Apple or PC?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Cornell University
41

<p>Hansen,</p>

<p>Remember that there's more to value in a computer than just megahertz and gigabytes. You have to take into account service and other "value added" features.</p>

<p>The only thing that you're going to see with the Lenovo is 100 points knocked off on 3DMark (assuming you run the Catalyst drivers.) That's not a big deal, and probably doesn't translate into much in real world applications anyway.</p>

<p>However, you will probably see better performance on standard applications, and it will be lighter.</p>

<p>If the black bothers you, then fine. I'd rather have a computer built to last.</p>

42

<p>Hansen what kind of games do you play? You could look at a refurbished MacBook Pro. They come with a ATI X1600 video card. Put on bootcamp and run windows and you got a pretty good laptop for gaming.</p>

43

<p>its not the black.. but talk about no innovation, they have the exact same design for the past 10 years!! i mean who does that?</p>

<p>and i know what you mean about build to last and such, but computers nowadays are designed to be replaced. they're not meant to last 10 years, probably not even 5.. heck, i had 3 computers in the past 4 years, and not once was it because they 'broke'.
and interestingly enough, my cousin accidentally poured water on her lenovo thinkpad's keyboard by accident, called thinkpad support and there was nothing they could do. (the mobo was destroyed but hard disk recovered). im not saying they should cover accidents and such in their warranty, but i guess 'built tough' doesn't really matter when real life problems occur, you know, instead of like.. shooting a bullet through the computer and it still being running. (yeah i saw a commercial one day where they shot a HP or an IBM, i forget which, and it still functioned), maybe build it so that its water proof? drop proof? instead of bulletproof or shock proof.</p>

44

<p>Ehh...maybe. I thought that the 15"ers were still running a bit too hot...</p>

45

<p>tun, i really have no problems with the design of the macbooks and such, infact, i love the design, its way more appealing to me than an IBM thinkpad, its just that OS X is not for me. I have used apples in middle school for projects and my friend owns the macbook pro..... not a big fan.</p>

<p>but is it possible to just purely run windows on the macbook pro?</p>

46

<p>
[quote]
its not the black.. but talk about no innovation, they have the exact same design for the past 10 years!! i mean who does that?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Innovation isn't what's on the outside, it's what's on the inside. Thinkpads are built for a specific customer: business-minded. People who care more about power than style.</p>

<p>
[quote]
im not saying they should cover accidents and such in their warranty, but i guess 'built tough' doesn't really matter when real life problems occur, you know, instead of like.. shooting a bullet through the computer and it still being running.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>How about when it's dropped? Or when it's carried around? Or the stress on the hinges over time? Or how well the case protects the screen?</p>

<p>Nobody will cover water if the mobo's shot, but go do an experiment. Go to the nearest Best Buy or Circuit City. Press against the back of the screen and see which ones get distorted. The ones that get distorted more easily would break more easily.</p>

<p>Now go do it to a Thinkpad.</p>

<p>
[quote]
but is it possible to just purely run windows on the macbook pro?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes.</p>

47

<p>and running hot would be a good thing in ithaca :P</p>

48

<p>well.. i dont understand how everyone else tortures their computers, but i use it like a regular person. i dont put pressure on it and i treat it the way electronics are supposed to be treated... sensitively.</p>

49

<p>
[quote]
well.. i dont understand how everyone else tortures their computers, but i use it like a regular person. i dont put pressure on it and i treat it the way electronics are supposed to be treated... sensitively.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Life happens, my friend. You'll be walking, and someone will walk into your bag. Or you'll drop your bag without thinking. Or you'll drop your computer (we're all prone to mistakes.) Or whatever. Stuff happens. I'd rather have a computer that's built to take care of these things than a plastic dump fest.</p>

50

<p>so you mean if i drop a thinkpad, it wont break? and an alienware from the same situation will?</p>

51

<p>and i can't believe you're using "dropping the laptop by accident" as an argument for its lack of specs/higher price anyway.... i mean if its really that important, why doesnt everyone just start carrying notebooks embedded in rocks? or bricks for cell phones, that way they'll never break.
i know 'life happens', but it is no accident that it hasn't 'happened' to me when it has happened to so many people around me (some multiple times).
clumsiness is also a factor, i can trust myself not to drop expensive items by being careful</p>

52

<p>lmao, i just realized you're a mod</p>

53

<p>Who said it has lack of specs? The only thing that's different is the video card. Otherwise, the Lenovo can match EVERYTHING on the Alienware.</p>

<p>Actually, it does even better!</p>

<ul>
<li>Intel Core 2 Duo processor T7200 (2.0GHz, 4MB L2, 667MHz FSB)<br></li>
<li>Genuine Windows XP Professional<br></li>
<li>15.4" WUXGA, Black<br></li>
<li>ATI Mobility Fire GL V5200 256MB (use the right drivers and this is an x1600)</li>
<li> 2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)<br></li>
<li>Integrated fingerprint reader (meh...this one's not that great in my opinion, but here's some value added...)</li>
<li> 100 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm<br></li>
<li> DVD Recordable 8x Max, Dual Layer, Ultrabay Enhanced<br></li>
</ul>

<p>And for $30 more you can get the 9 cell battery if you want.</p>

<p>Price? $2278</p>

54

<p>
[quote]
lmao, i just realized you're a mod

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I'm a mod who loves gadgets and technology. :)</p>

55

<p>OH but the WUXGA does not have the resolution that the alienware does :D
lol fingerprint reader is pretty cool i guess</p>

56

<p>Umm...</p>

<p>15.4" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD </p>

<p>WUXGA = WideUXGA.</p>

57

<p>
[quote]
Oh, and which Thinkpad are you using? T or X? I adore Thinkpads, by the way, and think they are the gold standard in Windows notebooks.

[/quote]

Actually, I'm using the relatively new Z series (Z61t). They're widescreen notebooks (mine is 14") with multimedia features like the built-in webcam. I blogged</a> my notebook, in case someone out there wants to read more about a ThinkPad.</p>

<p>
[quote]
do you find it hard to not having a laptop to carry around?

[/quote]

This wasn't directed to me, but last year, I had a desktop and got along just fine by using the university computer labs. The computers there are top-of-the-line, and there are several of them across campus, in convenient locations.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I also have a desktop. I got it because I [...] enjoy having a 20" monitor to look at.

[/quote]

I use an external 17" LCD with my laptop, and it works very well. I can't live without a dual-monitor setup anymore :)</p>

<p>
[quote]
for a laptop, i think 17 is too big and 12 is too small, so i was looking at 15 inchers.

[/quote]

Consider 14". I think my 14" notebook is the perfect size.</p>

<p>
[quote]
their black design is still invoking the hate in me as it did with the same design 10 years ago, and for that reason, nevermind, i dont want a thinkpad.

[/quote]

I love the black design. It says "serious computing." The relatively new black MacBook is very popular, but ThinkPads were black long before Apple came up with that. Plus, the new titanium lid option for select ThinkPads is awesome.</p>

<p>It's the same design for 10 years because it's awesome. It was inspired by an elegant Japanese lunch</a> box. The ThinkPad design appeals to me more than any other, except maybe the 12" Dell Latitude D420, which is just really small. But it lacks a lot of features (webcam, optical drive, faster processor) which would prevent me from using it as my main computer.</p>

58

<p>yes but they're not normally that high resolution</p>

59

<p>and im not against the black color, its the design</p>

60

<p>The Lenovo that I priced runs at the same resolution.</p>