottom line, if you're not using your mac for video editing you are underutilizing your computer and have paid a premium to sit at the cool kids table at lunch time.

you're right. i'm a terrible, brainless person because i chose to buy a mac. and you are the smartest, best person in the world because you know how to design a computer that suits your needs.

you would think it would be possible for such a smart person to express his or her personal preferences without attacking those who have different opinions or tastes.

 

[chiz2kul]

Mac all the way.

I used to be a PC person slash Mac-basher.

Till I got my mac.

Cliche-ish, but I can't see myself going back.

 

[FIREitUP]

you're right. i'm a terrible, brainless person because i chose to buy a mac. and you are the smartest, best person in the world because you know how to design a computer that suits your needs.

you would think it would be possible for such a smart person to express his or her personal preferences without attacking those who have different opinions or tastes.

no, you just felt you needed to conform because of those awesome commercials with justin long and josh hodgman who erroneously equate PC's with Windows operating system. just because it's a PC doesn't mean it runs windows.

 

[Narmerguy]

I'll do you one better.

Operating System:Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Quad processor Q9505 [2.83GHz, 6MB L2, 1333MHz FSB]
Hard Drive: 8GB DDR2-800MHz SDRAM [4 DIMMs]
Graphics card 1.5GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 230 [DVI, HDMI, VGA]
Primary optical drive Blu-ray writer & Lightscribe SuperMulti DVD burner
Secondary optical drive 16x max. DVD ROM (player)
Networking Premium Wireless-N LAN card and Bluetooth(R)
Sound Card Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium
Speakers HP stereo speakers with subwoofer and remote 50W

Ok, here's where it gets good.
Monitor: Monitor HP 2709m 27-inch Diagonal 16:9 Full HD Widescreen Monitor!!
Customer Service: 4-YEAR HP Care Pack House Call Service.


Let's recap. It has 1.5TB of drive space, a blueray writer and player (not to mention Lightscribe if that's your cup of tea), wireless N technology, a 27inch HD Widescreen monitor, a banging Sound Card, nice speakers that come with a remote, a QUAD CORE processor. Also, for those concerned with customer service, it has 4 YEARS of House Call service. Your machine is not alone! They will come to your HOME and fix the dang thing for you...

$2,049.97​

Spend smart.

• Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-950 processor [3.00GHz, 1MB L2 + 8MB shared L3 cache]
• 9GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [5 DIMMs]
• 300GB 10K rpm & 640GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s - two hard drives
• 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 [DVI, HDMI, VGA]
• HP 2509m 25-inch Diagonal 16:9 Full HD Widescreen Monitor
• Blu-ray writer & Lightscribe SuperMulti DVD burner
• 16x max. DVD ROM (player)
• Premium Wireless-N LAN card and Bluetooth(R )
• 15-in-1 memory card reader, 1 USB, 1394, audio
• No TV Tuner
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio
• HP stereo speakers with subwoofer and remote 50W
• HP multimedia keyboard and HP optical mouse
• Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
• Norton Internet Security(TM) 2010 - 15 month

There's another. $2399.

These are HPs by the way.

 

[c5212]

I say PC all the way. First of all, Macs are WAY overpriced. Laptops starting at $999?!!? Honestly, I can think of a thousand better ways to spend that kind of cash. Anyways, you're basically paying for the Apple nametag and the fancy aluminum exterior. I guarantee that you can get an amazing PC for $999 with much better hardware.

+1,000,000
Go PC ... ALWAYS.. you'll get more of everything with a PC. I've had a Toshiba for years and use it pretty much every day- no problems. Just get a good virus protection program (Symantec Endpoint Protection) and you should be set.

 

[psipsina]

no, you just felt you needed to conform because of those awesome commercials with justin long and josh hodgman who erroneously equate PC's with Windows operating system. just because it's a PC doesn't mean it runs windows.

Yeah not so much buddy. As I said in my post if you like to tinker and customize then PCs are definitely your better choice. My little bro can build a mean ass laptop for crazy cheap, but he lives nowhere near me to service it and I'm clueless so it would just be a mean ass paperweight eventually. For me the extra $$ are worth it for something that runs out of the box, rarely fails, and has great customer service when it does. I like OSX because its intuitive and easy. I don't like thinking about my computer, I just want it to do what I need it to do (make a powerpoint, run my qbank software). I actually bought my first mac after being forced to use one in a research lab. I fell in love with the OS. I know that PCs run more than windows but I don't have the time or desire to learn a new OS, I like intuitive and simple so I can spend my precious time learning medicine instead (or sleeping . . . ). I don't think that macs are for everyone, I have friends who love to tinker and they love their pc's and I understand why. I'm just not one of those people and that doesn't mean I'm a mindless drone who ran out and got a shiny new macbook because the witty tv add told me to.

 

[chman]

Yeah not so much buddy. As I said in my post if you like to tinker and customize then PCs are definitely your better choice. My little bro can build a mean ass laptop for crazy cheap, but he lives nowhere near me to service it and I'm clueless so it would just be a mean ass paperweight eventually. For me the extra $$ are worth it for something that runs out of the box, rarely fails, and has great customer service when it does. I like OSX because its intuitive and easy. I don't like thinking about my computer, I just want it to do what I need it to do (make a powerpoint, run my qbank software). I actually bought my first mac after being forced to use one in a research lab. I fell in love with the OS. I know that PCs run more than windows but I don't have the time or desire to learn a new OS, I like intuitive and simple so I can spend my precious time learning medicine instead (or sleeping . . . ). I don't think that macs are for everyone, I have friends who love to tinker and they love their pc's and I understand why. I'm just not one of those people and that doesn't mean I'm a mindless drone who ran out and got a shiny new macbook because the witty tv add told me to.

I think that it is wrong to assume that just because someone has a mac they are a conformist. On the flip side though, I am sure that there are people who buy macs because it is the trendy thing to do.

 

[JJMrK]

I'll do you one better.

Operating System:Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Quad processor Q9505 [2.83GHz, 6MB L2, 1333MHz FSB]
Hard Drive: 8GB DDR2-800MHz SDRAM [4 DIMMs]
Graphics card 1.5GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 230 [DVI, HDMI, VGA]
Primary optical drive Blu-ray writer & Lightscribe SuperMulti DVD burner
Secondary optical drive 16x max. DVD ROM (player)
Networking Premium Wireless-N LAN card and Bluetooth(R)
Sound Card Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium
Speakers HP stereo speakers with subwoofer and remote 50W

Ok, here's where it gets good.
Monitor: Monitor HP 2709m 27-inch Diagonal 16:9 Full HD Widescreen Monitor!!
Customer Service: 4-YEAR HP Care Pack House Call Service.


Let's recap. It has 1.5TB of drive space, a blueray writer and player (not to mention Lightscribe if that's your cup of tea), wireless N technology, a 27inch HD Widescreen monitor, a banging Sound Card, nice speakers that come with a remote, a QUAD CORE processor. Also, for those concerned with customer service, it has 4 YEARS of House Call service. Your machine is not alone! They will come to your HOME and fix the dang thing for you...

$2,049.97​

Spend smart.



There's another. $2399.

These are HPs by the way.

An 8 gig hard drive?

You meant RAM. I like it. I like that dell I posted earlier better, though.

 

[s1lver]

Windows 7 is too good so I'm going with PC.

 

[psipsina]

I think that it is wrong to assume that just because someone has a mac they are a conformist. On the flip side though, I am sure that there are people who buy macs because it is the trendy thing to do.

Consumerism relies on the fact that people will buy things for stupid reasons lol. I'm sure people do respond to the adds otherwise Jobs wouldn't spend the cash on them. But the assumption that anyone using a mac is a mindless drone conformist trying to be trendy is false.

 

[angeladav]

PC. Software support and price/value is still ahead of Macs

 

[csmittyB]

no, you just felt you needed to conform because of those awesome commercials with justin long and josh hodgman who erroneously equate PC's with Windows operating system. just because it's a PC doesn't mean it runs windows.

I don't see your logic. Considering PC's are more common than macs, how is someone who buys a mac a conformist? Wouldn't the person who buys a PC the conformist?

 

[StormingWynn]

Yeah not so much buddy. As I said in my post if you like to tinker and customize then PCs are definitely your better choice. My little bro can build a mean ass laptop for crazy cheap, but he lives nowhere near me to service it and I'm clueless so it would just be a mean ass paperweight eventually. For me the extra $$ are worth it for something that runs out of the box, rarely fails, and has great customer service when it does. I like OSX because its intuitive and easy. I don't like thinking about my computer, I just want it to do what I need it to do (make a powerpoint, run my qbank software). I actually bought my first mac after being forced to use one in a research lab. I fell in love with the OS. I know that PCs run more than windows but I don't have the time or desire to learn a new OS, I like intuitive and simple so I can spend my precious time learning medicine instead (or sleeping . . . ). I don't think that macs are for everyone, I have friends who love to tinker and they love their pc's and I understand why. I'm just not one of those people and that doesn't mean I'm a mindless drone who ran out and got a shiny new macbook because the witty tv add told me to.

Oh see, but you ARE. Just because someone told you that PC's crash all the time and are SO unreliable you believed them. I've been using PC's for many many years and thus far the only problems I've encountered were hardware problems because of my extensive over use of the computer (gaming intensive, pushed the limits when I knew I wasn't supposed to). I've actually never hard a problem with viruses, I just download a free firewall and virus scanner and problem solved. All those criteria you mentioned can and are being done on PC's around the world. Just because it's a PC, you can't make a power point? It's not intuitive? Costumer service is horrible? From what I know, OSX and Windows 7 are actually VERY VERY similar. The only thing that has actually changed throughout the years between the has been the skin layout. Why do you think the keyboards on Macs and PC's are almost identical? Because they DO the same exact thing.

 

[chman]

Lets just settle this right now.

[YOUTUBE]uLbJ8YPHwXM[/YOUTUBE]

I like the video even though I am a PC man.

 

[chessknt]

I would think the mac ppl would try to keep their numbers low--if enough people start using them then spammers/hackers will start writing more malicious viruses for them.

 

[Music MD]

Quick comment from a survivor: I've NEVER met a single person who after switching to mac, switched back to PC. I certainly don't intend to and I'm pretty "techinically advanced" myself.. I just don't wish to exercise that ability screwing around with my computer settings. My 3yo macbook pro runs hefty recording software just fine.. that and I can check my email and youtube stuff and even open "Word Documents". And it doesn't give me a headache.. which I always seemed to get in the past with my PC's. Yes, it costs more.

 

[dw2158]

Oh see, but you ARE. Just because someone told you that PC's crash all the time and are SO unreliable you believed them. I've been using PC's for many many years and thus far the only problems I've encountered were hardware problems because of my extensive over use of the computer (gaming intensive, pushed the limits when I knew I wasn't supposed to). I've actually never hard a problem with viruses, I just download a free firewall and virus scanner and problem solved. All those criteria you mentioned can and are being done on PC's around the world. Just because it's a PC, you can't make a power point? It's not intuitive? Costumer service is horrible? From what I know, OSX and Windows 7 are actually VERY VERY similar. The only thing that has actually changed throughout the years between the has been the skin layout. Why do you think the keyboards on Macs and PC's are almost identical? Because they DO the same exact thing.

what is your problem? we get it, you think we're stupid. go home.

 

[lostking243]

http://apcmag.com/15_reasons_macs_are_still_better_than_windows.htm

that has some good stuff there...

I use an iBook G4 from 2004, going on six years old....bulletproof. Never had a problem with it. My sister had a PC before the thing started falling apart, freezing, and crashing. She had done everything in her power to anti-virus that thing and keep it running smoothly. No joy.

 

[psipsina]

Oh see, but you ARE. Just because someone told you that PC's crash all the time and are SO unreliable you believed them. I've been using PC's for many many years and thus far the only problems I've encountered were hardware problems because of my extensive over use of the computer (gaming intensive, pushed the limits when I knew I wasn't supposed to). I've actually never hard a problem with viruses, I just download a free firewall and virus scanner and problem solved. All those criteria you mentioned can and are being done on PC's around the world. Just because it's a PC, you can't make a power point? It's not intuitive? Costumer service is horrible? From what I know, OSX and Windows 7 are actually VERY VERY similar. The only thing that has actually changed throughout the years between the has been the skin layout. Why do you think the keyboards on Macs and PC's are almost identical? Because they DO the same exact thing.

No actually I used PCs for years and they crashed ALL the time on me. I'm sure if I was adept at tinkering I could have remedied it but I'm not and I don't have the time to waste to constantly bring my laptop into the IT department to get fixed up. My first PC was a Tandy from Radio Shack in the early 90s. My most recent was a gateway my school forced me to buy in 2006. They all crashed all the time.

The point about the powerpoint is that I can't work on my powerpoint if my computer is in the IT department getting fixed up for the 5th time that year (true story btw). I need a computer that works when it comes out of the box, continues to work reliably, and doesn't need tinkering. Thats a mac. I'll pay extra for that. I also prefer the OS. I think its more useable and intuitive than previous windows incarnations.

 

[JJMrK]

http://apcmag.com/15_reasons_macs_are_still_better_than_windows.htm

that has some good stuff there...

I use an iBook G4 from 2004, going on six years old....bulletproof. Never had a problem with it. My sister had a PC before the thing started falling apart, freezing, and crashing. She had done everything in her power to anti-virus that thing and keep it running smoothly. No joy.

One of the "15 points" in that article is "fewer blinking lights."

 

[StormingWynn]

No actually I used PCs for years and they crashed ALL the time on me. I'm sure if I was adept at tinkering I could have remedied it but I'm not and I don't have the time to waste to constantly bring my laptop into the IT department to get fixed up. My first PC was a Tandy from Radio Shack in the early 90s. My most recent was a gateway my school forced me to buy in 2006. They all crashed all the time.

The point about the powerpoint is that I can't work on my powerpoint if my computer is in the IT department getting fixed up for the 5th time that year (true story btw). I need a computer that works when it comes out of the box, continues to work reliably, and doesn't need tinkering. Thats a mac. I'll pay extra for that. I also prefer the OS. I think its more useable and intuitive than previous windows incarnations.

Might just have had a faulty computer, or you deleted core files or something. I don't know, but what ever. Like I said before, I like macs, so doesn't really matter to me.

 

[psipsina]

Might just have had a faulty computer, or you deleted core files or something. I don't know, but what ever. Like I said before, I like macs, so doesn't really matter to me.

Yes, every PC I've ever own was faulty. What a strange coincidence . . .

 

[StormingWynn]

Yes, every PC I've ever own was faulty. What a strange coincidence . . .

I've had mac's where I've gotten the "rainbow of death." Do I blame this on every mac? No.

 

[halekulani]

i use a pc because i have no idea how to navigate a mac and i'm too lazy to learn.

oh and my pc never crashes
pidgin
utorrent
mozilla firefox
nod32
peer guardian
foobar
O&O defrag
adobe pdf

the only programs i ever run outside of MSOffice and windows media player

 

[FIREitUP]

just be honest people. you bought your mac because it's pretty and it matches your handbag.

 

[Poliscidoc]

just be honest people. you bought your mac because it's pretty and it matches your handbag.

Its a man purse *******... Or you can call it a European Shoulder bag!

 

[FlowRate]

A Mac trumps a pc always! But seriously, check with the school...some make you buy a certain kind. Compatibility shouldn't be a problem though.

Only under three conditions (in order of importance): 1. price is not a major concern. 2. you install windows through boot camp. 3. "good" hardware/games/whatever is not a major concern.

I use a macbook with Windows XP boot camp'd (and VMWare for when I need to use windows but don't want to boot out). This allows me to run programs I need for Engineering (i.e. MathCAD) and I assume medicine may have the same needs.

However, I believe that Apple uses planned obsolescence in its business model. My macbook's hard drive died at 1 year 1 month, as did 4 other macbook hard drives of friends of mine (who bought them +- 2 months from me, different shipments).

I think that the best idea is to buy a "pc" (misnomer), add a good, user-friendly Linux distribution, use that for your OSX needs (messing around, email, internet--boring stuff), and use Windows 7 for anything else. No need to pay more for the use of MAC OS.

 

[lostking243]

One of the "15 points" in that article is "fewer blinking lights."

Yes and if you read the intro you would see it is adding to the arguments that have already been used....

 

[locus000]

I've had mac's where I've gotten the "rainbow of death." Do I blame this on every mac? No.

I only seen 1 Blue Screen of death in my years of using PC on my old PC but this was due to a hardware problem and not a software problem.

I dont get viruses on my PC, people are too trusting and install everything on their computer so its the user fault more then the computer itself.

 

[Analog]

Let me clarify JimmerJammer- I was referring to the laptops. I wouldn't get a desktop unless I was into some heavy video editing.

 

[avo]

Hate to break it to you, but dell LCD's suck. They are a rip off. I prefer ASUS which run at about $200 for a 24" with resolution of 2048 x 1152. I'd buy 2 or even 3 and set them up in series. Gaming is not all about the screen size and resolution. It's about the response time, which mac's are known for being horrible at. 2ms on the ASUS compared to the 20ms on the macs from what I can remember. That's terrible. The components on the imac are 3 generations behind and honestly I could buy those components for a mere $600, if not less. Graphics card = $75, precessor = $85, motherboard = $150, hard drive = $100, power supply = $50, mouse and keyboard ~$70, those are the main components. If you want current generation components on the iMac, the computer will run you $2500+.

I could build a computer that Apple would price at over $4000 with the $1699 I'd invest in it.

I agree Apple is more expensive for what it provides.
I agree there is a definite fad for Macs right now.
I don't agree that people who buy Macs are stupid - that's a choice each person can make on their own.
I believe there are certain advantages to a Mac, even though the function might be attainable on a PC as well.

What I don't understand, however, is how someone who prides themselves on being able to build a gaming computer could ever think that ASUS monitors are the optimal choice. That too, a 24" monitor running at a completely useless native resolution. With the availability of 120Hz monitors from Samsung now, I couldn't imagine ever going with anything else.


That is all.


EDIT: Multiple monitors for gaming, really? When's the last time you saw someone playing a computer game that required any sort of reflexes whatsoever who appreciated glancing between several screens?

 

[JJMrK]

Let me clarify JimmerJammer- I was referring to the laptops. I wouldn't get a desktop unless I was into some heavy video editing.

The PC desktop I mentioned would be more suited to video editing than the Mac. The better your hardware, the better your software runs.

I'll look at some numbers for laptops later. I think you're right in that the price difference isn't as great for those, but it does still exist and is significant.

 

[FIREitUP]

The PC desktop I mentioned would be more suited to video editing than the Mac. The better your hardware, the better your software runs.

I'll look at some numbers for laptops later. I think you're right in that the price difference isn't as great for those, but it does still exist and is significant.

to my knowledge, mac's have software for video editing that is superior to that of PC; no amount of hardware will fix software that is lacking.

 

[StormingWynn]

I agree Apple is more expensive for what it provides.
I agree there is a definite fad for Macs right now.
I don't agree that people who buy Macs are stupid - that's a choice each person can make on their own.
I believe there are certain advantages to a Mac, even though the function might be attainable on a PC as well.

What I don't understand, however, is how someone who prides themselves on being able to build a gaming computer could ever think that ASUS monitors are the optimal choice. That too, a 24" monitor running at a completely useless native resolution. With the availability of 120Hz monitors from Samsung now, I couldn't imagine ever going with anything else.


That is all.


EDIT: Multiple monitors for gaming, really? When's the last time you saw someone playing a computer game that required any sort of reflexes whatsoever who appreciated glancing between several screens?

I never said they're stupid or else I'd be calling myself stupid, because as you can see from my previous posts. I said I would buy a Mac laptop over a PC laptop.

It was the first choice I could think of. I haven't built a computer for a while and an ASUS was the last LCD I bought.

It's a brand new concept and a pretty cool one. I've seen videos of it and reviewers say it's an awesome experience.

Something around the resolution of, 7680x1600

 

[Omni]

Whatever you do, make sure you see what the requirements for your school are. Some put out strict policies on which laptop to get, or they will include a laptop in your first tuition bill.