New Laptop purchase

[rugger8]

Just bought my wife a new 15" powerbook, it's pretty good. I need a new computer soon and I was pricing laptops... seems like I can get a windows system for about $1,000 less than the equiv. powerbook. Other than the software package, is the powerbook worth it.

Also, can you really carry the 17" model around?

 

[mcgarry]

Just bought my wife a new 15" powerbook, it's pretty good. I need a new computer soon and I was pricing laptops... seems like I can get a windows system for about $1,000 less than the equiv. powerbook. Other than the software package, is the powerbook worth it.
...

To better help you, we'd have to know the windows system to which you are referring. A link, at least, would help.

 

[rugger8]

dell

dell inspiron 9300. 17 inch 1.6 gHz, 512 ram, 60 gb HD, cd/dvd burner, 64 MB ATI X300 video card, wireless. seems equiv to the 17" powerbook with a slightly smaller HD. I like the style and stability of the Mac, but...

 

[twoodcc]

if i were you, i'd play with your wife's new laptop and see if you like it.

 

[hcuar]

I can say... yes... it's well worth the money. OS X makes the PB better than any windows machine regardless of hardware. That being said... PC laptops are fugly. Really. Typically the PC laptops are thick and ugly. If you are already a Mac household, the PC will drive you batty.

My question is... did you really expect Macrumors people to give you a suggestion to purchase a PC? Really?

 

[mcgarry]

dell inspiron 9300. 17 inch 1.6 gHz, 512 ram, 60 gb HD, cd/dvd burner, 64 MB ATI X300 video card, wireless. seems equiv to the 17" powerbook with a slightly smaller HD. I like the style and stability of the Mac, but...

Configured as similarly as possible, the Dell will cost you less, I think. No news there. Many (though not all) on this forum would consider its inability to run OS X reason enough not to consider it, but that's up to you. Your stated configuration, with smaller HDD and 1/2 the VRAM is not that directly comparable, and would be even cheaper, I imagine (17" PB comes stock with 100GB HDD and 128MB VRAM). As to how the two machines compare performance-wise, I can't really say.

But I can say that in your original post you expressed a concern about portability. The Dell in question is larger in every dimension than the 17" PB, and weighs a pound more. It's more than an inch deeper, more than a half inch thicker, and slightly wider, if that matters to you.

 

[hcuar]

But I can say that in your original post you expressed a concern about portability. The Dell in question is larger in every dimension than the 17" PB, and weighs a pound more. It's more than an inch deeper, more than a half inch thicker, and slightly wider, if that matters to you.

Yes, but wait there's more. Drum roll please <Drum Roll> It's a Dell dude. </Drum Roll>

 

[plinden]

Sigh. Here we go again.

Assuming you're talking about the 15" combo drive, that's $1,999.

Dell's Home and Home Office section doesn't have anything that's comparable to the 15" PB, so let's try Dell's Small business Notebook advisor - select the 15" and 15.4", 4-6 lbs, we get just the Dell Latitude D505, base price $823-$1251 (after 20% off). Don't want a Celeron so pick the most expensive one and configure it: Use 1.6GHz P-M (faster than 1.5GHz P4) WinXP Pro (+$60), 512MB 1 DIMM (+$110), combo drive (+$30), 80GB HD (can't select anything larger than a 60GB, but you can get two 40GB HD, +$278), Dell wireless b/g (+0), WordPerfect (+49), no port replicator (-$179), no case (-$59) - comes to $1482 after 20% rebate off $1852. That's with shared video memory, no other software, no BlueTooth and 10/100 baseT ethernet. It's more comparable to an iBook than a PB.

How about HP/Compaq? Let's take a look at the nc6120 - hard to customize, but comes to about $1500 with similar specs. Again, more comparable to an iBook.

How about IBM? Thinkpad T42p https://www-1.ibm.com/products/hard...ui/submitConfigSelection.wss?nc=1111543903888 - ah, this is better, more like a PB. It has 1.8GHz PM, 1600x1200 screen, gigabit ethernet and bluetooth, and wireless a/b/g. In many ways it has better hardware than the PB, but it's also $2900.

If you want to compare Windows laptops to Mac laptops, you'd be better comparing with the iBook, unless you go for a really good top of the line PC.

 

[Demon Hunter]

Yes, you can carry the 17" around. It's thin, beautiful, and makes you look good. Now all I need to do is find a girlfriend with those qualities, and I'll be set.

 

[Abstract]

As was hinted at by the last post regarding configuration, comparing a big fat laptop to a small, thin laptop isn't fair. You pay for portability, so comparing a desktop replacement system to a thin, light notebook isn't fair.

Pick a more portable system and compare it to a PB. The best PC laptop is probably the IBM T42, and it's more expensive than the PB. I never really understood why people kept whining about why Apple didn't the HD motion sensor protection mechanism in their PBs sooner, since IBM already had it in their top-of-the-line. Have you looked at how much more IBM charges!? Comparable Dell's are around the same price, the only difference being that the Dell feels cheap to the touch. I'm not a Dell basher in any way, but the quality isn't the same as with Powerbooks.

Comparing the 12" Dell or 13" Sony to my 12" Powerbook, and I can see that my system is very price competitive, if not cheaper for what I get. Only thing I want is a widescreen 12" or 13" PB, which is what Dell and Sony provide, respectively.

Compared to any system, the iBook is probably the best deal in the laptop world. But I guess it depends on what you do.

 

[Demon Hunter]

Have you looked at how much more IBM charges!? Comparable Dell's are around the same price, the only difference being that the Dell feels cheap to the touch. I'm not a Dell basher in any way, but the quality isn't the same as with Powerbooks.

Yeah, it's a fact... they go cheap on the exterior while keeping the latest technology inside and on-demand. What results is a cheap, fairly powerful machine with mediocre reliability and bargain construction.

Case in point: the HP zd7000 in front of me. Melted (yes, melted) upper latch and lower battery latch, dented speaker grille, the little port designators are wearing away, the beautiful Intel decal is peeling away, cheap plastic construction with paint that is starting to chip... LOL. My favorite, though, is the LCD gets all crazy sometimes and I have to hit it... this actually fixes it most of the time. It breathes fire through the side vents even when I web browse/read e-mails. The pinnacle of industry-leading, PC laptop design.





God I can't wait for my 17".