Windows x Apple

I always used in my life windows notebooks, never used Apple....
I had HP, Dell, Sony... all them very fragile, they work ed well at most 2 years.
Im thinking know to have an apple... Its more durable?
Its easy change the windows to apple?

I use the notebook to work, I have 3 offices and need to take the computer with me...
I like the macbook air wheigt also...

thanks

 

You should find out if the programs that you use have Mac installers or alternatives that can work as well as the PCs. One of the reasons that my brother didn't switch to Mac Air was because his remote desktop application isn't found on the Mac side.

 

yep that and if you are looking for durability go for enterprise class hardware, while apple is good in build quality (my 2011 mbp is still holding much better than my other consumer notebooks), they are not up to par when you clash against the enterprise class from lenovo, dell and hp

 

X2 and the support and warranty options are better. it all depends on your needs and if your applications have an OSX version. once you bootcamp regularly for your software it becomes a bit more pointless to change

 

it can also be a good thing, I do my things on windows (when I need to use on the mac) via VM, so I can raise my res to 1200p, I dont bother to install it really anymore

 

As said both here and in your WNBSIB thread, build quality will pale in comparison with business-class laptops.

As for software, what specific programs do you use? A lot of common software (Office and the like) are cross-platform, as well as many FOSS applications. Obviously if you have to use a piece of Windows-only software, you're limited to Wintel laptops or running Windows in a VM (more cost, since you'd need to buy a Windows license). Also check if your work requires certain file formats, or a certain version of a file format; for example, my engineering classes required us to only use the Windows version of MATLAB and Excel (2010) for compatibility reasons.

 

I've owned quite a few laptops over the years and this is my first MacBook. I have the MacBook Pro with Retina Display 15". I would say that it is pretty ruggedly built. I have no complaints. As a Windows only person for twenty years I have had very little trouble adjusting to OSX. I find it to be pretty intuitive and a quick google search resolves any Windows versus Mac problems that arise. Keyboard shortcuts are tricky. They are different so I am still constantly looking them up. There are a few utilities that are free for Windows that I had to pay for to get the best Mac equivalent but not a bunch of them and they didn't cost a lot.

As far as windows goes, I have windows installed two ways... I have a virtual machine for work that I just copied over... it's basically a file. I also installed boot camp for playing games. My boot camp can also be run as a virtual machine when I want to do things in it without rebooting into Windows. I find that I prefer to stay in OSX as much as possible since it's very nice.

If you want a rugged Windows laptop, the Thinkpad T series is as good as they get. I find this laptop to be tough enough with it's unibody and no moving parts. It's thin and light and a joy to use. I could see the screen being delicate since it is so thin but I certainly haven't had any problems other than my first one had a dead pixel. They swapped it out on the spot and the second one is great. When closed for carrying, no problems at all. Very sturdy.

 

Well, you still have the HDD (if you don't replace it with a SSD), but I agree with you Jody. My W520 is basically a T520 with the better GPU and I've dropped mine in all manner of ways on just about all floor types from various heights (up to chest height (~5ft or so) and from my bed) and no serious damage whatsoever, whether the laptop's turned on or not or if the lid's open or closed. Worse that's happened was that the plastic grill vent broke a little, but that's very minor and bound to happen on laptops anyway.

 

I don't really get this... I don't know about Lenovo, but where I work we have many business-class HPs and Dells... their build quality and such is not nearly as good as Macbook Pros... big heavy Dell precision workstations with creaky plastic and such don't seem to stand up. Sure they keep working, and look like heck... but they are no better than Macs.

 

IIRC, Precisions are made of metal. At least that's what my roommate's M4600 feels like.

Drop a Mac at any significant height and I bet you that it'll at least dent very badly. And repair bills for them are infamously high.

 

its a mixture of metal and plastic, the fit and finish of those machines are not that good, they are below what apple offers, sturdiness? way above. I prefer HP elitebooks to precision ones, not to mention that they are also better designed as well.

 

Never considered Dell Precision enterprise laptops...they are good for workstation work due to the GPU, but fit and finish is poor. Dells enterprise laptops are the Latitudes. As a multiplatform user, I fins the macbooks to be better built than your typical Inspiron and Pavillion laptops, but despite the aluminum body not so sturdy as they at first appear.

Give a typical road warrior a macbook and it will come back ion no time with dents and broken hinges.

 

Seen too many of those dents/broken hinges on the MBPs my peers carry around campus (a *lot* of them) to know better than to call it durable with a straight face. It's also a Dell campus, so I see just about as many Latitudes and Precisions and I haven't seen any notable damage on those so far.

As for the Precisions (and Thinkpads), ABS plastic has certain desirable qualities, such as much better shock absorbance than pure metal laptops, and much better accidental scratch resistance.

Just my two cents. Take it as you like.

 

yes mixed case materials on the right spots can give you better fit and finish and sturdiness, the problem is that the precisions and latitudes are always lacking on the fit and finish, and there is always some problem in their line up. The elitebooks are much better designed, there is really no comparison

 

The only Elitebook I've seen is the 8440p, so I can't comment on the whole lineup. But I agree, it does feel very nice and sturdy. Not allowed to play around with it though since it's a work laptop issues from a major financial company and I'm not getting into any legal mess lol.

 

I have the 8570W, 8740W, 8760W and 8770W now and with only a few minor exceptions on the 8740W and a bit of a squeak on the 8570W now ( it got squished by a household water softener assembly ) they are close to the same or equal on fit and finish as the MBP lineup.

my m6700 is the same but I have heard that there can be some variation's now and then especially if you open it up a few times

 

there are usually spaces where they arent supposed to be and so forth, the Q&A is higher than what dell sells for consumers, but its really still not up to the standars from HP

 

I've been generally pleased with the elitebooks I've dealt with, but if I am going business class notebook, I am going to lean toward the t-series from Lenovo. Short of a Panasonic Toughbook, I find the t-series to be the most reliable, sturdiest notebooks going. Even with the new keyboards, the Lenovos still have the best keyboard going and while not the prettiest thing in the world, they take a beating.

 

LOL, NOTHING is as durable and reliable as the CF series Toughbooks.

 

Haven't noticed anything like that on mine, just that the tolerances for the fit could be slightly tighter, there are one or two places where parts could sit a little more flush by about 0.5 mm, but that's it.

 

There's a difference between build quality and ruggedness. MacBook Pros have excellent build quality, but they are not that rugged. You have to take a bit more care with a MBP than a business class laptop, but that's fine with me. I'd rather save the size and weight.

I've had a string of HP business class laptops for work, 6 machines over 10 years, the last 4 carrying the EliteBook name. They have good build quality for the most part, aside from loose rattling batteries. They are also very rugged. They will take way more abuse than a MBP, but you pay for it in size & weight. And the battery life is poor. My current 8470P with extended battery is fairly heavy and takes a lot of space in my bag. They used to have great keyboards and terrible trackpads, but with the latest design the trackpad has improved and the keyboard has gotten worse. I've also had lots of little problems with the EliteBooks, like hangs during boot, random freezes, problems sleeping, randomly waking from sleep in my bag, and colors suddenly going all psychedelic. The sleep issues are probably the SOE configuration, but the other issues are potentially hardware related.

I've only had one business class Thinkpad. It was extremely well built, rugged, dependable, and had lots of ports & expansion. But it also had a terrible trackpad and hopelessly dim screen.

I've fortunately never had a Dell, but the Latitudes became ubiquitous corporate machines mainly because they were the cheapest option. The build quality used to be bottom rung among business class machines. However, the latest "tri-metal" design is built to the same spec as the EliteBooks. It looks to be higher quality and much more durable than previous Latitudes, but people complain it's very heavy.

Among business class machines, I'd rather have another Thinkpad than an EliteBook or Latitude. But I don't really like any of them. Even for work, I'd still rather have a compact, lightweight "prosumer" machine.

 

and that was exactly my point

 

For the ThinkPad, you're suppose to use the TrackPoint, so I've never had an issue with them (hell, my X61t doesn't even have a touch pad). However, it looks like the next ThinkPads will have the sort of touchpads that consumer laptops have, and possibly neglect the TrackPoint (I really hope I'm not telling the truth here).

 

No kidding....I was installing a server one day and this other tech comes strolling in with a new switch under his arm and his Toughbook in the other and he tosses the Toughbook about 10 feet where it bounces off the wall and thunks down on a table. I almost had a stroke, but he flipped it open and it turned on like it had been laid on a pillow.

 

LOL, should see what my husband has done to some of his, including throw it across a parking lot, drive over it then drown it with water ( it was open the whole time and running ) just to prove a point that his new hire's MBA isn't that tough. for real fun I have seen a stack of 6 used as an axel stand for a 2 ton cube van while changing a wheel bearing on the side of the road.

FYI I guess for network support CF-19's are the best tool ever, if a switch or server is no good you can beat them to death with the laptop

and yes we have got quite a bit OT, but since it's civil and I'm participating we will let it slide

 

HAH! That is too funny.