If Apple computers cost the same as PCs, would you buy one instead?

[jm0ris0n]

Maybe.

 

[JBT]

I would probably have 1 Mac on my network but it would still pretty much be all PC's.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: weekapaug21
thanks guys, but she really wants a dvd burner.

Can you not get the superdrive as an option on the ibooks? I find the powerbooks overpriced. The 12.1" ibook base model is really cheap and would definately get the job done for her. Throw in the superdrive and I'm you'd still come in way under budget. The educational discounts at Apple rock, and their ibook prices are quite competetive. :beer:

 

[LethalWolfe]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: weekapaug21
thanks guys, but she really wants a dvd burner.

Can you not get the superdrive as an option on the ibooks? I find the powerbooks overpriced. The 12.1" ibook base model is really cheap and would definately get the job done for her. Throw in the superdrive and I'm you'd still come in way under budget. The educational discounts at Apple rock, and their ibook prices are quite competetive. :beer:

You can get a superdrive in the 14" iBook but not the 12".


Lethal

 

[Dimitri]

If you need a DVD burner, portability and can get a student discount, the 12" PB is a no brainer. You have to go with a 14" iBook to get the superdrive and after adding Airport Extreme and Bluetooth, you'll end up less than $100 within the PB's price and a 25% slower cpu and 33% less hard drive space.
________________________________
POWERBOOK
? 256MB DDR333 (256MB built-in)
? 60GB Ultra ATA drive @ 4200rpm
? SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
? AirPort Extreme Card
? Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
? 1.33GHz PowerPC G4
? NVIDIA GeForce FX GO 5200 with 64MB DDR Video Memory
? 12.1-inch TFT Display

Subtotal $1,599.00

IBOOK
? 256MB DDR266 (256MB built-in)
? 40GB Ultra ATA drive
? SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
? AirPort Extreme Card
? Bluetooth Module
? Keyboard/Mac OS X - U.S. English
? 14.1-inch TFT XGA display
? 1GHz PowerPC G4
? ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 w/ 32MB DDR video memory

Subtotal $1,513.00

 

[SickBeast]

Yeah either that or you could get an external USB2/firewire one. It depends if portability is an issue.

 

[dakels]

My past 10 years have worked in a Mac AND PC environment. I have always owned both for seperate reasons. I am also a systems admin in a mac and PC mixed company.

I dont want to get into a whole 30 page debate about why which is better. I simply feel both are good for their own reasons. Its not a matter of which is better in general, its a matter of which is better for you and your needs. Some people forget that computers are just a tool. To me the arguement is like saying which is better, a spade shovel or flat shovel... they both serve their purpose. While they can generally do the same task, one may be better suited for a specific task you need. Hence the reason I have both mac and PC. While I generally use my mac more then my PC which is more for specific stuff, I wouldnt give up either. They both do some things better then the other.

 

[dakels]

Originally posted by: weekapaug21
Ok, I need an honest opinion here from both mac and pc users. My sister is going to college next year and she knows next to nothing about computers. She can spend up to $1800 on a laptop (cheaper is better). My current choice is a 12.1" Powerbook with a 1.33ghz g4 and a superdrive. i can get this for 1599, and I will install 512mb of ram from crucial bringing the total cost to around 1700 dollars. Yet again, she doesn't know anything about computers. She needs a reliable computer that she can easily get help on if she has trouble and that will last a long time. I can't help her because she'll be a ways away from me. It doen't matter whether its a pc or a mac as long as it is very easy to use. Thanks a lot for your help.

on the support end, Macs are alot easier to use and support. All the little crap you have to go through with PCs with drivers, hardware conflicts, networking, and specific options can make supporting a PC a real pain if they are not tech saavy. My company uses IBM laptops and powerbooks. The support calls for powerbooks are MUCH less then support calls for the PC laptops and they are generally easier to handle. One huge factor too is virus and spyware woes which you dont get on a mac. That alone, while maybe insignificant to a power user, is a major factor in the day to day of a non tech saavy user. Other things like ichat and itunes are also a big selling point for a college student. PC users who havent used ichat especially with the isight camera have no idea what they are missing. The quality and ease of use is amazing.

There's also just design features that I think are so much better on powerbooks. The slot loading optical drive is great. No flimsy drive tray to pop out (or break). You just insert the disc and go. The illuminated keyboard is very nice. Also I like that within the speakers is a light sensor that detects ambient light and will automatically adjust the screen brightness for you if you want. The overall shape is nice as is the thinness and materials used in construction (my powerbook is aluminum all over). Also all the built in ports are nice too (firewire, usb2, pc slot, ethernet, modem, s-video, headphone+mic, and DVI (they include a small DVI-VGA adapter too). The airport and bluetooth also sniffs signals effortlessly and connect you automatically or asks if you want to connect.

-not to mention powerbooks are sexay!

 

[BFG10K]

Lack of software?

Absolutely. Linking to a few random pages doesn't change that fact.