Good bye Apple from a customer since 1988. Need rec for new laptop

Mike82

New Member
Hi: I'm in need of a new laptop. Apple refused warranty service on my MacBook Air due to "drop damage" which is not the case. I've been a user since the MacIntosh Plus back to 1988. Currently, family has MacBook Pro, iPad, 3 iPhones and 4 iPods never mind older iPods no longer in use.

Anyway, I'd like some recs for a new laptop. Needs are basic letter writing, email, basic spreadsheet, internet browsing, watching Netflix movies/movies via accessory DVD. I don't do gaming or video editing.

Build quality is an important factor. Price under $1K.

Having been a Mac user for so long, I've not looked at other brands out there.

Thanks in advance.
 
That's why you buy Applecare ;)

Buy another Macbook. You can't get better bang for your buck.

Otherwise look at a Dell Latitude.
 
Apple support has really gone down hill, I remember years ago was really nice as I had a lot of Ipod issues but over the past couple of years they really seem to shaft there customers.

For under 1k I would recommend Dell Latitude 5000 series. Depending on how you spec they can get really good battery life and I recommend upgrading the screen. That is what we use at my work and they are very reliable. I had someone come up the other day who dropped the laptop outside and cracked off one whole corner, computer still ran fine.

I would still say though that your biggest issue is going to be software in any case. How familiar are you with Windows? I am a Linux user who ended up landing the job in an IT department that runs as a Windows house. Adjusting my work flow on Windows was absolutely hell. Yeah I know how to do basic desktop navigation but power using Windows was a little rough.

By no means am I telling you because of software to stay with Mac computers as I personally feel the build quality is crap anymore. yeah nice pretty metal body but parts inside are held to the body with glue which falls apart over time due to poor ventilation and over heating, ones that offer dedicated graphic chip sets are cheap chips and the way they mount the screen to the body is horrible. These are flaws that should not exist in a computer over 1k.

Dell E5470 with an i5, 8 GB DDR3 RAM (upgrade), 500 GB HDD, 14" 1080p screen (upgrade) and 12.5 hours battery (upgrade) $1011.80
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...d=latitude-e5470-laptop&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04
 
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^^^^

Try a different store if there's one close, or go back and see if a different tech will assist you!

The store knows me and tried to make a case, but it was Apple HQ which turned down the repair. So, f#$^ Apple.

Apple support has really gone down hill, I remember years ago was really nice as I had a lot of Ipod issues but over the past couple of years they really seem to shaft there customers.

For under 1k I would recommend Dell Latitude 5000 series. Depending on how you spec they can get really good battery life and I recommend upgrading the screen. That is what we use at my work and they are very reliable. I had someone come up the other day who dropped the laptop outside and cracked off one whole corner, computer still ran fine.

I would still say though that your biggest issue is going to be software in any case. How familiar are you with Windows? I am a Linux user who ended up landing the job in an IT department that runs as a Windows house. Adjusting my work flow on Windows was absolutely hell. Yeah I know how to do basic desktop navigation but power using Windows was a little rough.

By no means am I telling you because of software to stay with Mac computers as I personally feel the build quality is crap anymore. yeah nice pretty metal body but parts inside are held to the body with glue which falls apart over time due to poor ventilation and over heating, ones that offer dedicated graphic chip sets are cheap chips and the way they mount the screen to the body is horrible. These are flaws that should not exist in a computer over 1k.

Dell E5470 with an i5, 8 GB DDR3 RAM (upgrade), 500 GB HDD, 14" 1080p screen (upgrade) and 12.5 hours battery (upgrade) $1011.80
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...d=latitude-e5470-laptop&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04

I think the problem was likely due to overheating myself which separated some parts from the motherboard. The screen was not damaged at all- had full display, so something feeding the screen was off.
 
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Mike82, you should know that Apple users cannot be convinced and I have talked with other people in person who have had similar stories with Apple support as you. Either way Did the Dell I recommend seem to be a good pick? If not I can recommend a 15", either way those computer are robust as they are in the field everyday with my staff and I have seen them dropped, kicked and mishandled and have yet to have one come back yet.
 
Hi: DMGrier: Yes, the Dell you recommended looks good and with the customization options available, I should be able to get exactly what I want. Thanks.
 
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