[Ransom]

Well, that's kind of the problem, isn't it? OS X is designed so a software problem will have to be very serious to crash the system, whereas Windows will frequently require a reboot if software fails.

[neoterran]

Well, that's kind of the problem, isn't it? OS X is designed so a software problem will have to be very serious to crash the system, whereas Windows will frequently require a reboot if software fails.

Fact : 80 percent of BSOD's (Blue Screen of Death) in Windows XP were caused by the graphics card drivers.

In Windows Vista, graphics card drivers were moved from the kernel space to the user space, so if a graphics driver crashes now, it wont' crash the system anymore, it will simply shutdown and auto-restart the graphics display. This is a HUGE improvement. Not to mention Vista has completely new network stack, audio and video subsytems. 

[Ransom]

Cool.

I have no doubt Vista will be as much of an improvement as XP was over its predecessors, but my point here is that the Mac laptop can run both. Ignoring which OS is better for a moment, between the choice of a Dell and a Mac (assuming higher quality Windows laptops are out of the question,) I really can't see any reason to get the Dell.

[vyper]

Like the spoof advert said:

Macs: What you use to edit the movie of your snowboarding holiday on.
PCs: What you use to make the money to go on said holiday.

[Ferret]

Please don't get a Dell laptop. They're awful for everything. I do not have much experience with Macs though. I've always wanted to....

[pecenipicek]

is it just me or are macbooks rather cheap, around $1k? a bit more?


[edit] nevermind, its a bit more like $4.5k




still its veeery nice

[Mars]

Go Alienware....

or somthing, just not a Dell, and IMHO don't go with an iBook either, Apple computers limit your flexibility with other OS's and if you want to run Windoze, you still need to pay for it, whereas if you go w/ a PC, it's probably included

[neoterran]

Dell owns Alienware, I hope you know 

[Kazan]

In Windows Vista, graphics card drivers were moved from the kernel space to the user space, so if a graphics driver crashes now, it wont' crash the system anymore, it will simply shutdown and auto-restart the graphics display. This is a HUGE improvement. Not to mention Vista has completely new network stack, audio and video subsytems. 

so you mean it behaves as Xwindows has since..... it was created 22 years ago?

[IceFire]

except for the entire mac overcharging for the equipment simply because they're "a name brand"

I do dislike the propritary stuff...drives me nuts...but you can't get off calling Mac's overpriced these days Kazan.  They are the same if not better priced than Dells and HPs.  Compare feature for feature and the Apples actually do quite well...not like before.

[neoterran]

In Windows Vista, graphics card drivers were moved from the kernel space to the user space, so if a graphics driver crashes now, it wont' crash the system anymore, it will simply shutdown and auto-restart the graphics display. This is a HUGE improvement. Not to mention Vista has completely new network stack, audio and video subsytems. 

so you mean it behaves as Xwindows has since..... it was created 22 years ago?

Yes. Actually the reason it was moved to kernel level to begin with was due to performance issues in Windows NT. But now that Vista has a Desktop Composition Engine that offloads the drawing to the GPU, they're moving it back. It was probably a bad decision anyway, considering that's not the way other modern OS do it.

And I should point out Xwindow system is not anywhere near as complicated as Vista's DCE. Just for the newbies.

[Unknown Target]

Go for a PC. My friend is an art student and bought a Mac, and she can't stand the thing. All she's doing for the summer is saving up for a new PC notebook. The Mac is slow, can be unreliable, is very uncompatable, and just generally not as good as a PC. That being said, go somewhere other than Dell - their laptops aren't always up to snuff, but that isn't true for ALL PC notebooks (which I can't say for Apple Macs, because they're all made by, well, Apple).

[vyper]

Whats with the Dell bashing lads? We had Dell machines in uni and they've always run great.

[Bob-san]

Dell bashing? I like dell-bashing!!

Ok so my view on this?

Mac and PC are already too bloated. The best choice is actually Linux. Almost nobody starts a machine in Linux. Most people will start with a Mac or a factory-built PC. of people actually dual-boot their PC with Windows and Linux, by using the GRUB boot manager. That's my personal way to do it, as I run a Ubuntu 5.10 install.

Some advice about a new computer...

Steer clear of a Dell. The problem is quality. Dell, being the largest commercial distributor of computers, has outgrew quality-control. More duds are shipped for personal desktops and laptops, because so many computers are being made. You probably saw some of the "designed for you" and "your fingerprints are all over it" commercials Dell puts out... it proves they are attempting to escape the facts that they ship so many duds and have a lack of customer support (though I admit that 90% of the people rating CS are angry and won't let the CS help them).

So, my recommendation is to order from Gateway for home stuff, Acer, Toshiba, or IBM for more business stuff.

If you know how, make your own computer from parts ordered from whole-sale sites such as Tiger Direct and NewEgg.

If you make your own desktop computer, you should probably choose either a barebone kit (usually case, processor, processor and case fan, motherboard, power supply, and sometimes RAM) or a motherboard-processor (processors are normally OEM) bundle. If you got a M-P bundle, then you need to find a case (preferably ATX), power supply, and fans for your processor, and sometimes your case. Both cases you should probably add more RAM, as 2GB is a good amount to buy. Most of these need a deticated graphics card, so a nVidia GeForce 7600 would be a good mid-range choice (7300 for low-range, 7800 for mid-high-range, 7900 or 7950 for highest-range). Find a good size hard drive and a disc drive (preferably a DVD combo drive or a DVD burner, as they are often equally expensive to a CD drive)

Things to check for your mobo (motherboard) is for DDR2 memory, PCI express x16, and SATA connections. If it has a intergrated video system, then you don't need the Graphics card unless you will be doing 3D stuff like are going to get Vista or play games. It is nearly impossible to get Mac on a custom-built PC.

[neoterran]

Here's the problem, you cannot build your own Laptop... which is the main issue.

[Polpolion]

I am hella partial in favor of windows. Get  a Mac and die.

[IceFire]

Whats with the Dell bashing lads? We had Dell machines in uni and they've always run great.

My work computer's a Dell...it works fine.  Doesn't mean its good. If you're a consumer and you're looking for the best price, performance, features, and reliability Dell should be near the bottom of the list.

[Mars]

Dell bashing? I like dell-bashing!!

Ok so my view on this?

Mac and PC are already too bloated. The best choice is actually Linux. Almost nobody starts a machine in Linux. Most people will start with a Mac or a factory-built PC. of people actually dual-boot their PC with Windows and Linux, by using the GRUB boot manager. That's my personal way to do it, as I run a Ubuntu 5.10 install.

Oh yes! 

[Kosh]

Linux does have something of a compatibility issue at the moment too......

[Mars]

Howso?