<p>Previously, I was set on buying a Dell because it would be so much cheaper (my school offered a choice of two Macs- cheapest at $1500- and two Dells- priciest at $1200). But now, my school has upped their options to 5 different Macs including a MacBook White for $1200 and a MacBook Aluminum for $1400 or so. Now that the prices have gotten more similar, I am not sure.</p>
<p>The Dell Latitude E6400 "Multimedia" seem to be more powerful with a 2.52 GHz Intel Core (vrs 2.13 on the White and 2.4 on Aluminum) and a 4GB 800MHz DDR2 memory (vrs 2GB on White and 2GB 1066MHz DDR3 on Aluminum). </p>
<p>Also, Dell offers a 4yr on-campus repair warranty, and Apple only offers 3yrs, which seems like a big negative.</p>
<p>So... is it worth it to get the MacBook instead of the Latitude, even though the Latitude seems more powerful? Or to shell out the extra $200 for the MacBook Aluminum, which is similar in power? And is the warranty a huge deal?</p>
<p>Do you have to buy through your school? Because if you buy direct from apple you can get the 13 inch aluminum macbook pro for $1099 plus tax. Plus you have the option of getting the free ipod touch and printer( mail in rebates)</p>
<p>I’m assuming that the reason for the extra cost your school is charging for the Macs is that their package price includes the cost of the extra warranty.</p>
<p>Apple has the best reliability and service ratings among the major computer companies. To me, it’s worth it to have a Mac, even if the warranty is shorter.</p>
<p>Don’t fool yourself trying to compare processor speeds across the Mac and Dell. You won’t notice the difference in doing the everyday tasks for which you use the computer. In the opinion of many people, the Mac operating system is also more efficient than Windows, so it not a valid comparison to say the Dell is more powerful. In terms of productivity and usability and less overall frustration, the Mac operating system has the advantage IMO.</p>
<p>More memory is always a good thing so Dell has the advantange there, but the Mac will perform all the usual tasks you need to get done. And I still think the advantages of the Mac operating system more than make up for the fact that the Dell comes with more memory.</p>
<p>I think the main advantage of the aluminum Macbook over the white plastic one is that it has more rigidity, which might translate to greater durability. IMO this is a good thing in a portable since you’ll be hauling it around a lot more than you would a desktop system.</p>
<p>You might check out the price of a Mac via a mail order vendor such as Mac Zone. (You also can go to the website Lowendmac.com to find the lowest street price for Mac) This may save you sales tax. A new Mac is covered under Apple care for the first year, and before the warranty runs out, they’ll ask you if you want to purchase an extension. So getting a Mac from a different vendor may save you some money. You’ll have to do the comparison, though, to know for sure.</p>
<p>macbook!
my school gave me a free dell latitude when i got in. i was excited at first, since the laptop was a fairly good one and it had 3 years of complete warranty package. yet it’s really been annoying - let vista alone, its hard drive and battery both failed twice, as well as the charger. the support hasn’t been that bad, but of course they cannot help once your hard drive is wiped out. i sold it in ebay and bought a black macbook instead last september, and i’ve been using it with pleasure - it hasn’t failed me yet (knock on wood!) so yeah, i’d go with a macbook - their applecare service is really good too. even if you want to buy a pc, don’t get a dell, look at other brands instead.</p>
<p>You are really buying the OS because you can get an HP laptop and it still runs windows. I’m assuming you are already familiar with windows so I would suggest you run to an Apple store and take an hour or two out of your day to just sit there and play with the macbook.</p>
<p>I have noticed that 2GB of RAM and a 2.26 GHz in mac performs better than 4GB RAM and a 2.53 GHz running windows.</p>
<p>I think the reason it costs more to buy from the school is because the laptops come with all the required programs/extra stuff. </p>
<p>I am really leaning towards getting the MacBook Aluminum (especially because I just checked and it looks like it is down to $1299 now, which is less than $100 more than the Latitude).</p>
<p>The only reason I’m really hesitating is the warranty… is the 3/4 year difference that big?</p>
<p>(Also, my dad is a PC guy so I will have to convince him… heh).</p>
<p>Apple macbooks are top-notch machines, especially when you are purchasing the aluminum ones which are much more durable than plastic.</p>
<p>Here’s a comparison:
3 YR APPLE = In store support without having to wait on hold on phone for a lot of time/shipping your laptop back and waiting weeks for it to return for repair. (You are responsible for damage during shipment in transit)</p>
<p>4 YR OTHER = One more year for less worries but you still have no in store support.</p>
<p>I believe the in store support is a big thing since many major cities have at least one Apple retail store in the vicinity. You can choose your own appointment and carry the laptop yourself without shipping.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about warranty just yet. You have to look at which OS you want and your needs. If the laptop can last you a long time and you aren’t looking to be careless, go with the MacBook since you are already looking at that. However, I do like that extra one year pillow under my head of warranty.</p>
<p>Does the macbook have an issue w/ port types and the number of USB ports? There are only 2 USB ports on the macbook aluminum and it seems like many other PCs (like HP) have atleast 3 ports. Also, macbooks dont have VGA output, HDMI, or eSATA. I’m not really tech savy so i dont really know if i’ll ever use HDMI or eSATA but is it bad that the macbook lacks these ports? (esp VGA?)</p>
<p>And the difference in processor speeds is negligible. The casual user won’t notice an extra ~200 MHz</p>
<p>For ports, you can get splitters if you need more than 2 USB ports. As for the HDMI or VGA outputs, are you planning on hooking your computer up to an external display or projector? If so, Apple has specific cables since the Macbooks have Mini-Display outputs, slightly inconveniet but workable.</p>
<p>The thing is that, at the moment, the $ difference is >$100, which, for a computer, is nothing, IMO.</p>
<p>BUT… not only does Dell offer a 4 yr warranty while Apple only has a 3 yr, but Dell also has a Complete Care warranty which overs all accidental damage, as well.</p>
<p>I’m a computer junkie and PC addict, but, honestly, I would go with the macbook. The Dell is way under powered for its price. PCs are much cheaper. Even the Laptop I’m on right now was $899 on sale with 4gb ddr3 ram, 512 mb Nvidia 9700m gts, and a 2ghz 1066mhz FSB Processor. Also, look at the hdd speed, as that really makes a huge difference. As well as hdd size. Like my desktop replacement laptop has a 160gb 7200rpm hdd that is actually slower than my 500gb 5400 rpm hdd on my netbook.</p>
<p>I looked into Mac’s applecare policy and it doesnt cover things like accidents, electrical surges, etc (and acts from God lol). On the contrary, I saw an ad from HP that said they cover these things. Applecare doesnt sound like a good deal for college when there could be a lot of ‘accidents’. Someone tell me if apple has accident warrenty?</p>
<p>My company uses DELL latitude as our out in the field work. I have gone thru 4 of them in 2 years. NOT worth it. I have no outside programs on it, just work purposes, not using tons of memory, it just craps out.</p>
<p>We have Macs at home, 3 of them and never once needed to use the warranty in 5 years.</p>