MacBook Pro benefits?

[sublimeguide]

Hello,
for quite a long time now i am considering buying a laptop that must be durable and reliable. Although i have always used windows i would like to switch to osx since i think it would be a good choice. But since the prices for the macbooks with specs i like is pretty high i want to ask you about the points that will justify a macbook pro purchase since the price is the same as the moster alienware m17 with crossfire 5870 which will BLOW OUT the gt330 like nothing. Don't get me wrong though, i am not a serious gamer on something but still i would like to play some games occasionally. Also i would like to ask you will the current get mbp be good for let's say 3 years?
Thanks

 

[lickitysplit]

Hello,
for quite a long time now i am considering buying a laptop that must be durable and reliable. Although i have always used windows i would like to switch to osx since i think it would be a good choice. But since the prices for the macbooks with specs i like is pretty high i want to ask you about the points that will justify a macbook pro purchase since the price is the same as the moster alienware m17 with crossfire 5870 which will BLOW OUT the gt330 like nothing. Don't get me wrong though, i am not a serious gamer on something but still i would like to play some games occasionally. Also i would like to ask you will the current get mbp be good for let's say 3 years?
Thanks

Yes Mac's are much more expensive than Windows PC's and there are many reasons for that. I don't really want to go into much detail but the materials used to build them are better. For example that Alienware is a 8lb piece of plastic where the MBP's are almost 100% aluminum. The hardware in macs is tested to a higher standard and each model doesnt have a different piece of hardware than the next. Thats just a few things to begin with. I personally use MBP's because I hate when things i buy fail, no matter the cost. And ive had 2 MBP's so far and not a single one has had any problems what-so-ever. Neither hardware nor software. That to me alone is worth the price different. Also the overall feel of the laptop is fantastic. Just using one it feels so solid, and you can tell it was built well. After owning a MBP all the other laptops just feel so sub-par and feel like they were glued together

 

[Tomorrow]

If you want a MacBook Pro, buy that.

If you want an Alienware, buy that.

Comparing the two is a bit like comparing a new Cadillac DTS to a new Lincoln Navigator. Both are expensive, both are nice, but each is very different.

 

[dime21]

MBP is most reliable laptop I've ever owned. I'm still using mine that I bought in November 2006. It's over four years old now and everything works 100% perfectly. No weird noises, no broken parts, no problems whatsoever. I have literally thousands of hours of use on it - I use it daily for many hours each day.

I've owned an assortment of PC laptops, and none of them have ever lasted more than 2 or 3 years before breaking (except my Panasonic Toughbook). The cheap flexible plastic chassis of the peecee laptops I think is a big contributor to their poor reliability.

 

[HotPopsicle]

There are good PC brands like Asus and Toshiba, but Apple's are pretty rock solid (Apple occasionally doesn't QA as well as they should before shipping stuff), look amazing, having good features and great re-sell value.

My MBP is 4 years old, zero problems, still fast enough for everything but hard-core gaming. It's the best consumer electronic device I've ever had.

 

[alent1234]

battery life and support

any Wintel laptop with the same battery life as MBP will cost just as much. and if you've ever had to deal with HP laptop support you will know better than to buy anything from them again

MBP is most reliable laptop I've ever owned. I'm still using mine that I bought in November 2006. It's over four years old now and everything works 100% perfectly. No weird noises, no broken parts, no problems whatsoever. I have literally thousands of hours of use on it - I use it daily for many hours each day.

I've owned an assortment of PC laptops, and none of them have ever lasted more than 2 or 3 years before breaking (except my Panasonic Toughbook). The cheap flexible plastic chassis of the peecee laptops I think is a big contributor to their poor reliability.

unless you need the battery life, PC laptops are so cheap these days you can buy a new one every year and don't care if it breaks since even after 3 years it's still cheaper than 1 MBP. and you get a faster machine every year

 

[dime21]

battery life and support

any Wintel laptop with the same battery life as MBP will cost just as much. and if you've ever had to deal with HP laptop support you will know better than to buy anything from them again

Bolded for emphasis. I will never in my life buy another HP laptop. I've owned two, and was horribly disappointed with both of them. The build quality was awful, and support is piss-poor.

 

[sublimeguide]

Considering that hopefully soon i will be a student and i will need reliability and not have a lot of time for games etc the logic choice would of course be a macbook pro(and probably it will be) (not to mention the battery life) but still i feel a little guilty "ditching" such specs (alienwareish) that would be top-notch for at least 1-2 years.
Also i wanted to let you know that i am asking such (probably stupid) questions because i don't have experience in OSX, i have played with it a little in a store but not for real so...

 

[alent1234]

Bolded for emphasis. I will never in my life buy another HP laptop. I've owned two, and was horribly disappointed with both of them. The build quality was awful, and support is piss-poor.

where i work everyone is buying Lenovo laptops for work. after using HP, no one wants a laptop from them anymore

every time i see a review for some cool but expensive HP laptop all i think is that it looks cool, but you have to be a fool to give HP that much money for a laptop

Considering that hopefully soon i will be a student and i will need reliability and not have a lot of time for games etc the logic choice would of course be a macbook pro(and probably it will be) (not to mention the battery life) but still i feel a little guilty "ditching" such specs (alienwareish) that would be top-notch for at least 1-2 years.
Also i wanted to let you know that i am asking such (probably stupid) questions because i don't have experience in OSX, i have played with it a little in a store but not for real so...

Alienware is Dell, not the same product as 15 years ago when they first started out along with Falcon Northwest

and it's totally different markets. if you want to game buy a Dell that will need the Hoover Dam to power it up. if you want a laptop for work where the battery won't die after 2 hours buy the MBP. find a laptop with an 8 hour battery life and a 15" screen and it's going to be the same price as Apple

 

[Richard1028]

i don't have experience in OSX, i have played with it a little in a store but not for real so...

I switched to a mac because of:

1.) The build quality
2.) The build quality
3.) The build quality

Also, the simplicity and elegance of the overall design.

I'm pretty rough on laptops. Went through many PC versions in my day. (They were actually built quite well up until 6-8 years ago IMO albeit bulky).

I can be productive with any OS so that's not an issue. I'm also not a heavy gamer.

where i work everyone is buying Lenovo laptops for work. after using HP, no one wants a laptop from them anymore

Even Lenovo is turning to crap these days. (compared to what they used to be). Although it's better "crap" than most I suppose.

I just unboxed a dozen units for my office yesterday. (Alas, it's a PC world in corporate America). They aren't bad but they certainly aren't built like macbooks. I chose to get "Drop and Spill" protection for them which was 1/4 the cost.

 

[JKK photography]

If you like the MBP form and build quality, but don't really want to sacrifice specs... The HP Envy 14 might be what you need. Google it; Engadget has a great review on it, as do other places.

Currently, its the only Windows computer that I would consider replacing my MacBook Pro with.

 

[alent1234]

I switched to a mac because of:

1.) The build quality
2.) The build quality
3.) The build quality

Also, the simplicity and elegance of the overall design.

I'm pretty rough on laptops. Went through many PC versions in my day. (They were actually built quite well up until 6-8 years ago IMO albeit bulky).

I can be productive with any OS so that's not an issue. I'm also not a heavy gamer.



Even Lenovo is turning to crap these days. (compared to what they used to be). Although it's better "crap" than most I suppose.

I just unboxed a dozen units for my office yesterday. (Alas, it's a PC world in corporate America). They aren't bad but they certainly aren't built like macbooks. I chose to get "Drop and Spill" protection for them which was 1/4 the cost.

i think mine is a G560. dropped it on concrete by accident, put some tape on the side of the screen and it still works like a champ. some of the plastic chipped off but nothing broke. my old corporate HP laptop fell apart all by itself

lately even the cheap cheap crappy laptops seem to have decent build quality

If you like the MBP form and build quality, but don't really want to sacrifice specs... The HP Envy 14 might be what you need. Google it; Engadget has a great review on it, as do other places.

Currently, its the only Windows computer that I would consider replacing my MacBook Pro with.

HP Envy's are also great for heating homes with

 

[skiltrip]

If you do any audio production with Pro Tools, and you want to stay mobile then the MacBook Pro is a huge asset. I spent weeks trying to get PC laptops run smoothly for audio before I decided to call it a day and get a MBP. My problems ended the day I got it.

 

[JKK photography]

HP Envy's are also great for heating homes with

Also, those heat issues we complained about when we reviewed the Envy 15 have disappeared, for the most part. The keyboard and touchpad of the laptop stayed relatively cool during our usage, even while playing Flash videos. The bottom of the laptop did get a bit warm, but not to the point that we feared burning any reproductive organs. We've also heard some recent buyers complaining about fan noise, but we weren't bothered by it.

Is it really still a problem in the newer 14" variant?

 

[sublimeguide]

HP Envy's are also great for heating homes with

Exactly. From what i've read what's the point of good specs if every time the system is under load it will go in flames... The asus g73 has a really high power AND good cooling but with the con of bulkiness(and build quality). If apple had more powerful graphics card that turn itself off when not needed like the current gt330 the macbook pro would be "no brainer" but probably they have realized that there would be overheating problems similar to the envy's one. Can't have everything best in a single package. Still.

 

[biscuitsxluv]

Support, battery life, softwares are inexpensive compared to PCs Just my opinion though, and of course the built of it.

But depends on your needs and wants.

I had an HP laptop 17"..
My husband would never let me use the laptop in the bedroom because it would warm up the room so hot, everyone would be sweating bullets. I used it for hours and hours. It's so sad because he'd kicked me out. It was very hot to put on your lap as well.

Exactly. From what i've read what's the point of good specs if every time the system is under load it will go in flames... The asus g73 has a really high power AND good cooling but with the con of bulkiness(and build quality). If apple had more powerful graphics card that turn itself off when not needed like the current gt330 the macbook pro would be "no brainer" but probably they have realized that there would be overheating problems similar to the envy's one. Can't have everything best in a single package. Still.

 

[Looon]

Yes Mac's are much more expensive than Windows PC's and there are many reasons for that. I don't really want to go into much detail but the materials used to build them are better. For example that Alienware is a 8lb piece of plastic where the MBP's are almost 100% aluminum. The hardware in macs is tested to a higher standard and each model doesnt have a different piece of hardware than the next. Thats just a few things to begin with. I personally use MBP's because I hate when things i buy fail, no matter the cost. And ive had 2 MBP's so far and not a single one has had any problems what-so-ever. Neither hardware nor software. That to me alone is worth the price different. Also the overall feel of the laptop is fantastic. Just using one it feels so solid, and you can tell it was built well. After owning a MBP all the other laptops just feel so sub-par and feel like they were glued together

1. all of the internal parts used in macs are made by the same companies that make the PC parts.

2. Proof?

 

[JKK photography]

Well then, it seems like the MBP is the only laptop that fits what you want. Search YouTube for some graphics tests on the model that you are looking into. It'll probably surprise you. I know the 13" did me.

 

[dime21]

1. all of the internal parts used in macs are made by the same companies that make the PC parts.

2. Proof?

LMAO, you can't really be this confused.... can you? Yes, the same factories in China build all the laptops in the world. But.... they build them to the specification that is asked of them, using the materials that are requested of them.

That's why the MBP has a laser-cut aluminum unibody, and the hp has a crappy plastic case. The fact that they were made in the same factory is really not relevant. This applies just the same to the logic board, the fans, the batteries, etc. The internal components used are NOT the same across all brands and models. Even tiny things like individual resistors and capacitors used on the logic board are all tested and selected according to different specifications.

 

[tasslehawf]

Not having to run Win 7 or a kludge version of OSX that you can't update.

 

[robo74]

Hello,
for quite a long time now i am considering buying a laptop that must be durable and reliable. Although i have always used windows i would like to switch to osx since i think it would be a good choice. But since the prices for the macbooks with specs i like is pretty high i want to ask you about the points that will justify a macbook pro purchase since the price is the same as the moster alienware m17 with crossfire 5870 which will BLOW OUT the gt330 like nothing. Don't get me wrong though, i am not a serious gamer on something but still i would like to play some games occasionally. Also i would like to ask you will the current get mbp be good for let's say 3 years?
Thanks

Back at the end of August, I purchased a Alienware M15x straight from Dell.
i7, 5850 video card, 4GB, etc..the whole nine yards. I purchased it as I wanted a machine that I could game a little on, and I have been fed up with Apple (short phase) at the time because of the price points of the Pro line. I thought they were lacking in the specs as well.
I took delivery of the Alienware in the first part of October. Boy, out of the box, that machine just screamed, fast as can be. Threw some games at it via steam, etc. Nothing was a challenge.
Alienwares have a thing for some oddities, just like many other manufactures, but it some things that cant get a grip on. The lighted keyboard, cool, different colors, etc. but when it works right, sometimes, it just turns off, or different colors when it wants. Sometimes, I had to pull the battery (reset) just to get the machine to fire up correctly. Many of these things are not hardware related, all software related and well documented in the major alienware community. Speaking of battery, yea..on my lap in the living room, simple surfing, 2 hours max..with a 6 cell. I wasnt going to pay a huge price for a 9 cell for more heat just to gain a little. Then there was the dell support. Yea.. They screwed up my personalized name plate, took many emails, calls to get that correct. Wasted my time. Never again.
I ended up selling it on eBay, accepted my losses and moved on. Fortunately I scored a used 15in i5 macbook pro that was purchased in August for $1300.
I never looked back, no more alienware/dell for me!

FYI-Those games I played via steam, I play on bootcamp now. No issues.

just my .02

Rob

 

[Looon]

LMAO, you can't really be this confused.... can you? Yes, the same factories in China build all the laptops in the world. But.... they build them to the specification that is asked of them, using the materials that are requested of them.

That's why the MBP has a laser-cut aluminum unibody, and the hp has a crappy plastic case. The fact that they were made in the same factory is really not relevant. This applies just the same to the logic board, the fans, the batteries, etc. The internal components used are NOT the same across all brands and models. Even tiny things like individual resistors and capacitors used on the logic board are all tested and selected according to different specifications.

oh man I really hope you don't actually believe that

 

[dime21]

oh man I really hope you don't actually believe that

No, I don't "believe" it. I know it as fact. I'm an electrical engineer in my day job. I'm the guy that oversees the design team, and provides the component specifications to the manufacturing team. (Not laptops, a different kind of consumer electronic, but the principle and process are the same).

You're digging quite a hole for yourself here.

 

[sublimeguide]

Back at the end of August, I purchased a Alienware M15x straight from Dell.
i7, 5850 video card, 4GB, etc..the whole nine yards. I purchased it as I wanted a machine that I could game a little on, and I have been fed up with Apple (short phase) at the time because of the price points of the Pro line. I thought they were lacking in the specs as well.
I took delivery of the Alienware in the first part of October. Boy, out of the box, that machine just screamed, fast as can be. Threw some games at it via steam, etc. Nothing was a challenge.
Alienwares have a thing for some oddities, just like many other manufactures, but it some things that cant get a grip on. The lighted keyboard, cool, different colors, etc. but when it works right, sometimes, it just turns off, or different colors when it wants. Sometimes, I had to pull the battery (reset) just to get the machine to fire up correctly. Many of these things are not hardware related, all software related and well documented in the major alienware community. Speaking of battery, yea..on my lap in the living room, simple surfing, 2 hours max..with a 6 cell. I wasnt going to pay a huge price for a 9 cell for more heat just to gain a little. Then there was the dell support. Yea.. They screwed up my personalized name plate, took many emails, calls to get that correct. Wasted my time. Never again.
I ended up selling it on eBay, accepted my losses and moved on. Fortunately I scored a used 15in i5 macbook pro that was purchased in August for $1300.
I never looked back, no more alienware/dell for me!

FYI-Those games I played via steam, I play on bootcamp now. No issues.

just my .02

Rob

That pretty much made my decision solid. What i don't want to end up is getting a very powerful notebook and realize i don't actually use the power of it that much (or occasionally when play some game for probably not more that 30-60 min or render video which will probably happen even more rarely) and deal with the horrid battery life in day to day basis (a.k.a to stay on on the adapter 4ever).
Thanks!

 

[Razzi]

It's a tough call. I hated Macs and everything it stood for as well as everything it was portrayed to be. Then I bit the bullet and bought one, I fell in love. It's kind of hard justifying to somehow why I paid twice as much for their similarly spec-ed laptop. But for some reason, it just felt right to me. Maybe it's the solid on pieced aluminum block build quality, maybe it's the oh so sexy glossy screen, maybe it's the way the ladies look at me when I open it up in the library, I dunno.

If you're trying to overclock your processors and playing games on max graphics while mapping the human genome, maybe the MBP isn't for you, get yourself a screaming Alienware for about the same price. I can't testify for their built quality but whenever I pick up my friends' plastic laptops, it just feels like a bunch of plastic glued together.

If you're mostly a productive person with a bit of a gamer attached, then you're fine. i5 core and an nVidia GPU will set you up nicely to keep up to speed.

The only problem I have with Macs is their OS, or rather, the support out there for it. More popular programs out there will come with a Mac version. But if you're a bit more geeky and want stuff like emulators, it gets a bit tough to track down. Oh and don't worry about the computer-illiterate-masses stigma that's attached to Macs. They exist, but they exist in general, Macs or otherwise.

Bottom line, it's what you're gonna do with it, what you like and what you're into.