OT - buying a new laptop/looking for advice
He's talking about RAM, which is the memory a computer uses to operate, and it sounds like you're talking about space left on your hard drive. Upgrading RAM will make your computer faster but won't do anything for you if you're running out of space to save files.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:06 AM ^
Yep, the Mac/PC debate is a bit silly. However, the Apple/HP/Lenovo/Asus/etc. debate is pretty one sided except for price. I love my MBP for the hardware more than for the software. I'd take a MBP running Windows over another brand running OSX in a heartbeat.
Your best value is most likely going to be an ASUS. ASUS produces a lot of computers that other manufacturers rebrand. Price out computers at bestbuy.com writing down the processor and video card(or which integrated video) then see where each fits in the hierarchy at tomshardware.com. Dont buy based on brand, buy based on processor/video card vs cost. Oh, and make sure it has a HDMI out...You'll be surprised how much content you end up streaming to the TV.
I'm not real big on the whole Mac/PC debate and here's why. A lot of people form their opinion of PC's based on the mediocre $300-600 range of computers. They experience what they do with those and then form their opinion of PC's. Now Mac doesn't bother with that price range and only makes higher end computers that'll have much better componentry than your average PC. Thus people quickly see that this is better, as it should be, and go straight to saying that Mac>PC when in reality its more of a Mac=PC type thing in my opinion.
Coming out of high school I bought a high end PC with a lot better componentry than I would have gotten on a similiarly priced Mac (Dell XPS). I love it and after 3 years of abuse in my backpack and falling off dorm beds its still going strong. I have friends with Macs that are also quite pleased with their product. However, most my friends that bought cheap computers have hated their experience and have already bought new ones.
Basically you can't go wrong as long as you avoid the whole market of cheap computers. Those are the ones that people have the most problem with. Maybe see if you can mess around with some at the store, but definitely don't buy it there as others have said. Deals a plenty are to be found online.
Agreed, comparing a $400 Dell/HP Consumer PC to a MBP isn't exactly 'apples to apples.' That being said, if you buy w/ a PC avoid Win8 like the plague and make sure you get a Commerial PC. They're built with higher end compenents and typically carry a 3/3/3 warranty (like the HP Elitebooks or Lenovo Thinkpads).
Also agreed w/ not buying in store. Go, check them out, but then look for deals on NewEgg/Provantage/Tiger Direct/etc.
Get the samsung series 7 with the AMD 8870 GPU. A seriously nice computer with great power and 10 hours battery for only $1200? That is a steal!
Edit:
Great review (http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Samsung-Series-7-Chronos-770Z7E-Notebook.89376.0.html)
If you need to run Windows on your Mac, you can and easily. It will cost you the price of the virtualization software and Windows OS but it will give you the best of both worlds. An internet search on using windows on a Mac will give you all you need to know.
On a side note, I was given the gift of $$$ to buy a mac book. I like Macs but when I broke it down, I was able to buy a PC tower, lap top, itouch and some other items with what it cost to buy a Macbook pro refurbished from the Apple store. And in today's age, there are still great editing software for the PC. Apple just integrates it with their computers. You can't go wrong either way. It will just depend on what you want to spend.
You don't need virtualization software to run Windows on a Mac. Boot Camp will help users partition their drives and set up a dual boot system pretty quickly. If you're just trying to run a virtual machine, the free install of VirtualBox is enough to do that pretty nicely. The only reason to pay for the virtualization software is if you're trying to use something like VMWare Fusion, which will allow you to run Windows apps like they were OSX apps. Many people want to do that, and I'm not saying that something like Fusion is a bad idea, I'm just noting that if all you want to do is run Windows, you can do it for just the cost of the Windows License.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:04 AM ^
Let me clarify that if he want's to run both at the same time, he'll need Parallels or VMware. Otherwise he will have to reboot back and forth if he wants to use boot camp. Both will still mean he needs to purchase Win OS.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:35 AM ^
Did all my programming on a Mac for 4 years and I'll never pay for one.
I just watched dealsea for good deals on laptops and then looked up the reviews online as they came up to see what was good and what wasn't. Managed to get myself a pretty good laptop for $399. I definitely recommend doing your research online before buying anything
Whatever brand you eventually decide to purchase, I would advise against trying to save a few bucks by getting a refurbished product.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:34 AM ^
New = untested, potentially DOA. Refurbished = 100% guarantee in working order
April 27th, 2013 at 10:10 AM ^
I'd throw my voice in with the Mac crowd as well. I have a Windows PC, and was always a Windows guy until I was given a Mac as a work laptop a couple of years ago -- it's now unlikely that I'll ever purchase another non-Mac laptop. Why?
The short answer is that because so many PC manufacturers spend all their time trying to figure out how to make PCs cheaper and cheaper, they wind up making laptops that feel really cheap. They're plastic, the screens aren't very good, the keys have a really subpar feeling and the mousepad is a serious pain to use. All of those things have been slowly getting better, but the difference between a plastic body with seams and a single-piece aluminum frame like on the Macs is night and day. The Macs end up feeling both lighter and stronger when you hold or use them, and that makes a big difference. They're more expensive -- even an entry-level Macbook Air is going to wind up being better than twice the price of a comprable Windows Laptop, but that Windows box just doesn't have the same quality of manufacture or ease of use (OSX as an operating system is basically built around the Laptop Hardware that Macs are selling. The two fit together like a glove).
You'll pay more, but as an investment in a long-term computing solution, the Mac is easily the best choice. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:56 AM ^
You're paying 2x as much so that the laptop feels nicer? Honestly, if OP is just going to be clicking around the internet, using Word / Excel, etc. go with the PC. I got my last PC for $400. It works fine. I've had it for 2 years and it is showing some age, so I'll probably buy a new one pretty soon... for about $400. If you're only going to use your laptop to take some notes in class and typical work, I've yet to be sold on having to shell out $1,200+ for a basic Mac. I know they're a better product, but are they all 3 or 4 TIMES better? Plus, viruses are now being designed for Apple products because they have a significant market share, before I'm pretty sure it just wasn't worth designing viruses for Apple products because there weren't enough of them. Essentially: if you actually USE your computer for actually "computing" things go with a Mac... if you need a laptop for Word and Facebook, go with a PC.
April 27th, 2013 at 11:20 AM ^
Not sure if this is from Herm or not since he didn't sign it. Proceed with caution.
needs more bold.
also, if you just need document editing and facebook, google chromebook is the way to go.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:00 PM ^
If you're using a computer just for basic word processing and surfing Facebook...honestly, an iPad is the way to go. Or an MS Surface, if that's your thing. Maybe a Nexus 10. Whatever floats your boat, really.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:11 AM ^
We bought a Toshiba Satellite laptop a while back and have had nothing but problems with it. The battery didn't even last a year, so we can't unplug it. It's complete garbage.
... I bought a Toshiba Satellite S7409 nearly six years ago (just before the football season started in... wait. never mind)
I've upgraded the RAM, installed Windows 7 and Ubuntu, swapped out the HDD for a larger capacity. It's running just as well as the day I got it. No virus trouble, does every thing I ask of us.
Some of the keys are starting to wear through from constant use, and I leave it plugged in all the time, so the battery is slowing down. But that's about it, after six years.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:12 AM ^
For consumer cameras, I've had so-so luck with Sony. But I've certainly gotten used to the interface. Make sure to get HD in this day and age.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:29 AM ^
I would focus less on the "brand" and more on the features that are important to you, as well as the overall performance of the system. Lenova, Acer, Apple, and HP - to name a few - all have good laptops out on the market right now. None of them are perfect in all categories. Think of how you want to use the system. Prioritizing your needs will ultimately lead you to the best laptop for yourself. While a lot of users are saying to go with Apple, I went with a HP ultrabook back in February and am extremely happy with it. Also, I agree with another poster that Costco has the best deals that I've seen on warranty.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:32 AM ^
Unless you have difficulty with operating a personal computer, PC is the choice. Prices are competitive, there are options galore, and you can actually upgrade to prevent your computer from being obsolete the moment you take it home. Judging by this board, Apple has successfully sold dreams to most of the people here. Don't buy in, unless you make it a practice to throw money away.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:35 AM ^
April 27th, 2013 at 10:37 AM ^
I will be that guy. Screw OS X and Windows 8. Go with a Dell and install your fave version of Linux. I tend to go with Debian.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:47 AM ^
April 27th, 2013 at 11:09 AM ^
Desktops at home. Desktops at work. Phone for in between. Tablet for the couch. Unless you're a student or have some weird job, don't buy a laptop.
April 27th, 2013 at 11:34 AM ^
Hooray for sweeping generaliztions about what will work best for everyone!
I prefer a laptop, even when I'm sitting on a couch watching videos. I don't want to have to prop up a tablet on my knees while I'm lying down.
At work I'm bouncing around between meetings and working from all over the place on our campus. Don't have a cubicle or a desk or an office.
April 27th, 2013 at 11:45 AM ^
my iphone & ipad work great when i want mobile & light; but I've almost filled all 12 Terabytes in my Mac Pro. If you can find me a Macbook that can hold that many naked pictures of Ernest Borgnine I'll take it.
April 27th, 2013 at 11:39 AM ^
If you're looking for a Windows laptop, there is a new reliability study just released by Soluto.
They rated the 10 best laptops based on Crashes, Hangs, Bootups, Hours spent in boot, BSoDs.
You can see the most reliable results here:
https://www.soluto.com/reports
I know everyone is a HUGE Apple fan, but there are some other choices. The gap between the Mac and the rest of the field has dramatically decreased.
I have both Apple products and Dell products and there are advantages to both. I like my XPS tablet better than the iPad, but I like our iMac better than our Dell desktop.
XPS is the way to go if you're doing video (if you choose Dell).
Hope this helps a bit.
April 27th, 2013 at 12:04 PM ^
April 27th, 2013 at 12:13 PM ^
April 27th, 2013 at 12:15 PM ^
I am not in the market for a camera but the laptop/tablet is of interest and has been discussed here - any feedback on the SurfacePro independent of a camera?
April 27th, 2013 at 12:49 PM ^
I think it's one product refresh away from being a world beater, but it's worth keeping an eye on.
like you I am always wary of the first offering - 2nd Gen always seems to be better- not just for obvious reasons.
How do you like the RT?
Long story short: it's alright.
I've always had some trouble figuring out where a tablet fits within my gadget hierarchy. When I need something quick and on the go, I have my phone. If I have to do real work, I use a laptop. That being said, I could see where the RT could be a better productivity device than the iPad, but I don't think it's a better "consumption" device. It also has some fit and finish issues which will probably be fixed over time.
Pros:
- i like the keyboard cover
- I like windows RT more than iOS (yea.. I said it)
- includes versions of office products. You can actually read and modify office docs people send you. It comes in handy.
- USB port. You can actually take it on vacation and dump your photos on this thing... or use a real mouse.
- video out port. I had a friend actually connect up a surface and use it as a docked PC.
- nice screen and solid hardware
- flash sites sometimes work
Cons:
- lack of apps
- odd behaviour at times. Things I'd never notice on an ipad
- poor "sleep" battery life. You can put an ipad to sleep and it'll still have charge weeks later. not so much with the RT.
- feels heavy, though it might be more a distribution thing than actual weight.
- awkward in portrait mode.
I have a Surface RT as well, and it's "all right". I got it because my company (like most of corporate America) uses Microsoft Office. Therefore, the requirements for the tablet I chose were:
- Must be COMPLETELY compatible with Office; any necessary rework to get PowerPoint slides to display corrected was an immediate disqualifier
- No more than 2 lbs, including cover and power supply
- Can be integrated with SkyDrive
- Email, calendar and contacts sync with MS Exchange (corporate standard)
I loved Apple's Keynote (I bought the app and tested it on my son's iPad), but two PowerPoint slide decks I viewed in Keynote rotated text blocks, changed font types, and so on. I realized major rework would have been required every time I went on the road (which is every week).
Android devices running Google Apps had similar issues to the iPad.
Net-net, the iPad and Android devices were out.
I do like the Windows 8 "Metro" (or whatever they call it now) interface. On a touch screen, it's reasonably intuitive. However, Office RT runs from the desktop, so immediately upon launching any Office app, the desktop is the first thing that appears as Office RT loads. It works, but it's kludgy.
I'm confident that Win 8 and RT will get better. I actually don't mind that there aren't as many apps in the Windows Store as in the Apple Store. That keeps the potential for malware down, which means security isn't as much of a concern as with full-blown Win 8 Pro.
I've been mostly a PC guy but I decided I needed to add a MacBook to the stable a few years ago. It's probably the worst electronics purchase I've ever made in my life, at least in terms of what I got for my money.
Mac's are UNBELIEVABLY overpriced. If you like paying 4 times more than you should for hardware, well, then yah, Mac's are great. I won't argue that my MacBook isn't a nice laptop. But was it worth what I paid for it? Absolutely not. Not even close.
I dual boot it and after a while I realized there was pretty much nothing on the Mac side that I needed it for. I pretty much just use it as a ridiculously overpriced Windows laptop. Yeah, it has a really nice keyboard and touchpad, I'll give you that. It also runs at about 10 billion degrees centigrade, meaning that it can't really sit on my lap unless I'm wearing jeans without burning me. That's probably my fault though for upgrading to the 7200 rpm drive, which I needed for some specialized stuff I do. And don't believe the hype about OSX being trouble free either. I've had just as many if not more issues with OSX as I've ever had with Wndows, though I won't deny that at this point I'm probably considered a Windows expert so I'm pretty good at getting around Windows systems.
Anyway, know people rant and rave about how much they love their Macs. I just don't see it. There is absolutely nothing my MacBook does that I couldn't have done for significantly cheaper. I won't argue that the build quality on the MacBook is really nice, but you can find well built laptops from other manufacturers for half the cost of Apple.
Apple is one hell of a marketing company. They sell people things for double/triple the price of everyone else and then get them to swear that somehow they still got a great deal.
Don't have a dog in this fight. Did not read your long post, but upvoted because all the Apple fans negd you for sharing a bad experience with a Mac.
Do not buy a Samsung. I bought a laptop from them and it quickly malfunctioned. I have had to send it in for repairs 3 times now. It has been a nightmare getting them to believe me that it is broken and to do the repairs. And they refuse to give me my money back even though I have only been able to use it for about 3 months out of 9.
Funny you should ask... been doing a bit of research on this myself.
If you are doing a lot of video work, and not involved in Hudl or something like that, I do suggest splurging for the MacBook.
Otherwise, take a look at something like this.
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/…
Currently, 500 dollars off. Great specs, good maker, good rep.
April 27th, 2013 at 11:03 PM ^
Funny that you posted this. The Y500 is currently going for $879 with coupon code SLICKDEALY500. Pretty nice price for a lot of power. Really nice display on this thing. 12 GB ram, i7 processor. Only downside to me is Windows 8; absolutely hate it.
The upside to PCs is the bang for the buck; the downside is it can be a crap shoot as to quality. It really does require time spent looking at reviews and customer feedback. At one time, Toshiba and Dells were consider quality products, not so much anymore.