Apple polishes its MacBook and MacBook Pro product lines

ok…….all of you guys are going crazy. it not a big deal, do what you want and dont be a jerk…if you think about, apple would not be here if it wasnt for windows, so all of you guys are insecure…i got on here too help me make a decision and all i find is a bunch of unnecasary arguing…GET A LIFE

Someone said something about memory and a docking station.

WTF?

First, plenty of RAM and hard disk space are what keep Apple’s computers on the front of the curve. You could buy a computer with a half-gig of RAM, but then you’ll behind in the next year. Opt out. That’s fine. You’ll soon be complaining that your PC, desktop or laptop, can’t run current webpages or new applications.

Get a mac and use it for the next… I don’t know… 7 YEARS. It can work. This G4 I’m on was made in ‘01. It’s as fast as any bottom-rung current PC.

Docking station? WTF?!

Welcome to 2008. Almost everything is USB, or better yet, BLUETOOTH. I’m sorry you bought an ancient camera and prefer jogging memory cards than plugging in the cable. Get off your @$$ and plug it in.

So… Again, opt out. Keep using obsolete technology. There’s no better way to run your business or LIFE. Save a buck. So, you can afford the McD’s dollar menu. I’ll go home and eat something fresh.

Just ordered the 15″ Macbook Pro for my wife to replace the three and a half year old one her mother dropped on the floor accidently. Somehow the old one still works fine even though the case was split open from the fall.

BTW use whatever computer makes you happy.

My Intel iMac is the best Windows XP machine I’ve ever used. That is the trump card in this entire “debate”.

PC -
Car -

You choose which to use for the purpose you use it and the enjoyment if gives you.

If your happy with it by the end of the day good for you.

Posted by Awin, CA

“Why Apple does not allow MacOSX to be run on non-apple intel machine? Monopoly!!”

Think again. Only differently.

It’s the same reason why Halo3 isn’t available for PlayStation3.

It’s the same reason why you can’t buy a cup of Starbuck coffee at Pete’s Coffee.

It’s the same reason why you can’t buy a Whopper at a MacDonalds.

And I won’t even go in to how you think an %8 market share constitutes a monopoly.

If you’re going to play the game, at least put some thought into your post. Good grammer also helps but not necessary. As long as you get your message across.

To Clark Kent
I find many of your statement to be inaccurate and childish. Though I am not defending ‘those who just like to fling dung, eat it’ I do believe that you have done quite a bit of that yourself (just to be fair).

I have been a Mac user for almost a year now, though I own two Windows PC’s (one Vista, one XP) and one Linux system (Ubuntu/Gentoo). So I think I can say I have been around the block on OSes.

To rebuke some of your statements a little:
‘The reason there is less viruses for Mac is because 85% of the world uses PC’
This reason is stated as a fact and with a statistic I think might be made up (unless you can site a source). I will give you the benefit of the doubt however. I can agree that one of the reasons there are less viruses is because Mac’s have a lower market share. You attribute that to be the only reason (or the highest) which may not be true. Mac’s have a unix underpinning with a completely different security model from Windows based systems. Indeed Vista has tried to move closer to a more secure model similar to Apple’s a little. This in and of itself would potentially make it more difficult to make viruses. Unix has been around for sometime and its security model has been throughly tested as it has managed many systems including those bank use (a prime target for viruses or hacks). So if you look at it from that point of few, though Mac and Unix are very different, Mac OS X is based upon something which has become secure over time.

Fair enough, Mac have updates, even if it was 100% secure it would still have updates. Not all updates are security. Some address issues such as crashing, additional features (Itunes added video rentals recently), but yes they do also have security updates.

No offense intended, but just because you have had both and have had a poor experience does not mean that I must also have a poor experience and need to admit anything I have not had. Video streaming not being compatible on websites may be true for some. YouTube works fine, CNN works, some sites have required I get the free WMA plugin, but thats fine. They have chosen to use a Microsoft technology (their right) and there is a free tool to do so. Some sites block by region as well and may make it look like a Mac cannot play something when if you go to a different country you will be able to. Many sites I have also noticed that have only been supporting PC’s are starting to support Mac’s. It takes time, but I would rather see a dual standard of Mac’s and PC’s instead of everyone just using PC’s. There are some sites I have gone to on my PC that my PC cannot play (or stream from) but my Mac can. (Admittedly not as many, but I think the number I encounter will decrease for both systems over time as more people recognize they can support both systems).

As for my PC and me being the reason of the crash, can you elaborate. If I double click on a program, and do nothing more and my system crashes, do you consider that my fault? If I encounter a bug, that eventually gets listed on Microsoft’s website as a bug which causes the system to crash, is that my fault? One of the number one problems I have encountered have been driver issues which are the result of companies such as NVidia with poor drivers or poor driver support in Vista. Microsoft has some hand in making the system the way they are. DLL’s did not have a good reputation at one point, the registry many consider to be a mess. Microsoft is trying to clean this up, but I cannot say that the majority of the time as crash is my fault. I don’t believe that, especially when I treat my computer well.

Mac’s are for children is a statement out of no where. I don’t know how to respond to that. I guess I consider myself a child at heart, but I use my Mac in a professional workspace. So do many colleagues. I think a comment such as that shows little depth and I won’t respond to that any further as thats just mud slinging.

Again, your arguments afterwards start to be more insulting then trying to make points. You make a point about buying microsoft office. Yes, that is a standard. Many people use it. Just as on Windows many people rush off to download Adobe PDF viewer. They don’t on the Mac as preview supports it. TextEdit can further open word doc’s because it is so popular. I don’t see much of a point here.

The PC Saved Apple point is sort of interesting, but I am not sure what you think you are referring to. It sounds to me like your referring to the Microsoft Apple deal. That did occur. There is quite a bit of history there and I find it interesting and invite you to research it. In one sense, one could argue Apple made Microsoft.

You state Mac’s will always be behind PC’s. You seem quite confident, Apple’s market share is going up. Many companies are beginning to develop Mac Versions. I have personally never found a shortage of Applications. I have actually found the number of applications available to be growing quite rapidly. Many of the things I want, browsing the web, word processing, video are all available. Yes, even Games. World of Warcraft upon which a friend of mine plays (I invite you to check out http://www.macgamesandmore.com/ or http://www.apple.com/games/ and please browse around and don’t just look at the front page).

Anyways, I have tried to answer many of your points, but not all. I think most can be answered with a bit of research or better asked with also a bit of research. I am not saying all your points are wrong, I am just saying that you loose quite a bit of credibility when you start ‘mud-slinging’ or appearing to make up stats (which you may or may not have done)

I’m a longtime PC user who will probably to switch to Mac. PCs have worked for me, but the crashing, the poor tech support, the crashing, the viruses, worms, and virus/spyware, the crashing, and the crashing have finally gotten to me. That and the fact that the machine goes obsolete in a few years because MS has come out with YET ANOTHER new OS.

The two things that are giving me pause about switching to Mac:

1)Price/Customizability. I’m sure that that if you outfit a PC with comparable specs as a Mac, you’d get a similar price. What I would miss with Mac is the ability you get with PCs (esp with Dell) to configure my laptop as I want it, meaning if I don’t need oodles of RAM or hard drive space or whatever, I don’t have to pay for it. I just opt out of that and I can get it for a lower price. Mac does not provide that option. For me what makes the price hard to swallow is the knowledge that I don’t NEED 200 GB of hard drive and yet have to pay for it anyway.

2)Docking station: Like many of you out there, I intend to use my laptop as my primary home computer, doing everything a desktop would do. I don’t like the fact that Apple has yet to (and may not ever) come out with a good docking solution. That is a serious failing.

I see that I got enough of you fools stirred up. To those who had an intelligent response, well done. To those who just like to fling dung, eat it - Techedman, Smarter than a dog, Chris, Mark, George, and Micheal. These fools don’t believe in type-oo’s or mistakes. Can’t even come up with a good put down, how lame are you?

To the rest of the idiots, I love how instead of disapproving the points I made, they attacked me. Usually that means I hit a nerve, and I’m right. Keep calling me names, because that’s all your educated to do:)

Ah, the age old PC MAC debate….
I have had experience with both systems (although more PC than MAC)and I have to say that I personally don’t like MACS, it’s too hard to do cutomization and fix it if it breaks (which it does, they all do). Also, I have trouble making it work on the shared wireless network of my apartment, it refuses to connect to the shared printer (on the PC) and half the time losses rhe signal. That said, I can;t say that I’m thrilled with my PC’s preformance either but thats largly due to defects by the OEM (Averatec), I went with a cheap system and paid the price, the falts are not caused by the OS but the hardware in the system.

For comparing the $1999 and $2499 macbook pros, here is a rough estimate of upgraded components:

1. cpu upgrade from T8300 to T9300 - $125
2. graphics memory upgrade - $250
3. hard drive upgrade - $75

So Apple may make a $50 in additional profit. It is not a bad deal and I am
seriously considering buying it.

Why Apple does not allow MacOX to be run on non-apple intel machines? Monoply!!

They simply like to control and mantain their profits. EU will fine them just like MS down the road!

they now are available in a little black box, fool

I edit video and have been editing video for quite some time. 2 weeks ago I received my new computer (PC) with editing siftware 2 weeks ago and wow - what a machine. I spend a year researching and even gave Mac its day but sorry MAC your FCP does not even come close to my system in both price and performance. You Mac users have got to get a life and stop hailing your little white box.

I am a 54 year old web designer which is an anomaly in itself. Most of my clients are in their mid fifties and share the same work ethic and outlook I do. I generally convert my clients to Macs and you know what? I haven’t received a complaint yet. You will never pry their cold dead fingers loose from their Macs.

The upgrade is nice; but what about BluRay DVD?

Both Sony and Apple are members of the BluRay consortium and Sony has had laptops with BluRay for a while. Why has Apple not offered yet at least a BluRay disk option?

zzzzzzzzzzzz………

I had PCs for 15years, got fed up with software crashes, etc. taking hours/days/$$$ to fix. Majored in Comp. Sci., when they used to teach that computers were just a tool, the world didn’t revolve around computers. PCs are great if you want to make a hobby/career out of keeping them updated w/ hard/software, if you just want to use a computer as a tool buy a Mac. I did 2 years ago and can do more with a lot less fooling around w/ computer probs.

I have to question the pricing of the MacBook Pro steps.. $500 for an extra 50G of HD and .1 Mhz on the CPU? It makes no sense to me.

As an IT professional, I don’t understand the comments about using a MAC notebook in an Enterprise or DoD environment, or how anyone can consider a Mac more ’secure’. Where is support for VPN clients for secure communication, or for full Hard Disk encryption with enterprise level key management? MAC is just not ready for prime-time Enterprise deployment.

I seriously considered a Mac this time, but instead bought into the fear mongering that Microsoft hypes about incompatibility. I spent $2500 on a super pimped out HP, everything you could imagine practically on it, unfortunately including Windows Vista Ultimate. What’s “ultimate” about it is it’s the ultimate piece of garbage! It crashes at LEAST a couple of times a week, whereas my old system with XP almost never did. Two gigs of memory is barely enough to run anything on it! Yahoo hasn’t even introduced a version of it’s messenger program that will run correctly on 64-bit Vista, so the version I’m stuck with locks up constantly. I’m reasonably PC savvy, but I’m terrified of trashing my system by trying to install XP instead, so I’m basically backed into a corner.

You’d better believe I’ll be buying a Mac next time! There’s a reason that Apple’s market share has almost doubled in recent years; it’s because they have a better product!!!

Wow. Some of you need to have SOMETHING better to do than argue about this. Why are your identities so wrapped up in what you use?

I used a Mac at work for about 6 years, had PCs before that (and always PCs at home), PCs now…I frankly don’t see any difference. I teach in a major business school and pretty much everyone I know (faculty, students, etc.) use PCs…our labs are PCs (and they are NOT “$200 pieces of crap”!). That said, who gives a rat’s butt WHAT people use?? Geez louise people, give it a rest. Buy solid quality on EITHER side and you’ll be happy!

I have been a computer desktop support pro for over 10 years. I have worked in Mac and Windows environments, but am currently only mostly Windows as there are not many Macs in my current large employer of 40,000. I have two Macs at home and two PCs.
First: Price: Macs were more expensive years ago. but not anymore! Truly comparable Macs and Windows machines are priced competitively with the Macs often cheaper. In the long run, the Mac is a better investment as it has much higher resale value. Also, Mac OSes are much cheaper. I can buy the latest and greatest Mac OS for about $100. I can buy a family pack for 5 Macs for $200. I have a machine that is still running Windows 2000 Pro as I do not want to spend $300 to upgrade it to XP Pro. To load 5 machines with XP Pro (never mind Vista!) would cost me $1500 versus $200 for 5 Macs.
Second: Quality. Macs have much better quality control than PCs. Apple accepts much lower failure rates than PC manufacturers. PC manufacturers just source the lowest priced components that they can find and are willing to accept high failure rates to increase their profits. I work mostly with Dells, HPs and IBMs. I cannot tell you how many motherboards, hard drives, video cards, nic cards. power supplies, lcds and whatever have gone on these. (The IBMs are marginally better.) I would not buy one or recommend one to anyone. I hardly ever see a hardware failure with a Mac. Sure, they have some lemons too like anyone else, but there is no comparison. Macs are the Toyotas of computers.
Three: Maintenance and repair. I rarely have a Mac get so bad that it needs to be reimaged or reloaded. The Macs do not get all the viruses and spyware, they do not get all the Windows registry hacks and corruption and they do not have all the application conflicts especially from Symantec that can quickly turn a Windows machine into an unusable object of curses. With OS X, there is not really that much that repairing permissions or files will not fix. Mac techs are like Maytag repairmen. Not much to do. I constantly run across very frustrated PC users that tell me that they are buying a Mac just because of all the viruses and spyware that bring their home PCs to a crawl and keep them reloading Windows.
Four: Software. You can get a Mac application to do almost any task that a Windows application can. If you really need the Windows-only application, you can boot your Intel mac to Windows or install a shell software and then run any flavor of Windows or Linux while working in OS X. There really is nothing in the Windows world that you cannot do on a Mac.
Five: Programmers and researchers love the Mac PowerBooks. I have supported a lot of them. They can collect and manipulate data from Unix servers. They can write and edit programs in Unix. They can connect to almost any network and collaborate with almost any other user. They can then use Office to create their Powerpoints for presentations.
Obviously, the Mac is a much better choice for any home or small office user. A final rant. The main reasons that it has not penetrated the enterprise market more are because purchasing depts have typically gone with their least cost solution and most IT managers have their careers built on Microsoft and want to maintain their investment. Also, Windows is the corporate standard and users are comfortable with it. However, that may be changing somewhat with Vista as it is different and problematic enough to cause the enterprise market to look at other solutions including the Mac. I worked with a Telco that was going to go with an Open Source solution that was set to save them a lot of money, but the plan fell through because of all the entanglements that they had with Microsoft. So, the enterprise market does not make the best or least cost solution under a level playing field either. However, I shouldn’t really complain either as it is junky PCs and crappy Windows that keeps me employed and making good money. LOL!

I have used both platforms as well as versions of Unix and Linux for over 20 years and you know what - there are good things and bad things about all of them.

My preference is for the Mac especially with OSX and its Unix underpinnings. It has made the Mac much more stable and increased the number of apps available. With Boot Camp, I can even have a Mac and Windows machine all in one. (By the way, they are all PCs. The difference is between the Mac OS and Windows OS).

If you like Windows - use it.
If you like the Mac - use it.

Please spare us the offensive and insulting language because you think your way is the only way. It is nothing but a reflection upon you.

We should all just run Linux. Ohhh Wait, macs back bone is unix based. Also, last time i checked Unix/Linux is open source, then why is apple charging moneis for it?

You people need to get a life!!!!

Yeah, 90% of research biologists probably on occasion use a Mac, because chances are at least one of the machines they use in the laboratory, such as rt-PCR, is hooked up to a Mac operating system. However, the vast majority of scientific machinery is still run on PC software.

That being said, if you look at what they use as their primary desktop machine, >90% of them are PC.

Why is it that PC users always claim that they can get a PC for $500.00 (or more) less than a Mac but never mention that it’s not going to be a comparable PC at that price? Sure you can get a PC for much less than a Mac. But it will have a slower processor, less HD space, less memory, slower memory bus, less cache, intergrated graphic, shared memory, no BlueTooth or wireless 801n. You are only fooling yourself when you think you are saving any money over a Mac or a comparable Dell or HP. You see, a year or two from now, when you need to upgrade your OS, be able to run the next generation virus or spyware protection software in the background or need to run that new killer app or game, your $500.00 saving will cost you another $1200.00 or so because you’re going to need a new PC with faster processor, more memory, faster memory, more HD space and a dedicated graphic card with its’ own memory. If all you do and ever going to do is e-mail, word processing and internet (along with running virus and spyware software) then by all means buy the cheapest PC that will do the job. A $2000 Mac would be over kill. But so would a comparable $2000 Dell or HP. There are many reasons why people spend over $2000 for a laptop. Whether it’ll be for a Mac, Dell or HP. And one of them is so that they don’t have to buy a new laptop when they need to run a new program (without taking a performance hit) a year after they bought it. The truth is, is that $500 or so you saved got you a PC that is barley caplable of running any full blown version of Vista (except the home version) let alone any new programs that will be comming out later on that is native to Vista.

Well, in 2005 I spent $2,800 on an Alienware laptop, supposedly optimized for music/multi-media, and then an additional almost $1,000 on new external hardware (I’m a musician) just to try to get it to reliably work, not crash, and not have crappy audio. I went with Alienware because I had problems with my Apple Titanium G4 in 2002 - the paint was coming off! But the G4 worked - it just wasn’t fast enough for some of the new things I was trying to do in 2005.
After finally giving up on Alienware even getting my name right, I ate some crow, and then spent $1,200 on the bottom of the line Intel MacBook (but maxed out the RAM). That thing still does what I need it to do, the audio is pristine with inexpensive professional equipment, and I don’t get random blue screens. I can even simultaneously run two or three applications while transferring files over the internet, and still not have pops and clicks and glitches in my audio.
Best of all, when something IS wrong with a Mac, Apple (unlike Alienware) will actually admit that something is wrong and will fix it (unless it’s paint - then you have to write nasty letters first).
I can’t say I love Apple, but I have to use Windows at work, and it sucks. Macs “just work”, while Windows machines need coaxing, fort knox protection, and a freakin computer science degree just to keep them from slowing down and crashing all the time. I gave the Alienware to a friend who had the patience to accept its faults.

“It’s fuuny how ignorant Mac users sound. The reason there is less viruses for Mac is because 85% of the world uses PC”

It’s looooong past time that this tired old wives’ tale was taken out behind the chemical shed and shot dead, along with, ’self-abuse will make you go blind’ and ’shaving your hair makes it grow back thicker and longer’.

Well of course the first commenter is happy with his Windows laptop. He’s an IT engineer (and I bet even he can’t keep viruses from infecting his computer). Unfortunately that’s what it takes to cope with the unholy mess known as Windows, and most of the rest of the population are not computer geeks. They just want something that works. That’s why people buy Apple computers. When was the last time you saw someone slapping a Windows decal on their car?

Mac User: Hey, what are you doing?
PC User: Playing a game.
Mac User: Really? Which one?
PC User: All of them.
Mac User: That’s why you can’t afford a Mac, huh?

I’m an IT support engineer, mostly for Windows.
Time and time again, clients say to me “I need a laptop. Cheap but good.” After giving them the well-practiced warning on buying any bargain computer, I send them to the local Box store to get a $1200-1800 Sony/Toshiba/HP/etc. Invariably they say later “oh I found a great Dell deal online for $399 on sale.” Then 4 to 6 months later, they gripe to ME about how slow it is, the battery time is short, or how it crashes (usually thanks to Norton). A short time later, they impulsively run to the Apple store and pay $2500+ for the latest greatest MacBook and can’t stop raving about how great it is and how awful Windows was. Well folks, that is NOT a fair comparison and that is the basis of most Apple convert’s experience and comments. Even when I send the novice computer users straight to the Apple store, they will balk at the prices and tell me I’m crazy and they get the el cheapo Windows laptop anyway. It seems new Apple users must go through this ordeal to cough up the dough. There is room for choices. I was a solid Apple user until 1998 getting burned by high prices and quickly obsolete hardware AND CRASHING SOFTWARE. Being tech savvy, I’m now fine with Windows, but I understand the Apple appeal too.

The writer’s comment regarding the trackpad on the new MBP is inaccurate. It is the same size it has always been. The slightly larger version is still exclusive to the MBA.

ex ped: I think the reader may be right. Not having not put my hands on the device, I can’t give you the exact dimensions of the trackpad. It looks slightly larger than the standard trackpad in the photos on Apple.com, but certainly not as large as the trackpad on the Air, despite what. Jacqui Cheng wrote on Ars Technica’s Infinite Loop:

“The new MacBook Pro sports the new, gigantic multi-touch trackpad that we’ve already seen in the MacBook Air.”

“~90% of research biologists use macs.”

speaking of research, where is this published and who did the research to come up with this result ?? !!! by the way many bioscience top software are not available for MAC, and this is what keeps me from switch to MAC although I love MAC OS X leopard.

In the early 90’s, Mac was not the best choice for networking, so we went with IBM. BTW, Mac & IBM are both PC - Personal Computers.

My best friend, a graphic designer, has an office filled with Macs. I witnessed lockups and crashes, as well as different problems with Macs in their office, Non are perfect.

As Mac networking improved, I considered switching, but we are heavily invested in Windows based software, so we remain Windows users.

I enjoy the results my machines give me - period.

~90% of research biologists use macs.

Somebody needs to tell Clark Kent that Macs had viruses before they switched to OS X - back when they had only a 1 or 2 % of the market share. The “hackers don’t target such a small percentage” doesn’t apply in that case, does it?
As far as video streaming -I have more trouble with my XP Pro than my 3 Macs. And QuickTime is more widely used by professionals.
Stop spreading FUD.

skeet skeet

People, people people…

This “Mac vs. PC” argument brings out some of the most ignorant people. It reminds me of these NASCAR fans who get in fights because they’re convinced Chevy is better than Ford…laughable.

I’ve been in the Enterprise computing business for 15 years and I’ve seen every operating system imaginable - Solaris, Windows, AIX, HP-UX, Mac OSX, IRIX and more flavors of Linux than I care to remember. This argument isn’t about hardware because since Apple moved to Intel chips - THEY’RE MADE OF THE SAME COMPONENTS. Same chips, graphics cards, hard drives and memory. You people are bitching at each other because you’re looking at different user interfaces!

Here’s the difference between Apple and Microsoft. MS licenses their software to run on hundreds of different manufacturers’ hardware. Apple owns the hardware and the software. OF COURSE MAC OSX is going to be more stable! You try to write code to anticipate every piece of crappy hardware that’s going to hit the market. It’s not going to happen.

I’m a faithful Mac user, and will never go back to a system with an underlying Windows OS. Just too unstable for my taste. But, my company’s infrastructure is built on Windows. So, I install VMware, run XP in a virtual machine, and haven’t seen a blue screen of death since. There’s nothing that’s done on a PC that I can’t do on a Mac now. Had they not changed to Intel chips to make that possible, I probably would have had to make the change back to MS. I for one am glad they did…

Can’t we all just get along???

Apple laptops have been gradually displacing aging Dell laptops in our business and our employees seem to really like them. These machines are such an incredible value, given that they can run Mac OS X, X-Windows, Windows XP, Windows Vista, etc. I had misgivings about putting non-Windows machines on our network, but it’s been no problem at all. It seems like the hardcore Mac users are a self-reliant bunch.

Keep up the great work, Apple!

“It’s fuuny how ignorant Mac users sound. The reason there is less viruses for Mac is because 85% of the world uses PC”

you realize that it’s more like 95% of the world uses PC. you also realize that a very large percentage of that 95% is low-end products for business like cash registers and hotel desk GUI’s.

Has “Clark Kent” had a grammar lesson?

I love my little white remote. It’s too bad those won’t come bundled anymore. It was a great surprise when I found it in the box, and I use it all the time now when playing music or playing picture slide shows.

Mr. Clark Kent, it was quite interesting to observe your grammar usage while hearing words such as “idiot” and “tiny brain” from you. Perhaps you may consider using a Mac after all…

“Mac are for children”, as you say. ^_^

@ david

i use my apple remote every night.

it’s fuuny how ignorant Mac users sound.
It’s funny when windows users can’t spell “fuuny” correctly

” The reason there is less viruses for Mac is because 85% of the world uses PC. Why would any sensible hacker want to hack into a Mac when they are use for nothing.”

Exept all the same things that pc are used for and more. And they come with a built in spell checker for grammar bee winners like yourself!

“(For those of you on MACs, please stay on MACs, cause the PC world was to much for you tiny brain!”

I use a pc, but use linux instead. The advatages of this would be lost on your “Tiny brain” Clark kent!

Macs are for children? Clark Kent’s comments are for children (or BY a child). Thank God, I have a life and don’t get that worked up over PC vs. Mac. I’m sure Bill Gates is real glad you went to bat for him, Clark. Were you dumped by a Mac user?

Macs are Macs
PCs are PCs
and people who argue about the two are just plain stupid.

Wow. Has “Clark Kent” ever actually used a Mac?

Help, but in simple terms please. I need to buy a new computer a laptop by choice. I telework and must use windows.
My son who is in graphics has a mac. Since he is on the West coast and I am on the East we try to communicate visually though our computers. So far no good. I thought I might spend about $1,000 for the new computer but should it be for a mac with windows or another PC? Ideas?

It’s fuuny how ignorant Mac users sound. The reason there is less viruses for Mac is because 85% of the world uses PC. Why would any sensible hacker want to hack into a Mac when they are use for nothing.(sorry itunes) And if they were invulnerable they wouldn’t have updates idiots. I’ve had both so, Mac users need to admit the lack of useable application, full use of internet (Video streaming not compatible on all sites, also including iphone web surfing.) PC is not fool proof, and chances are you the reason why it crashed. Mac are for children and those who think spending more money for something is better. The first thing MAC goes and does is buy into microsoft office, the only thing that saved them when their sales were dropping(PC saved them). For those of you on MACs, please stay on MACs, cause the PC world was to much for you tiny brain!

OK, let’s make the OS bashing real for once.
I work all day long, every day supporting Windows xxxx/xx OS. I work for the DoD.
It’s great for general purpose work. It’s excellent for job security.
It’s NOT so great for graphic arts, video editing or similar pursuits.
Mac OSx is good at video, graphic and similar pursuits. So is the different incarnations of Sun (Solaris xx).
Mac OS10 has excellent network diagnostics, as does Solaris. Windows is lagging there. Again, a highly specialized area.
What am I typing this on right now? Windows XP. It works, usually. When it doesn’t, I grumble and fix it or reload (rarely, but I’m the guy who also analyzes worms and virii and exterminate them manually.)
What was I using 30 minutes ago? A variation of Unix (What Max OS10 (aka OSX), Linux (BSD variant that has a fair amount of security broken (Oh, I’m the network security guy), Solaris and a few others worthy of mention, but it’s late at night here in the middle east).
What’s the best? THERE IS NO BEST! It’s what works best for you for the application you need executed. When I want internet applications running at super high speed (TCP/IP things, for us geeks), I use a unix based or linux based system (to include Macintosh.)
For the rest of the day, I use Windows XP and Windows 2003. Vista needs to wait for at LEAST one service pack before it’s allowed on MY network (no matter WHAT DoD says!)
End users largely like Windows. It’s a fact of life, fair, unfair, whatever. To disagree with that is to disagree with the law of gravity. It’s there, it’s gonna grab ya. Get used to it or keep falling and get bruised.
What’s my opinion of Microsoft software? It’s job security and the rest I can’t say in a family friendly program.
The various versions of Unix are MUCH more robust, but rather end user unfriendly.
As for the improvements on the macbooks, IF I can spare the bucks, I’ll get one to put next to my Windows XP Pro laptop. Both have their places. I run Windows 2003 server here at “home”, Windows XP Pro, Mac OS 10, Mac OS9x, Solaris and linux (various flavor of that.) It all depends on what need is present. Come to think of it, stateside, the same!
Simple end of story:
Whatever works for your needs is good. The rest is BS!
Of course, I go all the way back to DOS days and a bit before. Commodore 64 days, Amiga, etc.
They all kept food in the family’s mouth.

“Clark Kent” is a clueless troll. Macs can now do every one of the things he mentioned with ease.

This is funny. Just a few years ago, major AAPL announcements rarely ever showed up on mainstream media’s radar. Now, even tiny CPU speed bumps like this one (which likely won’t make any difference to the average computer buyer) are front-and-center on CNN.com. What a difference 5 years can make.

Mac are pretty, as most of you know, and they run pretty quick. But it’s funny how most mac users have to find a pc to run most applications. igarage, itunes.. and other istuff is all most mac have, they can’t do much. Try copying a DVD, oops cant do that, try sync’n with your phone, oops can’t do that either.Try to open video streaming.. oops can only do that if it’s on itunes. I think they should concentrate on more application, because until the net has one agreed upon format, Mac will always be behind a PC. Try putting more truth in your Mac commercials, or just state the message you are sending - Mac for dummies, any one can do it.

francisco is right: why does EVERY SINGLE APPLE NEWS ARTICLE have to turn into a mac vs. pc vs. linux debate? there are obviously an enormous number of devotees on all sides, and it seems reasonable that rational people prefer different systems for different reasons. please leave the comments section alone if you have nothing to contribute to the discussion aside from closed-minded hostility.

I have owned an iMac for about 3 months now, and I am in love with it. Porting all of my files over to the Mac was simple. Setting up email was done in about 3 clicks. The same for my network printer. I have a mixed network of 1 Mac and 4 PC’s. I use a network storage device that is accessible from all machines. There is nothing I can do on a PC that I cannot do faster and more efficiently on my Mac. I cannot think of a reason to turn on my PC.

The reason I go for a PC is that I can easily run any OS I want, from Linux, Windoze, or Mac OS-whatever, while upgrading my hardware whenever I want. Stop fighting, learn Linux. Love the penguin and the open source.

I use at home Mac computers for three reasons: OS stability, security and coherence between hardware and software. I really like them. Some years ago I quit on Windows because it was prone to crash very often, but I still use Windows at work and honestly the one I´m using right know (Windows XP) runs very well and I don´t remember when it was the last time it crashed. I love my Macs but I find realy annoying people in forums figthing and insulting others with different choices. It´s nonsense. Buy whatever you want, if it doesn´t satisfy you, change it. But do not bitch on others just because enjoy different things. How stupid is that?

Jarret: The macbook pro and macbook are very different beasts, despite the fact that they are listed here with the same specs other than screen size. The 15-inch pro is the aluminum bodied laptop with dedicated graphics processing, express card slot, firewire 800, higher resolution, multitouch trackpad, lighted keyboard, and much more that the top of the line macbook does not have.

I have always owned Macs since the mid 80’s and wouldn’t change a thing….they are so WYSIWYG.
You like your movies? Thanks go to a Mac production studio! You don’t have to be cheap….quality usually comes with a pricetag.

Macs are fine for apps video editing and such…but past that? Not so much.

Mac User: Hey, what are you doing?
PC User: Playing a game.
Mac User: Really? Which one?
PC User: All of them.

I priced a similar dell xps 5300 and with similar configuration it was over $1900, so the apple seems pretty close if you compare apples and oranges. Except you get a system that can operate BOTH mac and windows with the apple. And the mac looks four times as cool. And the mac has a pile of features the Dell doesn’t have.

Ok, I just bought a MacBook last year for the first time and I fell in love. It is a lot easier to use and not to mention it takes less than 30 sec. to boot up. Then, less than 15 sec. to shut down. I also have a PC laptop, which has crashed 5 times. Take in mind I had both Norton and AVG for virus protection on the PC. Since, I’m an avid user of the external hard drive, I lost no files. Then, for whatever reason, when I used the laptop in my recoding studio, while it was on AC power, it would record this buzzing/humming sound on every track. If I didn’t have it plugged up, no problem. But, when you are recording, the battery alone just does not get it done. But it was not just “my” PC doing that, it was everyone that brought one to the studio. When I bought my MacBook, I was scared that the buzzing would continue. I was so wrong, not only did I not hear the buzzing sound, it had no background noise what so ever. I also had a desktop CPU for the studio, 2ghz P4 2gb ram, had all kinds of errors and freezing problems, on the highest settings in Pro Tools. My MacBook on the other hand, 2 ghz, Intel Core 2 duo, 1gb ram, on the lowest setting level for Pro Tools, out shined the PC all day long. But, I’m comparing a P4 PC vs. a Core 2 Duo Mac. Now, let’s go to burning CD’s and DVD’s, none of my programs I bought for my PC worked on my Mac. So, in tune, I still have to use my PC for all that. Then, my dual monitor USB output, is not compatible for Mac either. The manufacture said Mac would not give them the specs. But, how does so many other companies get those specs? I will agree, once Leopard is able to run on any CPU, Leopard will take over. Also, please remember, Vista is not the first OS to not work and just flop out, what happened to Windows: ME? End result, I like them both for different reasons.

Bottom line: If you use your computer for recording, graphic design, anything along those lines, go Mac. But, if you use your computer for just typing papers, Perl scripts, programming, work, go PC, preferably Dell or Sony.

You know, I’ve been running a Windows PC for 3 years now, and it’s crashed…once. And that was my fault due to misinstalled hardware. In the time I owned my G4 titanium, I got the Apple Happy Wheel of Gay Fun(the “hold the hell on, I’m trying to figure out what to do” circle that pops whenever OSX hangs) at LEAST 100 times before I finally threw the laptop out. As far as stability goes, there’s minimal difference. I guess when it comes down to it, Windows just requires that you arent completely inept when it comes to technology, and I’m not talking about knowing how to sync your iPod. Face it, Apple’s only real strength is that it’s semi-idiot proof. OSX does NOT have any better function, although I will concede that it is semi intuitive (to a point), and looks much better than Vista (which is soon to be replaced by Windows 7, tentative codename for the new Windows due out possibly in late 08 - early 09). By the way, I can run OSX Leopard on my Core 2 Duo Wolfdale 3.0 dualbooted alongside Windows Vista, and I honestly wouldnt bother. I’m a professional IT/technician with 5 years experience, and I game as a major hobby. Explain to me why an Apple would be the better choice? Intelligent responses requested, not “Windows Suxx!!” or “Mac roolz”.

I am a 3D animator and have worked on high end boxes since SGI Unix was on top, I was IT for a mac studio in the early 90’s and I now use Linux on PCs at work but a mac at home.

Its apples and oranges. Apple, early on, was immensely good to its users and the systems were open and very easy to fix, including the OS and the hardware. But it couldn’t handle high end graphics. Now it can, and the OS is Unix based. But it’s a lot harder to tech out minor problems at home and the upgrade system is no longer backward compatable so Apples become obsolete on purpose faster then they used to.

I guess what I am saying is that Apple has fixed some of its short comings while growing big enough to let slide some of its former strengths (user friendliness).

But if i had to choose for a laptop or home system right now. I wuold still go with Apple and I would still hold on to their stock. They are a classy company and OSX is very stable and very safe from most viruses. Any PC I have ever had online has come down with somekind of bug, and the answer is ALWAYS to wipe the drive and rebuild. situations like that are very rare on a mac.

Most of the comments I see here are made with very little perspective and definitely seem to fall under the whole Mac/PC war theme. reminds me of the East Coast/ West Coast rapper beef. Everybody picked a side, but most people were so new to the industry/art form that picking sides was like deciding which trend best suited their self image. In other words, they were ALL posers. It was the execs behind the “war” that laughed all the way to the bank.

Oh, I am SO SICK of that old argument being dragged out… “well, there must be a reason 80% of the computing world uses PCs instead of Macs!”

Yeah, there are several. It’s because most people learned on that platform way back when, and don’t feel comfortable switching from what they know. It’s also because PCs are so cheap. Few people can resist a low price. Also businesses–even huge ones–can afford to buy a lot of them for hardly anything. They think it’s cost-efficient to buy a ton of $200 pieces of junk, but never think of how often they need to be replaced. So people stuck using them at work get used to them.

It’s 1) sheer habit 2) financial reasons and 3) the fact that cheapskate businesses make it necessary that keep 80% of people stuck on PCs. Not superiority, not choice.

Incidentally, I’m also still using an 8-year-old Powerbook, which I couldn’t be happier with. Runs like a dream, easily upgraded, and is in use for a good 18 hours a day. How many PC users can say their laptops of the same age are even functional (except as footrests)? And 100% virus-free?

Well, here’s what I know. On my desk at work there is a Dell tower and an iMac. At home is a Hewlett-Packard laptop running Vista and a Dell tower. My MacBook Pro commutes back and forth with me in the saddlebag of my Harley Road King Classic.

They’re just machines. They do the same thing, they just do it differently.

Still, I love the Intel Macs a lot.

PC’s and virus trapping Windows are ideal for pinheads like Carlos. Apple refines hardware, giving it class along with an OS that is user friendly and virus free. It’s sorta like comparing a Yugo to a Porsche. Get it?

I’ve owned both PC and Mac… but someone tell me why I’d pay $2000 for a notebook just to have a 15 inch screen size? That’s ridiculous. I can get Dell notebook with very comparable specs - and a 17 inch screen for $500 less.

@Taylor

And I bet you program for MSFT apps, like the super crap ASP server side apps I so many times see crashing away.

This is why there are so many Apple bashers - they’re afraid they’ll be out of a job if their cash cow goes out of business. So they come to Apple blogs to bash and stick poison in.

Guess what Taylor, you are 0,000000000000001% of the crowd. I don’t mind if you use what you use as a computing environment, you could do it out of glued up chips and wires for that matter, you don’t even need a PC case as long as there’s a screen for you to read those nifty codes.

I wonder how Apple’s programmers do it…

Can I ask something? If you’re not Steve Jobs or Steve Ballmer, why do you people care so much about which platform is better? Does it make you feel more confident if you can slander someone for making a personal choice that isn’t the same as one you might have made? Why do you get so defensive about something as trivial as computer choices? If Macs were so great, why, even with all of their free publicity and attempts to dovetail their accessory product lines into their computer business, are they still tremendously behind in market share? And if PCs are so great, why can’t they make one that an average user can use without it crashing every day?

People buy macs to: do media projects or have a stable operating system or because they’ve always used macs or because they hate Bill Gates or because they like how they look or because they want to feel better than everybody else (clearly some of you here feel this way anyway). PC users buy PCs because they know/like the Windows OS better than the Mac OS, or they can’t afford a comparably equipped Mac, or they want to play PC Games, or they want to be sure that 90% of any software titles they might need will work, or they want to build their own computer piece-by-piece, or they hate Steve Jobs.

Believe it or not, you can’t make everybody do what you want them to do, and if you’re so insecure about your own buying decisions that you have to lash out and attack people personally for making purchases that differ from yours, then that’s just plain sad.

Sadly, I bought my kid a Macbook for college a year ago. It came back to me with a liquid spill, now making it a $1400 paperweight. But the spill wasn’t it’s only problem - it had a defective heatsink causing random shutdown, the top case cracked, the monitor developed white speckles, and the power adapter went bad. The only thing ‘Lexux’ about this Mac is the price. Mac fans are footing the cost of Apple’s R&D, only to get products released before they are adequately engineered. I don’t get it, but then again I’m not one of those pasty-skinned wispy people dressed in black either.

Someone posted, “Cmon people, wise up and start using computers, not drooling over them like a fad.” For anyone that loves Macs like I do, we know this is precisely why we love them. They allow us to actually USE our computers instead of spending hours on end configuring hardware and diagnosing problems.

It’s sad that the Windows world has led us down a path where “real computing” has to be technical and difficult in order to be seen as credible. I’m glad that other industries don’t take that stance, or we’d all be pedaling our cars and defrosting our freezers with matchsticks.

Get real people. Apple propels computing into the future by making it an easy and gratifying experience.

As far as I’m concerned there is one reason to run an Apple laptop over a PC. Security. Not to say that it is impossible for PC users to have a secure and stable computer but to be blunt, 90% don’t know how. They just want it to work when they turn it on. This is NOT the case with OSX. Apple provides you with everything out of the box, done deal. It’s not a matter of being “cool”, that excuse went out the window with the G5. It is however a matter of something working for more than a year and being able to do those basic functions like email, internet, word processing and spreadsheets with little or no problem. It just works. Thats why we pay more.

This argument isn’t even worth my time but just because PC fans are so closed minded and have never even worked with a mac, here goes…. Apple rocks, just spend a couple weeks using a MAC and you’ll quickly come to that conclusion. It blows any PC out of the water. PC’s are crap! Apple rules! Apple is BMW/LEXUS/AUDI compared to PC being a CHEVY COBALT. Now all you PC lovers go back to your Chevy Cobalt and putter down the street back to mommy.

I’m a former Apple Certified Technician, and love both PCs and Macs for different things. Now that we’ve got that straight, I’ll say right now that you are the pot calling the kettle black.

Your arguments are childish and insulting, and make those who stereotype Mac owners as such even more strident, while giving decent Mac owners a bad name. Please consider your words before you speak.

A “sour note,” huh? Honestly - it was a smart business decision not to include the Apple Remote with these things. I never use mine. How often do you use yours?

Windows is a fine OS. I built my computer 5 years ago, and not only does it run great after all of these years, I’ve upgraded it, used it for audio recording, and playing World of Warcraft on full settings. I’ve had NO problems with this computer; you treat it right, it treats you right.

However if one doesn’t know, or doesn’t want to know about computers and just wants one that works, MACs are good for that.

The MACBOOK AIR was a joke, but these new MacBooks look really nice.

However tempting picking a Macbook up for $999 w/ education discount is, I could get a PC notebook for about half the price. With everything I need and nothing I don’t.

I am very happy with my new Core 2 Duo 20 inch 2.4GHz iMac. It runs Windows XP Home just fine, and I have the stable, reliable, feature-filled Leopard OS from Apple as well.
Microsoft should have started sweating the minute Apple came out with the Intel chip’d Macs. Not only does it mean that Macs can run Windows … it also means we’re close to having PCs that can run Mac operating systems. If Apple licensed their OS to run on such PCs, Microsoft could go the way of IBM and lose double-digit market share to Apple in a very short time.

Forget the hardware debate and pros and cons of the systems themselves. You can have these discussions all day.

What is completely undebatable is the support you get from Apple. I dont know of any PC options where you can make an appointment THE SAME DAY and have an expert look at your computer IN PERSON. This is the best part of apple for me. Just last week my 4 yr old ibook wouldnt boot. I thought I had lost everything. Went to the apple store and they were able to get all my information off the hard drive and then fix it, reinstalling the OS and other programs lost FOR FREE. You simply can’t compare on the level of customer service.

“Anyway, the MacBook Air was a waste of money before this even happened, seeing as the lappie didnt even come with basic functionality out of the box.”

I can accept your other opinions, but on this you missed the point that the MacBook Air is intended as a kind of “dummy terminal” for people who need a lightweight computer to walk from meeting to meeting; it’s meant to exist as an additional tool, not your sole business computer. But yes, I would not buy a MacBook Air as a home user.

I agree the MAC OS X perfect specially Leopard, and here my story with Mac OS X; I installed leopard on an HP notebook (yes hp, you can do that, do not ask!!, most hardware work except memory card reader), and the speed was amazing it boots in less than 20 sec and runs really fast and very cool. After using it for some time I decided to buy a MacBook because I was amazed by Leopard, So I did buy one with higher specifications, and I wish I did not, the thing is slower and runs hot, why I do not know but I paid a much higher price compared to the hp which runs much faster and cooler. There is no doubt that MAC OS X is perfect and much better than windows but still allot of software I use do not have a MAC version and vista runs slower on my Macbook with the higher specifications than the hp. But I still love Apple OS, but I am not going to pay extra $$ for their hardware in the near future until they come up with something really different on the hardware side.

My imac has been running great since the day I bought it. Apples really are worth every penny. I owned 2 voodoo laptops and an alienware desktop in the past and they are great gamer computers…but crash consistently and are the most unreliable computers.

Where is the Penryn based IMac

I think most Mac users will agree that the main reason anyone is using a Mac is for the Operating System. The stuff inside isn’t “better” than what you can find in most PC laptops. The outside of a Mac computer may look nicer, but that is personal opinion, and I hope no one is paying the extra $800 for that alone.

Microsoft’s Windows OS’ are all terrible. The Registry system, the virus potential, the fact that Vista has its many flaws, what you have to ask yourself is, “How much is a very stable operating system that is ‘immune’ from 99% of the viruses and trojan horses worth? How much is it worth to have a computer with a long life span, not having to watch Windows on a P4 w/ 1.5 Gigs RAM struggle to complete simple commands like closing an application?

I still have my 1.33 Ghz 12″ Powerbook, 1.25G RAM. Still a great machine and I have had it about 3 years.

Only complaint here is the price difference between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook when their specs aren’t much different. Why even have the difference? Why would I want to pay $700 more for 2″ of screen size, .1 GHz of processor speed, and 80Gigs of HD?

Personally I am waiting for a smaller MacBook Pro - give me a 13″ Pro.

an apple laptop is worth every penny.

I have an old G4 15″ bought in 2001 and it’s still running great.

In the same period, I went through 2 Dell PC laptops.

You get what you paid for.

Wow… some crazy comments here. According to one of you, I have a gas guzzling SUV in the driveway because I own a Dell Latitude. And this is the reason why I don’t own a Mac - the extra I spend on gas prevents me from being able to afford a Mac.

Let’s get the facts straight. I do not own a Mac because I do not want one. I am a computer programmer, primarily .NET and Java. As a developer, I am not able to get the reliable functionality out of a Mac that I get out of my Dell. Many of the tools and features I use either are not available for Mac, or are not reliable on that platform.

Mac vs PC… hmmmm… tough debate. Many users use their computer for a few basic things - internet, email, word processing, and some spreadsheet processing. That being said, I have a hard time justifying the higher costs for Mac’s. Why spend $400 - $500 more to own a Mac, when there are several lower cost options available in PC format??? I’ll tell you why - - because, then you won’t be able to say “I am cool. I own a Mac”.

You know, it’s quite sad that people bash Windows, when it’s more than 80 percent of the computing worlds choice of OS. People pay money for Mac for the indie cred, the feeling that theyre “sticking it to the man”. The idea that theyre somehow different for going with Apple simply enhances the illusion that Apple is for the Starbucks crowd, while Windows PC’s are for the real PC users. (By the way, I get to say this having been an Apple owner, not by choice, for two years during highschool. Today, I own 3 Windows PCs and am planning on a VoodooPC Laptop in the near future.) Anyway, the MacBook Air was a waste of money before this even happened, seeing as the lappie didnt even come with basic functionality out of the box. Cmon people, wise up and start using computers, not drooling over them like a fad.

No matter how much you dress up a Windows laptop it will always suck because it has …. Windows!

Windows is old tech with ‘cosmetics’ bolted on unlike OsX which is unix based. Windows will always be less stable, more vulnerable to malware and slower to upgrade (Apple can upgrade 3-4 times or more for every Windows jump and Windows is just falling further and further behind).

A shiny Windows laptop is like a sports car with a Yugo engine (from 1985). Saying that this Windows laptop is better than a Macbook because is it has this or that is pointless as it runs Windows, it is like saying your sports car is better because it has more cup holders although it has a decrepit Yugo engine.

Windows to Leopard is like the top of the line Msft music player the Zune vs. the top of the line Apple the iPod Touch. The difference in Technological prowess is so clear.

Still even if you absolutely have to run Vista on a Mac today, you can, so how can Apple lose?

Sadly the introduction of the upgraded macbooks, makes the macbook air even more undesirable at an 1800.00 starting price point.

Give me a real docking station option like Dell, HP and I will consider an Apple laptop. Until then a Dell Latitude is a better value anyday.

Well, Barney & Bryan and other Apple downgraders

There’s a difference between seeing and having vision just like there’s a difference between hearing and listening.

If you don’t get it, it’s ok! You never did and you probably never will. It’s not for everyone, you know, we’re not all alike :)

Not everyone sums a computer up in terms of nuts and bolts, MHz and GB.

And you Apple haters are not really furious at (people like) me, you’re furious simply because, precisely, you just don’t seem to see/get it!

BTW, I would pay 3 times as much just for not having the pain to touch a retarded OS like MSs but, guess what, I don’t have to, it’s almost the same price for the same type of hardware quality [compare iPhone to N95s, MBPs to Vaios] and a light year’s ahead operating system. And believe you me, I have worked with both OSs, professionaly and at home, for more than 18 years now!

You just don’t see it, do you? Poor you…

Mark my words, the Multi-Touch Trackpad is a revolution for the computing world just as much as the mouse was or the iPhone is currently being for the handheld / mobile phone world [it'll soon be a gaming platform too but what the heck].

And in a years time, you will all have crappy touch-look-alike trackpads in your pitiful me-too machines :D

When will the IPhone come loaded with Windows Mobile?

I am constantly surprised at how the Apple haters will gloat over saving a few hundred dollars over a PC, while half of them probably have an SUV in the garage that is completely unnecessary and cost them $20,000 more than the car that would have suited them just fine. They’ll crow about how a PC costs a couple hundred less, but they won’t be caught dead in a Kia or Hyundai.

Personally, I spend more time in front of my computer than in my car, and the few hundred extra I spent on my Mac is well worth it. When I count the thousands I saved by buying a used non-SUV, it looks like I came out several thousand dollars ahead of all the users who bought a PC and new, oversized, $40,000 gas guzzlers.

This argument isn’t even worth my time but just because PC fans are so closed minded and have never even worked with a mac, here goes…. Apple rocks, just spend a couple weeks using a MAC and you’ll quickly come to that conclusion. It blows any PC out of the water. PC’s are crap! Apple rules! Apple is BMW/LEXUS/AUDI compared to PC being a CHEVY COBALT. Now all you PC lovers go back to your Chevy Cobalt and putter down the street back to mommy.

DELL top of the line XPS:
http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/xpsnb_m1730?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

Sorry but I do not see the reason for people gawking about price points… Apple machines are just as competitive in that area… slightly more but you also get bundled apps that get you productive out the door immediately.

What it comes down to is: How productive are you under OS-X or VISTA.

MacBook Pro’s are great; I am running Windows XP via Leopard/Boot Camp and it runs all my Windows accounting/tax applications with ease (this is on an mid-2006 MacBook) - the new ones rock and I look forward to upgrading!

PC User my whole life until a MacBook appeared!

I’m looking for my first laptop. I’ve always had a PC. I’m still looking for a compelling reason to spend double for a MacBook Pro than what it would take to buy a PC compatible, not to mention the software that I would have to buy. Add another Grand to the price. I just don’t see it.

The 45nm Core2Duo (Penryn, not Penrym) is a nice update, as is 2 GB RAM as a baseline. However the MacBook still has inadequate screen resolution (1280×800!?) and is glossy, to boot (blech). Cap that off with the gawd-awful ‘chicklet’ keyboard, and everyone should be saving for the MacBook Pro.

Nice try, Apple… maybe next time.

Carlos is a idiot… at $2k-3k I can get plenty done with my MacBookPro. 65k plus a year running a studio isn’t that bad is it. Stop these stupid PC/MAC wars…

Apple you are missing the mark. You need to get the MacBooks below the $1000 price point. And with a SuperDrive as standard equipment.

I dont like to be touched!

wow thats sounds retarded the people below me if they can afford it and want it let them have it who cares whatever floats their bout but shut up and dont call ppl pricks either

Apple today is worse than microsoft ever was. Everything made in China, these macbooks cost $100 to make, buy one on craigslist from a dissapointed first owner for nothing

Actually, the processor didn’t get larger, it got faster. There is a huge difference in that terminology. Processors normally don’t increase in size as that would defeat the purpose of it’s own advancement. It increases performance in the same space as its predecessor.

Hahaha, you sad Apple fans…

Have fun with your useless ~$3000 pile of metal. I can’t believe you seriously consider a trackpad and a standard processor a “solid update”. Get real please and stop being arrogant pricks.

XamaX, you think a touchpad is going to drive people to spend hundreds more on a laptop? You’re a fool at best. It’s a positive story about Aaple and you Apple homers can’t accept it.

Thanks for the good article, it’s helpful for us AAPL owners who are able to understand both sides of the enigma that is Apple.

@ Joon

Apple has a 14 day return policy. So you may still be OK. Apple is generally pretty good about it if you are close to the date especially if a new product has just come out.

Joon,

Check this out and you should be okay if you’re within the 14 days.

http://www.apple.com/legal/sales_policies/retail_us.html

There you go.

MacBook Pros are priced equivalent to, and in some cases lower than, comparably equipped PC laptops. You can get cheaper PC laptops, of course, but those usually have crappy integrated video with shared RAM and other short cuts.

That’s why, as a PC gamer, I’ll be getting a MacBook Pro and using Boot Camp to run Windows XP for gaming, but Leopard for my real work.

I just bought the $1299 white Macbook two weeks ago! Argh!!!

Apple, you’re doing exactly what I expected: You’re ignoring the herd mentality that’s rushing for the exits, and continuing to innovate your way to success.

That’s why you’re such a fabulous long-term play, and why people who bought high should tough it out and ignore the herd mentality - in either direction!

Joe - More expensive, yes. Overpriced? When you look at the fact that Mac computers last 200% longer than the average PC before becoming obsolete, their cost is worth it.

Personally, I think touchpads suck regardless of their size.

I always connect a mouse for use with my macbook.

I lov