Why should I spend the extra money to buy a Mac laptop?

Question

I'm leaning towards the Mac but I need some convincing. The Mac laptops seem to be more costly. I need help to justify the extra cost of a Mac....Why do I want one?

Answer 1

You want a Mac because they are the BEST personal computer you can EVER get. PC's are just...well....obsolete when it comes to the Macintosh. Macs are more expensive because they possess MANY more features than Windows XP does. For example, with the Mac, you can run Windows XP AND Mac OS X on the Mac. This way, all of the programs you have for Windows will still be playable on the Mac running XP. So, you can experience the power and simplicity of the Macintosh OS while still using the same old BORING XP OS as well. Further more, Mac OS X comes with some really neat pre-installed software. They have the iLife suite, which includes iTunes, iMovie, iWeb, iDVD, and iPhoto. These cool applications make it easier than ever to manage your photos, make movies, create stunning websites, create DVDs from the movies you create, and store you songs. Plus, the new Macs (except for the MacMini) come with a built-in iSight camera so you can do video conferencing with it. Also, all of the new macs come with a remote, so you can be across the room controlling your computer! I am a Mac user, an I've used Macs all of my life. Getting a Mac is actually a big decision. You might not need the most expensive one out there. Email me if you have any questions about purchase decisions. Good luck!

Answer 2

They were the top-rated laptops (other than in the bargain laptop category, which they don't fit) in the latest issue of Consumer Reports. (I am sitting in the living room right now with my two daughters and we are all working on Mac laptops.) With any laptop, I would spring for the extended support, because they are just more vulnerable than desktop systems. Apple Support is very helpful and you can also bring your laptop into an Apple Store.

Answer 3

dude if i were you i wouldn't buy mac several reasons:
not many programs are written for it
if your gonna game there no point on a laptop of Mac also cause there not as powerful as the graphic cards that are made for PC's
another reason there gay
and did i mention THERE GAY
if i had a nuclear bomb i would blast the head quaters of theres and the rest of there apple companies...
and why do u want one is a reason that you should know... how should we know you what your thinking.
also.... if your just gonna look at emails message i say go with dell b1230 basic laptop....its good enough...
or you want some hard core gaming, video editting, or anything else that takes power.. i perfer PC or notebooks rather than a MAC

Answer 4

cus macs use Linux and the new 10.5's allow 3 partions so you can have windows/mac/Linux on your mac or laptop, and another really great reason to buy a mac is cus they rarely get viruses, yes there are viruses for macs but to this day there are only probly 40 of them that have been disoverd, either way its good cus of that... bad things about macs no one uses them no one cares for them and hardly any programmers wanna mess withem, that means if you wanna use special programs or get software to create images and such, "good luck finding something that's mac friendly"

Answer 5

a Mac laptop is nice, but a basic computer user doesnt need one.

you should get one if:
you do a lot of video and audio editing and mixing
you don't play a lot of computer games
you have $1100 to fork out.
you need good tech support a lot.

if you're a basic computer user, just get a dell dimension B110 for $300.

it's pointless to buy a mac if you're just going to view e-mail, chat on IM, and listen to music every now and then.

Answer 6

The Mac PowerBooks have come way down in price, they will run Windows too and they have dual core processors.

Answer 7

I think they are great. I have to sell mine tho. it is listed on ebay if you want to take a look. This is the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=014&item=330014651419&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1. It is in great condition and has served me well for school.

Answer 8

In my opinion you don' want a Mac.
1. not as many programs written for it.
2. running Windows on it to get thoes programs is slow.
3. They are more expensive and FAR fewer choices when you want to upgrade.
4. They ARE NOT bullet proof like everyone clames.
Please read the following articles on MAC VIRUSES!!

I like Sony BUT I would avoid them as there are compatablity issues with other hardware manfactures, and They are OVER priced too.
Mac Virus / Worm
http://msn.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,124755,00.asp

And more important.
http://msn.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,124543,00.asp

2006-08-02
Apple fixes 26 Mac OS flaws

By Joris Evers, CNET News.com
Published on ZDNet News: August 2, 2006, 5:25 AM PT





Apple Computer issued on Tuesday updates for its Mac OS X operating system to fix 26 security flaws, some serious.

Several of the vulnerabilities affect the way in which Mac OS X handles images and the file-sharing capabilities of the software, according to an Apple security advisory. Other flaws were found and fixed within components such as Fetchmail, file compression features, and DHCP networking functionality, Apple said.

The vulnerabilities could enable a variety of attacks, security company Symantec said in an advisory sent out to customers of its DeepSight intelligence service. "Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code, trigger denial-of-service conditions, elevate privileges, and disclose potentially sensitive information," Symantec said.



Apple credits a number of security researchers with finding the flaws. These include researchers employed by Google and Mozilla, as well as Tom Ferris, a freelance security researcher who has disclosed limited information on some Apple bugs in the past.

The bulk of the Mac OS X flaws affect both the client and server versions of the operating system. Attackers could exploit several of the vulnerabilities, specifically those related to image processing and file compression, by crafting malicious files and tricking people into opening them, Apple said. This attack method is seen often on computers that run Microsoft's Windows operating system.

A handful of flaws related to file sharing, handled by the Mac OS X AFP server, could expose user data or let a malicious user gain elevated privileges a system running Mac OS X or cause a crash, Apple said.

The update also increases the length of the passkey used for pairing Bluetooth devices with Mac computers, Apple said. This could provide enhanced security for the use of Macs with wireless devices that use Bluetooth technology.

Mac OS X users are urged to upgrade in order to protect their systems against possible attacks that may exploit the flaws. Symantec said that it doesn't know of current attack code for any of the issues, though some may not require specific exploit code, the company said.

Apple has released Security Update 2006-004 to address the issues. The update is available from the Software Update pane in System Preferences on Mac OS X systems or through Apple's Web site. Until now, Apple's most recent security update came out in late June.

AND THE FOLLOWING.

Will Mac's growth make it a bigger target?

By Will Sturgeon, Silicon.com
Published on ZDNet News: August 2, 2006, 6:29 AM PT





A recent upturn in Apple's sales of its Mac computers has added fuel to concerns the Mac community's days of claiming a secure upper-hand may be numbered.

Last week it was revealed that Apple's shipments of its Mac machines had shown double digit growth, year-on-year, with analysts suggesting the growth is set to continue with more PC switchers in the pipeline.

And while that is great news for Apple and its marketing prowess, it has coincided with the question of Mac security rearing its head once more, with three large security vendors issuing words of warning for the Mac faithful while Apple remains tight-lipped about the security of its machines.



Mark Sunner, CTO of MessageLabs, said: "Now, as Macs become more popular, we're seeing an increase in attacks targeting OS X." Greg Day, senior antivirus researcher at McAfee, said his company's recent Global Threat Report found evidence to support that claim.

Day told silicon.com: "Microsoft has the biggest bull's-eye on it but there's a lot of interest in Apple right now. There have been more vulnerabilities discovered in OS X than in XP over the past two years."

Day said 95 vulnerabilities have been discovered in XP during that time compared to 238 in OS X.

Jay Heiser, research VP at Gartner, said he would expect to see the risks from owning a Mac increase with popularity and a greater market share. "The relative 'safety' of the Mac environment is not so much an issue of obscurity, as it is a lack of hack-leverage and perhaps biological diversity," said Heiser. "From the attacker's point of view, the bigger the set of logically identical targets, the bigger the payoff in creating 'crimeware.'

"Clearly, as the number of Macs increase, it becomes more appealing to target them."

Heiser added: "The most important consideration is the amount of code. The level of vulnerability is a function of the size of the code-base and it is inevitable that the Mac OS contains a significant number of unrecognized vulnerabilities."

Last week Russian antivirus vendor Kaspersky Labs also waded in to the Mac security debate, with its own findings reporting a similar hike in the number of vulnerabilities found in OS X. And while vulnerabilities and actual proven exploits are very different things, Kaspersky Labs echoed the concerns of others, saying 60 vulnerabilities discovered in the first half of 2006 suggests if growing popularity were to invite more attacks this could soon become a problem.

McAfee's Day also criticized Apple for being slow to address these vulnerabilities--adding that Microsoft, albeit due to an unflattering history of vulnerabilities, is at least largely on top of the situation.

He said: "I think Apple has not been as organized as Microsoft has had to be through necessity at dealing with vulnerabilities."

At the time of writing Apple had failed to comment.