New compter advice

[firstwdw]

Current computer about to die. Looking at apple or dell all in one. Apple is 1200 and Dell is 500. Kids use Apple at school. We have iPhones, iPods and apple tv. Just hard to justify $700 extra for apple when trying to save for Disney! Help!

 

[thedonduck]

We have all apple now! We synced everything together (phones, computer, iPods) and I love that we can all view lists, calendars, etc! To me it has been totally worth the investment. We have not had a single issues with our macbook (4 years old)- no viruses, not slowing down, plenty of storage space! Only thing we have had to replace was the trackpad, but that was our fault after spilling water! We recently purchased a Mac and I'm totally loving it! Huge screen makes it easy for layouts etc!

 

[Fire14]

I've heard lots of folks who have had dells especially laptops that didn't last much beyond a year if that. I personally would avoid dell but ymmv.

 

[UConnFan]

I've had my mac for four years now and I use it constantly! In that time, I probably would have had 2-3 dells. Although Apple is more expensive up front, it's cheaper in the long run. I LOVE my mac.

 

[firstwdw]

Seems you are all in agreement with DH. Maybe we just need to take the plunge and go Mac. I am just trying to save and be frugal to make that trip to Disney- always good to get others perspectives ESP all you on the Disboards budget forum!

 

[zumbergc]

Make sure all the applications or programs u use on your pc based pc are available on the Mac


Also if anyone in the house hold remote logs into work. Confirm with an actual person that has a Mac that they can loggin in to work from home. Many companies do not support Mac, or say they do but don't. Happened to a friend. She ended up getting a laptop not a Mac because she couldn't log into work.

If u do any work at home on your pc again confirm that things are compatible, programs etc


If u don't like dell there are many pc manufacturers out there.

 

[StephMK]

I would be one of those short term Dell owners. Our laptop died 2 months out of warranty. A little research showed me that our issue is common and a defect of Dell's system. Because they hook the power cord outlet to the motherboard, there is no easy fix and we didn't think to buy the extended warranty.

Apple may cost more upfront but if it lasts longer, it will be cheaper in the long run.

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

We now own all Apple products! Our Macbooks last for many years...long enough that we've been able to pass our "older" ones along to our two older kids when we decided to upgrade.

I love the fact that you don't have to worry much about viruses. After dealing with that issue on pc's in the past, that itself was a huge benefit! I also love apple service. They have been extremely helpful the few times we've had issues.

It's definitely worth the extra money upfront, in my opinion.

 

[pampam]

I'm not the OP but this thread intrigues me since I am thinking seriously about buying a mac air. I currently own a pc and I'm not too sure how much of a challenge it would be to relearn how to use a mac. I must add, computers frustrate me, so I only dabble on them. I don't work on them, only Dis, google, radio, and games. I have had a few viruses but nothing major. Still it was frustrating, so I'm certain I want a Mac. But the learning would be the hard part. We don't have an Apple store near here, and the only store that sells apple is Future Shop, 50 miles away.

 

[thedonduck]

Honestly learning the Mac isn't too difficult. You can even set up your mouse to double click(this is a common complaint I read!!) a few buttons are called something different than on a pc, but essentially they act the same as on a PC! The hardest thing for me to get used it is closing boxes on the left instead of the right ;-)

 

[rantnnravin]

Make sure all the applications or programs u use on your pc based pc are available on the Mac


Also if anyone in the house hold remote logs into work. Confirm with an actual person that has a Mac that they can loggin in to work from home. Many companies do not support Mac, or say they do but don't. Happened to a friend. She ended up getting a laptop not a Mac because she couldn't log into work.

If u do any work at home on your pc again confirm that things are compatible, programs etc


If u don't like dell there are many pc manufacturers out there.

you can run windows on a Mac, but you can't run MacOS on a pc

and, in this day and age, most businesses have cross-platform sites.

and as far as "learning" the Mac OS - it's so intuitive, it really isn't an issue ---especially if you're already using iOS products

 

[edk35]

MAC here too. We have killed Gateways, Dells, HP and Acers. When I finish off this laptop I will get an Apple too. We love our Mac desktop. Our daughter has an Apple laptop too.

 

[genealle]

I've had Dell laptops and desktops for years and never had a problem.
My current Inspiron laptop was $400 at Best Buy and is 64-Bit with Win 7. Runs fast and never crashes. Came with some bloatware but was easy to clean off.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

We are now an all Mac family. The one program that held us back was Quicken. I now run the Windows version through a virtual machine on my Mac. It works, but I don't find it ideal. Now that Quicken for Mac 2007 is now supported for my OS, I am think about switching.

For the OP, have you thought about a Mac Mini? They were just upgraded. You have to supply (or buy) the display, keyboard and mouse/trackpad. As you probably already have those, this might be a way to save and still switch. -- Suzanne

 

[Dish]

I have an Acer computer with Windows 7, that I bought for around $500.

I mostly change it once per year or something like that. I use coupons most of the time.

 

[disneychrista]

I loved my Mac and I miss it. But since I work from home a lot it is easier for me to use a Windows PC now.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

It's a tough call really to justify spending 2 to 3X as much on a Mac as opposed to a PC. I have a MacBook Pro now and I absolutely love it. Before that, it was a regular MacBook. At 3 1/2 years old my old MacBook (now DH's laptop) is still a decent and very usable computer, faster than a lot of newer computers as it is. It is nowhere near obsolete, and runs the latest Mac OS (Mountain Lion). The way the Mac OS works, and integrates with your iPhone and iPod stuff in the house is amazing. I just find the Mac OS fun to use and I have been a huge fan ever since I tried it several years ago. The big problem is they are pricey.

With AppleCare thrown in, you will at least have the computer for 3 years because they will fix it and keep it running for at least that long, an it should run way beyond that. I guess it is still hard to justify paying around $1200 for a low-end Mac. You can buy easily buy 3 laptops for the price of ONE Macbook Pro. I guess mathematically you would still have to hang onto a Mac for a long time to break even vs buying a bargain laptop every couple years. That being said... you are going to enjoy the Mac for a lot longer and it is going to be a lot better.

 

[Swimalie]

My parents have been through 2 Dells in the time we have had 1 Mac that still works (passed it on to our son). We have an Apple from 1985 that still works. How many PCs still work after that long? Not many, if any. The extra money is well worth it.

 

[Jenny3]

As much as I want a Mac, I can't justify the expense especially how often computers are upgraded. I buy an inexpensive laptop every 3 years or so. I just got my daughter a pretty decent Acer laptop for $329 for her birthday

 

[edk35]

As much as I want a Mac, I can't justify the expense especially how often computers are upgraded. I buy an inexpensive laptop every 3 years or so. I just got my daughter a pretty decent Acer laptop for $329 for her birthday

Last spring I got myself and my son a new pretty loaded Acer and I had to scrub my hard drive this past spring and my son, who is now in college says his is soooooooooooooo slow. We have both had issues with ours.