apple vs pc??

[thelittleprincess]

my 5 year old T40 thinkpad is becoming toast.......

i'm considering going with a Macbook, the basic one but the black one which is the higher spec of the 3 listed http://store.apple.com/1-800-M...hop_mac/family/macbook

but...not sure if i am willing to go apple...so there's also this Sony Vaio http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...587727850&type=product

opinions? words of wisdom?

i'm out of school. mainly using this laptop as my one & only computer - email, internet, pictures, itunes (i don't download really, but i guess to store my ipod & iphone music).

thanks!

 

[TheStu]

I went to a Mac about 2 years ago and haven't looked back. The hardware is really well put together in my opinion, and it has held up like a real champ even though I am pretty tough on my things, particularly electronics, just because I have so many of them and therefore take them for granted.

As far as the Blackbook goes... unless you really want to get a black one, the mid-range white one has the same specs, main difference being the hard drive size.

Now for the real issue, the MacBook bases at 1099, whereas that Vaio you linked to is 599. However, there are a lot of differences between the two. First of all the processor is a lot better in the Mac, you get if not a better OS (that is entirely up to debate, in my opinion, OS X Leopard spanks the tail off of Vista) then certainly a more feature full one since with the Mac you get OS X, and OS X has everything in it out of the box. With the new Mac also comes iLife, which you cannot replicate on any system because of the integration between all the different apps in the suite. Lets not forget Snow Leopard, which is supposed to come out next year and should really take the performance of OS X to the next level.

If your previous Thinkpad lasted you 5 years, then might I suggest another one? If you aren't sure about the Mac, and you already apparently had a good, long lasting relationship with your old Thinkpad, then you should consider another one. I recommended one to my buddy for two reasons. Next to my experience with Macs, Thinkpads I have seen last the longest, secondly if he got a Mac (which I recommended at first) then I would be his sole source of tech support, and although it might remove some of my headaches (can you say trying to configure Windows Mail?) I don't regret the suggestion.

So, I leave you with this... Thinkpad or Mac, those should be your choices. The Mac will cost you more, but will last a good long while, has a free iPod Touch rebate deal going on right now, and has a better resale value. The Thinkpad is solidly built, lasts for years, and you already have experience with Windows and Thinkpads.

 

[thelittleprincess]

thanks thestu!

i did love my thinkpad, but it really started dying out on me after 3 years....the internal wireless crapped out and I had to use an external wireless card thing my brother gave me. i didn't replace it then since in the middle of my 3rd year of school i went on rotations so mainly studied from home and just didn't want nor had the money to replace it.

i'm not familiar with the Lenovo reputation these days - i know when I bouth the T40 it was under IBM still.

these days, as in last week, my T40 is freezing up on me. taking forever to either start up or shut down - it's fickled. the internet works for about 2 minutes or less...or a few minutes more, just depends on it's mood. i can't even connect via ethernet - i think something may also be wrong with the usb connection.

i cannot find myself willing to spen close to $2000 on another Thinkpad.

DH's friend might be able to use his discount on the Macbook....so that's why I'm even considering it. I got the iPhone a few months back and that's a pretty cool toy (though I pointed out to DH that was teh gift that required me to spend more money each month)

I'll be honest.....the silver Apples are sexy, but I'm opting for the "basic" model. I have no need for Pro & its $$$$$. The Air has no internal CD/DVD drive so that just bites. That leaves teh basic Macbook, and I'm afraid the white will get dingy fast....so basic black is what I want. I know, I'm such a girl picking esthetics out.

 

[thelittleprincess]

oh yeah, the t40 freezes even when not using the internet - it's just the computer itself. whey i go to print word docs, it also freezes and i have to reboot.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: thelittleprincess
oh yeah, the t40 freezes even when not using the internet - it's just the computer itself. whey i go to print word docs, it also freezes and i have to reboot.

aside from one of the USB ports being broken (literally, the plastic piece inside broke, i bought it used, and that way, meh) my t40 works flawlessly. im not a windows user, but when i *was* dual-booting i was happy with it, especially after i upgraded the internal wireless to 802.11a/b/g.

and you could recently (maybe even still) get a nice thinkpad for well under 2 grand (hell, i priced a very nice t60 at just under $!000 not long ago). its definitely what id get. especially given the cost of hardware upgrades on apple stuff.

i expect youd be happy either way

 

[thelittleprincess]

thanks!
i'm going to go check out the T61 then! i don't think there are t40s anymore (are there?)

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: thelittleprincess
thanks!
i'm going to go check out the T61 then! i don't think there are t40s anymore (are there?)

nah

you can buy T40s used still, i did over a year ago, but for the money and performance (they still command a bit much, given their age) youd do better with an entry level bargain laptop. id considered upgrading mine more on the cheap; battery, cpu (i upgraded the wifi and ram when i bought it) but by then, id have enough to get a better performing laptop used or from the dell outlet or something, so its not worth it.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Say what you will, but if this going to be used for email, pictures, internet and itunes management, don't spend more than $1000. As much as people would like you to believe that all Apple products are pooped out of Steve Jobs's butt, they are made in China just like everything else.
I have a Toshiba laptop that is about 1.5 years old, and works flawlessly for me. I can do anything you listed on it plus more, and it was only $650 brand spanking new. So for what I spent on it then you can spend on something now and get more bang for your buck.
But if you like pissing away money for the sake of being hip and cool, then get the MacBook. Just make sure whenever you post you make sure we know you are posting from your MacBook just like Kayne West.

 

[Parasitic]

By the way Apple is running a special where you can get a free printer and iPod with purchase of a Macbook...and yes, academic pricing applies.