For the mentioned tasks, which are not too heavy, the Core 2 Duos are still good enough, and the newer ones in the Notebooks are not THAT much faster that you would be totally crippled.
If you should get a Macbook anyway is the other topic. If you want the Macbook because of the MacOS, then go for it. If you don't care about it, you could also just get a Windows PC.
Great, concise advice!
For a high quality, high performance Windows laptop look at a
Toshiba Qosimo., as they have great specs and stand the test of time, e.g. well built.
COST: $1,757
http://www.buydig.com/shop/product....um=cpc&utm_campaign=TBX505Q898&sku=TBX505Q898
DESCRIPTION:
Experience the ultimate in high-definition entertainment with a Blu-ray Disc standard on the Qosmio X505 laptop. You've got the specs - now get the style. With a fusion finish featuring subtle metallic accents and system lights, the Qosmio X505 will turn heads wherever you take it. Get ready to wrap yourself in a luxurious blanket of sound, with fatter bass tones and crisper, more penetrating highs. If you love your music, immerse yourself in gaming action, and really get into a good movie, these speakers are for you. This laptop includes an HDMI port, so you can hook up your compatible HD display and watch high-definition movies on the big screen - right from your laptop. « less… more »
SPECS:
General
System Type Notebook
Built-in Devices Stereo speakers, wireless LAN antenna, Bluetooth antenna
Width 17.4 in
Depth 11.6 in
Height 1.8 in
Weight 10.1 lbs
Color Fusion finish in omega black
Localization United States
Processor
Processor Intel Core i7 740QM / 1.73 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 2.93 GHz
Multi-Core Technology Quad-Core
64-bit Computing Yes
Features Intel Turbo Boost Technology
Chipset Type Mobile Intel PM55 Express
Cache Memory
Type L3 cache
Installed Size 6 MB
RAM
Installed Size 6 GB / 8 GB (max)
Technology DDR3 SDRAM - 1066 MHz
Storage Controller
Type Serial ATA
Serial ATA Interface Serial ATA-150
Storage
Hard Drive 64 GB Solid State Drive - Serial ATA-150
Hard Drive (2nd) 500 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 7200 rpm
Optical Storage
Type DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM / BD-ROM - integrated
Read Speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD) / 6x (BD)
Write Speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD±R DL)
Rewrite Speed 24x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM)
Disc Labeling Technology Labelflash Technology
Card Reader
Type Card reader
Supported Flash Memory Cards SD Memory Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, MultiMediaCard, SDHC Memory Card
Display
Display Type 18.4" TFT
Max Resolution 1920 x 1080
Widescreen Display Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9
Features TruBrite
Video
Graphics Processor / Vendor NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M TurboCache
Video Memory 1.5 GB GDDR5 SDRAM
Audio
Audio Output Sound card
Compliant Standards Dolby Home Theater
Features Harman/kardon stereo speakers
Audio Input Microphone
Notebook Camera
Camera Type Integrated
Input Device(s)
Type Keyboard, touchpad
Features Backlighting, built-in numeric keyboard, Toshiba EasyKeys, multi-touch touchpad
Networking
Networking Network adapter
Wireless LAN Supported Yes
Data Link Protocol Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft), Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
Compliant Standards IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, IEEE 802.11n (draft), Bluetooth 2.1
Expansion / Connectivity
Expansion Slots Total (Free) 2 ( 0 ) x memory 1 ( 1 ) x ExpressCard/54
Interfaces 1 x network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45 1 x audio - SPDIF output/headphones 1 x audio / video - HDMI - 19 pin HDMI Type A 1 x microphone - input - mini-phone 3.5 mm 1 x headphones - output - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) 1 x display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) 3 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A 1 x storage / Hi-Speed USB - Hi-Speed USB / eSATA
Miscellaneous
Features Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
Compliant Standards RoHS
Power
Power Device External
Voltage Required AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
Battery
Technology 12-cell lithium ion
Installed Qty 1
Capacity 87 Wh
Run Time (Up To) 3.8 hour(s)
Operating System / Software
OS Provided Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition
Microsoft Office Preloaded Includes a pre-loaded image of select Microsoft Office 2010 suites. Purchase an Office 2010 Product Key Card or disc to activate preloaded software on this PC.
Software Adobe Acrobat Reader, Google Toolbar, Toshiba Supervisor Password Utility, Toshiba Bluetooth Stack, Skype, Toshiba Assist, Toshiba Recovery DiskCreator, Toshiba PC Health Monitor, NetZero Internet Service, Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.0, WinDVD BD for Toshiba, Toshiba Eco Utility, Toshiba ReelTime, Toshiba Bulletin Board, Microsoft Windows Live Essentials, Google Chrome, Toshiba Media Controller, Microsoft Silverlight, KidZui, Toshiba Bluetooth Monitor, Toshiba Disc Creator, WildTangent Game Console, Toshiba Value Added Package, Ulead DVD MovieFactory for Toshiba, Windows Live Messenger, QuickBooks Financial Center, Face Recognition software, Toshiba DVD Player, HDMI Control Manager, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Writer, Microsoft Windows Media Player 12, Toshiba Service Station, Toshiba Hardware Setup Utility, Toshiba Web Camera Application, Toshiba Online Backup (30 days trial), Windows Live Movie Maker, Corel Label@Once, Microsoft Office 2010 Starter, Norton Internet Security 2011 (30 days subscription), Toshiba App Place, Toshiba Book Place, Toshiba HDD/SSD Alert, Toshiba Laptop Checkup, Toshiba Sleep Utility
Environmental Standards
-------------------------
OPTION #2
For an entry level laptop, I bought a Acer that came with a dual core processor, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, Wireless N, DVD Writer, Windows 7 Home 64 bit edition, and MS Office 2010 Starter Edition for $448, and I'm sure you can find one for less if you look. Try to top that! It out performs a Dell that I bought a year and a half ago and costs 50% less!
Acer Aspire AS5736Z-4016 Laptop PC:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acer-AS5736Z-4016/15125403
COST: $448
Description
Key Features and Benefits:
•Intel Pentium Processor T4500
2.30Ghz, 1MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB
•4GB DDR3 Dual-Channel SDRAM Memory
Gives you the comfort for multimedia videos and images, video conferencing, basic gaming and all the other simple duties
•320GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive
Store 213,000 photos, 91,000 songs, or 168 hours of HD videos and more
•8X DVD-SuperMulti Double-Layer Drive
Watch DVD movies on your computer; read and write CDs and DVDs in multiple formats
•10/100/1000 Gigabet Ethernet LAN; 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Certified
Connect to a broadband modem or a wired broadband router with wired Ethernet, or wirelessly connect to a Wi-Fi signal or hotspot with the 802.11b/g/n connection built right into your PC
•15.6" HD Widescreen CineCrystal LCD Display
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M with up to 1759MB total graphics memory
Additional Features:
•Built-in 1.3 Megapixel HD Webcam (1280 x 1024)
•2-in-1 digital media card reader (SD and MMC)
•3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x HDMI port with HDCP support, 1 x VGA connector, 1 x headphone/speaker/line-out jack, 1 x microphone-in jack, 1 x Ethernet port (RJ-45), 1 x DC-in jack for AC adapter
•6-cell lithium-ion battery (4400mAh)
Software
•Genuine Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Edition (To learn more about the features of Windows 7, click here)
•Microsoft Office Starter 2010
•McAfee Internet Security Suite Trial, MyWinLocker
•Adobe Flash Player 10 and Adobe Reader 9.1, NTI Media Maker, WildTangent Demo Games, Skype, Cyberlink PowerDVD, NTI Media Maker, Windows Live Essentials Wave 3.2 (Mail, Photo Gallery, Live Messenger, Writer)
•Norton Online Backup, Acer Backup Manager, Acer ePower Management, Acer eRecovery Management
Support And Warranty:
•1 Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty with Toll-Free Tech Support
What's In The Box:
•6-cell lithium-ion battery
•AC power adapter
•AC power cord
•Getting Started guide
•Setup poster
•Non-Microsoft EULA
•Registration/limited warranty card
If you need any info from me, please feel free to PM me.
-Halla