<p>Is there any reason I need a mac? Because I heard weird things about some programs only compatible with OSX. I don't want to go out and spend $800 building a hackintosh -_-. I want to stay with my good ol $300 Compaq Laptop.</p>
<p>I’d stick with a PC.</p>
<p>You should’ve heard “…some programs only compatible with Windows,” because that’s how it is with a number of programs. So no need to buy a mac.</p>
<p>I’m very tech savvy and had built my own PC’s for years, but when it comes to laptops, I have gone through Dells, HP’s, and Toshibas. They all pale in comparison to my Mac. </p>
<p>My PC laptops tend to go bad after a year (broken hinges, crashed HDDs, bad MoBos), I ran Leopard on my old Dell and that ultimately pushed me to Mac.</p>
<p>Better Battery Life (7-9 hrs on the 13 inch)
Trackpad (2 finger scrolling is the greatest thing ever, as well as the overall size of this thing is great)
Keyboard (no broken keys, comes backlit standard)
No OS Crashes! Leopard runs as smooth as butter with no issues.</p>
<p>I used to be one of those elitist anti-mac dbags, but now I really pity those people that hate on Macs, they really are a higher quality laptop.</p>
<p>Install gentoo!</p>
<p>lol, I doubt it. Macs look sick and sleek but I like Windows because of flexibility and wide variety of ILLEGAL SOFTWARE haha.</p>
<p>Just stick with Windows if you don’t have the money. Or Linux if you have even LESS money.</p>
<p>i’m in love with my mac. but seriously, it really doesn’t sound like you should get one based on your comments.
if you prefer another brand, don’t get one.
if you’re worried about cost, don’t get one.
if you are afraid you won’t be able to run certain programs, don’t get one. (there are both macs/PCS available to use for free on campus.)
you should probably really want one or have good reasons for getting one.</p>
<p>You’ll save TONS with a windows computer even in the long run… definitely what tonito said.
Plus I can guarantee you that your dorm mates can help you with a PC when don’t understand to do something…</p>
<p>~~I would also like to say macs do go bad, especially the newer intel macs of today. I have a xeon mac pro (yes, the BIG DADDY of all macs, the cheese grater you see at apple stores behind geniuses guarding it). Well lets just say I sent it in THREE TIMES to Apple Care (for about a little more than entire week each time), thank god I paid for the extra 3 years (which cost a couple of extra benjamins off the bat; but definiately recommened for protecting your apple investment)… first 2 times was for a bad motherboard (actually they’re called logic boards for macs) and second was for a bad videocard (artifacting).
A mac’s kernal panic = a windows BSOD.
I also used new mac book pros and the new and old imacs @ school and they frequented having problems and just like me; I was in a multimedia academy.</p>
<p>~ I honestly never had these kinds of problems with my hand built computers and those from name brands.</p>
<p>So leukybear, what’s considered a good Windows brand? I’ve ask my friends and they always come to the conclusion that all brands suck. I’ve had my hp laptop since December 2006 and so many problems started about a year ago like the wireless connection just dying. I want one with a good battery life like at least 3 hours, could you recommend some good brands?</p>
<p>Ahhh I remember the miserable PC days. I switched to Mac in '03 and have never looked back. They really do make well built computers, worth the price in my opinion</p>
<p>@wootieburg Look into sony laptops :)</p>
<p>get the mac! infact, ucsd has a nice discount for getting a mac right on campus. plus, if anything breaks/doesnt work – take it to the genius bar. they’re amazing.
and these days, macs are compatible with (almost) anything. the only reason i wouldnt get it is if I was a hardcore programmer/gamer</p>
<p>@ wootieburg
Well HP has since gotten their game up recently; their build quality is on par with apple now. Similar styling too with certain models if you like the Apple minimalistic price but hate paying through the nose for them.</p>
<p>I would avoid Sony Viao computers… they tend to be out of date and still be expensive; Sony has gotten a bit too comfortable with consumers who jump at Sony stuff expecting the best… Current Viao’s have crappy battery life aswell…</p>
<p>The Apple discount is not that much… only $100 chipped off on a $1600 computer…
Yes macs are can run windows inside parallels but you need a fair amount of RAM (very expensive for macs for some reason…) to to run it nicely.</p>
<p>Games (I’m a pretty avid gamer, check my prior posts for references) are entire different story; windows is pretty much the dominant alpha male (and plan to be FOR A LONG LONG TIME) in this category.
Good luck finding a copy of a new release game or even a compatible video card for a mac* (pro*; the only machine that takes after market cards and costs nearly an arm and a leg and the price of video cards for it follow in suit pricewise; I only have one because my dad is a professional graphics designer and needs the power)…</p>
<p>I love Mac’s they are the best computers, but they are expensive compared to a PC.</p>
<p>It really depends on what your needs are.</p>
<p>I’ve hand built my past 2 desktops - it’s true, they’re probably a lot less expensive than a Mac for the same amount of power. But you can’t really build a laptop now, can you?</p>
<p>I switched over to my first MacBook Pro at my UCLA internship because of multi-media requirements. I had such a frustrating time trying to get Avid to work with my stupid graphics card, so I made the investment of getting a Mac and couldn’t be happier. You’re paying more for a laptop, but you also get a lot more in return. It’s really a personal need though, if you’re just gonna be using the laptop to browse the web and write essays, you won’t see a difference from buying a $1400 laptop to a $500 one.</p>
<p>For a Windows laptop, I’d suggest HP or Sony Vaio. Luekybear’s pretty much correct about both brands - HP has stepped their game up a lot and you really do get the best “bang for the buck” with their products. Sony Vaio has really sexy laptops, but they aren’t that impressive spec wise (for the price) and the battery life is garbage.</p>
<p>I’d recommend a Mac for:
- OS X, <em>in my opinion</em>, it’s a far better operating system than Windows
- frustration free audio/graphics card, for video/photo/audio editing and dj’ing (forget trying to run Traktor on a Windows, unless you’ve got a high-ended one, otherwise it’s audio card config hell)
- awesome battery life! (around 5hrs normally, 7hrs if you kill the wifi/bluetooth)
- free iPod!
- you can run Parallels with the stock 4GB of ram, XP/Vista/7 runs silky smooth
- seriously awesome trackpad that makes browsing anything a much more pleasant experience
- virus free/3-year AppleCare for free/unlimited Genius support/sexy laptop body/good built-in speakers
- everything else! you can’t really go wrong with a Mac unless you wanna run Crysis at highest settings, haha. but there’s always Starcraft II and Counter Strike: Source to make up for it! =D</p>
<p>Just weigh out your needs and see what fits your budget the best!</p>
<p>I went from a $300 Compaq laptop like you have to a Mac. I hate Compaq so much that I took it outside and smashed the laptop with a hammer and threw it away. I did that tonight, actually! A Mac is seriously the best decision you can make! I’ve never loved a computer as much as I love this one!</p>
<p>@xSteven, well you made a jump from a $300 laptop to one prob. around $1000…lol </p>
<p>I have a VAIO, I think my battery life is pretty sexy… but in my honest opinion, the aesthetics of a sony is just like a Mac. You’re basically paying extra for not great specs but a sexy laptop. I love my VAIO though. I get roughly 6 hours of battery life on a full charge… I don’t know about you guys o.0</p>
<p>Well as a Jap, I’m proud to say that you shouldn’t get a Sony Vaio unless you love Louis Vuitton and love to spend as much money as you would be spending on a mac. It’s difficult to get replacement parts, drivers, and they tend to break easily if physically damaged (The HDD isn’t universal, based on personal experience). I’d say get a Dell or Asus (Yes, the Taiwanese can make decent laptops too) if you want it to last. Don’t expect customer support from Dell though. At least you can replace parts.</p>
<p>I love the macintosh Unix system, but what the hell Ubuntu does the same thing. Just stick with the compaq and buy a new one every 4 years!</p>
<p>Not putting xpenguin on blast or anything, because the gold vaios are sexy as hell.</p>
<p>^ haha I agree, but I still love it. Sony customer service is great, cause you’re paying so damn much for the machine, but it’s worth it to me. Just like how to some people macs are worth it to them. I customized mine a lot though, sexy specs + college discount = <3. + HDD auto protection if my laptop gets too shaky (like during the earthquake, haha). </p>
<p>But to OP, you should just shop around, don’t look for a certain brand and don’t knock anything out of the picture because of what you’ve heard or whatnot. Just check out all computers, even macs. I personally don’t like them but to each their own. And you pay for what you get. Don’t expect an amazing laptop if you’re only throwing $300 down for it. BTW, one thing I’ve learned… the sexier your laptop is, the easier it breaks.</p>