Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

but i thought that they used all the same parts as PC's? :p just saying

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

Ironically if you know which parts they are, then yes you can replace a lot of them with std PC parts...

But if you buy them via Apple however..... $$$$

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

Haha - that's priceless.

I concede, all the Mac users just have way too much money to spend and only buy them for the prestige of saying they own a Mac.

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

My argument would be if you know how to fix a PC you know how to fix a Mac. They are essentially the same guts inside. If you ever opened one up you will see it all looks the same, just compacted into a much smaller space - with more screws, temp monitors and a nice foil lining. Yes, you may have to remove things to get to what you want, buts its exactly the same. Ive done it.

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

Agreed but most people don't know how to do this let alone get a virus off their computer, so what I am saying is the Mac is easier and more trouble free for people that don't know their way around a computer and just want it to work when they turn it on. My two teenage girls are a perfect example of this as I haven't had to touch their Mac's in three years.

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

yep i 100% agree. I am the same and for this reason alone would never go back to a PC.

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

So from this can I assume you haven't installed any security updates?

Or you have undertaken this small but important routine work, which if done on a windoze machine too will make its just as reliable and virus safe..
A small but important routine job that still needs to be done on the most powerful and secure Linux systems too

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

Like I said, I don't do anything with them so they may or may not have done the updates that are sent out.

I don't think so. Most people with PC's also have some kind of third party anti-virus software or are you saying that with a PC you don't need it?

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

So your Mac's may be infected with Trojans, and may even be part of a Botnet and you wouldn't know !!


and yes.. Microsoft's own offering, Security Essentials its "own" antivirus system is probably the best these days...

works seamlessly with the OS in the background and is regularly updated and promptly by Microsoft..

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

Absolutely, I was just reading through all this nonsense about Macs and was about to say the same thing. You're paying for the name for a Mac, plus because they have to have a bespoke hardware configuration to run the OS, you have less flexibility in what you buy.

Moreover, every time I go into the Apple store there seems to be legions of people waiting for technical support, which isn't such an issue with a regular PC (even though a Mac is a PC).

If the OP wants a gaming laptop, I'd suggest something like a Dell XPS.

But anyway, the one thing I would point out is the keyboard layout is different in Canada, so it may be more sensible to buy one in the UK if that is a problem because it's not so easy to swap out the keyboard on a laptop.

As for viruses and botnets and so on, they're less common on Macs because Macs are less common so the malware is written for Windows - however it is becoming a bigger problem on Macs. For example.

What I can never wrap my head around is why people pay more for a Mac, which has a bespoke OS on it made by Apple (i.e. no licensing costs) rather than say, a Dell, which is less expensive yet still has a licensed OS on it. What that means is that it's obvious Apple has a far wider profit margin.

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

This used to be the case, I think it's largely disappeared now though, all the Adobe stuff for example works on both OSes. It was a problem ten years ago.

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

The software transfer between PC and Mac isn't the probelm, its the idiot hittting the keyboard that struggles... :p

Those operators that are smart enough to move between platforms easily without prejudice or issue, are often better skilled than I need and also tend to know their value better

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

Well mine isn't but my kids, who knows. But you're still missing the point. With the kids on a Windows based PC, I was continually having to work them to keep them clean and running, with the Mac I don't and that's enough reason for me.

That's intersting because everyone I know that has a Windows based PC also has third party anti-virus software - I guess they're wasting their money.

as my earlier post I'll stick to my Mac at home but now back to work on my Windows PC

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

The point is that a windoze pc and a Mac have very little significant difference today other than price..
What you are talking about is historical difference that no longer apply, differences propagated by Apple media team in order to justify significantly inflated prices..

Do you really think an IT department would lease cheap but high maintenance machines in the modern world ….

Re: Quick question re. purchasing laptops
 

I thought we were talking about personal use and $300 to $400 buck laptops? I know that the PC laptop that I'm on that my crack IT team purchased cost just a little bit more than that.

And they even installed third party anti-virus software.