Laptop Question

[Merk]

So here’s the deal I'm getting my Girlfriend (pretty much my future wife, we've been going out for 3 1/2 years now) a lab top for X-Mas and I wanted some opinions on what to get


Back round

-She’s a teacher so word processing is a must (Her School has all Dells)
-Has an IPOD and downloads music from ITunes and makes a crap load of CD'
-Takes tons of pics
-Needs to be able to access the Internet from all types including Dial up (yes even dial up lol)
-$$$ Amount doesn’t really matter if it means I don’t have to hear the phrase "Mike My Computer won’t work". So reliability and user friendliness is very important to me


So I need opinions on

A Dell w/ XP

A Dell w/ Vista

MacBook w/ Leopard

Or if there is something else I should be looking at

I'd really like to know which OP System works the best


Thanks for the help

[emo]

I have a powerbook, I've had it for 2.5 years now. I really really like it. I just upgraded to leopard and it's fantastic.

personally if I were buying a new laptopper I'd get a macbook with leopard, and buy office. this gives her the word processing abilities, iphoto is right up her alley, itunes obviously, and if it turns out that she still needs to run windows, she can buy parallels and run xp on her mac.

if she gets office, there are no worries about documents going abck and forth from school so long as they use microsoft word. the extensions are exactly the same.

[phishhead220]

I'd also go with a MacBook. I got a Dell laptop for college back in 2003 and the thing started crapping out two years later. Not only did it become out of date almost a month later, but later on the touchpad died, the cd burner stopped working and the hinge for the folding screen stopped working.

I since bought a refurbished iMac and it was the best purchase of my life. Nothing has gone wrong with it and if something did I could just take it to my local apple store rather than shipping it to texas or something.

iTunes functions 10x better on a mac than on windows. The computers don't age as fast. It's almost impossible to get a virus and there are no blue screens of death.

[Scary Good]

I dunno. I have an acer, it's low in price and seems perfect for you. All i need it for is to write articles, type papers, music, pics and internet.

[Merk]

good stuff so far

[Fortunesmith]

I have a the new MacBook Pro w/ Leopard. It is the best laptop I have ever used. The battery lasts about 4 hours, super bright LED backlit display, blazing fast. Spend the extra money and buy a Mac. It is well worth it.

[Woody]

If money isn't an issue get her an Alienware. I'm fixing to get another one soon. They're running cheap too as of late.. you can get a decent config for under $3k. :niterider

[D34dm4n]

dont get a dell. my dad gave me his as a gradiation present and its probably 2 years old. the battery life it an hour tops, my touchpad is slowly going and i have to force shut down at least once a day on start up. i have always liked gateway laptops, customer service is pretty good too if you ever need it.

[dasaybz]

IBM Thinkpad all the way.

[dasaybz]

dude, whatever you do, DON'T BUY A MAC!!!!!!

[35Pete]

STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MACINTOSH.

This is really going to offend Mac users but people that own Macs for the most part don't know shit about computers. Sorry guys. I am not trying to pick a fight.
Dasaybz is an IT guy. I design microcomputers for a living. It's our bread and butter. We live, breath, and eat this stuff. Macs are easy to use but very limited and not robust to evolving technologies. Don't get me wrong. It's just that Mac users don't want to be bothered with additional technical stuff. They are not dumb. Just want convenience. But I will help you with the technical stuff. To the point of being able to configure (one time only ~ that's all that will be needed. But I'll support you at anytime. I LOVE this stuff) all the additional stuff for you. One time and you'll never have to worry about it again. And the extra power she'll really appreciate. ESPECIALLY the SUBSTANTIAL multimedia bonuses a PC has over a MAC. I'll make it a dream machine for her. You have my promise.

Your additional HW and SW choices will be extremely limited with a MacInToss-In-The-Trash. Yes, they do support Windows apps but there is an addtional software layer that is a bitch and will slow down apps.

Merk. Buy a Sony or IBM Thinkpad and install these three pieces of software:

Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 ($80)
System Mechanic Professional ($75)
Diskeeper Professional ($100)

Those 3 pieces of SW will keep your GF from screaming to you "What the $##% is wrong with my computer".

Ohh. MAKE SURE the laptop has at least 2 GB of DDR2 memory. Minimum 800 MHz memory speed. DDR3 is better if available. A good laptop wireless card is also a nice bonus. A Haupauge Laptop TV tuner will earn an extra dose of foreplay from here. http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_hvr950.html About 99$. Doesn't work with MacInCrap though.

She'll love bluetooth capability and really consider a wireless card (with Netgear Wireless router on the side).

I own this. It will give her bluetooth wireless mouse and KP ability. It's fantastic. http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboard_mice_combos/devices/162&cl=us,en

For a wireless card try this.
http://www.netgear.com/Products/Adapters/RangeMaxNextWirelessAdapters.aspx

AND (must have both!!)

http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/RangeMaxNEXTWirelessRoutersandGateways.aspx

[JLB]

So here’s the deal I'm getting my Girlfriend (pretty much my future wife, we've been going out for 3 1/2 years now) a lab top for X-Mas and I wanted some opinions on what to get

Back round

-She’s a teacher so word processing is a must (Her School has all Dells)

Has anybody said congrats if not let me be the 1st!!!!

:toast::

:partysmilies:

[35Pete]

Merk. If you decide to go for the "enchilada" that I suggest then I will "Netmeet" with you.
That means with your permission I'll log onto the laptop from my house and one-time configure all that hardware and software for you. You'll never have to touch it again.

Just let me know.

Ohh. Ask Merc his opinion too. The guy too is a goddamn computer GURU along with Dasaybz and I. So is Woody and nehemiah is a journeyman rapidly approaching guru status. I'm proud of you nehe! :)

I PM'ed Dasaybz, Merc, Woody, and Nehemiah to weigh in.

Woody. Would you please post the "official spokeman" for Macintoss-in-the-trash computers? LOL!! Hint: Simmons.

[nehemiah]

macs are pretty. i would never get a desktop mac, but (and pete's gonna kill me)... i think i'm gonna buy my g/f one for xmas. :hides:

i bought a (at the time) top of the line computer from here --> http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

very happy w/ it. no issues. there's a warranty and they (from what i hear) have much better support than dell. i've never needed their help, so i can't speak from experience.

there are a ton of options for the laptop. just make your picks and let it roll. windows vista that will piss you off, though. definitely go w/ XP, IMO.

[35Pete]

macs are pretty. i would never get a desktop mac, but (and pete's gonna kill me)... i think i'm gonna buy my g/f one for xmas. :hides:

i bought a (at the time) top of the line computer from here --> http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

very happy w/ it. no issues. there's a warranty and they (from what i hear) have much better support than dell. i've never needed their help, so i can't speak from experience.

there are a ton of options for the laptop. just make your picks and let it roll. windows vista that will piss you off, though. definitely go w/ XP, IMO.

You're gay. ;)

[sukie]

Pete what extra layer are you refering to. Load windows directly.

[Woody]

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/7837/simmonsri1.jpg

OH SHIT!!! MACS ARE GHEEEYYY!!!!

[Fortunesmith]

Sorry, Pete. For the average user, Macs out-perform Windows PC's in every way. Macs are stable, speedy and everything has a keyboard shortcut. I don't even use a mouse because just about all the keyboard shortcuts are uniform no matter what app you are running. Windows is buggy, annoying (ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS?), and requires to be either reinstalled or recovered at least 3 times over the life of the computer. You may be able to get the hardware to match or beat a Mac, but Windows flat out blows next to OS X.

[Merk]

STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MACINTOSH.

This is really going to offend Mac users but people that own Macs for the most part don't know shit about computers. Sorry guys. I am not trying to pick a fight.
Dasaybz is an IT guy. I design microcomputers for a living. It's our bread and butter. We live, breath, and eat this stuff. Macs are easy to use but very limited and not robust to evolving technologies. Don't get me wrong. It's just that Mac users don't want to be bothered with additional technical stuff. They are not dumb. Just want convenience. But I will help you with the technical stuff. To the point of being able to configure (one time only ~ that's all that will be needed. But I'll support you at anytime. I LOVE this stuff) all the additional stuff for you. One time and you'll never have to worry about it again. And the extra power she'll really appreciate. ESPECIALLY the SUBSTANTIAL multimedia bonuses a PC has over a MAC. I'll make it a dream machine for her. You have my promise.

Your additional HW and SW choices will be extremely limited with a MacInToss-In-The-Trash. Yes, they do support Windows apps but there is an addtional software layer that is a bitch and will slow down apps.

Merk. Buy a Sony or IBM Thinkpad and install these three pieces of software:

Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 ($80)
System Mechanic Professional ($75)
Diskeeper Professional ($100)

Those 3 pieces of SW will keep your GF from screaming to you "What the $##% is wrong with my computer".

Ohh. MAKE SURE the laptop has at least 2 GB of DDR2 memory. Minimum 800 MHz memory speed. DDR3 is better if available. A good laptop wireless card is also a nice bonus. A Haupauge Laptop TV tuner will earn an extra dose of foreplay from here. http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_hvr950.html About 99$. Doesn't work with MacInCrap though.

She'll love bluetooth capability and really consider a wireless card (with Netgear Wireless router on the side).

I own this. It will give her bluetooth wireless mouse and KP ability. It's fantastic. http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboard_mice_combos/devices/162&cl=us,en

For a wireless card try this.
http://www.netgear.com/Products/Adapters/RangeMaxNextWirelessAdapters.aspx

AND (must have both!!)

http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/RangeMaxNEXTWirelessRoutersandGateways.aspx


Good stuff


I'll be checking out IBM's and Sony's(by the way where do I check them out Sony.com/IBM.com ? ). I didnt even have them on my list


Keep the info and the first hand opinions coing the more the better


Great stuff guys and thanks! :beers:

[Carl J. Ironsides]

Steer clear of Dells, Merk. I had one for less than a year; the main problem is the back piece of the laptop, which the power cord went in, constantly broke, so it would go completely dead (That's common on all Dells, I learned.). I had to send the laptop back to the company twice to fix it. By the time it happened for a third time, I just decided to buy a cheap Toshiba, which has worked great so far. The Toshiba cost me half of what the Dell did, yet it hasn't given me any problems whatsoever. Go figure.

[Callaway]

If money isn't an issue get her an Alienware. I'm fixing to get another one soon. They're running cheap too as of late.. you can get a decent config for under $3k. :niterider


Thats what I've got and there sick

[Callaway]

Merk there is a lot of good stuff in this thread but you should go with a Mac the whole way.

Lets keep in mind that this computer is for Merks girlfriend and not him. She seems to only need it for some media/music (if she has an IPod then it will run the best on a Mac) surfing the web (it has great wireless range),some typing from now and again, and something that is stable(Macs are known for there stability and Leopard is phenomanal from what I seen so far).

This is the one I got for my wife
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=7B723642&node=home/shop_mac/family/macbook_pro

The 15 inch 2.2 ghz on the far left. It has more speed than she will ever need, solid amount of memory, decent sized hard drive, and out of the box it will be ready to go. Its really user friendly my wife loves hers and the times I have used it I have been immpressed with how smooth it runs and she never gets a virus which is shocking because she still opens like every e-mail she gets

[Merc]

I'm not that smart on Laptops, unfortunately, so my opinion isn't probably worth much. Generally I recommend that if you must connect to a PC-Centric network, like your gals school seems to be, that you steer clear of Macs unless you want to delve into the many intricacies of getting the Mac to use the proprietary software the network will be sure to be using. Schools seem to be the worst offenders here, as they keep software around that was designed years ago and never updated. Your Mac on Leopard may never be able to use that legacy software. Word documents and Excel spreadsheets are easy but ask your fiance if the school uses some really old software for grading and such.

Of course, with Windows Me II (Vista) you may encounter the same problem as you would with Leopard, coupled with the fact that Vista isn't nearly as stable as Leopard. What that means is you'll need to dig around and find a PC with XP installed. She is a teacher so she should be able to get some knd of educator discount and system configuration. Don;'t expect to get a laptop with Vista and then load XP on it as many lappies don't have XP drivers for their components.

[dasaybz]

Mac's crash.

The bullshit that they are more stable is that.

Bullshit.

You wanna fix your mac because something broke on it?

Let me tell you a little story. We had a Mac PC here at work and the power supply died on it. PC, it would cost about 60 bucks, and I'll install it myself.

The Mac's power supply cost about $200 and I had to send it in to get fixed.

Now, that's a PC, and I know there's a difference, but honestly, if you want stuff fixed, you got to go to the Mac store. You know, that store in the mall that has a line out the door every time you go in.

iTunes plays great on every single Windows based PC that I own. You will never have compatibility issues with a Windows based system, and your wife won't have to learn everything over again.

Honestly, if your wife is an average PC user, wait until she's aggravated as all hell because she doesn't know how to navigate through the stupid OS.

Seriously, anyone that thinks that Mac's are more stable, just punch them right in the face, because that is a flat out lie.

Dude, do yourself a favor and go to www.lenovo.com and pick yourself out a nice T61 laptop with a core 2 duo processor in it. That shit will be amazing.

As far as software is concerned, just install windows defender and AVG Antivirus. Both are free.

[Merc]

I haven't used a Mac in years so I'd hate to comment on their current stability. Neither have I used Vista but all reports are it is a less than good OS. I can say that XP has become a very stable OS that works well with most everything available in hardware and software. As far as repairs, with most laptops you'd be forced to send it away or drop it somewhere regardless of it being Mac or Windows as few parts are user replaceable.

Mac makes some good products from what I have seen, albeit expensive for what little you get, but one thing I have learned over the last few years is if someone, especially a female, asks you to set them up with a computer that just works and is fast, you do NOT want to get "cute" about it. Most folks do not want to learn a new OS or have to hunt around for software or try and figure out how to make it work on a PC centric network, they just want to boot up and run.

Do yourself a favor and get her something she knows and is comfortable with. Spend the money on making it fast and robust. Get this little program called decrapifier http://www.yorkspace.com/pc-de-crapifier/ and supposedly will get rid of much of the pushware the OEMs load on your new PC. Load her software and files onto the new rig and make sure you set up the links and shortcuts so the move is nearly transparent. Transfer her emaill addees and her favorites folder. Once all that is done hand the lappie over to her and you'll have much happier fiance.

[Merk]

More good info guys, thanks

[Merc]

Mac's crash.
Dude, do yourself a favor and go to www.lenovo.com and pick yourself out a nice T61 laptop with a core 2 duo processor in it. That shit will be amazing.
.

I may be getting a laptop soon as well and that T61 looks nice. Thanks dasaybz.

[Sabres Cutie]

I have an HP Pavilion zd7005qv with a docking station. I've had it since xmas of 2004 and love it. This past summer I wiped it clean because I had a few problems but still nothing major. Only problem is that the battery life is low because this laptop has a large screen.

Don't knock it, but check out QVC and HSN. Around christmas time they have deals left and right for brand name computers. Mine is from QVC and my sister has a very fast, nice new laptop from there as well.

I'm a teacher too, dl tons of music, use an iPod AND take over 600 photos a month. :)

[sukie]

Any intelligent person will be completely comfortable in a day with a MAC OS. Power supply isn't part of the stability that is in question. I have 3 macs. They do not lock up. No magical solution of "Just reboot it".

[Sabres Cutie]

Any intelligent person will be completely comfortable in a day with a MAC OS. Power supply isn't part of the stability that is in question. I have 3 macs. They do not lock up. No magical solution of "Just reboot it".

I am an intelligent person, and with numerous instances of having to use Macs at school, I am still not comfortable using the system. I just don't like them. It's funny that school districts give their teachers pcs to use in their classrooms but the computer labs have half macs half pcs.

[Merc]

Apple has always catered to the Education system, be it college level or HS and below. I've run mac desktops and laptops but that was a long time ago (late 90s). The landscape has changed considerably in the last few years and it is much easier now to run MS programs on a mac then it was just two years ago.

Sabres Cutie is kind of reiterating what I said above, that most folks don't want to mess with something new or foreign, they just want a system that runs fast and that they know their way around. By all reports, Leopard is an awesome OS and is much better than XP and especially better than Vista but most people do not want to learn it.

No doubt about it that running a Mac in a MS world is more complicated. Whether it is worth the effort is in the eye of the beholder but I'd bet your fiance would not be happy changing operating systems.

[dasaybz]

Any intelligent person will be completely comfortable in a day with a MAC OS. Power supply isn't part of the stability that is in question. I have 3 macs. They do not lock up. No magical solution of "Just reboot it".

Do you know why rebooting a computer is a magical solution?

The same holds true for a Mac brother.

[Fortunesmith]

Do you know why rebooting a computer is a magical solution?

The same holds true for a Mac brother.

Only with the superior memory management of a Mac, rebooting doesn't need to be done nearly as often.

[35Pete]

Any intelligent person will be completely comfortable in a day with a MAC OS. Power supply isn't part of the stability that is in question. I have 3 macs. They do not lock up. No magical solution of "Just reboot it".

You don't need to be intelligent to use a MAC.

Merk. Do you really want to be seen with your girl when she's typing on one of these?

http://www.adorablekidsdressup.com/Cloud%20Nine%20Images/Learning_Toys/Laptop.jpg

[35Pete]

Mac's crash.

The bullshit that they are more stable is that.

Bullshit.

You wanna fix your mac because something broke on it?

Let me tell you a little story. We had a Mac PC here at work and the power supply died on it. PC, it would cost about 60 bucks, and I'll install it myself.

The Mac's power supply cost about $200 and I had to send it in to get fixed.

Now, that's a PC, and I know there's a difference, but honestly, if you want stuff fixed, you got to go to the Mac store. You know, that store in the mall that has a line out the door every time you go in.

iTunes plays great on every single Windows based PC that I own. You will never have compatibility issues with a Windows based system, and your wife won't have to learn everything over again.

Honestly, if your wife is an average PC user, wait until she's aggravated as all hell because she doesn't know how to navigate through the stupid OS.

Seriously, anyone that thinks that Mac's are more stable, just punch them right in the face, because that is a flat out lie.

Dude, do yourself a favor and go to www.lenovo.com and pick yourself out a nice T61 laptop with a core 2 duo processor in it. That shit will be amazing.

As far as software is concerned, just install windows defender and AVG Antivirus. Both are free.

Most Applications Crash. If Not, The Operating System Hangs.

[35Pete]

Only with the superior memory management of a Mac, rebooting doesn't need to be done nearly as often.

So it does it for you automatically on a random basis? :D

[35Pete]

Sorry, Pete. For the average user, Macs out-perform Windows PC's in every way. Macs are stable, speedy and everything has a keyboard shortcut. I don't even use a mouse because just about all the keyboard shortcuts are uniform no matter what app you are running. Windows is buggy, annoying (ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS?), and requires to be either reinstalled or recovered at least 3 times over the life of the computer. You may be able to get the hardware to match or beat a Mac, but Windows flat out blows next to OS X.

Not true at all. (Linux is way faster than MAC OS)

Hardware capabilities of PC's are superior. As well as the plethora of additional hardware add-ons (video cards, audio, ect) that can really speed the baby up.

This machine that I built will SMOKE any MAC. Guaranteed. You can't touch it.

And Merc's and Woody's are even faster.

[35Pete]

Steer clear of Dells, Merk. I had one for less than a year; the main problem is the back piece of the laptop, which the power cord went in, constantly broke, so it would go completely dead (That's common on all Dells, I learned.). I had to send the laptop back to the company twice to fix it. By the time it happened for a third time, I just decided to buy a cheap Toshiba, which has worked great so far. The Toshiba cost me half of what the Dell did, yet it hasn't given me any problems whatsoever. Go figure.

My Dell M70 work laptop sucks. I'd make it a frisbee but I'd get fired. LOL

[Fortunesmith]

Not true at all. (Linux is way faster than MAC OS)

Hardware capabilities of PC's are superior. As well as the plethora of additional hardware add-ons (video cards, audio, ect) that can really speed the baby up.

This machine that I built will SMOKE any MAC. Guaranteed. You can't touch it.

And Merc's and Woody's are even faster.

Notice I said Windows PC's. Of course one could build a PC with the some killer hardware that would smoke a Dodge Viper, but running Windows you might as well drop a Viper engine in a Dodge Omni.

http://www.itc.virginia.edu/lsp/vol2/dec2005/images/brad/omni.jpg

BTW - Linux is a nice performing OS and all, but far from refined and average-user friendly.

[Woody]

Neither have I used Vista but all reports are it is a less than good OS.

I've had Vista since day one and I've been impressed. The only people who knock on it are those who don't have the right drivers or hardware. As long as the Laptop comes pre-loaded or is "Vista Ready" you shouldn't run into any problems. :niterider

[Merc]

If you're happy with Vista, Woody, then great. I plan on buying it soon as i need to understand it for my business but as an OS it is a bust. It provides very few improvements over XP, excepting for the prettier desktop, and is a huge resource hog. Manufacturers have had a terrible time getting drivers to work with Vista and it is an absolute bitch for system builders as it is very restrictive and does not allow multiple reloads. Very unstable as compared to every other OS on the market and has many other problems that need to be worked out.

As far as benchmarkers like myself, and gamers, Vista is an absolute performance killer and is avoided at all costs. There is an old saying that the enthusiasts test the new stuff, and pay the premiums, and then the benfits roll down hill to the regular users. The Enthusiast market has rejected Vista hands down and to me that speaks volumes.

Bottomline is Vista was NOT ready for prime time and is NOT an huge leap, as it should've been, over XP. Think Windows Me and you have a pretty good idea of what Vista is and what it will be. It works and some folks like it. The best I have heard is what you said,
"I've had Vista since day one and I've been impressed. The only people who knock on it are those who don't have the right drivers or hardware. As long as the Laptop comes pre-loaded or is "Vista Ready" you shouldn't run into any problems."

Considering that Vista was several years in the making and was released at an outrageous cost, that is not a ringing endorsement. I can get a copy of XP Home for $90 but Vista came out at $250. WTF??. I just looked at Newegg and Vista Home Premium is down to $112. That is not bad so I'll quit bitching about cost.

Honestly, I really, really wanted Vista to be an outstanding program. Billions of dollars and years of development should've yielded something a geek like me would be drooling for. It is a huge disappointment. As it is I'll install it in my rig to get to know it so I can work on all the Vista rigs that will be out there.

BTW, if anyone is looking for a new rig I am putting the finishing touches on a beautiful e6600, XFX 8800GT, 2GB of Corsair DDR2 800 XMS RAM, PC P&C 610 watt PSU with 320GB of RAID 0 storage, Pioneer DVD burner on an Asus P5N32-E SLI Plus motherboard in a beautiful black aluminum Lian Li case. The e6600 is conservatively overclocked to 3.0Ghz with a Zalman 7000 cooler. It will go higher. Fresh, licensed CD of XP home comes with it. PM me if interested, should be around $1250.

[Woody]

Word.. I hear ya. I guess I'm one of the few that got a good deal.. hahah. All my games work great, my system screams and it's SOLID. I noticed the performance hit but my system pushes so hard it doesn't even matter. And it works great in a Virtual Environment(minus Aero). I love having Vista on hand in a VM when I'm in Linux. :niterider

[г]

If the laptop is for a chick, a Mac would be perfect.

[г]

Actually, I'm just buggin'...I work in IT and more and more of the developers, especially the developers that I work with have a Mac at home while they work on Win-tel units at work because it's our corporate standard.

Volvos and Macs or anything Apple like the new iPod touch seem to be the newest status symbol among the folks I work with.

[Sabres Cutie]

If the laptop is for a chick, a Mac would be perfect.

I'm a "chick", and I would like to know why a mac would be perfect for me? Cause I sure as hell hate them...

[г]

Because the better memory management and faster processor will give you more time to make me a sandwich, honey. ;)

Relax...as I said I was just buggin...

[Merc]

So what did you get Merk?

[Merk]

So what did you get Merk?


Still checking them out


So far I've looked over Sony's, Dells, Toshiba, and Alienware

I'm checking out the Macs next week


and thats also when my brother gets back from Japan. He works for Intel as an engineer and built my computer so I'm going to let him look over this thread and tell him what I've found then let him weigh in.


I should and want to have this wrapped up by next Friday so I'll let you guys know who won out in the end lol



I'd also like to take the oppurtunity to thank everyone who responed in this thread. There was a lot of good info in here that I can not only use in this purchase but for future use on my computer. I really appreciate it!! :beers:

[Sabres Cutie]

I am relaxed. I just wanted to know why the hell a mac is good for a "chick".

Because the better memory management and faster processor will give you more time to make me a sandwich, honey. ;)

Relax...as I said I was just buggin...

[Billsman]

I own a newer, bought in 7/07, gateway with vista and really enjoy it.

[Billsman]

Because the better memory management and faster processor will give you more time to make me a sandwich, honey. ;)

Relax...as I said I was just buggin...

:ducking:

[dasaybz]

Still checking them out


So far I've looked over Sony's, Dells, Toshiba, and Alienware

I'm checking out the Macs next week


and thats also when my brother gets back from Japan. He works for Intel as an engineer and built my computer so I'm going to let him look over this thread and tell him what I've found then let him weigh in.


I should and want to have this wrapped up by next Friday so I'll let you guys know who won out in the end lol



I'd also like to take the oppurtunity to thank everyone who responed in this thread. There was a lot of good info in here that I can not only use in this purchase but for future use on my computer. I really appreciate it!! :beers:

If your brother works for Intel, I bet he recommends the Lenovo :)

[Callaway]

What does your rig have?

Still checking them out


So far I've looked over Sony's, Dells, Toshiba, and Alienware

I'm checking out the Macs next week


and thats also when my brother gets back from Japan. He works for Intel as an engineer and built my computer so I'm going to let him look over this thread and tell him what I've found then let him weigh in.


I should and want to have this wrapped up by next Friday so I'll let you guys know who won out in the end lol



I'd also like to take the oppurtunity to thank everyone who responed in this thread. There was a lot of good info in here that I can not only use in this purchase but for future use on my computer. I really appreciate it!! :beers:

[Merk]

What does your rig have?


To tell you the truth I have no idea lolol


I do know that it has an Intel Processor that hasnt been released yet



and just to let everyone know the MacBook Pro won out in the end



Thanks for all the input and info again guys :beers:

[Merc]

just to let everyone know the MacBook Pro won out in the end
Thanks for all the input and info again guys :beers:

Pete is going to kill you. http://img61.photobucket.com/albums/v185/MemoryLane/bolt.gif Let us know how she likes it.

[Fortunesmith]

To tell you the truth I have no idea lolol


I do know that it has an Intel Processor that hasnt been released yet



and just to let everyone know the MacBook Pro won out in the end



Thanks for all the input and info again guys :beers:

Great choice! The MacBook Pro is honestly the best laptop I have ever used; I love mine.

What was the deciding factor(s) in your decision? Have you decided on a word processor/spreadsheet bundle, yet?

[sukie]

Solid choice.

[35Pete]

To tell you the truth I have no idea lolol


I do know that it has an Intel Processor that hasnt been released yet



and just to let everyone know the MacBook Pro won out in the end



Thanks for all the input and info again guys :beers:

Jesus. You need thorazine bro. What the :censor: happened to your ability to reason? :D

[dasaybz]

Macbook?


ahahhahaah, now we can all point at you and laugh and make fun of you

[Fortunesmith]

I guess Mac beats PC's on Windows now too. LOL!

In Pictures: The Most Notable Notebooks of 2007

Fastest: Apple MacBook Pro
The fastest Windows Vista notebook we've tested this year (through 10/25/07) is a Mac. Try that again: The fastest Windows Vista notebook we've tested this year--or for that matter, ever--is a Mac. Not a Dell, not a Toshiba, not even an Alienware. The $2419 (plus the price of a copy of Windows Vista, of course) MacBook Pro's PC WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 88 beats Gateway's E-265M by a single point, but the MacBook's score is far more impressive simply because Apple couldn't care less whether you run Windows

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136649-page,3-c,notebooks/article.html

[Merk]

Just an update on this

She loves the Mac I got her. We put XP on it and thats where she keeps all her school stuff. She uses Leopard for picture music and entertainment stuff. I've used it a couple times and its faster than I thought it would be.

[Buffalo1]

I have a Dell and it sucks, my girlfriend, who is a teacher also, has a Macbook that is provided by her school and it is money. i find myself stealing it all the time to do my work so I don't have to fight with my Dell. When it comes to pictures, movies, and music, forget about it the Mac blows my Dell out of the water and it is super easy to use. It never freezes, bogs down, gives you strange errors or glitches as far as I have been using it.

At school whenever I have the choice I always use Macs also, just a preference I guess, but I have never had any issues with Macs whereas I have had countless hangups with the competition.

[Merc]

I bought a Lenovo R61e and love the thing. Added second stick of RAM for $18 which brought the shipped cost to $530. I'll plug a dual core CPU in it when the prices drop. Looking at a T7200 but $300 is too much. Should be $180 by mid summer when the 45nm chips are out in force.

[dasaybz]

I bought a Lenovo R61e and love the thing. Added second stick of RAM for $18 which brought the shipped cost to $530. I'll plug a dual core CPU in it when the prices drop. Looking at a T7200 but $300 is too much. Should be $180 by mid summer when the 45nm chips are out in force.

Lenovo's are great. All I buy people here at work are Lenovos. I steer clear of everything else. As a matter of face, I just bought 2 T61s, and they are great.

[Merc]

dasaybz-
I was thinking about upgrading the CPU from a Celeron M 540 to a Core 2 Duo like a T7300. Is that possible with the Thinkpads?