Are Apple notebooks worth the money? Need opinion on buying a new one

[Nickjr000]

Wanted peoples opinions on the apple macbook pro's. Was thinking of getting one but of course money is an issue. I could only afford the base model. A dell like i have know blows it away numbers wise and is half the price. Then again the dell i have now did have to get cleaned of viruses twice so far and that cost us around 320 all together. So the apple thing about not getting a virus is nice. Here are the 2 im debating on.

Dell

PROCESSOR	2nd generation Intel® Core™ i5-2430M processor 2.40 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.00 GHz
MEMORY	8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory
HARD DRIVE	750GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
VIDEO CARD	NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 525M (128-bit) 1GB
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE	8X Tray Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
FACIAL RECOGNITION SOFTWARE	Integrated 1.0 mega pixel widescreen HD Webcam
DISPLAY	17.3" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Display with TrueLife™
SYSTEM COLOR	Switch by Design Studio - Diamond Black
Network Card	Integrated 10/100 Network Card
Adobe Reader	Adobe Acrobat X Reader
SOUND OPTIONS	HD Audio 2.0 Support SRS™ Premium Sound
WIRELESS CARDS	Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 1030, 1x2 bgn + Bluetooth
BATTERY OPTIONS	48 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Regional Base Components	DAO English Regional Base Components
	Q1705_083BTOC5 - [FG0105]

Apple
Apple
13-inch: 2.4 GHz

• 2.4GHz dual-core
  Intel Core i5
• 4GB 1333MHz
• 500GB 5400-rpm[SUP]1[/SUP]
• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• Built-in battery (7 hours)

 

[Nickjr000]

I dont know much about computers but just goin by numbers, the dell has 2x the memory and a way bigger screen

 

[spotter]

Just purchased my first apple. all I can say is.....Ill never go back to windows. I had a dell for three yrs and had two viruses, replaced the hard drive and battery fried on me. unless you're doing some serious gaming or programming the memory will never be an issue. just my .02

Steve

 

[DBSAM]

I have good knowledge of windows and mac osx...you pay more up front but it runs vey very smoothly.

i have bought refurbs from apple often same warranty and new outsides for 10 to 20% off and you would never find a bleem...

what do you use the computer for? if it just posting, mail, some online videos the pros is more than necessary.

 

[Sandee]

Ditto. Go Mac, they really are great. And I'm 100% PC at work. For home stuff I have an iPhone, iPad and Mini Mac.


Sandee | Sent from my iPhone!

 

[Nickjr000]

The wife does work stuff or it once in a blue moon, lots of web browsing, forums, itunes, and tons of pictures.

 

[Xavier613]

Buy a PC that is 6x as powerful for a quarter of the price then go home and download Mac OS. That way you don't rip yourself off

 

[trivan]

You can't compare straight memory numbers between macs and pc, Mac's are architected very differently and are very efficient at memory usage. Yes there is a upfront cost, but there are a number of reviews which shows after you get to the same benchmarks from a performance and software perspective, mac's are not much more expensive. Best thing about Mac's are you can run both windows and Mac os if needed.

I switched 5 years ago and I retired from being the at home tech support for the family and even my neighbors who switched. I use to be a die hard pc person, built all my own pcs and still maintain a 9 tb linux server for home photos and backups. .

The base model mac's are really all you need if you are just doing web surfing, emails and some excel, word stuff. The pro's get you in to faster video and photo editing. Which you can all do with any Mac but just a little faster. Check out the refurbished section on the store site, same warranty and you can get some discounts which are pretty good.

 

[TanksNStuff]

Buy a PC that is 6x as powerful for a quarter of the price then go home and download Mac OS. That way you don't rip yourself off

Actually not a bad idea if you know anything about computers. Hardware is hardware and although I never tried to install a Mac OS, I know people who have done this very thing. It's known as a Hackintosh, which is possible as long as the PC's hardware components are compatible with the Mac OS and drivers are available. Operating systems are just programs that contain many smaller programs that do small specific tasks. These tasks interact with the hardware components' firmware through drivers (other small programs). The operating system uses the gui (graphical user interface... the icons and stuff you click on) to determine what coding runs in the background. So, whether it's Windows or a Mac OS, it still does virtually the same thing.

Unfortunately, Nick already mentioned he doesn't know much about computers so that's probably not a choice he should make. If you've already gotten 2 viruses, then you (or someone) is obviously doing something that you shouldn't be doing. I suggest you either get the Mac or educate yourself a bit more on how to avoid getting a virus to begin with.

I've had nothing but PC's for over 20 years and I've only had 1 virus... and I got that from downloading something I shouldn't have. I don't even have an Anti-Virus program running in the background either. I just manually scan questionable programs with a free reputable AV program like Malwarebytes. Viruses can be avoided just by being careful and knowing the software you install on your PC. Scan everything you download before running it with a reputable virus scanner. Don't click on those bogus "Virus Alerts" that popup in the task bar. Be aware of the virus scanners you intentionally installed (or came with a new PC) by the icon and by the gui screen that it has. If you see a "Virus Scanner" that pops up and starts running by just clicking on a website... chances are it's bogus (unless you recognize it as an AV program that you know you have.) Don't open attachments in emails from people you don't know... no matter how tempting they may sound... especially if the attachment has .exe at the end of the filename. These are some simple things that will keep your PC virus free.

Sorry for the lecture but I just like to promote people educating themselves about how a computer operates. I think it's a much better choice over finding another option that protects you from viruses.

 

[Joejoe]

I don't know much about computers. However I've had Dell, hp, acer which was awesome. And i would still be using but my wife broke the port for the power. (haven't taken it apart to fix). custom built tower which was the worst. I bought the Mac pro 13" for my wife last year. This thing is awesome never once have I had a problem. No viruses nothing. The only other one that didn't give me any problems was the acer. Which was as expensive as the Mac

 

[Brando457]

Actually not a bad idea if you know anything about computers. Hardware is hardware and although I never tried to install a Mac OS, I know people who have done this very thing. It's known as a Hackintosh, which is possible as long as the PC's hardware components are compatible with the Mac OS and drivers are available. Operating systems are just programs that contain many smaller programs that do small specific tasks. These tasks interact with the hardware components' firmware through drivers (other small programs). The operating system uses the gui (graphical user interface... the icons and stuff you click on) to determine what coding runs in the background. So, whether it's Windows or a Mac OS, it still does virtually the same thing.

Unfortunately, Nick already mentioned he doesn't know much about computers so that's probably not a choice he should make. If you've already gotten 2 viruses, then you (or someone) is obviously doing something that you shouldn't be doing. I suggest you either get the Mac or educate yourself a bit more on how to avoid getting a virus to begin with.

I've had nothing but PC's for over 20 years and I've only had 1 virus... and I got that from downloading something I shouldn't have. I don't even have an Anti-Virus program running in the background either. I just manually scan questionable programs with a free reputable AV program like Malwarebytes. Viruses can be avoided just by being careful and knowing the software you install on your PC. Scan everything you download before running it with a reputable virus scanner. Don't click on those bogus "Virus Alerts" that popup in the task bar. Be aware of the virus scanners you intentionally installed (or came with a new PC) by the icon and by the gui screen that it has. If you see a "Virus Scanner" that pops up and starts running by just clicking on a website... chances are it's bogus (unless you recognize it as an AV program that you know you have.) Don't open attachments in emails from people you don't know... no matter how tempting they may sound... especially if the attachment has .exe at the end of the filename. These are some simple things that will keep your PC virus free.

Sorry for the lecture but I just like to promote people educating themselves about how a computer operates. I think it's a much better choice over finding another option that protects you from viruses.

I concur, I have been building/fixing my own pc for almost 12 years now and as long as its built on a stable understanding of the components then they are very reliable. Especially with windows 7 I haven't had any problems really ever.

Also MACS are NOT infallible, why do you think they have to have a geek squad... to fix the ish and there is a big learning curve. I tinkered with mac OS in vmware and a mac mini and was not a fan, I think their marketing department is actually better than the system. Also if you compare hardware to hardware without the operating system on it. There is about a 30-50% markup for the SAME hardware. Only difference is one is in a Apple computer the other is in a PC...

And don't think I'm anti apple, but I used to own an iphone or 2 and went to an android based phone and will never go back!

 

[AJ1080]

Don't fool yourself in terms of viruses. This is just a powderkeg waiting to explode in my opinion.

Everyone thinks that Mac's dont get viruses but the truth is that they can and do get viruses, along with other malware such as trojans and worms. This past year there has actually been an increase in malware for apple products.

Back to the original question, You pay a premium for a Mac because they do use high end parts and your also buying the name. The OS is built on Unix which has been around forevery but the real advantage is that they are made for usability. I know people who are computer illiterate, picked up an apple and got the hang of it right away. This said if you have the cash go for it you wont be disappointed.

 

[Nickjr000]

Yea im not really too worried about the viruses. The only reason i got them is cause of our kids and their friends with all the downloads. Still numbers just stick in my head.

Dell 8gb and 17+" screen for 700......................... Apple 4gb and 13" screen for 1199

The small screen just kills me cause i have a 17+" screen now. Guess we have to go to the apple store and play around

 

[DBSAM]

The hardware speeds are not the whole story...The mac will boot up faster and run most of the programs the average user runs faster, especially as time wears on. You can run Windows on a Mac...and it will be faster than on most PCs. I have used both and will not go back to the PC world that easily. Is Apple worth the extra, that an individual's answer. I can buy two to three PCs for the price of one Mac, and there is a lot to be said for that. Macs have problems there is no doubt, but because Apple has such tight control of everything, the stuff operates much better than in the PC world due to that integration. If you are a fringe user then the sheer numbers of some programs to do this or that, will keep you in the PC world.

As for Android or iOS, I have an iPad2 and a Toshiba Thrive. The Thrive I got for 329 and the Pad for 500. The apps for the kids and my personal cloud stuff just work smoother on the iOS. I know developers that will not develop for the iOS because of Apple's big brother control they have over their stuff. They stick with Android.

 

[Nickjr000]

i know numbers arent the whole story. People that have macs seem to love them. Maybe its worth the extra cash to give one a try. The small screen Just kills me

 

[malulu]

Nick,

(1)
may be you would like to add $100 more to get a 15" one ---> Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 - $1289
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_pro

(2)
if you have kid(s), they will find a way to get you a virus soon or later, you SHOULD just keep your NEW Mac/PC Laptop all by yourself, and reformat/re-setup your existing old machine, and let the kids' do whatever they want with it. (make sure they have their own login which DO NOT have admin privileged for any computers)

(3)
if you need help to re-setup your old machine, let me know.

thx

 

[asonitez]

If you are going to game then use the money that you would have spent on a high end laptop and purchase components for a PC instead. I will built it for free for you. Then the money you saved can purchase a decent mid/end laptop for around 400 dollars and you can still play some games. Don't game on a laptop because its a lesson in futility. A decent gaming laptop will set you back a grand or more and will be out of date within 2 years. A decent gaming PC you can keep throwing new video cards at it every year for < 100 dollars and play all the latest and greatest games coming out.


A laptop was designed to be mobile. a 17" screen on a laptop is not known as a laptop any more its a desktop replacement (BRICK). Hands down a desktop replacement will be too heavy to carry around and will be outdated in a year or so because of upgrades. I plan on purchasing a base model MacBook Pro and upgrading the upgradeable components when money allows. (Memory and Hardrive more than likely.) - My macbook will be sorely for browsing shopping and blogging. My Main PC though is for work, gaming and running power and processor intensive apps.

Viruses should not be a deciding factor. Mac's have viruses. As a matter of fact a lot of malicious virus creators are SPECIFICALLY TARGETING MAC's for this very reason. They are tired of people praising no viruses on Mac's when its not true. Its just a matter of what benefits malicious virus creators. The Trading World, the Gaming World all run on PC's. Its just a matter of knocking mac's off their high horse. I don't claim any one brand's better. Its just what you plan to do. I work with both platforms on a day to day basis.. but coming from a PC i find my self searching high and far for apps that do what my pc apps do.. and frankly I find myself settling for w/e b/s app is mac compatible to do the same thing. My .02c

 

[Nickjr000]

Wow, thank u for all the offers guys. Think were gonna do like peter said. Keep the new book for us and let the old one be the kids problem. I was thinking about going for a pc instead of a laptob, but we do bring it here n there and from room to room so were gonna stick with the laptop.