Laptop advice please anyone?

[donas]

It doesn't answer your question, but I agree with the Mac suggestions. I made the switch several years ago and will never look back at Windows. I have succesfully converted my wife and untold number of friends.....none of whom have regretted the change.

I am a far cry from a computer programmer, I know just enough to get stuff done. With that said, the Mac "just makes sense" it seems like everything I am trying to do or looking for it in an easy to find location or has ridiculously easy set up processes.

[tattooedfagin]

Originally Posted by TSW

Andy you got the answers all wrong

They should be:

1) Yes
2) No

Trust me Dan you will never go back to PC

went Mac 5 years ago having got sick of PC issues, i'd never go back to PC.. i just want the damn thing to work & Mac's have never let me down plus they hold their money better if you ever want to upgrade

[looking to buy]

If you want a PC then consider the Lenovo. This company used to be called IBM. Now it is Chinese owned. I bought one some months ago and have had no issues. They have great customer support. When you call, tech support is usually on the phone within 5 minutes. I did have a keyboard that I suspected had an intermittent bad key on it and they had a new keyboard on my doorstep next day. Unlike HP and Dell where the simplest of phone calls takes 90 minutes, I never spent more than 10 or 15 minutes on the phone, the few times I called.

[kultschar]

Originally Posted by masterserg

Absolutely!!!

I agree - if you have the money, get a Mac. Much more enjoyable experience!!!

[agsstructures]

dell is garbage and so is HP, my parents are 60 and they barely use the computer and have had issues with both HP's and Dell. They bought a macbook for the first time and they will never go back. If they can figure out how to get used to it, it should be no problem at all. Apple even offers classes which will help streamline the process and the classes are often free. Good luck!

[conrail]

Originally Posted by spuds

Thanks for the tips guys & never having used ANY form of 'Apple' gizmo.....

Are they really that much better??


Will it be like learning to use a computer for the first time all over again....??

The hardware is very nice - It might feel more sturdy, quality than most other manufacturers. But I can't stand their software, MacOS Mountain Lion or whatever form of rare animal they call it these days. But O/S is your personal choice - that is easy to change.

But I'm not even sure the hardware is that much more superior over a higher end, say Dell, whose laptops I've always been partial too. Better cost/value IMO.

[The GMT Master]

I would personally go for a PC over a Mac, Windows 7 is very, very good. I made the switch from a laptop back to a desktop (as that suited my needs better), but the laptop is still being used by the shop. That's a Dell, and the best part of 4 years old now - very stable, still pretty speedy, and not had a single problem with it in all that time. I considered a Mac at the time, but the Dell was better specced in terms of hardware and cheaper - that's still very much the case now

[Duc-904]

Take if from someone who made the mistake of going cheap, it's not worth it! My 5 year old Macbook runs and feels way better than my newly purchased $300 special Compaq. Pick up a Macbook Air or Pro and don't look back.

[conrail]

Originally Posted by Duc-904

Take if from someone who made the mistake of going cheap, it's not worth it! My 5 year old Macbook runs and feels way better than my newly purchased $300 special Compaq. Pick up a Macbook Air or Pro and don't look back.

Agreed, but only to the extent that one shouldn't cheap out. You shouldn't get the $300 el-cheapo POS even if it will work for a year (if it is your intent to keep it longer), just the same as there is no need to buy the $1,500 Mac. There are plenty of $800/900 solid PC options. Plus, if it starts to lag in a few years, just pickup whatever generic PC parts you need from your choice of hundreds of manufacturers :)

Of course the $300 Compaq special is worthless now ;-)

[Jet]

Apple MacBook Pro 15" quad core!

[spuds]

Thanks again for all the input & advice guys.....

I don't mind going maybe one or two hundred pounds over budget but....

Originally Posted by Jet

Apple MacBook Pro 15" quad core!

treble my budget just really isn't an option!

Even if I wanted to spend almost UK£1200 I'd only be using a mere fraction of the machine's capabilities so why spend the extra cash?

[lakeros]

I have purchased 4 of these in the last few months and they rock and roll and are pretty light for a 17" screen. And for about 600.00 bucks not to bad.

http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/vo...~0~5930681&p=1

[Pep04]

I hated apple when my wife bought one. I now have her old macbook and can't ever go back to pc.

It is so much easier to use once you get the hang of it.

[RolexWatcher]

On hardware, if you are planning to spend 1200 pounds on a laptop, it opens up lots of Windows based high quality laptops as well although the MacBook Pros are very well made with long battery life. However, around your price range, maybe a Samsung RV720?

On OS software, you will have to get use to the Apple OS but it should be pretty easy to pick up after 1 or 2 weeks.

[drtooth73]

Is Lenovo (IBM) sold in UK?

[Rockrolex]

Dan, I'd go with Dell. HP is a cluge operation, part Compaq, part HP. I've got 2 Dell desktops and 2 Dell Inspiron laptops. I have had no trouble at all with the laptops. I've had some software issues with one desktop, but that's been resolved easily.

[sherwin]

Originally Posted by crew

I have 3 Dell laptops that are all less than 2 years old. All 3 have experienced "issues" in that time. Two had to be sent back to Dell for repair, the other one needed a new battery. One of the repaired units also required a new battery at 18 months. I'm not at all impressed with Dell's reliability. To be fair, I also have a Dell laptop supplied by my employer (an Inspiron). That computer is almost 4 years old and has never had a problem.
If I were to ever buy another Dell, and I really doubt I will, I will definitely buy the extended warranty.

At least if you are technically minded, with a dell you can easily get spare parts in the usa. i know because i rebuilt my mini laptop (D430) with parts from the USA. so when parts are broken, i troubleshoot and change accordingly.

Originally Posted by looking to buy

If you want a PC then consider the Lenovo. This company used to be called IBM. Now it is Chinese owned....

The only laptop in the lenovo range is the X201 (12.1" ultraportable). Packs a killer punch! Maybe when I can get a good deal on one, I might get one as my D430 is starting to show its age.

Originally Posted by drtooth73

Is Lenovo (IBM) sold in UK?

Definitely. Its a worldwide company.