I'm looking into purchasing a laptop for my parents. Originally, I was looking into the Dell 1705 Inspiron, since my parents will be viewing photos, and the 17 inch screen will be ideal. Then, I heard people talk about Mac and how wonderful they are. I have not considered a Mac until now. They already have a PC so I thought having something different would be nice. My parents aren't really computer geeks. Basically they would be doing photo and web surfing. Are the new Macs overkill? The 17 inch screen of the Mac Pro would be nice, but at close to 3k, and the applications that they would use, this would be overkill. Is this generation of Macs that much better? What other Macs would you recommend? Screen size must be at least 15 inches. Thanks
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Newbie Purchasing Laptop Help
- Thread starter mwtrx67
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Well, the only laptop you're gonna see reach 17" is the MacBook Pro, which carries a hefty price tag for consumer usage.
A Macbook would be a nice alternative. The 13.3" WideScreen isn't terrible, and offers a resolution friendly to most eyes. It also offers all the connectivity of the higher end units, minus the FW800, DVI port and PCI expansion. I'd say this would be a nice Apple-made match for your parents.
If the bigger screen is absolutely necessary, why not spring for the iMac? its All-in-one, offers 3 screen sizes and starts at 17", so viewing will be no issue. Plus Front Row (on both Desktops and Laptops) offers quick access to the videos and pictures they love without folder-searching and wasted time.
Hope this helps!
A Macbook would be a nice alternative. The 13.3" WideScreen isn't terrible, and offers a resolution friendly to most eyes. It also offers all the connectivity of the higher end units, minus the FW800, DVI port and PCI expansion. I'd say this would be a nice Apple-made match for your parents.
If the bigger screen is absolutely necessary, why not spring for the iMac? its All-in-one, offers 3 screen sizes and starts at 17", so viewing will be no issue. Plus Front Row (on both Desktops and Laptops) offers quick access to the videos and pictures they love without folder-searching and wasted time.
Hope this helps!
The new generation of macs (intel macs) is signifigantly faster then the older PowerPC based laptops. That being said, many deals can be found if you look hard enough. In the apple store under the refurbished section (bottom right corner, red tag that says SAVE on it) you can find deals. For example, a refurbished Macbook Pro Core Duo 2.0Ghz goes for $1,349.00, and the Macbook Pro 2.16Ghz with 1GB of RAM goes for $1,549.00. Apple refurbished products come with all new accessories and box and a new 1 year warranty, so it really is as if they were new. These both have a 15" screen and would probably suit your parents very well. Hope this helps.
I would recommend the 17", 20", or 24" iMac. It isn't a laptop, but it is as close to one as you can get without it being a laptop. The price is much less than a MacBook Pro would be with a bigger screen
He said he is specifically looking for a laptop, so I don't think this would be the best idea.
I realize this, but he didn't seem to mention any particular reason why it had to be a laptop. People sometimes think an iMac is just another desktop when that isn't the case at all. It is very unobtrusive and clutter free.
Usually when people ask for a laptop, they have a reason. The iMac is nice machine, but isn't a laptop.
I've just been around my friend too long who uses his iMac as if it were a laptop...
external monitors are great...jst be careful as portable as the 17 folds....its still a little large...
MB with a 20" external?
MB with a 20" external?
1. Yes, for iPhoto and web-surfing, a MacBook Pro or Mac Pro would be overkill. In terms of computing power, the MacBook, iMac, or Mac Mini would be sufficient.
2. If you don't mind getting a refurb, I'd look into getting the 15" MacBook Pro refurb for $1349 or $1299. That's the cheapest 15" Mac laptop you'll find.
3. Do consider the iMac, if you can do without the portability. The iMac is, bar none, the easiest desktop to set up. Even the built-in speakers are decent so you don't need to hook up an additional set (unless you really want quality, big sound). You can get a 17" superdrive iMac for under a grand in the refurb store which is a pretty good deal.
4. A low-end MacBook and a separate 20-inch monitor, as someone else mentioned, would probably be the best of both worlds. You can find the older MacBooks for around $900 and 20" LCDs for under $300.