Computer geeks, need help quick

[slugzracing]

If you were given a budget of $1000 to buy a laptop what would you pick up?
My portable social life is quickly dying and may not live long enough to get through nats. My problem is that i know jack didly about computers but here is what I would use it for...

Browse RCC
Watch RCC live
Browse RCC
Play tunes while browsing RCC
and some multimedia crap from time to time.

I do not need a big HD as I only use about 40g of my current 60g (I just dated my computer) and a DVD writer would be well used.

About the only features I would like to see are a wide screen and bluetooth.

[Rockcrawler]

#1 Sony
#2 Compaq



Those are my first 2 choices......I am running a cheapo Acer though that is ok.

[ian48065]

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/hom...ok?mco=MTE3MjA

Once you get past the different interface you will fall in love.

My macbook pro is still just as fast as the day I got it 2.5 years ago.

EDIT:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834115486

$999 16" screen

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834147682

$949 17" screen

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834147741

$999 14.1" screen

all have a ton of ram and include vista. they will be able to handle it, vista to be honest isn't too bad. have it on my gaming computer for the new video drivers.

[chrisjlittle]

I've had excellent luck with dell computers, though I hate windows. You don't seem like the kind of guy that would switch over to linux, so I'd advise a Mac. Good quality hardware, better quality software, better user interface etc... If you decide to stick with windows, I'd advise using XP rather than Vista.

[binaryterror]

If you don't want a change and want XP or Vista, I say Dell. Especially their small business or higher lines. They are built with far better components.

Mac's are better long term devices. They seem to live longer without the typical PC slow downs. Also well nearly no viruses is a big plus.

I'm changing 100% to MAC, I'm done dealing with the problems MS fails to see or fix. Vista while new is still too based on too old of a technology. I remember the promises of Vista's offerings, about 95% never made it.

[tomik]

Hell yeah... Go with MAC! Just bought Macbook Pro on saturday and I'm already (I had never used MAC OS before) loving it. A couple things done differently, but nothing you wouldn't learn in a couple minutes. Really.

If you have the courage, go with MAC .

Side notice... I have been using computers and Windows since 2.0 and am still using XP with Parallels -setup every now and then, but I'll never ever touch Vista again. Ever.

[DeaDShorT]

I'll never buy another Dell again

[toyofast]

Recently switched to a Mac(2 1/2 months ago).... I'll never go back to a regular PC. I have a ton of stuff on our 3 desktop and 1 laptop PC machines and I am dreading the thought of having to turn on the power switch to them to get the images and data off them.

We currently only have a 20" iMac but a basic Mac Book is next on the list. My sisters have Mac Books for a while now and love them. Once you learn the way of the Mac, you realize just how easy a computer should be.

I can do everything a PC can do plus things it can't. Only downfall I have noticed going from a PC to a Mac is my iPod Nano is formatted with the windows machine and I can't just transfer my stuff. The FREE Ipod Touch works fine though

[2JSC]

A basic MacBook is nice, but I'm still a PC guy.

Dell does have a lot of nice "bang for buck" budget notebooks, but I'd look into either an Acer or Sony notebook. Just about any new laptop is going to have a widescreen lcd monitor now-a-days. Bluetooth is usually an upgrade, but is built into some. If you do go with a new Windows Vista equiped laptop, be sure that it has at least 2GB of ram and a dedicated video card would be nice and less strain on the system as a whole.

[BoredGord]

I have an Acer Aspire 9410Z I never use anymore 17" screen and dual core CPU with 120 gig HDD, I bought it a little over a year ago for 800 ish

[ElChupacabra]

Id have to say get on the Mac wagon as well. Ive run every version of Windows in recent history and was well versed in the PC operating environment. My girlfriend bought a Macbook and I wont even turn on my PCs anymore. Vista pissed me off since the day it was launched. XP was OK but OSX stomps everything you can run on a PC. Oh yeah! You can run Windows on your new Macbook if you really wanted to with a simple partition of the hard drive. Mac Genious' at the Apple Store will also transfer all your files from your old PC over to your new Mac FOR FREE if you wanted. Go ahead and get a new Dell or Sony or Compaq, just remember youre gonna get viruses and its gonna slow way down after just a few months. Good Luck!

[supah]

Id recommend a Mac as well. Best move I ever did was going from Windows to Mac. Great quality, so easy to use, and they just last forever.

[binaryterror]

I see many posting how Vista has done them wrong or turned them off. Buy a MAC and run Vista with Bootcamp, it runs real well then...kinda sad isn't it.

[MrDublin]

For what you want to do I would stick with a Windows based PC. I can't say I am a huge Mac fan, but I can acknowledge that they are well made. I personally don't care for Vista and still run XP, which will do everything you need. Most new computers are only available with Vista these days, so XP might be tough to find. If you went with Vista get Home Premium at a minimum and not Home Basic. Get a dedicated video card and at least 2 gb of ram.

I know a lot of people complain about Windows based PC's, but all you need to do is install an anitvirus program like Nod32, which has a small foot print and wont hog all your resources, and don't install a bunch of stuff you'll never/rarely use. I have been running the same install of XP for 5 years and it runs like when I first installed it. I keep it clean and I limit the number of things that run in the background. I have have changed motherboards 4 times, upgraded to 2 gb of ram, upgraded cpu 3 times, and video card 5 times. I have never reinstalled the OS. I do video editing, play games, listen to music, etc. with out any issues. I have never had a virus and no spyware problems because I never open an email if don't know who sent it and always scan attachments before open even if you do know the sender.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

I'm a Crawler, and I use a PC!!

[toyofast]

Originally Posted by MrDublin

I know a lot of people complain about Windows based PC's, but all you need to do is install an anitvirus program like Nod32, which has a small foot print and wont hog all your resources, and don't install a bunch of stuff you'll never/rarely use. I have been running the same install of XP for 5 years and it runs like when I first installed it. I keep it clean and I limit the number of things that run in the background. I have have changed motherboards 4 times, upgraded to 2 gb of ram, upgraded cpu 3 times, and video card 5 times. I have never reinstalled the OS. I do video editing, play games, listen to music, etc. with out any issues. I have never had a virus and no spyware problems because I never open an email if don't know who sent it and always scan attachments before open even if you do know the sender.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

I'm a Crawler, and I use a PC!!

So what you are saying is that if you spend a lot of time to install anti-virus programs, replace and upgrade over and over again, limit the number of programs running and do one thing at a time.... a PC works okay. I'm sold.

I have to use a PC at work... I cringe every morning when I start it up. If I have more than 3-4 things running, it crashes. If I have my normal programs needed for work open and have music playing, it works at 1/3rd the speed it should.


If you want to use a computer without having to go through hoops to keep it working, buy a Mac. If you like having to do as the above posted noted, buy a PC.

[binaryterror]

Toyofast is 100% correct.

Part of my job is to be the IT guy so everday I sit around those wonderful XP or Win2000 boxes (sorry I allow no Vista yet). I run Linux on the servers, which is pretty convenient...keeps the company from replacing me!

I'm working to change things here....all Mac in 2009. Including Xserves and everything. The flow and use of a Mac is just wonderful. Less headaches and far less expense running.

Installing AV is fine, I can accept that. What I can not accept it to only install a few programs and only use a few things at once. In 5 years you've replaced 4 motherboards? I have a 7 year old eMAC still running fine at home just so I can test programs on the older MAC OS's. It's only got 256MB or ram and still out surfs most Windows machines on the net.

[MrDublin]

All I am saying is don't load a lot of crap on your computer. When I say I have replaced a large number of pieces it's because I wished to upgrade my parts. I don't need to reload the OS or buy another PC if I want to go faster, I can change any part I want any time I want.

I work as an IT contractor, with the things we are doing here I would not at this time change to Mac's throughout the company. We have Windows servers, Linux/Unix servers and for what we do Mac's just wouldn't fit, there is no Mac version of these programs.

I am also not slamming Mac's, nor am I some PC fanboy. It just seems like every forum I go on these days it full of people who bash on Windows like it's worthless. I would simply like to put forth that Windows can be perfectly stable. In my experience the problem is there is a lot of bad code out there being written for Windows computers. Apple keeps pretty tight control over who can write and market programs for Mac. Windows is targeted the most because the majority of corporations in America use Windows based computers and exchange server. My belief is that once Mac gets a large enough foot hold in the corporate world you will see more effort being put into trying to crack it's security.

[binaryterror]

Originally Posted by MrDublin

for what we do Mac's just wouldn't fit, there is no Mac version of these programs.

What programs do you need that aren't available to Mac's. You can run Solidworks on a Mac that is BootCamped.

[toyofast]

Originally Posted by binaryterror

......... still out surfs most Windows machines on the net.

speaking of.....

My iPod Touch can out surf my HP Laptop which is only 2-3 years old. The Touch uses the WiFi in the house and the Laptop can be hardwired. Crazy.

[MrDublin]

I am mostly talking server side apps. We use Websphere for a great many things along with several in house apps that are responsible for client authentication. I have not seen what bootcamp can do, but I am a firm believer in running programs in the environment they were designed for. If I had a chance to work with it I might change my mind, but so far I have not had that opportunity.

The company I work for also uses a lot of Group Policies for rights management. I don't know how well Mac's integrate with Active Directory.

To get back to the original post my point is that for the things he wants to do he could save some money if he bought a PC. If he wants to spend the money on a Mac he will no doubt be quite happy with his decision.

Anyway I wont get into a flame war about which is better, since I have never tried to imply that a PC is better, only that it is not as bad as some people would have you believe.