Vista's features look....familiar.

[SD2]

I read that Mac has no plans to support high-end (DirectX 10 capable) ATI cards... seems odd to me.

That's one thing that disappoints me with the MacBook Pro...you're forced to get the ATI X1600, which is actually a lower end card. For their premiere laptop series, you'd think they'd give you an option.

I also don't care for the crazy RAM prices ($700 US for a 1 GB upgrade!)

 

[badga416]

I also don't care for the crazy RAM prices ($700 US for a 1 GB upgrade!)

SD, you are a little bit off with the $700 number. Mac memory is more expensive but not THAT more expensive. 1GB sodimm for macbook pro, $134. link.

 

[SD2]

SD, you are a little bit off with the $700 number. Mac memory is more expensive but not THAT more expensive. 1GB sodimm for macbook pro, $134. link.

I got my number from the Apple online store. They'll charge you $700 to upgrade from 2 GB to 3GB.

 

[badga416]

That's more a factor of the cost of a 2GB sodimm needed to get a laptop up to 3GB. Check out dell, the same upgrade on a comparable laptop (core2duo machine running the same memory will be about the same if not more). Even if you do the upgrade yourself the cost of a 2GB PC-5300 sodimm at the site above is $570 - way more than 2x the cost of a 1GB sodimm.

 

[SD2]

^But I don't have to purchase my laptop at Dell.

That's the problem...Apple can charge you ridiculous prices and you don't have much of a choice.

With a PC laptop, I have a lot of options. I'd never buy a computer or laptop from Dell - they seriously overprice things.

 

[EnviroTO]

I read that Mac has no plans to support high-end (DirectX 10 capable) ATI cards... seems odd to me.

That is the frustration I have with many laptops. If you get the high-end Sony laptop with Blu-Ray support you get only an nVidia 7600 GT 256MB (no other option) and it doesn't even have dedicated memory. Most websites which sell laptops show comparisons that list memory specs, hard drive specs, and processor specs but leave the video card specs off the chart so you have to drill down into the product pages of every laptop to see what video card options there are. Getting the option of X1800/1900 or nVidia 7800/7900 plus dedicated 256MB or 512MB RAM is like finding a needle in a haystack and when you do find it they have usually overcharged for the laptop.

 

[badga416]

SD,

my point wasn't about mac v. pc (I have both) or apple v. dell (unfortunately I have both as well) but rather that one doesn't have or even shouldn't buy memory from manufacturer, any manufacturer (the dell example). Apple charges way too much just like any other company for upgraded memory.

 

[SD2]

SD,

my point wasn't about mac v. pc (I have both) or apple v. dell (unfortunately I have both as well) but rather that one doesn't have or even shouldn't buy memory from manufacturer, any manufacturer (the dell example). Apple charges way too much just like any other company for upgraded memory.

I know...but my point was that if you want an Apple, you don't have much choice. You have so many more options for buying a PC laptop you're bound to find somewhere that will give you a good deal.

This doesn't just apply to laptops either. Apple charges ridiculous prices for RAM upgrades when purchasing a Mac Pro. I can go to any computer store, get a custom built system with the components I want and a lot of RAM for much less than Apple will charge.

 

[MetroMan1000]

^ Yes you can, but you also get lots of software conflicts, driver hell and all the headaches of an OS trying to accommodate every piece of hardware that can be installed.

 

[SD2]

^ Yes you can, but you also get lots of software conflicts, driver hell and all the headaches of an OS trying to accommodate every piece of hardware that can be installed.

You can have those problems with a Mac too, as good as it may be.

In all the year's I've used XP, it's been quite stable, software has installed easy and run smoothly, and I haven't had any problem with new hardware.

If you're getting a Mac for just general work (surfing the net, office work), you can get a PC that's just as reliable and trouble free.

 

[bizorky]

Then you are lucky (as is the case in so many of these issues). In the three-and-a-half years of using a Mac I gave never encountered the problems that I have encountered using Win98 or XP. The (endless) security issues alone in XP forced me to toss anti-virus software because of incompatibility problems.

 

[afransen TO]

And if you're doing anything fancy, it's probably more likely that you'll be using linux than Mac--as long as ideology is not the deciding factor.

 

[Westend0r]

I purchased Windows Vista Home Premium and WOW!!!! This is a beautiful piece of work! It runs flawlessly! So much smoother than XP, when loading XP it was somewhat choppy and slow ... I am running a 3.4 P4 with 2 gigs of ram, and I was not getting nearly enough power than I should out of it. With Vista it is seamless and with the most speed and perfection i would have ever thought to get out of my pc.

Vista is hands down FAR superior to XP. Watching my computer boot is the most beautiful thing! It is wonderfully animated without a single hick-up or flaw. The aero interface is immaculate and the flip 3D works perfectly, it’s like Watching TV ...

I could go on and on ....and on about how perfect this is for my PC. All of my programs open 100% faster and smoothly! My CPU runs at 1% to 2% with several demanding programs open, my memory is comsumed a bit more, but i have more than enough anyways.

I can’t argue the Vista VS. Max OS10 (or whatever it’s called) however, upgrading to vista has to be comparable to upgrading from windows 3.1 to XP.

Just my opinion.

 

[SD2]

Then you are lucky (as is the case in so many of these issues). In the three-and-a-half years of using a Mac I gave never encountered the problems that I have encountered using Win98 or XP. The (endless) security issues alone in XP forced me to toss anti-virus software because of incompatibility problems.

Windows is by no means perfect, but there are far more people out there than you'd think who've had positive experiences with it. I know my family has had no problems with it at all - and they aren't computer experts, they just use it for some business work, email, etc.

The Mac OS, as stable as it is, isn't perfect either. My friend's Mac has froze a number of times and setting up a friend's new Mac Book proved to be a little complicated than the commericials and marketing would have you think.

If Apple had over 90% of the world computer market I can guarantee security would be a major issue for the Mac/OS platform.

 

[bizorky]

There is no "perfect" system, so expecting one will leave you disappointed. Any new application tends to require some learning. So what else is new?

As we are talking about experiences, and since the experiences of one person are never an exact duplicate of another person; people will tend to make judgements on what they have encountered for themselves. Different people have different levels of tolerance for different things - for their own reasons. I could not care less what system someone uses. I say, use what you like, what works for you, what you feel comfortable with. You be the best judge of your own needs, and buy accordingly.

As for security issues, Mac does not have 90% of the market, so your supposition is just that, a supposition. Security is a problem for all networks and systems, and will be so for the the forseeable future.