Buying a Laptop

[Pineapple]

I am in the market for a laptop, currently I am looking into the 15" Mac Book Pro. With all the inercharging it will run me 2600.

Link: http://www.apple.com/ca/macbookpro/specs.html

I am willing to pay for the upgraded:

2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
8GB memory
Hi-Res Anti-Glare screen.

all in all, it will run me 2600. This is with a student discount. I am getting the base model that came with the better graphics card: AMD Radeon HD 6750M. (Link: http://store.apple.com/ca_edu_10768...ACBOOKPRO-INDEX&cp=CONFIGURE-MACBOOKPRO-INDEX )

I am just wondering, what would a similar setup cost me in a windows laptop?

(All in Canadian Dollars)

To answer questions, I am not agianst windows or mac at all, The reason I am leaning towards mac is partly becuase I already have windows desktop. Another is to become equally proficient with either of them. regardless, if the different isn't large I will probably go for the mac.

Comments welcome.

 

[Darthfett]

Do you know whether the CPU on the MacBook is a Sandy Bridge i7? I'm seeing lots of Windows laptops that have similar specs for <$1500, but few with a clock rate over 2.00GHz.

 

[Pineapple]

according to this: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/apple-refreshes-macbook-pro-family-with-sandy-bridge-processors/

yes it is.

 

[Slapshot136]

sager laptop for 1700

upgrade the CPU to the 2.4 ghz model and I think it beats the macbook in CPU, memory, hard drive (what drive is in the macbook?), screen resolution - everything I can really directly compare, the battery life should be similar when not gaming as well since they both have the integrated intel switchable graphics

 

[Ghan]

I just looked at Dell's website and got this in a 17" XPS laptop:

Core i7 2620M 2.20 Ghz - Turbos to 3.4 Ghz
GeForce GT 555M (Ranks higher than the 6750M according to this: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html)
8 GB RAM
1TB HDD

1375 Canadian dollars
You could probably find something comparable in another brand like Asus if you searched around.


I'm not a massive fan of Dell, but they are ok for laptops. I've talked about the price differences between Mac and PC for some time now, and I still basically have only one thing to say:

Problem, Apple?

 

[sqrage]

http://amazingadgets.com/asus-n55sf-s2630b-15-6-inch-notebook/

Might be a good option given that you can wait for it and it launches in the US.

asus link:http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Multimedia_Entertainment/N45SF/#specifications

 

[Sajin]

If you've never used a macbook before i def recommend you get one, I got a 13" macbook pro and i love it, its much less hassle then the windows laptops i've used. The only downside to a mac is lack of gaming ability and desktop customization is a bit harder to manage. But other then that macbook pros are amazing. (also the trackpad is so much better then any windows one i've used)

 

[JerseyFoo]

In all honesty; you'd have to be an idiot or rich to pay this much for a laptop without a specific purpose in mind that it's needed for. /bias

Please ask yourself...

• Am I doing anything that would take advantage of a fast processor without matching graphics?
• Why would I be doing that^ on a laptop anyway?
• Am I going to be using this away from a outlet often? Really; not ideally.
• How does a stylish/socially appealing laptop actually benefit me?
• Do I have the novice technical know-how required to install OSX on any machine?
• Can the storage keep up with the processor?
• I realize that laptops don't last long in any respect besides that as of a piece of junk.

Macbook Pro is a great balance of usability, performance, and aesthetics for the casual user. However; being released in January 2011 it just missed the cut for Apple's recent relative price-cuts and is by all means a rip-off. Since Q2 2011; all laptops have significantly come down in price. The mid-range is now @ approx. $600. If you're applying last years price standards to your decisions, you seriously need to take a step back and look at the market.

Additionally; Apple's great balance doesn't extend to graphics and storage. The high-end processor is little more than a gimic that a casual user uses to compare much like a penis.

What the casual user sees in terms of performance priorities? CPU speed, hard drive size, and memory capacity. The truth? In a laptop; none of that matters. The CPU and GPU should be balanced and steady like the tortoise -- not the rabbit. The hard drive's size is irrelevant; what you want is performance as that is what is lacking in the mobile form. Just remember; a laptop is not a desktop; it shouldn't be used as an archive or workstation.

IMO: A-series are the only laptops I'd consider on a budget.