i'm about to buy a new machine for school. i'm thinking the lenova tablet pc or a new macbook. the decision was easy for a while because until recently law school exams could only be administered on pc's (for software reasons). now that mac has the dual thing going on where i can jump from os to os, this is not a problem.

so, the age old question looms heavy on my head.

give me some advice as to which machine you prefer and why. by the way, i've used both and the imac in my house has never crashed or succumbed to a virus while both my pc laptops have (yes, even with firewall and virus protection and no, i don't have winmx or any similar programs).

thanks for the coming advice!

I'm going to say PC.

the power of the pc is the standardized platform. The vast majority of computer in this world are IBM type.

Personal Computer's have come a long long way. Back in the day a mac would get you some better apps, this is no longer true.

There are more people working toward expanding your computers capabilities with the IBM type. Though, there are more also trying to exploit your weaknesses.

PC.

Macs are nice. Actually, I love them. But the are NOT better than PCs. Regardless of all the mac crazy mumbo jumbo that gets thrown at you by mac owners, PCs are a better deal pound for pound, dollar for dollar.

If you have the money to spend, and you want something sexy, get a mac. If you're looking for more compatibilty (Even with the mac's Intel chip), get a pc.

MickG said:

but if new macs now work with pc programs (because of the dual os), would that stuff really be hindrence? it seems like pcs only work with pcs but macs work with everything. is that my own misunderstanding?

didn't you just answer your own question @ the end there?
get a mac. you know it.

SammiJ said:

honestly, i've got the mac purchase saved online. i'm thisclose to getting it but since i know so little (all things considered) about computers i thought i'd ask folks on a messageboard. i'm sure to find some helpful info here, right?

sallysassalot said:

For upgrading purposes, a PC is the way to go as far as cost and selection.

sallysassalot said:

well i quit pc cold turkey and now have everything i own on my macbook...it's beautiful!
and easy to navigate around

TMPletz said:

how so? (i am totally in the minus area when it comes to this sort of thing.) what makes pcs cheaper and easier to upgrade?

SammiJ said:

couldn't you do the same with your pc though?

sallysassalot said:

There are numerous manufacturers of PC parts compared to who you can get parts from for Macs. More competition = lower price.

sallysassalot said:

for someone who's been pc all my life randomly buying a mac and starting from ground zero... i unno, not saying that macs are sooooo this n that...but after two weeks of straight mac, i rather them than pcs...

TMPletz said:

for the macbook u dont have to use "specially for mac" parts
u can use pc stuff

PC's cost like half the price of a Mac, and usually have more souped up hardware inside (bigger hard drive, more memory, better video cards, more USB ports, etc..)

I had to laugh at those Mac commercials with that kid bragging about his bundled Mac software, because I've had the latest versions of almost all the Adobe Products, Macromedia Products, Microsoft Office, etc... on my computer for years. Pretty much any program you need is out there if you look around for it, theres millions of people sharing windows applications.

If you were to drop $2500 on a system, it would probabbly get you a middle of the road Mac, it would get you a seriously souped up gaming system from Dell.

http://www.vega-nick.com/...ovieID=106

(It takes a little bit to load up...give it time. It's worth it.)

Tom said:

here's the stats of the machine i've got saved:

2.0GHz Intel Core Duo
1GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM- 2x512
100GB Serial ATA drive
SuperDrive (DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
Keyboard/Mac OS
Airport Extreme Card&BT
• Safari 2
• Mail 2
• Address Book 4
• iChat AV 3
• iCal 2
• Font Book 2
• DVD Player 4.5
• Preview 3
• Xcode 2

Included software

• iLife ’06
• iWork ’06 Trial
• Front Row
• Photo Booth
• Comic Life
• OmniOutliner
• Big Bang Board Games
• Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive
• Apple Hardware Test


plus a free ipod 4g nano and a 3 year total warranty and tech support, all for under $2000


.
[Edited 7/7/06 20:41pm]

i really dont know the difference except for price wise but i love mac stuff, its compatable with everything i do (art and media), its very user friendly for me. i guess it depends on what your using your pc/mac for the most.

sallysassalot said:

Checkout PC notebooks at http://www.newegg.com

Buying a mac is like buying a Volkswagen Beetle. You don't buy them becuase they make sense. You buy them becuase you like 'em and they're different.

I'm looking at getting a mac soon, but I'm under no illusions about them being supposedly better than PC.s They're not.
[Edited 7/7/06 20:45pm]

so what type of desktop pc would you recommend thats used mostly by kids for playing games online and doing basic everyday homework? eventhough i like macs i'm not willing to drop that kind of money down for a computer thats used mainly by my boys in the house.

Imago said:

my other option is a lenova tablet. the problem is besides the threat of virus and crashes (which may just be a dell thing, i don't know), the cost of a tablet with similar stats is 300 bucks more. is a tablet pc really worth $2300? is it that much better than a mac?

.
[Edited 7/7/06 20:53pm]

sallysassalot said:

I bought a Dell XPS200 earlier this year with the following specs...

3ghz processor
2gb of RAM
250gb hard drive
20" Ultrasharp LCD monitor
and it was a little over $1700 after discounts

did their system include the monitor? or was that a notebook?

Tom said:

dell is 120% out of the question. my last two laptops were dells and i've had nothing but headaches. tech support is a joke and now they charge you for it if you don't buy the right warranty package. i also don't care for dell's business practices.

besides, i don't want a heavy machine. i have to lug this thing around with me to classes that will require a ton of books. and i should mention that i have no need for a gaming machine...any chance of having a life is pretty much over for a year come 7 august.

that is a macbook with a 13" screen.
[Edited 7/7/06 21:01pm]

I'm a mac user, I use Final cut Pro and DVD studio Pro, there's nothing as cool on the PC platform, but the new macs... are PC's!!!! You can actually have them startup in mac os or Windows (if you install windows). Apple won't advertise that, but it's true... so my computer geek friends tell me.

Macs are, in fact, better. They are better because the Mac OS is better than anything else out there, and the OS is what makes your day-to-day computing experience what it is.

Windows sucks. Nobody who has ever really used an alternative will argue otherwise. Nobody. Anytime somebody argues for the greatness -- or even okayness -- of Windows, I know that they don't really know their stuff and are talking out of their ass.

PLUS, Apple's iLife suite is great, PLUS, you can now boot Windows on a MacBook if you really need to.

So.

HereToRockYourWorld said:

i don't know enough to agree of disagree...but i do know the omni software on the mac looks perfect for me.

ufoclub said:

Adobe Premiere is practically a clone of Final Cut. There was an article I read (and posted on here I think) from a few months ago, where the author was speculating that Apple will ultimately phase out its operating system alltogether and focus on its devices like the Ipods instead. They've kind of been stepping in that direction with the switch in processors and the support for dual operating systems. I just don't see them attracting alot of PC uers though with this.

http://diveintomark.org/a...ugh-breaks

http://www.boingboing.net...ist_o.html

HereToRockYourWorld said:

nah

http://www.xvsxp.com/

"Windows XP sucks" is based mainly on user preference.

Stacked up against OS-X, it actually beats it in alot of studies, or is tied.
It really boils down to preference.


The main thing I like about OS-X is that it's a bit easier to undertand if you don't know anything about computers at all, where as XP still has some of the legacy Windows quircks (though not enough to make it inferior to OS-X).

sallysassalot said:

The MacBook is TOTALLY the way to go.

*You can run OS X and Windows, natively, on the same machine. (You can't do this on a 'normal' PC.)

*Better compatability: You have access to virtually any app you could possibly want or need due to the above. ...and OS X has some amazing shareware/freeware software available.

*The Mac comes bundled with a software suite that really has no comparison in the ease of use department (iLife '06) for home users. Sure, other machines come bundled with loads of software but rarely is it as well laid out nor do the apps work seamlessly with each other.

*There are virtually ZERO viruses that affect OS X in the wild. You can browse the web without worry.

Contrary to Imago's mistaken notion above, the MacBook is just as compatible with hardware/software as any other typical notebook. Moreso given it's Dual OS ability. ...and under OS X, a lot of hardware "just works" when you plug it in, no need to install extra apps or drivers.

TMPletz's comment about upgrading is irrelevant when comparing notebooks. The MacBook is no more or less upgradable than comparable NOTEBOOK systems. Even Mac desktops can be upgraded as they use standard IBM compatible parts in most cases(hard drive, memory, DVD Burners, etc - you don't need to buy a special "Mac branded" version of any of that).

Tom's comments on pricing are way off the mark when you're comparing similarly equipped systems: See http://www.systemshootouts.org/ It's one thing if you're going to build your own, it's quite another when you're comparing name brand machines. (and the comment about stealing software seems fairly moot since it does apply to both platforms...and at least with a Mac, you won't have to worry about viruses or spyware in your downloads)

Also, unless they are running a special - don't buy direct from Apple, if you're buying online. Save yourself the tax money and purchase from a place like Clubmac.com, macmall.com, etc... many offer special bundles, free shipping, etc. ClubMac will even preload Windows XP for you before they ship it.

you guys rock, by the way, with all your suggestions and insights.

i'm probably going to go with the mac but i did want to see what the general thoughts were. its funny because wherever i asked people this question today, those in favor of macs said the same stuff as those here, and the peeps in favor of pcs made the same arguments for their preference.

it is a hard choice between the comparably spec'd lenova tablet and the new macbook. the real selling point is the ability to handwrite my notes and save them as pdf files. but the higher price just doesn't seem to warrant the purchase, especially considering the hassle i've had with my two dell pcs.

i'm gonna buy sometime tonight so keep the pros and cons coming if any haven't been touched on. thanks again!