What computer are you using?

I had an Asus G-50 gaming laptop until recently. I don't game online, but the speed that laptop offered for everyday computing was second to none. Unfortunately it died last month, so I went for a Dell 15 (cheap) with Windows 8.1 (not impressed) and the computer died after less than a month due to an internal battery complication.

Meanwhile, my wife's Apple from 2007 is running just like it did the day we took it out the box. I'm a PC guy but I'm also a cheap SOB. I just don't want to replace my computer every couple of years.

What are you folks using?

 

MacBook Air here. Primary operating system is OS X, but also have Windows and Linux installed for use as secondary operating systems. Still using Win 7 for this purpose, not excited by Win 8.

Upsides: Size/weight are exceptional, as is build quality. Everyday speed is great, due to fast RAM, i5 processor and flash storage. Service and support are far better than average for PCs, especially if you have access to a local Apple store. Resale value is much higher than for a typical PC. OS updates are free and painless. No adware, no malware. Easy to run multiple operating systems.

Downsides: Hardware expandability is very limited (although it comes well equipped). Gaming graphics are adequate, but not exceptional due to integrated GPU; not recommended for hardcore gamers. Display is very good but not fantastic (not a "retina" display).

Most importantly, initial cost is relatively high, especially if you want to add Windows, which must be purchased separately from Microsoft. For those reasons, this may not the best option for a cheap SOB who is also a PC guy.

 

Always had sub-$100 computers.

Right now, IBM M34 P4 desktop that's about 8 years old. My son gave it to me as a present 5 years ago. No secret- I happen to know it cost him $52.50 off-lease. Got free RAM upgrade from my other son who also installed new CD/DVD writer for me that cost me $30-odd. No problems in 5 years. My 11-year-old CRT monitor died, as did a freebie replacement. So I bought an LG flat-screen (new) from Wal-Mart for $90. Windows XP SP3 COA came with the IBM and I have a bunch of (free) Linux distros.

This replaced a HP Vectra P1 that I had since 1998. Bought that one for $50, also - a store where my son worked at the time was upgrading and selling them off. I also have a freebie HP Vectra P3 (working - has XP) with sentimental value (don't ask) sitting in a closet awaiting upgrades incl. a new case.

My $50 IBM does all my digital darkroom work (free software like Irfanview, Photofiltre etc.) has four or five programming languages on it, some fractal software and normal stuff for writing etc. Oodles of PDF stuff, manuals, camera thingies, English/Greek Bible stuff, and VLC media player - very important as I have buckets of free University Lectures, documentaries, guitar instruction etc on CD/DVD. This $50 machine does everything I want. I have only once owned a new computer - and that was an XT in 1989.

Johann

 

BTW - I could easily afford a brand-new computer if I wanted one. I don't. I've seen Windows 8. That was enough!

J.

 

I'm using a Toshiba laptop. It's not very small and not very light but I don't mind because it mainly sits on my desk and rarely gets moved.

 

I just purchased a Dell Optiplex 3080 running Windows 7 and Office 2010. Pleased with its performance. I need to buy external spears as the internal speaker has poor sound quality.

My previous PC was a Dell I bought in 2007 and is still running as my back-up PC.

 

A few months ago I purchased an HP Envy 17 notebook, touchsmart screen, Windows 8.1, 8GB RAM, Intel i7 CPU, Microsoft Office 365 academic version. It works great, no problems at all. This is my 3rd HP notebook.

My PC is about 6 months old, a Dell XPS 8700, Windows 8.1, 16 GB RAM, Intel i7 CPU, Microsoft Office 365 academic version. I've never had any major problems with Dell. The XPS 8700 is my 4th Dell PC.

 

Truth be told, I'm looking at Apple Mac-Pro but I would HAVE to purchase Microsoft Office because of Word and Excel which I use for school and work. Unfortunately, the added cost and fear of not knowing how to use an Apple has me apprehensive.

 

Home
- Desktop - Windows 8.1 Professional
- Laptop - MacBook Pro
- Tablet - Android
- Technical/Server labs - Solaris Unix - CentOS and Kali Linux

Work
- Laptop - Windows 7
- Desktop - Windows Vista

Over all, Microsoft Windows sucks; but the majority softwares work in Windows Operating System.

 

It is not a steep learning curve by any stretch; you can get MS Office for Mac, or one that does the same thing for free (LibreOffice comes to mind).

You'll find the mac much more intuitive on a lot of fronts - the touchpad is just plain awesome; the hardware will last longer than that of a PC (performance wise, that is) and mac products just...work. I have not had a crash (have a Macbook Pro and an iMac), everything syncs and my data is secure

You can download VirtualBox (free) or Parallels (cost) to run Windows inside mac, or you can bootcamp it (reboot to use one OS or the other); I use parallels and everything runs smoothly.

I was a PC guy for 20 years before I made the leap and I haven't looked back (only use Windows for work / hobby related things (forensics / malware analysis).

 

One difference between Apple and other PC manufacturers is that Apple has its own extensive network of B&M retail stores. If you are unsure of your ability to use a Mac, just go to your local Apple store (if you have one) and try out one of the display models. That's what they're for. If the store isn't crowded, the staff will let you play with the machine for as long as you want. Just tell them the truth: you are used to PCs, and want to spend some time checking out a Mac. They'll be cool with that. They will make themselves available to answer your questions (again, assuming the store isn't crowded), but won't pressure you to make a sale.

You may find that transitioning from Windows XP or Windows 7 to a Mac is actually easier than transitioning to Windows 8.

 

This is probably the most underrated feature of the Mac platform.

I'm old enough to remember the 1980s, when it was hard to convince DOS/UNIX users about the value of a mouse. But in a way, their skepticism was deserved -- the mice of that era were in fact pretty awful, except on Macs. It took years for mice to become standard equipment on all platforms.

Today, it is hard to convince Windows/Linux users about the value of touchpads. And again, their skepticism has a legitimate basis -- most touchpads aren't actually very good, except on Macs. On the Mac platform, the touchpads are so good that they have replaced mice for most general users (although many professionals still need the greater precision that mice offer). Apple no longer offers mice as standard equipment with any of their products (even desktops come with a choice of mouse or touchpad), and it wouldn't surprise me if they stop making mice in the future.

Microsoft is trying to outdo Apple by embracing touchscreens with Windows 8: i.e. turning the entire display into a touchpad. It isn't working (in my opinion) because it's too hard to keep lifting your arm up to touch a vertical surface. Sophisticated touch capabilities are great, but it's better (again, just my opinion) to have them right by the keyboard.

 

Good move. Weaponize that laptop, so it can protect itself! :smile:

Yep. That's how you train your newly-armed "lethal laptop." And it needs a camo field-case...

Johann

 

Excellent choice. LibreOffice does indeed make MS-compatible files. IIRC, the spreadsheet is one of the very few free ones I have found that do functions analogous to MS Excel's Pivot Table.

Johann

 

I use and like LibreOffice. It would be great if all Windows/Mac/Linux users standardized on LibreOffice. Then we could all share files seamlessly, using the open and well documented ODF format, without any cross-platform compatibility issues -- and we could do it for free. It would make sense for every business and individual on the planet to make the switch.

But -- the reality is this hasn't happened. For now, it's a Microsoft Office world. And while LibreOffice can read and write .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx files, it cannot do so with 100% fidelity (and neither can any other non-MS product). For simple files, LibreOffice may be fine, but as you import and export more complex documents, more and more discrepancies will appear.

LibreOffice itself won't guarantee 100% perfect compatibility. If you create a document in LibreOffice and try to save it in an MS Office format instead of .odf, you will get a warning message (unless you've turned it off). The message will tell you explicitly that "This document may contain formatting or content that cannot be saved in the currently selected file format " and "Use the default ODF file format to be sure that the document is saved correctly."

And MS likes it that way. That's why they keep the Office source code closed. Nobody else knows exactly what is in there, and so nobody else can match it perfectly. If you are distributing complex documents in the Real World, the only guarantee of full compatibility is with MS Office:

 

The one hopeful development when it comes to MS Office: there seems to be increasing reluctance to pay for MS Office upgrades. For example, people and businesses continue to stick with Office 2007 or Office 2010, rather than upgrade to Office 2013. The basic file formats haven't changed, so the old versions remain perfectly compatible.

Microsoft has noticed this reluctance, which is why they are now trying (hard) to sell Office as a subscription-based product.

 

After I had a presentation mishap with Open Office several years ago, I haven't used it again. I tried using Libre Office. Either I couldn't figure it out, or it didn't have the same level of reference and citation formatting functions as Microsoft Office. I write a lot of research papers, so that's important. No, I'm not about to copy and paste off of Citation Machine.