NYT - Apple sweeps all three Best Laptop categories in latest Consumers Reports ratings

[buckshot23]

Originally Posted by Trevor Barnes

Actually, it's the other way around since Macs can run Windows but PCs can't run an uncrippled version of OS X.

But why would I need OSx? and what can it do that vista can't? (I really don't know never used it)

[CORNER BLITZ]

Originally Posted by Delta Grove

I'm not reading this entire thread but will throw this out there......

My son is graduating from high school next week. He chose getting a MacBook Pro over having a graduation party.

We have not had an Apple computer system in the house, ever.

He could have bought the MacBook pro and still had cash left over if he would have had a party

[buckshot23]

Originally Posted by CORNER BLITZ

He could have bought the MacBook pro and still had cash left over if he would have had a party

High school?

[TheBobcat]

I still don't get why people are so passionate about software from two faceless/heartless corporations. It's a like a religion to you people, on both sides. Both convinced that the other is in life-threatening danger due to their OS choice.

[CORNER BLITZ]

Originally Posted by Minnie

I hate the fact that people rely solely on advertising to make purchase decisions on large ticket items. It boils down to having worked for 20 years in the advertising industry and knowing all the tricks we use in the trade to position products and brands.

Because I know how it works, I have become an educated consumer and do not rely strictly on the pretty colors, cool typefaces and snappy copy alone to make a purchase decision.

Think of me as the mechanic that knows how automotive shops rip people off and uses that inside knowledge to make sure I don't get ripped off when I take my car in for service.

Reader's Digest version: Become an educated consumer. Realize that the folks in my industry are "liars for hire." Make sure you comparison shop and get the best deal for your personal needs, and do not purchase something just because some busty blonde in a bikini told to buy that brand in a TV commercial.

Whoa whoa whoa...where are these busty blondes you speak of

[CORNER BLITZ]

Originally Posted by buckshot23

High school?

kids these days get so much cash for HS grad

[buckshot23]

Originally Posted by CORNER BLITZ

kids these days get so much cash for HS grad

I made out like a bandit, and to prove your point, I bought an Amiga 500 with my earnings from the party.

[hexydes]

Originally Posted by Trevor Barnes

Actually, it's the other way around since Macs can run Windows but PCs can't run an uncrippled version of OS X.

Do you feel kind of ****ty every time you say this, since you're being extremely deceptive about the true nature of the situation? Why don't you qualify by your statement by saying the only reason regular computers can't run OS X out of the box is because Apple crippled their OS to only run on their hardware.

Looking at it another way, perhaps OS X is such a ****ty operating system that it isn't flexible enough to run on normal hardware. The fact that Windows can run on both normal hardware and "special Apple hardware" might just be a testament to how extremely flexible it is.

God Apple fans disgust me. You'll literally say anything to convince people that they should get a second mortgage to finance a purchase of a Mac. I can't wait until Windows 7 is released and that's the last we hear of Mac "making inroads in the PC market". I used the beta of Windows 7 since Microsoft released it, and installed the RC tonight. It's so ridiculously solid, it's going to be a night and day difference from Vista. There is going to be a mass migration in the Windows PC world to Windows 7 over the course of about six months.

[scott91575]

Originally Posted by Trevor Barnes

By the time you add in decent video editing software, a decent photo organization program, a commercial firewall (I don't trust free ones) and a commercial anti-virus program (I don't trust free ones) as well as an extended warranty because in my experience, Dells are much less reliable than Macs, you've pretty much erased that $500. In fact, the Dell will likely cost more at that point. Plus it won't have the residual value a Mac would have and likely will need to be replaced sooner. Paying more for a PC running Vista that has less reliable hardware? No thanks.

For laptops, you are wrong

The Most Reliable Laptop is…

I get tired of the lies. If you like Mac operating system and bundled software, great, get one. The reason Macs have a higher resale value on average is due to the bundled software, and software does not lose much value as long as it's still current. Yet as I have stated many times before I paid $700 less for a Dell with the same hardware and all those other additions you talked about besides some editing software and photo organization software I would never use. It's nice to have a choice in not tying up my money in software I would not get much if any use out of (those things might cost $150 anyway).

BTW... how many effing times do people have to say the vast majority of the hardware is the same before Mac people realize that? It's the same damn suppliers, the same damn Intel reference boards, etc. There will be minor tweaks, but as you can see reliability of laptops are right on top of each other because they all share a bunch of common components. The designs are all identical for 90%+ of the components, and many of them are built in the same damn place.

[scott91575]

Originally Posted by TheBobcat

I still don't get why people are so passionate about software from two faceless/heartless corporations. It's a like a religion to you people, on both sides. Both convinced that the other is in life-threatening danger due to their OS choice.

I don't really care what a person chooses. I just hate the lies that are made up when trying to prove their decision was superior.

[hexydes]

I also like that, once again in an Apple thread, the fact that Apple-built computers cost 10-50% more across the board than comparable Windows-based PCs is brought up, and the Apple crowd starts saying they aren't equal because the Windows PC doesn't come with stupid accessories like bluetooth, LED display, etc. Additionally, you say that Windows doesn't come with the software that the Mac does (when in fact, it either does, or there is a very capable free application available anyway).

Just more lies from the cult of Mac.

[scott91575]

Originally Posted by hexydes

I also like that, once again in an Apple thread, the fact that Apple-built computers cost 10-50% more across the board than comparable Windows-based PCs is brought up, and the Apple crowd starts saying they aren't equal because the Windows PC doesn't come with stupid accessories like bluetooth, LED display, etc. Additionally, you say that Windows doesn't come with the software that the Mac does (when in fact, it either does, or there is a very capable free application available anyway).

Just more lies from the cult of Mac.

PC's don't? Some Gremlin must have installed my bluetooth and LED display on my PC then.

[hexydes]

Originally Posted by scott91575

I don't really care what a person chooses. I just hate the lies that are made up when trying to prove their decision was superior.

A Mac fanatic will tell you anything you want to hear to get you to buy in to their cult. Hell, their entire marketing campaign is based around taking all of the stereotypes that Mac users invent and sticking them to an unattractive personality.

[hexydes]

Originally Posted by scott91575

PC's don't? Some Gremlin must have installed my bluetooth and LED display on my PC then.

Yeah, those are just some examples. When these comparisons come up, they scour the list of the computer you put together, looking for any minute difference they can come up with, and then call you on it. If it isn't one of those things, it's something like the webcam, etc. You know, all the **** that 99% of computer users couldn't care less about?

[Delta Grove]

Originally Posted by CORNER BLITZ

kids these days get so much cash for HS grad

He's not making much except for what his 2 aunts might give him.

[richwig]

Originally Posted by Heat Miser

There are plenty of threads bickering over choice of car & how much to spend. There is at least one rather contentious thread about how much to spend on a wedding & plenty on how much to spend on an engagement ring. There's absolutely nothing unique about this thread.

There is no vitriol in car choice threads.

[buckshot23]

Hulu - Onion News Network: Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

[conleyet]

Originally Posted by buckshot23

Hulu - Onion News Network: Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

[locd32]

Originally Posted by Trevor Barnes

You've also said that OS X was a $1300 premium over Vista. I'm still waiting for you to prove that compared to the base model $999 MacBook. Who is dodging?

I'm also still waiting for you to post a PC that will run OS X out of the box without hacking required or compromises.

No Trevor, I asked you whether you really believed that OSX was worth the $1300. I made no mention of it being a $1300 premium. The only qualification I've given to the $$ difference is the FACT that you are paying for the Apple brand name and nothing more. You just haven't come to grips with that yet.

So which is it Trevor? Are you paying the extra coin for OSX or for the brand name?

Originally Posted by Trevor Barnes

By the time you add in decent video editing software, a decent photo organization program, a commercial firewall (I don't trust free ones) and a commercial anti-virus program (I don't trust free ones) as well as an extended warranty because in my experience, Dells are much less reliable than Macs, you've pretty much erased that $500. In fact, the Dell will likely cost more at that point. Plus it won't have the residual value a Mac would have and likely will need to be replaced sooner. Paying more for a PC running Vista that has less reliable hardware? No thanks.

This is so ridiculously false it's not even funny. You are just spewing what some Apple fanboy with a tech blog said years ago. FACT: All Dell PC's come with anit-virus software. FACT: All Dells come with a 2 year warranty for hardware and in-home service. FACT: Dells are no less reliable then Macs as proven by this data The Most Reliable Laptop is… FACT: All Dells come with video/photo software AND it is very easy to obtain free software online if you don't like the bundled software.

I just can't believe you actually buy into all of this Trevor. I would have guessed that you could have seen through all of the advertising. Macs run the same hardware. OSX is the ONLY difference. Is it really worth it?

P.S. Windows 7 is amazing (and free atm)

[tuff bob]

Originally Posted by richwig

Stuff and nonsense. The Microsoft Office suite for years has been a Mac staple. Microsoft never expected a single Mac user to be converted.

And there were many years before that there was no Office suite for Mac.

[Trevor Barnes]

Originally Posted by locd32

No Trevor, I asked you whether you really believed that OSX was worth the $1300. I made no mention of it being a $1300 premium.

Well, except for right here where you implied it:

Originally Posted by locd32

Do you honestly think OSX is $1300 better then Vista? I mean that's pretty ridiculous.

Again, the notion that OS X is a $1300 premium over Vista is rather silly when my laptop didn't even cost $1300.

Originally Posted by locd32

FACT: All Dell PC's come with anit-virus software.

FACT: What you fail to mention is that Dell only includes 15 months of anti-virus coverage. Surely you're not suggesting that someone use a Windows laptop for two years after that with no anti-virus software. Not to mention the regular spyware scans you need to run and adware scans. Even if they threw in 4 years of updates, lots of stuff these days gets past even regularly updated commercial anti-virus programs. I know two PC owners in the last month with benign surfing habits whose systems had all the latest anti-virus software but still managed to get their systems infected. Even Malwarebytes Anti-Malware wasn't able to clean them up. Each of them spent several hours with it and other scanners and basically had to reformat the whole drive. How much per hour is your time worth to you? If they each billed their own time at $50 an hour, they were easily over $250 each. I just prefer OS X where I really don't even need to worry about it.

Originally Posted by locd32

FACT: All Dells come with a 2 year warranty for hardware and in-home service.

FACT: I just randomly pulled up a Dell Inspiron laptop page and they only include a 1 year warranty standard:
Dell Inspiron 13 Laptop

Originally Posted by locd32

FACT: Dells are no less reliable then Macs as proven by this data The Most Reliable Laptop is…

FACT: Of the three Dell computers I've owned, all three have had hardware issues that needed service. Haven't had a problem with my Mac. The two relatives and coworkers I know who own Macs also haven't had any issues after having issues with their previous PCs. It's also interesting that you're citing a Consumers Reports study. You might want to check out this link which features a story from 2009 (not early 2008 like yours) where CR chose Apple as the highest rated laptops in the industry in all three laptop categories. So which is it locd? Are we to trust CR or not?

Originally Posted by locd32

FACT: All Dells come with video/photo software AND it is very easy to obtain free software online if you don't like the bundled software.

FACT: You're just getting silly at this point if you're trying to claim that Dell's photo software or video editing software is on par with Apple's. To get anything on par with Apple's included software you basically need to buy one of Adobe's consumer level products with gets you in the $100 range.

Originally Posted by locd32

OSX is the ONLY difference. Is it really worth it?

So which is it Trevor? Are you paying the extra coin for OSX or for the brand name?

Is it worth paying roughly the same price? Hell, I'd pay more if I had to, but thankfully, I really didn't have to. As I mentioned earlier, OS X is definitely worth the extra cost over Vista though, and even XP is worth a premium over Vista.

Windows 7? You want me to run a beta Microsoft OS? Hell, most businesses won't even run a Microsoft OS until after the first Service Pack is released several months down the line.

[AASpartan]

Originally Posted by Trevor Barnes

FACT: You're just getting silly at this point if you're trying to claim that Dell's photo software or video editing software is on par with Apple's. To get anything on par with Apple's included software you basically need to buy something from Adobe.

I just want to know who actually cares about video and photo editing software anyway. That's just another niche market. Most people just use their computers to send email and browse the internet. Virus protection is unnecessary. No one "needs" it.

[Trevor Barnes]

Originally Posted by AASpartan

I just want to know who actually cares about video and photo editing software anyway. That's just another niche market.

DSLR and HD camcorder owners. Ok, I don't have an HD camcorder yet, but can envision one in the distant future.

Originally Posted by AASpartan

Most people just use their computers to send email and browse the internet. Virus protection is unnecessary. No one "needs" it.

You are a brave man AA. I know several casual PC users that do nothing but send email and browse the internet who have been infected with some nasty stuff. If by not "needing" it you mean that people can just wait till they get infected, then reformat, I guess that's true.

[GoStateNate]

Originally Posted by AASpartan

I just want to know who actually cares about video and photo editing software anyway. That's just another niche market. Most people just use their computers to send email and browse the internet. Virus protection is unnecessary. No one "needs" it.

There are many many botnets out there that disprove your point. They "just need to be careful". Sure. You're tech savvy. I'm tech savvy. Trev is tech savvy. My aunt and uncle aren't. Many people that are on the internet just to surf myspace and a few websites are pretty easily phished. They do need virus/adware/malware protection.

[AASpartan]

Originally Posted by GoStateNate

There are many many botnets out there that disprove your point. They "just need to be careful". Sure. You're tech savvy. I'm tech savvy. Trev is tech savvy. My aunt and uncle aren't. Many people that are on the internet just to surf myspace and a few websites are pretty easily phished. They do need virus/adware/malware protection.

You've got Windows Defender now and there are lots of free Spyware programs out there. I just think that it's totally bogus to say that someone "needs" a commercial virus scanning package in order to operate their computer.