For the last few days I have been without a working computer. My HP laptop has been a real lemon; this time it is the video card. The problem is I have no extra dinero to get it fixed. At the same time I'm going to need something reliable, so I have begun to think about moving on to a Mac.
I have heard many good things about Macs, but I was wondering how different they are from regular PC's?
How many of you had made the switch?
My youngest son Tim has had two Mac Books over a period of about six to seven years and their reliability seems to be about on par with PCs that I've owned during the same period. According to Tim, MACs are a requirement for heavy graphics work which he does (Electronic Media and Graphics Design) Personally, no one has answered the question of what ya do with all your PC based programs that you've amassed over the years. Just by new stuff? Soemthing to think about. As far as I'm concerned, HP computers are at the bottom of my list for reliablity. Cheap, but basically trash. Try a SONY VIAO.
ReplyDeleteOne bad machine is not much of a reason to switch. Preferences between operating systems are a mix of personal taste, institutional or workplace requirements and bandwagon following.
ReplyDeleteThe best reason to prefer one to another is that a software package you want to use is only on one platform. Most well-known apps are available for both platforms. If you want to run Bibleworks, say, or use OneNote or Access, then Windows is the only way to go. If you want to use Keynote or Accordance, then you need a Mac.
Generally, Apple have good quality control, However, the MacBookPro before the one on which I'm typing this was a bit like your HP. In the first month I had it, it went back for repairs (a different fault each time) three times, The fourth time I insisted on trying it before leaving the store and something else went wrong. That was when they replaced it. Good service, but a rare crap computer.
I sell computers for a living -- well, to pay off student loans -- and I sell both PCs and Macs. I've been doing it for over four years. I can honestly tell you that the hype over Apple is just that: hype. I have nothing against Apple. It's a fine operating system, but the quality of the machines are only marginally better...and it's a very small margin that's not worth the extra $400+ dollars. Moreover, Windows 7 itself is a fine operating system, even better than XP. As for the interface, that's a matter of preference, but I prefer Windows 7 over Snow Leopard. I have two computers with Windows 7, and I've had zero problems (not even a simple error message) during the last year that I've had them. Even more miraculously, I have never had a customer complain about Windows 7, which I can't say for that disaster of an OS, Vista. As for the machine itself, I don't think there is a huge difference between one brand and another, but I would rate Toshiba the highest for notebooks and probably ASUS for desktops. Sony has also done a good job for several years.
ReplyDeleteSo, you should get an Apple if you want the Apple OS for particular programs; otherwise, you can spend $600 and get a quality windows notebook with 4GB of RAM and an Intel I3 or AMD Phenom processor. That's plenty fast for video editing and most games.