I have 1400 dollars to splurge on a laptop.

Jesus · 01-07-2009, 09:24 PM

Would you guys suggest I get a new mac or a new pc laptop?

Windows not being an issue in this argument because of parallels.

***Booyakasha*** · 01-07-2009, 09:37 PM

Unless you especially need a laptop for some reason, I'd recommend getting a really swell desktop instead. That's just me, though.

As for which to get...well, it's really down to your personal preference, especially if OS isn't a factor.

Jesus · 01-07-2009, 09:46 PM

^My business has me travel every few months for business and such. The reason I ask is because I don't want a cheap pre-built model but I want to know which company would be the most reliable as far as reliability and stuff. I once bought and HP slimline last year and within a month it started messing up to the point where I would need to do a system recovery. I had Norton Antivirus and was careful about everything so I think it was HP themselves for the issues.

***Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds*** · 01-07-2009, 09:48 PM

I've never really liked Macs (and I've used plenty of them through friends and family), but that's entirely my personal preference. I specifically prefer using laptops, too, so I'd support someone buying one over a desktop, but again, personal preference.

Shop around (even online) and see what you can get for that much money. If you can get better hardware from one type of computer over the other, then naturally, that would be your best option.

Also, consider what you will be using the computer for primarily, and cater to those needs.

Finally, if you can get a good deal on something that will be suitable, and last you for a couple of years, don't feel like you need to spend more on the next model up just because you have the money for it; they often don't have enough improvements over the previous model to warrant the price rise.

I'm currently still using my HP Compaq nx6325, which I bought a year or two back. It's never had any issues whatsoever, so I would argue that HP has some decent stuff. I've actually heard that slimlines have more issues than a standard laptop, so perhaps that was the actually problem?

Kargath · 01-08-2009, 02:30 AM

Assuming no requirements for travel, a desktop will always get you far better value for money in terms of features. There's no 'miniaturisation tax' like laptops have.

**LASER BEAR ASSAULT UNIT** · 01-08-2009, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesus

Would you guys suggest I get a new mac or a new pc laptop?

Windows not being an issue in this argument because of parallels.

Laptop, and I hear you get it cheaper if you mail it to:

The ****** *** Dragon Pub
Michaelston-y-****
South Glamorgan
Wales
**** ***

(joke killing cencors in place for obvious reasons, stay the hell away from my pub. unless i said you could come, or your a certain person, then you can come anytime)

***Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds*** · 01-08-2009, 05:44 AM

and we can totally drink all the rum, vodka and whiskey together <3

it will be our little secret masa <3

Prince Toad · 01-08-2009, 12:13 PM

If you want to play games? PC. A lot of my friends got Macs for college and they regret it.

Lurch1982 · 01-08-2009, 01:50 PM

What are you using this for?

Jesus · 01-08-2009, 01:52 PM

Mostly for using Photoshop CS3 on the go. I have it for my desktop but I'd like to be able to keep it by my side for when I am travelling. Also, I want this to be able to play the higher end games as well such as Spore.

Lurch1982 · 01-08-2009, 06:49 PM

If you want to play games, don't bother with a Mac (blahblah bootcamp, it still sucks).

Primarily, make sure you have the horsepower to run Photoshop CS3. This includes maxing out the RAM (this is even more of a priority if you're running Win Vista).

My experience with HP and Dell is that the more you spend, the less likely your machine will suck, fail, etc. I'd avoid Sony Viaos, simply out of bang-for-buck concerns.

With laptops, you have a power/size relationship. The smaller you go, the less powerful (and more expensive) the thing will get. You can buy a laptop that can rival a desktop, but they'll weigh around 14 pounds and take up a large workspace (making them useless on airplanes outside of First Class).

Obv. you want a dual core processor at this point, you want bare minimum 2GB of RAM (can't stress this enough with Vista: the further you get away from the 1GB "required" the smoother things go). Pay for the GPU upgrade. Since you're going to be traveling with it, I'd opt for the accidental damage extended coverage with whomever you build it with. Laptops are a pain in the ass because there's no easy DIY fix for any potential problems with them, and the more you move them around the more likely you are to drop them (and spider the screen) or spill coffee in them or whatever. Laptops are the only thing I purchase extended warranties on, mainly because with almost every other product they're just a "sucker bet."

Keep in mind that laptops tend to age much quickly than desktops of equivalent price, so you may only be able to run "high end games" for about 10 months. There's also the other issue with laptop gaming: you can't just rip out the GPU and replace it every few years. You're basically stuck with what you have.

Metal Man · 01-09-2009, 02:04 AM

Do not buy Toshiba.

I spent the equivalent on it and got an egg-cooking hard-drive melting son of a belch which died the day after the warranty expired.

Jesus · 01-11-2009, 08:03 AM

I went ahead with a limited edition Toshiba they had on sale. Call me an idiot, but the specs were amazing when I bought it. 4 GB of ram, intel 2 core duel processor T5800, 350 GB of hard disk space, windows vista home premium, and the HD DVD drive. Only cost me 800 bucks too. HP laptops of a higher price didn't have as good specs as Toshiba.

Señor Luigi · 01-11-2009, 09:55 AM

^I HATE Windows Vista!!! I have it for my other laptop, and it kicks me off the intrenet. It's the slowest piece of crap I've ever layed my eyes on!

In other words, windows vista was a bad choice.

Jesus · 01-11-2009, 04:03 PM

^Always ran fine for me. If the internet runs slow it's probably for a number of reasons.

A. Your computer isn't good enough to run vista.
B. Your internet provider sucks.
C. You have many tasks being run at once and not enough RAM to handle everything.
D. You have a virus.

Just because you have Vista is not cause for a reason to believe it alone is the reason for your slow internet. If you chose to get a computer that couldn't handle vista, that is your fault. Not the operating system.

Lurch1982 · 01-11-2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesus

^Always ran fine for me. If the internet runs slow it's probably for a number of reasons.

A. Your computer isn't good enough to run vista.
B. Your internet provider sucks.
C. You have many tasks being run at once and not enough RAM to handle everything.
D. You have a virus.

Just because you have Vista is not cause for a reason to believe it alone is the reason for your slow internet. If you chose to get a computer that couldn't handle vista, that is your fault. Not the operating system.

Basically what I was about to say. Most of Vista's "problems" are from nimnums running it on systems that don't meet the specs. XP ran like **** when I first installed it because I was meeting bare minimum specs. FWIW I've had far fewer blue screens and crashes from Vista than I have with XP.

Vista x32 admittedly isn't much of an upgrade over XP, but Vista x64 certainly is.

Panfan · 01-11-2009, 05:30 PM

My Toshiba has no problems, except with the cords. I've had it since August and I've gone through two cords.

Jesus · 01-11-2009, 06:11 PM

^^X64 is breathtaking when you use it to it's fullest potential. I really like the aero interface that Vista has too.

01-07-2009, 09:24 PM	#1
Jesus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Gender: Posts: 5,617 Thanks: 104 Thanked 139 Times in 101 Posts Blog Entries: 3	I have 1400 dollars to splurge on a laptop. Would you guys suggest I get a new mac or a new pc laptop? Windows not being an issue in this argument because of parallels.

01-07-2009, 09:37 PM	#2
*Booyakasha* SuperMod of War Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wisconsinland Gender: Posts: 9,945 Thanks: 157 Thanked 1,481 Times in 763 Posts	Unless you especially need a laptop for some reason, I'd recommend getting a really swell desktop instead. That's just me, though. As for which to get...well, it's really down to your personal preference, especially if OS isn't a factor.

01-07-2009, 09:46 PM	#3
Jesus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Gender: Posts: 5,617 Thanks: 104 Thanked 139 Times in 101 Posts Blog Entries: 3	^My business has me travel every few months for business and such. The reason I ask is because I don't want a cheap pre-built model but I want to know which company would be the most reliable as far as reliability and stuff. I once bought and HP slimline last year and within a month it started messing up to the point where I would need to do a system recovery. I had Norton Antivirus and was careful about everything so I think it was HP themselves for the issues.

01-07-2009, 09:48 PM	#4
*Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds* Admin "mine.. not yours. NO. MINE." Epic Ladynerd Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Forteresse de Valois Gender: Posts: 28,503 Thanks: 1,658 Thanked 1,820 Times in 1,042 Posts	I've never really liked Macs (and I've used plenty of them through friends and family), but that's entirely my personal preference. I specifically prefer using laptops, too, so I'd support someone buying one over a desktop, but again, personal preference. Shop around (even online) and see what you can get for that much money. If you can get better hardware from one type of computer over the other, then naturally, that would be your best option. Also, consider what you will be using the computer for primarily, and cater to those needs. Finally, if you can get a good deal on something that will be suitable, and last you for a couple of years, don't feel like you need to spend more on the next model up just because you have the money for it; they often don't have enough improvements over the previous model to warrant the price rise. I'm currently still using my HP Compaq nx6325, which I bought a year or two back. It's never had any issues whatsoever, so I would argue that HP has some decent stuff. I've actually heard that slimlines have more issues than a standard laptop, so perhaps that was the actually problem?

01-08-2009, 02:30 AM	#5
Kargath et in Arcadia ego Join Date: Jul 2001 Gender: Posts: 8,334 Thanks: 1,226 Thanked 780 Times in 488 Posts	Assuming no requirements for travel, a desktop will always get you far better value for money in terms of features. There's no 'miniaturisation tax' like laptops have.

01-08-2009, 05:44 AM	#7
*Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds* Admin "mine.. not yours. NO. MINE." Epic Ladynerd Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Forteresse de Valois Gender: Posts: 28,503 Thanks: 1,658 Thanked 1,820 Times in 1,042 Posts	and we can totally drink all the rum, vodka and whiskey together <3 it will be our little secret masa <3

01-08-2009, 12:13 PM	#8
Prince Toad Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Rookery Gender: Posts: 11,720 Thanks: 50 Thanked 65 Times in 56 Posts	If you want to play games? PC. A lot of my friends got Macs for college and they regret it.

01-08-2009, 01:50 PM	#9
Lurch1982 Senior Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: DenCo Gender: Posts: 9,850 Thanks: 127 Thanked 365 Times in 192 Posts	What are you using this for?

01-08-2009, 01:52 PM	#10
Jesus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Gender: Posts: 5,617 Thanks: 104 Thanked 139 Times in 101 Posts Blog Entries: 3	Mostly for using Photoshop CS3 on the go. I have it for my desktop but I'd like to be able to keep it by my side for when I am travelling. Also, I want this to be able to play the higher end games as well such as Spore.

01-08-2009, 06:49 PM	#11
Lurch1982 Senior Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: DenCo Gender: Posts: 9,850 Thanks: 127 Thanked 365 Times in 192 Posts	If you want to play games, don't bother with a Mac (blahblah bootcamp, it still sucks). Primarily, make sure you have the horsepower to run Photoshop CS3. This includes maxing out the RAM (this is even more of a priority if you're running Win Vista). My experience with HP and Dell is that the more you spend, the less likely your machine will suck, fail, etc. I'd avoid Sony Viaos, simply out of bang-for-buck concerns. With laptops, you have a power/size relationship. The smaller you go, the less powerful (and more expensive) the thing will get. You can buy a laptop that can rival a desktop, but they'll weigh around 14 pounds and take up a large workspace (making them useless on airplanes outside of First Class). Obv. you want a dual core processor at this point, you want bare minimum 2GB of RAM (can't stress this enough with Vista: the further you get away from the 1GB "required" the smoother things go). Pay for the GPU upgrade. Since you're going to be traveling with it, I'd opt for the accidental damage extended coverage with whomever you build it with. Laptops are a pain in the ass because there's no easy DIY fix for any potential problems with them, and the more you move them around the more likely you are to drop them (and spider the screen) or spill coffee in them or whatever. Laptops are the only thing I purchase extended warranties on, mainly because with almost every other product they're just a "sucker bet." Keep in mind that laptops tend to age much quickly than desktops of equivalent price, so you may only be able to run "high end games" for about 10 months. There's also the other issue with laptop gaming: you can't just rip out the GPU and replace it every few years. You're basically stuck with what you have.

01-09-2009, 02:04 AM	#12
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	Do not buy Toshiba. I spent the equivalent on it and got an egg-cooking hard-drive melting son of a belch which died the day after the warranty expired.

01-11-2009, 08:03 AM	#13
Jesus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Gender: Posts: 5,617 Thanks: 104 Thanked 139 Times in 101 Posts Blog Entries: 3	I went ahead with a limited edition Toshiba they had on sale. Call me an idiot, but the specs were amazing when I bought it. 4 GB of ram, intel 2 core duel processor T5800, 350 GB of hard disk space, windows vista home premium, and the HD DVD drive. Only cost me 800 bucks too. HP laptops of a higher price didn't have as good specs as Toshiba.

01-11-2009, 09:55 AM	#14
Señor Luigi Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: In your shower Gender: Posts: 414 Thanks: 21 Thanked 24 Times in 19 Posts	^I HATE Windows Vista!!! I have it for my other laptop, and it kicks me off the intrenet. It's the slowest piece of crap I've ever layed my eyes on! In other words, windows vista was a bad choice.

01-11-2009, 04:03 PM	#15
Jesus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Gender: Posts: 5,617 Thanks: 104 Thanked 139 Times in 101 Posts Blog Entries: 3	^Always ran fine for me. If the internet runs slow it's probably for a number of reasons. A. Your computer isn't good enough to run vista. B. Your internet provider sucks. C. You have many tasks being run at once and not enough RAM to handle everything. D. You have a virus. Just because you have Vista is not cause for a reason to believe it alone is the reason for your slow internet. If you chose to get a computer that couldn't handle vista, that is your fault. Not the operating system.

01-11-2009, 05:30 PM	#17
Panfan AND HE PRAYS Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Grayskull Gender: Posts: 18,802 Thanks: 1,405 Thanked 2,247 Times in 1,337 Posts Blog Entries: 15	My Toshiba has no problems, except with the cords. I've had it since August and I've gone through two cords.

01-11-2009, 06:11 PM	#18
Jesus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Gender: Posts: 5,617 Thanks: 104 Thanked 139 Times in 101 Posts Blog Entries: 3	^^X64 is breathtaking when you use it to it's fullest potential. I really like the aero interface that Vista has too.