[JulyZerg]

My cousin just graduated high school and I was thinking of getting her a new laptop for university. She was looking into a Macbook Pro but her friends have told her for business(Excel etc) it's probably better to use Windows than a Mac. (Not sure if theirs any proof to that though lol)

She isn't into gaming and doesn't need something top of the line, just something that looks very sleek and probably light with a decent graphics card and processor(i5 or even i3). But not too basic since she'll probably replace her desktop with this laptop.

Budget: Probably under $1600-ish would be ideal since she doesn't need anything top of the line or for gaming.

Any suggestions on what laptop to get? I've heard good things about ASUS.

Thx

[Manic!]

No need to spend $1600 on laptop it's overkill.

If she wants something high end she could go with this: [Comp] Thinkpad X1 Carbon $958.62 - RedFlagDeals.com Forums (http://forums.redflagdeals.com/thinkpad-x1-carbon-958-62-a-1215907/)

[JulyZerg]

I don't think she needs anything high end, just something that looks very sleek and light but can still preform everyday tasks(not run games like D3/SC2 etc lol)

I'm guessing under $1000 would be good than?

[iam_dan]

Get a nice Ultrabook from Asus, or if you want a 15", get the Samsung Series 9

[Purely]

Yup, I agree with her friends. Last semester some of the programs/software my class was required to use was not compatible with mac.

For her needs like Manic! said, $1600 is overkill imo. I would suggest looking at some $1000~ ultrabooks instead (fast, thin/sleek, lightweight, battery life)

[Sky_High]

Tell her to take a look at the:

1) HP Spectre 14 Tech Specs | HP Ultrabook (http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/envy14-spectre/specifications.html#.UDgP_t1lQpF)
2) Asus Zenbook UX31A
3) Samsung NP900
4) Thinkpad X1 Carbon

Sure it would be cool to tell all your friends "I just bought a MBP", but for it's price and specs, there's definitely a lot better competitors out there. MS Excel will run on Mac alright, but once you get to more high-end business/accounting softwares, that's a whole different story....

[Razor Ramon HG]

She's a girl? Just get her a 13.3" MacBook Air and you will forever be her favourite cousin.

[!MiKrofT]

Man I wish you were my cousin. lol. The choices from skyhigh are good. Except I'd avoid the HP.

[Manic!]

She's a girl? Just get her a 13.3" MacBook Air and you will forever be her favourite cousin.

Until she starts school and finds out the software she needs won't run on OSX and has to use bootcamp.

[impulseX]

i could be wrong but can macbooks still boot into windows aswell? or has that changed? if she has any use for a macbook, and can still boot into windows aswell, why not get that? if not, then as others mentioned, $1600 is overkill.

don't know much about laptops but i picked up an acer aspire timelinex not too long ago for like 700 and its pretty good imo. fairly light, thin and has an amazing battery life.
thought i might share that to expand your options.

[!MiKrofT]

Just a note about bootcamp. The batter life won't be as good when it's running windows.

[Manic!]

also if she gets a mac she will have to learn
2 different operating systems.

[!MiKrofT]

also if she gets a mac she will have to learn
2 different operating systems.
Well assuming she already knows one or the other.

[hongy]

Yup, I agree with her friends. Last semester some of the programs/software my class was required to use was not compatible with mac.

For her needs like Manic! said, $1600 is overkill imo. I would suggest looking at some $1000~ ultrabooks instead (fast, thin/sleek, lightweight, battery life)

Lol looks like I'm returning my mac.

[Araaadi]

Lol looks like I'm returning my mac.

Mark Morrison - Return Of The Mack [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO] - YouTube

[Manic!]

Another option is a Dell 14Z $899 with a dedicated video card something I don't even think she needs.
The Dell Online Store: Build Your System (http://configure.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=ni14z2_ft_023&model_id=inspiron-14z-5423&c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1)

Without the video card and 750 GB HD for $709.

The Dell Online Store: Build Your System (http://configure.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=ni14z_ft_015&model_id=inspiron-n411z&c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1)

[Anjew]

base macbook air with apple care. At the end of the 3 years when she is ready to resell it, it would retain the most value out of all the suggestions listed.

iwork for spreadsheet functionality or word processing.

anything else she can fall back to VM or bootcamp

[Energy]

If I didn't sometimes play games I'd go with a Mac Air too. Very portable and convenient for students. $1029 to start and you don't really need the expensive add ons just for school.

[Manic!]

base macbook air with apple care. At the end of the 3 years when she is ready to resell it, it would retain the most value out of all the suggestions listed.

iwork for spreadsheet functionality or word processing.

anything else she can fall back to VM or bootcamp

Shes taking business classes. Business runs on Windows and Microsoft office. Also switching between different operation systems during the school day would be a pain in the ass.

[Anjew]

lol business classes "requiring" microsoft office?

iwork can do everything the student needs in place of ms office(it will save to office file formats if needed).

only SOME classes require windows, most likely her business classes will NOT require windows. If she does need it she can use bootcamp OR with 8gb of ram she can run windows on a Virtual machine.

the macbook air is the best bang for buck out of all the machines suggested(also retains most value after the warranty is over). make sure you use the education discount option.

[too_slow]

^MBA has the best bang for the buck? Thanks for the morning laugh!
As discussed on the other laptops thread, quite a few features on the PC - Excel 2012 are no where to be found on the Mac equivalent. You will also be spending more time trying to figure out the 'equivalen't on the Mac Excel in a business stats class when you should be focusing on how to solve the damn problem. My 0.02. (Unless they've changed Excel 2012 for MAC to mimic the PC vers, my point stands)

[belaud]

lol business classes "requiring" microsoft office?

iwork can do everything the student needs in place of ms office(it will save to office file formats if needed).

only SOME classes require windows, most likely her business classes will NOT require windows. If she does need it she can use bootcamp OR with 8gb of ram she can run windows on a Virtual machine.

the macbook air is the best bang for buck out of all the machines suggested(also retains most value after the warranty is over). make sure you use the education discount option.

:suspicious:

Do tell me why they retain the most value after 3 years.

And don't say because Apple.

[lowside67]

That is exactly why... people pay way more for used Apples than any PC product. No judgment on whether it's "worth it" or not but that is the reality.

Mark

[Mr.HappySilp]

Since she is a gril I hae to say MacBook pro or Macbook Air.
Personally my next labtop will be a Mac. They just seem to last longer (could be the built quality) and looks better.
Too bad I got a gaming desktop 2 years ago stop gaming so the desktop is going to last me a good 7+ years lol.........

[Manic!]

Since she is a gril I hae to say MacBook pro or Macbook Air.


Thats like saying since she is a girl she should by a Miata when she has 2 kids and that will be here only car.

When she gets a job in the real world she will not be able to use a mac then what?

[Mr.HappySilp]

Thats like saying since she is a girl she should by a Miata when she has 2 kids and that will be here only car.

When she gets a job in the real world she will not be able to use a mac then what?

Is fine I have co-wokers who uses Mac at home and is fine using windows at work.

[too_slow]

BTW, the girl that I was trying to help with (bus stats) she ended up picking up a cheap PC laptop. It was infuriating to help her remap all the shortcuts/processes learned in class on a PC to the shortcut/processes on a MAC.

Word Processing/Surfing/Lightroom operates pretty much the same across both platforms. The new ultrabooks have closed the gap in terms of build quality + materials. I would give the Zenbook Prime a long look before picking the MBA.

I was faced with this decision two weeks ago: MBA 13 vs Zenbook Prime and the Lenovo X1 Carbon. I picked the X1 Carbon because it was cheaper by a large margin when equipped with the 256gb SSD drive, and the fact that it has built-in 3G (no free wi-fi in Australia, have to pay to play :( ) Oh, and the fact that it has a 14" screen in a 13" chassis, weighs 5% less than the MBA, has a carbon fiber chassis, and the resolution sits in the sweet spot between the MBA and the ZBP. The CSR was also able to throw in a free adapter for my charger so I can use it in Aus !

[DragonChi]

Lenovo Thinkpad X series has my vote.

Their keyboards are legendary to type on. Black and sleek for a minimalist design. and they'll be the lightest of all the ThinkPad series for their screen size.

I think working with MS excel in windows is a legit reason to stay on windows.

1. Most companies work with Windows and Excel, so being in business, there is a good chance you'll be using it.
2. The point of being in school is to get a job at a company, so working with the standard in industry makes sense.

TBH, you could go with windows or mac, both laptops should be able to run your OS of choice.

[Manic!]

Is fine I have co-wokers who uses Mac at home and is fine using windows at work.

But why go threw the work of learning 2 different operating systems when you don't have to. If here work provides her with a laptop it will be a pc.

Only reason for her to get a mac is because it looks cool.

[ScizzMoney]

"learn" two different operating systems?

People that just double click icons don't really need to 'learn' too much. Most people are fine using Macs and PCs. Not like it's DOS or anything.

[Mr.HappySilp]

But why go threw the work of learning 2 different operating systems when you don't have to. If here work provides her with a laptop it will be a pc.

Only reason for her to get a mac is because it looks cool.

LOL learning 2 OS. Bet you can do basic functions with both OS within 30mins or less.

Beside if you can't learn to use to do basic things with both Windows or MacOS you shouldn't be using a computer.

Yes it must be hard and challenging to learn how to double click or go to Mac menu at the top left hand side ><

[Anjew]

:suspicious:

Do tell me why they retain the most value after 3 years.

And don't say because Apple.


look at craigslist, plug in macbook and plug in the competitors with similar specs.

the macbook is on par with all the other ultraportables in terms of specs but the service, aesthetics, overall functionality of the new OS and services(icloud, itunes match etc) gives it the edge. oh and apple provides education discount + 100dollar giftcard to itunes, app store etc(does asus or lenovo have anything similar?)

its perfect for a girl on her way to university.

[Anjew]

Only reason for her to get a mac is because it looks cool.

because another product has a better monitor and processor does not mean it outweighs all the benefits of getting a mac.

who the hell knows how to use the windows backup and shadowcopy when mac's have time machine and icloud? Those are very important for novice users. does asus or lenovo(not gonna even bother mentioning acer) have anything on par with applecare?

malware/rootkit problems? its gonna happen, shes a girl. :troll:

[Razor Ramon HG]

I think the main benefit with Apple is that no matter what happens, you'll always have immediate service due to their retail outlets. Since she's a girl, I'll just generalize that she's probably not that tech-savvy, which is why I recommended the MBA due to the ease of use with OS X. If she does in fact need a Windows app, she can use boot camp, which isn't necessarily very hard.

And once again, she's a girl. Bitches love branding - Apple reigns supreme.

The only other company that offers comparable service would probably be ASUS with its one year accidental warranty that covers drops, spills, electric surges, and fire; but I heard the return time for RMAs can take a while sometimes.

[ilovebacon]

Just saw a commercial of bestbuy selling a laptop for 399$ check it!

[JulyZerg]

BTW, the girl that I was trying to help with (bus stats) she ended up picking up a cheap PC laptop. It was infuriating to help her remap all the shortcuts/processes learned in class on a PC to the shortcut/processes on a MAC.

Word Processing/Surfing/Lightroom operates pretty much the same across both platforms. The new ultrabooks have closed the gap in terms of build quality + materials. I would give the Zenbook Prime a long look before picking the MBA.

I was faced with this decision two weeks ago: MBA 13 vs Zenbook Prime and the Lenovo X1 Carbon. I picked the X1 Carbon because it was cheaper by a large margin when equipped with the 256gb SSD drive, and the fact that it has built-in 3G (no free wi-fi in Australia, have to pay to play :( ) Oh, and the fact that it has a 14" screen in a 13" chassis, weighs 5% less than the MBA, has a carbon fiber chassis, and the resolution sits in the sweet spot between the MBA and the ZBP. The CSR was also able to throw in a free adapter for my charger so I can use it in Aus !

Where did you pick up the Carbon X1? I went to Best Buy to check some laptops out(Samsung 9 series and ASUS Zenbook) and between the two, I think the Zenbook Prime wins. Although I've heard good things about the Carbon X1 but I'm not sure which places sell it locally?

[!MiKrofT]

X1 Carbon can only be ordered online at the moment.

[too_slow]

^Yup
You have to order it online on:
ThinkPad X1 Carbon - rugged business-class Ultrabook from Lenovo (CA) (http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/products/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x1-carbon/index.html)

To get 24% off, use this code: (expires Aug 31, 2012)
CAPREDFLAGDEALS

I followed RFD to call in to cancel my order. The CSR then offered a cash discount if I did not cancel it. I ended up saving an extra $100 on top!!! (My final price was just under $1100 on the i5, 4gb, 256gb ssd model)

[hongy]

Damn, the x1 carbon price went up, and now the page is down.

[Manic!]

r lenovo(not gonna even bother mentioning acer) have anything on par with applecare?



Lenovo does and it's better than apple care because they will sent someone to come to you the next Business Day.

Warranty services 4 Years

[add $285.35]
4YR Onsite Next Business Day + Accidental Damage Protection
Accidents DO happen. Save 35% on this Back-to-School Best Seller!

[too_slow]

^I've been told that Lenovo has very good customer service. My original IBM T61 and my Lenovo W510 still works really well with no issues.

Acer Aspire series are pretty bad. The Timeline series are much better. My three-year old RFD special still works well with a recent SSD upgrade. The battery still holds 7+ hrs of charge.

[belaud]

look at craigslist, plug in macbook and plug in the competitors with similar specs.

the macbook is on par with all the other ultraportables in terms of specs but the service, aesthetics, overall functionality of the new OS and services(icloud, itunes match etc) gives it the edge. oh and apple provides education discount + 100dollar giftcard to itunes, app store etc(does asus or lenovo have anything similar?)

its perfect for a girl on her way to university.

:fulloffuck:

I'll give you customer service, but you obviously have not used anything else to say the macbook's services, specs, aesthetics give it an "edge", nor have you tried discovering the plethora of services available on Windows.

In fact, the MB/Pro/Air have sub-par specs at its price range, its construction may be aluminium, but PC makers are starting to use carbon, steel, and alloys.

[Manic!]

Can anyone explain to my what gender has anything to do with what type of computer a person buys?

[q0192837465]

Just to throw it in there. If she goes on to be a CA, Mac is explicitly disallowed for examination purposes.

[Anjew]

:fulloffuck:

I'll give you customer service, but you obviously have not used anything else to say the macbook's services, specs, aesthetics give it an "edge", nor have you tried discovering the plethora of services available on Windows.

In fact, the MB/Pro/Air have sub-par specs at its price range, its construction may be aluminium, but PC makers are starting to use carbon, steel, and alloys.

Professionally, I work extensively with all the current windows platforms, i know all of Microsoft's consumer offerings. Personally i use windows 95percent of the time and use xcode when i'm on my macbook... i am far from what you would call an apple fanboy.

The Microsoft counterparts are a joke, not to mention lacking and unrefined(in the enterprise world i would be much much more inclined to agree with you). enlighten me please....

Apple has created a very strong line up of services and features under its brand. iCloud, app store, time machine, apple care to name a few.. Majority of the consumers out there are interested in efficiency, intuitiveness and aesthetics. Unlike the other brands, apple meets most of the criteria that the average consumers want.

Pricing:Spec ratio inst as far off as some of you would like to insinuate, also it isn't the only deciding factor when purchasing. i cant believe specs is still an argument here.

also value retention is very high for resale which you ignored completely as well.

haters gotta hate :fuckthatshit:

[belaud]

:suspicious:

I'm not sure if you know where I work. I deal with the hardware side of everything, you trying to argue while bringing your "work" into this, therefore you must know what you're talking about, is pathetic.

Value retention is the same as any good brand laptops, look at the Asus G73/G75's, Lenovo Y Series ideapad's, they all have the same diminishing resale value as the Air/Pro. If you're comparing it to Envy's, and Qosmio's, you're doing it wrong.

Apple has created a monopoly of software that is indeed good, but you have not looked deep enough to realize there are competing software, that are just as good, if not, better, for free, or for paying software.

Garageband -> FL Studio
Time Machine -> System Restore (please don't tell me time machine is better, you would have to be half retarded to not know how to use system restore)
App Store -> Google Play
Apple Care -> NCIX Extended Warranty
Itunes -> Windows Media Player

Do tell me these "other brands" that aren't meeting criteria.

Trying to tell me spec's dont matter when purchasing a laptop is like saying you have no problem forking up 200k for a mustang because its convenient. I don't know why you would shy away from knowing what your laptop's internal's are, this should be the biggest buying factor right next to the battery life.

[Anjew]

:suspicious:

I'm not sure if you know where I work. I deal with the hardware side of everything, you trying to argue while bringing your "work" into this, therefore you must know what you're talking about, is pathetic.

Value retention is the same as any good brand laptops, look at the Asus G73/G75's, Lenovo Y Series ideapad's, they all have the same diminishing resale value as the Air/Pro. If you're comparing it to Envy's, and Qosmio's, you're doing it wrong.

Apple has created a monopoly of software that is indeed good, but you have not looked deep enough to realize there are competing software, that are just as good, if not, better, for free, or for paying software.

Garageband -> FL Studio
Time Machine -> System Restore (please don't tell me time machine is better, you would have to be half retarded to not know how to use system restore)
App Store -> Google Play
Apple Care -> NCIX Extended Warranty
Itunes -> Windows Media Player

Do tell me these "other brands" that aren't meeting criteria.

Trying to tell me spec's dont matter when purchasing a laptop is like saying you have no problem forking up 200k for a mustang because its convenient. I don't know why you would shy away from knowing what your laptop's internal's are, this should be the biggest buying factor right next to the battery life.

I only brought my work into this just to counter your assumptions on my lack of experience with Microsoft products.

you compared time machine and system restore and you work with hardware? :facepalm: hope your boss is reading this. good luck configuring the shadow copy service to be more like timemachine

google play isnt even on windows if you said chrome webstore i may have let that go(not really, webstore has a lot to catch up to). Apple is started to integrate the app store into OSX to minimize the chance of malicious software circulating which minimizes identity theft and the like. Microsoft as a result is implementing windows 8 market place.

After my own fiasco at ncix years ago, i'd gladly stay away from ncix warranty. They would nit pick just so they dont have to provide coverage. When you goto the applestore they go out of their way (many cases of unsupported issues ) to provide outstanding support. That is priceless for some people.

[Anjew]

Trying to tell me spec's dont matter when purchasing a laptop is like saying you have no problem forking up 200k for a mustang because its convenient.

Specs isnt the only deciding factor when making a purchase. And some cases apple can run tasks just as fast or even faster with lower specs. Here's a better analogy. Its like purchasing a car solely on HP alone without considering the other factors.

I don't know why you would shy away from knowing what your laptop's internal's are, this should be the biggest buying factor right next to the battery life.

The average consumer just wants their laptop to work. And the macbook pretty much dominates when it comes to battery life.

[belaud]

Ermm... system restore is time machine, without the fancy GUI, nor the ability to have your desktop filled with porn on x day. Image copying has been around for awhile, its not exclusive to Apple.

You're trying to compare Microsoft against Apple, Windows is everything, my domain is much bigger then OSX's, I am able to choose whatever I damn well please if I can access it on this laptop.

NCIX support is good, they nit pick so you don't get repeat RMA customers that constantly come back complaining shit don't work, they deal with a lot more brand's & laptops, then Apple has to with 3 models.

Even then, my own dealings with Apple is garbage, 2 ipod's dead, no replacement because of "wear & tear". To each their own experiences, your own is not the world's.

They are two different OS's, an X86 platform written from the core system files of Vista, to improve upon. OSX is a recently rewritten x86 linux OS licensed for Apple, before, it was made to work on PowerPC's. Please show me in what synthetic/real world benchmarks do Apple's run faster compared to an identical PC laptop, their GUI applies the oldest trick in the book, with an illusion of it "slipping up" on the screen, tricking the eye that its open already, when reality, its still loading.

Tom's hardware did a side by side loading test a few years back, with both of them coming up at the same time. the only major de facto Apple has over Windows is they have the ability to quick boot. Thats coming in Windows 8.

Again, Battery life is not superior to concurrent ultra books on the market, can you stop making shit up on the spot.

Samsung NP900X4C-A01CA Intel Core i5 3317UM 8GB 128GB SSD 15IN HD+ WLAN Win7 HP Notebook Ultrabook - Samsung - NP900X4C-A01CA (http://ncix.com/products/?sku=72399&vpn=NP900X4C-A01CA&manufacture=Samsung&promoid=1344)

A competitor to the base MBP, with the same battery cell nodes used.

In fact, let me link you the entire Ultrabooks page.

Notebooks - Ultrabooks Toshiba, ASUS, Samsung, Acer, HP Consumer (http://ncix.com/products/index.php?minorcatid=1402)

If you would stop comparing $500 laptops towards the MB/Air/Pro, you'd have better facts.

[Anjew]

thanks for proving my point that the macbook air is one of the best inclusive package for the average consumer..

[Purely]

thanks for proving my point that the macbook air is one of the best inclusive package for the average consumer..

That is what Apple marketing makes you think. If it is the best inclusive package for the average consumer, then why is there a need to go through all the trouble to set up bootcamp because mac doesn't support something?

Instead of hating on everything else other than a Mac, actually checkout some of the other Ultrabooks before criticizing. Ultrabooks at the same price level are on-par, if not better in battery life/specs/functionality/aesthetics.

Also, there are nothing wrong with Acer laptops. My family has three Acer laptops that we use on a regular basis that work perfectly fine with no issues.

[belaud]

thanks for proving my point that the macbook air is one of the best inclusive package for the average consumer..

Nothing else to say? Regurgitating opinions and biased facts? Clearly you didn't read through my post well enough to understand what I'm trying to say. I'm done arguing with you, as you have nothing but opinions on this matter.

Throw yourself out the door please.

[!MiKrofT]

I'm neutral on the Mac vs PC laptop. However I disagree that Mac's have better asthetics. The new ultrabooks are just as nice.

And it really depends on what applications are being used in school. Sure iwork can save in office format but what if they're teaching specific features from Word or Excel? One can easily recommend OpenOffice as well. Just because it's compatible doesn't mean it's the same. Recommending a novice user for VM/Bootcamp is just going to cause problems an added cost. Not to mention battery life in bootcamp is worse.

Most users don't even care about the itunes/icloud stuff. My friend bought a Mac and she doesn't even use any of that stuff.

Basically I'm saying that the Mac is the recommended solution for a university student regardless is flawed. It really does depends on what they're doing/learning in school.

If it's business apps/office/financial I'd tend to lean towards an Ultrabook. Oh and regarding resale value. I compare what they're actually worth and not some inflated price that users on Craigslist are asking.

[too_slow]

^Agreed.

Slightly off topic:
After seeing the latest Samsung/HP Windows 8 tablet/laptop hybrid offerings, I have decided to cancel my X1 order. The 11.6" Samsung unit offers Intel I5, 11.6" IPS 1080p display, 8hrs+ battery life + SD slot + 3G. The MBA11 is no where close to it.

[Razor Ramon HG]

Wow, I can't imagine using a 1080p resolution on an 11" screen. Already hard enough as it is sometimes on my 13.3"

[hongy]

Wow, I can't imagine using a 1080p resolution on an 11" screen. Already hard enough as it is sometimes on my 13.3"

Still liking your asus? I'm waiting on bestbuy's shipment. It's only 1000 until sept6.

[knight604]

I fucking hate apple try hard fan boys.

[Razor Ramon HG]

Still liking your asus? I'm waiting on bestbuy's shipment. It's only 1000 until sept6.

Yeah, probably the best ultrabook in terms of bang for your dollar!

Just make sure you get a sleeve/case that actual protects it. The included one does nothing aside from preventing it from scratches only.

[too_slow]

Still liking your asus? I'm waiting on bestbuy's shipment. It's only 1000 until sept6.

Are you getting the UX31 or the UX32VD (the latter with i7 + discrete Geforce graphics)

[Anjew]

Nothing else to say? Regurgitating opinions and biased facts? Clearly you didn't read through my post well enough to understand what I'm trying to say. I'm done arguing with you, as you have nothing but opinions on this matter.

Throw yourself out the door please.

Please, You lost sight of the reason the thread was started. We are not picking out a machine for you.

Many windows users face unnecessary problems when dealing with Malware and system bogging down over time.

Many users dont even know what system restore is when they have problems and do you think they can figure out how to use shadowcopy to restore an old version of a their outlook data store.

Your "facts" are cherry picked out from various brands to battle one brand(picking a samsung model that beats it in battery life but the same price range). i'm confident my point still stands that apple offers a very consumer friendly inclusive package.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Please, You lost sight of the reason the thread was started. We are not picking out a machine for you.

Many windows users face unnecessary problems when dealing with Malware and system bogging down over time.

Many users dont even know what system restore is when they have problems and do you think they can figure out how to use shadowcopy to restore an old version of a their outlook data store.

Your "facts" are cherry picked out from various brands to battle one brand(picking a samsung model that beats it in battery life but the same price range). i'm confident my point still stands that apple offers a very consumer friendly inclusive package.

I work in tech support and I can say both Windows and Mac have a lot of dumb people using it. At least with Mac is there is an issue with their computer most of the time they can call Apple and fix it but Windows computer not likely..... especially when they got a virus or they Windows computer comes with so much garbage that it slows their computer to a hault and they blame their Internet speed @@ So I have to say I rather help someone who uses a Mac than a PC since is easier to help them (Expect Mac Mail that's one big garbage software....)

[Purely]

Please, You lost sight of the reason the thread was started. We are not picking out a machine for you.

Many windows users face unnecessary problems when dealing with Malware and system bogging down over time.

Many users dont even know what system restore is when they have problems and do you think they can figure out how to use shadowcopy to restore an old version of a their outlook data store.

Your "facts" are cherry picked out from various brands to battle one brand(picking a samsung model that beats it in battery life but the same price range). i'm confident my point still stands that apple offers a very consumer friendly inclusive package.

It's not hard at all to system restore, all it takes is a few clicks. It is sure a lot easier and less troublesome than running bootcamp on a mac like you suggested earlier.

You have nothing else to back up your argument, and now you're bringing up the old "windows are filled with virus/malware"? Also stop being delusional, nobody is "cherry-picking" laptops just to prove to you that same price ultra-books have on-par or better battery life than macs.

[!MiKrofT]

Still liking your asus? I'm waiting on bestbuy's shipment. It's only 1000 until sept6.
When's best buy shipment coming in? I got lazy and didn't order in time for the X1 so it's $100 more now.

[hongy]

Bestbuy is sold all the models that had arriving last night, but they're supposed to get some more Monday evening? More or less the same with Futureshop. Call before hand to double check.

Also yeah, I wanted the x1 but didn't order in time. Hoping the asus is as good as the mba's trackpad.

[Anjew]

It's not hard at all to system restore, all it takes is a few clicks. It is sure a lot easier and less troublesome than running bootcamp on a mac like you suggested earlier.

You have nothing else to back up your argument, and now you're bringing up the old "windows are filled with virus/malware"? Also stop being delusional, nobody is "cherry-picking" laptops just to prove to you that same price ultra-books have on-par or better battery life than macs.

wrong, system restore people use is nothing like time machine which is a backup and system restore all in one dumb friendly package which comes FREE. It does not restore user files, emails, documents in configurable intervals(different folders can be set to daily hourly whatever depending on importance or preference). If you have windows 7 or Vista(in a limited way), you have shadowcopy but to an average consumer its like teaching someone born into a GUI era command line functions as they wont know the locations of the profiled data as they are most likely in a hidden folder tree... xp does not have shadowcopy and system restore files are one of the first items to be infected as well.

Malware is still a very real issue. A large portion of users dont even update java, not to mention many also dont even know what it is. there are thousands of websites ready to exploit windows machines with old versions of java including windows 7.

Some people just need their tool to work and not have to deal with malware which offets the benefits of slightly higher specs. I'm not saying Mac's do not get infected as well, just very uncommon for now.

Have you seen daily driver PC's compared to Macs after a couple years or sometimes even months? :p

[Anjew]

I work in tech support and I can say both Windows and Mac have a lot of dumb people using it. At least with Mac is there is an issue with their computer most of the time they can call Apple and fix it but Windows computer not likely..... especially when they got a virus or they Windows computer comes with so much garbage that it slows their computer to a hault and they blame their Internet speed @@ So I have to say I rather help someone who uses a Mac than a PC since is easier to help them (Expect Mac Mail that's one big garbage software....)

yea, mac mail is garbage. the error codes are too vague.

[Iceman_2K]

Take it to fight club or else where.

Nothing else to say? Regurgitating opinions and biased facts? Clearly you didn't read through my post well enough to understand what I'm trying to say. I'm done arguing with you, as you have nothing but opinions on this matter.

Throw yourself out the door please.

[Iceman_2K]

Have to agree - system restore is nothing like Time Machine. I've used Time Machine numerous times to restore all files on the same, and sometimes different machines, with no problems regarding installed apps, modified system files, and personal files. Trying to do the same with System Restore on Windows 7 was a pain in the ass, and often times, you're better off just doing a clean install and manually copying files, or recloning the drive.

wrong, system restore people use is nothing like time machine which is a backup and system restore all in one dumb friendly package which comes FREE. It does not restore user files, emails, documents in configurable intervals(different folders can be set to daily hourly whatever depending on importance or preference). If you have windows 7 or Vista(in a limited way), you have shadowcopy but to an average consumer its like teaching someone born into a GUI era command line functions as they wont know the locations of the profiled data as they are most likely in a hidden folder tree... xp does not have shadowcopy and system restore files are one of the first items to be infected as well.

Malware is still a very real issue. A large portion of users dont even update java, not to mention many also dont even know what it is. there are thousands of websites ready to exploit windows machines with old versions of java including windows 7.

Some people just need their tool to work and not have to deal with malware which offets the benefits of slightly higher specs. I'm not saying Mac's do not get infected as well, just very uncommon for now.

Have you seen daily driver PC's compared to Macs after a couple years or sometimes even months? :p

[neggo]

Hey guys,

Sorry to hijack the thread!

I will be buying a laptop at a budget and was hoping to get some input. I've created a short-list between these two laptops.

Lenovo i3-2350 vs HP A6 3420M (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/compare-result.aspx?ProductIds=10217126%2C10208019&returnPath=%257e%252fCatalog%252fProductTabCompare Content.aspx%253fSku%253d10217126%2526ItemsPerPage %253d15%2526CurrentItemIndex%253d1%2526CurrentPage %253d1%2526Sort%253dPriceLtoH%2526CurrentCategory% 253d1002%2526IncludeParents%253dfalse%2526Selected ProductIds%253d10217126%2526parentclass%253dLaptop s%252520%252526%252520MacBooks%2526subclass%253d15 %252522%252520Laptops)

From my preliminary research, the AMD processor seems to be a hit with quite a few people because of its GPU power and even though the processor's speed is marked at 1.5ghz, has the ability to go up to 2.2ghz when doing heavier tasks. Games also run smoother because of its AMD Radeon HD 6520G as opposed to the Intel HD 3000 Graphics chipset that is included in the Lenovo.

My main concern, however, is the quality of the laptops. I've never owned a Lenovo before but, from what I've heard, they are quite sturdy. I have owned an HP before but after 3 years it burnt out on me.

Any input? Thanks!

[06eclipse]

IMO lenovo are garbage, maybe in the last 3 years they got better but when I had mine I was very un happy with it. Hp does make deceint machines, out of the two the hp would be first pick.

[neggo]

What was it about the Lenovo that made you so unhappy?

[Jer3]

for the same price id rather go for this (http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/asus-asus-15-6-laptop-featuring-intel-core-i3-2310m-processor-x54c-bb31-cb-black-x54c-bb31-cb/10209638.aspx?path=4409b732f4a2fc052012f844d4d8acf cen02) one. never owned a lenovo but my family has owned 3 HP laptops and all of them had major hardware problems.

[neggo]

^ I took a look at that one but doesn't seem as gaming capable as the other two I posted. I am not going to game a whole lot but I'd like to be able to play them from time to time.

[impulseX]

^whats your budget?

[neggo]

$350 is my budget which is why those two are the ones I short-listed. Don't really want to go above that.

[Manic!]

$350 is my budget which is why those two are the ones I short-listed. Don't really want to go above that.

I owned that HP with the A6. Was a good laptop but I returned it because of the track pad. The track pad has a bumpy surface that I could not get use to. If you don't mind the trackpad I think it would be the best for gaming. Thje Lenovo and Asus are the same when it comes to gaming performance.

[Laundry]

2nd thread jack

Which should I get?

Toshiba (http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/toshiba-toshiba-satellite-15-6-laptop-featuring-amd-a8-4500m-processor-l855d-00w-white-l850d-00w/10207947.aspx?path=dcb77b585afd62d7516dcb0532bed18 ben02)

or

Asus (http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/asus-asus-15-6-laptop-featuring-intel-core-i5-2450m-x53e-rs53-cbil-black-x53e-rs53-cbil/10195013.aspx)

[Manic!]

2nd thread jack

Which should I get?

Toshiba (http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/toshiba-toshiba-satellite-15-6-laptop-featuring-amd-a8-4500m-processor-l855d-00w-white-l850d-00w/10207947.aspx?path=dcb77b585afd62d7516dcb0532bed18 ben02)

or

Asus (http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/asus-asus-15-6-laptop-featuring-intel-core-i5-2450m-x53e-rs53-cbil-black-x53e-rs53-cbil/10195013.aspx)

If gaming the Toshiba.

[06eclipse]

Didnt like Lenovo because of the hardwear and how fast it slowed down. Then when you need there tech support to fix it, they treat you very poorly. But this is from my experience with Lenovo. I personally say for laptops go with toshiba, or hp. And acer for notebooks, iv had no real problems with any if them and use my acer aspire for tuning my car.

[06eclipse]

Manic Azus are killer machines for gaming and high volumes of use. Toshiba are a bit slower but have better screen and hardwear. If your a gamer go with Azus, if your using it for school and personal things stick with the toshiba. That's my personal opinion.

[Iceman_2K]

I'd lean towards the Lenovo.

[!MiKrofT]

Didnt like Lenovo because of the hardwear and how fast it slowed down. Then when you need there tech support to fix it, they treat you very poorly. But this is from my experience with Lenovo. I personally say for laptops go with toshiba, or hp. And acer for notebooks, iv had no real problems with any if them and use my acer aspire for tuning my car.

Uhh. Lenovo doesn't have anything to do with how installed software slows it down.

Manic Azus are killer machines for gaming and high volumes of use. Toshiba are a bit slower but have better screen and hardwear. If your a gamer go with Azus, if your using it for school and personal things stick with the toshiba. That's my personal opinion.

Personally Asus/Lenovo/Acer are my current choices for PC laptops. I don't see Toshiba having a better screen or hardware compared to the Asus gaming series otherwise you'd see Toshiba being very popular among gamers which it isn't. And it's ASUS not AZUS.

[06eclipse]

No but they have a lot to do with there mother boards crapping out prematurely(Lenovo). And they have a hard time with updates in my experience. And like I said asus for a gamer and toshiba for a personal laptop.

[Manic!]

Manic Azus are killer machines for gaming and high volumes of use. Toshiba are a bit slower but have better screen and hardwear. If your a gamer go with Azus, if your using it for school and personal things stick with the toshiba. That's my personal opinion.

Chevy makes the corvette but also makes the Silverado pickup Truck. Not all Asus laptops are good for gaming many like the one posted above with Intel graphics s not.

[06eclipse]

My wife's asus is deadly lol and I like my acer lol didn't check the model number out lol just what I know of the brand name sorry.

[raysquared]

sorry guys for another thread jack

http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=75869

or

ASUS N56VM-RB71-CA Intel Core i7 3610QM GT 630M 6GB 750GB 15.6in DVDRW BT HDMI WIN7HP Notebook Black - ASUS - N56VM-RB71-CA (http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=74585&vpn=N56VM-RB71-CA&manufacture=ASUS)

[!MiKrofT]

No matter what manufacturer you're going to have the possibility of defective parts. Just because your Lenovo had it doesn't mean they all will so you can't technically assume one has better hardware than the other.