Can't Decide... Tablet PC or MacBook?!

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>I've looked at all the Tablet vs Mac threads here and I'm still at a standstill...
Recently I looked at the HP TouchSmart Tm2t and was very intrigued, then when looking at reviews for it... I saw the MacBook and how it promoted its 10 hour battery life and cheap price via college student.</p>

<p>I'm looking to spend under at least $1,000... (Anything over because of tax is reasonable)
The Recommended Touchsmart Laptop includes...
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R)Core(TM)2 Duo SU7300 (1.30GHz, 800MHz FSB) w/512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 4550 Graphics
• FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• FREE Upgrade to 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 12.1" diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP LED Widescreen (1280x800) with Integrated Touch-screen
• Webcam Only
• Intel Wireless-N Card
• Bumptop(TM), DigiFish(R) Dolphin, Corel(R) Paint it! Touch(TM), Megatouch Games
• HP Keyboard
• 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
• Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
All for a total of $849.74</p>

<p>The MacBook contains...
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB DDR3 memory
250GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics
Built-in 10-hour battery
Polycarbonate unibody enclosure
Free iPod Touch 8GB (After Rebate)
for $1,216 (Including Tax and no rebate)</p>

<p>What I'm looking for is a computer that can flow.
The thing that tickles my fancy is mostly the flow of it, whether it's switching through applications or sliding through pictures. What I like about the HP is the ability to drag and drop pictures or anything else (depends on what's in the program I guess) with the simple touch of a finger, and have all those amazing features to it. What concerns me though is the 1.3ghz... Is that enough? I'm guessing it might get a little laggy but I don't mind that... As long as it's not consistent lag and problematic like HP's previous tablet.
The Mac OS however looks very smooth, and with a 2.4ghz I'm sure it'll blaze through applications.</p>

<p>What I like about the MacBook
- 2.4 GHz
- GeForce 320m
- Applications
- 10 Hour Battery Life (Major Plus)</p>

<p>What I like about the HP
- HD 4550
- Tablet/Swivel
- Touch Screen/Handwrite (Major Plus)
- 500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive w/ Protection (Major Plus)
- Touch Smart</p>

<p>Both of them are pretty sturdy, both of them have good graphics cards, and both of them are pretty ready for good long use.</p>

<p>My questions for the HP are...
-Is its 1.3GHz processor good for the tablet overall?</p>

<p>-Will I be more likely to face problems with the touchscreen in terms of handwriting and features? (Like preciseness with touch or stylus)</p>

<p>-Is it easier to smudge or break because of the touch screen/swivel design?</p>

<p>-Can its screen be problematic for me regarding lighting?</p>

<p>My questions for the Mac are...
-I'm new to the Mac OS... Is there a big learning curve?</p>

<p>-Is there any problems that I should expect in MacBooks?</p>

<p>-Can its screen be problematic for me regarding lighting?</p>

<p>I've read that MacBook's are widely used in colleges and that shows me that they're very good for the job. I'm not doing anything technical, I'm planning on Majoring in Psychology, but all I want to do is at least be able to record what the professor is saying, write down or type notes precisely, breeze through applications, features, games, or internet, and not have to worry about the battery life while I'm in school. Out of school I'd most likely have it plugged in.</p>

<p>Also, if you know any other laptops out there that are similar or better, but around the price of my budget, I'd be glad to hear it.
Thank you.</p>

<p>Note: This is not a PC vs Mac war, this is just for the simple, every day use of college and computing.</p>

2

<p>I found another laptop… Gateway NV5924u
Its specs are…</p>

<p>-Intel® Core™ i5-430M Processor1 2.26GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.53GHz (1066MHz FSB, 3MB L2 Cache)7
-Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64-bit)8
-4096MB Dual-Channel DDR3 1066MHz sDRAM9
-500GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive4
-Sleek Honeycomb Case Design with Midnight Blue Lid
-Chassis with ATI Radeon® HD 5650 Graphics with up to 4091MB of HyperMemory™ (1024MB of dedicated DDR3 VRAM, up to 3067MB of shared system memory) supporting Shader Model 5.0 and Microsoft® DirectX® 11 with Mobile Intel® HM55 Express Chipset9
-802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™
-8x DVD-Super Multi Double-Layer Drive
For $799.00</p>

<p>Maybe I’m answering my own question here, I don’t know, but I would still like to hear opinions and possibilities so that maybe others who are struggling can find possibilities here as well.</p>

3

<p>The 1.3 Ghz would actually not be a problem, as that processor is a variant of higher end processors that is meant to consume less energy without making compromises in terms of overall performance. </p>

<p>It really depends on what kind of person you are. If you want raw power, go with the Gateway. If you want to have the tablet functionality (more comfortable with writing notes instead of typing them), go with the HP. If you just want something that’s easy to use from the start and looks nice, go with the Mac.</p>

<p>Hope that elucidated some issues here!</p>

4

<p>Personally, I’d rather go with a PC laptop + drawing tablet. I’ve yet to find a tablet PC that has the portability and battery life that I’d like.</p>

<p>As for the MacBook, it does NOT offer 10 hours battery life; most reviews put the Core 2 Duo MBs at 7 hours and the Core i7 MBPs at 5 hours. The Acer Timeline and Asus UL series are two cheaper models with similar or longer battery lives.</p>

<p>As for CPUs, what tofuisgood4u (awesome name!) said is true; unless you’re going to do something beyond web surfing/watch videos/play music/do homework, an SU7300 @ 1.3 GHz is more than enough for you. I even get away with photoshopping on the same CPU on my laptop.</p>

5

<p>Does anyone else notice how the macbook is actually inferior in memory and ram, yet costs loads more?
I used to have a phase where I wanted a mac, and then I decided something…just give me the case! macs look amazing but really they aren’t much more than that. Sure they have some exclusive programs, but it’s really the style that I want. Macs are beautiful…but so expensive! And like r31ncarnat3d said, unless you’re some huge gaming nerd, 1.3 GHz really is fine. So go with the touchsmart! Better specs by far.</p>

6

<p>I cannot give tech facts on why the mac is superior to the pc but I have had both and the mac is faster, simpler, less viruses </p>

<p>the only vice is that the word system is horrible and u should probably purchase a word application with the mac</p>

7

<p>

</p>

<p>Nothing to do with hardware, but all to do with the Mac OS. I admit it is better than Windows, but PC-based laptops are superior hardware-wise to MacBooks. Go for the middle ground; buy a PC-based laptop and install Linux (an open-source UNIX-based operating system, similar to Mac OS X) on it.</p>

8

<p>Whatever you do, do not get a gateway laptop! They are poorly made. If you are lucky, you will get 2 years out of it. Id go with Mac though. They are reliable and their customer service is great!</p>

9

<p>Thank you so much, everybody, for your responses.
bbianchetti, haha I see you’ve had experience with a Gateway.
r31ncarnat3d, I’ve played with Linux, Xubuntu actually, and I like how sleek it is.
Also, ok I’ll admit I am a gaming nerd, but if it can at least play Left 4 Dead 2 at decent settings then that’s more than enough for me.
I feel that a PC (even though mine’s a little old) should be used for the gaming, Laptops, on the other hand, used for more on-the-go types
I just want a laptop for more of the middle-ground, especially for college.
So I’m stuck at the HP and the Gateway… So far at least.
How long do you think the HP can last, since the Gateway will supposedly give you a max of two years?</p>

10

<p>Hey… I saw another computer… I customized it and it remains under $1,000.
Toshiba A500-ST6644
Intel® Core™ i5-430M Processor 2.26 GHz (2.53 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology), 3MB L3 Cache, 1066MHz DDR3<br>
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit<br>
4GB DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM (2048MBx2)<br>
500GB HDD (7200rpm, Serial-ATA)<br>
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M with 1GB GDDR3 discrete graphics<br>
DVD SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) drive<br>
Fusion Finish™ in Quantum Black<br>
Glossy Black Keyboard<br>
No Bluetooth (No Antenna)<br>
Lithium Ion battery (6-Cell, 4000mAh)<br>
No Modem<br>
Microsoft® Office Ready with Microsoft Office Professional 2007 60-day Trial
All for $994.00</p>

<p>Anyone have positive or negative experiences with Toshiba’s?</p>

11

<p>I’ve actually been deciding between a macbook and the hp tablet as well. The one thing I really want to know is how durable the hp’s hinge is that the tablet swivels on. Does anyone know if it would be durable enough to last 4 years? I know the macbook can easily survive 4 years of college, but I haven’t heard anyone mention the durability of the hp… Has anyone heard about the durability at all?</p>

12

<p>^My experience with HP has led me to believe that their greatest trait is not longevity.</p>

<p>Perhaps I’m a bit too subjective; I’m sure others will give you an additional perspective.</p>