Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

What have I done? Mac to PC after 24 years!

Punkwaffle

Punkwaffle

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 12, 2004
205
6
I've been using Macs exclusively (except when mandated by work) since 1990. A few months back my wife and I got the amazing news that we'll be the parents of a baby boy and baby girl this May.

Meanwhile, her 2008 Air ain't cutting it anymore and I sold it on eBay. She's now using my 11" Air and I thought it would be a practical decision to try a PC since they are so cheap and after all, everything nowadays is so darn powerful for what I need that it shouldn't matter. Besides, 90% of my computing life is through a web browser.

WRONG!!! I ordered an i5 powered Asus Vivobook for $650. It looks pretty, almost like a Macbook, almost. Well, after it came yesterday, I had to update Windows 8 for 2 hours just so it could see the Windows 8.1 update in the MS Store. Then another 3 hours and it was ready to go! I loaded all the software I needed from Ninite, put on a Malware and Virus program, learned the basics of navigating the OS and touch OS, and customized it.

Then it just turns off- no warning, battery was charged, just OFF! WTF!?!? I also noticed the trim around the screen is peeling away. Used it today for 15 minutes and it turns off again. Apparently this is a known issue. I can't rely on this thing for work or anything else at this rate. Asus wants me to pay roughly $60 in shipping and clear all my data so they can send me a working one. Or I can just return it for a refund- which is what I need to do. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER!

So now, I ask you, where can I get a reliable 13" or larger Macbook NEW or with Apple Warranty for less then $1000? I'm hesitant to get another AIR with less than 512GB SSD as space is the primary reason I was ok with giving my wife the 11" Air.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Check the refurb part of the Apple Store. They come with warranties. I doubt you'd get a 512Gb SSD in any low end laptop regardless of brand so you could be asking the impossible for that price. Also, do some comparison shopping. Base configurations are often sold at quite a discount by online resellers. If it's an SSD you want 256Gb is going to be your limit I think.
 
VI™;18652096 said:
Cheap laptops are cheap. If you want a good Windows laptop, I'd recommend spending at least $1,500.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

The Fujitsu Lifebook U904 is a decent one. I'd also recommend the HP Zbook 14 and the Dell Precision M3800.

I don't understand why people keep buying cheap laptops and expect them to perform as well as their $1000+ Macs.
 
Punkwaffle said:
I've been using Macs exclusively (except when mandated by work) since 1990. A few months back my wife and I got the amazing news that we'll be the parents of a baby boy and baby girl this May.

Meanwhile, her 2008 Air ain't cutting it anymore and I sold it on eBay. She's now using my 11" Air and I thought it would be a practical decision to try a PC since they are so cheap and after all, everything nowadays is so darn powerful for what I need that it shouldn't matter. Besides, 90% of my computing life is through a web browser.

WRONG!!! I ordered an i5 powered Asus Vivobook for $650. It looks pretty, almost like a Macbook, almost. Well, after it came yesterday, I had to update Windows 8 for 2 hours just so it could see the Windows 8.1 update in the MS Store. Then another 3 hours and it was ready to go! I loaded all the software I needed from Ninite, put on a Malware and Virus program, learned the basics of navigating the OS and touch OS, and customized it.

Then it just turns off- no warning, battery was charged, just OFF! WTF!?!? I also noticed the trim around the screen is peeling away. Used it today for 15 minutes and it turns off again. Apparently this is a known issue. I can't rely on this thing for work or anything else at this rate. Asus wants me to pay roughly $60 in shipping and clear all my data so they can send me a working one. Or I can just return it for a refund- which is what I need to do. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER!

So now, I ask you, where can I get a reliable 13" or larger Macbook NEW or with Apple Warranty for less then $1000? I'm hesitant to get another AIR with less than 512GB SSD as space is the primary reason I was ok with giving my wife the 11" Air.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Why did you buy an Asus Vivobook in the first place? That's considered a budget model. Did you really expect a budget model to compete with a MacBook?

Cheap Windows based PCs tend to have quality issues among other things. There is no such thing as a cheap Mac based PC (unless you count a Hackintosh).

If you want something that competes with a Mac in many ways , you can't be so cheap.
Example...
That one above competes with the Retina MacBook Pro 15.4" model
 
Last edited:
Now now that wasnt what he was saying, he said he wanted to try out a windows notebook and TBH even at $650 it should still work after 15 mins.
 
Ingster said:
Now now that wasnt what he was saying, he said he wanted to try out a windows notebook and TBH even at $650 it should still work after 15 mins.
Click to expand...

It's rare for any laptop to fail just after 15 mins. The OP was just unlucky.
 
Altemose said:
You can pick up a classic MacBook Pro with a 500 GB HD, 4GB of RAM, and a 2.5 GHz i5 for $999 from Apple's refurb store. All refurbs carry a new 1 year warranty with the option for AppleCare. Probably your best bet and as funds allow it is upgradeable.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/FD101LL/A/refurbished-macbook-pro-25ghz-dual-core-intel-i5
Click to expand...

And because it is upgradeable, you can switch to 512GB SSD when/if they get cheaper. Or build your own Fusion drive, which feels as fast as SSD, but 128 GB SSD is much more affordable than 512.
 
id look at the newly added refurbished late 2013 macbook pros with retina, i have one and it is very thin like an air.
 
kelon111 said:
It's rare for any laptop to fail just after 15 mins. The OP was just unlucky.
Click to expand...

I had a 17" Dell Inspiron that was upgraded to the max that lasted me about 4 years before I finally switch to Apple and I had a macbook pro that the power button fell through in to the case after several months of use. Not every company is perfect although some do have better track records than others.
 
gnasher729 said:
And because it is upgradeable, you can switch to 512GB SSD when/if they get cheaper. Or build your own Fusion drive, which feels as fast as SSD, but 128 GB SSD is much more affordable than 512.
Click to expand...

You forgot to mention that the old MacBook Pro is outdated already. Notice that old MacBook Pro is using an Ivy Bridge CPU instead of a Haswell one.

----------
carjakester said:
id look at the newly added refurbished late 2013 macbook pros with retina, i have one and it is very thin like an air.
Click to expand...

I could get a brand new 2013 MacBook Pro Retina model for $1200 (after tax) right now. The OP should look around for sales and discounts on new models rather than buying a refurb.
 
I understand that it is outdated spec wise. However the OP said a budget of $1000 with an Apple warranty. That is probably the best bet for its upgradeability and repairability.
 
I was helping an elderly neighbor with their Asus laptop after they upgraded to Windows 8 and was having difficulty adjusting to the new UI.
I ran a few Windows updates for him, and right in the middle of an update, the computer would shutdown as if the power was cut. It did this multiple times. It did it again just browsing the web.
He told me the computer does that sometimes. I told him to call the company and get it looked at, because that wasn't right.
 
Not all PC laptops are junky (though I don't know of many that can compare to a Mac). Thing is, a MBP/MBA compares more to a Windows BUSINESS class laptop, rather than a consumer class. For comparison sake, my work laptop is a Dell Latitude D520... from 2006! Granted, I've upgraded the hard drive to a small SSD and the RAM to 3GB (most supported by XP), but its still a very serviceable machine (I'm a teacher, so only a modest workload, no design work/encoding/etc.).
 
js81 said:
Not all PC laptops are junky (though I don't know of many that can compare to a Mac). Thing is, a MBP/MBA compares more to a Windows BUSINESS class laptop, rather than a consumer class. For comparison sake, my work laptop is a Dell Latitude D520... from 2006! Granted, I've upgraded the hard drive to a small SSD and the RAM to 3GB (most supported by XP), but its still a very serviceable machine (I'm a teacher, so only a modest workload, no design work/encoding/etc.).
Click to expand...

If you pay attention to the marketing , there are people who pretend that business class Windows based laptops don't exist so they compare a $300 Walmart special laptop to a MBP/MBA and say that the MBP (or MBA) is better. Of course a prosumer laptop would be better than a laptop that Walmart has on sale. If you compare a business class Windows laptop to a MBP (or MBA) , you can make a much more fair comparison (warranty , build quality , speed , etc.)

It's also true that some Windows based laptops are overpriced (i.e. you don't get what you pay for).
 
Last edited:
I remember the last good pc I had. It was a Dell laptop. It had an aluminum frame, top of the line processor, 4gb of ram, dual hard drive bays, and it cost me a little over $3,000 at the time. This was several years ago and it would still out-perform most of the pc models on the market today. That is, if it still existed. A disgruntled ex-girlfriend threw it into concrete block wall in 2009. :(
 
kelon111 said:
You forgot to mention that the old MacBook Pro is outdated already. Notice that old MacBook Pro is using an Ivy Bridge CPU instead of a Haswell one.
Click to expand...

Who cares? I mean outside of MacRumors, who cares? Tell my wife that it has an Ivy Bridge CPU instead of a Haswell CPU, and she'll think you are slightly mad. :D

----------
kelon111 said:
I could get a brand new 2013 MacBook Pro Retina model for $1200 (after tax) right now. The OP should look around for sales and discounts on new models rather than buying a refurb.
Click to expand...

Which is over $1200, and he asked for 500 GB of storage.
 
I would take a look at the yoga 2 pro before you dismiss PC's completely, it's quite an excellent piece of hardware and it's a real joy to use. I use it as well as a late 2013 rmbp 15". At the time it was 1200 dollars, but it can be more or less then that depending on which configuration you choose. You payed 600 dollars for your machine but we all know you get what you pay for. If apple made a 600 dollar laptop you would have been just as disappointed I can assure you.

People like to bash windows, but I haven't had any issues with 8.1 so far...at least not more than I've had with mavericks. There are even several features in windows that I wish apple would port into their own computers. Both operating systems have their pluses and minuses, but to compare a low-end windows machine to a 1300+ computer is a little silly :) Comparing a mac to something like a yoga 2 pro makes a lot more sense.

I would choose the form factor of the yoga over that of the MacBook's any day. They make some high quaility products plus they have arguably the best keyboards in the industry (apple has it for trackpads though)
 
Last edited:
One defective product and you're ready to switch back already? Hardly sounds like you gave it a chance. Why not return it and exchange it where you bought it from?

I have had about 10 computers between myself and the family in the last year all on Windows 8 with zero issues minus the initial learning curve.

These have all been HP, Toshiba and ASUS computers.
 
If I were looking at a Wintel Laptop as a Macbook Pro alternative, I'd be looking at this:

http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade-pro

$2,800 for the 512 SSD version.

Intel® Core™ i7-4700HQ Quad Core
Processor with Hyper Threading
2.4GHz / 3.4GHz (Base/Turbo)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3
Intel® HD4600
NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 765M
(2GB GDDR5, with Optimus Technology)
17.3” Full HD 16:9 Ratio,
1920x1080 LED Backlit
128GB / 256GB / 512GB SATA III SSD
Built-in HD webcam (2.0MP)
- See more at: http://www.razerzone.com/store/razer-blade-pro#sthash.KSNLuziP.dpuf
Click to expand...

The resolution sucks compared to a rMBP and even to other cheaper laptops, especially at 17", but it does have a beefier GPU.
 
trewyn15 said:
One defective product and you're ready to switch back already? Hardly sounds like you gave it a chance. Why not return it and exchange it where you bought it from?

I have had about 10 computers between myself and the family in the last year all on Windows 8 with zero issues minus the initial learning curve.

These have all been HP, Toshiba and ASUS computers.
Click to expand...

Your sig says you have an Elitebook. Most people who buy HP laptops buy the cheap models and then complain about how all Windows based laptop suck after they switch to a $1000+ Mac.
 
Punkwaffle said:
(…)
WRONG!!! I ordered an i5 powered Asus Vivobook for $650. It looks pretty, almost like a Macbook, almost. Well, after it came yesterday, I had to update Windows 8 for 2 hours just so it could see the Windows 8.1 update in the MS Store. Then another 3 hours and it was ready to go! I loaded all the software I needed from Ninite, put on a Malware and Virus program, learned the basics of navigating the OS and touch OS, and customized it.
(…)

So now, I ask you, where can I get a reliable 13" or larger Macbook NEW or with Apple Warranty for less then $1000? I'm hesitant to get another AIR with less than 512GB SSD as space is the primary reason I was ok with giving my wife the 11" Air.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
First, avoid Asus at all cost. They tend to make very performant hardware, but there is a significant 2lemons" proportion among them. All Asus hardware I used and own ended belly-up too soon.

VI™ said:
Cheap laptops are cheap. If you want a good Windows laptop, I'd recommend spending at least $1,500.
Click to expand...
Maybe not that much, but a friend of mine reported than $1k was a good starting price for a Windows machine.

kelon111 said:
It's rare for any laptop to fail just after 15 mins. The OP was just unlucky.
Click to expand...
That was an Asus.

VI™ said:
and I had a macbook pro that the power button fell through in to the case after several months of use. Not every company is perfect although some do have better track records than others.
Click to expand...
Oh, that button I almost never use? ;) You don't need to turn off your Mac as often you do a PC.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back