Shall i buy a Macbook Pro or Sony Laptop?

Question

I'm stumped. My faithfull dell laptop has broken and now i have a choice...do i go Mac or PC? It's either...
Macbook Pro MB991B/A
* 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
* iLife '09 pre-installed
* NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics
* Up to 7 hours battery life
* MAC OS X v10.5 Leopard Operating system
* 4GB Memory
* 250GB Hard Drive
* SD card slot
* 2 USB connections
* 1 FireWire port
OR
Sony SR39VN/S
* Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8600
* 2.4 GHz mhz Processor speed
* (2.4 GHz, 1066Mhz, 3MB cache)
* 4096 mb Memory Size
* Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
* DDR2 SD RAM Memory Type
* 4GB memory
* DVD-+RW/+-R DL/RAM Optical Drives
* ATI Mobility Radeon HD3470
* 24 x CD-ROM Speed
* 13.3" display
* Firewire
* 8 x DVD-ROM Speed

I'm a graphic designer and currently branching out into web design. I'm more than happy to make the change to Mac i just genuinely don't know which is would be best and am struggling to find unbiased opinions.

People, this is your chance...

Thanks!

Answer 1

So if we are just comparing hardware.



The Mac has a faster CPU, and faster DDR3 memory, but the Sony has a better video card. As a graphics designer I think the faster CPU and memory would be a larger benefit to you.



You didn't list the cost, I assume they are similar.



As far as software is concerned a lot comes down to preference. I love OS X and Snow Leopard is rock solid and fast. Do you have a bunch of graphics design software for windows already that you would have to re-purchase. Personally I think in the long run you will appreciate the switch to a Mac.



I've had great luck with refurbished Macs, they have the same 1 year warranty, if you want to save $200 http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_pro



Oh and for a monitor I would get a 24" monitor with a resolution of 1920x1200 from either Dell, Samsung, or Apple. The Apple LED cinema display is very nice and integrates well with the MacBook Prop but is pricey.

Answer 2

It depends on your budget, apple computers are usually more expensive and have worse specs than pcs for the same price. However you will find the mac os better for work. Another factor is the software, pc software won't run on a mac (unless you install windows using 'boot camp' then what's the point in buying a mac) and vice versa. PCs will have better specs and will be cheaper to fix. With your needs (adobe cs suite) i think the mac will be better however it will take time to familiarise yourself with it. Macs usually crash less and are less prone to virus attacks which means your data should be safer.



On the topic of monitors, apple macs use a dvi connection (unlike the standard pc one) this means you will need a special apple monitor or an adaptor. With a pc you can use any monitor, or TV which will potentially serve you better. I would recommend at least 15 inch, but as much as you can afford as it will give you the most work space. Make sure the monitor quality is good though.



Personally i would get the mac from the two systems you mentioned as it has an impressive battery life which is useful if you are working away from the office. Also the laptop will be of a higher quality although the specs won't be as good. Really there isn't much in it. If you don't like mac you can run windows on it (you can't do it the other way around [yes you can but apple dont like it and it might ruin your pc]). Also due to there being less security risks your data should be safer.

Answer 3

Personally I would go for the Sony. I'm more of an nvidia fan so the Macbook Pro has my Nvidia appeal but 9400m with its specs is not high enough to run at 1440 x 900 using applications like Photoshop CS4. There are going to be a lot of Apple fanboys probably answering and I love apple, I work on a lot of graphics on my mac at work. However, I also know that OS X is not the only OS that can do killer graphics. Really Photoshop and Adobe premier are what I use a lot. While mac at work is a power house it still can't compare to my laptop's gpu and processor. Even though OS X is lighter than vista it still won't be able to jump through all the hurdles you will throw at it using Photoshop or Final Cut Pro( especially this). Anyway good luck!

Answer 4

Well, they don't run MacroSh*te Winblows for a start. Secondly, the OS is made by the same company that makes the hardware. Thirdly they just work. Fourthly, they run a UNIX-based OS and, as yet, there hasn't been a single sustained viral attack (nothing to do with market share - it's all to do with the fact that OS 10.x is far more secure; you have to enter your password every time something you install requires access to system files. Unless a virus can figure out your password, then there's b*gger all it can do. And the moron who said that they're "technicly crap" [sic] is technically a f*ckwit. I've been a Mac user for 15 years. Haven't touched Windoze since v3. And remember, folks, that VISTA is an acronym for: - Viruses Intrusions Spyware Trojans Adware Finally, OS X doesn't 'phone home' when you install it; it DOES NOT require activation, nor does it decide to deactivate should you decide to upgrade the hardware. It's also far more intuitive than Winblows. It took my mother more than 6 months to get her head round XP - she got the hang of Leopard on my new Mac Pro in a day. No BSODs for no reason (there is something called a 'kernel panic' which is the Mac equivalent but, in all my years of Mac ownership I can count the number I've seen on the fingers of Homer Simpson's right hand.) Want to know how to set up a network under OS X? Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the router and the other end into the Mac. That's it. No 'network setup wizard', no fiddling with IPs. M$ didn't invent Plug 'n' Play, Apple had it light years before! Apple innovates, M$ imitates - extremely poorly. If you want a happy computing experience - the choice is, as the Yanks would say, a no-brainer. By the way, when I installed Leopard on my MBP, I found I had wireless networking and wireless printing as standard. I didn't have to lift a finger to set it up. Oh yes, something else I forgot - OS X doesn't have any such thing as a registry; you can install many apps by merely dragging them to the Applications folder and uninstall them by dragging them to the Trash. The Apple Mac: - For people who want to have a life away from their PCs. My MBP is 18 months old and running as fast as the day I bought it. Why? Well you don't need to defragment the HDD every friggin' day for a start! Only masochists buy Winblows machines (though, if you really must, you can use Boot Camp to partition the drive and install Winblows (must be XP with SP2 slipstreamed or Vista). Buy it with the minimum amount of RAM as Crucial will sell you a 4GB kit (that's 2x2GB for £63.44 all in - that's just about half what Apple are demanding if you max out the RAM at the PoS). Apple make computers for those who just want to get on with using their machines.

Answer 5

Here's why you should get a Mac:: There are NO CONS. The MacBook does both WinDozzzz 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 for a quick fix. They will troubleshoot it and fix it if it's a software problem for 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. Go Mac and Never Go Back.

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

Answer 6

Check here http://j.mp/VMdL6W if you want to get for free Adobe Premiere

I guess it's the sotware you need.

Cheers.

Answer 7

As a graphic designer I would think you would want a larger Screen Size than the 13".. I would go with http://www.powernotebooks.com or Asus over the Mac or the Sony.. Although the Sony has the edge on Graphics Card... For Graphic Designer the card is the most important.



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...



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

http://cybernetnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/reliable-laptops.jpg



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.



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/



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



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



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



Equivalents to ILife

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

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



FREE Windows Stuff

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: