<p>
[quote]
I'm completely and totally in love with my macbook. it's really quite sad how much I love this thing.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>this is why the decision has been difficult for me. all my friends who have a mac love it. at my internship, the coordinator and everyone in her office used Macs (because Howard Hughes likes Macs or something like that) and they all loved them too. I don't know anyone with a PC who just loves their computer except gamers (I am not a gamer nor will I ever be).<br>
I am spending a lot of money on my computer no matter what and I plan to be using it for 4 years. I don't just want to use my computer, I want to enjoy using my computer. I'm on an HP right now. Before this I used a Toshiba (had so many goddamn problems) and at school and NIH I used a Dell. I am pretty indifferent towards my HP and the Dells. I don't want to be indifferent towards my ThinkPad considering how much I'm spending on it. I still have 15 or so hours to make my final decision. I'll figure it out.</p>
<p>Except if I want to do business or take business classes I'll spend hours in computer labs because I can't do it on my Mac. This wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the fact that I'm sitting on the best business school in the world. I looked over Wharton's computer requirements and they basically destroy Macs. I <em>guess</em> if I can get bootcamp on my Mac and run XP/Vista and give it 50GB of space I can do anything that comes my way on the Mac for classes that need it and still have Mac and OSX for the rest of the time.</p>
<p>My dad is a software engineer and he says all the programmers have PCs yet all of the executives have Macs.</p>
<p>I personally love my PC, it maybe ugly but it has 2 GB of Ram and 200 GB of Hard Drive space.</p>
<p>I think you should go with whichever one is more powerful. I don't see the reason why your worried about viruses, get a virus blocker. I have never gotten a virus on my laptop and I use McAfee Virus Blocker.</p>
<p>All computers have the capability to break down. I've seen macs die, and i've seen PCs die. Putting lots of hardware onto a small space makes the computer get very hot, and prone to breaking down. Get the lenovo. </p>
<p>If your UPenn business classes tear apart the mac, why on earth would you get one. The mac's hardware is not much superior to that of PCs. If you are going to be forced to run windows to do your work, you are undoubtedly going to just naturally boot windows regularly. Its a real hassle rebooting to a different OS just for a specific purpose.</p>
<p>are they the same price? I dunno, it's a tough call. I would personally go with xp pro. I tried vista when it first came out, and it was really buggy. I dunno how much they changed it though. I hear that you should wait until service pack 1 to upgrade to vista, but i also heard that a lot of people really liked it. </p>
<p>How much ram does the thinkpad have? If it comes with less than 2 GB, then go with xp pro. Vista is known to be quite sluggish with only 1 GB of ram. So if you have 2GB of ram, i would recommend vista. Under that, xp pro.</p>
<p>You’re looking for passion and love from your computer? And you intend to go to the Wharton School of Business and get that love returned? Wharton is one of the most competitive business schools in the country and you want Mac Fanboy love? You will be eaten alive in that environment. Take your MacBook and get a humanities degree. Do you think the other students will go “ga-ga” over your Mac while you’re working on SAS and SPSS projections? </p>
<p>And don't believe the "Macs won't get viruses" or "Macs won't crash" myths. There are viruses for Macs as well, though you're less likely to get one since so many are made for the majority Windows. And don't even get me started on how they "don't crash". That's a bold faced lie.</p>
<p>
[quote]
My family has gone thru sooooo many PCs. Its so annoying. They start out great, then get insanely mind-numbingly slow. Then get overrun by viruses.
[/quote]
I don't intend to sound mean, but this only happens if you don't know what you're doing when it comes to computers. In the past 3 or 4 years, I haven't gotten a single virus on my PCs due to smart browsing and download habits. It's easy to keep your computer running well if you guard against spyware and viruses, and you delete unnecessary things or change a couple settings or use a registry-cleaner now and then. Also, you can always reformat and reinstall windows.</p>
<p>FYI. Macs actually crash and their BSOD is actually gray and in many languages. It's happened twice...when I was taking an online test...bastards.</p>
<p>so, i choose Mac. And everyone always talks about compatibility issues with it. However, after finishing one year of college, i NEVER had any compatibility issues with it. In fact, my PC friends had more issues (with different math/science programs) than i did.</p>
<p>Hughes, Howard: The billionaire who spent the last ten years of his life in a bathrobe? Hughes who never cut his hair or beard in those last ten years? He died in 1976.</p>
<p>Apple Computer: incorporated on Jan. 3, 1977!</p>
<p>Hughes must have loved Macs from beyond the grave...or, maybe he loved "Big" Macs?</p>
<p>Howard Hughes Medial Institute. Not him, the institute (or maybe just the education branch i dont know).</p>
<p>Also, if I go to Wharton, I'll be selling my soul and cannot feel compassion for anything, let alone a lifeless computer. However, spending 13 hundred on a computer, I want to enjoy it and have it be a damn good computer. Looking at accessories I'm leaning towards a thinkpad. After having my HP for 7 months and having 0 problems/viruses/etc I know that PCs can be great if you do nothing bad on them. I still have 2 hours.</p>
<p>The tasks that Macs excel at are the same tasks that your original post said you had no interest in. Youre not a gamer (and neither the Thinkpad nor the MacBook are gaming machines). Youre not into web/graphic design, creating movies or PhotoShopping. What constitutes fun? </p>
<p>You should be asking Wharton students who use Macs if they feel at a competitive disadvantage with Thinkpad users. Using Bootcamp or Parallels will allow you to boot into Windows and run your Windows only software. Its an additional step to boot natively into OSX and then re-boot into Windows to do your school work. Is that worth the extra step to enjoy the Mac experience?</p>
<p>P.S. I've gone from IBM mainframes, 8088 architechture, the misbegotten PS2 line and beyond. The word "Fun" and "IBM" never appeared on the same page.</p>
<p>I've been using my pc notebook for the fourth year and I haven't gotten a virus yet. It also never crashes. It's a good idea to get norton antivirus or some other software to protect your computer.</p>
<p>I got the ThinkPad for those who still care...
I would have loved to get a Mac, but to upgrade to leopard and then spend more on accessories and then have problems with software, it seems worth it to get the lenovo. Besides, when I'm filthy rich I can buy a Mac and a PC for myself....</p>
<p>You made a rational and sensible choice. When you become filthy rich, you can buy whatever you want. That’s the whole point about going to Wharton. Delayed gratification, enhancing shareholder value, ROI and everything else that goes with life in a major corporation…</p>
<p>The IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad is a tool and nothing more. It’s probably the greatest technological device of global capitalism next to the Blackberry.</p>
<p>Thinkpads are the best notebooks you can buy. They have been at the top for the last 10 years and will continue to due to. I have 3 of em, and love it.</p>
<p>Macs are really just a phase.</p>
<p>Plus you are going to business school, you want your peers and potential employers to take you seriously. I know if a guy came in with a mac, id think he was a joke. Think pads are Business level notebooks, just what you need.</p>
<p>Venkat, can u give ur PennKey and Password? (lol! I wanted to see the detailed descriptions) anyway, even w/o looking, I'll go w/ Thinkpad.....a lot of times Mac doesn't get started......even when u've full charge and stuffs.</p>