Posted by caraher on May 11, 2008, at 6:57:07
In reply to Re: I'm thinking of buying a new computer, posted by Dinah on May 10, 2008, at 20:16:09
My office computer is a Mac, and so is my laptop. I can also run Windows on my laptop (though I rarely do). My office computer did have a hard disk crash about a year and a half ago, and that's the only significant trouble I've ever had in over 20(!) years of using Macs.
If games are really important to you, stick to Windows. If viruses and spyware are a huge annoyance, get a Mac. They're not immune to those problems, but they're targeted much less often. (Technically, Windows Vista (and maybe XP) probably has much better security, but Windows lives in a rougher neighborhood ;) ).
I recently saw an article that argued that owning Macs is cheaper if you replace your computer every 3 years or so, because although the Mac costs more up front they usually have a decent resale value when it's time to upgrade. I'm not sure whether that's enough to actually make it cheaper, but it was an interesting argument.
Where I teach all students are required to own a laptop. They have a choice between a mid-range Dell and a Mac, and the students with Macs seem happier about their machines. I've never heard a Mac user say they wish they'd bought the Dell, but I've heard plenty of Dell users say they should have bought a Mac. I'd guess there are roughly 2 Dell users for every student with a Mac.
poster:caraher
thread:828366
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20080428/msgs/828423.html