Anybody up for a game of "talk me down: switching back?"

[jodr]

In the interest of keeping everybody occupied until the MBP refresh...

The waiting game has had a strange effect on me. I'm a mac convert of about five years now, still plugging away on a G4 desktop, and have been anxiously anticipating the jump to Intel with the next iteration of Macbook Pros, which I'll be using as a desktop replacement.

Yet all the waiting has had me looking harder and harder at those pesky ThinkPads, which I see come up here from time to time. The dealbreaker in the past would always be Windows - XP and Vista were always enough to keep me swallowing the Apple premium. But Windows 7 has me thinking twice. It looks like a solid little OS. Now some of the ThinkPads look mighty comparable to the MPBs. My uses are writing, music and perhaps some video editing. Am I thinking myself into a world of regret here? Lenovo is having a mighty attractive notebook sale right until the day of Apple's media event, of course.

 

[balamw]

What apps do you currently use? Are they cross platform? Nothing wrong with Windows 7 or Lenovo.

Note that you can easily not pay the so-called Apple tax just by buying a refurbished unit direct from Apple.

B

 

[melman101]

Personally, Windows 7 might have a new "cover" on it, but it's still the same old Windows. Virus's, spyware, etc. Also, my friend has a Lenovo with Windows 7 and he couldn't take it anymore, so he just bought an iMac.

Also, you can always install Windows 7 on a Mac, but the reverse is much harder. Why do you need the newest hardware? The Core 2 Duo is fine for all the tasks I use it for. Web Browsing, iPhone programming, etc, etc.

 

[jodr]

Personally, Windows 7 might have a new "cover" on it, but it's still the same old Windows. Virus's, spyware, etc. Also, my friend has a Lenovo with Windows 7 and he couldn't take it anymore, so he just bought an iMac.

Also, you can always install Windows 7 on a Mac, but the reverse is much harder. Why do you need the newest hardware? The Core 2 Duo is fine for all the tasks I use it for. Web Browsing, iPhone programming, etc, etc.

I've come close to buying the current model and it does seem perfectly fine for what I'd do, but with new ones coming out so soon I figure I might as well see what they do. It'll be a relic in 6 months, regardless...

True about the compatibility - for some reason, I still assume running Windows on a Mac would be functional, but somehow not ideal (as far as running Windows goes). I don't remember how I picked up that impression.

 

[safelder]

Yet all the waiting has had me looking harder and harder at those pesky ThinkPads, which I see come up here from time to time.

I have had several Thinkpads, both personally and at work, and have always found them to be bulletproof. I recently replaced my personal 4 year old Thinkpad T series that was exhibiting hardware degradation (primarily a dimmer backlight, but also some periodically wonky wireless) with a unibody late 2009 Macbook (and I have Windows 7 Home 32 bit installed in a VM). I still use a Thinkpad (T400) with Windows 7 Professional 64 bit for work. For what I do, I see little difference between the two machines--I like them both equally well. If I had specialized software, I might lean one way or the other. Windows 7 is very Mac-like, however.

 

[aberrero]

I have been using Windows 7 for over 6 months. If you aren't an idiot, you don't need antivirus software or antispyware or anything like that. Just hold off on opening random attachments and random internet downloads and you will be fine. WIndows 7 is really nice. In many ways, it is better than OS X. Moreover, thinkpads are really nice and relatively good value for money.

Go for it!

Also, I read somewhere that you can click a button somewhere on the checkout page to "save" the price, and lenovo will honor it for 30 days. Never figured out how to do that though, but you might want to look into it or try to do the same over hte phone.

 

[wakka092]

After getting a cracked RMA for replacement glass for my cracked unibody MacBook Pro (thanks OWC..) I am strongly considering turning this computer into a headless laptop and using it for my iPhone development only.

The Dell Vostro V13 is really tempting me. Plus, I love Windows 7. I know what to click on and what not to. An iPhone + Mac laptop + iPad would be redundant anyways.

OP, did you go back to the dark side?