Desktop or Laptop or Mac or...

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Sat, 2007-03-03 15:43

My PC died this week (I'm using the one in the local Library) and I'm now wondering which way to go for my next computer. Ideally, I'd like a desktop AND a laptop, but it can only be one. My main needs are:
* word-processing
* DTP
* digital photography, with the use of a program like Photo House or PhotoShop.
* Internet
I'm not a gamer, so I wouldn't need anything for that - but I still want something with a reasonable amount of power for the photo work.

The other important thing is - SILENCE (or as close to it as possible). With a PC, I get the option of being able to fit silencing components (heat sinks, acoustic enclosures, quiet fans, etc). Can't get this with a laptop, unfortunately. I've tried a few laptops and noise has been quite a factor. Someone's told me that the Sony Vaio models are quite quiet, but I've not tried one yet. Has anyone got one? Closest I've found is a HP Pavilion, but even then I found the processor fan distracting (I'm a bit too sensitive to noise, really!)

Or, of course, now may be the time to switch to a Mac. Trouble is, I've never used one and I've received conflicting information about how easy/difficult they are to get used to after using a Windows-based PC.

I'd be grateful for anyone's views or experiences.

Thanks a lot.

Sat, 2007-03-03 17:56

drew_gummerson

There was this discussion not so long ago? I bought a Mac in January and I'm a firm convert. It looks great and is very easy to use. I like that I can press a button and it is on in seconds and ready to go. It's easy to share files between programmes. I can take a picture, send it straight to my website, or create a podcast, do the same thing, and then add music from iTunes. It has great search facilities. All my old files are compatible and I can save the Pages documents in a word format. And for me the word processor is great. Easy and so easy to manipulate. Go for it and get a Mac.

Sat, 2007-03-03 18:33

alan_benefit

Thanks, Drew. You're right - I asked people for opinions in another thread back in September. Sorry... it completely slipped my mind and I've just checked back on it. Dan, Radio Denver and Peps gave some useful info on the PC v Mac debate. Thanks, folks.

Sat, 2007-03-03 19:10

Yan2

Well..let me see. About a year ago, I watched a docu on discovery science. It was meant to settle the pc or mac debate for good. They did a series of tests, price comparisons, repair turnaround, etc, etc. It was on for about an hour, and pc won. Now I've mentioned ths docu in other forums and was met with a barrage of abuse from those strange mac users, so...um... There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed - Dennett

~It's a maze for rats to try, it's a race for rats to die.~

Sat, 2007-03-03 23:17

maddan

I have it on good authority that girls like guys who use macs.

Sun, 2007-03-04 19:41

alan_benefit

Guess it'll have to be a Mac then, Dan. Then all I have to do is improve my personality, my dress sense and my personal hygiene.

Sun, 2007-03-04 21:56

Yan2

..and find a way to accessorise the mac! There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed - Dennett

~It's a maze for rats to try, it's a race for rats to die.~

Mon, 2007-03-05 20:02

alan_benefit

Well... it just goes to show, dunnit... The motherboard had given up the ghost on my PC, which I thought basically meant 'junk it'. But I found a local engineer who replaced the motherboard (including a faster processor than my last one and twice the memory), installed Windows XP AND a current version of the full Office Suite... all for £120. I'd have expected at least twice that. His labour charges, though, are at least half the price of every other engineer I approached. He told me what I probably should have guessed anyway: too many engineers are charging far too much. He felt his prices were more realistic. Well... I didn't argue. I've got what's virtually a new PC out of the deal. Well chuffed! Fair restored my faith in human nature, it has!

Mon, 2007-03-05 20:41

pepsoid

I'm going off computers. We rely on 'em too much. When will the day come when we own nothing we can fix? pe ps oid ... What is "The Art of Tea"? ... (www.pepsoid.wordpress.com)

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Mon, 2007-03-05 20:44

#10

alan_benefit

Sounds like time to fix a drink, Peps... we'll always be able to do that, I hope.

Mon, 2007-03-05 22:25

#11

pepsoid

Hopefully, Mr B! ;-) pe ps oid ... What is "The Art of Tea"? ... (www.pepsoid.wordpress.com)

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Mon, 2007-03-05 23:08

#12

radiodumbo

Sounds to me that you were ripped off Alan. You can get a brand new spanker that meets your needs right here: http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/desktops_good?c... and, with Dell you can customise any of their products. The PC I'm typing on is as near to silent as you can get and my Dell laptop is silent (and i mean silent). If you want gaming (not that you do but others might) they offer other deals although the gaming machine in this house (different to this one and the laptop in so far as is it's the motherfucker of all pcs) was hand built (at home, not by Dell) for just under £800. You see, pcs are cheap when you get away from the high street. Why buy something that comes with loads of software you don't need? Dell units come stripped down and they deliver within three days from your order 9from eire). This machine cost me £350 and it pisses over anything most people (gamers excepted) are using in terms of speed, security and anything else alliterative. "When will the day come when we own nothing we can fix" Yet another cod piece of intelligentsia from our resident thicko. Think it through pepsoid and eventually the answer will be never coz computers/robots can't fix and will never be able to fix the most mundane of things in our lives. Now, go back to watching I Robot before having a wank over Resident Evil

Mon, 2007-03-05 23:16

#13

radiodumbo

Actually, their prices seem to have climbed a bit - probably due to incorporating the latest Bill Gates money spinner - Vista. Shame, coz my 6 month old machine is better than those advertised. Either way, you can see that their most basic model (forget the one without a monitor) is more than adequate for most people's needs inc. photography stuff as described by you. And Pepsoid is still an idiot. :-)

Tue, 2007-03-06 10:29

#14

pepsoid

Once again, Dumbo, I worship at the soaring tower of your own intellectual capacity. :-) "...computers/robots can't fix and will never be able to fix the most mundane of things in our lives..." ...eh? pe ps oid ... What is "The Art of Tea"? ... (www.pepsoid.wordpress.com)

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Tue, 2007-03-06 12:48

#15

alan_benefit

"Sounds to me that you were ripped off Alan" - which must mean, in the computer repair business, that there are only ever varying degrees of being ripped off. Every other engineer I approached said virtually the same thing: if your motherboard's knackered, the repair cost will be so high that you might as well get a new machine. I didn't get a single estimate below £200 - all from people charging between £35 and £40 per hour for labour. The guy who actually did the repair charged £20 per hour. He certainly didn't strike me as a rip-off merchant.

Tue, 2007-03-06 15:07

#16

ivoryfishbone

if it's too noisy alan just stick the telly on loud to drown it out ... xxx

Tue, 2007-03-06 17:22

#17

alan_benefit

No... I've found the best thing is to start the car up outside my window and give it some revs.

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