Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hello everyone. 

Computers are a necesity for buisness, so I have something to ask everyone.

I am going to buy a laptop for school, pictures, documents, movies etc.
What I want to know is what would you suggest-a Mac, or HP/Dell/etc.

I was told Macs last about 9 years and other laptops such as HP last about 3 years.  Based on this I wold get a Mac because I need it to last a long time.

Have any of you bought a HP/Dell and when it died you bought a Mac?  What did you think about the Mac?  What are some of the pros and cons?

Any help thanks :)

-Andrea G.
foodallergytalk.com
stugo.webs.com
fdfiredesign.com
jcmyway.webs.com
garzaproductions.webs.com

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-Andrea G.
*foodallergytalk.com*
FD Fire design.com
garzaproductions.webs.com
jcmyway.webs.com

I`ve never owned a Mac... but I also won`t trust a claim that any computer will last 9 years.  

Don`t expect any computer to last you more than 2-4 years.  Even if it`s still functional in 9, it will be so outdated that you won`t be able to get much use out of it.  Longevity should not really be a factor when buying a computer - none of them are "built to last"

If you will be doing graphic design/video editing work on your laptop, a Mac may be the way to go.  Otherwise just go with what you`re most familiar with: If you are primarily a Windows user, you will have to go through a transition period learning how to do all the things you`re used to doing on a Mac; and vice-versa. 

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Oleg Issers | StartupNation.com Web Team

50% of computer programming is trial and error. The other 50% is copy and paste.

allergylady... The best answer to your question is... the one you are familiar with. That`s how you will be most productive. Remember there is software to buy after buying the computer. You may already own software for a particular system... Mac/PC

As for me, I have been a Mac advocate since 1990. They are/were so easy to use compared to PCs... IMHO. I have many friends who tried talking me into a PC computer in the beginning days... Although time has passed, I rarely have problems with my Macs (I own a desktop model too). I always see PC users taking apart their systems and replacing some component that died,  while my Mac is always running perfectly.

Don`t get me wrong. Computers are technology. They will break down. But life expectancy is a major factor when considering where to plunk your money down. Here`s my experience with laptops... I have owned three laptops... My first lasted 6 years. It`s death was mainly due to technology improvements. My second (Powerbook G3) last about 8 years... There was some ownership overlap time between my first two systems. I actually gave it (the G3) away on craigslist when I bought my current model. The system still functioned but some part broke down and was more expensive to replace than I wanted to pay. It made the laptop system become a desktop model. It wouldn`t run off battery power and due to problem, when plugged in, it would randomly shut down... all power issues. I gave it away because it still functioned when receiving the proper power. I figured some Mac guru would be able to find extra parts and use it for something.

My latest laptop is the Powerbook G4. It`s been a great system. I did buy the "insurance" policy (about $300) with the system... and I have has two components break down and need replaced. All parts and labor were covered and no data was ever lost.

Macs are a bit more expensive, but I really like the reliability. The biggest problem is compatibility with the PC world. It`s getting better, especially with the new Intel chips installed on Mac now. But still... much of compatibility deals with software.

All my Microsoft stuff is compatible Mac to PC or Visa Versa. But in the graphic world, there are some applications you cannot find for Mac. Although I have never really found any software found in a PC version that was outstanding without a Mac version. It seems if it`s really a good application, they will soon come out with a Mac version.

One thing that I do notice a difference in are those little apps on the Internet. Things like a little time management app or a game... They are usually PC only. But in the real world of business... The Mac is outstanding and often comes with hardware which costs extra in the PC world. But remember, you are paying a little more for a Mac, so it should come standard.


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Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

Hello allergylady,

I echo the statements by iouone2.

My wife has owned Mac since the first iMacs came out and hvae had two iBooks. They just ran with very little need to tinker with them. Also zero virus and spyware issues.

Each time the Macs were more money on the front end but were rock solid and performed great through out there use. Each new purchase was due to new models that were available with all the old ones still working fine.

I personally use several non-Apple laptops and desktop models that I have rescued from the trash and run Linux as my primary OS so I don`t spend much on my technology but do run older systems.

As for my business start up we are going with one iMac and one PowerBook to start with. We made this decision based on our experience with the quality of Apple products, OS stability and  availability of software titles.


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Steven Lewis
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“Do or do not... there is no try.” - Yoda

Thanks everyone
so it looks like the iMac is more dependable and lasts longer (No viruses and hardly any maintenance). 
This will probably be my choice then
thanks!

PS
Do you know if you can make
more than one website using iWeb?

 

 

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-Andrea G.
*foodallergytalk.com*
FD Fire design.com
garzaproductions.webs.com
jcmyway.webs.com

You know, even with the problems I"ve had lately ... I`d still never use Windows as my primary computer. It`s Mac all the way.
(We do have a Windows machine I built, because I use it for testing and for the hubby to play his video games though.)

Yes, iWeb just makes sites, so you can build more than one like any other site builder. I`ve never used it though.

When are you purchasing? I would wait until at least September or October. The new MacOS is coming out in October, so purchase no more than 30 days before that release to get a voucher for the new OS.


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That PHP Girl
Small Business Essentials
Latest Post on SUN: New Facebook Pages - First Impressions

I`d consider a Mac, although I have zero experience with them. That being said, my co-author Jim was a total PC vested buyer. He`d been with PCs from DOS forward, with a home network, and all sorts of technology.

With the release of XP, things began to get serious messed up. When he had a catastrophic crash explicitly based on Windows technology, he threw up his hands and bought a Mac. He raves about it!

The biggest thing he found, aside from everything working correctly, was that Mac could convert just about everything to a useful format---for itself. Windows, on the other hand, disallows a whole bunch of conversions.

It`s weird because Mac is a proprietary technology type of company and philosophy, yet they seem exceptionally user-friendly and work with a whole lot of things. Windows is supposedly a world resource, "open" to everyone, yet Microsoft is one of the most dictatorial companies around.

I`ve heard only good things about Mac laptops. But aren`t they a bit more expensive?

Well, I`m yet another Apple fan chiming in on the conversation.  I`ve had Macs since 1988.  I love it for all the reasons just mentioned.

If you are concerned about longevity of a computer, then I would like to add something to the good advice already mentioned.  If you buy a higher end model (doesn`t have to be the top of the line) but something with a little faster processing and larger disc space, etc. than the low-end, then the capabilities of the machine are more likely to keep up with technology advances over the years.  Computers get outdated pretty quickly but a little extra `oomph` in the hardware will give it a little extra time to party till the end.

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Home Sweetest Home - Poster-Style Home Portraits
Zingerding - the Internet`s Funny Pages (coming soon!)

Steve Lowtwa

Mac, mac, mac, mac! They are so user intuitive and easy to use.
And yes, I even use my Mac to design things for the creator of Windows,
Microsoft. Shhhhh. ;)

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Mary Hutchison Design LLC design + strategy + counsel 206.407.3460 info@maryhutchisondesign.com

I love my MacBook!!!!  It didn`t take me long to get used to it. I have had it for a year now. The one minor annoyance is that my website color editor needs Windows Internet Explorer to edit with the full range of colors (Windows can be put on your mac but I only seem to need it for that-so why bother). I think I am done with changing the colors anyway,  !  We also have a PC, so I just hop on that for a minute. Ditto to the rest of the software issues, but they seem minor to me.

Good luck with your decision!


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