Apple MacBook Pro 15 (high end) vs HP EliteBook 8560w

[hawk1410]

I'm not sure where you got the information that the HP has a better display or "better build quality". One thing to look at is relability reviews by sources such as Consumer Reports, PC World, PC Mag, etc. You'll find that Apple is almost always at the top of the list, whereas HP doesn't fair so well.

Consumer report stuff is flawed cause it looks at HP as a whole company, whereas the business products are on a completely different level compared to consumer level product. I can say for sure that the HP Elitebook s are the best build notebooks you can buy. Yes they are better than Apple. And well screen is undoubtedly the best you can find there is no competition. Screen is another reason i dont want a MBP, while MBP screens are somewhat average at best in terms of color reproduction and contrast when compared to the HP screen.
Honestly right now i am gonna try and get my hands on a MBP and use it to get an idea of how Mac OS feels. If i like it then i will get the MBP otherwise HP.

 

[Bending Pixels]

Where are you getting your information that MBP's "are somewhat average at best in terms of color reproduction and contrast when compared to the HP screen". Do you have a link?

As to seeing "how Mac OS feels", simply go to either Best Buy or an Apple Store and use one. That's the best way.

 

[randomrazr]

macbook pro has a bette overall design with its uniboyd enclosure

the hp seems more solid but the macbook is etter puttogether

get the macbook pro.


i switched last summer and it took me only a few days to get use to mac OSX

 

[hawk1410]

Where are you getting your information that MBP's "are somewhat average at best in terms of color reproduction and contrast when compared to the HP screen". Do you have a link?

As to seeing "how Mac OS feels", simply go to either Best Buy or an Apple Store and use one. That's the best way.

I dont have a link that exactly compares the 2 panels but the HP Dreamcolor 2 display is the best laptop display in the market. MBP hi res anti glare screen has a contrast of 580:1 compared to 800:1 on the HP. Also the HP screen is an IPS 10 bit with over 1 billion colors compared to the standard TN 6 bit panel with 256k colors on the MBP. The HPs diplay is regarded as the best display on a laptop. It should be as the cost of the panel is 1200$.(but of course it is much cheaper on the laptops). Here are a few pics of the HP screen -
http://i.imgur.com/2c2I4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9XVfC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Q7xfy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/81Dlp.jpg

Hey and is there a LEGAL way i can run Mac on my current Windows machine to get an idea of what Mac OS feels like. I think Hackintosh is illegal, but does Mac OS work with VMWare??

 

[rockyroad55]

I dont have a link that exactly compares the 2 panels but the HP Dreamcolor 2 display is the best laptop display in the market. MBP hi res anti glare screen has a contrast of 580:1 compared to 800:1 on the HP. Also the HP screen is an IPS 10 bit with over 1 billion colors compared to the standard TN 6 bit panel with 256k colors on the MBP. The HPs diplay is regarded as the best display on a laptop. It should be as the cost of the panel is 1200$.(but of course it is much cheaper on the laptops). Here are a few pics of the HP screen -
http://i.imgur.com/2c2I4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9XVfC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Q7xfy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/81Dlp.jpg

Hey and is there a LEGAL way i can run Mac on my current Windows machine to get an idea of what Mac OS feels like. I think Hackintosh is illegal, but does Mac OS work with VMWare??

Go buy one from the Apple Store. 14 days to return w/ no restocking fee.

 

[Macsavvytech]

I dont have a link that exactly compares the 2 panels but the HP Dreamcolor 2 display is the best laptop display in the market. MBP hi res anti glare screen has a contrast of 580:1 compared to 800:1 on the HP. Also the HP screen is an IPS 10 bit with over 1 billion colors compared to the standard TN 6 bit panel with 256k colors on the MBP. The HPs diplay is regarded as the best display on a laptop. It should be as the cost of the panel is 1200$.(but of course it is much cheaper on the laptops). Here are a few pics of the HP screen -
http://i.imgur.com/2c2I4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9XVfC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Q7xfy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/81Dlp.jpg

Hey and is there a LEGAL way i can run Mac on my current Windows machine to get an idea of what Mac OS feels like. I think Hackintosh is illegal, but does Mac OS work with VMWare??

It is true it is the one thing apple are often critized for, they provide good monitors but on a 3k laptop some more options would be nice. I disaggree with you on build quality the elitebooks I have always found to be thick, heavy, ugly, and just plain uncomfortable when doing lap work. I work with my MBP everyday and it has never failed on me, this for me is why I would never consider another manafacturer. Well atleast not for a while.

 

[randomrazr]

I dont have a link that exactly compares the 2 panels but the HP Dreamcolor 2 display is the best laptop display in the market. MBP hi res anti glare screen has a contrast of 580:1 compared to 800:1 on the HP. Also the HP screen is an IPS 10 bit with over 1 billion colors compared to the standard TN 6 bit panel with 256k colors on the MBP. The HPs diplay is regarded as the best display on a laptop. It should be as the cost of the panel is 1200$.(but of course it is much cheaper on the laptops). Here are a few pics of the HP screen -
http://i.imgur.com/2c2I4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9XVfC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Q7xfy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/81Dlp.jpg

Hey and is there a LEGAL way i can run Mac on my current Windows machine to get an idea of what Mac OS feels like. I think Hackintosh is illegal, but does Mac OS work with VMWare??

where can i get that wallpaper? can u ilink me???

 

[Philflow]

@ hawk, what ever you choose it will be fine. They both have their unique qualities.

Windows is good, so is OS X. It's a matter of personal preference. I happen to prefer Windows, so I run Windows most of the time on my MBP 13. It's not ideal but it works.

 

[snaky69]

I dont have a link that exactly compares the 2 panels but the HP Dreamcolor 2 display is the best laptop display in the market. MBP hi res anti glare screen has a contrast of 580:1 compared to 800:1 on the HP. Also the HP screen is an IPS 10 bit with over 1 billion colors compared to the standard TN 6 bit panel with 256k colors on the MBP. The HPs diplay is regarded as the best display on a laptop. It should be as the cost of the panel is 1200$.(but of course it is much cheaper on the laptops). Here are a few pics of the HP screen -
http://i.imgur.com/2c2I4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9XVfC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Q7xfy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/81Dlp.jpg

Hey and is there a LEGAL way i can run Mac on my current Windows machine to get an idea of what Mac OS feels like. I think Hackintosh is illegal, but does Mac OS work with VMWare??

No there are no legal ways to make OS X run on a non-apple computer.

Your point about the IPS panel is moot, you're doing computer science, not photography as a main activity, color reproduction on MBPs is actually excellent considering the TN panel.

 

[hawk1410]

No there are no legal ways to make OS X run on a non-apple computer.

Your point about the IPS panel is moot, you're doing computer science, not photography as a main activity, color reproduction on MBPs is actually excellent considering the TN panel.

Well I may not be a photoshop/ graphic design artist but i still like good displays. I last laptop was the Dell Studio XPS 16 with the RGBLED again with good color reproduction, it broke early this year and i bought the Alienware m17x next which i sold cause i hated the display.
Well i am gonna borrow a friends MBP for a few hours and use it, if i like the OS then i guess MBP is the one i will be getting. The Thunderbolt port is the main reason I am drawn towards the MBP, and i would really like one. I will get back to you guys after i have checked Mac OSX out.

 

[hawk1410]

Well i found some pics of the 2 laptops side by side and well the HP looks bulky -

 

[Philflow]

Well i found some pics of the 2 laptops side by side and well the HP looks bulky

You seem surprised

 

[Bending Pixels]

Well i found some pics of the 2 laptops side by side and well the HP looks bulky -
Image
Image
Image

That's 'cuz it is. CNET even noted that as one of the main disadvantages of the HP.

 

[hawk1410]

Well ofcourse i knew the HP would be bulky, was just saying that it is thicker than i expected. I did not post the pic regarding which i said it. Here it is -

It is quite a bit thicker but it looks to be more solid, just look at the hinge in the prev pics.

 

[Orlandoech]

Personally, I used to be a die-hard WinDoze fan. No more. I use WinXP at work because I have to. At home, I use a MBP because I've found it to be a better platform for photo editing, and everything else. I've found comperable Mac applications for everything I used in Windows.

Same here, except Windows 7 at work for me. I love my MBP too much to go back for personal use.

 

[Hyper-X]

OP, between those 2 choices, I'd go with the HP business, it's leaps and bounds superior to the MBP at that price, we have a few in our engineering dept and even our Mac folks will tell you it's significantly better. I'm not trying to make this a PC vs Mac post but it's going to seem that way. Coding is different from IT management and administration, as a CS major I think either will do just fine... however if you intend on dealing with networking and multiple OS platforms...

 

[Pentad]

I was shocked that you could put 32 GB of memory in one of the models. I wish I could put 32 GB of memory in my MBP.

Then I saw the price...D'oh!


-p

 

[sporadicMotion]

No there are no legal ways to make OS X run on a non-apple computer.

Depends on the country. In the UK, Apple's Mac only EULA holds zero weight... it's not illegal in countries that have similar laws to the UK.

 

[Philflow]

Hawk, how about Dell XPS 15z?
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Dell-XPS-15z-Apple-MacBook-Pro-Comparison,review-1670.html

 

[RosseAU]

Go the HP - I did

I think you're deciding between the 2 best designed 15" laptops on the market right now. The HP handles many things the MBP can't.

Main things for me were:
1- 4 dimms vs 2. While the MBP can unofficially run 16Gb RAM, on 2 Dimms its expensive (>$1500) and not supported by Apple (according to their Australian support line). I run 16Gb, it cost less than $350 (don't buy it from HP) and can run 32Gb if the price comes down. I run multiple VMs with betas and I suspect as a CS student you'll do the same.
2- I run OSX with Virtual Box when needed so the OS is not a big deal
3- MBP ports are limited, with no esata, usb 3.0 or expansion. Thunderbolt is not usable yet so if you want to transfer large files (eg a 30Gb VM) you'll be waiting hours.
4- Apple also doesn't officially support hard drive caddies in the optical bay. I run Raid 0.
5- In my opinion, MBP's cooling is not geared towards power use. It will run very, very hot if you're working the machine hard and I'd be worried about long term effects.

 

[hawk1410]

Hawk, how about Dell XPS 15z?
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Dell-XPS-15z-Apple-MacBook-Pro-Comparison,review-1670.html

The quality of the XPS 15z is disappointing.

RosseAU I am not to concerned about the ram slots or a optical caddy and I will also be fine with the ports as i dont ever need more than 2 ports. Cooling is what concerns me the most. But i checked out a few numbers and it seems the temps of the internals are acceptable it is only the external body that gets overly hot(my last laptop the Studio XPS 16 was similar, the body got way too hot but the internals were just fine).

 

[Nielsenius]

As someone who exclusively used Windows (2000, XP, Vista, 7) for the first 15 years of my life, let me say that switching to Mac OS X is not difficult in the least. If you have any tech knowhow, the switch will be easy. My point is that you should buy the machine that you think will do the best job. There's nothing wrong with Windows 7. It's a great OS. I just prefer Mac OS X because it's extremely sexy.

 

[aluren]

I bought my first MBP couple months ago and this is the first time using OSX. It definitely runs better than Windows 7, obviously since there's the hardware/software harmony from Apple. Initially I was skeptical about OSX and so I installed Windows 7 on it. But nowadays I hardly ever bootcamp into it. But it's still there whenever I need it. Knowing what I knew now, I would've gotten a Mac a long time ago...

The two things that sucks are:

1. NTFS/FAT setup of hard drives. I cannot copy files from my MBP to my external hard drive, so that'll be the only time where I boot camp into Windows.

2. Microsoft Office for Mac. It just doesn't feel right. Maybe cuz I use the Windows version everyday at work. For some reason I just can't get used to the Mac version. But again, there's bootcamp.

 

[hawk1410]

1. NTFS/FAT setup of hard drives. I cannot copy files from my MBP to my external hard drive, so that'll be the only time where I boot camp into Windows.

Now that concerns me a bit, could you explain that a bit?? Do you mean NTFS/Fat hdds do not work with the MBP?? Well that is a potential deal breaker for me as i have a 2tb external HDD with all of my stuff.

 

[snaky69]

Now that concerns me a bit, could you explain that a bit?? Do you mean NTFS/Fat hdds do not work with the MBP?? Well that is a potential deal breaker for me as i have a 2tb external HDD with all of my stuff.

Mac cannot write natively to a NTFS formatted drives. There are utilities out there you can install that will allow you do to so. One is called Paragon I think.
I've never used it, as my external is formatted for Mac OS X as it never gets used by any other operating system.

Making a Time Machine backup requires a hard drive formatted in HFS+.