I am wanting to buy a lap top. Tell me why or why not should I purchase a Mac?

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   Naomi's Bannerposted 10 years ago

   I am wanting to buy a lap top. Tell me why or why not should I purchase a Mac?

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   Tusitala Tomposted 10 years ago

   Hi, Naomi's Banner.   I am no computer expert and asked my son-in-law (who is) the same question quite recently.  Though I was thinking desk-top rather than lap-top.   His answer was along the following line.
   
   Mac's are great.  They make everything, even their own software for those PCs, so they're  well made and can do a lot.   
   
   The downside?
   
   80% of PCs world-wide are IBM clones.  Just about everyone who is into trouble-shooting and fixing computers specializes in IBM clones.  Few know about the ins and outs of Macs. 
   
   The message I was getting from my son-in-law was 'stick with what you know.'.
   
   Hope that helps.

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      Naomi's Bannerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Tom. I wonder if Macs ever really need maintenance. From what I am hearing they rarely break down. I have an IPhone I have had zero problems with for two years. I have heard that the graphics and word processing are more advanced than windows.

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   electronicianposted 10 years ago

   Apple do make some of the best laptops around, but they are very poor value for money. Unless you are particularly fond of the Apple operating system, you can get something just as good for a cheaper price with Windows, and for a much cheaper price with a Linux operating system.

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      Naomi's Bannerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I heard from my computer repair man which incidentally I use at least once a year to repair and fix problems. He says a Mac is overpriced and you simply pay for the name. I have also talked to Mac users who tell me they have zero problems with them.

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   Larry Wallposted 10 years ago

   Macs are good machines--they are not super machines. The good point is that they are easy to set up. Basically,  you turn it on and you are ready.
   
   With a Windows type machine you have a setup process to go through. Because there are more Windows units than Macs there are more virus attacks to watch out for.
   
   With a little knowledge, you can upgrade or change the configuration of a Windows machine--upgrade video card, add memory, add a second hard drive etc. As far as I know upgrading a Mac is not a consumer function.
   
   Finally, if you have to communicate with a lot of people (beyond e-mail and texting) you may have trouble talking to Mac owners.
   
   If you are an independent worker, who does not like to fool with settings or installing upgraded or replacement parts, the Mac is a great machine. I have tried them and from my viewpoint they are a good computer, nothing special, but good.

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      Naomi's Bannerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks so much for your response. I see most professionals using Macs and I figure there must be a reason why they all choose Macs over IBM

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      Larry Wallposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Like I said the virus issue is important to many. I was Public Relations Dir. and office manager for a trade association. I kept 10 Dell desktops and three or four laptops running without any trouble.

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   definitionsposted 10 years ago

   Buy anything but an Asus - they are absolutely unreliable.

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      Naomi's Bannerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Actually I have never heard of an Asus computer.

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      Larry Wallposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      It is a low-end computer. If you are doing e-maill, facebook, etc and little else, it is adequate. If you are into heavy duty gaming, graphic designs, mass e-mailing. If not on 24 hours a day, it can be a decent computer.

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      definitionsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Oops - didn't comment on the actual question.  Reasons to buy a Mac - increasing in popularity, easy to use interface (similar to other Apple products), cool factor (I know, but it's there!),   Reasons against: not a good computer for complex work.

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   Naomi's Bannerposted 10 years ago

   Definitions, what do you mean by complex work? I mostly want to use to write a book and create book covers etc ... Would that be considered too complex?

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      definitionsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      A Mac would be better than a PC for graphics work (Photoshop) and writing -  I guess I meant that there's less software for Macs than PC's so less variety.  But it's really down to what works best with you - highly recommend trying both out :-)

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      Larry Wallposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      The Mac is going to be more expensive--as a rule--some exceptions. Most of the software you will be using will be made by Microsoft, which is windows. There are all types of PCs and several types of Mac. Check them out. See what feels best for you.

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