Macbook OR Toshiba Satellite M115-S3094

[nyzballa12]

Okay well, my birthday is on November 7th, which is Tuesday and I am getting a notebook for my birthday. I have $530 and my parents will pay the rest. I am stuck between getting a 1.83 ghz refurbished MacBook and a Toshiba Satellite M115-S3094. The Toshiba is about $650 and it has a 1.6 Core Duo processor, dvd and cd writer drive, 80 gb hdd, 14.1 inch screen, 512 MB RAM, Intel GMA 650, built in wireless card, and Windows XP Media Center. I'm kinda stuck between getting a MacBook and getting the Toshiba. I'm a little worried about buying the MacBook because I think that as soon as I buy it, Apple will put C2D cpus in them and I will be stuck with the old version. Any rumors when they will put C2D's in the MacBook? Also, is anyone here selling a MacBook for a reasonable price?

 

[Umbongo]

Well if you buy the toshiba you will have a lower quality and less powerful laptop regardless of when Apple release C2D notebooks. I understand your predicament though, especially as every tuesday is "macbooks released" day at the moment, but the it's not like the C2D macbooks are going to be hugely better than the CD ones anyway.

 

[psycoswimmer]

Couldn't you wait until the next day (Wednesday) to get the Macbook?

 

[coday182]

OK from what I understand they both have core duo processors so either way you're screwed. lol j/j. You get my point.

 

[WildCowboy]

Only the MacBook will run OS X...argument over.

That said, you're not going to find one for $650. With your budget, you're not going for the latest and greatest anyway, so you might want to hold out for the Core 2 Duo MacBooks to be released and then pick up a Core Duo one at a better price. But no one knows when the new MacBooks are coming...it could be on Tuesday or it could be not until next year.

 

[adiosk8]

this a dumb place to get un-biased answers on whether you should get a mac or not...the fanboi's run wild

 

[Shadow]

Have no worries about the C2D. I have a Core Duo and its perfect. A Core 2 Duo has only a speed boost of ~10% and 64bit is a moot point because the chipset can only support 3GB anyway (case in point: MacBook Pro-64bit but with only 3GB RAM).

 

[Felldownthewell]

From a purely non-fanboy perspective, I would say macbook, simply because it is more powerful and more "sleek". I mean, OSX and all too, but since a windows based, not-very-powerful laptop will run slow to begin with and only get slower, wheras an OSX laptop will feel faster and won't slow down.

Since you are a buget-buyer C2D shouldn't factor into your calculations at all, unless you think it will create a price drop for CD machines, which it might. The C2D will add a slight power boost, but it will not be huge, and it will also be several weeks before refurbs show up.

If you don't want to spend a lot and don't mind the crap specs, go for the toshiba; if you want better specs and don't mind spending more go for the MB.

 

[nyzballa12]

Well if you buy the toshiba you will have a lower quality and less powerful laptop regardless of when Apple release C2D notebooks. I understand your predicament though, especially as every tuesday is "macbooks released" day at the moment, but the it's not like the C2D macbooks are going to be hugely better than the CD ones anyway.

Yea, I'm kinda leaning away from the toshiba. It's like 70% MacBook and 30% Toshiba

 

[makingthebanned]

Only the MacBook will run OS X...argument over.

That said, you're not going to find one for $650. With your budget, you're not going for the latest and greatest anyway, so you might want to hold out for the Core 2 Duo MacBooks to be released and then pick up a Core Duo one at a better price. But no one knows when the new MacBooks are coming...it could be on Tuesday or it could be not until next year.

Ridiculous. You people are just so ridiculous.
How many times will we hear this "it runs OS X, it's the best evarrrrr!!!11!!11!!" ?


Honestly, the Macbook is better, but only for one reason... your parents are paying the bill, haha. If I was buying it with my money, I'd go for the Toshiba. You're most likely going to have to send that MacBook back in when it starts randomly shutting down anyway... because knowing Apple, they haven't gone and fixed the refurbs yet until they have to.

 

[nyzballa12]

Only the MacBook will run OS X...argument over.

That said, you're not going to find one for $650. With your budget, you're not going for the latest and greatest anyway, so you might want to hold out for the Core 2 Duo MacBooks to be released and then pick up a Core Duo one at a better price. But no one knows when the new MacBooks are coming...it could be on Tuesday or it could be not until next year.

My budget is around $1200. I've been needing a laptop for school and my parents have been neglecting it since January when I built my pc. So it's finally time for them to step up to the plate. They said that I can go up to $1200 and they will pay the difference.

 

[nyzballa12]

From a purely non-fanboy perspective, I would say macbook, simply because it is more powerful and more "sleek". I mean, OSX and all too, but since a windows based, not-very-powerful laptop will run slow to begin with and only get slower, wheras an OSX laptop will feel faster and won't slow down.

Since you are a buget-buyer C2D shouldn't factor into your calculations at all, unless you think it will create a price drop for CD machines, which it might. The C2D will add a slight power boost, but it will not be huge, and it will also be several weeks before refurbs show up.

If you don't want to spend a lot and don't mind the crap specs, go for the toshiba; if you want better specs and don't mind spending more go for the MB.

MacBook FTW!!! I just hope that they don't release the C2D soon cus then I will feel like crap until people review it saying that there is not much of a speed difference. Right now I am on a AMD Athlon 64 3400+ and its pretty fast in gaming and all. So I guess any CD will be an improvement from this.

 

[WildCowboy]

Ridiculous. You people are just so ridiculous.
How many times will we hear this "it runs OS X, it's the best evarrrrr!!!11!!11!!" ?

No, but most people use Mac because they find OS X to be a better operating system than Windows. I've used both, and I prefer OS X. Do you expect people on a Mac forum to have a different opinion?

OS X isn't perfect, but you're going to find that folks here like it pretty darn well.

 

[nyzballa12]

Ridiculous. You people are just so ridiculous.
How many times will we hear this "it runs OS X, it's the best evarrrrr!!!11!!11!!" ?


Honestly, the Macbook is better, but only for one reason... your parents are paying the bill, haha. If I was buying it with my money, I'd go for the Toshiba. You're most likely going to have to send that MacBook back in when it starts randomly shutting down anyway... because knowing Apple, they haven't gone and fixed the refurbs yet until they have to.

Yea, I'm going to put in my $530 and they will pay the other $500 for it. But I their refurbs don't have any problems I've heard.

 

[nyzballa12]

No, but most people use Mac because they find OS X to be a better operating system than Windows. I've used both, and I prefer OS X. Do you expect people on a Mac forum to have a different opinion?

OS X isn't perfect, but you're going to find that folks here like it pretty darn well.

I've been using Windows pcs for the past 6 years. Over the summer, my friend was going away on vacation and he asked me if I could keep his Power Book for him. I did and I used it for about a week or so. I loved it! It was fast, OSX was nice to use and so forth

 

[Shadow]

Ridiculous. You people are just so ridiculous.
How many times will we hear this "it runs OS X, it's the best evarrrrr!!!11!!11!!" ?

Well you are on a Mac forum-what do you expect? Everyone to say that Windows is better?

Honestly, the Macbook is better, but only for one reason... your parents are paying the bill, haha. If I was buying it with my money, I'd go for the Toshiba. You're most likely going to have to send that MacBook back in when it starts randomly shutting down anyway... because knowing Apple, they haven't gone and fixed the refurbs yet until they have to.

No, the MacBook is not better because the parents are paying the bill. Its better because it can run Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux, the specs are better, the build quality is better, and it looks better! Its got better specs so it will last for longer, it runs Mac OS X which doesnt get VISTA (Viruses, Infections, Spyware, Trojans & Adware) and its well known that Mac's last longer. Loads of people around here still use iMac G3s or PowerBook G3s.
The MacBooks no longer have the RSS, because of the firmware update a few weeks ago. Apple fix and inspect all refurbs, infact its probably better to get a refurb because they're cheaper and have been checked again.

Call me an Apple fanboy if you want, I dont care really.

 

[ChickenSwartz]

So if you buy the Toshiba and the next day Apple releases a Core 2 Duo MacBook, you are still stuck with a Core Duo computer. See my logic, don't let that stop you.

 

[nyzballa12]

Well you are on a Mac forum-what do you expect? Everyone to say that Windows is better?


No, the MacBook is not better because the parents are paying the bill. Its better because it can run Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux, the specs are better, the build quality is better, and it looks better! Its got better specs so it will last for longer, it runs Mac OS X which doesnt get VISTA (Viruses, Infections, Spyware, Trojans & Adware) and its well known that Mac's last longer. Loads of people around here still use iMac G3s or PowerBook G3s.
The MacBooks no longer have the RSS, because of the firmware update a few weeks ago. Apple fix and inspect all refurbs, infact its probably better to get a refurb because they're cheaper and have been checked again.

Call me an Apple fanboy if you want, I dont care really.

Yeah, that's what a couple of people were telling me on another forum. I'm most likely going to get the MacBook I read some reviews on the C2D chips compared to the CD chips and there isn't much, if any difference. It also reports worse battery life.

 

[xfiftyfour]

So if you buy the Toshiba and the next day Apple releases a Core 2 Duo MacBook, you are still stuck with a Core Duo computer. See my logic, don't let that stop you.

Not only that, but you're proposing buying a computer that is under-spec'd compared to the MB from the start because the MB might be updated..? That is just.. well.. dumb? If you're worried about getting an outdated machine, why would you buy one that is ALREADY outdated, just because the alternative will be outdated someday?

 

[aristobrat]

Ridiculous. You people are just so ridiculous.
How many times will we hear this "it runs OS X, it's the best evarrrrr!!!11!!11!!" ?

As long as some people consider the operating system to be the most important choice when considering a computer, I'd imagine.

 

[Sesshi]

Ridiculous.

Love the name.

I'd first ask the OP you must get that particular Toshiba - sure, it's a heck of a lot better built than the Macbook that's about all this particular Tosh has over the Macbook. If you can spring for the MB, why not a better Toshiba/HP/etc?

 

[Scarlet Fever]

I'd first ask the OP you must get that particular Toshiba - sure, it's a heck of a lot better built than the Macbook that's about all this particular Tosh has over the Macbook. If you can spring for the MB, why not a better Toshiba/HP/etc?

my mum had a toshiba satellite for work. when she got it, it was running terribly; a 1.7GHz Celeron chip was running a lot slower than our 667MHz G4 TiBook. It turns out the people who distributed the laptops put in bad RAM. Not the fault of Toshiba, i know.

After good RAM was put in, there wasn't any increase in performance, and weird things started happening, like the mouse taking a life of its own, and the headphone jack not working all the time. The logic board was replaced, but the problem continued. The HDD was re-formatted, but the problem continued. Another logic board, still no fix.

They ended up giving her a new notebook, this one thicker, heavier and noisier than the last. It still has a 1.7GHz chip (i think), and its seriously hotter than my MacBook. My MacBook makes the desk its on warm, but the air coming out of the vents on the Toshiba is hot enough to make some plastics pliable.

She may have gotten duds, but the notebooks she came home with made me appreciate the Macs around the house so much more.

 

[SMM]

Ridiculous. You people are just so ridiculous.
How many times will we hear this "it runs OS X, it's the best evarrrrr!!!11!!11!!" ?


Honestly, the Macbook is better, but only for one reason... your parents are paying the bill, haha. If I was buying it with my money, I'd go for the Toshiba. You're most likely going to have to send that MacBook back in when it starts randomly shutting down anyway... because knowing Apple, they haven't gone and fixed the refurbs yet until they have to.

Go to several of the sites that rate laptops. Read the rating for the Satellite. Notice it usually comes in with about a 6.5 rating. I was doing this last Thursday!

And to you sir, you can stop hearing it by simply being somewhere else, can't you?

 

[jlcharles]

3 years or so ago, I was debating getting a satellite or an ibook. I opted for a satellite. Expensive mistake. The thing was a POS. No battery life, heavy as an anchor, the power cord was in a crappy spot for putting it on your lap. Even hotter than the powerbook we have now.

DO NOT GET A TOSHIBA. My wife ended up using it for a year and a half before we bought a powerbook that has had no problems whatsoever.

 

[vectormasked]

Okay well, my birthday is on November 7th, which is Tuesday and I am getting a notebook for my birthday. I have $530 and my parents will pay the rest. I am stuck between getting a 1.83 ghz refurbished MacBook and a Toshiba Satellite M115-S3094. The Toshiba is about $650 and it has a 1.6 Core Duo processor, dvd and cd writer drive, 80 gb hdd, 14.1 inch screen, 512 MB RAM, Intel GMA 650, built in wireless card, and Windows XP Media Center. I'm kinda stuck between getting a MacBook and getting the Toshiba. I'm a little worried about buying the MacBook because I think that as soon as I buy it, Apple will put C2D cpus in them and I will be stuck with the old version. Any rumors when they will put C2D's in the MacBook? Also, is anyone here selling a MacBook for a reasonable price?

Let me tell a little bit about my 3 year old laptop. It is a Toshiba. it started to show problems in less than a week after I bought it and asked for a refund or replacement and Toshiba refused. They forced me to send it 8 times for repair, so in total my laptop spent like 4 months away from me at this repair centre. Every single time I was promised a replacement and never got one. The problems never got fixed and they actually got worse. I in fact was not able to turn off my computer for over 18 months. The motherboard was replaced, the hard drive too, the cd drive only worked a few times after being replaced 4 times (hasn't worked in over a year) they also replaced the left speaker, the keyboard and the screen because of damages that had done to it. They also replaced a bunch of internal things that i have never heard of.

I spend hours and hours on the phone talking to them, talking with their customer service people in Turkey, and I even remember being on the phone 5 hours on a Friday night and it led to nothing.
After so many phone calls I was finally able to talk to some people at their offices in Irving California. They promised to take care of the situation but they didn't and never called back. I even asked for their name and contact info, but after trying to call them, they said that no one with that name worked there.
I ended up filing complaints with the BBB and FTC, and never got a working laptop again.

This laptop just died a few days ago and decided to get a mac book pro that by the way came defective so I had to return it.

My laptop was a Satellite. There's tons more I could talk about regarding this Toshiba laptop, like more repairs, etc...but It would be just too much typing and I would probably start typing obscenities for remembering the hell I lived with this crappy laptop. besides Halloween is gone and I doubt people would like to hear more horror stories

I think i am way too unlucky, and don't think this will happen to you, but this at least can give you an idea of what could happen if the laptop starts showing problems.