Question:
Are macs really as good as people say?
Kate
2013-01-22 16:06:11 UTC
Right now, I have a Dell laptop that I bought the summer of 2010. It overheats every time I set it down on a table to surf the web. I use an external fan now (even though the one in the computer still works). To top that off, as soon as it starts getting warm, everything runs so slowly. It takes me 5 minutes sometimes to switch tabs. It gives me error messages for things I can't remedy (I can't free up space when I've deleted everything except the things that came preinstalled on the computer). It tells me to install updates, but when I try, the computer sits on the "don't turn off your computer, installing updates" screen for as long as I will let it sit (it's sat up to 4 hours before without doing anything).

I'm thinking about getting a new laptop. Would these problems arise on a Mac? If you have a Mac laptop, how long have you had it? Are there any problems with Mac?
Six answers:
The Argonaut
2013-01-22 16:11:32 UTC
I think that a Mac laptop is a great choice and it doesn't overheat! The only problem with a mac is the price. If you have and are willing to pay the money for a mac, you should get one.
dewcoons
2013-01-23 00:26:44 UTC
The only different between a MAC and a Dell laptop is the Operating System that they run. MACs can have the same hardware issues as a PC, including overheating, etc. And while the issues with the OS are different from Windows, it still has them. They are no better and no worst than a PC.



Rather than replacing the laptop, trying repairing it. Most of the time when a laptop overheats, it is because the vents that allow air flows are dirty. Get a can of compressed air and blow everything out. Keyboard, side and bottom. Anywhere there is any type of vent. Also blow out anywhere there is a fan. Try to clean the fan itself through the vent.



For the space issue, be sure that you have emptied your recycle bin. When you delete files from your computer they are not removed but rather moved to the recycle bin. Until you empty the bin, the space is not freed up. Then run a Disk Defrag to optimize the remaining space and to allow Windows to detect the free space.



Also check the next time you get the out of space error that it says it is out of space on the C:. Most computers have more than one partition (section) on them. They will often have a D: drive that contains a copy of the Windows install files and other utilities for fixing problems with the hard drive. Often there is little space on that drive and if anything else was saved (r tried to save) to that drive, it will cause errors. You can delete everything off the main C: drive and it will not free space on the other drive.



As for the update, usually when they fail like that it is because it is attempted to update something that is not on your computer. Windows has to run on hundreds of different computer configurations, so it has to release updates for all those different configurations. If it runs for more than 10 minutes without completing, then it is safe to shut things down. It is never going to complete because your PC lacks something the patches needs to fix.



Realize that a MAC does NOT run Windows software. Any programs or games that you have will NOT run on your MAC. You will have to replace all of them with MAC versions of the program or the MAC equivalent of the program. Also there are very few games that will run on a MAC. If you are a gamer, avoid the MAC.



MACs can get viruses, do crash, have to be updated, and can be hacked, just like a PC. They get fewer virsus and less often hacked because only about 5% of computers are MACs, so the virus creators and the hackers usually do not target them. But when they do, they are usually more successful because of the mistaken idea that MACs do not get virsus, so too many MAC users never protect their computers.



Finally, realize that the MAC interface is very different from the Windows interface, There is a learning curve to know where to click and what to do to make a MAC work. And there is far less help and support for a MAC as so few people use them.



Having used both, there is not enough advantages to a MAC to offset the price different, A MAC will cost you about double what a Windows computer will.
Ignatius
2013-01-23 03:50:28 UTC
http://lockergnome.net/upfiles/mac-vs-pc.jpg



Macs are currently overpriced, a feature that Apple can easily include due to its great sales and superb brand image.

Yes, Macs come with artistic software for editing photos and videos, but there is usually open-source (i.e. free) software that can do similar things, if slightly more difficult.



With other personal computers (yes, Macs are PCs too), the brand is not the parts maker. Companies/brands like Dell mainly buy almost all parts from other companies such as Intel or Sandy Bridge and then merely put it together. Factory-installed OS are usually slower because they add bloatware that make Windows less efficient. While not a perfect solution, try uninstalling any unnecessary software or settings you find on your new computer. Also, I've heard Windows 8 is still buggy, so if Windows 7 is still an option, and a cheaper one, go for that instead.



Also, for functions such as gaming or engineering/architecture modeling software, you may need more brawn for the buck. Macs are not really built for gaming, and the higher end models have even higher price tags.



I would suggest Asus if you are going for value, because that's what I concluded when I made my last computer purchase and research. It's been a few years, but I guarantee it's still a better value than Macs.
Pearl Lederman
2013-01-23 00:16:01 UTC
Quite honestly, I don't see the point in getting a Mac unless you have software that works better on OS X or if you want a very low management computer. If all you do is basic tasks such was browsing the web and occasionally writing a word document or editing a picture, there is not much of a point. It is very likely that all of the problems listed can be fixed easily.



Take a few minutes to blow out the vents of your laptop with a can of air to get rid of the insulating dust. Either reinstall Windows with a disc that came with your laptop or do a "factory restore", which involves pressing a few buttons on startup. (don't be timid, it is very easy and simple to do) This will wipe your computer clean of viruses and unnecessary programs clogging up your computer. It will run like the day you bought it.
Locoluis
2013-01-23 00:12:07 UTC
What operating system are you inflicting on that Dell? By the looks of it, it won't run anything other than XP and maybe a lightweight Linux distro.



Also, an overheating laptop is never a good thing.



Mac hardware is indeed quite good, although quite expensive. A cheaper alternative would be a Lenovo laptop.
a. France
2013-01-23 02:36:49 UTC
This is just my personal experience

I have a macbook pro 08. I know its old but since day 1

It would turn too hot to put over my my lap after 5mins of use

After two years my battery expanded! Literally expanded!

I took it to apple, they said its supposed to expand and stop working.. Wth

Anyway, now my laptop is really old.. And it overheats to the point

Where it stops running and just freezes.



i had a hp pavillion laptop as well. It came with vista

That one had similar issues after awhile.



:( i feel like most laptops overheat and fail after a certain point


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