<p>Hey everyone, I'm debating what notebook to take for college, and I've narrowed it down to these two choices. I'm familiar with Dells, because that has been the family choice for years, and I can get them cheap. Both computers have dual processors, huge memory, and good graphics cards. However, the MacBook Pro appeals to me due to its built-in camera, and better software. I've never owned a Mac computer before, but I hear Mac OS is more virus-resistant. College seems like a good time to switch. Which laptop do you all recommend and why?</p>
<p>The new Macbooks just came out today, FYI. Personally, I would go with a MacBook Pro. OS X is really an amazing experience, and if you've never used a Mac before, the learning curve is very small. You'll get used to it in about a month and then going back to a PC will feel like an impossibility.</p>
<p>Macs are not necessarily more "resistant" to viruses, but there are only about 4 or 5 and none of them are in circulation. If you find that you do need Windows -- say to play games or run CAD software -- this is now a possibility using Boot Camp.</p>
<p>A lot of people complain that for the same price as an Apple computer, you can get a much better PC, but frankly the extra money you pay (which, in reality, is not that much anymore thanks to the fast Intel processors) is well worth it. Most of my friends who got PCs last summer are significantly regretting not getting Macs.</p>
<p>Go with Apple.</p>
<p>Dell Inspiron sucks..Dell sucks..lol...But I also hate macs...yea this probably doesn't help, haha</p>
<p>Go with Apple. I'm using my PowerBook that I got for college last year, and it still hardly ever gives me trouble. (I also used to be a PC user, and ever since I switched to using Macs, my computer life has been so much easier.) In my opinion, the MacBook Pros are the next generation of PowerBooks. They're keepers.</p>
<p>Ignore the idiot who said "Dell sucks..lol," definitely the mature kind of person who should be giving his opinion in this discussion...</p>
<p>Anway, I've owned a Dell Inspiron 8000 for five years, and if my experience with this laptop model is of any evidence towards Dell's other mobile products, then an Inspiron I would HIGHLY recommend. Macs are "virus resistant" as the thread starter said only because software that attacks MacOS is very rare, because hackers find it a waste of time to develop viruses and other malacious software for a type of computer that is used by only 5-10% of the computer-using population, although that is now becoming debatable:</p>
<p>I simply prefer PCs because they are more universally used at my college, and therefore compatability with other university hardware is generally better. Although colleges will definitely had accomodations for Mac users, and since Mac users have a smaller and more exclusive pool of hardware to use at school, this might be actually beter, since less people will be using Apple-compatible hardware for whatever purpose. For ease of use, Mac is the way to go, but I'd still go PC all the way for the foreseeable future. Plus I'm definitely pro-Dell Inspiron than pro-Powerbook.</p>
<p>macs suck...i hate the mouse sensitivity settings esp and the stupid flowery interface and the annoying toolbar on the top</p>
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Ignore the idiot who said "Dell sucks..lol," definitely the mature kind of person who should be giving his opinion in this discussion...
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yeah i guess being a policing elitist these days makes u "mature"...call me an elitist too for irony's sake...but i admit i'm immature lol</p>
<p>Dell sucks. Their "excellent" afterservice is horrible. They use crappy parts imported from a billion different places, so the quality of the overall machine is horrible. </p>
<p>People say macs are expensive, but to get the same exact machine on a dell, the price is pretty comparable.</p>
<p>If you want to go PC, get a notebook straight from the manufacturers.
Namely, Sager PC. Sager PC's are what Voodoo/Alienware/Falcon Northwest use, minus the overpriced paint job or an improved chassis.</p>
<p>Other excellent options are the Dell XPS series (the only good line in Dell) or the Toshiba Qosmio series.</p>
<p>I would get a macbook pro though.</p>
<p>It should also be mentioned that UM is a very Mac-friendly environment.</p>
<p>Ahab: "It should also be mentioned that UM is a very Mac-friendly environment."</p>
<p>It certainly is. :) For example, I believe that approximately 1/3 of the computers in the Fishbowl are Macs (if I remember my statistics correctly).</p>
<p>If you want a PC, look at the IBM/Lenovos that are for sale in the U-M computer showcase. U-M discount is much bigger on IBM than on Dells -- and all of the on-campus computer guys I know prefer the IBMs over Dells. Don't know about Mac discount - but you can check it out online. Just google computer showcase from the U-M home page.</p>
<p>Strykur, don't get so angry...it's just a computer lol...I dunno what the 8000 or XPS is like but the Inspiron 6000 which is what I got is alright, but I would not buy it again. Basically it kept freezing and couldn't run half my programs for some reason until I completely wiped out the hard drive and started fresh. I've also been told that the way Dell manufactures its computers is also horrible. They clump most of the parts into 1 corner of the laptop, at least in the 6000, and it overheats very easily creating a not too good of a scenario.</p>
<p>Not to mention that yea their technical service is just horrible. I called once and if a specific problem, which seems to be almost everything lol, isn't under their "list" of what they can help you with under your warranty, you have to pay $80 for more service...*** is that all about??</p>
<p>Some people have odd problems with Dell computers. Personally, I've never had anything real bad happen with any of my Dell computers. Eventually our family computer had a bizarre hardware failure (CPU malfunction that only happened when it cooled down), but this was on a 6+ year old computer, and it still works as well as you can expect a Celeron 466 to. My desktop has really only needed two major fixes (one corrupt driver, one reinstall due to winrot) and I've had it about 5 years. And my laptop has never had any major issues in the year I've had it.</p>
<p>I'm personally going to be using Windows computers forever, but what I perceive as the "gap" between windows computers and mac computers has been shrinking a lot recently.</p>
<p>Also, I don't trust the computer showcase. Other than certain kids of software (like $15 student copy of XP pro), I've never seen anything that you couldn't buy cheaper elsewhere.</p>
<p>The Apple discount at showcase is the exact same discount on the education site of the Apple store. I neither asked about nor compared the prices of the PCs, but I would bet they're the same. I would buy straight from the manufacturer--I distrust third-party vendors for computers.</p>
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I'm personally going to be using Windows computers forever, but what I perceive as the "gap" between windows computers and mac computers has been shrinking a lot recently.
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This is largely true. Windows XP and OS X are both very stable, as far as desktop operating systems go. OS X could be considered more stable in that it's built atop BSD, which was designed for heavy-duty servers and network firewalls. But most users aren't running their Macs as servers or firewalls or routers or anything like that, so there you go. Both systems have to stay patched and whatnot if you want a stable, secure system. On Windows there is antivirus software to worry about, but for the most part you can just turn on automatic updates and ignore it. Really, it's all about personal preference.</p>
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Dell sucks. Their "excellent" afterservice is horrible. They use crappy parts imported from a billion different places, so the quality of the overall machine is horrible.
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<p>What, and you think the parts in other computers are made in-house? The MacBooks use memory from three different vendors! </p>
<p>It's not whether the parts come from tons of places (which they always do), but whether the parts essential to system stability (mostly the chipset) are good. The reason that everyone has see a problem with a Dell is the fact that Dell sells so many systems, and you're bound to hear of someone having a problem.</p>
<p>Per capita, they're not bad at all. On par than most mainstream vendors, in fact.</p>
<p>i'm a pretty saavy computer consumer and user. i'll tell you straight up that if you know how to maintain and treat computers well you can use either machine to the fullest of its ability.</p>
<p>the fool who said "dell sucks" doesn't know half a **** about computers. any dell with the right specs (make sure to get at least 512 mb RAM) will do absolutely fine.</p>
<p>I got the right specs you dumbass and I know how to use the computer...I'm sorry I'm not the mighty Xaiur in computer usage, I bow down to you...</p>
<p>ass....lol</p>
<p>One thing I've learned about buying Dell is this: buy their small-business stuff rather than the consumer merchandise. It's better-made. In terms of build quality, the Latitude is superior to the Inspiron. With desktops it doesn't really matter so much since you won't be toting it around with you, buy what you like. But the Latitude is designed more for travel and mobility (i.e not breaking in your carryall while running through the airport) - the Inspiron less so.</p>
<p>And the Precision workstation replacements are nice too. But bring money. Putting high-performance parts in a very small case is going to be expensive for any computer manufacturer, and the price reflects this.</p>
<p>Go to the Computer Showcase and look at the IBM PCs!! The warranty on the Z61 is 3 years international on-site. That's hard to beat.</p>