Buying a new computer

[jmur5074]

I want to get a laptop. And with my tax rebate or stimulus money, or both I want to get a good, quality laptop.

I'm leaning towards getting a Mac because of their purported ease of use, functionality, lack of viruses, tech support, etc. I've also heard they last MUCH longer than your typical PC.

I'm currently using a PC desktop.

I primarily use my computer for surfing the internet, saving pictures/videos (no, not those pictures/videos), looking at pictures/videos (no, not those pictures/videos ), and music (limewire/iTunes). That's about it. I'd do more word processing stuff at home if I had a printer that worked, but whatev.

Anyway, I want to know if the PC stuff is easily transferable to a Mac. I have well over a thousand pictures/videos that I've taken over the last few years saved to my computer (family/friends pictures and videos, pictures and videos of my dogs, the flood from last year, etc). I also have over 4,500 songs on my iTunes.

Do MAC's support Windows Media player if I download it? Mozilla? Limewire? iTunes? FLV player? Can I use a flash drive to transfer all of the stuff on my PC to a Mac? Or will everything have to be converted?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

[Roses]

Do MAC's support Windows Media player if I download it? Mozilla? Limewire? iTunes? FLV player? Can I use a flash drive to transfer all of the stuff on my PC to a Mac? Or will everything have to be converted?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

A MAC supports a Windows Media player, Mozilla, Limewire, and iTunes. I don't know what a FLV player is.

You could burn the files to a DVD or use a flash drive or an external hard drive to transfers your files.

[MacLean]

FLV is flash video, and Mac has plugins for it if not an actual player.

I'd still stay with a PC, especially since the differences are growing slimmer by the day and the software market still caters to the PC.

I bought two Dell 1720's at a damn good price through their government employee purchase plan. You might look into that.

[jmur5074]

I bought two Dell 1720's at a damn good price through their government employee purchase plan. You might look into that.

I did not know about that, thanks.

[Xiphos]

My next computer will be a Mac. I've been a PC guy (I even own a bunch of Microsoft stock) since I went to college in 1991 but I've had it with Microsoft Bloatware. I do NOT like the digital rights management spyware that MS has integrated with Vista. I'm not a thief and I don't like MS being able to turn off my computer because their servers crash and they think I am one. My current XP will be the last Microsoft product I get until they change big time.

I've found a lot of articles and information for people making the switch from PC to Mac. It looks like it's a lot more elegant and stable than Windows. It also looks like it will be compatible (you can even buy MS Office for Mac to stay compatible with your old stuff.)

I'll be switching to Mac.

[gopherpuckfan]

Josh, I just bought a new Dell XPS m1530 laptop this weekend at Best Buy for $719. I love it so far.

[jmur5074]

Josh, I just bought a new Dell XPS m1530 laptop this weekend at Best Buy for $719. I love it so far.

$719 is a good price, Macbook's tend to be a little pricey-er

One thing that I've found out through a lot of digging is that Mac's may be more up front, but have less maintenance required over the years that you own it. And PC's may be a little cheaper, but will cost you more in upkeep over the years.

I'm kind of torn right now.


I've also heard that Vista is a bunch of crap.

I've tried to do some research online, but I keep finding articles that are written by tech savvy folks who speak a completely different language than I do.

[Xiphos]

I've tried to do some research online, but I keep finding articles that are written by tech savvy folks who speak a completely different language than I do.

I don't know your level of tech knowledge but this article is really good. Even though it's about the transition I read it to get an idea of what it would be like.

http://the.taoofmac.com/space/HOWTO/...To%20The%20Mac

[MacLean]

I've had little trouble with Vista, although I bought enough computer to run it.

As for DRM, a lot of that is hysteria. You can allow it, or not allow it.

It certainly isn't spyware, and it certainly isn't going to turn off your computer.

[Xiphos]

I've had little trouble with Vista, although I bought enough computer to run it.

As for DRM, a lot of that is hysteria. You can allow it, or not allow it.

It certainly isn't spyware, and it certainly isn't going to turn off your computer.

Any Google search of Vista DRM will reveal what a total nightmare it is. When Microsoft servers crashed last year many Vista users found themselves in "reduced functionality" mode because their OS thought they were counterfeit. Regardless of what Microsoft has "fixed" now they still treat their customers like thieves.

http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut00...ista_cost.html

Disabling of Functionality
Indirect Disabling of Functionality
Decreased Playback Quality
Elimination of Open-source Hardware Support
Elimination of Unified Drivers
Problems with Drivers
Denial-of-Service via Driver/Device Revocation
Decreased System Reliability
Increased Hardware Costs
Increased Cost due to Requirement to License Unnecessary Third-party IP
Unnecessary CPU Resource Consumption
Unnecessary Device Resource Consumption
How Effective is it Really?

I'm jumping off the Microsoft bandwagon.

[MacLean]

Any Google search of Vista DRM will reveal what a total nightmare it is. When Microsoft servers crashed last year many Vista users found themselves in "reduced functionality" mode because their OS thought they were counterfeit. Regardless of what Microsoft has "fixed" now they still treat their customers like thieves.



I'm jumping off the Microsoft bandwagon.

To each their own, confidence in your system is important. I run Vista, XP Pro, and two flavors of Linux. Each of them has different uses.

The same google search reveals articles on both sides of the issue. Guttman isn't exactly unbiased He's an open source guru since PGP. He also came under a lot of fire for that article from his peers, when it was discovered he had never used the product.

Curiously, most folks who have issues with DRM are running Limewire and similar products. ???? That may not be the case with you, but indeed most of the people screaming about thieves are indeed using media they didn't buy. That is a whole 'nother ball of wax though, about how I feel about that.

As for the Vista counterfeiting issue, that was resolved in the release candidate. I agree the model they were using was a bad idea - and so did they in the end. Nobody was going to put up with that, and the market won out.

[Willowdared]

I have a iBook G4 - really like it - have been a Mac user for a long time, although I cut my teeth on DOS.

Trying to find Mac based software is a bitch though, so if you are a big gamer on your PC, you may want want to stick with a DOS based computer.

I've had one major crash of my hard drive on the Mac (my old power Mac), but it's so easy to start up from a disc, that I was able to be back and running after reinstalling my system folder.

[Xiphos]

Curiously, most folks who have issues with DRM are running Limewire and similar products. ???? That may not be the case with you, but indeed most of the people screaming about thieves are indeed using media they didn't buy. That is a whole 'nother ball of wax though, about how I feel about that.

I have a well formed conscience and can't run multiple copies of anything without feeling bad. I even bought all my MP3's.

[TXCharlie]

Believe it or not, I got a pretty darn good Dell Latitude D600 laptop last year for $250 from an auction site that Vengeance and a few others told me about:
http://www.propertyroom.com/searchre...CategoryId=371

It was a little slow, so I added 1-GB of memory and it runs great now - Usually slow means it needs more memory to keep it from accessing the hard drive so much.

Just be sure the ones you bid on have at least a 20-GB harddrive, Windows XP Pro operating system & at least a 30-day warranty (like the ones from vendors like CSR Technologies).

Some of the other PC's on the web site are sold as-is, without op systems and harddrives, etc - You may be buying a pile of trouble and extra expense with those.

[nsb22]

So are the Dell lapys good to go?

I get a discount through the college I'm going to, and the more money I can save the better.

Thanks,

[gopherpuckfan]

Dude, if you're getting a Dell, I'd recommend getting the XPS series. The Latitudes and Inspirons are OK, but the XPS is geared more for performance/multimedia.

[narcodog]

I was a PC person but my wife bought this MacBook and it is very easy to use. We saved a little because she got a discount with an educational incentive. $1349 was the price I got a wireless mouse and more memory and an extended warranty that was recommend by the tech guy at the school.

To be honest I can't use one of these for shit but she can. She does her photo's and well everything. I did find something out. My nephew is an engineering student at LSU and a Mac won't run engineering programs.

You can also get a Paralles program that will run both Mac and PC programs.

[OffDuty]

Have a dept issued Dell Dimension 620 and its a great PC. Whatever you do, AVOID VISTA. If you order thru Dell small business you can "downgrade" to XP(MS just released SP3 for XP too, so thats a better plus)

A post I made a while back:
I'm seriously giving thought to dumping it and reloading XP, or doing something to load both and select which one (XP) until the other becomes usable (Vista). Biggest problem is Itunes, and also to a lesser extent windows media player hanging up.

It wont recognize the ipods most recently (but Ive had it working before) but due to numerous safe mode reboots, the install where everything worked has not let it work. I am tired of googling questions to find out that basically the answer is "yeah I have that problem too" (I find a LOT of those) and the fix mostly being "yeah there isn't one". I swore off Dell purchases, but swearing off Microsoft is a bit harder. I hope they fall hard like IBM.

Google:

• Results 1 - 50 of about 3,220,000 for vista problems. (0.15 seconds)
• Results 1 - 50 of about 603,000 for itunes vista problems 7.6. (0.27 seconds)

[KaiGywer]

I am also buying a new computer soon, and like you, I am leaning towards a Mac. My friend has a Macbook, and I like how portable it is.

[Ender]

JMur, I SWEAR by my Toshiba laptop. Just last week after getting thru security, I dropped it AGAIN (in my briefcase, hooked onto the handle of my luggage) while putting my shoes on.

It is tough, speedy, and reasonably priced...I paid about 1500 almost 2 years ago, and they are running around 600 at Wal Mart nowadays. The only downside is that you can't (afaik) get them with XP, you HAVE to go Vista.

However, in a few years, damn near everybody will have to be using Vista by default, so you might as well get it now as later....