Macbook vs Netbooks

[DaemonSeid]

I really would be curious to hear why anyone would go back to PC.

I guess for me, with my Mac, I do love having the Boot Camp option which allows one to run Windows on a Mac. I think the biggest issue with Windows is not necessarily the OS altho that tends to have its issues, but the hardware.

There are 1000s of hardware configurations that any one person can have to run any Windows OS on their system and that's why you have the 1000s of problems that keeps Geek Squad and etc in business. Not that Mac doesn't have the same kinds of failures but the rate is considerably less.

As far as the question as to mac building something cheaper...it's entirely possible and I still caution that you get what you paid for. There have been times i have spent under $500 bucks and the PC in question was a mixed bag. The Macbook I have had since November...so far...no problems. We have a G5 in the house that we have had for 4 years...ZERO problems.

Yeah it gets redundant...but I am saying all of this to say, let's be careful of what we ask for...when products start getting cheaper in price, the reliability becomes suspect.

That's why even in the used market, most Macs can still command a fair price...so Nikki if you still are pondering. in all seriousness there is craigslist.

That reminds me, one of my frat brothers called me last week angry because he can't find a used Macbook Pro 15" on craigslist for under a G. I laughed and told him...that's the sign of a good product. Take a Dell with the same specs that was $700 dollars last year and you will be lucky if you can get 1/2 for it right now.

Lastly, if you ever want to see what kind of rip off people are trying to pull, go to the computer shows. Note how much the vendors try to sell their laptops for. Take note of the specs (hard drive, CPU, memory) and then look at what you see in Best Buy or on TigerDirect.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

I really would be curious to hear why anyone would go back to PC.

A few of the 'hard-core' programmers (LINUX, UNIX) that I know would rather use a PC over a Mac.

For me it was simply the physical weight of the netbook, combined with the price. My Acer weighs ~ 3 lbs and my MacBook Titanium weighs ~ 7 lbs. That may not seem like much until you have to haul it around all day!!

As far as the question as to mac building something cheaper...it's entirely possible and I still caution that you get what you paid for. There have been times i have spent under $500 bucks and the PC in question was a mixed bag. The Macbook I have had since November...so far...no problems. We have a G5 in the house that we have had for 4 years...ZERO problems.

From my research about netbooks is that the reason they are cheaper is because of the smaller screen and they don't have an internal CD drive. I never read that their lower price is due to quality. It is just stripped down a bit more, which then lowered the overall price. The way it was explained to me by a BestBuy sales person is "Netbooks are just a bigger palm pilot".

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

A few of the 'hard-core' programmers (LINUX, UNIX) that I know would rather use a PC over a Mac.

For me it was simply the physical weight of the netbook, combined with the price. My Acer weighs ~ 3 lbs and my MacBook Titanium weighs ~ 7 lbs. That may not seem like much until you have to haul it around all day!!



From my research about netbooks is that the reason they are cheaper is because of the smaller screen and they don't have an internal CD drive. I never read that their lower price is due to quality. It is just stripped down a bit more, which then lowered the overall price. The way it was explained to me by a BestBuy sales person is "Netbooks are just a bigger palm pilot".

But see, you just in a way, reiterated what i just said...you get what you paid for.

You buy a netbook that's missing 'pieces' and a smaller screen...LOL

I see your point too but something else to consider, netbooks are just starting to catch on, I would be curious to see what consumer reports will say about them within the next 2 years.

And Elepahnt walk just pointed out something else...to a degree, you still need to 'tether' your netbook with a PC in order to get some use out of it...

..interesting.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

But see, you just in a way, reiterated what i just said...you get what you paid for.

You buy a netbook that's missing 'pieces' and a smaller screen...LOL

If that is all you want, then there is no problem. You 'get what you pay for' in terms of complexity of the computer, not necessarily in terms of quality.

And Elepahnt walk just pointed out something else...to a degree, you still need to 'tether' your netbook with a PC in order to get some use out of it...

..interesting.

I don't think this is what he meant, or, at least I did not read it that way. You have a netbook for 'quick convenience', not because it will be you main computer.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

I guess for me, with my Mac, I do love having the Boot Camp option which allows one to run Windows on a Mac. I think the biggest issue with Windows is not necessarily the OS altho that tends to have its issues, but the hardware.

There are 1000s of hardware configurations that any one person can have to run any Windows OS on their system and that's why you have the 1000s of problems that keeps Geek Squad and etc in business. Not that Mac doesn't have the same kinds of failures but the rate is considerably less.

Unless you're claiming Apple's (3rd-party) components are superior (hint: they buy from the same supply chains as PCs), then this is indeed a software/Windows issue.

Here's the thing: most computer issues are eminently predictable, and fall into a few main categories:

-Software issues (setup, virus/spyware) - this is entirely operator error, and any differences between Macs and PCs are incidental, rather than an innate superiority/inferiority
-Basic system failure due to 'old age' (this would be a motherboard dying, failed power supply, hard drive, etc.) . . . other than the actual processors, there isn't a fundamental hardware difference between PCs and Macs
-Laptop errors (screens breaking, etc.) - Macs might be superior here over certain, low-end PC brands, but I'm not sure the difference is significant.

The bottom line is that Apple has spent years defining their product as a "premium" product, one worthy of extra expense - if you like MacOS and prefer not to be able to 'customize' (which, for most people, means 'eventually fuck up') your system, or if you just think it looks cool, it's definitely worth the dollars. But anecdotes about Apple's lack of failures on a systemic level ring hollow - our company is split between PC and Mac users, and we've had far more problems with the Mac side, both in terms of hardware and software issues.

That reminds me, one of my frat brothers called me last week angry because he can't find a used Macbook Pro 15" on craigslist for under a G. I laughed and told him...that's the sign of a good product. Take a Dell with the same specs that was $700 dollars last year and you will be lucky if you can get 1/2 for it right now.

This is actually patently false - it's because similar Dells are basically given away, generally via corporate buyers. Value is a function of supply and demand, which may or may not be based on product quality - here, there's a perception issue ("Macs are cool, Dells are dime-a-dozen") and a product that has flooded the market. Seriously, I have five mid-line Dell workstation laptops sitting in a box in my office right now - they're far more capable than a similarly-priced Mac and just as reliable, it's just that there isn't a market. Dell's ads suck.