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If you didn't have your MacBook Pro, what would you go for?

0989383

0989383

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May 11, 2013
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Just curious, as someone who recently gave this some serious thought..

What laptop would you go for if you didn't have your MacBook Pro?

*Other Macs / generations of MBP are excluded here.

I want to know... Surface Pro? ThinkPad? ...Chromebook?! LOL. Still though: what. and why?

Personally my response is this: Surface Pro 4 as it shares the build quality of the Mac and Windows seems to be the only good option for a daily OS (with Mac OS excluded ofc).
 
You are not formulating the question correctly. Before people had their MBP there was a time where they didn't have it and decided to buy one ;) The question you mean to be asking is what other notebook you'd buy if the MBP isn't an option.

But why are you posting something like this on an Apple forum in the MBP subforum? What's the intent of the topic; to discuss alternatives? Do understand that (some) people here are buying Apple computers because of the operating system as well as the hardware; any non-Apple machine does not offer the same OS so for quite a few here those are not even remotely an option.
 
Chromebook Pixel LS....

I'd slap Crouton on it so I could run Linux for the things that ChromeOS can't do..

Build quality is similar to MacBook, screen is gorgeous, trackpad on par with MacBooks and the KB is similar to say the 2015 MacBook KB..
 
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XPS 13. We have one in the family, and it's an excellent laptop. Touch screen is very useful for scrolling up and down when you don't need to use the keyboard/trackpad often (i.e. reddit, forums, etc.).
 
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I also own a Dell Chromebook 13 and it is a really nice computer. The design isn't particularly impressive (the lid and base look like they are from two different computers) but the keyboard is one of the nicest keyboards I have ever used. The backlighting is dynamic too, which is pretty rad. I bought the high end model with an i5 CPU and 8 GB RAM so it is blazingly fast (but my HP 14 with a celeron CPU and 4 GB RAM was blazingly fast..it is just Chrome OS LOL).

Google made Chrome OS pretty easy to hack so there are a lot of good tools to get a "full" Linux desktop on your chromebook. They are good computers that met almost all of my needs.
 
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SB-MBP said:
Just curious, as someone who recently gave this some serious thought..

What laptop would you go for if you didn't have your MacBook Pro?

*Other Macs / generations of MBP are excluded here.

I want to know... Surface Pro? ThinkPad? ...Chromebook?! LOL. Still though: what. and why?

Personally my response is this: Surface Pro 4 as it shares the build quality of the Mac and Windows seems to be the only good option for a daily OS (with Mac OS excluded ofc).
Click to expand...

Either the new Razer Stealth Blade or the Yoga X1 with OLED screen. Dell XPS looks nice too.
I kinda like the possibility to have the Razer Core to make it a gaming machine if you want.

So of course , that would imply to make the jump to Windows ...
 
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With the larger price tag than most people were expecting, I did briefly go look at Windows machines as a possibility. I don't use Mac specific software, just prefer the OS and machines. So had to have a look to justify it.

I looked at a Dell XPS, really didn't like it within about 5 seconds. Didn't like the grippyness of the surface, awful feeling trackpad, and the build quality (Nearly all Windows laptops I look at, if you push down on G and H keys, the whole thing flexes... Just don't like it). So that was a no go.

Otherwise there wasn't really a lot of choice, I've disliked HP for a long time (Old prejudice), but couldn't see anything in-stores that would change my mind. Lenovo no way.

So it kind of only left the Surfacebook. Which I do think is a very interesting computer and I hope Microsoft continue to develop it, I've seen them too often recently make something interesting and then ditch it a few generations later. In its current form, it wasn't suitable for my needs sadly. I still don't like the keyboard section, although better than a tablet, it still feels like an accessory and not part of the device. And also the machine is lower power than the MBP. The tablet is vaguely useful but in reality I don't think I'd use it that much. And then finally it was the same price as the MBP... So that kind of settled that one!

I'm not against Windows computers in any way and I hope they continue to evolve, specifically MS branded machines. But this generation I couldn't find anything better for my needs than the MBP.

I've heard many good things about the Razor computers, but I still feel they target the gaming market with all those lights and tacky stuff. And for me the computer is a work thing and I want it optimised for that, not gaming.
 
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dyn said:
You are not formulating the question correctly. Before people had their MBP there was a time where they didn't have it and decided to buy one ;) The question you mean to be asking is what other notebook you'd buy if the MBP isn't an option.

But why are you posting something like this on an Apple forum in the MBP subforum? What's the intent of the topic; to discuss alternatives? Do understand that (some) people here are buying Apple computers because of the operating system as well as the hardware; any non-Apple machine does not offer the same OS so for quite a few here those are not even remotely an option.
Click to expand...

I appreciate your opinion on the wording! Though, I will explain to you why I'm asking.

Because, I'm interested to hear what fellow users (who admire the OS, the build quality etc) of the MacBook Pro - which is why I'm asking them in particular - would choose, had now, they had to go to something else as many of us (I'm not the only one) won't be able to afford the new model due to the price incline and I'm putting serious thought into some worthy alternatives.

Some guys on here know more than me, so their opinions and perspectives are valued!
 
For the 13" class Surface Book, difference being I bought one, dropping the 13" rMBP. For the 15" class still thinking possibly Thinkpad P50/P70. For the 12" class maybe a Zenbook 3 or a Surface Pro 5. Am all so thinking of running a Linux machine which would very much determine the hardware.

Q-6
 
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I can't use another Mac? Like, I can't use an iMac and an iPad -- which I would seriously consider doing if I had a house with an "office" room?

I'd just use whatever computer my job gave me.

And, I may get a used something-or-other, wipe Windows off of it (I'd zero out the disk if I can), and play with various Linux flavors on it.

But seriously, every time I use another OS (especially any Windows, from 95 to 10, that I've had the pleasure of using), I wonder why it's not as well-cared for as Mac OS. I keep feeling like the UI of my work Dell was designed by people who hate users.
 
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Dell XPS 15 or Dell Precision M5510. They are exactly the same with the exception of the video cards. The Precision uses a nVidia Quadro card while the XPS uses the GT 960M.
 
I got my MBP as I started college this (2016) last fall. I got it just a week before school started because I was having trouble deciding if a laptop was necessary (I found out that yes, a laptop was a VERY wise choice lol). Before deciding to jump on a new MBP, I had every intention of using my iPad with a wireless keyboard!
 
Ugh, that's a tough one. Probably a Blade? Surfacebooks don't have enough performance for me and are way too bulky to be comfortable (even though it's a very interesting machine), Dell XPS has horrible battery life and I'm not convinced by the build quality... yeah, really a tough one.
 
Maybe a Razer Blade or XPS 15. I'd want a 1060 at the least if I had to go Windows. I absolutely need quad core, and the no Surface products offer that.
 
Haven't done any serious shopping around, but the Razer Blades look very nice.
 
I'd opt for a Surface Book, mostly because I did ;)

Solid design, premium feel, no crapware installed. Great all around computer.

No buyers remorse, short of that its running windows. I don't mind Windows, and prefer it for a number of situations, but I also like OS X.
 
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