Mac or PC?

[Blinkie]

Hey guys, i have £800 and need a new laptop. I use my current laptop mainly for the internet, updating my ipod and storing and editing my pics from my digital camera. What do you recommend i should get? any ideas??
I have heard good reviews of the macs but dont know if i would get more for my money getting a pc laptop?
I don't really know much about the difference.
What do you guys use, really would like any helpful advice!!!
Cheers x

[Console]

Unless you have a particular dislike for Windows (or Microsoft) I would suggest sticking with what you know. If you know how to keep a Windows machine secure (with Anti-virus programs (not Norton or Symantic, they don't count), Adware scanners and firewalls) then there's no real reason why you shouldn't get a machine with Windows on it. Try and avoid Vista for now if you can though, try and get one with XP.

Apple Macs are generally considered to be better when it comes to audio/video/picture editing, but for what you're likely to be doing, I doubt it'd make much difference.

That said, there's nothing wrong with trying something new, and, from what little I've seen of it, OSX is a pretty decent OS, with some nice features and eye-candy. Learning how to use a different system could also help you further along the line as well, knowledge is power.

As for what I use, some of you may know, or could've guessed, that I use Linux (Gentoo Linux to be specific), and I can run that on either the Mac (PPC) or PC (X86, X86_64, etc) architectures.

[Blinkie]

Cheers console, helps a bit i guess but still can't choose!

[Console]

Ok, put it this way, do you know how to work with and keep secure Windows? If so, go with the Windows option (still preferably XP), if not, try out a Mac, they're defaulty more secure and not especially difficult to learn.

[Nina Cupcake]

I say Mac all the way as the system is far more reliable and less likely to get viruses. Macs do tend to be expensive, but I would definitely recommend a MacBook :)

[Terrier]

Macs are (usually) better systems but can be expensive, PCs are better supported and you're probably familiar with how to use them already.

In most cases for regular users, I say go with the PC.

[gbm]

I think that if you've used windows for a while now and are used to it, stick with it. When I tried to use a mac it completly confused me, without the one I was using having a right mouse button and the different menu system it just made it difficult for me to use - I think its mainly because I'm used to windows. I also feel that much more is available and compatible with windows, many video/image editing programs are compatible and made for windows however apple's ilife is meant to be good I think. I personally wouldnt go for a mac but thats because of my hatrid for Apple and the bad experience I had with them.

[Sunny So Cal]

We have PCs and Macs in our house. The Macs are laptops and it's a bit confusing to go from using one to the other -- esp. the lack of a mouse. I agree that there are quite a few programs that you can't use w/a Mac. I can't figure out why. To watch live programming on certain websites it keeps saying you need to download some program and you do and re-boot & it keeps saying to download it STILL. Ugh. By that time I might as well go turn the PC back on. However, the seamless way the Macs work w/iTunes and iPods is great. It all depends on what you want to use it for.

[gbm]

Is the way that macs work with ipods different to the way itunes works on pc's?

[Console]

I personally wouldnt go for a mac but thats because of my hatrid for Apple and the bad experience I had with them.

Hmm, how ironic is it that it's because of my hatred for Microsoft and my bad experience with them that I would recommend an Apple Mac over Windows; infact I would generally recommend having a heart attack over using Windows, but most people assume I'm joking.

[Sunny So Cal]

I wouldn't assume that. I wouldn't recommend Norton or Symantec either. Don't even get me started on them or their crappy "support"...

[Jimmy_Lemon]

Macs are fine aslong as you dont want to run Final Cut Pro / Compressor / DVD Studio Pro in combination.....as it sucks big time! and it is supposed to be pro software. I quite like the Mac Operating System....but not so keen on Apple software :(



Oh yeah - so the point of that post. Stick with a PC if that is what you know, you really dont get more from the mac! a bit more security, but no more than a good anti virus system offer to be honest

[Nina Cupcake]

Is the way that macs work with ipods different to the way itunes works on pc's?

ITunes is supposed to be compatible with Windows, but does sometimes tend to corrupt the system.

[sinister]

Mac, it's because of a decade of frustration with the PC that I now wouldn't touch one. Microsoft GUI is always a poor imitation of OS X as Vista has proved. Macs hold their resale value for longer too.

[Nina Cupcake]

Mac, it's because of a decade of frustration with the PC that I now wouldn't touch one. Microsoft GUI is always a poor imitation of OS X as Vista has proved. Macs hold their resale value for longer too.

I agree with all of the above :)

[postie]

I've never had a mac so I'm sticking with my PC

[Console]

I've never had a mac so I'm sticking with my PC

That would be why you've never had a Mac.

[postie]

lol true and plus I've just bought a new laptop and loving that already :)

[sinister]

With the new macs you can have your cake and eat it by running both OS X and the poor imitation version as well. Can't wait for Leopard next month, looks well smart.

have a looksy of what windoze might look like in a few years time

http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/

[gbm]

Oh I've just thought, I prefer the media centre capabilities on windows as well - the vista one rocks and can be controlled with my 770 :p much better than what I've seen of the simple mac one. I've never had an extremly bad experience with windows, only crashes which to be honest give me a chance to get a cuppa, macs may not crash but when the one I was using was writing a video file it just stopped except for a silly little colour wheel thing. More games are compatible with windows too :p

Oh and Console just for the record, I see Linux as a great os, its free and got so many applications for it with a lot of stuff thats compatible with it - Google make most of their stuff compatible I think and so do a few others. However, I dont see it as a practical alternative to windows, I do prefer it to a mac though - specially ubuntu 7.04 - the windows springy thing on it is amazing

[Console]

However, I dont see it as a practical alternative to windows

There's no reason you should.

specially ubuntu 7.04 - the windows springy thing on it is amazing

And that, right there, is why, unfortunately, Vista will probably do quite well despite it's glaringly obvious deficiencies; it's got eye-candy, as long as it looks good, who cares if it works well or not (which is also a major argument against Flash, but that's another debate).

[Ali]

*Overloads*

[bbb]

i have used both mac and a pc i did like them both and i do find both useful and good i did however go for a pc as im not that good with tec stuff on pcs or macs my only advice is go with what u know best

[Blinkie]

Everyone keeps saying to go with what i know... obviously i know the pc cos i have had one for years... never had a mac so dont know how to use one. Surely i shouldn't be put off using something for the simple fact i have never used it before... can't be that difficult can it???

[Console]

No, it's not; some even say it's simpler (or at least more intuitive) than using Windows, but I'd say it's at least on par.

People have problems, though, because they expect it to be like and work in the same way as Windows, and in some respects it does, but in others it doesn't and experienced Windows users sometimes think this is a fault with OSX (or any other OS) and so think it's more difficult.