To buy a Mac, Dell, or Hp?

[TurtleLover]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Ok, so I am due for a new laptop this summer before I start vet school. I've had a series of Dell computers and laptops for the past 8-10 years. They've been pretty good to me, but I am leaning towards getting a mac for vet school.

Does anyone have some insider tips on macs, dells, and hp laptops for vet school. Am I better off with PC or Mac?

St. Matthews University told me that I would need access to PC programs, but now Mac has programs like word, powerpoint, excel, etc. so is it that big of deal not to have a PC?

Thanks!

 

[robeezy08]

Ok, so I am due for a new laptop this summer before I start vet school. I've had a series of Dell computers and laptops for the past 8-10 years. They've been pretty good to me, but I am leaning towards getting a mac for vet school.

Does anyone have some insider tips on macs, dells, and hp laptops for vet school. Am I better off with PC or Mac?

St. Matthews University told me that I would need access to PC programs, but now Mac has programs like word, powerpoint, excel, etc. so is it that big of deal not to have a PC?

Thanks!

I just bought my first Dell laptop: XPS M1330, Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 w/ 13.3" screen....And I love it! I use to have one of the old, heavy HP laptops so was looking for something light enough to carry around and easy to work with as I'm not too computer literate 😳 It was pretty reasonably priced at around $800.
Here's the website if anyone's interested:
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsnb_m1330?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

I got it in Red, part of the Project Red campaign where $25 of the order will be donated to the Global Fund in their fight against AIDS. 🙂

 

[twelvetigers]

I think that you can usually have whatever you really need on a Mac. However, have you used Mac before? It takes a bit of getting used to if all you've ever used before is PC. I still find it a bit awkward and long for the files-and-folders of my old PC... it's hard to break 15 years of habits! I plan on having some "getting used to" time with the Mac - not a bad thing, but something to consider.

Also, Macs cost quite a bit more, so that's a factor as well. Oh, and were you interested in a tablet? Mac doesn't make tablets.

Otherwise, just read up on the brand before you buy and make sure the model you choose is right for you - battery life, screen res, weight/portability, tablet/not, and you know, all that speed/power stuff. 😉

 

[r00]

I love all my macs to death... I switched sophomore year of undergrad and havent looked back since - its been almost 5 years now...

It will take a little getting used to, BUT one of the big advantages is the warranty that you can get... it will be slightly less convenient for you because you will be at SMU and I doubt they have an Apple store on the island BUT you can always mail it away and get it fixed up for free and they will return it to you as good as new. I have had my current machine for just shy of 3 years and aside from one CD drive failure and one screen failure it has been flawless... both items above were replaced free of charge in a reasonable amount of time (<10 days each)

A couple of Mac tips:

Always get as much RAM as you can afford... you dont necessarily have to buy it from apple - a reputable eBay store works just as well but it is important to making sure you can run anything and everything that they throw at you.

Don't worry about windows because Macs can now run windows with no problem - all you need is a "licensed" copy of windows and an Intel mac (which all of the new ones are)... the people at the apple store can help you setup the windows and whenever you need it you can just switch the machine over.

 

[twelvetigers]

Always get as much RAM as you can afford... you dont necessarily have to buy it from apple - a reputable eBay store works just as well but it is important to making sure you can run anything and everything that they throw at you.

Are you assuming that everyone is capable of taking apart their laptop (which is a big no-no warranty-wise) and install ram that they bought on eBay? 😕

 

[No Imagination]

Thread to controversial for me...

 

[TurtleLover]

Thanks for the feedback so far, everyone! To answer a few of your questions:

I have never owned a Mac before, and it would take some getting used to in that sense.

The Dell I have now is the first generation XPS M140. Shortly after I got it, they stopped selling XPS and of course, intel core was upgraded to intel core duo! I always seem to have the worst luck buying computers because within a couple of months, something newer and better is out. (Like how I heard windows is getting rid of Vista and coming out with something new in Sept....I can't wait till Sept to get a new laptop unfortunately)

So maybe I'll check out the new XPS's, 800 sounds cheap....mine was about $2000 when I got it!!! YIKES!! (seems like laptop prices have come down)

I don't really know much about tablets, I like to write my own notes, so maybe I won't want that. But I saw that on Word in Mac's there is a built in voice recorder! Does anyone know if this is possible on PC? I have a digital voice recorder, but if I forget to transfer the lectures to my computer, I'm SOL if I don't have anymore space on it for new lectures.

 

[dyachei]

Are you assuming that everyone is capable of taking apart their laptop (which is a big no-no warranty-wise) and install ram that they bought on eBay? 😕

Actually, I have a Mac and brought it into the Genius Bar because I had several issues and they suggested that I open my own computer and install the RAM myself after I had bought some online. It's really not hard, but you need the appropriate size screwdriver and the appropriate type of RAM. In fact, upgrading RAM isn't usually a "no-no" for warranty purposes according to my SO who fixes computers for a living. And AppleCare rocks. They will fix anything - I definitely suggest lengthening it to the 3 year plan though.

I vote Mac because, like Roo said, you can run it as a PC if you need to but after getting over the immediate adaptations to using a different OS, it is more user friendly and less likely to get a virus (even if it is because viruses aren't written for Macs, it's still true). Of course, I've had a Mac my whole life. My SO has a Dell and wishes he had a Mac, but he's pretty happy with his Dell and he says its easy to maintain.

HP's customer service is crap. very media oriented though, if that's what you need. I have had several friends that have been very unhappy with their HPs because when something goes wrong, they haven't been able to get it resolved.

 

[redsteven]

Ok, so I am due for a new laptop this summer before I start vet school. I've had a series of Dell computers and laptops for the past 8-10 years. They've been pretty good to me, but I am leaning towards getting a mac for vet school.

Does anyone have some insider tips on macs, dells, and hp laptops for vet school. Am I better off with PC or Mac?

St. Matthews University told me that I would need access to PC programs, but now Mac has programs like word, powerpoint, excel, etc. so is it that big of deal not to have a PC?

Thanks!

Except for games, software availability has never been nearly as big a problem on the mac most people believe. Microsoft office was available on the mac BEFORE it was available on the PC (before Windows even existed), so that's never been an issue either.

All macs sold since like 2006 can run windows anyway. You can use Boot Camp (which comes with your mac) to install a copy of Windows, but you will not be able to use mac and PC programs simultaneously... you'll have to restart if you want to start up in Windows, and then restart again if you want to go back to OS X (really doesn't take that long).
The other option is to buy virtualization software like Parallels or VMWare Fusion, which will let you run Windows and OS X simultaneously.

Are you assuming that everyone is capable of taking apart their laptop (which is a big no-no warranty-wise) and install ram that they bought on eBay? 😕

Apple's warranties are about as fair as it gets. You will never void your warranty for installing RAM (well, unless you break something), unless you're trying to do so in something like the mac mini, which is a sealed unit (you can't unscrew the case, u'd have to pry it open with a knife).
You could probably have them install it for you anyway at an Apple store though, or get a friend to do it.

By the way, you www.dealram.com if you want to buy more RAM. You definitely do NOT need the maximum though. Even if you want to use Parallels or VMWare Fusion to run Windows and OS X at the same time, you can get away with 2 gigs. If you're NOT using one of those pieces of software, then you almost certainly would be fine with 2 gigs.

I don't really know much about tablets, I like to write my own notes, so maybe I won't want that. But I saw that on Word in Mac's there is a built in voice recorder! Does anyone know if this is possible on PC? I have a digital voice recorder, but if I forget to transfer the lectures to my computer, I'm SOL if I don't have anymore space on it for new lectures.

Word for mac does have audio recording built in. Check out this thread, starting at post #16.

Microsoft Word for Windows does not have audio recording built in, but Microsoft OneNote (Windows only) does. It looks like most of OneNote's features have been integrated into the mac version of Word.


If you have any further questions feel free to PM me

 

[ImaJerseyGirl]

MacBook. 😀
They're fast, smooth, boot up quickly, light, small, everything you need to drag around everyday. Check out the apple website. Yes they are a bit more expensive up front, but atleast you don't have do worry about the damn thing crashing or locking up everytime you start it. And windows vista just sucks the life out of me when I use school computers!
Redsteven posted a link to a thread about recording lectures that went off into some Mac-y things, lots of good advice!!!

 

[Tiempo]

Does anyone have some insider tips on macs, dells, and hp laptops for vet school. Am I better off with PC or Mac?

St. Matthews University told me that I would need access to PC programs, but now Mac has programs like word, powerpoint, excel, etc. so is it that big of deal not to have a PC?

Does SMU have any specific programs in mind that can't be run on a Mac? That would be one concern - just because many programs are available doesn't mean all or the ones you will need are available. Or did they mean the MS Office suite when they said PC programs?

A newer Windows is supposed to be coming out before terribly long, but you're right, not soon enough for you. If you buy from certain retailers, you can get XP installed (or have your computer sent with XP "downgrade" disks) instead of Vista. Personally, Vista makes me want to bang my head on my desk, but so do Macs, and then they make me want to throw them out the window and run them over with my car, so take that FWIW. 😉

I've heard HP has crappy customer service, but no personal experience. My issue w/ Dell has always been some sort of a battery or 'computer doesn't want to start' after x years which sucks (but I do tend to be a little hard on computers). I'm trying a Lenovo this time, and they seem to have a reasonable reputation. Also getting the flipping thing with the XP disks so I don't hate myself.

 

[twelvetigers]

Apple's warranties are about as fair as it gets. You will never void your warranty for installing RAM (well, unless you break something), unless you're trying to do so in something like the mac mini, which is a sealed unit (you can't unscrew the case, u'd have to pry it open with a knife).

Maybe I'm used to warranties for other things, like cell phones... some of these things seem really strict. I'm not all that familiar with computer warranties - bought my HP from eBay in 2005 - but if you can add ram, them by all means, you probably should. I have extra ram in my laptop, but it never had a warranty anyway. 🙂

 

[cozycleo]

I vote Mac because I'm very biased for them after switching last year. The adjustment didn't take me too long at all. Maybe a week or so.

 

[twelvetigers]

And windows vista just sucks the life out of me when I use school computers!

At least Windows 7 is on its way... thank goodness for that.

 

[sumstorm]

You can also get overnight shipped repair service warranties on dell and hp, and also in home repair service (not sure how that would work overseas, though.)

I would make sure there isn't any additional softwarer that you need to be able to operate other than office. that can get very challenging very quickly.

Whatever computer you get, be sure to READ the warranty and not just listen to what a tech tells you concerning it. The company will honor what is in writing, not what a tech told you to do concerning opening up machines and such.

 

[JuniorJumper]

Be careful switching out RAM yourself. If you aren't grounded, charge can pass from you, to the RAM, to the motherboard, which leaves you without a computer for 2 weeks while the motherboard is replaced. Ask me how I know this 🙂

I went to Best Buy and had them install my new RAM the second time around. It cost $40 but I got a much better deal on the price of the RAM from a store online compared to what Apple sells it for. I'm sure if you go directly to an Apple store they would install it for free if you bought the RAM from them, but it would probably come out costing the same either way.

I have a first generation Macbook from high school. I've honestly had several issues with it, but all first generation Apple products are a real gamble because there are so many bugs to be worked out. For example, my hard drive has crashed twice, my housing cracked (the thing is made entirely of plastic! Cheap!), buttons on the keyboard stopped working after a repair, and my power adapter broke. I highly recommend the 3-year AppleCare plan and an external hard drive!

Also, Apple used to sell their machines very underpowered, I don't know what is standard for them now. My computer only came with 256MB RAM which is a crime. I feel that this may have had something to do with the hard drive crashes because my computer had to work so hard to run applications. I upgraded to 2GB and Leopard OS X and things have been fine since then.

But overall, I'll always be an Apple fan & don't see myself switching back to PC. I don't necessarily think Apple makes the best product, but I love the OS. I find it easier to use than Windows and switching to Mac wasn't hard at all.

To whoever asked about the microphone in Word Notebook, it hasn't worked too well in my experience for recording lectures. If the lecturer is in front of you, the mic picks up hardly anything.

 

[TurtleLover]

Yea, I need to find where I saw SMU told me something about computer specifics needed and figure out exactly what they were talking about. I'll post back later....for now I have to go take a final exam......Personal Finance!

 

[vnair2]

At least Windows 7 is on its way... thank goodness for that.

Indeed. The beta runs pretty well, and I have heard good things, so I have high hopes. I guess it is impossible it is any worse then Vista.

Im still a mac fan though. I have had them all my life and have rarely encountered major problems. As mentioned before, Apple's warranty is killer sweet and the customer service is always good.

Steve Wozniak was also hysterical on Dancing with the Stars, and that counts for a lot in my mind.

 

[tpad40]

I've heard HP has crappy customer service, but no personal experience. My issue w/ Dell has always been some sort of a battery or 'computer doesn't want to start' after x years which sucks (but I do tend to be a little hard on computers). I'm trying a Lenovo this time, and they seem to have a reasonable reputation. Also getting the flipping thing with the XP disks so I don't hate myself.

HP is horrible bad evil no good. Crappy chunk of plastic computer is better suited as a paperweight.

I have a Dell desktop that has been very very reliable. Not a Mac person at all (they drive me nuts, as do crazy Mac people ). I have had nothing but good experiences with IBM/Lenovo.

Good luck!

 

[jm1]

I love my mac, always used them, and i am very uncomfortable with PCs. I have microsoft suite 2004, and my computer does not handle it well. Powerpoint is extraordinarily slow. I am not sure if it is the program, my individual computer, or just that powerpoint doesnt like mac?
Does anyone else share this problem?
It is extremely frustrating considering all my professors notes are powerpoint.

 

[dyachei]

I love my mac, always used them, and i am very uncomfortable with PCs. I have microsoft suite 2004, and my computer does not handle it well. Powerpoint is extraordinarily slow. I am not sure if it is the program, my individual computer, or just that powerpoint doesnt like mac?
Does anyone else share this problem?
It is extremely frustrating considering all my professors notes are powerpoint.

Haven't had that problem with the new office (2007), but you could also use Apple's version of powerpoint, Keynote.

 

[nyanko]

Indeed. The beta runs pretty well, and I have heard good things, so I have high hopes. I guess it is impossible it is any worse then Vista.

Im still a mac fan though. I have had them all my life and have rarely encountered major problems. As mentioned before, Apple's warranty is killer sweet and the customer service is always good.

Those operating systems are not open source so why would I use them? 😉

Personally, though, for my laptop needs I actually lean towards having a PC with Windows, because I generally feel like you can get better hardware for your money that way. I don't have a problem with Macs except that a similarly priced PC is almost always without fail way more powerful, so it seems like paying a lot of money for a name and the "privilege" of then purchasing and using an OS with little modification (I know you can install Mac OS on other machines but I also know it's a pain in the butt).

 

[ri23]

Get a Mac. I know a lot of people that have gone from PCs to Macs - none that I know would go back to a PC.

If you do get a Mac, nearly every summer they run a promotion that gives you a free ipod or ipod touch with a computer purchase if you're a student - so try and wait until that promotion starts.

 

[vnair2]

Those operating systems are not open source so why would I use them? 😉

Fair enough, but somehow I figured this was the wrong forum for a linux love-fest.

 

[lenmaca]

I know this may not be the popular opinion by far, but I have the HP Pavilion tx2000 tablet and I adore it. Simply put, it's fun and functional. My only complaint about this model is that the battery sticks out of the back a little bit, but I've gotten used to that. Otherwise, no complaints!
However, and I think anyone should do this with any computer they purchase, I was sure to buy the extended warranty plan, just to be on the safe side.

 

[nyanko]

I know this may not be the popular opinion by far, but I have the HP Pavilion tx2000 tablet and I adore it.

I've actually got the same one, because I wanted a tablet PC that I wouldn't be too afraid of breaking or losing to carry around (ie nothing too nice or expensive), since that would defeat the purpose. I found it at Fry's pretty cheap and decided to buy it, and honestly it's been pretty much fine for my purposes.

 

[JuniorJumper]

I love my mac, always used them, and i am very uncomfortable with PCs. I have microsoft suite 2004, and my computer does not handle it well. Powerpoint is extraordinarily slow. I am not sure if it is the program, my individual computer, or just that powerpoint doesnt like mac?
Does anyone else share this problem?
It is extremely frustrating considering all my professors notes are powerpoint.

How much RAM do you have? I have Microsoft 2004 and all of my applications ran so slowly when I was running on low RAM + Tiger OS x. Try upgrading the RAM and/or upgrading to Leopard and see if the Microsoft applications don't run more quickly for you. Also make sure you run Microsoft updates every now and then.

 

[VetUBet]

I used to be a PC user for 20 years of my life, then my hubby converted me over from the dark side (as he so eloquently puts it) and I have been sold ever since and have sold several others into converting to Macs. Why a Mac? I love the simplicity of them. I love the whole idea of the drag and drop function being in every single application. I love that I can have the best of both worlds if I want because the Mac can run PC program/software. Mac's don't get crazy viruses like PCs. There's not that issue of your computer freezing all the time or crashing (oh man does that suck when that happens). They tend to last longer than a PC (so a better investment). You can get a free iPod with a purchase of a laptop towards the end of summer.👍 You can easily teach yourself how to use a Mac whereas with PCs and their programs it takes like a degree (that's how I felt sometimes when using PCs). And if you want, you can turn your Mac into a tablet Mac. Basically, you can get the capabilities of a PC on your Mac but you also get the peace of mind and the keeping-of-your-sanity with a Mac also!

 

[sumstorm]

If you do end up with Vista, get the 'best' version you can afford. Seriously, the 'fancier' versions work far better. Hubby has a basic version and I have the souped up version, and the difference in performance is remarkable. I have had 0 issues over the past 2 years with Vista. I had far more issues with XP. I do, however, use a tablet PC, and XP was not originally designed for a tablet, while it is a standard part of Vista.

My current tablet is a Lenova Thinkpad X61. My previous tablet was a Toshiba. I started having huges customer service issues with the Toshiba, and had three repairs: power point broke lose from mother board, liquid in the keyboard, and case crack. All were repaired under warranty within 48 hours, but I had to battle for every repair to be done on time, and it was infuriating. Also, each time, because I spent hours on the phone arguing with customer service, they promised vouchers for upgrades, which I never received.

That being said, I dropped the thing, took it EVERYWHERE including on commercial fishing vessels in the N. Atlantic in February (not a fun time of year), had it on the beach in Louisiana...basicly abused the daylights out of it, and it held up fine. So far, I have had the lenova for ~18months and it has no issues so far..wait, it is missing a screw cover, and I am, again, worried about the power point. We have in home service for this one, so I might test out how useful that is soon.

BTW, I am really hard on the power cords, so consequently that seems to be the first place I have damage on any laptop. If you will use a tablet/laptop a lot, and prefer a big screen, buy a docking station, it is just easier.

We also have a mobile office set up, with bluetooth printer and scanner that are both highly portable. Technology can be so fun!

 

[TurtleLover]

Sweet! I like the idea of the free iPod, hopefully they don't come out with that too late in the summer.

Ok I found the specs of what I need to have:

They said I'm required to have a laptop with one of the following operating systems:

Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Corportate, OSX or Linux (Kunbuntu, SuSE, RedHat, etc).

The computer must have 802.11 B or G wireless card to utilize the wireless network.

For RAM the absolute bare minimum for memory is 512 megabytes. Ideally you will want to have doubled this amount (1 gigabyte) or more as Windows based computers tend to slow down in the absence of available system memory.


So based on the previous posts, I'm guessing OSX is Mac? So I would be ok to get a Mac then???? 😀

 

[dyachei]

So based on the previous posts, I'm guessing OSX is Mac? So I would be ok to get a Mac then???? 😀

Yup, OSX is the current operating system series for the Mac, so you should be fine.

 

[blkjkvet]

I have a Toshiba Tecra Tablet PC. I think I bought it in 2005, or somewhere around there. I thought that I would use the tablet feature lots, but I haven't much. Then again, I've been in and out of school, so I mostly use it at home. The computer overall has been good, but now after 4 years, the battery doesn't last very long. I think it would almost last all day when I first got the computer, but now I'm lucky to get two/three hours out of it. Time to invest in a new battery. I bought it online directly from Toshiba without ever trying it or seeing it. After reading sunstorms post, the customer service at Toshiba does suck - it took like a month for me to get the laptop that I ordered, and multiple phone calls, but did get an upgraded version. I am on my second power cord, the first one got bent up and didn't charge...

I didn't order it with Microsoft office - it was a lot more money. I've been using OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org) that is exactly like Office - it has a spread sheet program, word processor program, and drawing program. There are several neat things about OpenOffice - it's FREE, it can convert to pdf, and you can save files as Microsoft Office Extensions (.doc, etc.). Microsoft OneNote came free with it and I have a bunch of other free programs...

Microsoft OneNote is really cool and I've taken notes at meetings with it. I can type pretty quick, but it is helpful to draw formulas, pictures, etc right on your computer screen. I haven't used any of the voice recording features, so I can't give any input on that.

Hopefully it will last a couple of more years, but I don't know if my next one will be a Mac or a PC. I've heard from others (off SDN) that once you convert to a Mac you will never go back... I guess I'll play it by ear.

 

[twelvetigers]

My HP hasn't pooped out yet. It's a Pavilion ZV6000. The fan is on it's way to death, but that can be fixed. Dad gave me his old Mac and I haven't had the patience so far to get it all set up & get used to it. No matter how much I like it, I know I want a tablet for vet school - I hate spirals.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[DocDVMD]

Definitely mac!

 

[IvyLynx]

Thanks for the feedback so far, everyone! To answer a few of your questions:

I have never owned a Mac before, and it would take some getting used to in that sense.

I don't think it would be take any getting used to really. I had used a mac all of 5 minutes before my own macbook arrived, and let me just say that it is the best thing ever 😀 but linux machines can be okay too (go ubuntu! 😎) I think that macs are more intuitive that windows machines. I guess I would say that if you had problems using computers in general, then yes, a mac will take getting used to simply because it is different. Once you turn on right-clicking with the touchpad you should be fine.

Also, the service is awesome. All I could ever ask for.

 

[jm1]

junior jumper,
i know nothing about computers so i am not too sure about the ram. It is a brand new imac desktop, with leopard, so i dont know.

 

[philomycus]

for tablets: I looked at the Lenovo online it's about $1500, HP is ~ $1000, and the Dell is over $2,000 😱

I know I don't want a Mac...I'm scared to convert from the Dark Side 😀

But why the huge price difference in these??? I swore i'd never buy another Dell anyway, so what's the price discrepancy, why so huge? Is one truly better than another??

 

[shelterURIgirl]

Get a Mac for sure!

I've had my macbook for 2 years now. I was reaalllly hesitant to switch. I had dell, hp, and compaq laptops before that. For some reason I thought it would be hard to switch over but seriously all I did was turn on the macbook and plug in a usb drive to transfer all my files over. It was super easy.

I have iLife and mac office. I think its worth to get both. (Pages=word, numbers=excel, keynote=powerpoint). For example, the "pages" program is better suited for making brochures and pretty flyers and stuff. I make personalized cards and snazzy documents in a snap. Sometimes I paste my powerpoint slides into my typed notes, and pages is easier to use than word for manipulating images around text.

Powerpoint is really freaking slow to use, so I usually use Keynote instead. You dont have to worry about any mac files not being compatible with PC. Its never a problem for me. Often times I will switch programs (excel to numbers, then back again to excel) mid project because one application has something I like better or whatever. Also, you can save everything in pdf format without any hassle, which is really really nice.

For notetaking in class, I use word and happily type away while my computer records the lecture. Then I go back and fill in my notes using the recording before switching over to "pages" so I can drag and drop any powerpoint images/slides I want included. Oh, and the recording function is great. It picks up the lecturer's voice even when I'm sitting in the back and it keeps recording even when I click on other applications (like surfing the net).

There are a ton of youtube videos of ten year olds giving professional quality demonstrations on how to use a mac. It will give you an idea of how easy the interface/style is and honestly some of the free apps you can download to customize your computer are so freaking cool.

BY FAR the best feature of having a mac is being able to print practically anywhere. Just walk up to any printer, plug the usb cable in and click print. There's no stupid drivers to download or other nonsense to deal with. And setting up wireless networks and wireless printers is way easier on a mac.

Well ok that is enough ranting for now! Good luck with your decision! PM me if you have any specific questions or want to see some of notetaking templates I made.

 

[Mistoffeles]

Fair enough, but somehow I figured this was the wrong forum for a linux love-fest.

It's always the right place for linux! 🙂

 

[No Imagination]

So much Vista hate. Been using Vista 64 for 10 months. I'm a 'power' user, play lots of games, work on computer, multimedia, video editing (HiDef), ect.

I've never had a problem with Vista. Ever. The only issues I had are some older USB devices do not have 64 bit drivers (but thats not MS fault that the companies are too lazy to make new drivers to support their devices).

I think the biggest complaint people have with it is UAC popups ("Are you sure you want to run this program?") - easily handled by disabling UAC if you so choose. Otherwise, I have had no problems running vista, and the reality is that with modern computers having >4GB memory, you need a 64 bit operating system to handle addressing that much ram. XP 64 does NOT cut it and you will have all kinds of problems with it.

I do not understand people who buy a Mac, then put windows (emulator) MS-Office (emulator), whatever, turning it into an overpriced PC.

Mac's cost +$ then their PC counterparts, offer horrible priced upgrade options, much smaller community for programs and open source progs, and use the virtually the same hardware that PC's use.

Macs are fine for 16 y/o girls sitting in coffee shops writing their memoirs trying to be like Carrie Bradshaw - but thats all.

Erghh, I said I wasn't going to do this... but ohh well.

 

[Mistoffeles]

So much Vista hate. Been using Vista 64 for 10 months. I'm a 'power' user, play lots of games, work on computer, multimedia, video editing (HiDef), ect.

I've never had a problem with Vista. Ever. The only issues I had are some older USB devices do not have 64 bit drivers (but thats not MS fault that the companies are too lazy to make new drivers to support their devices).

I think the biggest complaint people have with it is UAC popups ("Are you sure you want to run this program?") - easily handled by disabling UAC if you so choose. Otherwise, I have had no problems running vista, and the reality is that with modern computers having >4GB memory, you need a 64 bit operating system to handle addressing that much ram. XP 64 does NOT cut it and you will have all kinds of problems with it.

I do not understand people who buy a Mac, then put windows (emulator) MS-Office (emulator), whatever, turning it into an overpriced PC.

Mac's cost +$ then their PC counterparts, offer horrible priced upgrade options, much smaller community for programs and open source progs, and use the virtually the same hardware that PC's use.

Macs are fine for 16 y/o girls sitting in coffee shops writing their memoirs trying to be like Carrie Bradshaw - but thats all.

Erghh, I said I wasn't going to do this... but ohh well.

hear hear! i'm going overseas, so the general inconvenience of moving large objects mitigates against it, but my plan had been to build a 64 bit desktop over the summer. As it is, I'll be traveling to the UK with three laptops: my mini 9 (running linux), my tablet (still to be bought, will go 64 bit if I can find the right machine), and my current laptop, running Vista Home, which I too have never really had any issues with (just need to upgrade RAM).

 

[Mistoffeles]

..

 

[Mistoffeles]

..

 

[No Imagination]

but my plan had been to build a 64 bit desktop over the summer.

See my other post (or PM) if you want, about the i7's. Absolutely amazing. Got the i7 920 over-clocked to 3.6 gigs, funning stable @ 39C. Save the $200 and forgo the 940. My computer goes from power on to Windows loaded (all peripherals) in less then 30 seconds.

But by the summer, im sure prices will come down a bit - 940 worth maybe an extra $100 IMO.

 

[dyachei]

So much Vista hate. Been using Vista 64 for 10 months. I'm a 'power' user, play lots of games, work on computer, multimedia, video editing (HiDef), ect.

I've never had a problem with Vista. Ever. The only issues I had are some older USB devices do not have 64 bit drivers (but thats not MS fault that the companies are too lazy to make new drivers to support their devices).

I think the biggest complaint people have with it is UAC popups ("Are you sure you want to run this program?") - easily handled by disabling UAC if you so choose. Otherwise, I have had no problems running vista, and the reality is that with modern computers having >4GB memory, you need a 64 bit operating system to handle addressing that much ram. XP 64 does NOT cut it and you will have all kinds of problems with it.

I do not understand people who buy a Mac, then put windows (emulator) MS-Office (emulator), whatever, turning it into an overpriced PC.

Mac's cost +$ then their PC counterparts, offer horrible priced upgrade options, much smaller community for programs and open source progs, and use the virtually the same hardware that PC's use.

Macs are fine for 16 y/o girls sitting in coffee shops writing their memoirs trying to be like Carrie Bradshaw - but thats all.

Erghh, I said I wasn't going to do this... but ohh well.

Don't want to get too into this, but most people don't turn it into a PC, just have an emulator so they can run PC only programs when needed. And the biggest difference is the reliability of the product and the customer service. Every single time I have had to call Apple for a problem, I've been connected to someone in the US who actually interacted with what I was saying instead of reading off a script. When I've helped troubleshoot PCs with problems, I frequently run into out-sourcing. Mac also doesn't use cheaper options for their hardware, as some PC companies do (and yes, that means that they don't have cheaper options like PCs do) - ensuring at least some quality. And user-friendliness is pretty high with Macs.

Honestly, I don't have a problem with PCs or your arguments, but comparing a Mac user to 16 year-old girls that want to blog is really not the best way to get that across. Just because you don't like Macs doesnt mean that they have no value.

 

[No Imagination]

Just because you don't like Macs doesnt mean that they have no value.

I am actually a huge fan of Apple - think they did something amazing with the Mac, and have invested heavily with them. I think Mac's have a great value - but not $ to quality value.

To say the reason to buy them is reliability and customer support is making a false analogy. Mac = Company. PC = Generic Computer. You cannot say that Mac has better reliability and Customer Support then a PC, as A) they are not inherently more stable. They are PC's that use a different OS.

PC's are computers
Mac's are PC's that use a proprietary OS
Thats it

You can put Windows on a Mac
You can put Apple's OS X Leopard on a 'PC'

Everyone who shells out $ for Macs are really buying the right to use the OS and have the shinny APPLE trademark on the outside. They are sacrificing performance (a lot) and $$ for a "name brand" - Thats was my Sex and the City reference.

 

[david594]

I'll through my view out there as I run a couple of everything. I am typing this from my windows laptop.... as I sit next to my two mac mini's running OSX.... with my linux server in the basement.

First off to address linux. Its great if you have a purpose for it. But to the end user who just wants a "computer" they are going to have no advantages using linux over OSX or Windows. They will suffer from lack of main stream support with pretty much everything.

To the power user who likes linux for its geekiness. OSX will allow you to run pretty much exactly the same set of applications with a fabulous user interface combined with an amazingly refined piece of hardware. And sometimes its just nice to be able to drag and drop an application to install it without having to emerge it, waiting for all its dependencies only to find a conflict, then step back 2 spaces, jump on your left foot while rubbing your head in a clockwise motion.

All the cool things one can do with linux are all really best suited to a dedicated box anyways...

And for the windows user considering going to OSX. Ask yourself "what specific applications do you use in windows that arnt available for OSX?" If the answer is none that you can probably switch to a mac without issue. If there are old applications tieing you to windows, then an application like parallels might benefit you for when you need those legacy applications.

And for those switching, you need to not get stuck on the "Windows" way of doing things. I found the hardest part when trying to accomplish something new was trying to do it the old way I would in windows. So for many things it always seemed it would be easier for a person with no computer experience than one with windows experience to figure it out.

 

[dyachei]

I am actually a huge fan of Apple - think they did something amazing with the Mac, and have invested heavily with them. I think Mac's have a great value - but not $ to quality value.

To say the reason to buy them is reliability and customer support is making a false analogy. Mac = Company. PC = Generic Computer. You cannot say that Mac has better reliability and Customer Support then a PC, as A) they are not inherently more stable. They are PC's that use a different OS.

PC's are computers
Mac's are PC's that use a proprietary OS
Thats it

You can put Windows on a Mac
You can put Apple's OS X Leopard on a PC

Everyone who shells out $ for Macs are really buying the right to use the OS and have the shinny APPLE trademark on the outside. They are sacrificing performance (a lot) and $$ for a "name brand" - Thats was my Sex and the City reference.

Right, PC is a generic term that most people recognize as meaning Windows based, but I'll clarify what I mean. As far as I know, you can't legally buy the Mac OS yet for the PC. And by PC I was talking about the big companies that sell Windows based computers including Dell, HP, Toshiba, Lenovo, etc. And for the most part, the customer service of Apple is much better than these companies. Apple does not outsource. I know for a fact that Dell and HP do, but haven't had much personal experience with the other companies. And linux/unix based systems are in fact more stable than Windows based OS.

 

[david594]

Everyone who shells out $ for Macs are really buying the right to use the OS and have the shinny APPLE trademark on the outside. They are sacrificing performance (a lot) and $$ for a "name brand" - Thats was my Sex and the City reference.

Generally I agree with you on this.... but take a serious look at the new mac mini for $600. ($550 with a student discount) Its a hot little computer with a very reasonable price. I bet you would be very hard pressed to find a comparably priced non-apple product.

 

[No Imagination]

Generally I agree with you on this.... but take a serious look at the new mac mini for $600. ($550 with a student discount) Its a hot little computer with a very reasonable price. I bet you would be very hard pressed to find a comparably priced non-apple product.

Your right, I can't. Problem is, they don't even sell such old obsolete processors anymore - Can't find a Core 2 Duo 2 gig processor to save my life (perhaps a year ago I'd be able to find one in a bargin bin)

This idea that they use better parts is wrong. The RAM is crap, the V-card is crap, the cpu is crap, the motherboard (well, dont know because apple will not tell me what mobo they are using)...

So far, I am at $300.00, and I have a better Mobo, CPU, Hard Drive, much better V-card.

HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000.B 0A38005 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive $39.00

GIGABYTE GV-R455D3-512I Radeon HD 4550 512MB 64-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card - Retail $49.00

PNY Optima 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 $36.00

Intel Core2 Duo E7500 Wolfdale 2.93GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7500 $139.000

ASUS P5N73-AM LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 7050 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - $54.00

That was with 10 min. worth of work

Still have $200.00 to burn on a case, burner, keyboard, ect.

- Point is - if you want a Mac, buy a Mac - But please please please don't think you are getting better parts for your $. You are not- They use the same parts you or I can buy off NewEgg.

They are selling obsolete parts that are so old, you can't even get them any more of NewEgg or Tiger.

I'll leave this thread alone for now - if you want any advice, feel free to PM me. Like I said, to touchy a subject for me to be messing around with 🙂