OT: laptop experts please help.

[ThoreauHD]

I'm not sure why you folks are harping on apple. The difference is a 64-bit proessor versus a 32-bit processor. Apple use powerpc processors, and now they use Itanium processors. They are now 64-bit commodity. For the Operating System. You can use any Linux 64-bit OS- Linux was the first to support 64 bit outside of AIX/HPUX/Solaris. Windows does not support it yet. Only Linux, the BSD's(MaxOSX), and Unices support 64 bit.

I would recommend you get and AMD 64 bit processor on the laptop. You can do twice the work in the same amount of time. Whoever you choose to put it together for you, get that and the warranty. Laptops aren't cars. They don't last more than 6 months in a product cycle. You will be looking for support and wondering wtf? It'll be gone. Get 64-bit proc's and my recommendation is Suse/Novell/Oracle 10.0 or 10.1(whichever is newest). It'll do stuff that windows has never even thought of. The beta rendition of Windows called Vista is a security nightmare and is not production. It supports 64-bit, but it's windows. Darwin is the i386 aka intel based free distribution of OSX. You can install that too if you are comfortable. http://www.opendarwin.org/downloads/7.2.1/ Although I'd recommend linux(64-bit) or WindowsXP(if you are a newb and don't want to use 64-bit processing).

Linux was the first to fork a kernel over to 64-bit commodity processors- like Intel or AMD. The powerpc motorola and alpha/sparc procs are server only processors which have been supported by all unix OS's for some time, but that doesn't affect you. It isn't available for laptops.

When you buy a laptop you are fighting entropy. You want to get the fastest thing available with the best warranty because you cannot upgrade it. You can only upgrade that ram and ram ain't **** insofar as speed is concerned. Get 512 or better of ram for any architecture and you will be fine. And again, back to apple. No point. Everyone is moving towards commodity hardware. Jut get the best of commodity hardware and you will be fine. Apple != BMW for computers. Apple= Dumbass Hippy for computers. Have some foresight and go with the flow. Open is good. Closed is bad.

If it was any other way this forum would not exist. We couldn't fix **** if Apple = BMW. Our hoods would be welded shut and we would be sued by BMW for modifying it. Consider the future when buying a laptop. The turnover of laptops are shorter than anything else sold in the world.

In the end, it's about what you want to do and for how long. Don't box yourself in.

[genphreak]

I'm not sure why you folks are harping on apple. The difference is a 64-bit proessor versus a 32-bit processor.... I would recommend you get and AMD 64 bit processor on the laptop. You can do twice the work in the same amount of time. Whoever you choose to put it together for you, get that and the warranty. Laptops aren't cars. They don't last more than 6 months in a product cycle. You will be looking for support and wondering wtf? It'll be gone. Get 64-bit proc's and my recommendation is Suse/Novell/Oracle 10.0 or 10.1(whichever is newest). It'll do stuff that windows has never even thought of. The beta rendition of Windows called Vista is a security nightmare and is not production. It supports 64-bit, but it's windows. Darwin is the i386 aka intel based free distribution of OSX. You can install that too if you are comfortable. http://www.opendarwin.org/downloads/7.2.1/ Although I'd recommend linux(64-bit) or WindowsXP(if you are a newb and don't want to use 64-bit processing).

A lot of what you say is valid; but the hardware is less and less significant now, it is really about the merits of the OS. You seem to advocate Darwin or other 64-bit Nix's, but the fact is they are not laptop ready yet. Suse 10, Linspire, and the 'k/ubuntus are the first consumer OSs I have seen 'almost' ready for the desktop (but not laptop). Whereas OS-X is. Have you tried ever tried getting Linux going on a laptop? Reality is ACPI, APM and hardware support, closed source Windows-centric vendors make life really hard for pros & practically impossible for n00bs...

OS-X also supports (though perhaps not by its true desire) many more open software packages than Windows (as it is FreeBSD based) and just works, for noobs or pros.

If it was any other way this forum would not exist. We couldn't fix **** if Apple = BMW. Our hoods would be welded shut and we would be sued by BMW for modifying it. Consider the future when buying a laptop. The turnover of laptops are shorter than anything else sold in the world. In the end, it's about what you want to do and for how long. Don't box yourself in.

Fair point, but Apple is no longer running a closed as **** OS. It is more open than Windows, and the components (HDD/RAM etc) are as swappable/commodity as PC hardware these days. Also, PC hardware lasts less long, is far worse made and a lot of it made by vendors witha dumbass closed-source approach. One can do more now and later on, with an Apple, and you don't have to change OS at all. Perhaps ever; so you don't have to unload Windows when you get it and then risk a laptop unsupported by its manufacturer and the troubles inherrent with beta software- etc, or go through updates every hour and run truckloads of software to save you from holes in so much OS level software that is developed within a group with too few professional peers.

The only Linux laptop that could be worth getting is a Linspire one- from any WalMart. Cheap but slow. They sure do work though. More are to come... but as i said, laptop support is really (one of) the major problems we are yet to overcome in the Linux community.

[joshua43214]

Why isn't this thread dead yet?

[misfortune]

CLOSE IT DOWN DUDE, THIS THREAD IS WORTHLESS.

I'd begin arguing again, but between the AMD, Apple = BMW, Intel, Linux, and all the other half truths floating out there, you'd be better off choosing a notebook from an office depot lineup blindfolded. The main problem is that nobody is completely wrong, yet noone is right either.

Apple isn't the bmw of computers. Besides the obvious apples to oranges comparison, a computer is a mix of parts. With Apple using x86 hardware now, the only difference between an apple and a dell is the screen, and maybe the motherboard/keyboard. Do cars use the same parts?

Ugh. Linux just isn't there for everyday desktop use. 1 reason. Compatibility. Install linux, go looking for a compatible printer.

Also, 64 bit vs 32 bit. In theory what you are saying would work, but in reality, there are no real advantages to running 64 bit right now. Everything is written in 32 bit because nobody has 64 bit and it'd be pointless to write software for the smallest .0001 percentile. There are some 64 bit softwares out there, but its hardly a selling point.

Reading the point above, it looks like I just plagiarized all his points. I did think of this on my own. I also said I wasn't going ot argue and I did.

Regardless dude, I think you'd be fine with a Dell Core Duo machine with 1gb of memory. If you keep your head up you should be able to get a deal on it for around $800-$900. Check out www.gotapex.com and see if you can jump on a good deal. If the dell breaks, you got a warranty. Its not a horrible computer. Sure the most anal of the anal (people who post on msg board forums) woould complain about it (its the internet, what isn't complained about on here) but really for most people, dells are just fine.

[632 Regal]

your post educated me the most, not jumping into one but bookmarking it.

CLOSE IT DOWN DUDE, THIS THREAD IS WORTHLESS.

I'd begin arguing again, but between the AMD, Apple = BMW, Intel, Linux, and all the other half truths floating out there, you'd be better off choosing a notebook from an office depot lineup blindfolded. The main problem is that nobody is completely wrong, yet noone is right either.

Apple isn't the bmw of computers. Besides the obvious apples to oranges comparison, a computer is a mix of parts. With Apple using x86 hardware now, the only difference between an apple and a dell is the screen, and maybe the motherboard/keyboard. Do cars use the same parts?

Ugh. Linux just isn't there for everyday desktop use. 1 reason. Compatibility. Install linux, go looking for a compatible printer.

Also, 64 bit vs 32 bit. In theory what you are saying would work, but in reality, there are no real advantages to running 64 bit right now. Everything is written in 32 bit because nobody has 64 bit and it'd be pointless to write software for the smallest .0001 percentile. There are some 64 bit softwares out there, but its hardly a selling point.

Reading the point above, it looks like I just plagiarized all his points. I did think of this on my own. I also said I wasn't going ot argue and I did.

Regardless dude, I think you'd be fine with a Dell Core Duo machine with 1gb of memory. If you keep your head up you should be able to get a deal on it for around $800-$900. Check out www.gotapex.com and see if you can jump on a good deal. If the dell breaks, you got a warranty. Its not a horrible computer. Sure the most anal of the anal (people who post on msg board forums) woould complain about it (its the internet, what isn't complained about on here) but really for most people, dells are just fine.

[Beez540]

Yes... close it down...

Like I said, this ended up being as bad as a political thread. I don't think anyone's feelings got too hurt though.

Either way, I have used Macs in the past I like em, and I like OSX...

but..... Dude, I'm gettin' a dell. My employer has a discount & incentive program as well that I just found out about. So I'm going with a customized XPS. Centrino, extra ram, 7200rpm HD so I can edit vid, DVD burner, WS, photo printer, all for under $800 shipped. I think it will be swell.


Thanks again, everyone.


B

[misfortune]

Yes... close it down...

Like I said, this ended up being as bad as a political thread. I don't think anyone's feelings got too hurt though.

Either way, I have used Macs in the past I like em, and I like OSX...

but..... Dude, I'm gettin' a dell. My employer has a discount & incentive program as well that I just found out about. So I'm going with a customized XPS. Centrino, extra ram, 7200rpm HD so I can edit vid, DVD burner, WS, photo printer, all for under $800 shipped. I think it will be swell.


Thanks again, everyone.


B

Good deal man, enjoy.

[swenpro]

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