I want a laptop, suggest something :)

[Chemist]

Well as the title states, i really want a laptop.. and i figure the best place to start is to pick out which one i want to buy!

So far, i'm leaning towards an ibook.. (A mac, if you didnt know)
I dont know what my feelings are towards any other brands yet.. all i know is macs seem to look the best and are the lightest, and seem to be the most stable.. (i have heard countless stories about Dell and IBM being the shityest computers you can buy.. and i dont want that.. i want stable, fast computing)

i know ibooks, and powerbooks, are mostly for music makers, and filmests
i am neither, yet.. or maybe a tad of each.. But i am an engineer.. and i do use plenty of large programs, which always seem to run very slow, on my desktop right now.. which is a athlon 2100+ 1.74Ghz .. 256 cache.. 256 DDR 400 gigabyte mobo about three years possable 4 yrs old..

soo i dont know.. i have only heard macs are super stable, and like a 1ghz mac can out preform like, a 1.25ghz dell.. hahaha well maybe, but i have heard that they are better or something..

SO straighten me out !! and tell me the truth.. Should i go Mac, or should i go back.. to windows based systems.. ?? and if windows what should i be looking for to handle my big programs i use at school?

[Nomi]

Okay, the whole Macs are for musicians/artists/film makers thing is nonsense. I don't do any of that shit and love my Mac.

If you're an engineer, check that any software related to your field is available on for OSX. Most industrial things seem not to be.

Macs are nice; I love them, but they absolutely suck sometimes. The lack of software available can be a real hassle. Make absolutely sure that you're fine with hardly any games or the vast majority of programs being unavailable.

I would personally go for a Powerbook if money allowed, for the record.

If you're at school, I'd say get a PC. A Dell, really, since their warranties and tech support have improved and you can get a nice system for the price in a lot of cases. They're simply more practical if only for being able to run everything. Macs take a lot of extra time and effort sometimes... I use mine at home primarily, but having a PC next to it is a great convenience.

[youandwhosearmy]

I'd go with a Dell Dimension or whatever they are called. I have a friend who really loves them.

Also remember this, Macs are are production computers, mostly designed for musicians/artists/filmmakers.

[Chemist]

Well.. yess.. i havent really checked to be sure my prgrams can run on a mac,
and i dont play computer games.. i never have.. i never will.. i support the console world when it comes to games.. but yes good point about the programs.

And really what else would i need to put on the Mac besides, a word processor, spreedsheet, and my simulation programs?
any example?

[Nomi]

Macs are are production computers, mostly designed for musicians/artists/filmmakers.

Yeah, they're the majority, but it's kind of an outdated stereotype. I know far more average people that don't ever touch an Adobe or artsy program than those who use CS and Final Cut and whatnot. They're perfectly fine computers and I love the OS, but the software thing is a real bite in the ass.

[youandwhosearmy]

Well I was saying it not just because you said its an illusion but mostly because, thats what they are made to do. I know for a fact recording programs run like butter on Macs, but really when it comes down to it, the only thing that matters is what you intend to use it for.

Since Chemist already said no computer games, then barring some unfortunate incident, he should buy a mac.

[Chemist]

Well.. can you tell me what the word processors and spreadsheets are like ? looks ease? i have heard that you can get like windows office 2004 for mac on an ibook ?
how do the normal everyday programs such as media player and whatnot look and work on a mac?
i'm so curious, !

[bandit]

Well as the title states, i really want a laptop.. and i figure the best place to start is to pick out which one i want to buy!

So far, i'm leaning towards an ibook.. (A mac, if you didnt know)
I dont know what my feelings are towards any other brands yet.. all i know is macs seem to look the best and are the lightest, and seem to be the most stable.. (i have heard countless stories about Dell and IBM being the shityest computers you can buy.. and i dont want that.. i want stable, fast computing)

i know ibooks, and powerbooks, are mostly for music makers, and filmests
i am neither, yet.. or maybe a tad of each.. But i am an engineer.. and i do use plenty of large programs, which always seem to run very slow, on my desktop right now.. which is a athlon 2100+ 1.74Ghz .. 256 cache.. 256 DDR 400 gigabyte mobo about three years possable 4 yrs old..

soo i dont know.. i have only heard macs are super stable, and like a 1ghz mac can out preform like, a 1.25ghz dell.. hahaha well maybe, but i have heard that they are better or something..

SO straighten me out !! and tell me the truth.. Should i go Mac, or should i go back.. to windows based systems.. ?? and if windows what should i be looking for to handle my big programs i use at school?

I know it really doesnt have to do with your laptop but you should upgrade your RAM to 512MB or 1Gig. This will help your programs run alot quicker and smoother.

[Nomi]

Well.. can you tell me what the word processors and spreadsheets are like ? looks ease? i have heard that you can get like windows office 2004 for mac on an ibook ?
how do the normal everyday programs such as media player and whatnot look and work on a mac?
i'm so curious, !

Appleworks takes care of your Paint, Word and Spreadsheet needs very well. They all look fine and are just as simple as those on PC. Windows programs are available, in Microsoft Office X. It gives you Excel, Powerpoint, Word and Entourage. I actually prefer all of these on the Mac over the PC, I just like the interfaces much more.

Media is fine. VLC, Windows Media Player OSX, Quicktime, all that is available on the Mac. iTunes will definitely cover your music needs (I GREATLY prefer iTunes over any of the Windows music ones for the most part).

The Adobe apps are great on the mac, too, which is partly where it gets its rep as being an arty machine. Photoshop, Premiere, all that junk are A+.

[Eirikur]

Well.. can you tell me what the word processors and spreadsheets are like ? looks ease? i have heard that you can get like windows office 2004 for mac on an ibook ?
how do the normal everyday programs such as media player and whatnot look and work on a mac?
i'm so curious, !

If you get a Mac laptop (do it), definently put down the extra money towards a Powerbook. They're faster, more capable and more upgradable.

You can get Windows 2004, and they run just like they do on Windows.

"Everyday programs" look and run pretty much exactly the same, you just need to learn all the new hot keys and shortcuts. iTunes runs smoother on a Mac, and you can use Real Player, WinAmp and stuff like that. I don't think you can use Windows Media Player, but I could be wrong. Just get ready to have to download a lot of plugins, because Macs focus primarily on .mov files, and most people use .wmv on the internet.

And definently upgrade the RAM to AT LEAST 512MB, it'll make a HUGE difference (if you go 1Gig, don't do it through Apple, they overprice those like crazy).