Poll: New Laptop?

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

My dear laptop has stood me fast since 2016 but is showing its age. The chief problem is self-inflicted - I erased the HDD thinking I had a system backup but did not. Well, tomorrow I finally have an an appointment to see the people at the Genius Bar for a catch up. As far as my loose keys go, I've been warned - it may be free to fix, but equally it may require an entirely new chassis - that's £400+ as this is a "legacy" MacBook. I don't have £400. So, I either live with funny keys (not that alarming yet) or I sell the laptop for £200-£300 as a cheapy (the specs are quite high) and get a new laptop.

That's where this poll comes in.

Do I revert to a modest new MacBook Pro/Air/Whatever, or do I plump for something more adventurous - a Ubuntu Linux laptop? I've rejected Chromebooks as they are too basic and Windows as it just doesn't agree with me. But I rather like Ubuntu Linux. Does everything I would ever need, looks very nice, fast as a mouse on Red Bull. But it could be a bit technical? Could I learn the foibles? I'm also considering a few other flavours of Linux under the same reasoning so only vote for them if you know what they are!

You decide!

 

[Rogue1677x]

My husband loves Ubuntu Linux and has it on 3 computers in our house. I loathe it and can only deal with windows.

If you have experience already with Ubuntu and like it, then you'll be fine going in that direction again.

Beyond that, I can't be of much help, sorry.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

I was a devoted Mac user for 24 years.

I switched to a Dell running Windows at work and I'm using a Chromebook at home. I'm considering getting another Dell for home and putting Linux on it. (That's what DH did and he's very happy.)

 

[NYCgrrl]

When my Dell laptop (don’t recall type/model) died I realized I’d no need for a new one and just use a tablet now. I do recall that for about 8 months I had 2 wonky keys. No biggie ultimately.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Please note I meant to say in the poll, "Fedora Linux", not "Fedora Mint"

 

[BrianL]

I mean, is a Windows machine off the table? I don't know why. They work as well as anything and, quite frankly, you don't have to pay the Apple tax.

 

[EACarlson]

With your restrictions I would go with Ubuntu. My personal preference would be to buy a midrange Windows machine and set it up to dual boot with Ubuntu. Not matter how far Linux progresses, there is always something that only works right on Windows or MacOS. No chance I would ever pay the apple tax.

 

[_19disnA]

I mean, is a Windows machine off the table? I don't know why. They work as well as anything and, quite frankly, you don't have to pay the Apple tax.

I agree, Apple products always seem more expensive since part of what you are paying for is the mystique/brand image which doesn't relate to a product that works any better. Apple and Windows machines tend to have different conventions and people can get confused switching between them for day to day use. I would stick with the one you currently use to avoid the nuisance of relearning all of the conventions. Where I work when we had both Apple & Windows based machines, many people were confused trying to switch from one to the other. Some of the conventions Apple used seemed to be a matter of wanting to be different which many found hard to learn.

Mostly, I would look for exactly what you plan to do with this PC and choose accordingly. If you do a lot of typing, then I find a real keyboard to be way more effective than those virtual/screen based keyboards. High-end gaming requires more PC power then just net surfing/shopping/email/etc. I have no idea what the other 3 options listed in the survey are and have never heard of them. Unless you are some sort of IT expert, does any of that really matter?

 

[kdonnel]

For the most part the Apple tax is a myth that persists.

https://medium.com/macoclock/debunking-the-myth-of-the-apple-tax-91b067413821

Apple only participates in the high end market. If you compare high end Windows machines to Apple products the price difference disappears.

If you are happy with cheaply made Windows machines then Apple has no products that compare in build quality or price.

The same holds true for phones. If you compre flagship phones from Apple and Samsung you will not find an Apple tax.

iPhone 15 128g - $799
Galaxy S23 128g - $799

iPhone 15 Pro 256g - $1099
Galaxy S23 Ultra 256g - $1199 - I guess there is a Samsung tax?

Apple MacBook Pro 14" - $1499
Dell XPS 15" - $1499

The ultra high end products from Apple do suffer from disproportionate price increases for storage and memory but the normal products do not have an Apple tax.

 

[BrianL]

For the most part the Apple tax is a myth that persists.

https://medium.com/macoclock/debunking-the-myth-of-the-apple-tax-91b067413821

Apple only participates in the high end market. If you compare high end Windows machines to Apple products the price difference disappears.

If you are happy with cheaply made Windows machines then Apple has no products that compare in build quality or price.

The same holds true for phones. If you compre flagship phones from Apple and Samsung you will not find an Apple tax.

iPhone 15 128g - $799
Galaxy S23 128g - $799

iPhone 15 Pro 256g - $1099
Galaxy S23 Ultra 256g - $1199 - I guess there is a Samsung tax?

Apple MacBook Pro 14" - $1499
Dell XPS 15" - $1499

The ultra high end products from Apple do suffer from disproportionate price increases for storage and memory but the normal products do not have an Apple tax.

Oh, there's a Samsung tax too. Me, I can build a Windows PC with high end parts for cheaper than an Apple device. And yeah, their prices for storage and memory are outrageous.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I would've considered voting Chromebook if that was an option, but since it's not, I'd go with another Macbook. You're familiar with it and we've found ours are very reliable (we're still using our 2012 Macbook, and DS is still using his 2010, both with upgraded SSDs).

Best Buy has a 13" MacBook Air for $799:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/macboo...-256gb-ssd-space-gray/5721600.p?skuId=5721600

Apple has a certified refurbished for $799:

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/...and-7‑core-gpu-gold?cid=aos-us-seo-pla-refurb

 

[kdonnel]

Oh, there's a Samsung tax too. Me, I can build a Windows PC with high end parts for cheaper than an Apple device. And yeah, their prices for storage and memory are outrageous.

The discussion here is around laptops.

Can you build a high end windows laptop cheaper than a high end Apple?


As for building a desktop, the $499 M2 Mac Mini is a very capable machine in a very compact package. Building a more capable windows machine cheaper is certainly possible. Building a more capable windows machine in the same form factor though is not as simple.

 

[BrianL]

The discussion here is around laptops.

Can you build a high end windows laptop cheaper than a high end Apple?


As for building a desktop, the $499 M2 Mac Mini is a very capable machine in a very compact package. Building a more capable windows machine cheaper is certainly possible. Building a more capable windows machine in the same form factor though is not as simple.

I mean, maybe, but it would be much more difficult. I still think you can get a very nice, high-end windows laptop for less than a Macbook with similar specs. Again, at the very least you will get more RAM without the egregious upcharge that Apple will tack on for that.

There is a ceiling to these things too. It's like a blender. You might see one on the shelves for 25 bucks, and it's probably cheap garbage. You might see another one for $99 that is a very nice, well-built machine. Then there is one for $200, and, sure it's nice, but is it really any better than the one that costs haf as much? Nah, probably not. There comes a point where there is no further significant return.

 

[kdonnel]

There is a ceiling to these things too. It's like a blender. You might see one on the shelves for 25 bucks, and it's probably cheap garbage. You might see another one for $99 that is a very nice, well-built machine. Then there is one for $200, and, sure it's nice, but is it really any better than the one that costs haf as much? Nah, probably not. There comes a point where there is no further significant return.

I agree.

I would argue that the vast majority of sub $500 windows laptops are garbage and just a waste of money.

The extra value you get when going up to the $800 price range is dramatic.

Beyond that price range and the average person who browses the web and checks their email is just throwing money away.

The good news is there are great windows and mac options at that price point.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

For the most part the Apple tax is a myth that persists.

https://medium.com/macoclock/debunking-the-myth-of-the-apple-tax-91b067413821

Apple only participates in the high end market. If you compare high end Windows machines to Apple products the price difference disappears.

If you are happy with cheaply made Windows machines then Apple has no products that compare in build quality or price.

The same holds true for phones. If you compre flagship phones from Apple and Samsung you will not find an Apple tax.

iPhone 15 128g - $799
Galaxy S23 128g - $799

iPhone 15 Pro 256g - $1099
Galaxy S23 Ultra 256g - $1199 - I guess there is a Samsung tax?

Apple MacBook Pro 14" - $1499
Dell XPS 15" - $1499

The ultra high end products from Apple do suffer from disproportionate price increases for storage and memory but the normal products do not have an Apple tax.

I agree with this. An "Apple tax" is an absurd idea. I'd suggest Apple as they just work, are resistant to viruses, and you have the Apple Store if something goes wrong. I have an iMac, another iMac at work, a MacBook Pro and various Apple phones and tablets of varying sizes and for different purposes. I don't really look at Mac as a premium brand anymore, at least within the US, as their products have become so ubiquitous. In other countries, it's certainly an aspirational brand. I know the OP is in the UK, so if you can find a reasonable, even a certified pre-owned from Apple, I'd go with that.

 

[sam_gordon]

are resistant to viruses

A little ironic since a virus took down the OP's Mac, which is why he's looking for a new computer.

 

[kdonnel]

A little ironic since a virus took down the OP's Mac, which is why he's looking for a new computer.

Macs used to benefit from their small installed base. No good reason to target MacOS with such a small user base.

Their recent popularity has meant that more and more viruses/malware are written for MacOS.

What people need to be afraid of are all the IoT devices in their house. They are all little computers more than likely running some unpatched version of Linux.

Linux is now the most targeted OS for malware.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

A little ironic since a virus took down the OP's Mac, which is why he's looking for a new computer.

Huh? THe OP said...

The chief problem is self-inflicted - I erased the HDD thinking I had a system backup but did not.

So I thought that he was having hard drive issues rather than a virus hitting his Mac. I did say resistant and not immune. Macs can get infected, but it seems at a lower rate (at least with my experience and those whom I know that are Mac users). I fully admit my pro-Apple bias, I just really like them and don't enjoy using Windows or Linux.

 

[sam_gordon]

Huh? THe OP said...

So I thought that he was having hard drive issues rather than a virus hitting his Mac. I did say resistant and not immune. Macs can get infected, but it seems at a lower rate (at least with my experience and those whom I know that are Mac users). I fully admit my pro-Apple bias, I just really like them and don't enjoy using Windows or Linux.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/whoops.3935272/#post-65185369

 

[Lord Manhammer]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/whoops.3935272/#post-65185369

Oh right, that thread. I forgot about that he had mentioned that it was a virus, although I admit I'm suspicious as none of the virus cleaners could get rid of it, and not even a fresh install of OS X, the last of which restores to factory settings. Somethings a little weird with that...Oh well. Hopefully he gets a computer that he's satisfied with.