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| What should I get?... |
| Apple MacBook |
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46% |
[ 6 ] |
| HP DV2600 series |
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7% |
[ 1 ] |
| Dell XPS M1330 |
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15% |
[ 2 ] |
| Summat else... |
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30% |
[ 4 ] |
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| Total Votes : 13 |
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| Author |
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| AJI |
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AJI
World Chat Champion
Joined: 07 Aug 2007
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 Posted: 16:50 - 08 Jan 2008  Post subject: Laptop opinions |
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So, another "help me choose" poll 
My current laptop is a bit geriatric. It's a Toshiba with a 15" screen. I bought it around 4 years ago before I went to uni, and it lasted around a year at full health before deciding that the cold british climate was still too hot for it, and began overheating. I turned the processor down and it still overheated, just less frequently.
It now lives on a laptop cooler which it's too big for, and that lives on a a hardback book to enable it to draw in the cool air it needs. This is not as portable as a laptop should be, and because I turned down the processor which should be a 2.8ghz Pentium 4, it now runs at 1.6ghz, and only has 450mb of RAM. Which means it struggles with a lot of very simple tasks.
Anyway, it will soon be replaced. I'm downsizing, so a 13/14" screen is a must. Budget is around £750-800 but I have no complaints if I find something cheaper. If I can buy it at Comet it comes with a 10% discount 
I've chosen the three above as examples. Their websites are here:
Apple MacBook
HP DV2600 series
Dell XPS M1330
I had my eye on the HP as it was at the place I work for £850 and thats before a 10% staff discount. Then I found the Dell on the net, bought a laptop mag which gave it a great review, and then discovered it's reliable and durable, plus I can mix and match parts easily. After that, I saw how inexpensive Macs are, saw one in a shop and thought they looked gorgeous, and it's the perfect size.
A few initial points:
Vista vs. OS X - don't really care. Both are decent operating systems with pluses and minuses. HP vs. Dell vs. Apple - well I know a few people who have had problems with HPs, I don't know anyone with a Mac of any sort, and the people with Dells I know have never had any problems.
I use computers for: Internet, photos (a lot), music (a lot, I have an iPod). I sometimes use them for work (and will on my masters). I don't use them for gaming, so integrated vs. dedicated graphics card debates aren't an issue.
So fire away - even if you aren't familiar with the particular models all of you have and use computers so even if you can just give opinions of the manufacturers let me know. For the record, I'm leaning towards the Apple. But who knows...
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| gmanxiii |
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gmanxiii
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| Eddie Hitler |
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Eddie Hitler
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| AJI |
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AJI
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| veeeffarr |
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veeeffarr
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| pwntifex |
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pwntifex
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| Posted: 18:12 - 08 Jan 2008 Post subject: |
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| Toby R wrote: |
Was looking at getting a Mac until I realised it was an overpriced piece of crap that runs yesterdays hardware.
It "Just works" because you have fuck all choice on what hardware you want  |
I can play Crysis and Bioshock fine on max with 4xAA/4xAF and at 1680x1050 on my MBP.
I can also seamlessly switch between four languages and keyboard layouts and don't have to deal with random crashes and incompatibilities. I don't have to worry about spyware, virii or trojans.
It's also damn near bombproof. RE: my old Macbook, I tipped several pints of water over it (by accident), dropped it onto concrete, had it fall off my back at 30mph and bounce down the road in my rucksack, etc. etc. it only failed because I accidentally snapped the old-style connector in the power jack and I couldn't charge it any more. That was after 3 and a half years and I never had any problems.
The thing about macs is that you don't need to be running the latest hardware, because most of the stuff people want them for doesn't really require the latest nvidia gpu or whatever. You don't really buy macs for gaming (unless you're looking at the mbp, but it's still not a primary consideration).
It's not really like using a PC where, let's face it, the hardware thing is really just a cock-waving competition, because you don't need the latest gpus and dual-core processors to play crysis and its ilk.
Nothing wrong with PCs, but if you want a highly centralised and seamless experience without a purely gaming focus, then go for it. If you need to do work (especially if your work is media-related) and prefer wasting time on your pc by listening to music and surfing, macs make perfect sense.
Don't listen to fanboys like Toby who regurgitate the same old nonsense about macs, they have no idea what they're talking about.
I switched from PCs to Macs and initially was a bit disappointed when they still ran the PowerPC core, but my Intel Macbook Pro hasn't skipped a beat. Go for it if you can afford it (though they're really not that expensive).
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the warped one: This is a follow up from the thread 'my willy hurts'
Last edited by pwntifex on 19:22 - 08 Jan 2008; edited 1 time in total |
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| gmanxiii |
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gmanxiii
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| Posted: 18:16 - 08 Jan 2008 Post subject: |
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| AJI wrote: |
 Seen that a while back. I choose to take everything Maddox says with a pinch of salt, laugh a bit, and then ignore him.
Gmanxii - cheers for the advice, pity I'm not a student any more and can't get the discount though... |
you should be able to do it anyway my mates not a student either and if your doing a masters. All you have to do is enter the instituition your "at".
Haha yeah ive seen that too, i dont mind PC's having being a user since 1995 (pentium 120!!!) ive been through the gaming phases of constantly upgrading gfx cards and processors, used them to develop on, used them to design with. Fact is i dont need it for most of those things anymore and the fact i no longer spend half the time fixing stuff think my decision was right. Several of the developers i work with are converting to macs now for their personal machines because they cant be arsed fixing stuff on a PC at home.
Toby yeah there isnt much choice in hardware and compared to a similarly priced pc machine is "technically" not as good on paper. But its the way its put together, runs a hell of a lot more efficient and reliable than its technical pc equvialent, which i think is probably due to OSX.
Plus im sick of laptop manufacturers saying the battery will last for 4 hrs and it struggles to get over 1. Mine manages 4-5hrs. can watch a movie and have enough juice to do some work after too.
My advice is if you dont want to play computer games on it, theres no reason you should choose anything other than a mac unless you like grey/no hair. As a gaming platform though it sucks ballsacks.
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| veeeffarr |
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veeeffarr
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| Posted: 23:26 - 08 Jan 2008 Post subject: |
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| pwntifex wrote: | | Toby R wrote: |
Was looking at getting a Mac until I realised it was an overpriced piece of crap that runs yesterdays hardware.
It "Just works" because you have fuck all choice on what hardware you want |
I can play Crysis and Bioshock fine on max with 4xAA/4xAF and at 1680x1050 on my MBP.
I can also seamlessly switch between four languages and keyboard layouts and don't have to deal with random crashes and incompatibilities. I don't have to worry about spyware, virii or trojans.
It's also damn near bombproof. RE: my old Macbook, I tipped several pints of water over it (by accident), dropped it onto concrete, had it fall off my back at 30mph and bounce down the road in my rucksack, etc. etc. it only failed because I accidentally snapped the old-style connector in the power jack and I couldn't charge it any more. That was after 3 and a half years and I never had any problems.
The thing about macs is that you don't need to be running the latest hardware, because most of the stuff people want them for doesn't really require the latest nvidia gpu or whatever. You don't really buy macs for gaming (unless you're looking at the mbp, but it's still not a primary consideration).
It's not really like using a PC where, let's face it, the hardware thing is really just a cock-waving competition, because you don't need the latest gpus and dual-core processors to play crysis and its ilk.
Nothing wrong with PCs, but if you want a highly centralised and seamless experience without a purely gaming focus, then go for it. If you need to do work (especially if your work is media-related) and prefer wasting time on your pc by listening to music and surfing, macs make perfect sense.
Don't listen to fanboys like Toby who regurgitate the same old nonsense about macs, they have no idea what they're talking about.
I switched from PCs to Macs and initially was a bit disappointed when they still ran the PowerPC core, but my Intel Macbook Pro hasn't skipped a beat. Go for it if you can afford it (though they're really not that expensive). |
Regurgitate what nonsense? That a mac zealots main argument is that they've had to "fix windows all the time"? Hmmm, funny that as I had my Toshiba laptop running the same install of XP for 7 years (With daily use) and then a dual boot with Ubuntu Linux for a year... I've been running Vista 64 on my PC with no problems whatsoever! It cost me much less than the equivalent Mac would cost, and I can upgrade more than the RAM on.
Mac users should just learn how to use a PC, that'll stop them mullering the O/S |
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pwntifex
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Joined: 23 Aug 2006
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| Posted: 00:43 - 09 Jan 2008 Post subject: |
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| Toby R wrote: | Regurgitate what nonsense? |
Just the usual un-expanded tripe about macs being "shit" or "too expensive". Yawn.
| Toby R wrote: | That a mac zealots main argument is that they've had to "fix windows all the time"? |
Yup, Mac fanboys are just as bad as PC fanboys, but nobody actually takes them seriously, so it doesn't really matter.
I just think it's stupid for anybody to write off Macs or PCs without actually having owned and used them for any substantial period of time.
As far as the 'fixing windows' thing goes, I often find windows to be a lot like Linux in that it takes ages to install and set everything up, but once it's up and running everything is fairly stable. But I don't want to have to reboot every time I install software, and I don't want to have to search for the latest video / directx drivers all the time, and I don't want to have to watch out for spyware and virii when I download torrents or whatever. When I buy a router, I don't want to be messing around for an hour setting the damn thing up, downloading drivers etc. etc.
The reason most people choose macs is because everything works. You can sit there and say that windows works too, but you don't know what you're talking about until you've owned a mac and experienced it. Everything is easier, simpler, and less prone to problems and glitches because most things are seamlessly integrated within the laptop and the product range themselves. That's the benefit of having a product range designed and produced by the same company—sure, it might bump the price up a bit, but it saves you time and effort.
Some people like crawling around on the floor plugging RC45 cables into things and trying to cram as many RAM sticks into their mobo as possible and smearing arctic silver on their CPU cores, but personally speaking, I've done all that and now I just want a computer that I can sit down at, turn on and have work 99.9% of the time without having to worry about anything, something that's efficient, easy to use and easy on the eye.
There are loads of things I love about the mac; the fact that OSX has (pretty much) a singular interface, so that everything fits into the same theme and nothing jars. The fact that the software it comes with is pretty much all of the basics anyone needs; the fact that the standard of software created and published for macs is so good generally; the fact that it's based on UNIX with a familiar, tried-and-tested file system that's been proven to be stable; the fact that I've never had a hardware incompatibility; the fact that it has full support for the languages I speak and study (both typing and reading) out of the box and that it's so easy to switch between them; blah blah blah. I could go on, but it's boring and retarded and nobody cares.
| Toby R wrote: | I've been running Vista 64 on my PC with no problems whatsoever! It cost me much less than the equivalent Mac would cost, and I can upgrade more than the RAM on. |
But that's just the thing; the point about Macs is really that there's no reason to have to keep updating them, because they're not supposed to be gaming machines. Apple only recently stopped supporting OS9, for christ's sake. Oh, and you can upgrade the RAM on all of Apple's current range of computers.
| Toby R wrote: |
Mac users should just learn how to use a PC, that'll stop them mullering the O/S |
I think many people would agree that windows is a fundamentally clumsy and ill-designed OS, and Vista certainly hasn't helped disprove that much. Also, why should you have to learn to use a PC? Surely the ultimate aim of an OS should be to make it so easy for the user that it's almost impossible for them to get lost? If that's the case, I would class XP/Vista at the back of the line (of the 3 mainstream OSes. And Linux wins over XP and Vista because of Ubuntu. Nobody can go wrong with that).
Ultimately though, it comes down to choice and personal preference. My mac does everything I need it to. Your PC probably does everything you need it to.
Arguing that mine is better than yours is as stupid as arguing that an R1 is better than a Blade, or that a hammer is a better tool than a wrench.
So, bref—to OP: go in the apple store, try out OS/X and see how you like it; get a feeling for apple in general (it won't take you long—you either love it or you hate it), then go try out your proposed laptops elsewhere and make your own decision.
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the warped one: This is a follow up from the thread 'my willy hurts' |
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Rovman
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Joined: 09 Aug 2006
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| DEN MONKEY |
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DEN MONKEY
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| Posted: 11:48 - 09 Jan 2008 Post subject: |
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No advice on the new laptop but as far as your old one goes you should pull it apart and make sure its clean inside.
The biggest issues with overheating laptops is they are clogged up with dust.
Here is something that might help
https://www.fonerbooks.com/lap_fan.htm
its only basic but was the first site off a google search.
Might be worth a go before you spend ya cash on a new one
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AJI
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| Lady P |
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Lady P
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| Posted: 23:37 - 09 Jan 2008 Post subject: |
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January 08, 2008
Apple Introduces the new Mac Pro
The fastest Mac ever, the new Mac Pro has eight processor cores and a new system architecture that delivers up to twice the performance of its predecessor.* It combines two of Intel’s new 45 nanometer Quad-Core Xeon processors running up to 3.2 GHz, powerful new graphics and up to 4TB of internal storage, offering the ideal system for creative professionals, 3D digital content creators and scientists. The standard 8-core configuration starts at just $2,799.
* Based on estimated results comparing a preproduction 2.8 GHz 8-core Mac Pro with a 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Mac Pro running professional applications like Maya, modo and Logic Pro.
Introducing the new Xserve—the most powerful Apple server ever
Starting at just $2,999, the new Xserve has up to two Quad-Core 3.0 GHz Intel Xeon processors for 8-core performance, a new server architecture, faster front side buses, faster memory, up to 3TB of internal storage and two PCI Express 2.0 expansion slots for greater performance and flexibility. “With the latest Intel processors and no client access licenses, Xserve offers unbeatable server performance and value for under $3,000,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
District doubles its computing power with iMac
On the verge of signing a large order for PCs, the superintendent of Carterville City Schools quickly put down his pen when Technology Coordinator Sheryl McDonald demonstrated how an iMac could run both Mac and Windows applications. “Our superintendent just about lost it; he was so excited by the capabilities of Boot Camp. We saw that we could have the best of both worlds,” McDonald says. In no time, CCS cancelled its PC purchase plans and ordered a flock of iMac computers.
I would have a mac over windows any day have used both and prefer my mac
The new mac you can install windows on it without a problem
Mine is an ibook G4 which still runs fine |
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 18 years, 29 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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