What laptop should I get as a college freshman?

Question

So my dad is heavily pressuring me into getting a Mac, but I'm just not that interested. I'd rather stick with a PC (but I suppose I'm not entirely against getting a Mac).

I'm undeclared right now, but I'm thinking of going into International Affairs, so I shouldn't really need anything special for that.

Primarily, I'm concerned about disk space. Both the desktop and laptop that I have had my iTunes library on have subsequently had severe disk space problems. My music is 30+ GB, but I have about a dozen movies that I plan on putting on to my new laptop, and I hope to get an iTouch whenever they release a 64 GB one, so I'll need room for apps and whatnot as well. Also, I might be installing Sims 3, so long as it isn't going to totally ruin anything.

Of course, battery life would be nice... I'd also like something that won't overheat (although I suppose that has more to do with maintenance).

I'm going to Northeastern, and they are certified to fix problems with Macs and Dells, so I thought it might be best to look primarly at Dells. I've heard from a few people that HPs are the best PCs, but my mom said someone at Northeastern highly advised against them.

I don't really have a price range; I'd rather invest some money into something that I know will fit my needs and last.

Btw, am I totally stupid for not wanting a Mac? Vista's certainly not the best, but I'm used to it, and it doesn't really bother me all that much.

Any advice is greatly appreciated! :)

Answer 1

You know i'm a college fresh. too and like i didn't really know which laptop to get either. i was thinking like those small colorful ones that keep showing up on different commercials BUT i came across a Dell XPS and its totally amazing.



its really really awesome.

and the best thing is that its thin and its

not heavy.



oh & it has the fingerprint recognition thing so

its very well protected.



check it out online, its really awesome.



-hope this helped a bit :)

Answer 2

Here's why you should get a Mac:: There are NO CONS. The MacBook does both WinBloze and OSX, no other computer can make that statement. You have the best of the best. Apple Stores are popping up all over and you can make an appointment for a time and date, bring your computer there. They will troubleshoot it and fix it if it's a software problem it's FREE. What other computer company has stores and can make that statement? Get the 2.4 GHz with 4Gigs Ram and you got a speed machine like mine. The WinBloze people may not like a Mac computer but I'll bet they all have iPods. Go Mac and Never Go Back. Mac, the User Friendly Computer.

If you read the questions here you will notice that most problems are about every computer except a Mac.

Answer 3

"my dad is heavily pressuring me into getting a Mac"



Why? Maybe he's got good reasons - better than those you can get here. It looks like he's telling you to buy, rather than footing the bill himself. A Mac is going to set you back, especially if you get Applecare.



For your needs, I'd suggest getting a Pentium Dual core w/Intel integrated graphics - it's underpowered for games but good for apps that aren't graphics intensive. You're better off NOT getting into SIMS3 or any gaming as a college freshman. College is enough of a headache with the bad habits that were available back in 1989 (Tetris - yes, I know I'm dating myself).



"Primarily, I'm concerned about disk space"



This shouldn't be a concern at all - you can burn your media to DVD-R. You'd probably want to do that anyway to archive your stuff - that way you won't end up like all those losers you see on this topic who format their HD, then want to know how to get their MP3's back.



"Of course, battery life would be nice"

here's a tip for you - the more conservative the specs, the more battery life and less heat you'll face.



"I've heard from a few people that HPs are the best "



Here's the thing - PC's are just like cars, complicated machines based on a number of significant major components churned out in industrial bulk. For a given model of a given brand, you're going to have die-hard fans and haters.



The important thing to ask yourself is not whether people love or loathe a certain brand, but what it is that they are saying. Some guy may be raving about how quickly Dell's product support cycled his Studio Laptop.....each of the half a dozen times it had HD problems in the year it was owned. Another guy may complain about how his HP laptop just suddenly died....after the owner accidentally spilled coffee on it.



"Btw, am I totally stupid for not wanting a Mac?"

Not at all - I'm a PC owner, but on a whim, I bought a circa 1999 Powerbook on eBay for about $50. With a working DVD drive, flawless screen, ethernet port and a battery that actually held a decent charge (as long as it was used after being unplugged), it was an incredible bargain, and it still worked. How many decade-old laptops will work that well? (On the downside, there's no way to cover up how obsolete those working components were; also, unless you know the wys of OSX, an antiquated machine will be stuck w/OS 9 - for which no modern browsers have been produced, and yes you will notice the difference).



Macs are very reliable, powerful, easy to navigate around with and Applecare if also very generous, so a Mac is not an inherently bad choice.



Also, if you have your reasons for doing something, it's not stupid - totally or otherwise. Remember, you're in collge now, the operative words are "reasoned" and "unreasonable".



"Vista's certainly not the best"

Can I cut in here? I love Vista. I moved up from XP and it's just so much better now that I have Vista. Compatibility issues are few (a gaming pad just won't work w/Vista 64; also, some of my older games won't work, but there's always a limit to how old a program can be before it meets an OS it can't work with); the search function is much speedier. XP had its own issues, but it worked. Saying Vista isn't the best is like saying that a 747 isn't the best because there are planes that are faster and a few that carry more. As long as it gets me where I need to in one piece, I don't really care.

Answer 4

I'm in the same situation, if you look at my asking history you can see some questions I have asked about Macs. I think I may opt for a Macbook and add on to the hard drive and memory...they are good computers. I'd highly recommend AGAINST the air, it is not powerful enough for educational purposes and you could get so much of a better computer that'd still be easy to carry for much less money.

Answer 5

If you get a mac you can install windows on it. But if you want to install more os's onto it macs wont allow that. Also if your looking for specs you get more bang for your buck with windows machines compared to apple. I have a mac and I have windows installed onto it, i hardly ever boot into Mac OSX. Oh HP is terrible don't get a PC from them, There computers are made very cheap so they don't last.

Answer 6

Mac is too expensive compare with laptop in the same performance...



There are many great models there but what's your budget for the laptop ?

Answer 7

I would get a Mac, especially if you are a college student. They are the #1 computer on college campuses. Does that say something?

Answer 8

I have a mac and i love it.. Get the mac

Answer 9

I would get a Dell over the Mac and here are some reasons why..



PC=Variety of specs, options, quality, prices, vendors, support

Mac=One vendor, limited options, still more expensive. Look below for more information..



Today, Macs use a subset of PC hardware. Why spend extra to get the same CPU chips, graphics cards and OS X isn't as secure as you think..



Don't believe the lies that Macs are better than PCs at graphics/animation.. Dreamworks Animation http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/ under studio click on Technology of Animation, an independent film maker I know uses PCs, a graphic artist I used to know uses PCs also.



A number of PCs can also run OS X (Mac OS) http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=os+x+on+pc&btnG=Google+Search&aq=0&oq=os+x+on+ as well just that Apple makes it illegal in order to get Market share.. The reason why Mac can run native Windows is because it is using a subset of PC hardware,



If you decide to buy a Mac for running Windows, you will still have to get the same virus/spyware protection, and run into the same issues as a regular PC.





Now is a Mac worth buying for OS X?



I say: NO... for the following reasons...



ADVANTAGES WINDOWS :

Aprox 90% of the market is Windows and most PCs have windows already pre-installed.

1) Some websites require Internet Explorer, to run IE on Mac you really get ies4osx which is the Windows version of IE running really buggy and illegal if you don't have a legitimate copy of Windows.

2) Supports more devices (printers and other things you hook into the computer).

3) More business software/games

4) Want the dock on OS X (Mac)? google/yahoo rocketdock, objectdoc.

5) Used by businesses.



ADVANTAGES LINUX :

1) FREE (most versions are)

2) Install software by either 1) Synaptic Package Manager, 2) Add/Remove 3) Opening a .deb or .rpm file (depending on distribution)

2) Like the Mac OS X effects? go yahoo/google COMPIZ FUSION which can do any cool effect a Mac can do and many ore....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Fbk52Mk1w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3gkX9HDfEE (there is no flickering when you use it like on the video, not sure why the person has the flicker)

3) Mac OS X Doc? google/yahoo Avant Window Navigator.Cairo Dock, http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3rf5q_cairo-dock-mac-os-x-leopard-dock-on_tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0hzi22g2DE

4) It is FASTER/MORE SECURE to surf on the internet

5) Some Windows programs work with Wnehq/Crossover (also avail on Mac, but why pay $$$)



Instructions how to download, burn and boot http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/

Dual Boot Instructions http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_windows_xp_and_linux_xp_installed_first.htm



SECURITY

Mac OS X was hacked in 2006 less than 30 minutes, and within 2 minutes in a contest in 2008, and within 10 seconds in 2009. In 2008, Linux and Vista were not hacked until another day when restrictions were lowered. Vista was next, and then Linux. In 2009 Windows 7 fell shortly after the Mac but Linux was unscathed.

Macs are standardized with Cameras, if your Mac gets hacked, the hacker can turn on your camera with more ease.

Please Note: All OS's have vulnerabilities.

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Mac-OS-X-hacked-under-30-minutes/0,130061744,139241748,00.htm

http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/03/27/Gone-in-2-minutes-Mac-gets-hacked-first-in-contest_1.html

http://www.infoworld.com/article/09/03/19/Researcher_cracks_Mac_in_10_seconds_1.html

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-Finds-Irony-in-Mac-OS-X-Getting-Hacked-Before-Vista-SP1-82135.shtml



VIRUSES

Mac OS X has viruses (and significantly on the rise), a friend of mine has a virused Mac. As more users use Macs, more viruses will come out for it. Especially when users think "they are safe".

http://infosecurity.us/?p=4005

http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2008/07/malware_authors_take_aim_at_growing_number_of_1.html

http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.php/archive/poll_have_you_noticed_an_increase_in_malware_viruses_etc_on_your_mac/



QUALITY/PROBLEMS

Contrary to belief, Macs are not better quality. Apple also has been changing suppliers to try to "lower the price" and thus lowering quality. Even with the lower prices, Macs still cost more, they spend a higher percent of budget trying to make it look pretty, and marketing.



Sample of problems: Overheating Macbooks, OS X- not responding to keyboard, some units with 16bit screens, etc. Apple statistics are misleading since Mac users with problem machines are more likely to go out and buy a new computer than PC users. Apple is lowering prices which means you can expect lower quality than in the past. Apple had switched the manufacturers producing parts. OS X also has problems slowing down.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10020263-17.html

http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/01/apples-quality-dwindling-my-macbook-pro-sob-story/

http://www.appledefects.com/

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/os-x-operating-system/107748-mac-os-leopard-running-slow.html



Repairs are more expensive than PCs since the IMac, Mac Mini are compact units, and Apple charges a premium for their services. Some repairs can be done by another repair service but the compact design of the computer causes problems.

With an IMac, if the problem is with the monitor, the whole computer would have to be brought in.

IMac and Mac mini lack expansion.



PRICE

A similar equipped PC is much cheaper to purchase than Mac. Lets use Dell (but you can compare with another PC Brand if you like)



**(LAPTOP)

Dell Inspiron Laptop Starting Price: $500

Ending Price: $500

15" Screen

CPU: 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo [5% slower]

Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD [Not as good/fine for general use[

Memory: 3GB DDR2 SDRAM [75% of ram)

Hard Drive: 320GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm (same)

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dndozm4&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&kc=laptop-inspiron-1545



Cybperpower Notebook Xplorer X5-2900 Starting Price: $755

Ending Price After upgrades (not including 5% rebate): $860

15" Screen

CPU: (upgrade to) 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (+$100) [FASTER]

Graphics: Nvidia GFORCE 9600-GT 512MB [MUCH FASTER/BETTER CARD]

Memory: 4GB DDR2 SDRAM [MORE MEMORY]

Hard Drive: (upgrade to) 320GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm (+$5) [LARGER HARD DRIVE]

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Xplorer_X5-2900_Notebook/detail



Macbook Starting laptop Price: $1000

Ending Price After Upgrades: $1200

13" Screen (SMALLER)

CPU: 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (SLOWER)

Graphics: Nvidia GFORCE 9400 256MB

Memory: (upgrade to) 4GB DDR2 SDRAM (SAME)

Hard Drive (upgrade to) 320B Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm (SAME)

http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MC240LL/A?mco=NjcxMTQ3Ng





**(DESKTOP)



PLEASE NOTE: I compare Apple Mac's vs Dells best deal. If you really want an all-in one the Dell all-in-one has more ram, wireless keyboard and mouse and equivalent to $400 for free making the Imac still more expensive when you matching specs. Personally I don't think the All-in-Ones are a good choice, and consider them overpriced, lack expandability and repairs both more expensive and require the entire computer.



PS: Apple knows that they need to make Macintosh look different than PC so all Macs except the Mac Pro will not have a tower option. Apple's low end lacks expandability but it makes the Mac "look different", if Mac had a tower for low-end, more people would realize the similarities between the two.



Dell: ($700)

CPU: 2.33 GHZ Dell Inspiron QUAD (4 Processor) CORE

SCREEN: 20inch Screen

MEMORY: 4GB Ram

HARD DRIVE: 500 GB hard Drive

OPTICAL DRIVE: 16x DVD/CD Read/Writer

GRAPHICS: ATI Radeon HD 512MB

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dddwra4&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&kc=desktop-inspiron-537s



The Mac Mini since it has no monitor, keyboard, mouse, very skimpy on options and setup and is not the best deal... The IMac is better price than the Mac Mini.



IMac ($1300)

CPU: 2.4 GHZ DUAL (2 Processor) CORE (SLOWER CPU)

SCREEN: 20inch Screen

MEMORY: (upgrade to) 4GB Ram (SAME)

HARD DRIVE: (upgrade to ) 320 GB hard Drive (LESS HARD DRIVE)

OPTICAL DRIVE: 8x DVD Reader/Writer (1/2 speed)

GRAPHICS: Nvidia Geforce 9400M (APPROX SAME BUT LESS MEMORY GAPHICS)

http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MB417LL/A?mco=NDE4Mzg3Ng



Equivalents to ILife

http://www.jakeludington.com/ask_jake/20070830_ilife_for_windows.html

http://www.xsellize.com/showthread.php?t=20518



FREE Windows Stufff

http://www.comodo.com/products/free_products.html

http://www.iobit.com/

http://www.ccleaner.com/

ANTI-VIRUS

Avira Antivir (FREE) for 2009 personal edition is free (there is a paid version) the free version was rated the best by consumer reports 2009.

http://www.free-av.com/ Avast (Free- Click under Free Software and download Avast Home Edition) http://www.avast.com/



ANTI-MALWARE

Windows Defender (FREE)

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/defender/default.mspx

Malware Bytes (FREE) Limitation - No Realtime protection on free version.

http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html?tag=mncol

Super Anti-Spyware (FREE)

http://download.cnet.com/SuperAntiSpyware-Free-Edition/3000-8022_4-10523889.html?tag=mncol



LINUX INFO:

http://distrowatch.com/

http://polishlinux.org/

http://www.desktoplinux.com/

http://polishlinux.org/

http://www.ubuntu.com/