You are right, on a price vs price comparison, PCs win
what kind of PC is that? HP? Dell? ??
The two factors that matter the most to me are Time and Accessibility to Information. With a Mac, I don't have to spend my time on computer maintenance. No re-format to get rid of crapware, no defrag, no disk checks, and no anti-virus taking up my time. My time is worth more to me than that.
I bought Apple Care and when I need help, I speak to knowledgeable, friendly people who speak English as their native language. Nothing is more frustrating than to be connected to an offshore phone center, to speak to someone with a thick accent who is reading from their script and doesn't understand the context of your question.
My Apple store is 30 minutes away and I can go there to learn and ask questions. I have the resources of this forum to ask questions. IF I need service, the Genius Bar has been able to help me stay up and running.
What I have is a Mac that runs Windows. I can play games on the Windows side using BootCamp. I used old versions of PC software on the Bootcamp side until the new Mac Versions came out. I only use the PC side for my business software now, which is only PC and will never be Mac.
I feel I have the best of both worlds with my Mac. I am hardly a FanBoy. I have the money to purchase what I need, and I chose the Mac. It's lightweight and easy to transport. I don't worry about downloading a malware package. YMMV.
What's your time worth?
I'm not gonna lie, I'm a fanboy. New apple hardware makes me feel like a kid in a toy store...
However, on side to side comparison PCs will win for price. I stick with mac for most of the reasons these folks have listed (laundry list: intuitive OS, no virus, iLife, tech support which is awesome, warrantee, hardware, etc.). A PC would work just fine, but I'd have to change up the way I work on my computer (e.g. expose is my savior and I love spotlight).
Personally, I love the hardware for the macbook pros. Its more than just aesthetics, apple's design really followed function. If you've used both you might have an idea of preference (which is probably why you came here to ask
). But in case you don't know...
-One of the (older) things that I love about the macbooks is the magsafe power cord. The attachment to the laptop is magnetic, meaning it pops out if someone trips on the cord. Plus the power block is less cumbersome then the pc bricks I've seen. Yeah its minor, but if I have to take the power cord with me, I want it to be as small and light as possible.
-Unibody design, which has probably been covered in previous posts.
-Apple track pads are just amazing. I know it sounds fanboyish, but I have a really hard time using non-apple trackpads (I haven't tried them all, I know). Response and surface are just horrible on the cheap Dell models. The click is pretty bad too, you have to move the button several millimeters. Its functional, just like writing with a broken pencil is functional... Apple trackpads allow you to use different finger gestures for different functions, which is just like using a muliti button mouse.
-7 hour battery life, I'm not sure if the pc has that
-Weight and dimensions are
probably smaller than the pc.
I liken laptops to sweaters. If you hate it you'll only wear it when you have to. If you love it you'll want to wear it all the time. Pick the computer that you'll want to carry with you, I've seen too many college students have a laptop that they hate carrying around, which kinda negates the purpose imo. Don't get me wrong, its not all about carrying the thing, but think about what you'll do during a typical day at school. Will you want to find somewhere to stop and charge your laptop midway through the day, or could you use a longer battery life? Will you be able to pull out your machine for 5 minutes and check your email w/o a hassle (how fast is it to wake up, go to sleep, viewing angle). How much weight and space will the machine take up? Depending on your commute and what you drag along, a few extra inches or pounds really can be a hassle...
Go to the apple store and wherever they sell the pc laptop and test drive 'em.
Plus, don't forget about the educational discount if you go w/apple. Its about 5-10% and you get a great deal on the 3 year warrantee (apple care). Plus, Dell's 3 year warrantee is crazy expensive compared to the cost of the machine, which is what I've heard from a friend.
