Buying a new computer (revisited)

  On 4/19/2012 at 7:57 PM, oscillik said:

  On 4/19/2012 at 7:47 PM, BCM said:

macs also last much longer in my experience so you're kind of paying more up front but getting more use out of the thing overall. i think they actually work out cheaper in the long run.

 

Longest any of my Macintosh computers ever lasted - 8 months.

lol bummer. guess you got a friday afternoon mac.

I will say that although I paid quite a bit upfront for my MBP laptop (they're much cheaper to trick out now, by the way), its usable lifespan has been a few years longer than any other computer I've owned, and I've owned 'em since about 1992.

I'm getting an ok tax return and might get an iMac as my first desktop since about 2003 and retire the MBP to light portable duty (which it's still great for, pretty quick, 5 hours battery life, etc).

edit: waiting for iMac revision though before I pull any trigger

i went from a MacBook (the one i've just sold) to an iMac as i never strictly needed a laptop and only bought it coz it was a bit cheaper really. when i had the opportunity to upgrade to a nice desktop number last year i jumped at the chance and got a dog's bollocks iMac, pimped it out with 12GB RAM for no apparent reason and am loving it immensely.

I did have one warranty job in the first 6 months of the MBP, but it had a quick turnaround and basically no hassle or questions asked, which compared to my experience with every other warranty repair for everything else I've ever used was rather remarkable and quickly deflated my apple rage

I thought this was interesting. Linus himself uses a Macbook Air:

  Quote

Scott Merrill: You use a MacBook Air because you want a silent, quality computer. Why is it that Apple has the corner on this market? Have you considered using your fame or some portion of your fortune to try to remedy this?

 

Linus Torvalds: You *really* don’t want me to start designing hardware. Hey, I’m a good software engineer, but I’m not exactly known for my fashion sense. White socks and sandals don’t translate to “good design sense”

 

That said, I’m have to admit being a bit baffled by how nobody else seems to have done what Apple did with the Macbook Air – even several years after the first release, the other notebook vendors continue to push those ugly and *clunky* things. Yes, there are vendors that have tried to emulate it, but usually pretty badly. I don’t think I’m unusual in preferring my laptop to be thin and light.

Btw, even when it comes to Apple, it’s really just the Air that I think is special. The other apple laptops may be good-looking, but they are still the same old clunky hardware, just in a pretty dress.

 

I’m personally just hoping that I’m ahead of the curve in my strict requirement for “small and silent”. It’s not just laptops, btw – Intel sometimes gives me pre-release hardware, and the people inside Intel I work with have learnt that being whisper-quiet is one of my primary requirements for desktops too. I am sometimes surprised at what leaf-blowers some people seem to put up with under their desks.

 

I want my office to be quiet. The loudest thing in the room – by far – should be the occasional purring of the cat. And when I travel, I want to travel light. A notebook that weighs more than a kilo is simply not a good thing (yeah, I’m using the smaller 11″ macbook air, and I think weight could still be improved on, but at least it’s very close to the magical 1kg limit).

http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/19/an-interview-with-millenium-technology-prize-finalist-linus-torvalds/

My 2011 MacBook Air is one of the best things I've ever bought

alright, thanks for the suggestions everyone.

I realize Im a bit over my head not only in terms of knowledge or specifications, but also in costs.

Im now aiming for a laptop around 800 bucks, give or take. I basically just need it to be able to run Floops without skipping/fucking up...video games are not really a concern at all (most of the ones I have on the PC are insanely old or with incredibly simplistic graphics). I was also interested in an SSD since the advantages seem to be well worth the extra price.

I also don't mind having a heavy or bulky laptop. Im not picky as to whether the thing is a pound or 10 pounds.

Does that help narrow it down at all? I don't have enough money for a powerhouse computer, but Im thinking I might be able to get a mid-range lappy at the higher end of the spectrum? What you guys think?

Again, unless you really want and value the ability to be able to move it anywhere in your house to work on, I would advise against a laptop as it can easily add +200USD to any computer when compared to a similarly equipped desktop.

That being said, you can certainly find some decent machines out there that can do what you want for under 600USD, laptop or desktop.

i'd say if you were going to prioritize the money, put it mostly in the SSD drive, CPU (nothing less than a quad-core i5) and as much RAM as the machine can handle and you can afford. Those things above all else will extend the life of your purchase and get your money's worth out of it.

If you buy a laptop, please note that it's one of the few times you're ever going to want to purchase an extended warranty, regardless of brand.

Just saw this today:

Refurb MacBook Air MC968LL/A Core i5 1.6GHz 11.6" 64GB SSD (pictured) for $849

refurb MacBook Air MC969LL/A Core i5 Dual 1.6GHz 11.6" 128GB SSD for $999

refurb MacBook Air MC504LL/A Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz 13.3" 256GB SSD for $1,099

refurb MacBook Air MC966LL/A Core i5 Dual 1.7GHz 13.3" 256GB SSD for $1,349

browse for more discounted refurbished Macbook Air notebooks at The Apple Store

I can tell you that Apple refurbished devices are top notch - they put the refurbished innards inside brand new cases with brand new screens, so it's virtually brand new..