Shopping for new laptop/computer

[Glycerine]

I have a Mac. It works pretty well for all of the things you have described. For user-friendliness, I would go with Mac but for more of the advanced programming/gaming, PC seems to be the way to go. The Macbook can last for years if you take good care of it.... my dad had his for about 4 years before he sold it in nearly perfect condition to someone else (the $1500 to last only a year seems like a gross exaggeration.... one would have to do something drastic to it).

 

[ICUP]

I have a Mac. It works pretty well for all of the things you have described. For user-friendliness, I would go with Mac but for more of the advanced programming/gaming, PC seems to be the way to go. The Macbook can last for years if you take good care of it.... my dad had his for about 4 years before he sold it in nearly perfect condition to someone else (the $1500 to last only a year seems like a gross exaggeration.... one would have to do something drastic to it).

I think if you take good care of it, sure, you can keep it a long time, but it's fragile compared to many other laptops. It has to be handled with kid gloves, not dropped, or banged, or drinking with it there, etc. It's not a good choice for business use, or for many home users. I'm way too sloppy to babysit a Mac lol.....
I was replying, considering Crystal's usage, because she has gone through 4 laptops in 3 years, and in that case, I don't see Mac as being a good choice for that reason. She seems to need something a little more heavy-duty, or at least average on that end. It sounds like whatever it is, it won't last that long. I didn't mean that Macs only last a year; this has circumstances and situations attached to it lol......Gees.

In other words, when I said that, I was more or less pre-determining what would probably happen if Crystal bought a Mac..... does that make sense now? Laptops get broken all the time, just from people walking by and accidentally knocking them on the floor or hitting them. They aren't that industrial. Some of the people my S.O. works with go through HP's and/or Dell's every 3 months..... so what you consider to be "something drastic", is really pretty common in some people's lives.

 

[Glycerine]

ahhh ok, I had dropped my mac probably like 90 times in 19 months before I broke I broke the sleeper switch thing and replaced my computer. Now I am more careful.... I can see what you are saying now. The Aluminum can be quite malleable compared to other materials. I meant drastic as in dropping it a lot, downloading a lot of iffy things, spilling a lot of liquid on it.

 

[Octarine]

Ooo....thank you for this tip!

I hope you ordered last night because looking at the comments, they've disabled the code.

My credit card has been charged though, so we'll see...

 

[ICUP]

ahhh ok, I had dropped my mac probably like 90 times in 19 months before I broke I broke the sleeper switch thing and replaced my computer. Now I am more careful.... I can see what you are saying now. The Aluminum can be quite malleable compared to other materials. I meant drastic as in dropping it a lot, downloading a lot of iffy things, spilling a lot of liquid on it.

Yep, you're taking a chance everytime you drop it or hit it. And the aluminum does make it more fragile than usual.....

Yep, some of these guys my S.O. works with, would probably eat a Mac in two weeks lol..... they are extreme when it comes to beating up laptops.

 

[Glycerine]

I guess I was under the impression that you were anti-mac based on your posts so I wanted to clear that up.... that was all.

 

[ICUP]

I guess I was under the impression that you were anti-mac based on your posts so I wanted to clear that up.... that was all.

I wouldn't say I am anti-Mac, but I don't agree with their pricing models. I think they are highly-overpriced, and that Apple takes advantage of people's ignorance. Not everyone that buys a Mac knows what they are getting......

No problems.....

 

[Glycerine]

I wouldn't say I am anti-Mac, but I don't agree with their pricing models. I think they are highly-overpriced, and that Apple takes advantage of people's ignorance. Not everyone that buys a Mac knows what they are getting......

No problems.....

To get back on topic, So in your opininion, what is the most durable notebook?

 

[Octarine]

To get back on topic, So in your opininion, what is the most durable notebook?

These are supposed to be popular among those working out in the field.

http://panasonic.com.au/Products/Toughbook/Overview

 

[ICUP]

To get back on topic, So in your opininion, what is the most durable notebook?

TBTH, I really haven't researched it. I just have experiences with Thinkpads, so I know they are pretty freaking durable for consumer use, while only weighing three pounds. They won't sustain explosions or anything. I hear the Toshiba Toughbooks would. hahaha. But they weren't too good for consumer use.

These are supposed to be popular among those working out in the field.

http://panasonic.com.au/Products/Toughbook/Overview

Ahhh, gotta check these out now! So many brands, so little time.......

 

[Glycerine]

TBTH, I really haven't researched it. I just have experiences with Thinkpads, so I know they are pretty freaking durable for consumer use. They won't sustain explosions or anything. I hear the Toshiba Toughbooks would. hahaha. But they weren't too good for consumer use.

Haha, I was a being a nerd awhile back and researched the topic a bit on the internet and the Thinkpad and Toughbook seemed to be the most common answers.

 

[CrystalViolet]

These are supposed to be popular among those working out in the field.

http://panasonic.com.au/Products/Toughbook/Overview

LOL, Considering some of the places I end up working, these might not be a bad choice. I think these would survive sitting on my desk. They are actually pretty cool, I've seen these on display. Not those exact models. They are pretty awesome.

 

[swordpath]

so sleek, so sexy, so sweet

 

[ICUP]

so sleek, so sexy, so sweet

lol, may as well show a pic, since looks is all that thing really has to offer over any competitors (that is, if you think it's attractive). And the ideapad looks alot like it.....except it's better, has more features, and costs less.

 

[Risen]

Sorry I didn't see this thread earlier. I bought this laptop about a month ago when it first came out:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ASUS+-+...oc=01&skuId=2881042&slref=10&id=1218360613837

It's a true powerhouse laptop with a quad core processor that'll handle everything at lightning speed and stay fast for years to come, and has dedicated graphics that allow the laptop to perform on the level of laptops twice the price. The battery life is great also. I'd highly suggest it if you ever want to do video/photo editing, gaming, HD streaming, or graphics intensive programs. The laptop will do EVERYTHING you could ever want a computer to do at an unprecedented price point. Unfortunately, it's 15.6" which you may not like, though I find it to be perfect considering its a desktop replacement for me, but not as oversized as a 17" which allows me to carry it around school comfortably. Despite the larger screen, the notebook is quite thin considering the features it has, and is of average weight for a 15.6". Bigger issue is that these were a limited time gift from above, and are being discontinued (they were BestBuy only). If you're lucky, you might be able to find a store that still has some near you, but the chances are slim now.

 

[highlander]

13 inch MacBook Pro with 8GB of RAM.

Or MaBook Air with 4GB of RAM.

 

[ICUP]

Sorry I didn't see this thread earlier. I bought this laptop about a month ago when it first came out:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ASUS+-+...oc=01&skuId=2881042&slref=10&id=1218360613837

It's a true powerhouse laptop with a quad core processor that'll handle everything at lightning speed and stay fast for years to come, and has dedicated graphics that allow the laptop to perform on the level of laptops twice the price. The battery life is great also. I'd highly suggest it if you ever want to do video/photo editing, gaming, HD streaming, or graphics intensive programs. The laptop will do EVERYTHING you could ever want a computer to do at an unprecedented price point. Unfortunately, it's 15.6" which you may not like, though I find it to be perfect considering its a desktop replacement for me, but not as oversized as a 17" which allows me to carry it around school comfortably. Despite the larger screen, the notebook is quite thin considering the features it has, and is of average weight for a 15.6". Bigger issue is that these were a limited time gift from above, and are being discontinued (they were BestBuy only). If you're lucky, you might be able to find a store that still has some near you, but the chances are slim now.

NICE.....

 

[Risen]

@ crystal

The laptop I mentioned would be a great comparable alternative to the Asus n53sn you were looking at. Both have USB 3.0, which is great, but the one I mentioned doesn't have 1080 resolution, and the AMD cpu, while a strong quad core, wont measure up to i7 level (it ties with an i5 2410 when overclocked though). It's highly highly doubtful that you'd need anything as powerful as an i7. Intel makes the best CPUs power wise, so much so that the high end ones supply far more power than the average (or even above average) user could ever utilize. The real benefit for an averagge consumer in buying an expensive i7 is the fact that it's the gateway to quad core laptops, allowing you to experience great performance boosts and a better overall experience simply due to the multitasking capabilities 4 cores give you. Even with the most basic programs you can notice the difference between a dual and quad core in that way.

But most people will only ever need something as powerful as an i5, if that. AMD's llano cpus offer a greatly balanced approach wherein, with some tweaking, you recieve the same performance and power as an i5 cpu, but in four physical cores instead of just 2. On top of that, the "APU" (combo of cpu and AMD graphics) has graphics capabilities that far exceed the integrated graphics on ANY intel cpu. The separate DEDICATED graphics card in the Asus I linked is comparable to the dedicated graphics in the Asus n53sn.

 

[Risen]

Also check out this configuration from HP:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...ation.do?destination=review&config_id=6686228

It has a better hard drive, better graphics, and slightly better AMD processor similar to the one in the asus. A better set of features for about $500 after the $375 coupon on logicbuy and the student discount HP gives (which knocks off tax pretty much).

http://www.logicbuy.com/deals/hp-pavilion-dv6z-select-edition-coupon/21931.aspx

 

[CrystalViolet]

^ oh poop, if only I had seen Risen's posts. I ended up getting the Asus N53SN as it was substantially reduced in price from when I originally priced it. I'm actually very happy with it. It isn't i7, but an i5 (which is sufficent for my needs currently), which may explain the price reduction.