Are Macbooks really worth it?

Tech Talk
#1

First year college student, my handwriting is really messy sometimes I can’t even read it, but I think If I had a laptop it would help make it more organized and legible.

So I’ve been thinking about buying a laptop but I’m not really sure if I should look into macs or pcs. I’ve used PC all my life, used Mac a few times it’s ok i guess. Really I’m just looking for a laptop that isn’t bulky, fits in a backpack nicely, wifi, typing documents, and a good battery life(8-9 hours). Nothing really fancy. I think my biggest concern probably is size though maybe.

If I did get a mac i would just get a simple macbook(the one thats like a grand). But I notice PC laptops are a lot cheaper in the ~500 range, I see 80% of laptop users on macs, I don’t know how many of those people are bandwagoners but is paying the extra money for a macbook worth it?

#2

For simple shit like school I would just use a regular PC laptop. It cheaper and it get the work done. All you really need is some sort of Microsoft Office for you to do your work. I guess it just comes done to opinion but I don’t see a reason to pay more for what you need. If you want something beastly then you might as well buy a computer cause no laptop even match up to a beastly comp.

#3

nope. for normal use macs, aren’t worth the extra $1100+ on the price tag.

#4

Also this would be for a long term use(hope to keep it for at least 4-5 years without problems) so I don’t know if reliability/consistency differs between the two.

#5

The only real difference the Macbook has is the OS and the price tag.
They aren’t magically superior. I imagine the flurry of Mac laptop users is due to this type of misconception.

Get a better Windows-based laptop for less, or if it’s just for text documents and casual non-game use look into a UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC.)

Asus and Dell have been fairly good in the laptop department lately.

#6

My girlfriend works for a retailer that sells a large volume of macs and I’ve heard lots of bad things about service and quality of hardware. I woouldn’t say they are significantly worse than a regular PC laptop, but there are certainly no advantages to Macs. There is no real substance to the buzz that Mac computers get.

#7

no one here really knows anything about macs, you should go to a Mac forums and ask which lab top would be right for you.

#8

Depends what you need.

If you’re going to be digital media major then get a mac, macs are simpler to use and better at graphics etc.

For everything else there’s a pc ; )

Although people also get macs because they are “light,” you can get a gateway pc which are even smaller if you’re worried about carrying too much.

#9

just get a pc laptop. there’s nothing special about macs. If you’re gonna buy one then you’re buying it for the look and buying into that iLife gimmick they’re pushing. PC laptops are better and all you’re doing is gimping yourself by using a mac.

#10

Well its cause Macs are easy to use and have microsoft word. Also if you want to play games on a mac, they dont have as much. Still if you want to play games made by Blizzard and Unreal tournament they have those games for Mac.

#11

Macs are better for media creation. For anything else get a PC.

#12

I understand that they’re easier to use but forgive me for stereotyping by assuming everyone on SRK has enough tech know how to operate a PC. If someone already has a desktop and is comfortable with windows there’s no reason to downgrade to a mac. Also PCs are as good for digital media as macs, that wasn’t always the case but it’s gotten much better.

#13

Don’t listen to anyone claiming there is no difference between a Mac and a PC. Those are probably the same clueless folks who believes applying a Mac OS X look-alike skin to their Windows installation somehow is all it takes to make the two systems identical.

If you are absolutely positively happy with Windows (or Linux should that be your choice) then I suppose there is no immediate reason to switch. I would definitely recommend you to properly try out a Mac if you have the chance though, and not in the sense of “clicking around for 5 minutes” but to use one for all your day to day tasks during a week or so. Odds are you’ll come to understand why some of us chose to spend that extra money instead of buying the cheapest bottom-of-the-barrel PC.

It just works.

#14

In a word - no.

For the price you can get a hardware superior Windows based laptop/PC. However if you love Mac OS or prefer it then you basically would need a Mac.

#15

While I like Macs a lot, the recent batch of laptops seem to have a lot of hardware problems. I’ve heard reports that 85% or more of the laptops that needed repairs shortly after purchase on my campus are macs. Most of them had mainboard failures.

For a college student looking to save some cash who is already used to windows and doesn’t need a mac for any particular reason–go for the PC. Just make sure you do some research and don’t get a POS loaded with a ton of demo crap you don’t need. Either that, or be prepared to reinstall windows right after your purchase it.

#16

If you get a mac, dont get it from your school. Go to a mac store or get it online. The macs you buy at your school are assembled by the guys that work at your school store. Most of time these guys dont know what the hell they are doing and put glue in all the wrong places causing the mainboard to overheat and fail. This happend to my girlfriends computer. We went to the mac store and the guy told us never to buy anyhthing from the school stores because most of the time they dont know what they are doing and tend to sell you stuff with old components. After saying all that he gave us a brand new computer because it was covered by warranty.

#17

http://sidde.lokalen.org/temp/MacOSXTigerShortDemoByBjornJohansson.mp4

#18

for your needs, go with a pc laptop.

offtopic: GOD i want a macbook so bad.
panther looks soooooo good.
although compiz fusion is getting crazy.

#19

I use, and sell, both.

You do pay a premium for a Mac, but there are a few reasons for that.

For one, in terms of stability, usability, and interface, Mac OSX is far superior to Windows.

Additionally, MacBooks are amazingly small and light computers. You don’t really appreciate this until you see them in person.

On the other hand, you can get a lot more bang for your buck in terms of performance if you go PC. You also have an easier time finding software for PC.

However, a $500 new computer is going to be crap. If I offered you a brand-new car for $3500, you’re not going to think it’s a quality car.

If budget is a concern, get a cheap Acer or Sager. Avoid Dell and Gateway like the plague.

#20

hmmmmm:confused: for the amount of crazy cash youll be paying for a mac, you can build or get something way superior:confused: i just dont understand you Mac heads are silly:arazz: