Thinking of purchasing a 15.4' Macbook Pro

[dlock13]

I currently have a Gateway P-7811FX which is a brilliant gaming powerhouse laptop. I was thinking of giving up Windows even though it hasn't caused me any problems. I just need something new.

I noticed the Macbook Pro is about the same in all aspects as my laptop just a bit more because of the Apple 'premium'. I've used my friend's Macbook here and there, but what would I be in for if I went straight to a Macbook from this Vista laptop?

I realize I won't be able to game, but I've figured I could run Bootcamp or this other program I just heard about that costs 40$ and can play mostly every game I throw at it. I just can't recall the name of the program. There is also a Linux version.

Anyway, I basically use the computer for web, word, and quite a bit of gaming. If I can successfully game on a Mac, then I'll have no problem switching, but what am I in store for if I do decide to switch completely?

In all honesty, I've wanted a Mac for quite some time, but could never justify spending the money on one, but now that I have a little bit of extra cash, selling this computer and purchasing a Pro wouldn't be a problem.


Thanks in advance!

 

[CurseTheSky]

This isn't a direct answer to your question, but more of a side-answer.

I've worked with a Macbook / OSX for a few hours total (mainly troubleshooting network issues) and I'm not impressed. Sure, there are a couple cool features here and there, but absolutely nothing that made me want to go out and buy one.

If someone handed OS X to me for free (with the ability to quickly and easily install it on your average PC), I'd give it quick try... but I'd probably get sick of it and instead install it on my 4 year old's computer so he can ooh and ahh over the bouncy icons.

 

[TheStu]

As someone that used to think the exact way as CurseTheSky will tell you (that would be me telling you by the way, in case you missed the subtlety ), Once you actually commit to using it, not just sitting down to use it for a bit, you will find many, many, many things that will change your mind. There are lots of little features of OS X that do not get noticed by just sitting down to do one task (writing a paper, fixing network settings, etc).

Plus the build quality of the Apple Portables (scattered random issues aside) is generally quite exemplary. My MacBook is a freaking tank and still going strong after over 2 years of hard use.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Originally posted by: TheStu
Plus the build quality of the Apple Portables (scattered random issues aside) is generally quite exemplary. My MacBook is a freaking tank and still going strong after over 2 years of hard use.

That's one thing I will agree on; the person's Macbook was about two years old and still going very strong. And though it wasn't bug free, many of the applications were more polished than Windows.

As far as the other features, if someone gave me a detailed list I might give it the time of day, but for what I do I didn't see any improvement.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky

Originally posted by: TheStu
Plus the build quality of the Apple Portables (scattered random issues aside) is generally quite exemplary. My MacBook is a freaking tank and still going strong after over 2 years of hard use.

That's one thing I will agree on; the person's Macbook was about two years old and still going very strong. And though it wasn't bug free, many of the applications were more polished than Windows.

As far as the other features, if someone gave me a detailed list I might give it the time of day, but for what I do I didn't see any improvement.

Unibody aluminum construction for increased rigidity
Backlit keyboard
LED backlit screen
MagSafe power connector (sounds cheesy until it saves your $1200 laptop from becoming a $1200 paperweight as it did for me)
Best trackpad in the world (huge size, 2 finger scrolling, multitouch)
Support for up to 6GB RAM (and no need to specify the 64 bit OS to utilize it)
Gigabit ethernet
Wireless-N

As for the OS...
Built in DVD playback, no additional software required (you may scoff, but you have to realize that Windows does not in fact include full DVD playback out of the box, it is almost always handled by 3rd party software, so in the event of a re-install)
64 bit support
Unix kernel

I could list more, but I am late for something

 

[hans030390]

You could always do this and save a couple thousand...it's apparently a good laptop for it, though wireless may not work (pretty common fix is to order a Dell wireless chip. Thankfully, this laptop should have a second empty spot just for it).

I've never understood the big deal about Macs. Great hardware for sure, but switching just "for something new" is definitely not a good reason. I don't get what people like so much about OS X.

At least this way, you could try it out for a while and see what you think. Installation isn't that bad. I'm currently trying it out...unimpressed so far. Vista works extremely well for me.

 

[hans030390]

Oh, also...the Mac is definitely less powerful. That Gateway's 9800m will stomp all over the Mac's 9600m (it's twice as powerful). Ok, so the CPU is a bit slower, but it's definitely fast enough.

 

[IlllI]

Originally posted by: hans030390

I've never understood the big deal about Macs.

they look cool

 

[fatpat268]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky

Originally posted by: TheStu
Plus the build quality of the Apple Portables (scattered random issues aside) is generally quite exemplary. My MacBook is a freaking tank and still going strong after over 2 years of hard use.

That's one thing I will agree on; the person's Macbook was about two years old and still going very strong. And though it wasn't bug free, many of the applications were more polished than Windows.

As far as the other features, if someone gave me a detailed list I might give it the time of day, but for what I do I didn't see any improvement.

Unibody aluminum construction for increased rigidity
Backlit keyboard
LED backlit screen
MagSafe power connector (sounds cheesy until it saves your $1200 laptop from becoming a $1200 paperweight as it did for me)
Best trackpad in the world (huge size, 2 finger scrolling, multitouch)
Support for up to 6GB RAM (and no need to specify the 64 bit OS to utilize it)
Gigabit ethernet
Wireless-N

As for the OS...
Built in DVD playback, no additional software required (you may scoff, but you have to realize that Windows does not in fact include full DVD playback out of the box, it is almost always handled by 3rd party software, so in the event of a re-install)
64 bit support
Unix kernel

I could list more, but I am late for something

To be quite honest... most of that list is nothing new for a laptop, or it's a non issue for people

Also... I'm not quite sure, but doesn't Windows Vista have native support for DVDs? I recall that XP didn't, but I'm pretty sure vista does.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: fatpat268

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky

Originally posted by: TheStu
Plus the build quality of the Apple Portables (scattered random issues aside) is generally quite exemplary. My MacBook is a freaking tank and still going strong after over 2 years of hard use.

That's one thing I will agree on; the person's Macbook was about two years old and still going very strong. And though it wasn't bug free, many of the applications were more polished than Windows.

As far as the other features, if someone gave me a detailed list I might give it the time of day, but for what I do I didn't see any improvement.

Unibody aluminum construction for increased rigidity
Backlit keyboard
LED backlit screen
MagSafe power connector (sounds cheesy until it saves your $1200 laptop from becoming a $1200 paperweight as it did for me)
Best trackpad in the world (huge size, 2 finger scrolling, multitouch)
Support for up to 6GB RAM (and no need to specify the 64 bit OS to utilize it)
Gigabit ethernet
Wireless-N

As for the OS...
Built in DVD playback, no additional software required (you may scoff, but you have to realize that Windows does not in fact include full DVD playback out of the box, it is almost always handled by 3rd party software, so in the event of a re-install)
64 bit support
Unix kernel

I could list more, but I am late for something

To be quite honest... most of that list is nothing new for a laptop, or it's a non issue for people

Also... I'm not quite sure, but doesn't Windows Vista have native support for DVDs? I recall that XP didn't, but I'm pretty sure vista does.

Please list the things on that list that other OEMs are doing as well, on a consumer grade laptop.

I cannot think of any with unibody aluminum construction
LED backlit screens are finally becoming prevalent but are still not standard for consumer grade
No one else has anything like the MagSafe on a laptop
Most trackpads are jokes. They are either too small, or sacrifice their size for scroll zones.
Find me a consumer grade laptop with gigabit, and I will be honestly surprised. I cannot think of any that have gigabit ethernet standard, and that applies to wireless-n as well.

As for Vista's native support for DVDs... I believe you are correct, however, I have yet to find one that will actually play on my Vista Ultimate desktop (admittedly I have only tried 2 or 3 because I am seldom at my desktop wanting to watch my DVDs).

The advantage that I find in OS X is that I need fewer steps to accomplish most of my everyday tasks. I find myself being more productive in OS X, and it is a little hard to guantify the reasons why.

Furthermore, there have been many examples across the web that show that if you actually go in and spec the laptops to be comparable to each other, that you will find that the macs are generally not inordinately expensive. Sony on the other hand...

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: fatpat268

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky

Originally posted by: TheStu
Plus the build quality of the Apple Portables (scattered random issues aside) is generally quite exemplary. My MacBook is a freaking tank and still going strong after over 2 years of hard use.

That's one thing I will agree on; the person's Macbook was about two years old and still going very strong. And though it wasn't bug free, many of the applications were more polished than Windows.

As far as the other features, if someone gave me a detailed list I might give it the time of day, but for what I do I didn't see any improvement.

Unibody aluminum construction for increased rigidity
Backlit keyboard
LED backlit screen
MagSafe power connector (sounds cheesy until it saves your $1200 laptop from becoming a $1200 paperweight as it did for me)
Best trackpad in the world (huge size, 2 finger scrolling, multitouch)
Support for up to 6GB RAM (and no need to specify the 64 bit OS to utilize it)
Gigabit ethernet
Wireless-N

As for the OS...
Built in DVD playback, no additional software required (you may scoff, but you have to realize that Windows does not in fact include full DVD playback out of the box, it is almost always handled by 3rd party software, so in the event of a re-install)
64 bit support
Unix kernel

I could list more, but I am late for something

To be quite honest... most of that list is nothing new for a laptop, or it's a non issue for people

Also... I'm not quite sure, but doesn't Windows Vista have native support for DVDs? I recall that XP didn't, but I'm pretty sure vista does.

Please list the things on that list that other OEMs are doing as well, on a consumer grade laptop.

I cannot think of any with unibody aluminum construction
LED backlit screens are finally becoming prevalent but are still not standard for consumer grade
No one else has anything like the MagSafe on a laptop
Most trackpads are jokes. They are either too small, or sacrifice their size for scroll zones.
Find me a consumer grade laptop with gigabit, and I will be honestly surprised. I cannot think of any that have gigabit ethernet standard, and that applies to wireless-n as well.

As for Vista's native support for DVDs... I believe you are correct, however, I have yet to find one that will actually play on my Vista Ultimate desktop (admittedly I have only tried 2 or 3 because I am seldom at my desktop wanting to watch my DVDs).

The advantage that I find in OS X is that I need fewer steps to accomplish most of my everyday tasks. I find myself being more productive in OS X, and it is a little hard to guantify the reasons why.

Furthermore, there have been many examples across the web that show that if you actually go in and spec the laptops to be comparable to each other, that you will find that the macs are generally not inordinately expensive. Sony on the other hand...

I do agree with you that Apple has many innovative features; multitouch trackpads and Magsafe being the first two to come to mind. However...

You mentioned Gigabit ethernet, Wireless N...my Thinkpad T61 has both of those via its Intel Pro/1000 Gigabit Ethernet controller and Intel 4690 ABGN integrated wireless. Many other laptops have those features, so they aren't really that revolutionary. While my T61 doesn't have a backlit keyboard, it does have a Thinklight to illuminate the keyboard in the dark. Not nearly as cool, but it works. As far as LED backlit screens...most mid to higher end laptops are getting those now; the Thinkpad T400 is a particularly notable one, since it can manage almost 10 hours of battery life with hybrid discrete graphics and LED screen.

Now for a few of Apple's biggest hardware faults...

1) There is no option for an extended life battery. In fact, Apple actually REDUCED the battery capacity in the newest MacBooks. The option of a larger battery is not necessarily hard to implement, but apparently Apple does not believe in 5+ hours of battery life.

2) There is no media card reader, period. It's a PITA to take along a card reader when you need to quickly transfer some pictures from a camera or other portable device. MOST consumer and business grade laptops today have at least a 4 in 1 card reader, but not any laptop from Apple.

3) Lack of USB ports. Even the 15.4" $2000 MacBook Pro has only 2 USB ports. This is really inconvenient when you need to plug in several devices at once. For example, I often find myself using up all 3 of the USB ports on my thinkpad with an external mouse, external HDD, and keyboard or flash drive. With only 2, I would have to take along a USB hub everywhere, which is again a PITA. And let's not even start with the Macbook air and its one lone USB port...

4) No fingerprint reader. Minor omission for some, perhaps, but I find myself using mine every single day to store passwords. Again, an inconvenience for those used to having one.

5) No Expresscard/PC Card slot in the new MacBooks. This really sucks for people using a 3G card for internet access. Another inconvenience.

6) No modular media bay option. This feature is found on many business class laptops, such as the Thinkpad and Dell Latitude line. With a modular bay, you can have a DVD drive when you want, and quickly hot-swap it for a second hard drive, a second battery, etc. The Macbook Pro is certainly priced higher than many laptops with this option, but Apple's emphasis on form over function means that you won't see a modular bay in any MacBook or MacBook Pro.

Others...no water-resistant keyboards (found on ThinkPads), no Trackpoint option, etc etc

So, while Apple does have some innovative hardware features, let's also not forget that they DO fall short in several areas. Anyone buying a Mac for the hardware should be prepared to accept these compromises. Personally, I think that given the higher starting price of a Mac, they should AT LEAST most of the features I listed above...but again, we run into Apple's emphasis of form over function.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: 996GT2

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: fatpat268

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky

Originally posted by: TheStu
Plus the build quality of the Apple Portables (scattered random issues aside) is generally quite exemplary. My MacBook is a freaking tank and still going strong after over 2 years of hard use.

That's one thing I will agree on; the person's Macbook was about two years old and still going very strong. And though it wasn't bug free, many of the applications were more polished than Windows.

As far as the other features, if someone gave me a detailed list I might give it the time of day, but for what I do I didn't see any improvement.

Unibody aluminum construction for increased rigidity
Backlit keyboard
LED backlit screen
MagSafe power connector (sounds cheesy until it saves your $1200 laptop from becoming a $1200 paperweight as it did for me)
Best trackpad in the world (huge size, 2 finger scrolling, multitouch)
Support for up to 6GB RAM (and no need to specify the 64 bit OS to utilize it)
Gigabit ethernet
Wireless-N

As for the OS...
Built in DVD playback, no additional software required (you may scoff, but you have to realize that Windows does not in fact include full DVD playback out of the box, it is almost always handled by 3rd party software, so in the event of a re-install)
64 bit support
Unix kernel

I could list more, but I am late for something

To be quite honest... most of that list is nothing new for a laptop, or it's a non issue for people

Also... I'm not quite sure, but doesn't Windows Vista have native support for DVDs? I recall that XP didn't, but I'm pretty sure vista does.

Please list the things on that list that other OEMs are doing as well, on a consumer grade laptop.

I cannot think of any with unibody aluminum construction
LED backlit screens are finally becoming prevalent but are still not standard for consumer grade
No one else has anything like the MagSafe on a laptop
Most trackpads are jokes. They are either too small, or sacrifice their size for scroll zones.
Find me a consumer grade laptop with gigabit, and I will be honestly surprised. I cannot think of any that have gigabit ethernet standard, and that applies to wireless-n as well.

As for Vista's native support for DVDs... I believe you are correct, however, I have yet to find one that will actually play on my Vista Ultimate desktop (admittedly I have only tried 2 or 3 because I am seldom at my desktop wanting to watch my DVDs).

The advantage that I find in OS X is that I need fewer steps to accomplish most of my everyday tasks. I find myself being more productive in OS X, and it is a little hard to guantify the reasons why.

Furthermore, there have been many examples across the web that show that if you actually go in and spec the laptops to be comparable to each other, that you will find that the macs are generally not inordinately expensive. Sony on the other hand...

I do agree with you that Apple has many innovative features; multitouch trackpads and Magsafe being the first two to come to mind. However...

You mentioned Gigabit ethernet, Wireless N...my Thinkpad T61 has both of those via its Intel Pro/1000 Gigabit Ethernet controller and Intel 4690 ABGN integrated wireless. Many other laptops have those features, so they aren't really that revolutionary. While my T61 doesn't have a backlit keyboard, it does have a Thinklight to illuminate the keyboard in the dark. Not nearly as cool, but it works. As far as LED backlit screens...most mid to higher end laptops are getting those now; the Thinkpad T400 is a particularly notable one, since it can manage almost 10 hours of battery life with hybrid discrete graphics and LED screen.

Now for a few of Apple's biggest hardware faults...

1) There is no option for an extended life battery. In fact, Apple actually REDUCED the battery capacity in the newest MacBooks. The option of a larger battery is not necessarily hard to implement, but apparently Apple does not believe in 5+ hours of battery life.

2) There is no media card reader, period. It's a PITA to take along a card reader when you need to quickly transfer some pictures from a camera or other portable device. MOST consumer and business grade laptops today have at least a 4 in 1 card reader, but not any laptop from Apple.

3) Lack of USB ports. Even the 15.4" $2000 MacBook Pro has only 2 USB ports. This is really inconvenient when you need to plug in several devices at once. For example, I often find myself using up all 3 of the USB ports on my thinkpad with an external mouse, external HDD, and keyboard or flash drive. With only 2, I would have to take along a USB hub everywhere, which is again a PITA. And let's not even start with the Macbook air and its one lone USB port...

4) No fingerprint reader. Minor omission for some, perhaps, but I find myself using mine every single day to store passwords. Again, an inconvenience for those used to having one.

5) No Expresscard/PC Card slot in the new MacBooks. This really sucks for people using a 3G card for internet access. Another inconvenience.

6) No modular media bay option. This feature is found on many business class laptops, such as the Thinkpad and Dell Latitude line. With a modular bay, you can have a DVD drive when you want, and quickly hot-swap it for a second hard drive, a second battery, etc. The Macbook Pro is certainly priced higher than many laptops with this option, but Apple's emphasis on form over function means that you won't see a modular bay in any MacBook or MacBook Pro.

Others...no water-resistant keyboards (found on ThinkPads), no Trackpoint option, etc etc

So, while Apple does have some innovative hardware features, let's also not forget that they DO fall short in several areas. Anyone buying a Mac for the hardware should be prepared to accept these compromises. Personally, I think that given the higher starting price of a Mac, they should AT LEAST most of the features I listed above...but again, we run into Apple's emphasis of form over function.

I agree with all of you points, it is hard to disagree when you state facts.

I do however have minor issue with some of your modifying statements such as "Found on many business class". The MacBook Pro is not a business laptop, therefore features found only on business laptops (trackpoint is one example) would not be on it, they also wouldn't be on say... a Dell Inspiron.

Listen, I am not saying that Macs are the end all and be all. I recommended that my friend get a Thinkpad a few months ago (a recommendation that i regret since his t61 appears to be falling apart). The guy was thinking about switching to a mac, so I gave my personal opinions based on my own experiences with switching and listed off the pros of the platform. You can't go 4 ft without tripping over someone online listing the cons, so I thought I would chime in with something other than the usual drivel of "Don't do it, they are overpriced and Apple is a front for Satan!"

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: 996GT2

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: fatpat268

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky

Originally posted by: TheStu
Plus the build quality of the Apple Portables (scattered random issues aside) is generally quite exemplary. My MacBook is a freaking tank and still going strong after over 2 years of hard use.

That's one thing I will agree on; the person's Macbook was about two years old and still going very strong. And though it wasn't bug free, many of the applications were more polished than Windows.

As far as the other features, if someone gave me a detailed list I might give it the time of day, but for what I do I didn't see any improvement.

Unibody aluminum construction for increased rigidity
Backlit keyboard
LED backlit screen
MagSafe power connector (sounds cheesy until it saves your $1200 laptop from becoming a $1200 paperweight as it did for me)
Best trackpad in the world (huge size, 2 finger scrolling, multitouch)
Support for up to 6GB RAM (and no need to specify the 64 bit OS to utilize it)
Gigabit ethernet
Wireless-N

As for the OS...
Built in DVD playback, no additional software required (you may scoff, but you have to realize that Windows does not in fact include full DVD playback out of the box, it is almost always handled by 3rd party software, so in the event of a re-install)
64 bit support
Unix kernel

I could list more, but I am late for something

To be quite honest... most of that list is nothing new for a laptop, or it's a non issue for people

Also... I'm not quite sure, but doesn't Windows Vista have native support for DVDs? I recall that XP didn't, but I'm pretty sure vista does.

Please list the things on that list that other OEMs are doing as well, on a consumer grade laptop.

I cannot think of any with unibody aluminum construction
LED backlit screens are finally becoming prevalent but are still not standard for consumer grade
No one else has anything like the MagSafe on a laptop
Most trackpads are jokes. They are either too small, or sacrifice their size for scroll zones.
Find me a consumer grade laptop with gigabit, and I will be honestly surprised. I cannot think of any that have gigabit ethernet standard, and that applies to wireless-n as well.

As for Vista's native support for DVDs... I believe you are correct, however, I have yet to find one that will actually play on my Vista Ultimate desktop (admittedly I have only tried 2 or 3 because I am seldom at my desktop wanting to watch my DVDs).

The advantage that I find in OS X is that I need fewer steps to accomplish most of my everyday tasks. I find myself being more productive in OS X, and it is a little hard to guantify the reasons why.

Furthermore, there have been many examples across the web that show that if you actually go in and spec the laptops to be comparable to each other, that you will find that the macs are generally not inordinately expensive. Sony on the other hand...

I do agree with you that Apple has many innovative features; multitouch trackpads and Magsafe being the first two to come to mind. However...

You mentioned Gigabit ethernet, Wireless N...my Thinkpad T61 has both of those via its Intel Pro/1000 Gigabit Ethernet controller and Intel 4690 ABGN integrated wireless. Many other laptops have those features, so they aren't really that revolutionary. While my T61 doesn't have a backlit keyboard, it does have a Thinklight to illuminate the keyboard in the dark. Not nearly as cool, but it works. As far as LED backlit screens...most mid to higher end laptops are getting those now; the Thinkpad T400 is a particularly notable one, since it can manage almost 10 hours of battery life with hybrid discrete graphics and LED screen.

Now for a few of Apple's biggest hardware faults...

1) There is no option for an extended life battery. In fact, Apple actually REDUCED the battery capacity in the newest MacBooks. The option of a larger battery is not necessarily hard to implement, but apparently Apple does not believe in 5+ hours of battery life.

2) There is no media card reader, period. It's a PITA to take along a card reader when you need to quickly transfer some pictures from a camera or other portable device. MOST consumer and business grade laptops today have at least a 4 in 1 card reader, but not any laptop from Apple.

3) Lack of USB ports. Even the 15.4" $2000 MacBook Pro has only 2 USB ports. This is really inconvenient when you need to plug in several devices at once. For example, I often find myself using up all 3 of the USB ports on my thinkpad with an external mouse, external HDD, and keyboard or flash drive. With only 2, I would have to take along a USB hub everywhere, which is again a PITA. And let's not even start with the Macbook air and its one lone USB port...

4) No fingerprint reader. Minor omission for some, perhaps, but I find myself using mine every single day to store passwords. Again, an inconvenience for those used to having one.

5) No Expresscard/PC Card slot in the new MacBooks. This really sucks for people using a 3G card for internet access. Another inconvenience.

6) No modular media bay option. This feature is found on many business class laptops, such as the Thinkpad and Dell Latitude line. With a modular bay, you can have a DVD drive when you want, and quickly hot-swap it for a second hard drive, a second battery, etc. The Macbook Pro is certainly priced higher than many laptops with this option, but Apple's emphasis on form over function means that you won't see a modular bay in any MacBook or MacBook Pro.

Others...no water-resistant keyboards (found on ThinkPads), no Trackpoint option, etc etc

So, while Apple does have some innovative hardware features, let's also not forget that they DO fall short in several areas. Anyone buying a Mac for the hardware should be prepared to accept these compromises. Personally, I think that given the higher starting price of a Mac, they should AT LEAST most of the features I listed above...but again, we run into Apple's emphasis of form over function.

I agree with all of you points, it is hard to disagree when you state facts.

I do however have minor issue with some of your modifying statements such as "Found on many business class". The MacBook Pro is not a business laptop, therefore features found only on business laptops (trackpoint is one example) would not be on it, they also wouldn't be on say... a Dell Inspiron.

Listen, I am not saying that Macs are the end all and be all. I recommended that my friend get a Thinkpad a few months ago (a recommendation that i regret since his t61 appears to be falling apart). The guy was thinking about switching to a mac, so I gave my personal opinions based on my own experiences with switching and listed off the pros of the platform. You can't go 4 ft without tripping over someone online listing the cons, so I thought I would chime in with something other than the usual drivel of "Don't do it, they are overpriced and Apple is a front for Satan!"

I definitely don't agree with the view that Macs are just overpriced laptops made by Satan himself. I actually quite liked my friend's Macbook Pro when I used it for a few weeks, but in the end I decided that some of the features I wanted couldn't be had in a Mac. That said, if the OP is someone who would genuinely benefit from the Mac OS (it's arguably better for graphic design, Photoshop, and that sort of work), then a Mac is definitely worth it. The build quality is simply impeccable. Even my Thinkpad (which has excellent build quality for a PC) is no match for the slab of metal that is a Macbook Pro and now the new Macbooks. Apple is doing many things right, but they do have a little ways to go in putting together a better feature set on their laptops.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: 996GT2
I definitely don't agree with the view that Macs are just overpriced laptops made by Satan himself. I actually quite liked my friend's Macbook Pro when I used it for a few weeks, but in the end I decided that some of the features I wanted couldn't be had in a Mac. That said, if the OP is someone who would genuinely benefit from the Mac OS (it's arguably better for graphic design, Photoshop, and that sort of work), then a Mac is definitely worth it. The build quality is simply impeccable. Even my Thinkpad (which has excellent build quality for a PC) is no match for the slab of metal that is a Macbook Pro and now the new Macbooks. Apple is doing many things right, but they do have a little ways to go in putting together a better feature set on their laptops.

I got my Mac because it was the cheapest thing out at the time with a 13.3" screen and a dual core CPU. I also got it because I was going into Software Engineering at school, had to buy a laptop, and the mac had the best keyboard out of all that I tried.

Do I wish they would put more features on to them. I guess. If anything, more USB would be nice. Aside from that I have only ever once wished I had a card reader on my Mac, and have never wished for an expresscard slot. But, different strokes for different folks. That is why it is great that there are so many laptops to choose from!

 

[hans030390]

Originally posted by: TheStu
I got my Mac because it was the cheapest thing out at the time with a 13.3" screen and a dual core CPU.

What? That can't be!

 

[fatpat268]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Please list the things on that list that other OEMs are doing as well, on a consumer grade laptop.

I cannot think of any with unibody aluminum construction (True, but this is mostly aesthetics. Sure, it adds durability, but it's not that bif of an issue)
LED backlit screens are finally becoming prevalent but are still not standard for consumer grade (Dell's studio laptops all have options for LED backlit screens... other brands probably have it standard)
No one else has anything like the MagSafe on a laptop (May be an issue for some, and it does have practical use, but again, not a big deal)
Most trackpads are jokes. They are either too small, or sacrifice their size for scroll zones. (Most people don't care about trackpads. Neither do I. I'll admit, the new Macbook trackpad is pretty slick from when I played with it, but I still prefer my trusty bluetooth mouse.)
Find me a consumer grade laptop with gigabit, and I will be honestly surprised. I cannot think of any that have gigabit ethernet standard, and that applies to wireless-n as well. (Ermm... look outside of the budget $400 laptops and you'll find plenty that do.)

As for Vista's native support for DVDs... I believe you are correct, however, I have yet to find one that will actually play on my Vista Ultimate desktop (admittedly I have only tried 2 or 3 because I am seldom at my desktop wanting to watch my DVDs).

The advantage that I find in OS X is that I need fewer steps to accomplish most of my everyday tasks. I find myself being more productive in OS X, and it is a little hard to guantify the reasons why.

Furthermore, there have been many examples across the web that show that if you actually go in and spec the laptops to be comparable to each other, that you will find that the macs are generally not inordinately expensive. Sony on the other hand...

Look, Apple makes nice products, but they're not that innovative. They include a lot of features standard that other companies allow you to spec out as options. That's where the true value lies, being able to customize my experience. Instead, I only have a few options with Apple.

And you're right, Apples aren't that expensive when you compare similar machines across brands. But, what other brands typically allow, is to downgrade the specs for a cheaper price. Apple doesn't allow that.

Also, it's great that OS X makes you more productive. That's what counts. I haven't found the same to be true for me, and I feel a lot more productive in a windows environment, simply because I'm familiar with that the most.