Which laptop - Macbook or Dell?

[tlarkin]

This original thread is mac vs dell. Apple has a better customer service from what I have heard even though I have not had any problems with dell customer service. But Dell offers more to there consumers in the laptop area. Apple has macbook and macbook pro, and there cheapest is 1200$. With dell you have net books for people who are mobile, cheap single core cpu laptops that are for people who want to surf the web and check email, there are there mid priced laptops that are for people who want all the above plus on the note of video or photo editing can be done on these with adobe which is good software. Then you have there high end which are good for all the above plus gaming and those are about the same price if not much more than a macbook. Plus being a pc you can get blue ray. Plus because Dell has listen to what the consumer want and don't just offer one OS. They have windows, Ubuntu (on 4 models) and you can get freedos. Plus OSX is only great for the consumer that wants the video or photo editing software. If not widows is great for compatibility and Linux is better for performance. I would bet a Dell studio xps with linux running the dual core and 4 GB of memory would be faster then mac for the price.

Well you can't honestly compare a netbook to an actual laptop. Night and day differences. Also, with a Mac you can run any and every OS. You can run Unix, Linux, OS X, Windows, etc. You also get every feature you want out of the box. If you spec'd out a Dell with the exact same features to the Macbook it would cost about the same. Ignoring all online Dell coupons though since Dell does have some sick deals when it comes to those coupons.

LED back lit screen, ABGN wireless, blue tooth, are all typically non standard features on a laptop. Some laptops also don't come with webcams and other features.

Then Apple has it's own set of features which not too many other companies have. The SMS sensor comes to mind.

All in all it comes down to preference. If you are like Speedy and hate Macs then you will never come around to them. Or if you are someone who has used a mac for a couple of months and never bothered to fully learn the OS then you will just want to go back to Windows. Just like Linux. So many people try Linux and don't take the time to fully understand and learn the OS so they go back to Windows.

The bottom line neither of them are necessarily better, it comes down to a personal preference. They both have their pros and cons, and I think that Apple does make some of the best laptops out there. I base my opinion on being a power user and IT worker though, so I don't really apply to your average consumer when it comes to my personal opinion. Now, my professional opinion is that OS X is simple enough that most people can use them and get by with out really knowing how to work a computer. The problem is with die hard windows people is they can't unlearn windows, and they are stuck that way.

 

[tlarkin]

What the heck is a pento? You mean pinto?

yeah pinto, you know what I meant

pento is a website that covers msql and i just got them confused

 

[speedyink]

The problem is with die hard windows people is they can't unlearn windows, and they are stuck that way.

It's not that I can't, it's just I have no reason to. It does everything I want it to do with speed and ease.

Also, you make me sound like the crazy mac hating guy(lol). I don't actually hate them, but I have my reasons for not being a fan. I will say that they kick ass for video editing though, mainly because of the software available for them.

 

[G25r8cer]

let that be a lesson to people lol just proves apples advertising works

+2

 

[tlarkin]

It's not that I can't, it's just I have no reason to. It does everything I want it to do with speed and ease.

Also, you make me sound like the crazy mac hating guy(lol). I don't actually hate them, but I have my reasons for not being a fan. I will say that they kick ass for video editing though, mainly because of the software available for them.

Well, you do make it sound like you are a hater. Which was not meant to be a dis on your character. You are entitled to hate them if you want and it doesn't bother me any.

The problem truly is people don't want to spend the time to learn it. The keyboard short cuts are different, and if you learn how to use them you can navigate through OS X very quickly. Like you said though, you have no need to learn it so you didn't learn it.

It is just like Linux. Most people who switch to Linux expect it to be like Windows and it is not anything like it and they switch back.

It would be really interesting to see a control group of users who were first taught to use a certain OS. What would happen if you had three groups of users (most likely young kids) and you split them up in groups by OS. Each group first starts using a computer with the designated OS. Then say, 7 years later make them switch to a different OS and see how they react to it.

A lot of people don't even know there is an alternative to Windows. After all, Apple only has about 10% of the market, and if I recall MS still has around 70% or perhaps more.

 

[DMGrier]

Well you can't honestly compare a netbook to an actual laptop. Night and day differences. Also, with a Mac you can run any and every OS. You can run Unix, Linux, OS X, Windows, etc. You also get every feature you want out of the box. If you spec'd out a Dell with the exact same features to the Macbook it would cost about the same. Ignoring all online Dell coupons though since Dell does have some sick deals when it comes to those coupons.

LED back lit screen, ABGN wireless, blue tooth, are all typically non standard features on a laptop. Some laptops also don't come with webcams and other features.

Then Apple has it's own set of features which not too many other companies have. The SMS sensor comes to mind.

All in all it comes down to preference. If you are like Speedy and hate Macs then you will never come around to them. Or if you are someone who has used a mac for a couple of months and never bothered to fully learn the OS then you will just want to go back to Windows. Just like Linux. So many people try Linux and don't take the time to fully understand and learn the OS so they go back to Windows.

The bottom line neither of them are necessarily better, it comes down to a personal preference. They both have their pros and cons, and I think that Apple does make some of the best laptops out there. I base my opinion on being a power user and IT worker though, so I don't really apply to your average consumer when it comes to my personal opinion. Now, my professional opinion is that OS X is simple enough that most people can use them and get by with out really knowing how to work a computer. The problem is with die hard windows people is they can't unlearn windows, and they are stuck that way.

Many good points but a netbook is considered a laptop and it was listed with a bunch of laptops showing that Dell can give there consumers a better selection of laptop for there needs. Plus Dell can run Linux, Vista and even though it is illegal I have seen several Dells run OSX with little to no problems. It is not our fault that Apple doesn't want pc users to have there OS, because if they did no one would buy there computers. Plus Dell offering Linux with all working drivers, would a mac? Escpecially the wifi card.

 

[tlarkin]

Many good points but a netbook is considered a laptop and it was listed with a bunch of laptops showing that Dell can give there consumers a better selection of laptop for there needs. Plus Dell can run Linux, Vista and even though it is illegal I have seen several Dells run OSX with little to no problems. It is not our fault that Apple doesn't want pc users to have there OS, because if they did no one would buy there computers. Plus Dell offering Linux with all waorking drivers, would a mac? Escpecially the wifi card.

They have the same hardware that PCs have in them. They use broadcom chips for their network cards or other common PC brand network chips. They are x86 and yes, Linux distros make specific builds for Macs some of the time.

Netbooks are not laptops, they are netbooks. Every laptop I have owned out performs a netbook in every aspect. They are a sub genre of laptops at best, and not to be compared to laptops them self.

Also, OS X x86 is buggy and not as stable and they can't implement updates instantly either because they will need to hack them to get them to work with PCs so yeah it can run, but it isn't 100% the same thing. You also take away the small scope of hardware macs run on, and update could kill compatibility. I will have to say the OS X x86 guys though do a pretty decent job of keeping it working.

 

[speedyink]

Well, you do make it sound like you are a hater. Which was not meant to be a dis on your character. You are entitled to hate them if you want and it doesn't bother me any.

I don't try to portray myself as a hater. They're good computers, I'd just never buy one.

 

[jwilborn2]

You can find laptops with good price at this link

Hi,

I buy my laptop from this web site, You have just to search well and you will find yours with great price. This web site has a good search engine and it select the lowest price from many sellers.

here the link :

http://allshoppingstore.com/shopping/category.aspx?g=Electronics&ni=565108&nd=Notebooks


hope this will help you!

Jean

 

[pies]

I got one of the new macbooks and I must sa there great laptops.
It runs great, has great battery life, apple has amazing costumer support.
I'm gonna set up boot camp with xp and try it out.

 

[clyd3robert]

both machines or good, but i would prefer to go with the Dell

Yahh me too... Im not quit familliar with the MAC OS.

 

[zupott]

Dell Studio 15
2.26 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4Gb Ram.

This would be much better. 2.26 GHZ is already fast and 4GB is more than enough.

This machine can be use for games. Any kind of games.

____________________
Laptop Computer On Sale

 

[PHATSPEED7x]

Unless someone give me a mac I don't think I'll get one. Just way out of my price range. I've heard good and bad things about dell. Only experience I have with Dell is my mom's desktop she has at her work. It's been a good computer so far. I should do a bunch of updates to it though.

 

[philaaay]

I guess I'll chime in with my opinion, seeing how I'm both a PC and Apple user, plus I'm a A+/Networking+ technician.

For the most part, tlarkin couldn't have said it any better and it ultimately does depend on what you decide in the end. But at the same time, we have to understand that both computers are meant for two totally different users. They both have cons and pros. For the most part, I see Apple as being MORE superior, mainly because of the fact that Apple does design their computers from the ground-up and you run into less issues (on an average of 25 computers I see come in for me to repair, whether it's due to viruses, OS corruptions, registry issues, etc. about 0-1 of them are Apples).

PCs, on the other hand, are still a good choice mainly because they are lower-priced, have many applications available, and a vast majority of the world computer users are gonna be using PCs and due to that, more people are used to the Windows platform. Plus, they're the best for gaming! And Windows is a great OS, especially Windows 7. I don't know about y'all, but Windows 7 runs so much faster and more efficient now and I can only see OS's getting better from here on out.

I come across these questions everyday, mainly because people want a professional/technical opinion on which computer to buy. Especially to those who have had bad experiences with BSODs, viruses, etc. I tell them to look into Apple because you very rarely see them with these issues. But at the same time, if you have a budget or you're not going to be utilizing what Apples are capable of, then go with a PC - either way, they'll both do what you want to do and both with have pros and cons against each other.

There are viruses out for Apple, but the reason why you rarely see them out there is because for the fact that the majority of people on this world use PC; plus, it's a lot easier to exploit the Windows OS and coding .exe files, which are essentially what viruses/trojans are. Apples are more sustainable mainly because 1. it is harder to write code that can bypass user interacting prompts, etc. (Microsoft tried to utilize that into what you know as the User Account Control and yet, you still see viruses out there infecting Windows Vista). and 2. why write viruses that infect a smaller percentage of computers when you can write them for a much larger percentage?

For people who need it for simple tasks, budget, or gaming, go with PCs because you'll find more choices, better value, and endless upgrade possibilities for later on down the road (if you decide to game 2 years from now, you can always add more RAM and a better video card).

For people who want workstations to do all their media work, go with Apple. People need to understand that you don't need a MacBook Pro or Mac Pro for daily use; those units are considered workstations and are at a more professional base. For the average consumer, the normal MacBook or iMacs are fine. For me, I have both a MacBook Pro and my new gaming computer (see sig) because I love gaming, but at the same time, also enjoy working on my graphic design and video editing/photo editing, which I do on the Apple.

I guess all I can say is that both have pros and cons and you just need to know which unit will be better suited for you (don't go with Apple just because it's safer, virus-free, etc. because I know a lot of people who have PCs and have no problems with viruses and don't go with PC just because you want to spend less money because depending on what you'll use it for, the Apple may be better suited for you.

If you want an opinion from a fellow PC/Apple user/technician, go with an Apple, especially if they'll be around the same price. You'll have less problems with it and will rarely run into virus issues and things of that nature. But if you're looking to spend less, then go with a PC - just make sure to have good antivirus software and you don't do any "stupid" things that can compromise your security

Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple) said it best in one of his keynote speeches: "We need to get rid of the notion that for us (Apple) to succeed, Microsoft has to fail."

 

[pattypatty2010]

The MacBook seems like a nice choice. For Windows, the Latitude D620 would be a great fit..

 

[DMGrier]

Only issue with mac is the price, the computer listed in signature is far more powerful than a mac with more HDD space, with a 2 year manufacture warrenty for the same price as a macbook.

 

[tlarkin]

Only issue with mac is the price, the computer listed in signature is far more powerful than a mac with more HDD space, with a 2 year manufacture warrenty for the same price as a macbook.

I would not consider it more powerful, you have to gauge a computer on how you use it and what you use it for.

 

[DMGrier]

I would not consider it more powerful, you have to gauge a computer on how you use it and what you use it for.

Let me put it like this, the big thing that killed me from getting a macbook (cause I was thinking about it) was a out of date cpu and a smaller slower HDD. You are right, it is a question of what you want to do. With windows I do my basic video editing such as removing scenes, adding scenes adding music, music recording, gaming, internet, movies and for my zune hd. Which yes a mac can do as well but in this case I got more computer for the price.

And I wasn't ready to part with my zune hd since it doesn't work on osx without using something else.

I am not saying mac's are bad but at this current time I would not buy one for the fact they are out of date, If I was to buy a mac I would wait till they release the new models. Which makes me wonder if the hardware they are using is behind now wouldn't that mean it's cheaper so how come there hasn't been any major price drops especially since the intel i3 release? Cause we know dual core and core 2 duo have dropped in price. Apple must be making a killing right now cause we all know there getting the parts way cheaper these days and still selling for the same price.

 

[tlarkin]

Let me put it like this, the big thing that killed me from getting a macbook (cause I was thinking about it) was a out of date cpu and a smaller slower HDD. You are right, it is a question of what you want to do. With windows I do my basic video editing such as removing scenes, adding scenes adding music, music recording, gaming, internet, movies and for my zune hd. Which yes a mac can do as well but in this case I got more computer for the price.

And I wasn't ready to part with my zune hd since it doesn't work on osx without using something else.

I am not saying mac's are bad but at this current time I would not buy one for the fact they are out of date, If I was to buy a mac I would wait till they release the new models. Which makes me wonder if the hardware they are using is behind now wouldn't that mean it's cheaper so how come there hasn't been any major price drops especially since the intel i3 release? Cause we know dual core and core 2 duo have dropped in price. Apple must be making a killing right now cause we all know there getting the parts way cheaper these days and still selling for the same price.

First off, if you are going to compare laptops to laptops, then no, you most likely are not getting more computer for less price. A computer's perfomance consists of overall quality of engineering of all components as one, on top of how the software utilizes them.

My MBP is way lower spec hardware wise than my custom built desktop PC running Windows. However, my MBP boot time, and overall response time is so much quicker in the OS. Here are the specs comparably.

MBP
C2D 2.16Ghz
2Gig RAM
ATI x1600
OS X 10.5.8 and 10.6.2

Desktop
Q9550
4Gig Ram
GTX 260
Vista Ultimate 64 SP1 plus all current updates

Now, maybe when I finally upgrade to 7 I will get over all basic performance increase on my winbox. However, I read that performance boost is very small if not nil. On my MBP at any given time, and this is my work computer, I have at least 10 to 15 apps open and at least 5 to 10 terminal windows running 8 desktops and it never slows down once. I can multi task for days on it and it never bogs down, on occasion if I run iTunes for too long the HD will start to spin higher for access and it will slow down a tad.

On my Winbox it idles using 1 gig of RAM. when I launch my torrent client, web browser, email client, and say winamp I am sitting at almost 2gigs of RAM usage.

The only thing my PC really performs better at is gaming, and that is because GPU technology is so vast these days, and Windows machines offer more API support for video game developers and video games are a multi-billion dollar a year industry.

I can go buy a v6 engine KIA but who is to say that v6 will out perform a well built 4 cylinder car from a competitor.

Not that benchmarks reflect real world results, but here goes a non biased site (I doubt popular mechanics has a bias) on some benchmarks with macs vs pcs

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/reviews/4258725.html?page=4

I use a computer easily half of my day every day since I do it professionally. I am on both PCs and Macs all day every day. It took me several years to finally warm up to the Mac platform and admit I was a Mac users, because just like many others I found Mac elitists whiny little girls that love apple no matter what they do. I have my beefs with Apple as well.

 

[Dave P]

Personally, I'm a gamer, so its windows all the way. And because I run windows on my main comp, its windows for everything else too because its easier to network and I have no real reason to learn to use another OS.

But Dell will be full of bloatware, when I get anything like a Dell laptop or something from PC world, I wipe it and put a fresh install of windows on just to avoid all the rubbish on there.

Also, with a Dell in my experience, it's cheaper for a reason. If I were you I would probably go for the mac.