Should i go for the Mac Book Pro???

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Guyz i am looking to buy a loptop latest by next month .....and as this will be my first laptop I'm utterly confused which one to choose...

From what ive read from this forum and other sites and heard from my relatives and friends ive locked on the brand...ie. either..DELL or Apple...

Stretching my budget i can buy the Mac book Pro...but i am really concerned whether paying around 25-30K on a macbook is worth it or not???

Here are the three laptops that i hope to choose from... :unsure:

13inch macbook pro(base line model) or (above base line model)
Specifications:
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED, back-lit, glossy, wide-screen display with support for millions of colours with 1280x800 (native)
2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz) with 3MB L3 cache or 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz) with 4MB L3 cache
4GB of 1600MHz DDR3 memory or 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 memory
500GB 5400-rpm hard drive or 750GB 5400-rpm hard drive
Intel HD Graphics 4000 (for both the models)
Stereo speakers with subwoofer
OS X Lion
Cost: base model around 72K and the above base model around 90K

:arrow:

Dell New Inspiron 14R Special Edition
Specification:
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3612QM Processor (6MB cache, up to 3.1 GHz)
Windows® 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (English)
14.0"(35.6cm) HD WLED True-Life (1366x768)
6GB3 DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
1TB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M DDR3 2GB
Waves MaxxAudio 4.0 studio-quality sound suite + Skullcandy Speakers (2x 2W)
Cost: around 62-65K

See im a joining a engineering college this year only...so am not sure exactly what softwares ill be using :unsure:

...so at the best i guess ill be using laptop for programming in C,C++,Java and MATLAB, GIMP
Will also be doing a little gaming like FIFA 13, NFS: Most Wanted 2 , Counter Strike, :hitman:

Hitman: Blood Money and if possible Assassins Creed (any of the editions)
Will be watching some movies...720p and 1080p....and some music as well.
scree size ...i prefer anything between 13" to 15" :chillpill:

Will like my laptop to work without probs for atleast 5years.

My most concern is... if its worth paying extra 25-30K for the MacBook Pro in terms of better quality, usefulness,stability and lifespan....than guess ill buy it...else i will go for the Dell Inspiron 14r se.
Please guyz reply.....any help will be gr8ly appreciated

If you are planning then forget about gaming as they are not made for it.
Apart from that Macbook Pro's performance can't be compared to any other laptop.Its is just outstanding.
You just pick any windows laptop with same or even better configuration, and try to open more than 20 tabs in any browser it will give you a lot of trouble.And in my Macbook Pro I open 50 or more tabs at a time almost daily without any hassels

LOL!
Hahaha aroraanant I can open a 100 tabs in my Vaio no problem

Anyway as aroraanant said, yes it is kind of worth it to spend extra for apple macbook pro. Mostly for the bragging rights and the bling. If you don't intend to game much then go ahead with Macbook Pro.

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the elusive MBP,just couldn't afford it :-D

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@aroraanant and randomyser111
Thanx for ur replies...
@All
is gaming absolutely not possible in macbook pro???? Like even games like NFS:MW2 and FIFA13???
Also ive heard from my frndz that its better to have a windows os for an Computer Engineering student...as it allows one to know about the most used os...and also that there are many softwares that donot work on OSX...which are required my during my B.Tech course????
Even ive heard that most games donot work in OSX but worls on windows???
I get it that a OSX is a better os than windows ....but what are the added benefits.....are these benefits worth paying 25-30K xtra.
Or shuld i settle for a dell now....and save for a mac for after 4-5years????

Go for the macbook pro. Gaming is possible by using a virtual machine or dual booting.

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@aaruni
will games like FIFA 13 and NFS:MW2 run smoothly even without a dedicated graphics card????
Culd u pls tell me the added benefit of having a mac instead of a windows pc????
Also is it true that an apple laptop last longer than an other companies laptops???If so what r the reasons??

the retina macbooks don't have a 13 inch model. The new line up has the same specs for both the laptops: Intel HD Graphics 4000
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching
Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on up to two external displays, at millions of colors

J

^ If only I was bruce wayne..

check out this thread:*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/laptops-netbooks/157226-future-laptop-purchase.html

Jripper said:
^ If only I was bruce wayne..

I don't understand

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@aaruni
I wont be able to afford the retina display.....atmost i can afford the 13inch i7 mac book pro....

i don't think you should go for the 13 inch model. Over-heating has been reported. It is probably because of the graphics and the processor being on the same die. (read this on the apple support forum)

aaruni said:
check out this thread:*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/laptops-netbooks/157226-future-laptop-purchase.html

I don't understand

bruce wayne is batman

so he is ultra-rich?

You can go with the Vaio adimax bought. *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/laptops-netbooks/160201-sony-e14a-series-official-thread-review-d.html

If u wanna go for VAIO I suggest get S15 instead of E14A if u can afford upto 65k. 15 inch size but only 2 kg weight. Also has an IPS Full HD screen which would be better for programming thanks to the greater real estate. Gaming is also great as it has a GT640M LE that can be overclocked to extract GT650M performance with good temps.

A

Thanx to all those who replied....

i
want to buy a dell or am apple product...so a its a no for vaio....
b/w the dell inspiron 14r se and the mac book pro 13 (not retina)....which one should i go for

DO have a look at Samung Series 5 550p

aaruni said:
so he is ultra-rich?

yes

Go for Macbook, I m sure you won't regret.

aroraanant said:
Go for Macbook, I m sure you won't regret.

Doesn't the 13 inch model have over-heating issues?

This is from apple support : *discussions.apple.com/thread/2764570?start=0&tstart=0

My guess - and it is just a guess - is that this is related to the switch to the Intel integrated graphics (at least, on the 13" MBPs I have). Since the "GPU" is now on the same die as the CPU, there's no way to spread out the heat generated by graphically intensive tasks. Since my 2010 MBP uses a separate NVIDIA chip, the heat gets spread out over a wider area inside the case.

aaruni said:
so he is ultra-rich?

HELL YEAH !!!!!!!! I am guessing you are not a batman fan

And chuck the dell inspiron 14r se. Pretty bad at 62k. Go for the new sony S series at 65k with IPS if you want better display or the samsung np550p if you want ultimate power at 57k. The inspiron 14r se doesnt make any damn sense at all.

Macbook: go for the new one if you have the money that is.

har said:
HELL YEAH !!!!!!!! I am guessing you are not a batman fan

I just did not see the relevance in the topic..

@har
He wants only Apple or Dell. No Sony/Samsung

randomuser111 said:
@har
He wants only Apple or Dell. No Sony/Samsung

Just suggesting the best options.

Go with dell. Both of them arent worth it for me(Dont really like apple

)

^
I know, but no point as he wants only Apple or Dell

Anyway @OP

If Gaming is not priority then go ahead with Macbook Pro. And of course as mentioned before, MBP 13 does have overheating issue. Just reminding you again before going for it.
Overall its quite nice though, the experience is really much better on a Macbook. The screen, the build, the input devices are all a class above most similar sized Windows laptops.

Doesn't the 13 inch model have over-heating issues?

I am using it from last 4-5 months or may be a lil more.I haven't experienced anything like that till yet.

that can't be right.... the new lineup doesn't have 13 inch mbp. and the old ones have this problem (as i read on the net).

^
New lineup doesn't have 13 inch MBP? I'm sure you meant 17 and not 13.

sorry. my fault...
the over-heating issue is present in 2011 model of 13 inch mbp. maybe they fixed it in the new line up?

^
Doesn't seem to be the case. Read through this
*discussions.apple.com/thread/4060075?start=0&tstart=0

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Guyz...one more question...i hv been hearing that many softwares that run on windowsdont run on the osx... .. is this true??
@har
y do u think that the dell 14r se or the 15r se is not worth buying?? xcept for the resolution (1366X768)... i personally didnt find anything thats not worth its price...

for most of the softwares that don't run on OS X, you will find counter-parts that do. And if you have to use the same software, you can opt for virtualization solutions or dual-boot between osx and windows.

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@aaruni
Thanx for ur quick reply

@All
i hv been hearing from some of my frndz thats...since im going to do my btech in computer science...its better for me to use a windows laptop instead of me going for a mac...cos this helps one to learn the computer better...also almost 90% of the world uses windows os...so it will be helpful to work on this os rather than osx...is this true???

Check this video. And I just love the MAC interface. It all boils down to what you want to do with your computer. I do all of my work in mac (presentations, mail, imovie, itunes, quicktime, iphoto, etc.) in my mac. But when the time of playing games arise, I still chose Windows XP (dual-boot).

Not sure of the overheating in newer MBP 13 as I still use the old 2010 model.
But the SB 11inch Air does not heat much.
Many Macs run hot,but they keep on running for years together without any issue.
I would suggest you to look in 13inch Air also,if you dont mind the small storage and slightly inferior screen(infinitely better than most Windows laptop though!)
The latest Air is seriously fast already and it will scream with Mountain Lion!!

Check out why you will love mac os on Apple Website

Anurup said:
Guyz...one more question...i hv been hearing that many softwares that run on windowsdont run on the osx... .. is this true??
@har
y do u think that the dell 14r se or the 15r se is not worth buying?? xcept for the resolution (1366X768)... i personally didnt find anything thats not worth its price...

Because there are better options from other companies.Much better options.

And seriously try Mac OS before buying. Its a highly overrated OS. Win 7 does all of it with better software support. Unless you are a professional video or sound editor,mac os is useless. The upcoming Win 8 sweeps mac off its feet if you ask me. And yes,very few software run on mac's.

Fanboys will always say:Mac is the best,like windows is something aincient,but I've used both and I feel win 7 is much better. Dont fall for fanboyism. If you want the ultra premium hardware,go for a mac but dont go for it expecting something magical from its OS.

aaruni said:
Check out why you will love mac os on Apple Website

You are posting the company site :rofl:

Of course they will say mac os is better

Anurup said:
@aaruni
Thanx for ur quick reply

@All
i hv been hearing from some of my frndz thats...since im going to do my btech in computer science...its better for me to use a windows laptop instead of me going for a mac...cos this helps one to learn the computer better...also almost 90% of the world uses windows os...so it will be helpful to work on this os rather than osx...is this true???

You are a CS Student !!!!! You need WINDOWS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Or better GO UBUNTU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its good for programming :twisted:

Mac OS X Lion vs. Windows 7: Which OS is Best?

Dont even think of mac. You will end up installing windows or linux.

aaruni said:
Mac OS X Lion vs. Windows 7: Which OS is Best?

Eh ....a review site. Of course they will say mac is better.

He is a CS Student. I am a CS student and I feel we should suggest for his requirements.

If "of course" everyone will say mac is better, ever thought to consider that mac IS better?

And from your profile pic,its obvious you are a fanboy

aaruni said:
If "of course" everyone will say mac is better, ever thought to consider that mac IS better?

Hmmm...let me think ...YES
ITS CRAP !

Look mac is for video professionals. Its certainly not for CS students.

Look, I have been using a mac since 2009 and i will recommend it. Windows is crap.

aaruni said:
Look, I have been using a mac since 2009 and i will recommend it. Windows is crap.

The one thing I have learned is:Never argue with a MAC Fanboy. Its useless :banghead:

And give me ONE reason why mac os will be better for his CS studies ? How it will benefit him ?

Check these links out.

Mac fanboys should get a life and some Windows 7 common sense

We Hate Macs - Mac Fanboys - an indepth review

It will dispel every single myth as to how mac os beats win 7,

*media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6tw9a1QfI1qke9hh.jpg

A

@aaruni ,har red dragon
Thanx for ur replies...was of gr8 help

Really, I was of great help??

first time.

GNOME 3 Shell + Linux is better than Mac OS X. Mac OS X is better than Windows. PS: I'm going with Macbook Pro as a whole.

I'm talking in terms of ease to use and also as a programmer.

Setting up an Apache + MySQL + PHP server is PITA in Windows. Yea, you can simply install XAMPP but that won't give you the learning curve of how *nix run and how servers are handled. Even if you get a Windows laptop, you'll end up install a Linux distro.

har said:
And give me ONE reason why mac os will be better for his CS studies ? How it will benefit him ?

Because it is UNIX.

If you need UNIX,just install linux. There is no need of mac os which is nowhere as good as linux for programming.

And if you game a bit,windows is the way to go. And he's a CS student. He doesnt need the extremely easy mac interface. There is no need.

har said:
If you need UNIX,just install linux. There is no need of mac os which is nowhere as good as linux for programming.

And if you game a bit,windows is the way to go. And he's a CS student. He doesnt need the extremely easy mac interface. There is no need.

Every bit as good for programming as Linux is. Especially when on the go as Macbook Pro has great battery life which Windows/Linux running suitcases will have a tough time matching.

har said:
He doesnt need the extremely easy mac interface.

It isn't easy. It is more productive.

C

har said:
Dont even think of mac. You will end up installing windows or linux.

Eh ....a review site. Of course they will say mac is better.

He is a CS Student. I am a CS student and I feel we should suggest for his requirements.

Review site will say better to whats better.

har said:
The one thing I have learned is:Never argue with a MAC Fanboy. Its useless

And give me ONE reason why mac os will be better for his CS studies ? How it will benefit him ?

Check these links out.

Mac fanboys should get a life and some Windows 7 common sense

We Hate Macs - Mac Fanboys - an indepth review

It will dispel every single myth as to how mac os beats win 7,

Ah.... Its a betanews site and wehatemacs, of course they will say Mac is not good.

Mac is great, windows too. Which is better depends on the user and what you are using it for.-

ico said:
Every bit as good for programming as Linux is. Especially when on the go as Macbook Pro has great battery life which Windows/Linux running suitcases will have a tough time matching.

It isn't easy. It is more productive.

Guess I just dont like mac :-(

Its just too dummified

har said:
Guess I just dont like mac
Its just too dummified

May be you are.

ico said:
It is more productive.

Heavily subjective :-x

ico said:
May be you are.

Right back at you pal !! Right back at you :yaaawwn:

har said:
Heavily subjective

It isn't. Use them day in and day out to judge.

ico said:
It isn't. Use them day in and day out to judge.

Ahem..Ahem

Had a macbook pro for a year.

And judgement:Windows is better for most people.

har said:
Had a macbook pro for a year.

Doubt you did.

ico said:
Doubt you did.

Oh really ?? You calling me delusional ??
Get over yourself. You have no idea what I had and what I didnt. :-x

har said:
And seriously try Mac OS before buying. Its a highly overrated OS. Win 7 does all of it with better software support. Unless you are a professional video or sound editor,mac os is useless. The upcoming Win 8 sweeps mac off its feet if you ask me. And yes,very few software run on mac's.

Fanboys will always say:Mac is the best,like windows is something aincient,but I've used both..blah.blah...

You do not sound like a CS student and probably do not know a thing about either o.s.
Most professional video and sound editors have long moved away from os X.
As Windows now has much more capable softwares for their needs compared to osX.
Being said that,Mac does have almost all type of free and paid SW,normal people like you and me use everyday.
Moreover the iphoto,imovie and garageband that comes free with all Macs are very nice softwares,provided you know how to use them!
For a normal user a Lion is as good as Windows7,but for a serious professional (CS students are not included)Windows7 does have some added advantage,specially professional video editors(as FCP needs some serious changes to stay in competition with Windows counterparts)
But a laptop is not about os alone,and this is precisely where MacbookPro trumps most Windows laptops!
Nothing is wrong to be a MS fanboy,but try not to be an ignorant fan.
Regarding Windows8 blowing everyone...just hold your horses till October and pray that it does not turn a disaster!!

har said:
Oh really ?? You calling me delusional ??
Get over yourself. You have no idea what I had and what I didnt.

Then contribute constructively instead of trolling. No point of derailing the topic anymore.

There are plenty of reasons to dislike Mac OS X but sadly "programming" (not talking about Microsoft sphere) and "interface" is not one of them.

har said:
Oh really ?? You calling me delusional ??
Get over yourself. You have no idea what I had and what I didnt.

Does not matter if you had it or not.
But one thing for sure!
You do not know how to use it!!

red dragon said:
You do not sound like a CS student and probably do not know a thing about either o.s.
Most professional video and sound editors have long moved away from os X.
As Windows now has much more capable softwares for their needs compared to osX.
Being said that,Mac does have almost all type of free and paid SW,normal people like you and me use everyday.
Moreover the iphoto,imovie and garageband that comes free with all Macs are very nice softwares,provided you know how to use them!
For a normal user a Lion is as good as Windows7,but for a serious professional (CS students are not included)Windows7 does have some added advantage,specially professional video editors(as FCP needs some serious changes to stay in competition with Windows counterparts)
But a laptop is not about os alone,and this is precisely where MacbookPro trumps most Windows laptops!
Nothing is wrong to be a MS fanboy,but try not to be an ignorant fan.
Regarding Windows8 blowing everyone...just hold your horses till October and pray that it does not turn a disaster!!

Dude I am not a WINDOWS fanboy. I use linux 99% of the time.

And it seems all the sherlock holmes here have found out I am actually 89 year old vendor who hasnt even seen a computer !!!
OMG

I see ur sig. And another mac guy. Look dude just because I dont like mac doesnt mean I am an idiot !!
Just accept there are people who like other os's better. Dont flame because its not your opinion. Oh wait....never argue to a apple fanboy !!

And pixar,ubisoft,etc still use mac for video editing !!

red dragon said:
Does not matter if you had it or not.
But one thing for sure!
You do not know how to use it!!

And you dont know to use a normal windows os. Get over it. Seems everyone who loikes windows or hates apple is an idiot to you OH SUPERIOR ONE

Where exactly did I bash Windows?
Dont go by my signature,it is a short one,I do have a couple of very good Windows laptop lying around and know a thing or two about Windows too.

har said:
Dude I am not a WINDOWS fanboy. I use linux 99% of the time.

True geeks would have said nothing but
Arch Linux.
And what is so special about using Linux!?non geeks like me have used it for more than 5 years!

red dragon said:
True geeks would have said nothing but
Arch Linux.
And what is so special about using Linux!?non geeks like me have used it for more than 5 years!

This discussion has gone beyond the purpose of this thread.
I have made my views very clear.

sayonara :wink:

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with the 13 inch mac book pro...is modern gaming absolutely not possible...will games like fifa 13 and nfs mw2 ...not run on it even on low config???

^
Yes they will on low settings.

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@randomuser111
Is the 72k model of mac book pro...with i5 processor, 4GB ram, 500 HDD, intel 4000hd graphics....worth going for instead of the 62K dell inspiron 15r se...with i7 , 4gb ram, 1TB HDD,amd 7730 2gb dedicated graphics card
Is the quality of the apple product much better than the dell...and also whats are ur comments on apples and dells after sales services???
Is the after sales services of apple very costly as compared to dell??

^
MBP will last longer, will have less issues and will get you multiple times more bragging rights. Build quality and looks are much better too.

Inspiron 15r se is more powerful and more VFM

Dell after sales is best among all. And apple service is also very good.