Posted on 12/21/2004 7:32:12 PM PST by shellshocked
I just got screwed by Dell trying to buy one of their laptops. It seems they are out of Pentium M chips and won't tell their customers, so my wife’s Christmas present is doomed.
I am now looking at maybe a 17" wide Apple laptop for the wife. If it can run windows applications, even remotely well, I might just buy one.
This is a Christmas present, so I am REALLY short on time here, and this is a great place to ask. There is also an Apple store near my house. Buying over the Internet from Dell is unreliable. If it isn't in my grubby paws, I don’t believe it will actually show. Dell Hell.
Any thought or suggestions? Thank you. She’ll appreciate it.
With the Apple computer you get a program called "Mail".
I use it all the time. Unless she is handling more than 1000 emails per day it is the easiest email program you have ever seen. I have Entourage and it just gathers electronic dust on my hard drive.
When you go to the Apple store you can get the Student and Teacher version of Microsoft Office for about $125. This does not have Virtual PC, but it has all of the other office programs.
The only things I can not do with a Mac which I can do with a Windows Computer are:
1. Access avanced functions on the Investors' Business Daily site,
2. Access the Value Line site,
3. Run Microsoft Project.
I can do all of these with Virtual PC, but found it better to buy a cheap ($600) Windows laptop exclusively for these functions.
Unless your wife is a heavy-duty stock trader or a project manager for a major company she will be happier with a Mac and the MS Office suite.
My wife is a college professor. She is a heavy-duty computer user. Exclusively Windows until about 5 years ago. The she tried a Mac, and now will use nothing else. They really are better and easier.
If she takes digital photos the Mac will save hours of frustration.
A good PC runs the same. I develop software and rarely ever mess with my machines. They just work and work well. I have never had my PC crash. Ever. Considering the software I develop, they should have with everyone telling me how fragile they think they are. The main diff between a Mac and a PC is that the Mac is tuned for itself. The OS is designed specifically for the hardware it runs on, while the PC is generic and the OS folks (read: Microsoft) can't tune to a spcific machine. A good machine will run forever. Macs are great machines, they just don't have much of a corporate penetration so guys like me don't write software for them. That is changing. Computers are getting more agnostic everyday. The web is pushing that concept.
We're going to go look at the Mac tomorrow. If they have what she wants in stock, she'll come home with one. Microsoft Office for the Mac as well.
I think I just saw Office for the Mac with a project manager. Don't know if that was Project or not.
Digital photos are a must for her. The PC she has is fantastic as Windows XP does a much better job of it than any other Microsoft OS. Hell, our television (Sony WEGA) has a memory slot and can display pictures. It runs Linux!
BTW, the HP 3500 color laser printer does a great job of printing photos. Because it is a flat printer and not a rotating drum type, it doesn't crease the paper and can print 12ppm color. It does flatten glossy paper due to the heat involved. Maybe there is a glossy paper designed for lasers?
The IBM Thinkpad.
They also have an outlet store for refurbs and off-lease products.
Go to: http://www.macseek.com/ and check the prices for yourself.
Current desktops take PC3200 or PC3200 DDR, depending on the model. Laptops take PC2700 DDR or PC 2100 DDR, depending on the model.
512 MB of laptop memory is $78 in either flavor. Sounds like about 1/2 of $150 to me.
Used to use this all the time. I could save files in MS Word, Works, Word for Windows, Lotus, Word Perfect, any format you could imagine. And, convert those files into other formats. Used heavily with QuarkXpress, PageMaker, etc. It gives you unparalleled flexibility.
Current HP/Microsoft user. I vote for the Mac.
My wife gave me a Sony digital for Christmas (and insisted that I open it early so I could learn to use it before we open the rest of the presents with the kids). I opened the box, put in batteries and took pictures. Pluged the USB cord into my G4 laptop and imported the pictures into iPhoto. No learning curve, no extra software needed. No instructions needed for the computer. Taking the pictures was harder than the computer part.
BTW, the HP 3500 color laser printer does a great job of printing photos.
We have the HP 4450N. I am not sure I can justify a second color laser printer, but I will look at the 3500 in the store.
From reading, I think the best consumer color prints are made by ink jets on special paper. The truth is I hardly make any prints any more--just email digital photos to the relatives. My wife posts pictures on her website, but again no real printing.
Not just the style. Also the best service, and least frequency of repair as rated by Consumer Reports.
Is Mac laptop any good question... PING!
If you want to be 1 or 0 on the Macitosh Ping list, freepmail me.
Please provide an example of a current Apple Macintosh peripheral that is 3 times the price of a PC peripheral. I don't think you can.
Software pricing is comparable.
The Mac version of MS Office is excellent. Apple provides an excellent email client called Mail with the system for free... integrated and with one of the most efficient spam filters available.
Microsoft Office Mac includes an excellent email client, Entourage.
Well ok then....tell her to watch out for the laptop. ;)
Bushie, the $499 Walmart computer is a LAPTOP, the $499 Dell is a DESKTOP. Duh!
Now that doesn't mean your point is entirely invalid. A low end Inspiron 1000 Dell Laptop ($799, $699 after rebate)) has the following features:
Intel Celeron 2.2 GHz processor
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
14.1" XGA Display
256MB 266MHz Shared DDR Memory
24X CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive
Starting at 6.48lbs
Even at $200 more, it probably is the better buy for most PC users.
Understood. It's simply an illustration of how much computer you can get for $499. The Wal-Mart computer has a slooooooooooow 1Ghz processor. Personally, I think you'd have to be insane to throw your money away on one of those boxes when you can get a machine for close to the same price (see the Dell outlet prices).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.