Purchasing decision - Mac vs PC (no trolling please)

[AfricanTech]

Unless she has been using a PC regularly for all her daily tasks, and has got used to all the idiosyncracies of a particular version of Windows, and can navigate her way around it comfortably, get a Mac. It's really hard to go back to Windows once you are used to the consistency, stability and ease of use of OS X, particularly if you are a normal user. A new Mac will perform spectacularly better than any five year old machine, although as has been noted, it's testimony to the design that a machine that old is still quite usable. Don't ignore the advantage of the integration with the iPhone and iPad, especially now with Yosemite and IOS 8.

This is my main reason for seeking other opinions - the integration would be great plus I really like the convenience and ease of use of Time Machine - it might sound silly given that there are backup solutions for Windows, but nothing compares to the ease of Time Machine.

There are other little things like being able to boot off the external drive, etc

 

[cerebus]

This is my main reason for seeking other opinions - the integration would be great plus I really like the convenience and ease of use of Time Machine - it might sound silly given that there are backup solutions for Windows, but nothing compares to the ease of Time Machine.

There are other little things like being able to boot off the external drive, etc

Silly question but what are the specs of your daughter's Macbook? Is it possible that a simple internal component refresh would provide enough of a boost that she would be ok for the things she needs to do? It's incredible what some more ram and an ssd can do.

 

[PostmanPot]

Silly question but what are the specs of your daughter's Macbook? Is it possible that a simple internal component refresh would provide enough of a boost that she would be ok for the things she needs to do? It's incredible what some more ram and an ssd can do.

Even a SSHD/hybrid drive adds a lot.

I've got a spare 15" 2008 MBP here, Core2 Duo and 4GB, running Mavericks beautifully.

 

[AfricanTech]

[-]

Considering you are referencing a machine that is 5 years old that should say it all.

After 5 years it's still going and will probably keep going if the need for newer/better/more didn't arise.

Stick to it and ans the new one will give you another 5.

The Windows ones might be cheaper but they'll be flat within three years so it all balances out.

[/-]

Ignore above - multiquote fail.

It should come down to user preference really, but I find this quite remarkable:

What Lenovo is that because I can't believe the price difference you'e quoted.

Computer mania special -

 

[cerebus]

[-][/-]
Computer mania special -

View attachment 165663

15.6' lappy with a 1366 resolution.... that is very low end. Stay away. Rather find some way to add longevity to the Macbook, IMO.

 

[AfricanTech]

Yes I'm also struggling to rationalize that price difference. Which models are you comparing? Macbook Air, Pro w/retina screen? A 13" Macbook Air with 128gb SSD is R11,400. A Lenovo Yoga 13" is R13500, with some better specs and some worse, and doubtfully the same build quality as the Mac. Not that Macs are cheap becase you can get some much cheaper Windows laptops, but for the level of quality they have, they tend to be equivalent price to something else in their class. The Lenovo you're looking at is probably twice the weight, half the battery life, much worse build quality, etc. (In some products they are actually better value for money than anything else, such as the 5k retina iMac which costs the same as a Dell monitor of the same resolution).

See reply above.

Portability is not a huge issue for her at this point - she uses the iPad for her portable computing needs.

I DO like the Mac though - lots of thoughtful touches and pretty much zero maintenance required.

 

[AfricanTech]

Save the bucks, get a pc...

You haven't listed any special requirements such as video editing etc.

Come to think of it, she is quite creative and will be doing Graphic Design as an 8th subject.

She also enjoys working with media (did a cool video thing for school this year, but we did that on my PC - her Macbook couldn't handle it)

 

[cerebus]

See reply above.

See my reply above. Stay away from that Lenovo. Consider upgrading the components of the Mac. You'll potentially save thousands. 256gb + external 1tb + 8gb ram will cost you around R4000.

 

[shadow_man]

My daughter's MacBook (2009) is getting a bit long in the tooth now (Yosemite didn't help) so I'm looking to replace it.

Thing is she's equally comfortable with OSX and Windows and when I look at the price of equivalent hardware, a decentish Windows 8.1 machine (eg Lenovo i5) comes in 7-8k cheaper than the low end OSX machines.

The difference in price is quite remarkable...

What are your guys views? Is it worth going for a Mac given the use can below? (15k saved and set aside specifically for this purchase - just not sure if value for money is being realized).

Use case: school student, non-gamer, Internet, YouTube, has IPad and iPhone

Add SSD + max RAM.

You won't need a new Macbook then.

I've got a 2009 Macbook with SSD + 6GB DDR3 and it still chugs along perfectly.

Even with its Core2Duo CPU it can still host VM's as well.

 

[bwana]

See my reply above. Stay away from that Lenovo. Consider upgrading the components of the Mac. You'll potentially save thousands. 256gb + external 1tb + 8gb ram will cost you around R4000.

Depending on the existing model I'd probably go with this option myself. Some models might not be able to take full advantage of the SSD but it will still be faster. I'd also probably remove the superdrive and replace it with the existing HDD and run a fusion drive.

 

[icyrus]

Computer mania special -

View attachment 165663

Not really comparable to a MacBook is it?

 

[w1z4rd]

You can get a more functional and more powerful system for what you would pay for a Mac. PC`s are also easier to upgrade and repair. You will also have more support for a PC. It kinda wins in every department that really counts.

 

[cerebus]

You can get a more functional and more powerful system for what you would pay for a Mac.

Except not portable - that's a whole area of functionality that he won't get with a PC.

PC`s are also easier to upgrade and repair. You will also have more support for a PC. It kinda wins in every department that really counts.

I have zero support for my PC. How do you mean more support?

 

[icyrus]

You can get a more functional and more powerful system for what you would pay for a Mac. PC`s are also easier to upgrade and repair. You will also have more support for a PC. It kinda wins in every department that really counts.

Except usability and experience but given your comments it is natural that those don't matter to you.

 

[me_]

For me, the main benefit of a PC is the amount of software available for it. Almost all software will run on a PC while you are somewhat limited on a Mac.
I also think the comments about constant updates and restarting are a fallacy. This was the case about a decade ago, however Microsoft only pushes out updates once a month now (patch Tuesday) and this is the only time you usually need to reboot.
Windows 7 & 8.1 require very little maintenance as well. The problem usually comes if you are installing and uninstalling lots of software and with the bloatware that many vendors shove onto the laptops.

That said, by the sounds of it, you really like Macs and are more comfortable with them so if you are OK with spending the extra money, then go for it. It really comes down to personal preference, but don't be mislead by XP era issues that have been fixed in modern Windows.

 

[AfricanTech]

Use a criteria to measure both the needs of the user (student), capabilities and costs. Here are some:

1. User --> What will it be used for? Mostly projects, internet etc. (I know, already been stated in the original post)

If you know what it will be used for, then you need to ask the following:

2. Capabilities --> battery life, screen, speed, storage, upgrade ability etc. based upon the requirements. Soft issues like reliability, warranty etc.

This will provide you with some specs to start shortlisting

3. Cost --> Initial cost, OS upgrade costs, purchasing of additional software (MS Office), Total cost of ownership

Not just focus on the initial cost, but also running costs.

I did this exercise 4 years ago. Ended up with a MacBook Pro (leveraging on the student discount), mostly due to the aluminium build (I've chipped to many plastic laptops) and battery life (6-8 hours) for my studies.

Thanks - really useful

Forgot about the student discount - that does help bring down the price.

 

[cerebus]

For me, the main benefit of a PC is the amount of software available for it. Almost all software will run on a PC while you are somewhat limited on a Mac.

Macs get all OSX software with nearly free OS upgrades, PLUS can run all Windows software natively in bootcamp and do a pretty great job of it. Windows can run Windows software.

 

[AfricanTech]

Yea see to people who actually want a machine for playing games on, that level of performance is a joke. Macs are great machines but gaming is not their forte. The gaming capabilities of that MSI notebook will outstrip any Mac notebook by a mile. But in the case of this thread, the OP clearly doesn't care about that factor.

Yup - gaming not an issue

If this was for my son it would be a whole other equation

 

[Electric]

Macs get all OSX software with nearly free OS upgrades, PLUS can run all Windows software natively in bootcamp and do a pretty great job of it. Windows can run Windows software.

And you can just as easily build a hackintosh to do just what you said.

imo a PC is a far better option when you consider the price to performance ratio.
I don't like OSX either.
Or Mac elitism considering it's all bloody Intel anyway.

 

[Tinuva]

Well here is a twist.

I have always been a PC guy. Loved it. Used it all the way from Windows 3.0 to Windows 7.
Also use Linux on a daily basis.
So I know how things have changed for the better.

Recently got my first macbookpro retina, and using OSX for the first time ever.
It really is amazing, it just works.

I can't stress how impressed I am with Mac OSX. Again it just works.

As for limited software? There wasn't anything I couldn't find for the mac, so not sure where the comments come from that the software choice on mac is limited...?