Help me purchase a new laptop

DomLando

DomLando

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I am looking to purchase a new laptop. I have always been a PC user but I may switch to a Mac. I was looking at a Macbook Pro but the 15 inch Macbook Pro seems to start at $1799 which seems a little expensive. Should I go with a Mac or just stick with PC? Budget is not really a factor. Obviously I want to get the most bang for my buck but if a Macbook is that much nicer than I wouldn't mine paying more.

I use my laptop for work (using the internet and certain office applications), streaming video, music, occasional gaming (nothing to big as I am more of a console gamer) and normal every day use.

Any help would be appreciated and your opinions on Macs vs PCs would also be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
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[quote name='rodeojones903']Buy the macbook. I love mine and have no plans to buy a PC again.[/QUOTE]

Can you elaborate on what you like so much better with the macbook over a pc?
 
It depends on what you are looking to get from the laptop. If you are looking for a very simple easy to use laptop go with the macbook there really isn't anything extra fancy about it besides the Apple name as you could get a windows laptop with the same specs for significantly cheaper. The game aspect Macbooks really are terrible I have a 2008 macbook but it can barely play anything ( however the new 15in pro might be better due to the dual cards) For what you have described I'd say go with a HP they have excellent customer service and pretty much anything that goes wrong for a while will be covered free of charge. Apple on the other hand once your applecare expires they won't even look at the thing unless a $40 fee is paid up and any damage will cost you even if it is under applecare. Also another thing you might want to consider is battery life but I'm not too up to date with that info on mac v pc but anything else you may have a question about PM me and I'd be glad to help. The Macbook is a fine machine and I will probably be upgrading to the 15in pro when I can find one with an i5 for around $1200 I'm a college kid with no money :( that uses terminal a lot.
 
I have had some trouble with HP's customer service in the past. They also will not look at your laptop if something goes wrong and it is out of warranty. I have heard great things about Apple's customer service though I never had to deal with them myself.
 
You would go a lot further with getting a cheap laptop, and then using that extra money you save to buy a really nice desktop.
 
I really do not need a desktop, since I use my laptop for work. I am leaning towards a mac right now but I am still unsure so any other opinions would help. Thanks.

If I do go the mac route, are there ever any deals or is it something I am just going to have to pay full price for?
 
[quote name='DomLando']I really do not need a desktop, since I use my laptop for work. I am leaning towards a mac right now but I am still unsure so any other opinions would help. Thanks.

If I do go the mac route, are there ever any deals or is it something I am just going to have to pay full price for?[/QUOTE]

Well, I owned an older macbook pro, and while the os is very nice, I found it wasn't really for me. It sounds like the mac would be perfect for you since you only do light gaming, but they are pretty pricey. If you're a student, I think you get a 100 dollar discount, but besides that, I don't think there are any other discounts.
 
Personally I wouldn't go with hp. Motherboard died twice, the first time the warranty replaced it, and then the replacement died. I've had about 4 friends with problems with the wireless card in them. They don't pick up any routers in range. One was fixed with driver updates, but the other 3 still didn't work. I've also had two other friends whose motherboards also died.
From my bad experience with hp laptops, and some of my friends, I'd rather get something else.
From a friend who constantly reads mac forums, he told me that alot of people couldn't run any games off steam because their graphics cards were too low. He proceeded to show me the thread but I don't know the sites name on the top of my head. You might want to google it.
 
I been reading on forums that the new Macbook Pros have had some bad freezing issues. Anyone hear anything about this and know if it is a widespread issue?
 
Honestly, Macs are primarily good for those who don't know how to use a PC. You overpay for lesser spec'd hardware with a Mac.

But, they do have good PR. Even when their products fail en masse, most still believe they are bulletproof because of the Apple commercials.

The best laptop company in terms of pure good hardware per buck is Toshiba IMO, Dell is good if you want something flashy like a Mac. Make sure you keep it up to date and with good security software (i.e. Avira, ESET NOD32) and you should be set.
 
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I second Ruined's opinion:

Toshiba = best bang for the bug, but they don't really aim for the slim and stylish models, mainly "I may look big, but I have this, AND this, AND THIS!"

Dell = Good bang for the buck, really customizable on dell.com, with deals and discounts floating out the yinyang. They have a good sense of style, and can go pretty far on a low budget there too.

Sony = Driver hell, rather than supporting their older model's driver issues, Sony usually plays it as "Lets make a prettier laptop, charge more for it, and TRY to imrpove our driver support for this new model"

HP = Plastic, cheap, and it works. Bad quality if you aim for consumer versions (IE bestbuy, walmart, office max/depot), try to buy it online. IF possible, aim for a business model (Elitebook is VERY nice, many of my coworkers use it)

Let us know what you really want, and we can help more. Big screen? portablity? high resolution? Details man, detail! You want a car? I'll say 'civic' until you mention you want to go fast :p
 
[quote name='avrame']I second Ruined's opinion:

Toshiba = best bang for the bug, but they don't really aim for the slim and stylish models, mainly "I may look big, but I have this, AND this, AND THIS!"

Dell = Good bang for the buck, really customizable on dell.com, with deals and discounts floating out the yinyang. They have a good sense of style, and can go pretty far on a low budget there too.

Sony = Driver hell, rather than supporting their older model's driver issues, Sony usually plays it as "Lets make a prettier laptop, charge more for it, and TRY to imrpove our driver support for this new model"

HP = Plastic, cheap, and it works. Bad quality if you aim for consumer versions (IE bestbuy, walmart, office max/depot), try to buy it online. IF possible, aim for a business model (Elitebook is VERY nice, many of my coworkers use it)

Let us know what you really want, and we can help more. Big screen? portablity? high resolution? Details man, detail! You want a car? I'll say 'civic' until you mention you want to go fast :p[/QUOTE]

I have had some problems in the past with PC's. HP comes to mind. I went to the apple store today and the Macbook Pros looked nice (Maybe because it did because its just something different). Portability is a plus, a really nice screen to watch movies on is also a plus.
 
[quote name='DomLando']I have had some problems in the past with PC's. HP comes to mind. I went to the apple store today and the Macbook Pros looked nice (Maybe because it did because its just something different). Portability is a plus, a really nice screen to watch movies on is also a plus.[/QUOTE]

For less than the price you are going to spend on that macbook pro you could get a faster PC with a 3-D LED screen :)


ASUS G51J 3D
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_asus_g51j_us.html

Includes LED backlit display with 3-D for games & Blu-ray drive that can be used with paired Nvidia vision hardware for 3-D Blu-ray movies when used with proper software (i.e. WinDVD10 or PowerDVD10)
 
[quote name='Ruined']Honestly, Macs are primarily good for those who don't know how to use a PC. You overpay for lesser spec'd hardware with a Mac.

But, they do have good PR. Even when their products fail en masse, most still believe they are bulletproof because of the Apple commercials.

The best laptop company in terms of pure good hardware per buck is Toshiba IMO, Dell is good if you want something flashy like a Mac. Make sure you keep it up to date and with good security software (i.e. Avira, ESET NOD32) and you should be set.[/QUOTE]

Well said. If you are going to spend that much, might as well look into an Alienware. You could probably get the Mx11 and Mx15 for almost the same price for that MacBook Pro. I heard fantastic reviews on the Mx11. I like the idea that you could change to any color for the outside lighting. Check it them out...

http://www.dell.com/us/en/eep/laptop-gaming/ct.aspx?refid=laptop-gaming&s=eep&cs=2236&~ck=mn
 
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