Kuci is getting a laptop - recommendations

[Spiffor]

BTW, I have a fairly good laptop, with 1024 Mb RAM and a GeForce4MX equivalent with 64 Mb. And despite this, recent games are seriously beginning to lag. I think it'll be completely useless for gaming purposes in September 2006.

If you're interested in a laptop that has only 32Mb graphical memory, and 512 Mb RAM, you can simply forget about games more recent than last year's.

[Agathon]

It's the same reason I've always given, Agathon. I hate all-in-ones, especially because they're not truly expandable.

That's fair enough. You can get unofficial upgrade kits for old imacs though.

Having said that. My imac came with OS 9.1 64MB of RAM and a 5 GB HD. It now has OS X.3.9, 512MB of RAM and a 40GB HD. I've had it for 5 years and, while it won't play the latest 3D games, it still takes everything I can throw at it without a significant performance hit. I've been meaning to buy a new machine for a couple of years, but I couldn't really justify the expenditure for anything other than playing games.

I reckon that's outstanding value for a computer that I paid less than $US800 for five years ago, and which I have spent a few hundred dollars on in the intervening years. I don't know anyone who owns a PC of similar vintage that has lasted as well without having the guts ripped out of it.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Agathon
That's an illusion. You can get an emac for $799 US with 512MB of RAM and 64MB of VRAM, and 80 gig HD. With the included software bundle that's an excellent computer for someone on a budget, and they run pretty sweet too. Plus Tiger runs rings around Windows XP.

Granted, but for the same price you can get a PC with a 17 inches LCD instead...

Some people may not care, but LCDs make it so much nicer to read stuff on the screen.

[Agathon]

Frankly, we shouldn't be arguing about Mac vs. Windows.

Kuci's quite clearly said he wants Windows, and a Laptop.

Well he's dumb. We should at least try to convince him to use Gentoo.

[Agathon]

Granted, but for the same price you can get a PC with a 17 inches LCD instead...

Buy a mac mini then, and get your own display. Lord knows there are plenty of cheap flat panels about.

And it has nothing to match the mac's software bundle or OS. And you have to factor in antivirus software for the PC.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

get a powerbook g4.

[Agathon]

BTW, I have a fairly good laptop, with 1024 Mb RAM and a GeForce4MX equivalent with 64 Mb. And despite this, recent games are seriously beginning to lag. I think it'll be completely useless for gaming purposes in September 2006.

They aren't really for games. I mean, I'll probably play Vicky, EUII and RON on mine, but WOW or anything like that? No thanks.

[Verto]

I'd love to buy an iMac for my apartment, and an iBook for college. Unfortunately my bank account refuses to cooperate.

EDIT: And anyone buying a laptop with plans to use it for gaming deserves a brick in the face.

[Agathon]

I'd love to buy an iMac for my apartment, and an iBook for college. Unfortunately my bank account refuses to cooperate.

Wait till you get to college. The edu discounts can be pretty good. That's why I'm getting in now (if enough students enroll for the summer course I'm doing).

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Agathon

Granted, but for the same price you can get a PC with a 17 inches LCD instead...

Buy a mac mini then, and get your own display. Lord knows there are plenty of cheap flat panels about.

And it has nothing to match the mac's software bundle or OS. And you have to factor in antivirus software for the PC.

Yes the Mac mini is sweet, but only if you have minimal computing needs. Also it costs as much as a Dell with a LCD. So its a for me.

And you keep coming back with that antivirus argument - Zone Alarm + router with basic firewall + anything but Outlook Express should avoid you trouble. I've never had any anti-virus, and never got a virus neither.

[Verto]

Originally posted by Agathon

I'd love to buy an iMac for my apartment, and an iBook for college. Unfortunately my bank account refuses to cooperate.

Wait till you get to college. The edu discounts can be pretty good. That's why I'm getting in now (if enough students enroll for the summer course I'm doing).

Yeah, Apple.com will bring up the student discounts one can get, in the range of a hundred bucks or more.

Unfortunately that's not enough for me to be able to afford both an iMac and an iBook.

[Agathon]

Yes the Mac mini is sweet, but only if you have minimal computing needs. Also it costs as much as a Dell with a LCD.

You'd buy one of those ultra cheap Dells? We had one of those in our lab. Ugh....

[Agathon]

Unfortunately that's not enough for me to be able to afford both an iMac and an iBook.

Why both? Just buy a cheap flat panel ($2-300) a keyboard and mouse ($50) and a 12" Powerbook.

You can use the Powerbook with the keyboard, monitor and mouse as a desktop system and take it with you when you need to.

[Q Classic]

I reckon that's outstanding value for a computer that I paid less than $US800 for five years ago, and which I have spent a few hundred dollars on in the intervening years. I don't know anyone who owns a PC of similar vintage that has lasted as well without having the guts ripped out of it.

I paid $2k for my PC, and it still plays the latest and most advanced 3D games quite well, with only about $200-300 in upgrades in the intervening time.

I reckon that's pretty good value as well.

[Q Classic]

Well he's dumb. We should at least try to convince him to use Gentoo.

:shrugs: If he were looking into Linux, then yes, I'll try to convince him. Or Vidalinux, which is Gentoo with RedHat's Anaconda installer. Or tell him to wait for Gentoo's graphical installer. Or...