Thinking about switching and returning newly bought laptop.

Fast responses are encouraged and requested!

I just recently purchased a hp dv2000t with the following specs:
* FREE Upgrade to Genuine Windows XP Media Center
* Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T7200 (2.0 GHz)
* 14.1" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800) with CMO screen
* 128MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7200
* HP Imprint Finish + Microphone + Webcam
* 2048MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* 120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
* Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network w/Bluetooth
* $30 OFF!! HP ExpressCard Analog TV Tuner w/remote
* 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* Microsoft(R) Office 2003 SBE
* System Recovery DVD w/Windows XP Media Center
* HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

for $1799 USD. I also added a car charger, and spare battery to make up for the lack of battery life it has. which makes it off to a whopping $2551! Quite a lot I would have to say

NOW here's the situation: I am seriously rethinking if I should send this back and use the funds to obtain the Mac book Black with the following specs

2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
160GB Serial ATA drive @ 5400 rpm
Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
Accessory kit
2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
Superdrive 6x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)


for $1646 USD

I won't be gaming at all on this laptop as I have a first gen XPS (even though I'm passing this down to another person I can always resort to it).

I can do away with the tv tuner and other accessories that the HP has I wouldn't want to lug around these items. I will be using it pretty much to surf the net, take notes in class, etc...

The macbook has the edge on mobility and battery concerns. PLUS it has the simplicity of the MAC OS. One of the things that the HP has is that will be vista capable guaranteeing longevity. Will the Mac book hold similar longevity and readily take on an updated Mac OS? Is this the best place to finally switch over to the Mac OS? Would I be giving up anything at all that I will miss?

Mac Users New and Old win me over with your opinions and experiences.

 

doesnt the 2000t have a 12 cell battery option? I would imagine that it would be both cheaper and easier to travel with than two 6 cells. Either way, that HP is terribly expensive.

 

It seems like you have two questions -

1. Is the laptop you got worth the $2500?
2. Should you switch to OS X?

For the first, depends on your needs, and I think you should fill out the FAQ in what notebook should I buy to get some recs *in addition* to the Macbook that you are considering. The answer will most likely be, yes that's way too much.

In addition, I see you got Office 2003. It's only a couple of months until 2007 comes out. So, unless there's some very compelling reason, I suggest you return Office (if not the whole thing, and if possible) and use OpenOffice to tie you over. Further, if you're a student, the Student & Teacher Edition that just has Word Excel PowerPoint and I think Publisher (?) is only $150 or so, so unless you need Access, that may be an option.

Now, the second question, about OS X. It's really a personal choice. If you have an Apple store nearby, they have free little workshop type things, one of which is for people considering switching over from Windows. So, if you can, check it out.

I don't like Macs. People who like them generally find them more intuitive than PCs. There are fewer options, which means fewer opportunities to mess stuff up, and you don't have to worry about getting a virus. On the down side, sometimes you do want options, like the ability to view hidden files, for example. But, well, it's so hard, for the average user, it's impossible. I also don't like the interface - chrome, plastic, whatever, grey, boring. Once again, it's very subjective.

With regard to timing - it's not perfect because a new version of OS X is due in spring, so if you want the latest, that'll cost you $130. (On the topic of OS: if you find it you absolutely hate OS X, you can buy Vista and use that. So, it'll cost more, but at least everything won't be lost.) However, it's not bad, since issues like overheating have been fixed. Well, good luck with whatever you choose!

Malia

 

Dude, how you managed to push a dv2000 to $2500 defeats me. completely defeats me.

Dont get either of them, get either an Asus W7J for portability, or an Asus A8Jp for power. Both will run you less than $1500, and even with the additional battery, not more than $1800. And both have the whole free Vista upgrade thing going, so no worrys there.

The only two things I found better in OS X were the GUI (fixed in Vista, thats a killer GUI that not even Apple can touch) and the viruses. Be careful, and you wont get those. For everything else, I liked XP better, and Vista as well. Vista is worth it, OS X is not (especially not at $1700 for a MB).

 

That hp is an absolute ripoff. I would go with the MacBook as ong as you are willing to switch. As for OS X vs Windows, I don't really want to get into that. The real argument is what will you be doing. Each does certain things better than the other. For what you are doing the Mac would have a slight edge mainly due to security. Also, to clear up some mistakes, OS X does not give you fewer options. In fact, OS X gives you infinitely more options with the inclusion of Terminal and the use of AppleScript/Automator. They give you the option to program nearly anything you want into the OS. The good news for Windows is that they are releasing Power Shell which will give similar capabilities, but it will take time for it mature.

In the end, it comes down to what you need it for. Windows is better at some things and OS X better at others. Some people are more suited for Windows and others better off with OS X. I would suggest finding a store in your area that sell Apple. Go there and play with OS X, A LOT. Sit there for a long time, see if you really like it. I have seen very few people switch and then go back. Most are really happy they switched.

 

Yup, I agree with Cash. The thought that OS X restricts you from doing this is an idea brougth forth by people who never used OS X, or spent a significant amount of time with it.

I would say if your not going to game a lot get the Mac. The only reason to go with a Windows only machine (imho) is for gaming, and I certainly would not waste money on a DTR laptop for gaming. If you are going to do programming (.Net, C++, Java), desktop publishing, digital artwork and or music work, then Mac would be a great choice!

BTW, if you're looking at spending that much money, why not try a MBP instead? and dont' forget to get a warranty with your laptop!

But yes, screw the HP. While their machines are better now, their customer service is still poor.

 

Get the MacBook. If the HP were the same price as the MacBook - get the MacBook. You won't regret the quality difference.

That said - some things you might miss going Mac:
- 13.3 vs 14.1 inch screen. My poor tired eyes find the 13.3 just great but its not for everyone
- No PC Card or Express slot on the Macbook. Usually you can find a USB or Bluetooth equivalent but not always so keep the future in mind
- Printers - many offer full Mac support but not all. Usually its possible to get something with a factory connection to work (usb or Ethernet) but if you use a third party print server, support is more limited and difficult.

Best of luck!

 

I'm thinking about switching in the new year, and was wondering how suitable a MacBook would be for C++ and Java programming? I haven't really seen many programs for OS X that cater to this sort of work, though have heard that Leopard comes with XCode3 or something. Would this be suitable for a computer science student who currently uses gcc for compiling?

 

Okay, all I can say is for the price you paid for the HP, don't accept it, I'd return it and get that hard earned cash back and buy something that will give you more for the money.

 

Yeah, remember, it's built off Unix, which is the home of C/C++.
There are several tools that are useful for coding. My favorite editor right now is TextMate. It costs money, but it can handle compilation and such of several different languages, including Java, C, Perl, and even Prolog :-D

Mono is the new big thing for C/C++/C# aparantly, but I have yet to use it.

Of course, you could always use good old VIM hehe.

Oh, I'm not sure if it has gcc, but it does have built in c compiler. I don't realy do much C coding, mainly Java, prolog, perl, php, sql...

 

Hi I am a full time Java programmer - yes, ever since the Intel conversion, Java on Mac doesn't suck anymore. c/c++ has never sucked.

gcc is of course available, and as a comp sci student you will love the pure unix underneath - sooner or later. Having a full fledged unix shell around opens up a lot of possibilities that are difficult to achieve on Windows. I work with both, currently full time on Windows but hoping to get a new Mac as soon as budget considerations allow, e.g. wife not killing me.

The only thing you might be missing is Visual Studio .Net for c#. I don't use that simply out of principle, but VS is a nice piece of software and almost as good as Eclipse. I use Eclipse for all my Java work but I must say it would be nice to have a similarly powerful tool for c/c++/c#. Mono isn't anywhere near that. Eclipse runs on Mac of course. While it supports all kinds of programming languages, it's main forte is Java, and that's reflected in the fact that the Java tools are light-years ahead of the tools for other languages.

Also, you can still run Windows on the Mac - either use Bootcamp to boot up into Windows, or even better get Parallels for $50 and run Windows inside this virtual machine. That's what I am planning to do when I get the MBP.

About XCode: It sucks less and less each release, but somehow trails Eclipse / IntelliJ IDEA / Visual Studio by about 3 years in terms of features. In case you are a "real men use asm" kinda guy - these tools increase your productivity dramatically, they are not just fluff. It makes a huge difference.

 

Get the Mac book, which is alot better than HP, the MAC operating system is really nice, you cant get virus on it.

Also Apple now allows you to have Windows on there laptops as well, so you both worlds.


Go with the Apple, plus it looks alot more Sexy

 

Remember that Mac Office 2007 will be shipping without Visual Basic for Applications (it's apparently too cost-ineffective to port to the new Mac platform).

And Open Office is far from being VBA-ready. (Open Office also wasn't very format-compatible with MS Word when I was saving .docs several years ago with the former.)

The Office 2007 SBE (Small Business Edition?) is worth at least $279 US on upgrade alone.

All flavors of UN*X (other than the BSD-based OS X) have been available for the PC as long as they've ever been distributed--including BSD--and one Linux distro (KNOPPIX) is bootable off CD-ROM; I use it for GCC.

 

Well, I'd return the HP. You paid way too much for it. Get one of the earlier recommended ASUS models - they rock. As for the Macbook, I bought one yesterday and it went back today. Don't get me wrong - the OS was amazing, and was superresponsive. Everything about the software side of the experience was amazing. Why did it go back?

It hurt me. The comments about the edge of the macbook being a 'tad' sharp are an understatement. After two hours my wrists were aching. Having used dozens of laptops for work over the past couple years, I can comfortably say that I've never experienced discomfort like that ever before. I'd hold off on getting a Macbook until they round the corners. Once they do, pick one up - OSX and the software available to it make apple computers an amazing option.

 

Wow, that's crazy. I don't know why Apple would keep them so sharp, I'm going to the Apple store tomorrow to check them out and I'll be keeping an eye out for that.