OT: looking for a new computer

[Kbee3]

Currently we have Dell stuff. Regular computer crashed....now only functional is the laptop.
We wanna switch from Dell to Apple. And replace the computer and this crappy laptop I'm currently using. In addition to visiting this board, I wanna be able to create a music library and make my own mix CDs off of it. Also maybe burn some CDs for friends.
Should we go to the Apple store and talk to one of the geniuses ?
Or Costco ? PC Richards ? Best Buy ? Is Apple really an upgrade....especially security-wise....as my wife says ?
Any help appreciated.

 

[SkilletHead2]

I've gone back and forth between Apple and PC over the years, and really prefer Apple. Just much more user-oriented. I think if you are more of a computer geek, you'd probably prefer PC. I just want to use my computer, not understand it.

 

[rutgersal_rivals139582]

You can do all you want to do with a PC laptop, but Apple makes it easier. I'd suggest going with the MacBook Air. Buy from an Apple Store. Once you get the computer, you can pay for a years sessions of training with a genius. You just make an appointment beforehand. I'd also suggest buying an AppleCare warrantee as well.

 

[ScarletDave]

Apple has a much better user interface and it continues to do new things ... iTunes on Apple sounds exactly what you want, burning CDs is really easy and all that. Apple usually has a cery clear setup and buttons/etc that let you do exactly what you want. No need to know any extra knowledge on how to go into a hard drive, have to save files under this format to this drive and then drag here, etc. You can put stuff right on the desktop and drag stuff around and into windows of browsers/programs etc. Very compatible

 

[RU_Planning]

I've found the HP Spectre 360x to be an excellent PC laptop. I recommend buying from the Microsoft Store, it will come without all the adware and bloat that usually comes with a PC.

 

[wcfan10]

Currently we have Dell stuff. Regular computer crashed....now only functional is the laptop.
We wanna switch from Dell to Apple. And replace the computer and this crappy laptop I'm currently using. In addition to visiting this board, I wanna be able to create a music library and make my own mix CDs off of it. Also maybe burn some CDs for friends.
Should we go to the Apple store and talk to one of the geniuses ?
Or Costco ? PC Richards ? Best Buy ? Is Apple really an upgrade....especially security-wise....as my wife says ?
Any help appreciated.

Apple PCs as the above already stated will make your life easier and more intuitive. A windows PC you have to spend a little more effort/frustration in learning how to do things.

If you go the PC route, avoid Acer laptops. I recently bought one, and lets just say that it has very poor quality and its cheaply made.

 

[ashokan]

I bought an iPad in Dec and took it back. It was like working with training wheels on. No USB - file transfers had to use iTunes (a highly despised app including many Apple users) or some second party app. I bought an iBook in 2002 and brought that back too. I've always wanted an Apple thing but they just seem limited to me. There's always something missing (USB, Adobe etc) or problems with basic things you cant do (even flash drives are a headache). I like Apple design and its contempt for Google - I just cant play in their small sandbox.

Dell and other PC makers can be a problem because they underbuild and scramble parts. You can buy a PC with latest processor but the motherboard can be old. Future problems can loom when a bios is out of date. Apple and PCs use pretty much the same hardware but Apple wont give you the $9 power supply instead of the $18 psu.

Best thing to do imo is put your own PC together. Its mostly modular and lots of info is online. If you shop decent you can get much better parts for less cost. You can get a power supply that lasts 8-10 years instead of 4-6.

Of course after that there is..Windows lol. That can be a headache but once you learn to tweek and dodge it there's still more you can do with it than with Apple sandbox imo. Apples are good for grannies and kids though

 

[WhiteBus]

Timely thread for me as well. Have kept a PC only because of the keyboard and Microsoft Office programs. I know keyboards can be attached to tablets but looking for all the functions of a PC.

 

[_dave_]

Currently we have Dell stuff. Regular computer crashed....now only functional is the laptop.
We wanna switch from Dell to Apple. And replace the computer and this crappy laptop I'm currently using. In addition to visiting this board, I wanna be able to create a music library and make my own mix CDs off of it. Also maybe burn some CDs for friends.
Should we go to the Apple store and talk to one of the geniuses ?
Or Costco ? PC Richards ? Best Buy ? Is Apple really an upgrade....especially security-wise....as my wife says ?
Any help appreciated.

For the people under 30: CDs were big disks that were able to contain limited amounts of data on them. Laptops actually had big clunky pieces of hardware that would play them, assuming that they weren't scratched .

 

[Scarletnut]

If you're sticking with a PC, go with an Asus laptop, best laptop, hands down.

 

[iReC89]

Burn cd's on an Apple? I don't think you can still buy an Apple anything with a cd or dvd drive. You can get an external drive though. You might want to do a free trial of Spotify and make a playlist of all your favs.

Best Buy often has deals on Apples that you can't get from Apple directly.They are not the cheapaest option for the same power but people rarely complain about them,

 

[ashokan]

Was just reading Apple is coming out with new file system soon - cool. They will upgrade users automatically - uh oh. I'd wait that one out lol

"When you update to iOS 10.3, your iOS device will update its file system to Apple File System (APFS). This conversion preserves existing data on your device. However, as with any software update, it is recommended that you create a backup of your device before updating."

APFS is coming soon: iOS 10.3 will automatically upgrade your filesystem
https://arstechnica.co.uk/apple/2017/01/ios-10-3-apfs-details/

 

[Scarlet Craig]

Currently we have Dell stuff. Regular computer crashed....now only functional is the laptop.
We wanna switch from Dell to Apple. And replace the computer and this crappy laptop I'm currently using. In addition to visiting this board, I wanna be able to create a music library and make my own mix CDs off of it. Also maybe burn some CDs for friends.
Should we go to the Apple store and talk to one of the geniuses ?
Or Costco ? PC Richards ? Best Buy ? Is Apple really an upgrade....especially security-wise....as my wife says ?
Any help appreciated.

I would recommend Apple too but I must admit those new Dell XPS laptops intrigue me. Really beautiful design.

 

[Saint Puppy]

OP - it sounds like the stuff you want to do is very basic - I don't think it matters what you have. If you don't know how to do something then all you have to do is go to youtube (I go there all the time for stuff I don't know how to do or just google it). I'm not sure that an Apple makes the things you want to do THAT much easier - you can certainly can do everything easily on a PC. If money is an issue it doesn't sound to me like the extra money you would spend on an Apple is really worth it. Just to be clear I'm not at all against Apple, and would get one all things being equal - but they are generally more expensive.

 

[RUMBA-JK]

If you are not in a situation where you are obliged to link in to a large corporate system that favors PC based products, or utilize specific & significant software (that is better on a PC) as a part of some organization - and you are basically using the computer for your individual needs - and you are willing to spend toward the upper end of the scale - take a really good look at the Apple products.

Some University business programs strongly encourage students to work with a PC based computer - because they have computer packages for certain classes that work best on PC ... ( yes, you can get a Mac to emulate a PC - but it seems that it does not work very well for some of these programs)

On the other hand - many Ad agencies are Apple everywhere for everything .

Also - don't know what kind of phone you use - if you have been iPhone swinging over to an Apple computer should be a bit easier than if you have been on an Android and have been utilizing a lot of non-iPhone/Apple applications in conjunction with your PC based computer

 

[R1776U]

Macintosh sucks....

 

[poRtUgal]

Chromebook, simple, secure and cheap...when it breaks throw it out get a new one...

 

[Upstream]

The big advantage of Apple is it is pretty much a closed system where the hardware and operating system are made by the same company so it works the way Apple wants it to work. The downside is it is a closed system, which means you are locked into doing things the way Apple wants you to. If you are comfortable living within the Apple ecosystem, that can make things easier. If you want to venture outside the Apple ecosystem, things can be more difficult or sometimes incompatible. (For example, you talk about creating a music library which is very straightforward with iTunes. But it is not as straightforward on Apple if you prefer to make you music purchases from Amazon, Google, or another source.)

Price is also a consideration as Apple products tend to be significantly more expensive that comparable non-Apple products.

 

[mildone_rivals]

Currently we have Dell stuff. Regular computer crashed....now only functional is the laptop.
We wanna switch from Dell to Apple. And replace the computer and this crappy laptop I'm currently using. In addition to visiting this board, I wanna be able to create a music library and make my own mix CDs off of it. Also maybe burn some CDs for friends.
Should we go to the Apple store and talk to one of the geniuses ?
Or Costco ? PC Richards ? Best Buy ? Is Apple really an upgrade....especially security-wise....as my wife says ?
Any help appreciated.

Apple is way overpriced. And if somebody's a genius, they probably aren't working at the Apple store.
But if you struggle with computer problems all the time, I suppose Apple's are the way to go. If you don't like having your UI dumbed down to the lowest common denominator, then get a PC.

Either will burn CDs just fine. Although I didn't even know people used CDs anymore. Everything has become digital. Most people, especially people over the age of 50, cannot hear the difference between streaming Spotify at it's highest quality setting, vs. CD quality recordings.

So maybe consider making playlists in iTunes, or Spotify or whatever on your computer and then streaming it to your AV equipment. Easier than burning CDs. And you can share playlists on Spotify with your friends.

 

[mildone_rivals]

Apple has a much better user interface

Completely untrue. Is an old myth that might have been true 12 years ago. Hell, Unix/Linux boxes have just as good an interface now. PC's have had the same UI as Apple for like a decade.

 

[megadrone]

I was never the biggest Apple fan...still am not really, but I have a 2010 iMac that's still going strong. I needed to buy it to develop an iOS app. The hardware, while expensive, is reliable.

I was in the Micro Center in Paterson over the weekend, though, and noticed the iMacs no longer have built in DVD drives. You'd need an external drive to burn the CD.

My biggest gripe about the iMac is that you have to purchase it as you expect it to be configured for life. About the only thing Apple wants you to do yourself is add RAM. Everything else is a challenge. At times the unit was more than I needed, at other times it was less, and not much I could do about it (like add a better graphics card).

An iMac might be overkill for what you want it to do, but if you just want to buy the machine and forget about the maintenance for a good 5 to 6 years, then it's a reasonable approach.

 

[RUaMoose_rivals]

Apple laptops are a lot more expensive than a Windows laptop, no ?

 

[Scarlet Haze]

Save some big dollareenies and get a Lenovo and follow below photo instructions -

 

[dvb91]

Completely untrue. Is an old myth that might have been true 12 years ago. Hell, Unix/Linux boxes have just as good an interface now. PC's have had the same UI as Apple for like a decade.

Yeah, tend to agree. The ease of use is basically the same, and TBH I find IOS almost difficult to navigate at times (coming from a PC world). Does Apple perform better? Maybe, but not for the price difference for me. Figure for creative types (i.e. graphic arts, music, etc), Apple probably wins hands down but for normal humans, I just don't see the difference.

 

[AntiG]

if you go PC, MSI makes awesome computers.

 

[mildone_rivals]

Yeah, tend to agree. The ease of use is basically the same, and TBH I find IOS almost difficult to navigate at times (coming from a PC world). Does Apple perform better? Maybe, but not for the price difference for me. Figure for creative types (i.e. graphic arts, music, etc), Apple probably wins hands down but for normal humans, I just don't see the difference.

Not sure even the creative stuff is any different anymore. Apple used to have a bit of an edge there, but Win7 on forward closed the gap. Or rather, vendors like Adobe closed the gap w/their tools like Photoshop, etc.

 

[mildone_rivals]

Apple laptops are a lot more expensive than a Windows laptop, no ?

Traditionally, yes. Not sure if that has changed very recently or not. They shouldn't be as they generally are less powerful - there's no hardware advantage at all and the operating system thing is basically just a question of preference. No advantages either way, really.

 

[megadrone]

Traditionally, yes. Not sure if that has changed very recently or not. They shouldn't be as they generally are less powerful - there's no hardware advantage at all and the operating system thing is basically just a question of preference. No advantages either way, really.

I've had longer lives out of my MacBooks than I have out of Windows laptops. Same is true for my iMac over comparable other machines. Part of that could be a benefit to running OS X -- it may not make the hardware as obsolete as fast as upgrades to Windows do, but that's speculation on my part.

But yes, they are more expensive. Comes back to wanting to buy it and forget about it or the need to do regular or constant maintenance, both at the hardware and software levels.

 

[Crazed_RU]

Not for nothing but no one uses CDs anymore. Publish and share your playlists is the way it's done now. As a poster up above said, Apple doesn't even include CD and DVD drives in their computers anymore and haven't for probably at least 5 years. Just saying.

 

[Crazed_RU]

I bought an iPad in Dec and took it back. It was like working with training wheels on. No USB - file transfers had to use iTunes (a highly despised app including many Apple users) or some second party app. I bought an iBook in 2002 and brought that back too. I've always wanted an Apple thing but they just seem limited to me. There's always something missing (USB, Adobe etc) or problems with basic things you cant do (even flash drives are a headache). I like Apple design and its contempt for Google - I just cant play in their small sandbox.

Dell and other PC makers can be a problem because they underbuild and scramble parts. You can buy a PC with latest processor but the motherboard can be old. Future problems can loom when a bios is out of date. Apple and PCs use pretty much the same hardware but Apple wont give you the $9 power supply instead of the $18 psu.

Best thing to do imo is put your own PC together. Its mostly modular and lots of info is online. If you shop decent you can get much better parts for less cost. You can get a power supply that lasts 8-10 years instead of 4-6.

Of course after that there is..Windows lol. That can be a headache but once you learn to tweek and dodge it there's still more you can do with it than with Apple sandbox imo. Apples are good for grannies and kids though

So what you're saying is you bought an iPad and expected it to be a laptop computer and not a tablet? If the OP is looking at pretty basic computing needs, I don't think building his own PC is really a viable solution. And I know it's not hard having done it myself. It' just not necessary given what you can get pre-built ones for given his needs.

 

[Caliknight]

Thinkpad

 

[mildone_rivals]

FWIW, I've had good experiences with Lenovo laptops. Never really had any problems with a few of them now.

 

[ashokan]

So what you're saying is you bought an iPad and expected it to be a laptop computer and not a tablet? If the OP is looking at pretty basic computing needs, I don't think building his own PC is really a viable solution. And I know it's not hard having done it myself. It' just not necessary given what you can get pre-built ones for given his needs.

No I expected the iPad to be a tablet. I wanted something easy to pass around to people. I liked the ips screen. I had other tablets in the past and really didn't like them. The iPad was often touted as the king of tablets. I impulse bought one on sale at Best Buy. It was better than past tablets but still a pest to use. After a couple days I wanted to Rugby kick it into the Raritan. I can see why Tablet sales are struggling.

 

[anvilofstars]

If you're looking for a PC, I'd go with the Surface. It's a standard windows PC without any additional junk installed. Lenovo, Dell, HP have all gotten caught installing **** on PCs without the user's consent.

 

[ashokan]

If you're looking for a PC, I'd go with the Surface. It's a standard windows PC without any additional junk installed. Lenovo, Dell, HP have all gotten caught installing **** on PCs without the user's consent.

I wouldn't trust Lenovo at all. They get busted over and over. They screw with the bios. That's all way beyond crapware or adware.

Now It’s THREE Pre-Installed Malwares on Lenovo Laptops
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/now-three-pre-installed-malwares-lenovo-laptops/

 

[ScarletDave]

Completely untrue. Is an old myth that might have been true 12 years ago. Hell, Unix/Linux boxes have just as good an interface now. PC's have had the same UI as Apple for like a decade.

I use Linux and Windows at school and own a Mac. You are so wrong. It's like trying to use a Cat bulldozer with 300 buttons when all you need is a shovel to dig a hole for some flowers.

 

[mildone_rivals]

I use Linux and Windows at school and own a Mac. You are so wrong. It's like trying to use a Cat bulldozer with 300 buttons when all you need is a shovel to dig a hole for some flowers.

Seems to me that spending enough money to have the hardware capabilities of a bulldozer just to have the operating system limit it to only digging holes for flowers is a waste of money.

 

[jerseyjustin]

Ive been wanting to get into computer playing but I dont know how, I already bought my apple eye tablet but I dont know how to get these websites that let me play

 

[OntheBanks]

For the people under 30: CDs were big disks that were able to contain limited amounts of data on them. Laptops actually had big clunky pieces of hardware that would play them, assuming that they weren't scratched .

A big disk with a limited amount of data on them:
Is this what you're talking about -
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...o7SAhVEzoMKHQspB1gQMwhZKBgwGA&iact=mrc&uact=8

 

[ashokan]

I use Linux and Windows at school and own a Mac. You are so wrong. It's like trying to use a Cat bulldozer with 300 buttons when all you need is a shovel to dig a hole for some flowers.

That's a good way of describing it lol. I was dual-booting Windows with Ubuntu for awhile and got tired of all the extra steps. I felt like a French pastry chef on Ubuntu. So many extra steps and prep to take steps lol. I give the Linux fans credit though, they can keep after you like a terrier stuck on on your pant leg