What Computer Should I Get?

[Sky_2000]

http://makecoolshit.com/what-computer-should-i-get/

I came across this video, just wanted to know what people thought of it? Is this guy a raging fanboy or does he make valid points?

[John]

If you need help with your computer from time to time, get a PC. There are 20x as many PC users in the world.

[underscore]

straight fanboy imo.

* For a basic Email writing, Youtube watching machine, get the Apple MacBook

Why would you pay roughly $500 extra, and have to learn a new OS, to perform such basic tasks?

* For more Portable Power, Get the Apple MacBook Pro

They use the same computing power as any other brand, they don't magically get Intel chips 3 months ahead of every other brand.

* The Apple 21.5-Inch iMac is the perfect Home machine. Upgrade to the 8-Core for more render power. I keep trying to talk my dad into getting this one.

Again, you are paying more for less. Why the hell would you pay a bunch of extra money for a machine that will only be rendering? If it's a rendering machine you need power, and reliability (and probably on a set budget, anyone big money has render farms set up)

* For 3D artists, After Effects designers and video render hogs (me included), I recommend the Apple Mac Pro. I have last years version of this machine and I LOVE it. It allows me to render and compress a ton of video and animate and composite 3D scenes.

Again, same fail, you're paying more for less.

The ONLY reason to buy a Mac, IMO, is for the screens. If you're a professional/student photographer/videographer and/or editor and need the wider colour gamut to ensure colour integrity, then buying a Mac is the simplest way to do that. I'm sure some other screens have the same abilities, but it would be tricky to hunt down.

As for anyone who actually has a need for the Mac OS for whatever reason, well they should run a hackintosh. Again IMO anyone else using a Mac is only doing so "because it's cool" and 99% of the time doesn't know jack shit about technology.

If you ever have computer issues, well I can only speak for PC's here but anything I have ever had come up (rare) can be solved with a quick Google.

[Crowtservo]

Originally Posted by underscore

As for anyone who actually has a need for the Mac OS for whatever reason, well they should run a hackintosh. Again IMO anyone else using a Mac is only doing so "because it's cool" and 99% of the time doesn't know jack shit about technology.

For the most part I agree. Sometimes I would recommend a Mac to a person that is willing to pay the premium for a quality, standardized product with convenient support. People who don't really know what they are doing, can't/won't troubleshoot their own problems and can afford the extra cost.

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

Originally Posted by Superfived

http://makecoolshit.com/what-computer-should-i-get/

I came across this video, just wanted to know what people thought of it? Is this guy a raging fanboy or does he make valid points?

the guy is a complete fucking tool.

99% of mac users are just fanboys/trend jumpers

[underscore]

Originally Posted by Crowtservo

For the most part I agree. Sometimes I would recommend a Mac to a person that is willing to pay the premium for a quality, standardized product with convenient support. People who don't really know what they are doing, can't/won't troubleshoot their own problems and can afford the extra cost.

This is true, although in my experience a lot of people can't even use support. I've had friends ask me what to buy, then ignore what I say and jump on the mac bandwagon and have it fuck up, then ask me to help them fix it. It's usually a simple issue but I'm not gonna learn the in's and out's of a product that is useless to me.

[TOS'd]

Can you straight up uninstall OSX and install like win7 on your macbook? I personally like the build quality of the unibody aluminum casing. Over the years my hp laptops plastic trim would crack etc. If not I guess theres still the parallel/bootcamp way.

[underscore]

I can't see why not, it's all PC internals. Though you must be really hard on your laptop that you need an aluminum case. Also consider that the price jump you'll pay for the same amount of internal ability in a mac is the roughly the price of a whole extra laptop.

There are also other laptop lines that come in metal cases though I can't recall the exact ones atm.

[TOS'd]

Portability is huge in my books. I use it quite often, sometimes I admit I am in a rush and don't treat it with the most care. But after having several laptops with plastic trim all over the place I really don't like them anymore. It seems to add just THAT much more in its size making it more bulky. Brands like Toshiba, HP, Sony, come into mind. Ones that I have my eye on would be Apple, Dell, and one or two ASUS models. I am not a fanboy or wagonjumper, I am only interested in a Mac because I feel it has some good qualities which I cannot find in other manufacturers products.

[Bort]

if you or someone you know, actually knows what they're doing you can buy you parts based on their compatibility with the OSX86 HCL, get yourself a dual booting sno leopard/win7 machine. better than the usual "best of both worlds" solutions. osx is a better software environment hands down imo for normal work/surfing/banking/hdmovies, win7 for compatibility and games. when it comes to desktops, and the higher end laptops there is definitely a huge apple tax to be paid, although the basic macbook is a far better put together piece of kit than the comparible notebooks. the new h(ips) screens on the imacs are beautiful, but with a 2560x1440 resolution wtf can you really do with an ati4650 or 4850 un-upgradable vid card, besides photo editing?

[ddr]

Originally Posted by TOS'd

Can you straight up uninstall OSX and install like win7 on your macbook? I personally like the build quality of the unibody aluminum casing. Over the years my hp laptops plastic trim would crack etc. If not I guess theres still the parallel/bootcamp way.

http://refit.sourceforge.net/

[ddr]

i still think the arguments here are extremely defensive for PC's. Don't PC's have .... 80-90% market share? What's with the hate lol

I don't really think mac's are outrageously priced for their innards. hp came close to apple's physical quality with they envy, but no surprises, it costs even more than a macbook (both have +'s and -'s). I only buy the refurbs, and I don't think the differences amount to a difference of $500+, especially for the aluminum casing and zero flex on the chasis, plus another OS.

Who in their right mind would recommend a hackintosh to their parent's or the next computer illiterate person? If anything, this is a chance to learn two OS's and have the flexibility between the two. Any issue with a mac can be equally handy to solve with google as well.

I agree with most apple users wanting to be cool and following the trend. but the 99% don't know shit about technology is just BS. If you truly knew about technology like you're trying to sound like, mac should be even easier and more intuitive to use compared to MS's UI. I use both, XP>SL>W7 on two machines. They're equally great to use and deserve to be tried by all.

But for those that only want the great screens, the Dell Ultrasharps and certain NEC models have 110% color gamut as well, you don't 'have' to get a mac or this.

The 27" iMac's are supposedly a bargain for what you get, aside from the recent DOA issues.

[terkan]

Originally Posted by dragonone

If you truly knew about technology like you're trying to sound like, you wouldn't buy a mac.

Fixed.

[Bort]

Originally Posted by dragonone

Who in their right mind would recommend a hackintosh to their parent's or the next computer illiterate person? If anything, this is a chance to learn two OS's and have the flexibility between the two. Any issue with a mac can be equally handy to solve with google as well.



The 27" iMac's are supposedly a bargain for what you get, aside from the recent DOA issues.

I've had my parent's running on a 10.5.8 system for over a year now without issue, they are limited users, and i administer the system, as for being in my right mind, well i'm not gonna argue that one.

i agree that a computer with an excellent wide gamut, led non-edge backlit, ips monitor for 2g's isn't bad, but the video system is weak, un-upgradable soldered in laptop junk, and consider that anything but the extrememly large resolution is going to look like smashed anus on such a monitor it seems odd that they'd pair it with such low power video cards that can barely handle today's 3d apps at 1920x1200 let alone their actual native resolutions. if it were possible to run the monitor as a slave to a properly powerful video editing station then it would be a deal worth talking about, as it stands it's a beautiful monitor attached to a crippled video interface that you're going to be stuck with as a paper weight when you actually try to get some performance out of it.

[underscore]

^ The last time I bought a desktop, the guy at the store tried talking me into a Mac, telling me about how nice having it all integrated into the screen was and such. Then I asked him how do you upgrade it if it's a sealed unit. He was confused and kept asking me why on earth I would want to upgrade the disk drive or the video card, and that if something failed it's "no big deal because you just send the whole thing in." Riiiiight

Originally Posted by dragonone

i still think the arguments here are extremely defensive for PC's. Don't PC's have .... 80-90% market share? What's with the hate lol

They are defensive for PC's because for almost the entire population, a PC is better.

Originally Posted by dragonone

I don't really think mac's are outrageously priced for their innards. hp came close to apple's physical quality with they envy, but no surprises, it costs even more than a macbook (both have +'s and -'s). I only buy the refurbs, and I don't think the differences amount to a difference of $500+, especially for the aluminum casing and zero flex on the chasis, plus another OS.

The innards are no better than any PC. I'm not sure what you mean about flex, I've never seen a laptop flex under sane use.

[QUOTE=dragonone;6715215Who in their right mind would recommend a hackintosh to their parent's or the next computer illiterate person? If anything, this is a chance to learn two OS's and have the flexibility between the two. Any issue with a mac can be equally handy to solve with google as well.[/QUOTE]

A Hackintosh functions exactly like a Mac, so really that is the best way to expand your knowledge without blowing money on something you might hate. Do you even know how a Hackintosh functions? Probably not.

That, and most computer illiterate people can't figure out PC's, which as you said have ~90% of the market. If you can't figure out the most common OS, you shouldn't be getting fancy and toying around with OSX or even Linux. Why direct what little knowledge you have towards the minority?

Originally Posted by dragonone

I agree with most apple users wanting to be cool and following the trend. but the 99% don't know shit about technology is just BS. If you truly knew about technology like you're trying to sound like, mac should be even easier and more intuitive to use compared to MS's UI. I use both, XP>SL>W7 on two machines. They're equally great to use and deserve to be tried by all.

It's true, go ahead and poll Mac users, 99 our of 100 will not know a single technical thing about the machine they are using.

Originally Posted by dragonone

But for those that only want the great screens, the Dell Ultrasharps and certain NEC models have 110% color gamut as well, you don't 'have' to get a mac or this.

Oh good, thanks for the heads up. Mac's are now officially useless.

Originally Posted by dragonone

The 27" iMac's are supposedly a bargain for what you get, aside from the recent DOA issues.

"Oh hey yeah I can get you a great deal on a new Mac, only there's a chance it might not fucking work"

[CorneringArtist]

My brother wants to get a Macbook when he goes to university because "it has a 7-hour battery life." He's putting that above the fact that he's gonna have to re-learn a new OS or install XP.

Any way to convince him otherwise?

[El Bastardo]

That mustache makes him look like a faggot, so I turned it off when he said "My advice to anyone is... get a Mac"

It was clear he had nothing worthwhile to say.

[underscore]

Originally Posted by CorneringArtist

My brother wants to get a Macbook when he goes to university because "it has a 7-hour battery life." He's putting that above the fact that he's gonna have to re-learn a new OS or install XP.

Any way to convince him otherwise?

Well here's a few ideas:

1) Games. Mac's don't play very many, plain and simple.

2) Support. If any course he takes requires computer software, you can bet it will be a Windows based one.

3) He'll have enough work to do without having to try and sort out a new OS. If he puts Windows on it, not only is he an even bigger tool but please use 7.

4) If he does buy a mac, it will make him that much closer to being a full hipster douchebag

5) You will beat him with it for "durability testing," so he won't want something with an aluminum case

6) Windows 7 is optimized for playing porn, because I told them to do that

[ddr]

Originally Posted by underscore

^ The last time I bought a desktop, the guy at the store tried talking me into a Mac, telling me about how nice having it all integrated into the screen was and such. Then I asked him how do you upgrade it if it's a sealed unit. He was confused and kept asking me why on earth I would want to upgrade the disk drive or the video card, and that if something failed it's "no big deal because you just send the whole thing in." Riiiiight

are you criticizing the machine because of how the salesperson sold it to you?

Originally Posted by underscore

They are defensive for PC's because for almost the entire population, a PC is better.

That's probably true. I wasn't trying to say Macs are better than PC's, nowhere did I say this. I'm saying i don't understand your reasoning for why you need to bash the Mac's for what they are.

Originally Posted by underscore

The innards are no better than any PC. I'm not sure what you mean about flex, I've never seen a laptop flex under sane use.

any? We all get it. For the same price you can get an Acer with 4gbs ram and a 500gb hard drive. They also feel like plastic toys. Are you really that dense or quick to dismiss the fact that macbooks have a nicer aluminum case? Does that not warrant to be a factor in someone's choice when purchasing a laptop? Oh fuck, I feel stupid because I decided to buy a nice 'looking' laptop. I feel smarter already for avoiding the macbook bandwagon. So if I own both, I'm half as dumb?

Originally Posted by underscore

A Hackintosh functions exactly like a Mac, so really that is the best way to expand your knowledge without blowing money on something you might hate. Do you even know how a Hackintosh functions? Probably not.

I actually don't 100% know how a hackintosh works. Honestly. all the kext and modding of the EFI mind-boggles me. Having to think about whether or not an apple update will fuck me over also worries me. For someone that has more than one system, or is technological oriented like you, I'm sure it's ok and fun. For someone computer illiterate, like I already said, and I don't want to babysit them or be on the phone if some update does screw them over. But really, for a lot of us mac owners that really don't know how a hackintosh works, explain it to us please, in a way google can't.

Originally Posted by underscore

That, and most computer illiterate people can't figure out PC's, which as you said have ~90% of the market. If you can't figure out the most common OS, you shouldn't be getting fancy and toying around with OSX or even Linux. Why direct what little knowledge you have towards the minority?

Those users that only wish to do simple tasks, I personally think OSX is more user-friendly. It's been the case where my parents think it's easier to use SL, but a lot of my friends that have been using windows since 3.1 simply returned their macbooks. I'm not sure Apple's goals were to have a user interface like Linux. They heavily skinned it so it'd be easy to use. If OSX is as complex to you as Linux, you're either a terminal freak or still looking for the right click.

Originally Posted by underscore

It's true, go ahead and poll Mac users, 99 our of 100 will not know a single technical thing about the machine they are using.



Oh good, thanks for the heads up. Mac's are now officially useless.



"Oh hey yeah I can get you a great deal on a new Mac, only there's a chance it might not fucking work"

I'm not sure what you mean by the last parts. What great deal? That I can get you? Better sell all the apple stocks before they bankrupt from all the DOA 27" iMacs and when ppl figure out how useless the new i7's with nice screens are!

[underscore]

Originally Posted by dragonone

are you criticizing the machine because of how the salesperson sold it to you?

No, I was criticizing the design. The fact that the sales guy was an idiot was just a bonus.

Originally Posted by dragonone

any? We all get it. For the same price you can get an Acer with 4gbs ram and a 500gb hard drive. They also feel like plastic toys. Are you really that dense or quick to dismiss the fact that macbooks have a nicer aluminum case? Does that not warrant to be a factor in someone's choice when purchasing a laptop? Oh fuck, I feel stupid because I decided to buy a nice 'looking' laptop. I feel smarter already for avoiding the macbook bandwagon. So if I own both, I'm half as dumb?

It has already been stated that there are other brands with aluminum laptops if that is your deciding factor. Yes some people prefer that case, to me a case isn't overly important. Something that has its importance on the inside should not be overly affected by the exterior design (unless it was a god awful case design that made you want to gouge your eyes out?). And don't lie, all that computers really are, are fancy toys

Originally Posted by dragonone

I actually don't 100% know how a hackintosh works. Honestly. all the kext and modding of the EFI mind-boggles me. Having to think about whether or not an apple update will fuck me over also worries me. For someone that has more than one system, or is technological oriented like you, I'm sure it's ok and fun. For someone computer illiterate, like I already said, and I don't want to babysit them or be on the phone if some update does screw them over. But really, for a lot of us mac owners that really don't know how a hackintosh works, explain it to us please, in a way google can't.

For some (but not all) you simply need to run a few things to trick OSX into thinking that it is being installed on a legitimate apple product, and there is no modification to the OS at all. There are iso's floating around for all kinds of motherboards out there, a full list is in a wiki. Apple updates do not affect all versions (I think the number of setups that can get away with accepting updates is increasing but don't quote me). If it isn't for an especially computer literate person, it is a good way to try OSX, and if they really love it enough THEN invest in the proprietary hardware.

Originally Posted by dragonone

Those users that only wish to do simple tasks, I personally think OSX is more user-friendly. It's been the case where my parents think it's easier to use SL, but a lot of my friends that have been using windows since 3.1 simply returned their macbooks. I'm not sure Apple's goals were to have a user interface like Linux. They heavily skinned it so it'd be easy to use. If OSX is as complex to you as Linux, you're either a terminal freak or still looking for the right click.

The point I am making is why would you buy a more expensive system for basic tasks? Is it really that much harder to double click on your internet browser to check your e-mail on a PC? If you only use a computer for 3 things, it shouldn't be that hard to remember how to do those 3 things. Please explain to me how that is supposed to be a valid argument.

My link between OSX and Linux was only that they make up a small portion of the market. What I was trying to say is for people who don't understand computers very well, it would be better if the bits they do know, are about the most common operating system. If they ever use someone elses computer with Windows but all they know is OSX then their small amount of knowledge is now useless.

Originally Posted by dragonone

I'm not sure what you mean by the last parts. What great deal? That I can get you? Better sell all the apple stocks before they bankrupt from all the DOA 27" iMacs and when ppl figure out how useless the new i7's with nice screens are!

I was being sarcastic, and basically pointing out that a good deal isn't such a good deal if the thing is DOA.

[StylinRed]

Originally Posted by TOS'd

Portability is huge in my books. I use it quite often, sometimes I admit I am in a rush and don't treat it with the most care. But after having several laptops with plastic trim all over the place I really don't like them anymore. It seems to add just THAT much more in its size making it more bulky. Brands like Toshiba, HP, Sony, come into mind. Ones that I have my eye on would be Apple, Dell, and one or two ASUS models. I am not a fanboy or wagonjumper, I am only interested in a Mac because I feel it has some good qualities which I cannot find in other manufacturers products.

buy one of those small vaios? with the CF or whatever

[Bort]

Originally Posted by dragonone

any? We all get it. For the same price you can get an Acer with 4gbs ram and a 500gb hard drive. They also feel like plastic toys. Are you really that dense or quick to dismiss the fact that macbooks have a nicer aluminum case? Does that not warrant to be a factor in someone's choice when purchasing a laptop? Oh fuck, I feel stupid because I decided to buy a nice 'looking' laptop. I feel smarter already for avoiding the macbook bandwagon. So if I own both, I'm half as dumb?

i did just that, bought an acer about 2 1/2 years ago that i shoved 4gb of ram into, that has a nasty 160gb hd with decent 8600 vid. it's now a hackbook, works flawlessly only in leopard, but it's roughly the same speed as a macbookpro from early 08. i'd still trade it for a basic macbook that now have decent video ie. 9400. imo they're well designed notbooks, from the mag thing battery connector to the haptics support on the touchpads, i cannot stress how much i fucking hate using regular trackpads. the two finger scrolling, zooming and whatnot keep me from pulling an fps doug on it.

Originally Posted by dragonone

But really, for a lot of us mac owners that really don't know how a hackintosh works, explain it to us please, in a way google can't.

i sent you a link to the osx86 wiki above, if u can't glean the required info from that one link u shud prol stick to paying jobs to figure it out for ya

[CorneringArtist]

Originally Posted by underscore

Well here's a few ideas:

1) Games. Mac's don't play very many, plain and simple.

2) Support. If any course he takes requires computer software, you can bet it will be a Windows based one.

3) He'll have enough work to do without having to try and sort out a new OS. If he puts Windows on it, not only is he an even bigger tool but please use 7.

4) If he does buy a mac, it will make him that much closer to being a full hipster douchebag

5) You will beat him with it for "durability testing," so he won't want something with an aluminum case

6) Windows 7 is optimized for playing porn, because I told them to do that

My brother is saying something about Apple's good customer support in-store. He WAS gonna go to Dell (which he leaves open as a choice), but then they outsourced their tech support to India, where he would be helped by someone who would just run him through the steps to get his shit fixed and end up not helping at all.

[underscore]

Getting my HP fixed was simple, a few clicks online and they expressed a box to my door with everything (even the tape to seal the box), shipped it out, had it back within a week IIRC.

With the money saved by buying a PC instead of a Mac, your brother could buy a netbook if he needed to should anything go wrong with his laptop.

[Senna4ever]

The bottom line is: GET THE SYSTEM THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU. Who the fuck cares if people tell you not to get a Mac or PC? Your needs are unique...you may be happy with a $400 notebook, a $1000 17" PC laptop, a $2000 Dell Adamo XPS or you may need a $8000 Mac Pro monster. Just get the one that's right for your needs and fits your budget, not other people's needs or budgets. I'm personally getting tired of this Mac vs. PC shit, because they both have their good points and bad points, and fanboys on both sides voice their opinions and ridicule people who just happen to buy something that they personally have no use for.

My reasons for getting a 3.06 Ghz 17" Macbook Pro were:
- fucking kick ass high resolution, non-glossy screen with a wide colour gamut. As a photographer, this is invaluable for image processing and showing clients my portfolio or finished images.
- small form factor relative to other 17" laptops.
- light, again relative to other 17" laptops.
- quiet.
- ability to switch between integrated & discrete GPU's. Yes, I am aware some Win7 PC laptops have this feature, and switching can be done on the fly, unlike the Macs, but I don't think any PC laptops I looked at had it when I was doing my research.
- in the $3000 range, which admittedly not too many people will go, it was the CHEAPEST compared to HP, Dell, Alienware, Eurocom & Lenovo laptops with the same/similar specs by at least $500. Every one of those PC laptops have much shorter battery lives and would have been heavier & thicker.

I was a Mac hater for over 15 years, and after using OSX Snow Leopard, I really don't miss Windows - much to my own surprise. I bought the MBP fully intending to install Windows, but now I don't feel the need to do so. Yes, it took a few days to get used to the OS, but once you do, it's fine.

If you're looking for a laptop that is in the $1000 range, then no, a Macbook may not be the most economical, but you may like how it looks, or whatever the reason may be. An HP Envy comes closest to the Macbook if you compare form factors, but the Envy does not have an internal DVD drive - it does have an amazing screen which the Macbook most certainly does not have. The lord giveth and taketh away.

I'm tired.... rant over.