Apple or PC?

I am a college student. My current notebook is a 1.5 year old HP xf335. It recently cooked off my second HD. Any thought on why it is doing this? Due to this I am now considering buying a new notebook. I am a moble DJ so I need morderate music capabilities. Through my school I can get a ibook g4 14" for $1200. I like Macs, but am not sure if I really need to spend the money to get one. I don't need it for much else except a little medium duty gaming. I would like a Toshiba if a PC is all thats needed. My main concern is cost. I will pay a grand for a PC and 1200 for a mac. What's your thoughts on this?

Thanks, Joseph

 

>>I am a mobile DJ so I need moderate music capabilities>>

Before deciding, you may want to check out Apple's new GarageBand software. It's part of the iLife package...included with new Macs.

GarageBand, and the pro-level Soundtrack, have been very well received by those with a musical bent.

The iBook should do fine for more casual game playing. Hard-core gamers who want access to all the latest titles would be better served by a PC laptop.

 

I would make this decision based on your preference for software on each; more specifically the OS. Which do you like more? If you prefer Mac OSX for instance, pay the extra money for the Mac. If not, go PC.

A PC laptop would be better for gaming in general and spec wise I'm sure you would get more HD space etc. The ibooks do LOOK cool though. [ )]

 

Hi Joseph,

Since you currently use a PC, what is making you consider a Mac? The two platforms are so different that few people switch from one to the other.

You should also check out this thread, as someone else is in a similar situation as you: http://www.notebookreview.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=486

When you say medium duty gaming, do you mean the amount of time you'll use your notebook to play games? Or the power required by the games you'll play?

If you're talking about power, then $1000 won't get you a capable enough PC notebook. At that level, you'll want a notebook with ATI's Mobility Radeon 9000 (or NVIDIA's GeForce FX Go5200, I suppose). So you'll need to spend at least $1200-1300.

 

By moderate gaming I mean Flight Sims. Also I need a stable operating OS, a chasses I can "handle a little abuse". Also reading the different reviews and what not, there seems a lot of opposite opinions on the power of a G4 vs. the P4. Which is more powerful. I know that the laptop I have now is an AMD 1300. It has done everything I asked it to do (although MS Flight sim is a little choppy). According to the computer it runs at 850 MHz. I would like something equiviant to a P4 1GHz. Like I said before these are needs in order. I have used a PC for a while now and I know it works, I know that Macs work too. I like Macs, which is why I am trying to justify getting one. What I really need is a good deal on a good laptop. Here is a list of my needs. Blue tooth a plus.

1. Cost $1000 is about my target area. (Although I will pay the 1200 for the ibook)
2. Reliability and stability of computer and OS
3. Durability of computer
4. Compatibility
5. Should look somewhat cool too [ ]

Thanks, Joseph

 

Buy the iBook. Your no 1 priority says you will pay for one. All the rest of the priorities are hands down won by the Mac. Some of course would argue point 4 but Macs work very hard to play nice with others, while it doesn't very easily go the other way. iBooks for college students are a no-brainer. They are indestructible AND cool. You'll love it.

Bucky

 

Don't buy apple computers just for playing please...don't spend 1000€ just to gamez!

 

of course PC is the number one.No doubt.Apple has a long way to achieve,actually,it s hard to achieve somethings...

How long wil you say, "I will conquer the whole world
and fill with myself"?
Even if the snow covered the world completely,
the sun could melt it with a glance.
A single spark of God's mercy
can turn poison into springwater.
Where there is doubt,
He establishes certainty.
-Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi (1207-1273)

 

Joseph, go for the mac, no doubt at all...there are posts all over this site that say that macs are #1 in categories 2, 3, 4, and 5, if you are willing to pay for it, which you are. it'll play games, but obviously not all of the good ones out, but like you said, you are a medium gamer, so the mac is the #1 choice, no doubt...

 

go4tehMAC

* Inspiron 8600c * 1.8ghz Pentium M * 128 MB Radeon 9600 Pro Turbo * 2x512 MB DDR2700 SDRAM * 60GB 7200RPM HDD *

 

Mac attracts me,us...with its excellent screen quality and power cpu.But why couldnt I buy it? of course I can afford but I do not use it with my all needs...photoshop,dreamweaver,3d max,games(farcry,doom3,painkiller,sims,roma:total war,command and conquer,counterstrike,pro evalution soccer4,fifa 2005,wings of flury,call of duty,medal of honour asific assault,medal of valor,need for speed and more...that I couldt use...)

How long wil you say, "I will conquer the whole world
and fill with myself"?
Even if the snow covered the world completely,
the sun could melt it with a glance.
A single spark of God's mercy
can turn poison into springwater.
Where there is doubt,
He establishes certainty.
-Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi (1207-1273)

 

I have never liked Macs that much. I am sure you have used them yourself. There are a lot of things, but among them ... less customizability, less available software, less upgradeability, and the fact that they are, as I call them, overpriced desk lamps. Sure, they LOOK great and stuff, but let's face it, they are made for computer-illiterate people. Which is not a bad thing... I have nothing against people who aren't like me, but the whole one-click thing, the whole "plug it in and it just goes" and the fact that you just cannot DO as much with a Mac as you can on a PC. They're made with a very simple interface. Most people prefer and own PCs. DJ-ing on a PC is about the same as on a mac, but mac hard drives as I think someone mentioned tend to be a little more expensive, since they use like one company to supply them. I'd TOTALLY go for the HP Pavilion zv5000z notebook. SUPERB parts for a really reasonable price. If I had to get another laptop, that would be IT.

 

nothing against the illiterates though, and nothing against Wal-Mart.

 

COMPUTER-ILLITERATE!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

The most I can agree with you there is about old Macs. I mean really old, i still have 1 with like a 5 inch screen and only a floppy drive. Those are for computer-illiterates because there were no highly computer literate people 25 years ago besides Gates and Jobs and the people who started Dell, HP, etc. But seriously, its more like computer-illiterates go for Windows. If Macs were for illiterates, they would sell them at places like Wal-Mart. Computer-illiterates go for the low ends like Emachines and the low ends of HP/Compaq. People who have surpassed Windows go for Mac, Macs are definetaly for highly computer/tech savvys. no question. And just think, the reason most people prefer and own Windows is because that is what everyone uses and that is the easiest thing to use and they probably dont even pay attention to Macs and dont know much more than Apple sells Ipods. I can agree with you that they dont have a lot of games and upgradability, but right now (pre-Sonoma), Name a laptop that is upgradable. And i can also agree that they should really stuff an extra click into the mouse, but I must heavily disagree that Macs are for computer illiterates.

Joseph, go for the Mac. It will perform the best for your needs. But wait a second, why are we all posting this stuff. Its been practically a year since he posted the first post of this thread he must have definetaly picked something up by now. a ha LOL...

 

a real gamer man cannot use Apple,it doesnt provide u all.If apple stuff develop and improve its availability in game-world,most people will choose it,(I will be a part of these peoples)And please do not underestimate "game-world" it shapes computer world.All these gpus wars (and others) are shaped in same thing..."game-game-game" like napolyon "money-money-money".

Love of the dead does not last,
because the dead will not return.
But love of the living
is in every moment fresher than a bud,
both the inward and the outward eye.
Choose the love of that Living One
who is everlasting, who offers you
the wine that increases life.
Do not say "We have no entrance to that King."
Dealings with the generous are not difficult
Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi (1207-1273)

 

get the mac. you know you want it.

i live in both worlds, windows and mac, and most of the time, i use the mac. because it's better.
ad games: check the available games for the mac first. they might be ok for you. for the price you are willing to pay you will not get a PC that will play new games anyway. and if you play old games, all the best ones are on the mac as well (side-note: i occasionally play a 10-year old game which was written for OS 9. amazingly, it still works!)

macs are also - since OS X - full unix machines (unlike windows). that means lots of open source software is available for the mac now because if something runs on linux, it's not that difficult to make it work on mac, too. for that reason, many programmer friends i know are switching to macs now. and i am getting back into unix... so much for the "computer novices" myth...

 

for OS,durability,stability,capability...go to Mac
for game,and usebility,world-wide...go to PC

the numbers dont say lies...

Love of the dead does not last,
because the dead will not return.
But love of the living
is in every moment fresher than a bud,
both the inward and the outward eye.
Choose the love of that Living One
who is everlasting, who offers you
the wine that increases life.
Do not say "We have no entrance to that King."
Dealings with the generous are not difficult
Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi (1207-1273)