<p>These are the two laptops I'm considering - the Macbook 15 inch and the Envy 14. The MBP will be slightly more expensive, but not by strong enough a margin that I will care. There are currently no reviews on the Envy 14 so it's hard for me to decide. What do you guys think would be the best choice? Note that I'm not going to do many digital art creation, photo editing, etc.
I think ultimately it'll come down to Windows 7 versus OSX. I'm afraid that OSX won't be able to support many programs and obviously games, so right now I'm leaning towards the Envy.</p>
<p>Envy 14
I just ordered mine…</p>
<p>[OFFICIAL:</a> HP ENVY 14 Owners Lounge](<a href=“TechnologyGuide - TechTarget”>TechnologyGuide - TechTarget)
2 German guys on this forum already have theirs’ and have posted some preliminary reviews with pics and opinions</p>
<p>Are you looking at the basic MBP 15" or what?
Other questions - what’s your intended major? How much gaming do you do?
I wouldn’t be sure that OSX can’t handle ‘many’ programs & games - but then again, it definitely depends on your major as to how that one will go. If you’re not a hardcore gamer, then OSX would also be fine, since it supports quite a few games.
The MBP is going to outlive your 4 years in college, so that’s definitely one aspect to consider - whereas Windows & the HP may not.
I have a 15" MBP right now, with the i5 processor & 2.53 GHz, and I absolutely love it. I’m a journalism major, and while my school doesn’t require Macs for this, it seems recommended, so it’s perfect for me. The battery life on it is awesome, as well - I’ve been getting about 6 hours out of it.
All of this being said, I don’t think the Envy is a bad purchase. Look into what programs you’ll need, what games you play, etc and check their compatibility with Macs. I honestly think the Mac is a BETTER purchase, though.</p>
<p>i’ll probably get the basic MBP 15 for the price, but if i have to upgrade i wouldn’t mind but i don’t know if the slightly higher clockspeed and extra storage is worth the price. I’m just afraid that many programs aren’t supported by OSX and it’ll be more convenient with windows since almost all programs are supported for that platform. I’m not a hardcore gamer, maybe just play a few games here and there.
The major I’m doing is Bio, but i might switch into a different field. i have no idea at the moment.
why would you say the mac is a BETTER purchase?</p>
<p>I’d probably wait for some reviews to come out for the Envy 14 before you make your final purchase. Performance/value-wise…Envy 14 would win. </p>
<p>If battery life is a concern, consider buying an aftermarket battery (I’m pretty sure there’s none out at the moment but there should be soon).</p>
<p>If viruses are your concern for windows, please keep in mind that all schools these days provide an anti-virus solution for free included in your residence internet plan. </p>
<p>In the end it really comes down to you since you’re a bio major and the type of computer you have won’t matter.</p>
<p>Not a significant difference in price? It’s quite significant once you configure the Envy 14 and the MBP to the same specifications. </p>
<p>I ordered the Envy 14 the day after it came out. I feel it’s going to be a beast. I’m in engineering though, so Macs are a no-no. Even if I wern’t, I saved over $700 from the MBP.</p>
<p>At the same price point, I’d honestly base it on “Do I want Windows 7 or Mac OS X?”</p>
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<p>Honestly, a ~200 MHz bump doesn’t do much at all. While I haven’t experimented with laptop CPUs, I’ve done some benchmarks with desktop Core 2 Duos, Core i5s, and Core i7s, and while a small bump like that gives higher scores in synthetic benchmarks, with real world applications I only saw a noticeable performance gain with bumps of 500 MHz or more.</p>
<p>As for storage, how tech savvy are you? If you feel comfortable enough, I’d just get whichever laptop with the standard HDD, buy a solid state drive from newegg.com, replace the HDD with the SDD, then buy a 2.5" external enclosure to make your HDD into an external.</p>
<p>Macs are always good. Always a good investment. And they don’t slow down as much as PC’s after long term use.</p>
<p>Read the reviews on the touchpad. If they claim it’s frustrating to use then don’t get the Envy 14 because after 4 years you’ll go insane.</p>
<p>My opinion: Envy 14. Better stats. Cheaper. HDMI. Good screen. Can play games.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t can a laptop based on its touchpad. If you’re like most people in college, you’ll be using it 60-70% of the time in your dorm where a mouse can be used. Some people will always like the touchpad, and you may be one of them. If possible, try it out before you can something physical based on online reviews.</p>