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This is a weird request, Dell Inspiron vs Macbook

It definitely comes down to whether what kind software you are using. Of course that said, every Mac can be loaded with Windows these days, and you get both world's offers. To Windows add the factor that it will only keep running reliably and disease free if you know a bit about handling these issues (i.e. anti-virus software, reading process explorer output, dll handling, etc)..

I am using Mac as it makes more sense to my professions (video & unix). However, if I am pressed into purchasing a PC, I would consider better options than a Dell.
 
nutritious said:
Nope, I actually think you should lay off the kool-aid...
It was already obvious you had no idea idea what you were talking about, so I didn't bother much, but now you're trying to gloat (no clue why)

Many people have issues with computers, MAC or PC. Why do you think there are constantly threads of people here constantly complaining about problems with their macs? It's real and it happens..

UAC is no more different than OSX requiring you enter your password to install something--they both ask for user consent and both try to accomplish the same goal. However, both won't stop stupid users from installing junk and aren't fool-proof. I actually leave it on for the extra protection and it doesn't get in the way like Mac users act like it does. Windows 7 makes it even less obtrusive...

Second of all, the NC10 was used to demonstrate how Windows actually doesn't affect battery life in such a big way like you think. But just to make you happy, a Sony Vaio Z, with similar specs to a Macbook, gets 5 hour battery life, and accomplishes that while being lighter, too.

Second of all, I've resorted back to building my own computers because I want the best-bang-for-buck. I don't buy pre-built computers anymore...

But anyway, ignorance is bliss. Have fun...
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You're a very blissfull man then. lol To attack me after you keep recommending something this person obviously doesn't want. Letting people make there own choices would be very wise on your part. I don't push. I just offer anything I can to help.

I'm seriously done talking with and/or about you and your friends computers until you have an issue you need help with.
 
bruinsrme said:
that is something concrete. But you are ultimately controlling your spending so it is easier to make the purchase.

If my son came to me and said dad, I need a mac for this program that is used throughout the animation profession, I would simply have to cringe and say send me the specs.

If he came up to me and said I want a mac for photoshop and other adobe software he would be on his own because his animation program specifically stated Windows based computers
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I know it was originally made for windows but I have CS4 and it really doesn't seem much different on a Mac. There are very minimal differences. But I do understand what you mean though.
 
JRob65a6 said:
You're a very blissfull man then lol To attack me after you keep recommending something this person obviously doesn't want. Let people make there own choices would be very wise on your part. I don't push. I just offer anything I can to help.

I'm seriously done talking with and/or about you and your friends computers until you have an issue you need help with.
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I didn't recommend anything to the OP. It's not a surprise you thought I did considering your poor grasp of the english language. I was basically just calling you out on your nonsense.
 
There is one thing I was really expecting more out of and that's office 08. I was hoping for something a lot better. But since you will probably be getting parallels you can run your 03 or 07.
 
Thank you everyone for your ideas and thoughts.
If anyone has more experience with going from a Dell or Vista to Mac and OSX, please post!

Keep your ideas coming :)
 
sane said:
I have the Inspiron E1505, really old. But I'm not getting a new Dell.
It's either keep this, wait to get a mac or convince my dad to buy me one soon.
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My girlfriend has that same model laptop, and it's going on 4 years old now, if I remember correctly. She's gotten a new battery for it, added RAM, and only now does she want a new computer... because the E1505 can't play the Sims 3 :eek:

Otherwise it's still running amazingly well, with the first install of XP MCE.

JRob65a6 said:
Nutritious, how often does your macs operating system crash? Honestly???
Or do you have a Mac?
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My MBP with Tiger used to crash all the time.. Leopard's been better for it.

JRob65a6 said:

Anyways this isn't about your friends NC10.


It's about reasons for him to tell his father to help him get the laptop he wants. Can you at least help with that?
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Well, actually... I had a Gateway 200ARC, which was a rebranded Samsung something or other... and it was the most perfec computer I've ever seen. Baring a known and persistant issue, it never once BSOD'd on me, unless I caused it by mucking around in the windows folder.

The point is, just because YOU don't like Windows doesn't mean that Windows is bad. Truth be told, I'd take another Gateway 200ARC over my Macbook Pro, and, even with the 6 year difference in specs, the only thing I would miss is the backlit keyboard.

sane said:
Thank you everyone for your ideas and thoughts.
If anyone has more experience with going from a Dell or Vista to Mac and OSX, please post!

Keep your ideas coming :)
Click to expand...

I'd look at your needs, and if you need a new laptop, consider a mac if it's right for you. If you don't even need a new laptop, don't even bother getting one.

If your current laptop isn't cutting it because it's too large, consider getting a smaller one, see if you need OS X, and then consider a macbook.

I feel like I'm discouraging you from getting a mac, but if you have no need to spend so much money on a mac then don't get a mac.

A computer is a tool, nothing more. Use the best tool for what you need. Right now I need the best FPS in my video game, so I installed Windows 7 on my MBP, and am running my OS X compatible video games in Windows, because Windows is the best tool for the job.
 
thejadedmonkey said:
If your current laptop isn't cutting it because it's too large, consider getting a smaller one, see if you need OS X, and then consider a macbook.

I feel like I'm discouraging you from getting a mac, but if you have no need to spend so much money on a mac then don't get a mac.

A computer is a tool, nothing more. Use the best tool for what you need. Right now I need the best FPS in my video game, so I installed Windows 7 on my MBP, and am running my OS X compatible video games in Windows, because Windows is the best tool for the job.
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You're right, I don't exactly NEED a new laptop. I just really want one because Windows to me has become boring. There's nothing else for me to learn about customizing or fixing it. I love mac because it's so different from what I have now, so I have something to fool around with for a long time.
It does fit my needs in the fact that everything Mac is basically driven towards computer art. If I got one I'd probably end up trying out movie editing and keep going with my photo editing more. I've heard Web Design and Editing on Mac is a breeze, so I'm happy about that.

I don't need it, but it fits my needs more. Plus I'd probably have it until college.
 
sane said:
You're right, I don't exactly NEED a new laptop. I just really want one because Windows to me has become boring. There's nothing else for me to learn about customizing or fixing it. I love mac because it's so different from what I have now, so I have something to fool around with for a long time.
It does fit my needs in the fact that everything Mac is basically driven towards computer art. If I got one I'd probably end up trying out movie editing and keep going with my photo editing more. I've heard Web Design and Editing on Mac is a breeze, so I'm happy about that.

I don't need it, but it fits my needs more. Plus I'd probably have it until college.
Click to expand...

That is a myth...

Web design and editing is no more easy on a Mac than windows. It has nothing to do with the OS. It has to do with the Apps developed for the OS.

And you still have this huge misconception that Macs are targeted toward artists, etc. I know people who think Macs are only good for that, and that is simply not the case. Mac OSX has almost every equivalent APP to windows (though not with large variety of windows) and windows has every app a mac could do. Basically, nothing about OSX is "driven toward art" That makes no sense...


Third of all, if you want to get a Mac because you want to tinker with it and "fix it," you're in for a disappointment. There's almost nothing you need to do to a Mac out of the box...besides a few simple things like setting expose shortcuts (at least the way you want to), dashboard, set up time machine, etc...
 
OS X looks better, makes you do things faster, its safer, requires less maintenance, and the Macbook will last longer. Should be enough.
 
EmperorDarius said:
OS X looks better, makes you do things faster, its safer, requires less maintenance, and the Macbook will last longer. Should be enough.
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What would make you think a Macbook would last longer? Hello, PCs and Macs use the same hardware. In fact, I'd put my money on a macbook dying BEFORE a comparable windows PC with an Intel chipset. Nvidia is not known for their reliability and stability at all. You should see how many 780is, 680is, etc would die out of no where.

How would the macbook make him do things faster? That makes no sense at all. If anything, he'd be slowed down by OSX at first considering he's not used to it...

OSX looks better?:confused:
 
EmperorDarius said:
OS X looks better (opinion subjective since i like a blank desktop) , makes you do things faster (I surely don't type any better or faster on a mac nor do I read or surf any faster on mac than I do on a pc ), its safer ( I guess I can agree if the user is reckless ), requires less maintenance ( I would say yes to this but anything that requires maintenance can be scheduled and done unattended ), and the Macbook will last longer ( I think this all depends on how well someone takes care of their things. ). Should be enough.
Click to expand...

curious tho
 
nutritious said:
That is a myth...

Web design and editing is no more easy on a Mac than windows. It has nothing to do with the OS. It has to do with the Apps developed for the OS.

And you still have this huge misconception that Macs are targeted toward artists, etc. I know people who think Macs are only good for that, and that is simply not the case. Mac OSX has almost every equivalent APP to windows (though not with large variety of windows) and windows has every app a mac could do. Basically, nothing about OSX is "driven toward art" That makes no sense...


Third of all, if you want to get a Mac because you want to tinker with it and "fix it," you're in for a disappointment. There's almost nothing you need to do to a Mac out of the box...besides a few simple things like setting expose shortcuts (at least the way you want to), dashboard, set up time machine, etc...
Click to expand...

Well what I meant by artistry was that's what I'm interested in and they have a lot of applications for what I want to do. Yes they have the same things a computer running Windows has, but the accessibility and organization of all the programs and files makes it faster.
On my Dell I have folders all over the place and no matter how I try to organize it, it still looks like a mess because Windows likes to make useless files in My Documents, I've noticed.
Plus the search feature in My Computer is slow and never finds what I want. At least my experience with Finder made things a lot more accessible.

By "playing with it", I mean playing with the different applications and learning everything a Mac can do - cause I know there's a lot more than meets the eye. Not exactly opening the whole thing and tinkering with it.
 
Anyone that gets a Mac won't be disappointed, without sounding like a fan boy (just got my first mac), Mac's are engineered to standards that don't even exist.

Theres 5 laptops in the house, this is the only mac... you just can't get a pc...

EVERYTHING is better, but you pay the price. If you want the best like I did, then be prepared to pay for it.

You get what you pay for.
 
thejadedmonkey said:
My MBP with Tiger used to crash all the time.. Leopard's been better for it.



Well, actually... I had a Gateway 200ARC, which was a rebranded Samsung something or other... and it was the most perfec computer I've ever seen. Baring a known and persistant issue, it never once BSOD'd on me, unless I caused it by mucking around in the windows folder.

The point is, just because YOU don't like Windows doesn't mean that Windows is bad. Truth be told, I'd take another Gateway 200ARC over my Macbook Pro, and, even with the 6 year difference in specs, the only thing I would miss is the backlit keyboard.
Click to expand...


I never said I dont like windows. I own several PCs but I do like Mac better.
I never had Tiger so I wouldn't know but I have had 0 issues but one faulty fan. That's it. My neighbor has had Mac for 10 years or so and he hasn't had any trouble with his for a long time. Not since we've lived next to each other at least. Going on 6 yrs now. I asked and he said no crashes or anything. He does professional graphic designing for a sign company. They do billboards, semi trucks, ect. He loves it. He works mostly from home but out of town a lot.
 
LERsince1991 said:
Anyone that gets a Mac won't be disappointed, without sounding like a fan boy (just got my first mac), Mac's are engineered to standards that don't even exist.

Theres 5 laptops in the house, this is the only mac... you just can't get a pc...

EVERYTHING is better, but you pay the price. If you want the best like I did, then be prepared to pay for it.

You get what you pay for.
Click to expand...

I think you're jumping the gun there. For one, Apple's quality control is far worse now than it was in the PowerPC era. They let through machines which have defective GPUs, cracking or discolouring plastic, misaligned keys, bent screens and power adapters which literally do catch on fire.

Your attitude is precisely why the Mac "community" is so poorly looked upon by users of other machines, the dismissive statement that "EVERYTHING is better" yet here we're talking about a machine with poor battery life, a terrible display and many of the problems I outlined above. The OS is in no way as good as Tiger and you'll frequently have program hangs and crashes, especially if you use websites with Flash or do any sort of intensive work.

Now, I'm not saying that Windows is perfect or Dell's machines are the best but just that both have their flaws. I believe that Windows and OS X are pretty much equal now, but the main difference is that to get the same performance from a Windows machine you pay much, much less.
 
The way you guys are talking on this thread, I get the feeling that it doesn't matter what you have. OSX and Windows are basically the same (generally not at all specifically)? Sorta discourages me since I feel like there's no reason to buy one now if I'm going to get something very similar to my dell but with a more sleek and organized feel.

It kinda leaves me with the question, why was Mac even made (clearly business for Apple) if it's nothing "technically" new.

I probably made no sense, but hopefully someone catches my drift.
 
sane said:
The way you guys are talking on this thread, I get the feeling of it doesn't matter what you have. OSX and Windows are basically the same (generally not at all specifically)?
Sorta discourages me since I feel like there's no reason to buy one now if I'm going to get something very similar to my dell but with a more sleek and organized feel.
Click to expand...

There was a time (about four or five years ago) when Mac OS X was vastly superior to Windows. These days though Microsoft has solved many of the significant problems that they had with their OS and it is now very stable, reliable and free of malicious software if you treat it properly.

At the same time, Apple took several steps backwards in my opinion - they released Leopard which was unstable and buggy and even though they have improved things since then it is not free of problems.

The question is whether you want to spend so much extra money on something different. That's all it really is these days - different. Not better. The recent Microsoft television adverts in the USA highlighted that you can buy a machine from Dell which costs $972 which has the same internal components as a MacBook which costs $1774.
 
neiltc13 said:
I think you're jumping the gun there. For one, Apple's quality control is far worse now than it was in the PowerPC era. They let through machines which have defective GPUs, cracking or discolouring plastic, misaligned keys, bent screens and power adapters which literally do catch on fire.

Your attitude is precisely why the Mac "community" is so poorly looked upon by users of other machines, the dismissive statement that "EVERYTHING is better" yet here we're talking about a machine with poor battery life, a terrible display and many of the problems I outlined above. The OS is in no way as good as Tiger and you'll frequently have program hangs and crashes, especially if you use websites with Flash or do any sort of intensive work.

Now, I'm not saying that Windows is perfect or Dell's machines are the best but just that both have their flaws. I believe that Windows and OS X are pretty much equal now, but the main difference is that to get the same performance from a Windows machine you pay much, much less.
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I dissagree with everything you just wrote.

I spent about a year looking for a new laptop, originally I didn't even want a Mac. I loved windows and never had any problem (I'm still using Windows 7 beta and now RC on bootcamp perfectly, actually really good!).

I failed to find any PC that was as good as a Mac in terms of style, build, size, weight, detail etc...
Hell I even visited the Apple store probably about 50 times before buying my Macbook.

I'm someone that looks into every possibility, I like to have the best as well, so I saved up and bought my Macbook.

Since I got mine 2 friends have bought one and another 10 want one and wish they paid the extra for one.
 
sane said:
Well what I meant by artistry was that's what I'm interested in and they have a lot of applications for what I want to do. Yes they have the same things a computer running Windows has, but the accessibility and organization of all the programs and files makes it faster.
On my Dell I have folders all over the place and no matter how I try to organize it, it still looks like a mess because Windows likes to make useless files in My Documents, I've noticed.
Plus the search feature in My Computer is slow and never finds what I want. At least my experience with Finder made things a lot more accessible.

By "playing with it", I mean playing with the different applications and learning everything a Mac can do - cause I know there's a lot more than meets the eye. Not exactly opening the whole thing and tinkering with it.
Click to expand...


Um, accessibility and organization of the files, excuse me? Explorer is widely considered to be more powerful than finder, and provides a better experience for using and organizing your files. It was widely believed that explorer is overall more powerful and robust than finder. Finder is actually a very weak file organizing system. Hell, it even lacks an address bar...

As far as search, you're using Windows XP. You can get a microsoft add-on for quick searching/indexing and Vista already comes with a search feature like spotlight, or you can just get google desktop. It'll do more and be more customizable...

A mac can do everything windows can do and vice versa. It's a CPU...software tells it what to do. It's not different at all.

LERsince1991 said:
I dissagree with everything you just wrote.

I spent about a year looking for a new laptop, originally I didn't even want a Mac. I loved windows and never had any problem (I'm still using Windows 7 beta and now RC on bootcamp perfectly, actually really good!).

I failed to find any PC that was as good as a Mac in terms of style, build etc...
Hell I even visited the Apple store probably about 50 times before buying my Macbook.

I'm someone that looks into every possibility, I like to have the best as well, so I saved up and bought my Macbook.

Since I got mine 2 friends have bought one and another 10 want one and wish they paid the extra for one.
Click to expand...

You just said you disagree without explaining WHY you disagree...
 
nutritious said:
Um, accessibility and organization of the files, excuse me? Explorer is widely considered to be more powerful than finder, and provides a better experience for using and organizing your files. It was widely believed that explorer is overall more powerful and robust than finder.
Click to expand...

I'm just telling you my experience, no need for the sarcasm. In my experience, files and folders are incredibly annoying to search and browse through. It's all opinions, my friend.
 
sane said:
I'm just telling you my experience, no need for the sarcasm. In my experience, files and folders are incredibly annoying to search and browse through. It's all opinions, my friend.
Click to expand...

What sarcasm? I was being completely serious. You're using a 7 year old operating system and comparing to one that's not even 2 years old.

OSX did not get spotlight till 2005 in Tiger, and if that's what you're talking about when it comes to quick searching, Vista, Windows 7, Windows XP (with ADD-ON you gotta download in XP's case since it is an OLD OS) all have this and in fact are more powerful.

Honestly, Explorer is so much better than finder, it's not even close...don't even get me started on the lack of cut and paste...

Vista even has a "stack by" feature where you can divide files into virtual folders based on whatever you like...it is so much more powerful...

Edit, OP, read this:
http://www.xflaws.com/2009/01/mac-os-x-is-not-user-friendly-these_27.html
 
nutritious said:
What sarcasm? I was being completely serious. You're using a 7 year old operating system and comparing to one that's not even 2 years old.

OSX did not get spotlight till 2005 in Tiger, and if that's what you're talking about when it comes to quick searching, Vista, Windows 7, Windows XP (with ADD-ON you gotta download) all have this and in fact are more powerful.

Honestly, Explorer is so much better than finder, it's not even close...
Click to expand...

With an Add-on it becomes "much better" I'd rather have a computer where better searching and accessibility comes pre-downloaded, such as Mac. I'm sorry but with my experience, Explorer is one of the more non-friendly things on my computer. Especially with Vista, it's extremely messy.
It's all opinions, no one can say which one is better - it depends on your preference.
 
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