PC laptop or Mac Air?

[minmin001]

Great way to wake up this morning. Managed to knock a cup of water over my laptop and killed it =(
Since I can't live without one I guess it's time to do some shopping.
I recently started to look into Mac Air since they are so light and I do carry my laptop every day to work, but they cost almost twice as much as a PC if not more. Anybody used both and can give me an idea if it's worth it or not?
Thank you!

 

[missy]

Hi minmin, I am sorry about your PC! That is aggravating.

I am not a computer expert by any means and am in fact one of the most technologically challenged people (around my age that is) that I know but thought I would weigh in with my opinion. I had a PC laptop to start and really liked it once I got the hang of it. My biggest peeve about it was that I had to reboot often due to bugs and it got to be very tiresome because of that. My dh convinced me to get an apple laptop (macbook pro not air so cannot specifically comment as to the air though I would think it somewhat analogous) and once I got the hang of it (not intuitive as some might say- well, not for me anyway) I decided I prefer the apple to the pc. Mainly because it is much rarer to have to deal with bugs and the rebooting issue but also I just like it better generally.

I am sure people with more knowledge about computers will share their opinions and good luck with your decision!

 

[Enerchi]

I come from an "APPLE" family and the issue my DH has with a Macbook Air, is that you will require an external DVD drive (Approx $80) as the air does not come with it. Probably better off with a macbook pro. Being also tech challenged, I found the transition from PC to Apple to be seamless. It is a much more intuitive machine, IMHO, and I never EVER have to call DH at work anymore, screaming in frustration that the @#$%^&* computer isn't working!!

You'll be happy with a Mac!

 

[iheartscience]

I have the MacBook Air and I love it! I use a PC laptop at work sometimes (in addition to my PC desktop) and there's really no comparison. The MacBook Air is so much faster and better designed and doesn't freeze up or require restarting.

One thing to consider is that the MacBook Air doesn't have a disc drive, so if you use a disc drive you should probably get the external disc drive to go with your MacBook Air. I think it's $79. I've actually never needed it because I can use the remote disc feature and use my husband's iMac for installing programs. And I've actually only done that once when I was installing Microsoft Office.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I drowned my macbook. I scoured forums and they said to turn the open laptop down (so like a "A") and take out the battery. Let it dry for 3 days and turn it on. MANY people had success! So don't give up yet. I did not and now have a macbook air. I will never willingly use a PC.

 

[minmin001]

thanks guys. I hope my laptop willcome back to life. but in the main while maybe it's time to beg for a 10years worth of Christmas gift from my parents..

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Make sure you take out the battery ASAP b/c even when it is off, there are still electric currents. Electric currents + water= death.

 

[Imdanny]

I'm sorry about your laptop.

I'd like to have a Mac Air because it operates with a flash drive. Like an iPod Touch does but it's That wouldn't be worth it to me personally. But it's beautiful.

Good luck!

 

[zoebartlett]

Both of my parents own a Mac Air and I think my sister does too. They LOVE them, and I'll admit, I do love how light they are. I've never owned a Mac Air but I've used my family's, and although it took a while to figure out, it was fine. I used it for basic Internet surfing and doing some work in Word. My husband prefers PCs, so that's the only thing he uses. I've heard that once you convert to Macs, you'll never go back to PCs, but I don't like how expensive they are.

I was seriously looking at Mac laptops a few years ago but I just couldn't justify the huge price difference. Plus, my computer needs are pretty basic, since all I really need is a good Internet connection and Word to type documents. I don't know if you need anything fancier. I've heard that graphics with Macs are better, so if you do a lot of presentations, maybe it's something to consider.

As Missy said, there are more bugs with PCs, but I haven't dealt with any in the three years I've had my Vaio (which I love, by the way). It does run updates more often that I think is really necessary, but it's not a big deal to me. It is heavier than the Mac Air but I don't mind since I keep it in one place pretty much.

If prices on Macs come down, I'll think about getting one some day, but since plenty of people are perfectly happy with them, I don't see that happening.

 

[chemgirl]

My lovely husband gifted me with a Macbook Air for my birthday. I LOVE it.

Its the 11 inch size and its fine for most things. I probably wouldn't write a book with it, but its great for surfing the internet, streaming movies, making presentations etc.

Mine is a refurbished one from the Apple website and it was $250 off. It didn't have a mark on it and the refurbs all come with the standard 1 year apple care with the option to buy up to 2 additional years. They also replace the battery as part of the refurbishment process.

My father and husband have both recently purchased refurbished MacBook Pros and they are absolutely like new. You don't get the fancy box, but other than that you wouldn't know it was refurbished.

ETA: I used to be a diehard PC user, but the thing that finally converted me was the Mac build quality. These things are seriously sturdy. If you want to start comparing apple's to apple's, you'd have to go for a fairly high end PC and then you're looking at a much smaller price difference between the two brands. I've gone through a Dell laptop, an Acer laptop, and a Sony laptop in the past 4 years and my husband's Macbook is still kicking. He actually just sold it on Craigslist for $400. Try selling a 4 year old PC for that.

 

[kenny]

Tapwater has minerals in it, distilled water does not.
Soaking in tapwater then allowing to dry will leave a residue of mineral deposits on the electronics.
These deposits can act as parallel paths for current which can destroy electronics' functionality.

Since your plan is apparently to throw the wet computer away, soaking it in distilled water then leaving to dry will leave less or no mineral deposits and increases the CHANCE that the electronics will survive the flood.

Please google around to help decide how long to soak it in distilled water and the best way to dry it.

Gook luck.

If luck and science is not on your side this time . . . I'd get a MacBookPro.
I have one and love it.

 

[Maisie]

Is it wrong for me to want a Mac just because they look so awesome? I have no idea if I could work one but they just look great!

 

[manderz]

I have just switched to Mac Book Pro, and I really love it. I don't think I'd personally go for the air though, as it doesn't have the drive, and I think you're really paying even more for the fact that it has a solid state hard drive. You could always just upgrade the mac book pro to a solid state hard drive down the road (my plan, once my financial situation settles down) and then have a really super fast computer that also has the functionality you'd need with it.

I have the 13" model, and I think it's a really great size. It's still quite light to carry around with you (have been toting it to school and the local libraries while I work on those pesky end of semester papers), and still large enough to be comfortable and easy to use.

 

[VRBeauty]

I had a PC laptop for years and switched to a Macbook when it died - I love having an Apple product rather than an PC! I've run into far less problems generally, and the Apple mail does a far better job of screening emails for spam (although it did take quite a bit of time with tech support to get it set up with my ATT service). I rarely use my DVD drive so I probably wouldn't miss that much, though there are times I long for a larger monitor screen. In all honest I probably chose an Apple over a PC as because of the aesthetics as much as functionality, but I love it and wouldn't go back to a PC.

BTW I did end up installing MS works for Apple on my PC. When my workplace upgraded to the latest version of MSW I was able to buy the system for my home computer for next to nothing!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Another option is going to the genius bar to install software. It is free and if you aren't planning on using CD/DVDs that is also an option.

 

[chemgirl]

Another option is going to the genius bar to install software. It is free and if you aren't planning on using CD/DVDs that is also an option.

I didn't even think of that!

It hasn't really come up yet for me with my Air. I'm finding that everything I want software wise is available to download online (even microsoft stuff). I can also use the app store to buy software.

DVDs/CDs are on the way out.

I really recommend the air. Its small, but so sturdy. It fell off of my kitchen table on to tile floor and it kept on going. The solid state drive is fantastic.

 

[minmin001]

Thank you guys, I think I'll get a Mac for sure with all the great inputs Right now I'm slowly selling some of my jeweleries to fund it. Thank you

 

[MsP]

I'm going to go against the grain and say that it doesn't matter... there is no "better". It's preference.

I have an absolute top-of-the-line-tricked out iMac for work, have an office MacbookPro that I use occasionally, and have a ThinkPad (PC) for home. I just bought another ThinkPad that should arrive shortly. It was $2500 so money wasn't the issue. I just go for speed and durability...I'm pretty computer savvy I think. I hear the virus argument for Macs, but I don't store much on my computer anyways, and I am diligent about backups. My experience with Apple service has been less than stellar, whereas my experience with Sony and Lenovo(ThinkPads...) have been excellent. That, for me, was the major deciding factor.

 

[Porridge]

I'd tell anyone to go Mac. I switched from PC years ago (I have a macbook), but my work laptop is a PC laptop and I HATE it. So fiddly with the damn bugs and not nearly as intuitive. And that's a good model. love coming home to my macbook!

SO is a software architect and he loves his macbook air. He's a recent convert. Unusual, I had thought techie people preferred PC, but he way prefers his air.

 

[shihtzulover]

I have been officially converted to a Mac person. In the past, I only owned PCs, but then I met my fiancé, and he is a complete Mac fanatic.

After seeing and using his computers and laptops, and after playing around in the Apple store, I got my first Macbook. Now, I really don't want to ever go back to PCs.

I just bought my second Apple laptop, and it took me awhile to decide between the Macbook Air and the Macbook Pro Like you, I really like that the Air is so light and portable, and it was what I initially thought that I would end up with, but I decided to go with a Macbook Pro. The 13" is obviously heavier than the Macbook Air, but it's still pretty light, and it is a more powerful computer with more ports built in, including a CD drive.

I love Macs more than PCs and I find that they seem to have a lot less issues (*knock wood*). That being said, people still do have problems with Apple computers sometimes. Like I said, I don't think that it's as common as it is with PCs, but it does happen. My fiancé replaced the hard drive in my Macbook several months ago, because it seemed to be lagging and not quite right at certain times. We brought it to the Apple store for them to assess, and they couldn't find anything definitely wrong, but (under the AppleCare plan) they offered to replace it for me anyway. We decided to replace it just to be safe, but I decided to have my fiancé do it, so that I could have a flash storage hard drive instead.

Apple will do repairs for you for free for (I believe) the first year after you get the laptop. Then, if you buy their AppleCare plan, they will fix anything that goes wrong with your computer (except water damage I think) for an additional two years after that. It's definitely something to look into, although it's an additional $200 or so.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I have been officially converted to a Mac person. In the past, I only owned PCs, but then

Apple will do repairs for you for free for (I believe) the first year after you get the laptop. Then, if you buy their AppleCare plan, they will fix anything that goes wrong with your computer (except water damage I think) for an additional two years after that. It's definitely something to look into, although it's an additional $200 or so.

AppleCare is worth it. You are correct, they do not cover water damage and there are strips inside that turn pink if they get wet. Over the years I have gotten a free battery and free power cord (b/c I was still under warranty). It is easy to set up appointments at the Genius bars (online!) but could see it would be a problem if you did not live by an apple store.

 

[kenny]

I'm an apple-guy, but I don't wear black turtle neck sweaters or make pilgrimages to Cupertino CA.

I also buy the applecare contract and I NEVER buy any extended warranties on anything else.
The reason is not for breakage, it is for free access to a human for an extra couple years.
Though, if you don't call much it may be cheaper to not buy applecare and pay for calls with a VISA card.

Once apple covered some breakage AFTER the applecare extended warranty had expired.

Again people vary, and I've noticed mostly the type who prefer a PC are the tinkerers.
They criticize apple's lack of flexibility and customization.
They enjoy getting inside of the puter themselves and changing out components.
I'm the type who wants to open the box, plug it in and just use it and give no thought to what's behind the screen.
The decisions that the engineers at apple have made have almost always kept me happy.
To each her/his own.

Also, I believe people who are big on gaming prefer PCs and even today, now that apple's market share is much higher.
If there are any gamers here please correct me if I'm wrong but I suspect there are still many game companies that do not bother making versions for Macs.

 

[chemgirl]

I'm an apple-guy, but I don't wear black turtle neck sweaters or make pilgrimages to Cupertino CA.

I also buy the applecare contract and I NEVER buy any extended warranties on anything else.
The reason is not for breakage, it is for free access to a human for an extra couple years.
Though, if you don't call much it may be cheaper to not buy applecare and pay for calls with a VISA card.

Once apple covered some breakage AFTER the applecare extended warranty had expired.

Again people vary, and I've noticed mostly the type who prefer a PC are the tinkerers.
They criticize apple's lack of flexibility and customization.
They enjoy getting inside of the puter themselves and changing out components.
I'm the type who wants to open the box, plug it in and just use it and give no thought to what's behind the screen.
The decisions that the engineers at apple have made have almost always kept me happy.
To each her/his own.

Also, I believe people who are big on gaming prefer PCs and even today, now that apple's market share is much higher.
If there are any gamers here please correct me if I'm wrong but I suspect there are still many game companies that do not bother making versions for Macs.

The old Macbooks and new Macbook Pros are totally customizable. DH had 8 gigs of RAM in his old one even though it supposedly can only recognize 4 (he did something to make the computer recognize it) and he also changed the hardrive. When he bought a new Pro, he popped in the hardrive from his old Macbook and it worked straight away. Apparently that wouldn't happen with a PC. The best part is that tinkering doesn't void the warranty! Apple won't support the after market parts, but the warranty still stands on everything else. Definitely not the case with Sony.

He once snapped the sim card holder in an iphone he bought secondhand on craigslist in Canada. The warranty had just expired, but he brought it in to an apple store in the UK to see if they could do anything and they replaced it on the spot! In contrast, Sony wouldn't fix my laptop that was still covered under warranty because the ink on my original receipt was too faded for them to read. I bought it from a Sony store and they had a record of my purchase, but they won't honor the warranty without a receipt.

Basically if you want a PC of comparable quality to a Mac with great customer service, you'll have to buy something like a ThinkPad. In the end, you're looking at paying the same, or maybe more. The $350 Best Buy special is not comparable to a Macbook regardless of the similarity in specs.

 

[shihtzulover]

I'm an apple-guy, but I don't wear black turtle neck sweaters or make pilgrimages to Cupertino CA.

I also buy the applecare contract and I NEVER buy any extended warranties on anything else.
The reason is not for breakage, it is for free access to a human for an extra couple years.
Though, if you don't call much it may be cheaper to not buy applecare and pay for calls with a VISA card.

Once apple covered some breakage AFTER the applecare extended warranty had expired.

Again people vary, and I've noticed mostly the type who prefer a PC are the tinkerers.
They criticize apple's lack of flexibility and customization.
They enjoy getting inside of the puter themselves and changing out components.
I'm the type who wants to open the box, plug it in and just use it and give no thought to what's behind the screen.
The decisions that the engineers at apple have made have almost always kept me happy.
To each her/his own.

Also, I believe people who are big on gaming prefer PCs and even today, now that apple's market share is much higher.
If there are any gamers here please correct me if I'm wrong but I suspect there are still many game companies that do not bother making versions for Macs.

The old Macbooks and new Macbook Pros are totally customizable. DH had 8 gigs of RAM in his old one even though it supposedly can only recognize 4 (he did something to make the computer recognize it) and he also changed the hardrive. When he bought a new Pro, he popped in the hardrive from his old Macbook and it worked straight away. Apparently that wouldn't happen with a PC. The best part is that tinkering doesn't void the warranty! Apple won't support the after market parts, but the warranty still stands on everything else. Definitely not the case with Sony.

He once snapped the sim card holder in an iphone he bought secondhand on craigslist in Canada. The warranty had just expired, but he brought it in to an apple store in the UK to see if they could do anything and they replaced it on the spot! In contrast, Sony wouldn't fix my laptop that was still covered under warranty because the ink on my original receipt was too faded for them to read. I bought it from a Sony store and they had a record of my purchase, but they won't honor the warranty without a receipt.

Basically if you want a PC of comparable quality to a Mac with great customer service, you'll have to buy something like a ThinkPad. In the end, you're looking at paying the same, or maybe more. The $350 Best Buy special is not comparable to a Macbook regardless of the similarity in specs.

From what I understand though, as far as the laptops go, only the RAM and the hard drives can be swapped out by the user themselves. The other components must only be switched out and installed by Apple, or else the warranty is voided.

Luckily, that doesn't bother me at all!

 

[chemgirl]

I'm an apple-guy, but I don't wear black turtle neck sweaters or make pilgrimages to Cupertino CA.

I also buy the applecare contract and I NEVER buy any extended warranties on anything else.
The reason is not for breakage, it is for free access to a human for an extra couple years.
Though, if you don't call much it may be cheaper to not buy applecare and pay for calls with a VISA card.

Once apple covered some breakage AFTER the applecare extended warranty had expired.

Again people vary, and I've noticed mostly the type who prefer a PC are the tinkerers.
They criticize apple's lack of flexibility and customization.
They enjoy getting inside of the puter themselves and changing out components.
I'm the type who wants to open the box, plug it in and just use it and give no thought to what's behind the screen.
The decisions that the engineers at apple have made have almost always kept me happy.
To each her/his own.

Also, I believe people who are big on gaming prefer PCs and even today, now that apple's market share is much higher.
If there are any gamers here please correct me if I'm wrong but I suspect there are still many game companies that do not bother making versions for Macs.

The old Macbooks and new Macbook Pros are totally customizable. DH had 8 gigs of RAM in his old one even though it supposedly can only recognize 4 (he did something to make the computer recognize it) and he also changed the hardrive. When he bought a new Pro, he popped in the hardrive from his old Macbook and it worked straight away. Apparently that wouldn't happen with a PC. The best part is that tinkering doesn't void the warranty! Apple won't support the after market parts, but the warranty still stands on everything else. Definitely not the case with Sony.

He once snapped the sim card holder in an iphone he bought secondhand on craigslist in Canada. The warranty had just expired, but he brought it in to an apple store in the UK to see if they could do anything and they replaced it on the spot! In contrast, Sony wouldn't fix my laptop that was still covered under warranty because the ink on my original receipt was too faded for them to read. I bought it from a Sony store and they had a record of my purchase, but they won't honor the warranty without a receipt.

Basically if you want a PC of comparable quality to a Mac with great customer service, you'll have to buy something like a ThinkPad. In the end, you're looking at paying the same, or maybe more. The $350 Best Buy special is not comparable to a Macbook regardless of the similarity in specs.

From what I understand though, as far as the laptops go, only the RAM and the hard drives can be swapped out by the user themselves. The other components must only be switched out and installed by Apple, or else the warranty is voided.

Luckily, that doesn't bother me at all!

True, I do remember DH getting apple to upgrade his video card for him.

Still, changing the RAM and Hardrive without voiding the warranty is great! While initially working with Sony to try and get my laptop repaired, they told me that removing the hardrive to get my data (I have an enclosure so I could have grabbed the data and then put the hardrive back in the laptop) prior to shipping them my laptop would void the warranty. I didn't even have to open the computer as the hardrive was just secured with 2 screws on the back. They still told me that the warranty would be void if I tried to take it it out to get the data off of it. The price was similar to that of a Macbook so I was expecting similar quality and service. Not even close.

 

[manderz]

My Mac Book Pro just came from Best Buy, and it was actually an open box special. Since it's not the brand new model, it was discounted, and then even more so for being open box. Including Best Buy's coverage for a year (which covers EVERYTHING except for lighting it on fire and complete submersion) we paid ~$1050 with NYS tax. Just noting that going through Best Buy for a warranty seems a little more comprehensive, and you may have the chance to get a decent discount.

 

[chemgirl]

This Air at the Apple Refurbished store looks like a good deal: http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC506LL/A

Its last year's model so it doesn't have the backlit keyboard, but otherwise it looks fairly current. It should also qualify for a free upgrade to Lion if it doesn't come pre-installed.

If you're looking for a larger size, this one looks interesting: http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC504LL/A

Things on the refurbished site go fast, but they pop up again and again. My Air has the smallest hardrive, but its a newer release than the ones currently listed. I think it was $750.

If anyone is looking, I am stalking that Mac Mini that's listed for $519.

 

[minmin001]

Thank you guys for all your info and suggestions. My laptop came back to life this morning, YAY! However, I am still going to look to buy a Mac (this will give me sometime to decide between pro and air and shop for good deals).
The open box at bestbuy and apple outlet both sounds great, I will for sure to shop for those consider the fund I will get if I do sell my stuff wouldn't cover for a new one

 

[decodelighted]

I've had the 11 inch Air since the Spring & love it! No need for an iPad or tablet or anything because this does it all, including chopping vegetables (wee bit sharp).

 

[minmin001]

I've had the 11 inch Air since the Spring & love it! No need for an iPad or tablet or anything because this does it all, including chopping vegetables (wee bit sharp).

you are too funny!