Apple "macbook"

[irish]

my HP laptop is just about "dead" so i am considering getting a MACBOOK. now, i only use the laptop for web surfing, webcams, and email. not into any fancy stuff . do you think a MACBOOK would be a good fit for me, AND... is it pretty much a "NOBRAINER" to use?? would i need an anti-virus program with same??
thanks

 

[Steamboat Bill]

great computer..no antivirus needed

 

[vivalour]

my HP laptop is just about "dead" so i am considering getting a MACBOOK. now, i only use the laptop for web surfing, webcams, and email. not into any fancy stuff . do you think a MACBOOK would be a good fit for me, AND... is it pretty much a "NOBRAINER" to use?? would i need an anti-virus program with same??
thanks

You will be paying a premium for the Apple name. Our family has gone with much more value-for-dollar Dell desktops and laptops for our limited uses and loves them. I have had Apple products in the past for both business and home, but found the latest generations of Apple laps -- cases and keyboards -- to be somewhat flimsy.

I think it's a personal preference.

 

[Steamboat Bill]

I own both systems and think the Mac offers a far SUPERIOR Internet user experience as they don't have all the virus, spyware, malware that are common with PCs.

When you use a PC you constantly have to tweak it and add anti-virus, anti-spy, and Inteent Explorer is the worst.

Yes, Macs are more expensive, but they are pretty much headache free as compared to PCs

 

[pjrose]

I'm a Mac person. I've used both systems, for personal as well as professional use. I've consulted about, programmed on, and taught both systems. Macs are more intuitive, the applications are designed to have the same "feel," documents etc are easily moved from one application to another, etc. Macs were the first widely available computer to use a windows/menus/mouse interface; Microsoft's Windows a few years later just never was as clean as the Apple version.

Pricier? yes. Worth it? Depends on the individual.

Which one to get - consider the Air or MacBook. The Air is lightweight, very thin. No CD/DVD drive built in, but you don't really need one - you can download, save to an external drive, use a flash drive, etc.

Do not worry about "not as much software" (there are thousands of applications, including all the biggies such as Microsoft Office and Word), or "What about transferring files from my PC at work?" (most apps can save in other formats if necessary, and files from Word, Excel, etc can just go back and forth between PC and Mac).

For an unbiased view, look at the newest Consumer Reports, which discusses and rates laptops.

 

[Fern Modena]

Personally I wouldn't spend that kind of money for a laptop, but if you would...

Still, think twice about getting a laptop with no DVD drive if you will be using it when you travel. You might want to use it to play movies, etc. I know, generally you hope to have a DVD player where you are, but that isn't always the case.

Fern

 

[abbekit]

Another vote for the Mac

All we own are Macs. One desktop and two (soon to be three) laptops. Greatest computers ever. Only the Macbook Air doesn't have a DVD/CD player. All the other laptops do.

 

[Steamboat Bill]

Still, think twice about getting a laptop with no DVD drive if you will be using it when you travel.

Apple, as usual, is ahead of the technology curve. They were the first to stop using floppy disks and the first to stop CD-ROMs, etc.

Apple is pushing people to stream videos via iTunes and the Internet or ripping the DVD to your hard drive.

They sell an external drive if you really need one.

 

[DEROS]

Let me state, I am bias towards Mac's. I own a iMac G5 and MacBook. At work, I use a couple of Dell PC.

The biggest argument most people have is that Apple computers cost more than PC computers. However, Apple computers are very comparable to price to PC manufacturers. If you build a Dell Laptop with similar spec (I am including weight. I don't consider the Dell 19 lbs desktop replacement very comparable to the 7 lb MacBook Pro.) as a MacBook or MacBook Pro, you will see that the price is very close. Why the misperception in price? Apple does not sell in between system. Apple sells 3 lines, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air with about 3 base configuration in each line. If you go to the Dell web page and look at the laptop lineup, you will see 4 laptop lines ranging from $499 - $2499 base price. Then within each line their is 2-3 models. Then within each model there are 3-4 base configuration. If you don't count Dells instant rebate, Dell and Apple would be about the same price.

The reason Apple computers do not crash as often as XP or Vista is because of the integration of operating system and hardware. The operating system is based on Unix. (Note: the latest OS X is certified 100% Unix) Unix OS is used in Servers that must run 24/7 with very little downtime. When you add this to very limited number of components that Apple uses in there system, you get a very stable computer system. Unlike Windows that have to support thousands of components from different vendors. It becomes very hard to track down and fix bugs.

"Buy a Mac. It just works"

 

[dms1709]

Mac

I have had a MacBook for about two years and it has been more great. The only issue is that many business programs are written for a PC, although it is getting better, almost everything I use in the office only runs on a PC. With that said, photos, traveling with a computer, making movies, just doing fun stuff has been the best and very easy. We have an apple store nearby and I understand they can help with any questions or issues, to date I have not had any. I would get another.

Donna

 

[pcgirl54]

DH is in the IT field and went from IBM notebook to Dell . When it was time to get a new laptop he chose the Macbook since it was released with dual OS. He is an Apple junkie because of the graphics and functionality. He just got the 3g Iphone.

He is in heaven. When my Dell dies he wants me to get one. I must admit it is pretty cool.

 

[Icarus]

It's hard to separate the rhetoric from the facts in this thread.

Mac Book Air is not for everybody, and is not a replacement for a fully featured laptop. It's not intended to be a replacement for a fully featured, expandable system. It's a great product for what it is, and personally, I'd love to have one myself. It's also expensive.

XP is quite stable and will continue to be supported for many years.

The lower end Macbooks don't have an option for external graphics. The higher end Macbook Pros have the same options as higher end PC-based laptops, so there's no difference in graphics hardware either. In fact, there's very little difference in the internal architecture between Macs and PCs since Apple moved to Intel architecture a couple of years ago.

If you want a Mac, you should get a Mac. Apple makes great products and great designs. The software is easier to use than Windows, but if you are used to windows, there will be a short learning curve.

It's possible to install both Windows and MacOS on Mac laptops, and even run both OS simultaneously if that's what you need to do. (One example might be if you want to continue to use Quicken for Windows, since Quicken for MacOS is not very good. Or if you already have a licensed copy of MS Office for Windows and don't want to have to pay for another licensed copy for MacOS.)

Have fun deciding, and don't let people's agendas get in your way. Go visit an Apple store and ask their knowledgeable sales staff all the questions you can think of.

-David

 

[abbekit]

Agree with going to the Apple store if you have one in your area. They are really great (not hard sell). In fact Apple doesn't discount their prices so what you get at the store will be priced the same as what you can find on the internet. We usually buy from a online store where we can get some shopping points (like Aadvantage Shopping) but there is no difference in price from store to store.

 

[pwrshift]

It's hard to separate the rhetoric from the facts in this thread.

XP is quite stable and will continue to be supported for many years.
.

-David

David...what is the story on XP? I have heard all new computers must come with Vista now and that Microsoft stopped support on XP at the end of June.

Brian

 

[Icarus]

David...what is the story on XP? I have heard all new computers must come with Vista now and that Microsoft stopped support on XP at the end of June.

Brian

They officially stopped shipping it, except for XP Home on ultra low end machines, since they don't have enough horsepower to run Vista. (like the Asus EEE, for example). Support for all versions of XP will continue at least through 2014, IIRC. (It was recently extended again.) That means full support, including security updates, etc.

So, if you buy a new machine today (other than the ultra low end stuff that ships with XP Home) it will come with Vista, however, certain versions of Vista include downgrade rights to XP, so Dell and others can still install XP for you on those machines. Perhaps at extra cost. If the version of Vista you purchased has downgrade rights, and you have a retail or OEM XP CD, you can install it on that machine, using the downgrade rights.

You can still purchase legal OEM licensed copies of XP Home and XP Pro from places like newegg.

-David

 

[Mosca]

David...what is the story on XP? I have heard all new computers must come with Vista now and that Microsoft stopped support on XP at the end of June.

Brian

I was initially frustrated by Vista. It took me about 2 weeks to figure out how to make it look the same and work the same as XP, but once I did, it has been 100% stable for over a year now.


I'm sure that Macs are great, but I have not had any problems with the last 4 HPs I've purchased. The first pair were around $1k and lasted about 5 years, the last two were about $800 and have been rock solid, and have comparable specs to the mid-Macs.

Now, remember that it is "horses for courses". I use these machines for internet and email, word processing, music storage, and picture storage with light editing. If I were doing digital film editing or photo processing, I might feel differently. I wouldn't buy a Miata to transport the soccer team to the games, just like I wouldn't buy a minivan to go autocrossing. But for what I use the computer for, PC + $40 of security beats Mac.

 

[Steamboat Bill]

I personally love Vista and use it on my PC and have it tweaked just right.

My kids, on the other hand, drove me crazy with XP as it was always crashing, running slow, buggy, etc. I assume 90% of that was due to the Internet and yes, I had Norton, AdAware, firewalls. I trashed the kids PC and bought a MAc and have NEVER had one single problem.

Thus, Macs for kids (teens) are a godsend for me.

 

[pjrose]

PD <--> Mac transfer

I have had a MacBook for about two years and it has been more great. The only issue is that many business programs are written for a PC, although it is getting better, almost everything I use in the office only runs on a PC. With that said, photos, traveling with a computer, making movies, just doing fun stuff has been the best and very easy. We have an apple store nearby and I understand they can help with any questions or issues, to date I have not had any. I would get another.

Donna

Donna - what do you need to transfer from your work PC to home Mac?

Unless it's something really specialized, you probably can transfer files back and forth. Look at your menus for save as... or format or export. A program called MacLink can translate files between almost anything and almost anything else. I used to use it a lot, but now almost so many applications are smart enough to read in or save as other formats that I don't need it anymore.

PM me if you want.

PJ

 

[somerville]

my HP laptop is just about "dead" so i am considering getting a MACBOOK. now, i only use the laptop for web surfing, webcams, and email. not into any fancy stuff . do you think a MACBOOK would be a good fit for me, AND... is it pretty much a "NOBRAINER" to use?? would i need an anti-virus program with same??
thanks

If you are not in a rush, I understand that the new model MacBook will be released in September.

 

[DEROS]

Save Money on Mac Purchase

If you want to buy a Mac and want to save some money, buy from the online Apple Store refurb link. You can save up to $400, depending on what model you want. It comes with the same manufacture warranty and the most lastest OS X.