Posted by
peekaboo
14 yrs ago
What is the difference between a Macbook and a normal laptop? What software can Macbook be used that normal laptops can't?
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I think MacBook is more stylish in terms of outlook. If you need to do a lot of graphic and design work, Macbook will surely be a better choice.
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in terms of hard ware it's the same as anything else. only thing is that it comes with the mac software, which some people prefer (especially designers)
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The Macbook (and other Apple computer products) use a different operating system to "normal" computers. By "normal", I assume you mean those running Windows operating system.
Because Apple strictly controls the hardware and the operating system of their products, one of their their selling points is that they have a more reliable, easier to use system. "It just works" is one of their lines.
There are many software applications available for Mac computers, in just about any area you can name - not just design and creativity. Popular applications such as Microsoft Office are available in Mac-compatible versions. Mac computers do lag Windows particularly when it comes to game choice and quality of play. And with only ~10% of the computer market, there are far fewer Mac-compatible applications available compared to those that are Windows-compatible.
Worth noting, however, is that the current line of Mac computers (including the Macbook) are able to run Windows as well as the Mac operating system.
Personally, I use a Macbook because I find it far simpler to use than the Windows machines I have previously owned. However, I also have Windows on my Macbook so that when I need to run applications that are Windows-only, I can.
Mac computers are not for everybody, and they are generally more expensive than comparable Windows PCs. If you can get your hands on a Macbook and have a play with it that might help you decide if it works better for you.
Cheers
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Macs are built to higher standards than the typical "consumer level" laptop. The quality of the materials and build is higher. This can be compared with higher end PC lines like the ThinkPad X and T series laptops, which are built for business traveler use. HP, Dell and so forth also have these "professional" lines.
"they are generally more expensive than comparable Windows PCs. "
I don't quite agree with this. If you built a Windows PC to a comparable standard with the MacBook Pro you'd get something like a ThinkPad T series, it would probably cost about the same. You can't compare a MacBook Pro, say, with a consumer level laptop.
Much more importantly, however:
"Because Apple strictly controls the hardware and the operating system of their products, one of their their selling points is that they have a more reliable, easier to use system. "It just works" is one of their lines."
This is probably the most important point about Macs. Complete control gives far greater reliability. Also it allows the designers to incorporate things like instant wake and so forth.
As for "easier to use", it really depends what you are doing. Macs are certainly more intuitive. As someone once said "Macs are good at exposing functionality in a natural way". If you are used to Windows, however, it can take a while to adjust.
If you are a "power user", you are in a bit of a dilemma. I build my own computers, install the OS, and do all the configuration. Windows allows me to fiddle with a large number of parameters that are simply not available to the Mac user (without some very deep knowledge of UNIX). The Mac OS paradigm is that it is "as good as it gets the way it was built" and there is thus little need to tinker. Windows, on the other hand, can be significantly altered and configured by the power user.
Bottom line, and very much in general, if all you do is surf, email, chat and do the occasional document/spreadsheet, a Mac can potentially give you a more worry-free experience. If you are a serious gamer or power user, the PC allows more leeway to get it just the way you like it. There are exceptions. For example I have a few friends who certainly are power users and they love their Macs.
Further note. With programs like Parallels or VMWare Fusion, you can run Windows apps in Mac OS. Basically you're running Windows "embedded" inside Mac OS. Yes there is a performance hit but with most apps this is not an issue. Just make sure you get enough RAM.
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"Macs are built to higher standards than the typical "consumer level" laptop. The quality of the materials and build is higher. This can be compared with higher end PC lines like the ThinkPad X and T series laptops, which are built for business traveler use. HP, Dell and so forth also have these "professional" lines."
Actually not so sure about this. The American insurance Squaretrade made a study of how many laptops fail after 3 years. Here's the result:
1. Asus 15.6%
2. Toshiba 15.7%
3. Sony 16.8%
4. Apple 17.4%
5. Dell 18.3%
6. Lenovo 21.3%
7. Acer 23.3%
8. Gateway 23.3%
9. HP 25.6%
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To be blunt those figures mean squat. It's not what has failed, it's WHY.
For example (and I've owned 5 of the brands above)! my Macbook had to be repaired - only 6 months old. Terrible right? No, what had happened was D&G upgraded it for me with inferior RAM which not only caused issues in itself but also damaged the logic board. However that would go down as a failure EVEN though it was not the fault of Apple.
I've had Dell, HP, Sony and Toshiba. The Toshiba Portege failed because of the LCD screen - so hardware and was 2 years old, the Sony Viao died within a year - needed a new mainboard, the Dell Precision and XPS machines still work as does my 6 year old HP, although the hard drive just failed in that - a replacement is cheap enough to get it to last a few more years.
I'd just wonder how many machines in the above figures died because of "other means"?
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Agreed that those figures mean squat. There is no classification of failures. Also they're lumping everything together for each manufacturer. You can't compare a Lenovo ThinkPad X with one of their consumer laptops.
Also, you'll note that Apple is only fourth. Lenovo is 6th (worse) but that includes ALL Lenovo lines. Apple makes a conscious decision not to cater to the low end of the market.
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here's the link to the report for all those who like to defend their favorite brand :)
http://www.squaretrade.com/htm/pdf/SquareTrade_laptop_reliability_1109.pdf
one conclusion from this is pretty clear to me. no brand is squarely ahead of the rest and some of them are doing pretty poor. the report also mentions that statistically speaking, the choice of manufacturer is more important than the model you chose from such a manufacturer
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Notice figure 4. "Premium Laptops" have a lower failure rate.
I would also note that Apple is one of the "better" brands according to the report.
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Bootcamp is included in Mac OS, but it is quite a kludgy solution since you have to reboot into Windows to use Windows programs, then reboot back into Mac OS. The only advantage is that there is no additional cost.
Far better solutions are VMware Fusion and Parallels, which allow running Windows apps "under" Mac OS. I have not used Parallels but I have used Fusion. It allows you to run Windows apps in a window inside Mac OS. Both systems allow switching between Mac OS and Windows desktops at the touch of a button.
Note that in all cases, you will need a Windows license.
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Agreed with the above, the "virtual" solutions are far better than bootcamp. And rockchu, you can run Mac OS on a windows machine with a few workarounds. Google "Hackintosh" for more information.
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mac or pc...a computer is just a tool. and like any tool it is only as good as its user.
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I think is just some freebie software, media and games from the websites can't use by MAC. Other than that, not much different. Apple has better graphics.
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Apple does not have better graphics. That depends on the installed graphics card. One could argue that Mac OS is prettier but that's about it...
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I love "normal" PC laptops. My husband, on the other hand, loves Macs.
It really is a personal thing. I don't like the touch of the Mac. There are some keys and such the Mac doesn't do. Even though my husbands can switch back and forth to use Windows, there are some webstites that are not Mac friendly.
I still find every now and then my husband needs to use my PC, because the Mac can't do something. He also uses it alot for designing and video editing, so it is what he needs.
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"There are some keys and such the Mac doesn't do. "
True. I dislike Mac keyboards and loathe their mice.
"there are some webstites that are not Mac friendly."
That depends on your browser mostly. If you install Firefox on the Mac, you'll find that those will work better.
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In the old days, there were big differences. Today, the differences are minor. You normally spend very little of your time interacting with the operating system, so it makes little difference. Don't expect a cheap laptop to match a mid-priced or premium-priced laptop in performance. When you compare equivalent quality levels (MacBook and PC), the differences are insignificant.
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"there are some webstites that are not Mac friendly."
"That depends on your browser mostly. If you install Firefox on the Mac, you'll find that those will work better."
Indeed, that is a browser issue. There are, surprisingly, some website here in Asia that have been designed for that old dinosaur Internet Explorer only. Firefox should work on most now, Safari isn't that bad nowadays and there is even an Opera browser for Mac.
"True. I dislike Mac keyboards and loathe their mice."
Ha, ha. Actually I like the keyboards, but don't like the mice. All down to personal preferences.
I have PC's and Mac's here. 90% of the time I use Mac but there are some things I still do, and find much easier, on Windows.
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