Help Me Decide Which Laptop to Buy

[bookworm21]

I''m currently looking at the Apple iBook G4 12.1 inch laptop and am leaning towards buying that. My bf likes the Dell better, but the Dell costs pretty much the same as the iBook with the same specs, and I prefer the aesthetics of the iBook.

The problem is that there are unconfirmed rumors out there that the iBook will be switching from a G4 processor to an Intel processor. Is there really that much of a difference? Should I buy a laptop with an Intel chip instead of the G4? I need the laptop as soon as possible for work, so if the G4 is fine, I''d buy that.

By the way, I''d be using the laptop mainly for MS Office and Adobe Acrobat. I don''t play games, download much stuff (except iTunes), or watch DVDs on my computers.

Any advice/opinions/recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

And sorry about posting in two different places; there was no one in the Shopping category....

 

[hoorray]

I think you have to decide between the OS''s first. I recently switched to Apple, and am very happy with the change (most of the time... I spent years using Windows apps, so sometimes I have to go through learning curves on the Apple equivalents that are frustrating.)

I think Apple will eventually switch all of their models to the Intel chips. I don''t think that means the current machines are bad. It just gives Apple a roadmap for the future since the current chips are not widely used any more. Long term the Intel chips may bring good benefits, but IMO that doesn''t mean that the current ones are bad. I would buy the current ones if I needed a machine today. I''d wait if I didn''t need it immediately. They did just announce a Powerbook with the Intel chips, but it may be overkill and too $$ for what you need.

FWIW... I''m not an expert on this, but am a pretty experienced consumer, so these are just my opinons -- not absolute facts.

 

[MsP]

I would agree that you need to decide on an operating system first. What are you used to working with- PC or Mac? Its a shame to lean towards the Apple only because you like how it looks better because there are plenty of great looking PC notebooks out there as well (NOT including Dell, IMO). I have a Sony right now and love it... I''ve heard many terrible things about the Sony brand but so far I''ve been very pleased. I think that many of the problems that most users encounter are generated by the users computer use and if you are a responsible computer user you''ll be fine with many machines. I am actually thinking of adding an Apple notebook to my *collection* but an not sure if all of the conversion and such is worth my effort.

... also realize that in comparing a Mac to a PC the same specs will not equal the same computing power. The operating systems run differenlty and therefore run optimally on different specs.

 

[Mara]

Kayla posted this last month in Shopping re: looking for a laptop, it might help you:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/any-ideas-on-what-laptop-i-should-get.39656/

I have a Dell Inspiron 6000 from last year and love it. It''s more a desktop replacement than a tiny travel one but I do take it with me and it''s great for huge screen DVDs on the plane!

 

[butterfly 17]

Hi,
I had the same problem and still do have the same problem as I still don''t have one! I had to return both laptops that I received from Sony b/c they actually had problems. The black one was dented on one side and the white one(changed my mind at the last minute and ordered white instead of blue), had a broken or disconnected touchpad, so I couldn''t even use it.

I stopped by my local Apple store a few times to inquire about when they would be making a 12 Pro with the Core Duo processor and they said they were not sure. I have a feeling they will be, which is why I haven''t purchase one yet.
In fact, they have already stopped making the 15 inch G4. You can only purchase the 15 Macbook Pro now, so I expect within the next few months, for them to make a complete switch.
I love the 15 Pro, it has everything, including a camera and a remote control, but it is quite pricey! If they made a 12 exact replica, I would get that!

Right now, with the current choices out there, if I was going to get an Apple, I would go with the 12 powerbook g4, get the extra ram to at least 768 and go with 3 year apple care warranty. If you are a student or know someone who is a student, you can get an additional savings off the price- I think the 12 g4 starts at 1499, you can get it for 1399. Also the applecare warranty drops from 349 to 239 with the student discount.

Things to note are that the warranty does not cover accidental handling, so if you spill something, break the screen, etc, you are not covered.
Another thing I found out is that the keyboard bezel apparently interacts with your sweat, so some users complain that the silver color actually wears off after a while. They do sell these keyboard protector things, though!
A good thing about Mac is that they offer the Apple classes in their stores, so for $99 a year, you can go and learn how to use your mac efficiently.
Also, for first time Mac owners or people who are not sure yet, they offer a "getting to know your Mac" class, which I think is great!

IF I was getting a Windows based, I would get the Sony SZ series. I found Bestbuy selling them and the sonystyle website as well. It has every thing I need and then some, so it will last me at least 5 years.

Oh, incidently, if color is important to you, the FJ series comes in these awesome colors. I got the white in the mail and I absolutely loved it. It was kind of like having a make believe Apple! If the touch pad was not broken, I would have just kept it as I was so pleased with the way it looked!
But, alas, it was not meant to be, so I am still looking!

 

[bookworm21]

Thanks all! I just wanted to come back and share that I caved in and bought the iBook. This is the first time I''ve ever used this OS, but it is very user friendly.

The main reason why I decided to switch to Mac is because everything I''ve read indicates that they''re less prone to crashing, less vulnerable to viruses and spyware, and that the processing speeds are quite decent. In fact, they supposedly outperform the 1.7Gh pentium processors. (That''s the info I found online, NOT my opinion, as I don''t know much).

Butterfly, I was looking at the Powerbooks, but I decided that it cost too much for what I need at this time. And I do think that Apple will unveil a 12 inch Macbook next month sometime, so I''m keeping my fingers crossed for you. I got a RAM upgrade to 1GB, and hard drive memory is 40 GB, which is more than I need.

So I''m having fun trying to figure out this new computer. It''s kept me occupied pretty much all day! Hopefully, I''ll have this figured out soon enough!!

Thanks again everyone!

 

[just_looking!]

how are you finding it? I think I''d have trouble with just one button on the mouse. I like the 3 I have at the moment and the possibility of using more if I wanted to.

 

[bookworm21]

Date: 3/13/2006 6:54:10 AM
Author: just_looking!
how are you finding it? I think I''d have trouble with just one button on the mouse. I like the 3 I have at the moment and the possibility of using more if I wanted to.

I actually really like it. It''s super user friendly; the reviews weren''t exaggerating(?) about that. It''s also faster than my old computer with the celeron processor that supposed ran at 2.37 Gh.

To utilize the equivalent of the right click function, you press cntrl + click the mouse button at the same time. I''m still getting used to that, but I don''t mind it.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

I have an Apple Powerbook 15" laptop and love it! If you get an Apple, make sure you get the extended warranty....you''ll get unlimited phone tech hardware/software support for 3 years and if you have any hardware issues for 3 years, they take care of it at no additional charge...it''s so worth it!!!

 

[hoorray]

Date: 3/13/2006 6:37:08 PM
Author: Cinderella

Date: 3/13/2006 6:54:10 AM

Author: just_looking!

how are you finding it? I think I''d have trouble with just one button on the mouse. I like the 3 I have at the moment and the possibility of using more if I wanted to.

I actually really like it. It''s super user friendly; the reviews weren''t exaggerating(?) about that. It''s also faster than my old computer with the celeron processor that supposed ran at 2.37 Gh.


To utilize the equivalent of the right click function, you press cntrl + click the mouse button at the same time. I''m still getting used to that, but I don''t mind it.

Wow! This is a great thing to learn! I made the switch about 3 months ago to a desktop G5, and am really happy -- the switch was much easier than I expected, and when I travel with my old Windows laptop, there are OS features that I really miss, like spotlight. But, every once in a while I would give my eye teeth for a right click. I still think some of the apps are weaker on the Mac, but the os is better, and it all sort of evens out. All in All, I expect to buy a Mac laptop one of these days for travel.