Laptops.

<p>Customer service with MAC has been awful when we've tried it. We worked with them for hours trying to help my sister-in-law transfer her old phonebook to her new MAC. Ultimately, they couldn't help, tho she paid lots of $$$ for tech support & she & we were pretty bummed. Hubby & son were able to figure out how to do what she wanted, thru no help of MAC anyway.
No one in this house finds Mac very useful, but my sister-in-law swears by them. I know there are folks in both camps.</p>

<p>i don't know what i'm talking about?</p>

<p>take a poll of dell users and you'll find that a majority of them has had a major problem with their dell, AND when they TRIED to contact dell they found that their customer service is horrendous.</p>

<p>They have countless problems with hard drives frying, motherboards going bad, fans dying, etc.</p>

<p>They're just overpriced crap.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Macs are easier to use if your not already a windows person. If you are starting from scratch macs are ten time easier to learn than windows. I don't know to much about macs, I grew up with linux dos, and windows; when I recently started toying with macs they are complretely different, but much simpler and would be easier to learn from scratch.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That is simply not true in my experience. I suppose it all depends on the person, but I know several young kids and older folk who could not do a thing on a mac because they couldn't figure out where anything was... then on a pc they learned extremely quickly.......</p>

<p>Windows with firefox pwn mac IMO. I haven't had a spyware or virus problem since two years ago when I upgraded to XP. I never get popups and I go online everyday. Macs have a terrible lack of options and choices. I don't understand how anyone could like macs <em>shudders</em>.</p>

<p>Before anyone says anything, I have a mac mini in my house right now, so yes, I have used a mac quite a lot.</p>

<p>EDIT: I would go with a sony laptop solely because of their displays.</p>

<p>I think something to consider is what are you going to be using this laptop for? Someone using their computer for computer graphics and someone using it solely for notes/fun have different uses.</p>

<p>clearly you can't speak for everyone though. Dell has absolutely great customer service. i've called them with whatever issue I could not fix on my own and they helped pretty quickly. Best of all when parts get messed up they are quick to send you the replacement parts with a tech to your home. There is a reason why Dell is the number one computer supplier. It didn't just get there out of nowhere.</p>

<p>Thanx for your input everyone. I've been using Windows since I knew what a computer was. I have had my fair share of computer problems [with desktops mostly]. I've had 3 Dell desktops and each of them screwed up one way or another. I was able to save one [the one I'm currently using]. I'm not a gamer [on the computer at least], so I don't need a laptop that's has great graphics or anything.</p>

<p>Say NO to Dell. Over-priced laptops that fail all the time, cheaply built desktops, horrendous tech support, and a former spokesman who was busted for drugs.</p>

<p>Um, drugs are bad for you.</p>

<p>Anyone who looks at my name can tell I'm a Mac user (nothing but good things with my Macs...I have about 20 of them at my house ranging in age from less than a year to 22). If you must use Windoze (so unstable), get an IBM or a Toshiba. Both are reliable.</p>

<p>MacTech, saying that windows XP is unstable only shows a lack of technical understanding. Maybe you meant something else though....</p>

<p>Do people have something against Sony's? They don't seem to be mentioned in these threads...ever.</p>

<p>I think you can't ignore how many of us (me included) are against Dell in particular. It's not some strange happening.</p>

<p>Toshibas? Great? Too bad this user's experience has been different.</p>

<p>I have a Toshiba Satellite A75-S209. I've had the motherboard in it replaced twice now. The first time, it just shut down and stopped booting. The second time, it stopped charging. </p>

<p>I previously had a different Toshiba that had the LCD screen crack when I was just OPENING it. It was less than a month old.</p>

<p>My Dell Inspiron 8500? Solid as a rock. The hard disk went bad after a year, and Dell merely sent me a new one.</p>

<p>Either way, I don't trust ANECDOTAL evidence on websites. At the very least, go read Consumer Reports or at least check out user satisfaction with certain brands and models. For example, Toshiba Qosimo users seem to be very satisfied with their purchases, while users of my model are generally miserable. In any case, I recommend purchasing a decent warranty/insurance on any laptop. Accidents happen, motherboards fry, and people steal stuff. Having peace of mind on a $1500 purchase is a good thing.</p>

<p>Anyway, don't buy into the silly "OMG Dell SUXXORS! or IBM RULEZ!" silliness on this thread. Research models in your pricerange, check up on user satisfaction with that model, and plan your purchase carefully. Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT assume that every model built by a reliable company is reliable.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I think you can't ignore how many of us (me included) are against Dell in particular. It's not some strange happening.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Why not? Every Dell I've owned has been solid. Two or three people saying "DELL SUX!!" is not a good sample by any means.</p>

<p>I just meant that you should probably carefully look into people's complaints if they seem to be repeating. No need to get defensive :p</p>

<p>How was I being defensive? I was just saying that a small sample like an internet thread is not a very good barometer for figuring out brand quality.</p>

<p>I've owned 5 laptops. I've owned several desktops. I've had the so-called "quality" name-brands fail, and I've had no-names live forever. I'll tell you what though: I would never buy a laptop without a super-warranty. I don't care what brand.</p>

<p>
[quote]
a former spokesman who was busted for drugs.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>By that silly logic, MacTech, you should avoid ANYTHING by Apple since Steve Jobs was a known drug user during his college years.</p>

<p>Well I would have to ask then what exactly is it about their customer support that has left you (current or former) Dell PC/laptop owners dissatisfied? Like I've said I've never had a problem calling their customer support. Actually I've found it pretty easy in fact to call them and get computer parts replaced. That's the only reason why I've ever had to call Dell anyways because when it comes to software I know what I'm doing for the most part and I know how to fix those kind of problems or find my own solutions. Hardware is a different case though and I've found that with the warrantee I have on my machine I've replaced parts that would have cost me much more to buy myself than the warrantee itself cost. Actually while opening my machine I accidentally fried the motherboard and everything with it basically. What did Dell do? They sent a technician within a day or two and the computer was as good as new. And I have two Dell PCs and both are running good.</p>

<p>I've used other computers and simply don't like the way they come. For example, how HP comes with restore CDs that don't give you an option to get rid of the software that comes with the PC, unless you restore and uninstall. Compaq? Forget about it. Works the same way as HP. I do enjoy two things from them though. I've had to call them up for customer support and they were able to help me right away similar to Dell. And I like how they make machines with Intel or AMD chips. Gateway has never been any good to me. </p>

<p>Really the best thing to do is to build a computer but the drawback is the warrantee and technical support. Sure some parts might be guaranteed but some might not.</p>

<p>I suppose I swear by Dell. I've seen them used in my school, in fact we have laptop carts and as far as they are concerned they are pretty good for what their used for. And they have desktops as well but those don't last long in good condition but that's because of the students that vandalize the computers.</p>

<p>BTW I was wondering, bookfreak89, you say that you had 3 Dells and all got messed up and so far only one is left. I'm curious as to how they all got messed up? Was it hardware related? Software related? Did they just get old?</p>

<p>
[quote]
No one in this house finds Mac very useful

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You mean Apple, right? You realize that Mac is a product name? This is like saying, "Camry was so unhelpful when I called them to have my oil changed!" </p>

<p>"Who?"</p>

<p>"Camry."</p>

<p>"You mean Toyota?"</p>

<p>Similar to how some have written Mac as MAC. One stands for Macintosh while the other stands for Media Access Control. Of course who cares. I think we all understand what is meant.</p>

<p>So then why not just call your subject by its proper name and make it unambigiously clear what you mean?</p>

<p>Well don't ask me. I wasn't the one that used Mac instead of Apple. :P</p>

<p>"MacTech, saying that windows XP is unstable only shows a lack of technical understanding. Maybe you meant something else though...."</p>

<p>Umm, windows XP is what I would consider unstable. Again I'm a windows user not a mac user. Just because windows XP is the most stable out of a line of junk operating systems (former wundows versions) that doesn't make it stable. It has tons of memory leaks, it crashes. You could run unix/linux and macs for years without ever turning them off and they would be working just as effeciently as when you turned them on. Can you say that about XP? hell no, if you leave it running for more than a few days you need to reboot just to reclaim the memory leaks for it to run smoothly again.</p>

<p>Xp is not a stable operating system, maybe it is to average joe who surfs the net and uses word, but not to anyone technical.</p>

<p>Again, I am a windows user I am using XP right now, I don't own a mac or even like them. I'm just giving unbiased opinions</p>