<p>XP is better than, say, Windows ME, but it is still very unstable. As a technician for 13 years I have never found a more stable OS than Mac OS X.</p>
<p>Basically, anything Microsoft puts out in terms of operating systems is going to be less polished than Apple's. I've already heard reports on the beta version of Vista, and it sounds like another Micro$oft mess.</p>
<p>Someone on here said that nobody talks about Sony computers. Sonys are grossly overpriced, in my opinion. Not worth the money. For a TV, yes, I only use Sony, but for a computer, there are better choices. They are good machines, but as I said, the price is wrong.</p>
<p>I have been known to have Macs on without restart for a month or more without a problem. Also, I have an original 1984 Mac (with original box and manuals) that has never been in the shop for a repair and recieved almost daily use from 1984-1991. Not many PCs of that age are still around (this Mac works).</p>
<p>Another reason I hate Dell computers is because one ultimately made my parents divorce. Long story, but it fittingly happened right around the same time their quality began to erode. </p>
<p>My alma mater bought Dells (Dimension 2400s when they still had P4s in them) last year and they had a cheap feel to them. Not solid like the old Macs or even the older IBMs. The CRT monitors had some geometry issues as well. Not quality checked.</p>
<p>And I was only kidding about the whole drugs thing...but drugs are seriously bad for you. Maybe that's why Jobs made some bad decisions in his younger days.</p>
<p>Avoid Toshiba's Satellite A75s... From what I've seen, the other Satellites have had mostly good reviews. The A75s have horrible design flaws. I've had mine (A75-S211) for less than a year, and I can only use it if it's propped up at least 4 inches on books with a fan blowing directly behind it. It overheats within 15 minutes if I don't, even if I'm only typing an essay. It also has issues with static electricity on the left speaker.</p>
<p>Read reviews before you buy, especially on more technical computer sites. I wish I had done more research on mine.</p>
<p>"XP is better than, say, Windows ME, but it is still very unstable"</p>
<p>That was my point, basically nothing microsoft has ever put out has been "stable" Some could argue for NT 4 and maybe other flavors, but they still don't compare to the stability of Unix or Linux. (Mac is based on Unix by the way for those of you that don't know, that's why it's so damn stable it's unix you can run that thing for 10 years without a reboot.) Dos was more stable than Windows, but not as stable as Linux and another issue. Dos was a microsoft product for those of you that don't know.</p>
<p>The thing is, if all you've ever known is windows, to most customers they don't realize how unstable it is because XP is an advance on ME, windows 98, 95, etc. So it's more stable in comparison.</p>
<p>But you understand my point, I am saying it because I realize I look like I'm all over Macontoshes nuts, even though I would never use one and don't think very highly of them</p>
<p>Windows is basically a sedimentary rock, with the first layer being 95. XP is the top layer. Keep in mind Windows was a massive rewrite for 95 (the version before that was 3.1, which I guess could have been called Windows 91).</p>
<p>Whoever said DOS is more stable is correct. I'd take DOS any day over Windows.</p>
<p>"Windows is basically a sedimentary rock, with the first layer being 95. XP is the top layer."</p>
<p>Nope your wrong. Xp built on the NT kernel. It is completely different from 95 from the ground up. It looks similiar but thats just a dressing, it is on an unreleated kernal.</p>
<p>XP is more like NT than 95. In fact it IS NT where 95 is NOT</p>
<p>
[quote]
XP is better than, say, Windows ME, but it is still very unstable. As a technician for 13 years I have never found a more stable OS than Mac OS X.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Mac OS X was based on Linux.... so.....</p>
<p>XP is very stable in itself. Maybe if you get a virus or something you will no longer have a perfectly stable OS...</p>
<p>for a newbie, more important that the brand of laptop is the type of service contract. for a laptop a 3 year contract is probably minimum, make sure it includes accident insurance (full replacement) in case you drop it. make sure it comes with premium tech support and 24 hour service. you will pay extra for this regardless of brand, but i can guarantee you will find it pays for itself. the first time your harddrive dies the day before a paper is due, 24 hour service can be a life saver. the first time your backpack goes flying, accident insurance will save your butt. as far as tech support goes, it really depends on how fast you can get past tier 1. tier 1 tech support sucks everywhere. insist they immediately elevate you to tier 2 and you will find knowledgeable people who are native english speakers.
personally, I've owned Dells for many years and never ever had a mechanical problem. and the online chat tech support has been pretty good, but most of my help has come from the appropriate "forums" such as Dell's Member Forum.</p>
<p>Wait a second I don't know much about Mac but I'm pretty damn sure it's based on Unix not Linux. Heck it's been stated here a couple of times already.</p>
<p>if you're using it mostly for school (not gaming), there's no reason to upgrade. and a good quality laptop is easy to upgrade if you choose to do so....i've upgraded cpu, harddrive, cdrw-dvdwriter, memory. it doesn't take a lot of skill. and they are transferable when you get rid of it, giving it better re-sale value.</p>
<p>Sorry if I re-iterate...but I don't feel like reading all these posts.</p>
<p>Mac:</p>
<h1>1 Work much better than Pc, especially now with Intel. They don't freeze, sporadically shut down, ask you a million times "Are you SURE you really want to download this new update/Is this ok/ REALLY? / REALLY???"</h1>
<h1>2 If you hardwire into a campus system, viruses run rampant. Macs are nearly totally secure.</h1>
<h1>3 Their programs (word processor especially) are far, FAR superior to Microsoft BS like Word (shudder)</h1>
<h1>4 You can condescend to those stuck with Dells</h1>