Considering Macbook Pro: Form filled; advise needed

1) What is your budget?
70,000 Rupees (~1500$) to 1,80,000 Rupees (~3700$)

I am using up my scholarship money.And I am from middle class family. I want the Laptop to last as long as without any MAJOR maintenance issues.

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
India

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

No such restrictions

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
I plan to order it direct from the company... rather than throught redistributors.... I am not sure...

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?

I am a student of Bachelors ( Computer Science and Mathematics)...
A cryptography enthusiast.(parallel Mutation Algorithms... learning them )
Usually run simulations for many particle interactions in Theoretical Physics... I compile Data which generally runs into (6GB).
Then, create graphical interpretation.
Animate various physical systems(false color stellar interactions etc...)
Don't use professional CAD right now.
Will use it after an year or so.I want to game, not as a professional though.
Movies (Yes).
Video creation is just limited to the above stated animation.
Code testing for the above related tasks.{Please note that most of the codes for data compiled is from the code that I set which itself takes a day or two to compile.I don't want the testing to be slow.


I am a student of 17.I am a adventurer rather than a dedicated professional.I see how far I can go on my own.This explains the wide-ranged and brief description.I experimenting with more than one of the above programs running above
: (Data creation on one side; corresponding Image manipulation)
Excuse me if this is childish...

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Not very mobile... Not too static as well.

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
Never played Crysis.Planning to play it.
Played: WarCraft, Need for Speed Shift, Counterstrike, Hitman series.HAWX.(On my friends com, though)

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
I will use AC for my heavy work.But when on the move would like 3 hrs or so for simple word processing and low order compilations.

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?

Not sure.
Looks do not matter unless it is absolutely horrible.

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

I would be boot camping or using VM Ware if I take Mac.

I am ready to purchase extended warrenties upto 3+ years
Kindly take into account that I come from a middle-class background and would be highly disappointed and severely crippled if the laptop gives serious issues before 5 years or so.After that I would like this one to rest for the purpose of watching simple videos as its retirement rather discarding or selling it .Also, if possible, I may maintain my dads sales accounts for all this period (4year past + 4 year future) in Oracle.

Thanks in advance.

I understand the Mac differs from Windows mainly in the "culture" and availability of software.That is not a deal breaker.
I have Dell Precision M6500 and Macbook Pro on my mind. I am not sure which one...
Mac OS, the design, are tempting to be appreciated. On the other hand, the hardware that i get may not be what I would get if I invested in Dell etc.,
I would appreciate if you can counsel about this.

 

If you plan on using Windows for your primary OS... do not buy a Mac. If you want to use Mac OS X as your primary OS, then you'll get all the advantages of buying a Mac.... buying it to be a Windows machine just gives you expensive hardware

 

Hi thanks for the suggestion.

I have never used Mac. But I know that all my development tasks can run on it as well. I wanted to use Windows when and where necessary. The question I am asking is "Does it make sense to buy mac as a work machine... and not for its novelty?"

Well, I am just new here, spent most of time on XP.I , unfortunately, dont know much about Mac. What can be done and what cannot be. I tried but still I am not able to understand the differences between mac and Windows... and the reasons for the very re-known MAC vs PC arguments.

 

its a different OS... just like Windows versus Linux or BSD or Solaris... its mostly about Mac OS X. Its also about reliable well built and really pretty machines too... but switching to a new OS will always take time to learn things. If your expecting it to work just like Windows, you might get frustrated. a lot of people who never used anything but Windows think that a lot of the ways Windows works is just how a computer works... but its really just a Windows thing. As for all your specific software needs, you need to research into every one of them and see how it can be done on a Mac and the +'s and -'s.

 

the fact that AutoCAD and similar professional apps are in your near future (in a year or so) suggests to me that unless you have a specific need for 5-7 hours of battery life, you should really be looking at buying a Dell Precision or HP Workstation. It will last you MUCH longer and get you waaay more for your money. going MBP means emphasizing style and battery life over raw performance...the kind of raw performance that you will appreciate 12 months from now.

As you consider the MBP, be sure to also consider: Dell Precision M6500...and HP 8740w. Also consider asking owners of those machines questions relative to your work in the threads here at NBR for those products. Those machines are not just built to last; they're built with a totally different level of excellence and durability than consumer-grade machines like the MBP or their consumer lines.

Unless you need the battery life (which is drastically shortened when running Windows on a MBP), your money will be better spent and get you more computer going with a Windows machine.

$0.02.

 

Thank you...

I was in rift. But things are making sense now.

MBP will be bad buy not because of low performance/price.

Thanks people.

 

Right, if you are looking for a competent windows machine, the macbook pro is a pretty bad buy in general, not even considering the extra price you pay explicitly to be able to use OS X.

 

Being that you are a student, I would go for the MBP. Lots more battery to make it through class compared to a Windows notebook which only lasts around 3 to 4 hours if you're lucky! If you need to run Windows you can boot camp it, but you can't go the other way around. Well, legally that is. I will be buying MBP next month to play around with and be portable. Can't wait to see an i5 in the MBP!

 

I wont take it to the classes... not in here in India...

 

Honestly, it sounds like you'd benefit more from a different, Windows-based machine. You'll get far more power for your money from another machine. For MacBook Pros, it's all about the portability and battery life, power always comes behind those and as a result power always suffers.

There are plenty of Windows machines out there that will offer you great power (both in processor and graphics), great build quality, and will last 3+ hours on battery.

 

For the uses and software you listed I agree you would be far better off getting a proper workstation machine unless you desperatly need the battery life and can live with the huge performance loss in cryptography, simulations and in CAD especially on large renders.

 

HP Elitebook.

I recommend it to anyone who wants the durability of a Mac but performance of a PC.