Laptops

[sgtcluels]

Have Ewizabeth show you all the cool mouse gestures with the glide pad. It's teh awesome.

[eanelson4]

Long story:

 

This is nearly the exact situation I was in about a month ago. I am currently in college, and have never had a laptop. I have built my own desktop PCs for over 8 years now, and have always loved them for playing games and the like. Knowing that I was keeping my desktop PC for games (CS) and other stuff, I went with one of the new 13.3" Macbooks. I chose the smaller one because like you, I mainly just use it for taking notes, some microsoft office stuff, surfing the web, etc.

 

I am overly impressed with this computer. The construction is SOLID with the single piece aluminum body, and I love all of the features that Macs offer. I am very glad I bought one. I upgraded to 4GB RAM on mine (overkill for my use) and it just flies. The battery will last for ~3-4 hours of normal use. If you need to plug it in, the power adapter is quite small compared to Dell ones. The magnetic power adapter can get kind of annoying because it is so easy to pull out, but to that end I am sure I would have pulled a different laptop off of my desk by now (I am kind of clumsy).

 

The trackpad on these is another amazing thing. After using my Macbook, it is nearly impossible to use a normal laptop because the trackpad on the Macbook is so much better (1 finger moves the mouse, 2 fingers scrolls, 3 fingers goes back and forth on pages, 4 fingers works like alt + tab). I find my Macbook trackpad much more enjoyable to use than my roommates Dells. I also like that the entire trackpad clicks when you push it down, although you can set it to click by just touching like on PC laptops.

 

Really, my only gripe with the whole laptop is the screen. The new Macbooks have a high gloss screen that might as well be a mirror if you have a light source behind you. I am also a neat freak, and that screen attracts fingerprints like nothing else I have ever had. I manage this by keeping the cleaning cloth apple provided in the sleeve with my laptop so I can wipe it down whenver http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

 

 

Long story short:

 

Would I trade my desktop PC in for a mac? Absolutely not! That being said, I am overly impressed with my macbook, and love to recommend them to people. They are portable, functional, durable, and flexible to do nearly everything I need. Seeing as you are mainly going to surf the internet, listen to music, take notes, do homework, and play a few games, I would definitely recommend one to you. Go to Bestbuy or an Apple store, play around with one, and see for yourself. It is a great piece of equipment. I also recommend applecare. I normally hate these types of warranties, but on a $2000 laptop, I can afford $180 for a 3-year warranty. I have heard that apple is very good about repairing/replacing things under this.

[cwolf2012]

It all depends on what you're using it for, as stated earlier. If you're going art type stuff and you're not computer-literate, definitely go with a MAC. Since I'm in a technical field for IT, I tend to stick with PCs, as while they are more unstable, they are typically able to do a considerable amount more as far as customization and power.

 

I also recommend PC if you're big into PC gaming.

 

Does anyone know if Onenote '07 is available on Mac? It's one of the best note-taking programs I've ever seen, so I recommend that if it's PC only.

[BrewCrewForever]

I'm a jerk and own a Mac and am proud of it.

 

ewizabeff in another thread told me about Open Office which is a free program to download and has all the features of MS Office and allows you to use the files on Mac and PC's. It is great.

[RayKingsForemanGrill]

Open Office works

[Baldkin]

If you're really worried about viruses on a PC, you need to do 4 things:

 

1) Stop using internet explorer and setup a firewall

2) Download AVG

3) Stop downloading those e-mail attachments from Stacy the Buxom Babe

and 4) Stop going to those websites late at night

 

I've had my computer for 6 years, and never had a virus on it, and have used it constantly to browse online, take school classes, for my job, etc.

 

Let your school decide what you need, and don't be the guy who leaves his sound on to play World of Warcraft in class.

[1992casey]

Knowing that I was keeping my desktop PC for games (CS) and other stuff, I went with one of the new 13.3" Macbooks.

 

One of the reasons I went with the 15" MacBook Pro was the added features. I think it'd be great if Apple came up with a 13" MacBook Pro. That would get the Pro features into a more portable gizmo for those who'd really like small.

 

The magnetic power adapter can get kind of annoying because it is so easy to pull out, but to that end I am sure I would have pulled a different laptop off of my desk by now (I am kind of clumsy).

 

I have a friend who's actually done that. He was lucky that the damage was only $133. The other angle is that we've had posts here from members who've worn out the connector on the computer end and have had to decide between an expensive repair or a new machine. I've gotten my cord caught in the recliner chair a few times, so I've seen the value of magsafe first hand.

 

[UndraftedFA]

I made the mistake of getting a 17" laptop. Do not do this also. You will never want to take it with you anywhere. They sure don't seem to weigh that much, but coupled with a few books, it turns into quite a strain on your shoulders.

 

I have an HP and I think it is just fine even with Vista. I had class with one guy who had a Mac, and it was a major pain in the rear to do group work with him. I guess some have mentioned Open Office, I guess you could try that. I thought about a Macbook Pro when I bought this one, but This seemed just as good at half the price. I have had it for 1.5 years now. I did just bump the memory from 2 to 4 Gigs. I also put in a new processor that I don't think I really needed, but won for cheap on ebay.

 

But my advice would be be to decide exactly what features you want and get that. Don't go to Best Buy and end up with something else. My old processor was 1.5GHz, and I decided I wanted faster so I bought a 2.5 GHz. It is a major job to swap that out. I never even worked on a desktop before, so I was pretty proud of myself for actually doing the job right.

 

I think mentioned in another thread is that if you have 32 bit Vista, the max RAM is 3-3.5GB. So you might not really need the 4GB that I installed. I looked at getting a smaller laptop at Christmas time, and you could get some pretty nice Windows laptops for cheap. My opinion is that if you buy with the right internal components, a PC will do more than enough at a much cheaper cost.

 

I know heat issues were mentioned in one of these threads. You can buy a fan for the computer to sit on. It is powered by an USB port. They seem to work, and probably can extend the computer's life.

 

I really haven't had virus issues either, but they can happen in what you think is legitimate websites. I found out the hard way at work once. I was looking up how to repair a machine and then I had dancing girls everywhere. The IT guy said the legit website was probably taken over by pirates. As soon as I clicked on it it started downloading, set off virus alarm, and had girls girls girls. I thought I was going to get fired. In general, just keep an eye on what you download, the other occurances are rare I think.

[1992casey]

I made the mistake of getting a 17" laptop. Do not do this also.

 

You definitely don't want to be carting six and a half pounds around campus if you can help it. There's a reason why the industry refers to 17" models as "desktop replacements."

 

15" and five and a half pounds looks like it'll work well for me. It doesn't travel daily, and when it does, it'll usually be used in people's homes or in hotel rooms.

 

Here are the sizes and weights for the current Mac models.

Click the + for specs: [+]

13-inch MacBook polycarbonate

• Height: 1.08 inch
• Width: 12.78 inches
• Depth: 8.92 inches
• Weight: 5.0 pounds

13-inch MacBook aluminum

• Height: 0.95 inch
• Width: 12.78 inches
• Depth: 8.94 inches
• Weight: 4.5 pounds

15-inch MacBook Pro

• Height: 0.95 inch
• Width: 14.35 inches
• Depth: 9.82 inches
• Weight: 5.5 pounds

17-inch MacBook Pro

• Height: 0.98 inch
• Width: 15.47 inches
• Depth: 10.51 inches
• Weight: 6.6 pounds

I had class with one guy who had a Mac, and it was a major pain in the rear to do group work with him. I guess some have mentioned Open Office, I guess you could try that.

 

Keep in mind that compatibility issues exist even with the same operating system. My version of Microsoft Office, for instance, is from 2001; I really have to address that, either with a newer Microsoft Office or with Open Office. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

By the way, it hasn't been mentioned, but Open Office is also available for Windows.

 

I know heat issues were mentioned in one of these threads. You can buy a fan for the computer to sit on. It is powered by an USB port. They seem to work, and probably can extend the computer's life.

 

I considered going that route, but I decided that I didn't want to cart the fan thing around. The fans were thicker than the computer itself. That's why I finally decided on a piece of plexiglass.

 

What's too bad is that a fan's biggest benefit will occur when you're out and about. That's when you're most likely to place the computer on your lap. It's also when you're least likely have the fan with you.

 

I really haven't had virus issues either, but they can happen in what you think is legitimate websites. I found out the hard way at work once. I was looking up how to repair a machine and then I had dancing girls everywhere. The IT guy said the legit website was probably taken over by pirates.

 

Shoot, even Yuku has had issues where it's been known to install viruses and redirect people to porn sites. With Brewerfan being ad-free, it shouldn't be a problem here. People should take care when viewing profiles, though. (Buying Yuku Supporter would eliminate virus and redirect concerns.)

 

Back to the point of this thread, it should be noted that installing Windows on a Mac will open the Mac up to Windows malware and will require protection within Windows. I think if I were to install Windows on one of my Macs, I'd keep Windows from accessing the internet at all unless I was doing an OS update. You'd certainly still need all your Windows protection applications, however, as you'd still be opening files received from others.

[Katuluu]

Open Office is all I ever use, which makes it very easy to swap files between my PC and my Linux based Eee.

[UndraftedFA]

I bought a tablet for my PC and I use OneNote 2007 with it. At first I thought the program was garbage, but I became a big fan the more I used it. It is great for doing your homework in. You just print out a copy when you are done to turn in, and then you still have a digital copy when the teacher takes weeks to get your stuff back.

 

The Screen clipping tool is pretty nice, because it lets you clip the exact portion you want. I subscribed to homework help sight, and I could always clip their drawings rather than do them myself. Also one teacher had us do online homework that you would get a pdf file for. You could just go clip the problem you were working on, and then do your work. I can look back at my homework really easy now, and see exactly what I was trying to accomplish with it.

 

I have been really happy with my Watcom intuous 4x6, but you can get a cheaper one for well under $100. It is great having a digital copy of your homework without having to scan everything in. You save on a lot of paper and it is really easy to organize in OneNote. OneNote also can covert your writing into type if you want. I am not so sure if Open Office has a program that is as nice, maybe they have better though. I highly recommend a tablet though if you take classes that have problems like math, chemistry, and such. It might not be as helpful for writing classes, but it is great for the others.

 

I had open office about 5 years ago on my PC desktop, and I am not sure why I went back to Microsoft Office. I don't remember if I didn't like it, or if there was issues. But that was a good 5 years ago too.

 

Anyway, I veered off the original topic some, but I wanted to make the point about the tablet being a pretty nice tool for students. They are typically known for artistic uses, but coupled with a good program, it is helpful for students. You also can use it to write over powerpoint slides and Word documents. I wish more teachers would use them because it make it so easy to share the notes with students and lets them pay attention more than frantically try to copy notes from the board. <--- A thought for the teachers on this site.

[sgtcluels]

I never understood why so many people complain about 17" laptops. Yes they are bigger, and heavier, but get a bigger bag and it's fine. I find the back pack style works the best. But you get some much more space (And num pad!) on a 17, so it's worth it imo. We have a bunch of sales guys that complain about how big the 17" is to carry around an air port. Just strap it to your roller bag, it's not that heavy and hard.

[T B0NE 10]

Thanks for all the help guys

 

For PC's what brand names would you suggest? Any better than another?

[EdgarDiazRocks]

I really like my new HP Laptop, it has the 10-key keypad which I need for work. $1,000 less than a comparable MacBook Pro, plus I don't meet the "coolness" factor yet.

 

My iPhone gets embarrassed to be seen with me when i pull it out.

 

my HP Notebook

 

EDIT: A story from a MacStore visit. A cute girl was at the service "bar" trying to get her G4 macbook serviced. The service "dude" (you have to really have to look the part at this particular store) told her that the HD was dead and that they could replace it for $400 (which you could get online yourself for $75). She sighed and said, "well I really need it so I guess so. Could we upgrade the memory while we're at it?" The "dude" actually spit/laughed at her, "UPGRADE? HA!! No, we don't upgrade these. I could give you a $15 trade in, if you wanted to buy a new MacBook Pro."

 

Which reminded me of the greatest Mac vc PC argument I have ever witnessed . . . .

 

Mac guy: You know what you never see with a Mac? SPYWARE!!!

 

PC guy (actually, like me an indifferent, best deal guy): Yeah, you know what you also never see with a Mac? FREEWARE!!!

[Katuluu]

I'm telling ya, go netbook. $300 and under price tag, easy to transport, growing cool/hip factor. For mobile computing I can't think of anything I would rather have.

[1992casey]

If you go with a netbook, you can also probably afford to have a decent desktop system to use when you can. All notebooks suck ergonomically. As much as I love my MacBook Pro, it's nice to get back to my 22" monitor, full keyboard (at a nice typing level), and mouse.

 

Of course, you can always use a notebook with a full-sized monitor, regular keyboard, and your favorite mouse when you're at home and have room for these things. If you choose a netbook, you might want to make sure that it's possible to easily do that.

 

Another thing to consider is a netbook for moving around and an iMac for your home base. An iMac is super-easy to transport in its original box. It'd be no sweat to keep at school and take home for vacations, for instance. Transferring a few files wirelessly is a snap, so you won't run into issues when you switch machines. (If you're going to transfer large quantities of files, definitely plug in an Ethernet cable and go that route.)

[bjkrautk]

Thanks for all the help guys

 

For PC's what brand names would you suggest? Any better than another?

The laptop I bought back in November was a Dell Studio 15, and I still really like it. (As I said earlier, I'd recommend the graphics card upgrade; I haven't been terribly impressed with Intel's on-board graphics chip performance. I also sprung for the High-res WLED screen; Dell and Apple are the only places that sell these - or at least they used to be - but they give you a nice, bright screen with less power consumption than most LCDs.)

 

If it's something you're going to haul around to class everyday (or to libraries, etc.), the netbook + desktop solution sounds like a good one.

[giffted1]

If you can afford it, go with the desktop + netbook combo...it's the best of both worlds. You can get a netbook and a decent desktop for around $1000.

[WisconsinSportsRule]

As far as PC's I would go either Dell or HP.

 

I have a HP and like it alot. I know Dell makes some good laptops. I guess Toshiba would be okay as well, but I'm not that big of a fan.

[T B0NE 10]

What about specs...I really don't understand too much on computer terms

 

 

I will use the laptop for internet, homework, and music stuff. I don't expect to be playing many games on it.

 

My itunes library right now is at like 700 songs.

 

Like for RAM what would be a good number to shoot for?

What about processor?

GB?

[Katuluu]

If you go with a netbook, you can also probably afford to have a decent desktop system to use when you can. All notebooks suck ergonomically. As much as I love my MacBook Pro, it's nice to get back to my 22" monitor, full keyboard (at a nice typing level), and mouse.

 

Of course, you can always use a notebook with a full-sized monitor, regular keyboard, and your favorite mouse when you're at home and have room for these things. If you choose a netbook, you might want to make sure that it's possible to easily do that.

These are pretty standard features for most netbooks. At home I typically setup my Eee to run off my HDTV and that takes just a few seconds to setup.

[WisconsinSportsRule]

What about specs...I really don't understand too much on computer terms

 

 

I will use the laptop for internet, homework, and music stuff. I don't expect to be playing many games on it.

 

My itunes library right now is at like 700 songs.

 

Like for RAM what would be a good number to shoot for?

What about processor?

GB?

 

I'd say 3GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive, and dual-core or core2duo processor at 2.0GB or higher would get you a really nice machine. Pretty much what I have now, expect I have a 2.4GB core2duo processor.

 

I'd also recommend getting a 12 cell battery. I know there are 8 and 6 cell batteries, but my 12 lasts so much longer.

[DuWayne Steurer]

A word on netbooks.

 

you definately get bang for your buck, but if you are going to spend any amount of time at all using the keyboard to type, you better not have fingers that are bigger around than say..............a toothpick. My wife just got a dell netbook for less than 300 bucks, and while it's got most of what you would use a laptop for, typing on it is an extraordinary exercise in frustration. You're either going to want to spend the extra 200 bucks or buy a usb keyboard to lug around with you.

[Katuluu]

Yeah, the netbok shouldn't be your primary comp. Most of my writing is done on my desktop, but the ultra portability of the netbook is what I love about it. Easy to use, can connect to any WiFi like it is breathing and just solid streamlined machines.

[OldHoss]

I'm gonna hijack the thread (or at least take it on a related tanggent) here:

 

My wife is going back to school and we're going to get her a laptop. My question concerns home wireless connections. I currently have Roadrunner at home with the modem connected to my desktop. Is there any reason why I should, or should not, use their Wireless router? As far as I can tell, there is no additional monthly charge for the router, just a $50 install fee.

 

Thanks.