I Need Your Input!!! Apple vs PC/Broadband Questions

[David In Indy]

Hey Bettermostians!

I will be switching over to a wireless internet connection sometime within the next month. I know some of you are using wireless connections and so I was wondering which companies are the best. I am already using Sprint for my cell phone, but I'm not sure if they are the best ones for the Internet.

What company are you using for your wireless internet? Are you happy with the service? I would appreciate any input/advice you can offer.

Thanks!

[David In Indy]

Also, I have my eye on a brand new shiny Apple! Are any of you using an Apple computer? The Apple I am interested in is a Mac laptop and it is selling for about $1600.00 up at Fry's. Is that a good price? Is there anything I should be aware of by switching over from a PC format computer to an Apple?

Sorry for all the questions. I would appreciate any suggestions and information.

[Front-Ranger]

I own three Apple laptops, David. My advice would be to get a laptop fully loaded with all the software you want. That sort of goes without saying, I guess. You'll love the iTunes, imovie, i photo, and other great Apple apps. One caution, when you use iphoto, it can be difficult to find out where the photos are in your computer and can be somewhat tricky to move or delete any of them. You might have to actually read the manual. Online, of course.

The Firefox browser is the one I recommend. You'll also love the email, I recommend Gmail, Google's email. Your computer will be nearly impervious to viruses.

The windows function surprisingly doesn't work quite as well on Apples as it does on PCs. For one thing, I used to like creating a document and naming it in the Finder, before I actually opened or worked on it. But you can't do that on an Apple computer.

For wireless connections I have used Qwest and Comcast and they both work fairly well.

[serious crayons]

David, I'm so glad you're finally escaping the dial-up! I use Comcast and have been reasonably happy with it. I have a bundled package that also covers my landline phone and TV. If you have cable TV, you might want to ask your cable company about their internet access deals.

As for the price of your laptop, it varies depending on the model. $1,600 is on the high side, though all Macs are expensive compared to PCs. I would do a little comparative shopping just to be sure.

[louisev]

If you are familiar with PC's I would not suggest switching to an Apple.  You can get a really quite well loaded PC laptop for about $800.

[David In Indy]

Thanks for the information Lee, Katherine and Louise! I appreciate it!

I feel a bit overwhelmed at the moment, because I know very little about Apple computers and wireless broadband. So your help and input is invaluable to me. The Apple computer I am considering is a MacBook Pro MB991LL/A. It has a 13.3 inch screen, a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB DDR3 memory, 250 MG hard drive and built-in Bluetooth. It also uses the Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard with iLife '09 (whatever that means). Anyway, everyone seems to be selling it for the same price, so I suppose that means it is fair.

I am also considering a Sony laptop (VPCS111FM/S) which is a little bit cheaper than the Apple and is in the PC format. It also has a larger hard drive (500 GB) and an Intel CORE i5 processor. I know very little about processors and I'm not sure which is better - the i5 or the Core 2 Duo.

As far as the wireless broadband, I am already using Comcast as my cable provider, so it might be a good idea to use them for the Internet as well. Although a friend of mine is using Sprint, and like I said I have an account with them for my cell phone. So I suppose more investigation would be warranted to see which offers the best connection at the best price. Although I am not against signing up with a different ISP altogether.

Again, I appreciate all your help and advice! Thanks for taking the time to post some info in this thread!



 

[LauraGigs]

David, are you familiar with the Apple interface?  Have you used it?  If you get a Mac and wind up being fluent in both operating systems — that's great.  But don't underestimate the learning curve you'll be in for as you adapt to it.

Just about any given piece of software (even some fonts) have different versions for Mac than for Windows, so you won't necessarily be able to copy your favorite app or game from your old Windows machine to a Mac and have it work.  (Just an fyi...)


(I've used both, have Windows at home, and also recommend Firefox & Gmail FWIW.  Google Apps will also come in very handy if you had MS Office on Windows and decide it's too expensive to buy the Mac version.)

[serious crayons]

Another thing to keep in mind, David, is that there will be a learning curve associated with switching from PC to Mac. I tried switching a couple of years ago and got discouraged because even simple little functions were done differently. They aren't harder -- they might even be easier -- but I found myself having to call tech support constantly for routine activities. I was in the middle of moving to another state and fixing up my house, also getting wireless set up along with all other utilities, and I decided I just didn't have time for it. I wound up returning the Mac.

In a more normal time, I might have had the patience to learn the new skills. It's not rocket science, just takes a little time.

Another consideration: My PC stopped working a few months ago. When I took it into my trusted repair shop, I asked the guys there if I should have bought a Mac. They said that although Macs are much more impervious to software problems (because the software and hardware all come from the same place) they have about as many hardware malfunctions as PCs do, and they can be more of a hassle to get fixed -- more expensive, fewer people able to fix them. I mentioned Apple's extended warranty (expensive, though highly recommended -- no surprise -- by the Apple people). They said, fine, but then you often have to give up your computer, possibly for weeks, while it's being fixed.

Still another factor: One big advantage Mac fans often mention is their longevity; Macs last years longer than PCs. True, perhaps, but then the question is whether you WANT your computer to last a long time. With the speed technology improves, whenever I get a new computer I am always amazed at all the cool things the new one does.

On the other hand, my PC laptop from summer 08 already seems kind of decrepit.


Laura, your post came in just now. Great minds! 

[LauraGigs]

The Apple computer I am considering is a MacBook Pro MB991LL/A. It has a 13.3 inch screen, a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB DDR3 memory, 250 MG hard drive and built-in Bluetooth. It also uses the Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard with iLife '09 (whatever that means). Anyway, everyone seems to be selling it for the same price, so I suppose that means it is fair.

I am also considering a Sony laptop (VPCS111FM/S) which is a little bit cheaper than the Apple and is in the PC format. It also has a larger hard drive (500 GB) and an Intel CORE i5 processor. I know very little about processors and I'm not sure which is better - the i5 or the Core 2 Duo.

Wait a minute... do you really mean a 250 Mb hard drive on the Mac, vs. 500 Gb on the Sony one?  I assume it may really be 250 Gb on the Mac?  

Because if it's really only 250 Mb, that's a pathetic amount of storage space and you will inevitably be needing more.  (Unless you only use the laptop for email and web, and never ever work with or store photos or music.  And forget video files altogether...)  If the Mac HD is indeed 250 Gb, then that's okay.

[David In Indy]

Wait a minute... do you really mean a 250 Mb hard drive on the Mac, vs. 500 Gb on the Sony one?  I assume it may really be 250 Gb on the Mac? 

Because if it's really only 250 Mb, that's a pathetic amount of storage space and you will inevitably be needing more.  (Unless you only use the laptop for email and web, and never ever work with or store photos or music.  And forget video files altogether...)  If the Mac HD is indeed 250 Gb, then that's okay.

That was a typo on my part, Laura. Sorry about that. The Apple computer has a 250 GB hard drive.

[David In Indy]

Katherine, thanks for telling me about your experiences with the Apple. I suppose I got sucked into all those cute "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" commercials with Justin Long. And although I have talked to many people who are very pleased with their Apples, I never considered the learning curve involved. I hadn't realized Apples and PCs are THAT different from each other.

A friend of mine was telling me about a program you can buy - I forget the name of it - which allows the Apple computer to run Windows programs. I think it is called "Apple to Windows" or something like that. I'm not sure how much it costs though. And then I suppose I would have to also purchase a copy of Windows to load on the computer. That could get expensive and I'm not sure how well the program works. Are you familiar with it?

As Laura correctly pointed out, I have many programs I would like to run on the Apple. And if this program isn't dependable, well, that would be a huge negative as far as I'm concerned.

I used to be pretty knowledgable with these computers, but I haven't kept up with them these past few years. Now they have all these new fangled bells and whistles and goodies on them and I'm not sure what most of them are supposed to do. It's very confusing. My HP laptop is getting old though and so is my desktop PC (both are about 4 years old) and I'm ready to get something new and up to date. And the prices have really dropped over these past four years. I am amazed at the prices. A friend of mine who works up at Fry's told me to wait a few more weeks because the prices will be dropping again. So I figure I'll probably make my purchase during the first couple weeks of March. So I still have some time to look and decide.

Thanks again for all your help! I really appreciate it. You have no idea how big of a help you all are!

[Penthesilea]

Obviously, I can't say anything about providers in the US .

And I don't know much about Apple either. I used one only once. I wrote a few emails and surfed BM for a while with the Mac, did some posting, and that was it. I manged to get this done without asking anybody, but the little differences were annoying, it was trial and error. I didn't find out how to open a second window for example, had to do everything with the back and forth buttons.

I know Elle has got a Mac, maybe you should PM her and point her to this thread.
It might also be good to add something like "PC/Mac decision" into the title of the thread. Or simply "computer questions".

In general, with all Apple products you pay not only for the functional part, you also pay for the name and for the fun. We have two Apple products, an iPod and iPod Shuffle (Leslie!  ) - and they are indeed much fun! They're cute and have wonderful colors and handling them is simply more fun that handling a similar non-Apple product. I'd buy these lil gadgets from Apple in a minute, but I'm not sure if the fun factor is worth the higher prize when it comes to the PC/Mac question.

[louisev]

One word about Sony.

DO NOT GET. A VAIO.  i REPEAT. DO NOT. GET. A VAIO.

I tried to fix and restore a friend's Vaio and it was impossible.  Even after purchasing - from Sony- a restore disk.  He lost everything.

Don't do it.

[David In Indy]

Thanks Chrissi! That is a good suggestion. I changed the title of the thread.

[David In Indy]

One word about Sony.

DO NOT GET. A VAIO.  i REPEAT. DO NOT. GET. A VAIO.

I tried to fix and restore a friend's Vaio and it was impossible.  Even after purchasing - from Sony- a restore disk.  He lost everything.

Don't do it.

That was the other computer I was considering, Louise!

From the ad -

Sony with Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost Technology. 13.3 inch screen, 4GB DDR3 memory, 500 GB hard drive, 5 hour battery life, 4-way processing, Intel Wireless Display Technology, Windows 7 Home Edition Premium, wireless N technology and webcam. Includes Software Installer.

Best Buy is selling it for $1049.99.

So this is a bad idea then? It sounds like your friend wound up in a huge mess. I'm glad he had you to try and help straighten everything out.

[serious crayons]

Don't get an HP, either. My son and I both have had our HPs for a year, and have had numerous problems. The computer shop guys said they are prone to have their motherboards suddenly go out for no reason.

What the computer shop guys recommended -- and what I eventually wound up getting for my second computer -- was a Dell. Dells have good reputations, are reasonably priced, and come with a service plan that will send someone to your home the next day if necessary.

And mine is lime green!

[Front-Ranger]

But the Apple computer gave such a memorable performance in It's Complicated!!

[underdown]

Just throwing in my two bits worth from down under.  

I've had several PCs, and 6 months ago bought an iMac for website design.
I've also used wireless broadband for a few years, now, and use it on the Mac.

Once you have owned a Mac, it is very hard to go back to a PC.
The browser that comes with a Mac, Safari, is streets ahead of Microsoft, even tho they tried to catch up with IE8, which hasn't met expectations.
And the operating system, Snow Leopard', is great, too. Far ahead of MS. But there are other operating systems, like Linux, which are excellent.
Viruses are virtually non-existent on a Mac.

Prices are 'fixed', with Macs, but somtimes they allow retailers to discount a little.
The Mac laptop you mentioned is fairly low in specs, compared with a PC you could now get for much less money.
New PC laptops are far cheaper, and do the job. The best deal on a PC is usually the cheapest.
I bought a new Dell 17" PC laptop recently, and it is really good for the price.
Remember, they become obsolete so fast that people nowadays replace them before they have major problems. I know I do, it's much less hassle and repairs are hardly worth while.

It does take a while to get to know how to use a Mac, despite all the assurances of the retailers. But it's worth it.
They're not complicated. Just different.


Firefox for Mac or PC is great. Personally, I prefer Apple's Safari for internet work. It's also noticeably faster than PC based browsers.
Comes down to: do you want to spend more and get a Mac for peace of mind? I think it's worth it, but it's a personal thing.
I'm having hassles right now with IE8, so hope I can post this.
Any other questions .. PM me if you like.

Hey, we really need a PC thread on BM.

Cheers, Rob,  
 

[louisev]

Don't get an HP, either. My son and I both have had our HPs for a year, and have had numerous problems. The computer shop guys said they are prone to have their motherboards suddenly go out for no reason.

What the computer shop guys recommended -- and what I eventually wound up getting for my second computer -- was a Dell. Dells have good reputations, are reasonably priced, and come with a service plan that will send someone to your home the next day if necessary.

And mine is lime green!

I'll second the Dell vote.  Dell, Toshiba, and Acer are solid buys on laptops.

[Kerry]

I'll second the Dell vote.  Dell, Toshiba, and Acer are solid buys on laptops.

I third the Dell vote.

Dell is sooooo easy, David. I ordered mine online. The Dell site is so user-friendly. You simply go through and tick the box of everything you want loaded onto your PC or laptop. I did this with a computer literate friend, just to make sure I didn't miss anything.

And then you just sit back and wait for it to be delivered to your door. Mine took just a couple of days.

All you have to do is unpack it and plug it in. No need to load anything. That's all done by Dell. Just plug it in and GO!

I have lightning fast wireless broadband via my ISP "3". I'm not sure if they're worldwide. I think they might be. I think I heard somewhere that they were in the UK, but not sure about the USA. "3" has an excellent 24/7 help desk.

My browser is Google Chrome which I love. It's very fast and minimalist, so you have more screen space, and I have positioned my most frequently visited sites across the top of the screen for instant, one-click access.

I love my computer, but I'm not a computer nerd. I liken my computer use to my car use. I know how to drive a car, but I have no idea how an internal combustion engine works. If something goes wrong with my car, I take it to a mechanic. If you're like me in this regard, David, I would advise you steer clear of the exotic.

 

[David In Indy]

Thanks for all of that information Kerry! It is very helpful!

It seems around here (based on the ads and commercials I have seen) many of the wireless broadband configurations require some sort of a device in which you snap into the laptop. It is like a small box or card and I'm assuming it is inserted into one of the USB ports. I'm not sure, but maybe it is some sort of antennae? Or a thing that picks up/receives the signals from the satellite? I'm not sure. And I really don't know what is involved - perhaps ordering it from the ISP company and then installing the necessary software?

This is all new to me. I have broadband in Speedway, but it is not "wireless". The computer is connected by the cable cord and then the signal comes through. That is fine for a desktop system, but not for a laptop. I'd like to be able to move about and take my laptop with me and not be tied down to one spot by a cord.

And it is strictly a dial-up connection over here at Dad's house. It is very VERY slow and cumbersome.

[David In Indy]

Just throwing in my two bits worth from down under. 

I've had several PCs, and 6 months ago bought an iMac for website design.
I've also used wireless broadband for a few years, now, and use it on the Mac.

Once you have owned a Mac, it is very hard to go back to a PC.
The browser that comes with a Mac, Safari, is streets ahead of Microsoft, even tho they tried to catch up with IE8, which hasn't met expectations.
And the operating system, Snow Leopard', is great, too. Far ahead of MS. But there are other operating systems, like Linux, which are excellent.
Viruses are virtually non-existent on a Mac.

Prices are 'fixed', with Macs, but somtimes they allow retailers to discount a little.
The Mac laptop you mentioned is fairly low in specs, compared with a PC you could now get for much less money.
New PC laptops are far cheaper, and do the job. The best deal on a PC is usually the cheapest.
I bought a new Dell 17" PC laptop recently, and it is really good for the price.
Remember, they become obsolete so fast that people nowadays replace them before they have major problems. I know I do, it's much less hassle and repairs are hardly worth while.

It does take a while to get to know how to use a Mac, despite all the assurances of the retailers. But it's worth it.
They're not complicated. Just different.


Firefox for Mac or PC is great. Personally, I prefer Apple's Safari for internet work. It's also noticeably faster than PC based browsers.
Comes down to: do you want to spend more and get a Mac for peace of mind? I think it's worth it, but it's a personal thing.
I'm having hassles right now with IE8, so hope I can post this.
Any other questions .. PM me if you like.

Hey, we really need a PC thread on BM.

Cheers, Rob, 
 

Thanks Rob! I'm beginning to think I should probably stick with a PC format (Windows) laptop. I had my heart set on an Apple, but I just don't have the time to learn a new operating system. I had no idea the PCs and Apples were so different. My current laptop is an HP, but based on what Katherine said, it sounds like HP has gone downhill since I bought mine roughly 4 years ago. I was happy to hear the Toshiba laptops are pretty good, because I have seen many for sale at the various stores around here. And it sounds like just about everyone is recommending the Dell computers. I will go check out their website later on tonight and see what they have to offer.

I'd like to get a computer with as fast a processor as possible. The last time I bought a computer the processors had names like "Pentium 4" and "Pentium D". My desktop computer has a Pentium D in it. It is a Gateway and I have been very happy with it. But now these computers have processors with names like "Turion" and "i3". "i5" and "i7". I have no idea what that means. I am assuming the i7 is probably faster and more powerful than a i5, but I'm not sure. It's very confusing. I suppose I should have stayed abreast of all the new technology, but I haven't. Now it is all very confusing to me.

[David In Indy]

I'll second the Dell vote.  Dell, Toshiba, and Acer are solid buys on laptops.

I had an Acer desktop years ago (a 486dx) and I was very pleased with it. Never had any problems with it at all. I have an Acer monitor for my desktop computer - my Gateway monitor finally went out - and so far it is working fine. It is a 19 inch widescreen and it gets a beautiful picture - nice sharp images and vivid rich colors.

[Kerry]

It seems around here (based on the ads and commercials I have seen) many of the wireless broadband configurations require some sort of a device in which you snap into the laptop. It is like a small box or card and I'm assuming it is inserted into one of the USB ports. I'm not sure, but maybe it is some sort of antennae? Or a thing that picks up/receives the signals from the satellite? I'm not sure. And I really don't know what is involved - perhaps ordering it from the ISP company and then installing the necessary software?

I think maybe the device you're describing, David, is the modem. If so, it is provided by the ISP. My modem is about the size of your thumb and it plugs into the appropriate port in my hard drive. When I signed-on for wireless broadband with my present ISP, "3", the modem came as part of the deal. Should I choose to get a laptop at any time in the future, it will plug into the appropriate port in my laptop, meaning I will be able to go online wherever I am - at the beach, on the tram, in a restaurant, whilst bungy jumping, etc.  

[David In Indy]

Don't get an HP, either. My son and I both have had our HPs for a year, and have had numerous problems. The computer shop guys said they are prone to have their motherboards suddenly go out for no reason.

What the computer shop guys recommended -- and what I eventually wound up getting for my second computer -- was a Dell. Dells have good reputations, are reasonably priced, and come with a service plan that will send someone to your home the next day if necessary.

And mine is lime green!

It sounds like HP is slipping. I remember when that happened to Compaq. They used to make very high quality computers and then, for some reason, their computers were not nearly as good as they once were. That happened in the mid 1990's I think. I've seen some Compaq laptops for sale, but I haven't been tempted to even look at them. Maybe Compaq as got it's act together since then. Apparently it is now HPs turn to take the back seat.

Thanks for the warning, Katherine!

In addition to the laptop, I had an HP printer for years, but it finally gave out a few years ago. Now I have a small Lexmark printer (which I rarely use) and a larger and more capable Canon printer. It does a beautiful job.

[Kerry]

(Google isn't a browser).

The browser I use is Google Chrome:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Chrome