I'm on my third laptop and wouldn't have anything else. My main reason is actually a decorating reason -- you don't have to add a room to your house for your computer! It folds up and goes on the shelf or wherever, when not in use, and no big computer sitting around. Also, it's handy to carry around and do things in various locations in the house, especially if you get wireless internet/email, and of course you can take it with you wherever you go. It's just darling and wonderful and I love it. I also prefer the mouse on the keyboard.

I have a Compaq but it is ready to be replaced, sure hope I can get a good one. DH surprised me with a new one, and they've chagned the say the screen is lighted. It is like fluorescent lighting and I hated it so much he returned it, now we have to go shopping.

I have had no problems with it.

I'd like feedback on this too!! The desktop is not enough, we need a laptop/notebook ASAP. So far, the kids (all adults)say...

Son #1 says get a Mac.
Son in law says get a Dell, Mac's are junk.
Friend says get an HP.
Son #2 says HP laptops are a hunk of junk.
Daughter knows I want a Song Vaio... a red one, she says go for it.

Have mercy people, give me some direction! Thanks! :)
Susan

4 year old white MacBook.

What do you like most about it? No need for virus protection & I prefer the operating system.

Where did you buy it? Apple Store

Have you had any problems with it? A few, but they've been repaired under warranty.

I can get my son to post here and answer questions if you like but in a word, Apple. Which one will depend on what you need it to do and how much you want to spend. He has a 4 1/2 year old Powerbook. He will be replacing it when he is done with grad school in another year, he will be getting another Apple product, tho he is not sure about whether it will be the MacBook or MacBook Pro.

Younger son is getting ready to head off to college, and will be getting a MacBook Pro.

DH has an Acer, and has had nothing but problems with it. When money will allow, he would like to replace it with an Apple product, but has to find out if the remote programs for work will run on a Mac. He has to be able to work from home or other locations, so that is critical.

another mac fan here: I have the macbook pro , had the IBook before.
The Apple store has a great support system.

MacBook Pro here too.

Another MacBook Pro owner. All three of my children have them too.

No viruses. No need for virus protection other than what comes on the computer.

Apple Store. If you have a student in your household, you can get a student discount. Watch for free giveaways. We've gotten 3 free iPods and an iTouch with purchases.

Have had Macs for the last 10 years. Only had one problem and it was repaired under warranty.

White MacBook here too. I absolutely love it. I had always been a PC person and had two PC laptops. Two years ago I started teaching a video production class using the mac. They are so easy to use. Much more user friendly than the PC. I have not had any problems with mine, but I have had to take a few of the student computers in for repair. With Apple Care they will either send you a prepaid mailing label and special box or if you live close to an Apple store you can take it in. Repairs have always been quick and efficient. Another advantage of the Mac is that they aren't as susceptible to viruses as PCs.

I have a MACBOOK - you must get one! I have had zero problems with it. It is fast and easy to use. I would never go back to a pc now. No way!

Macs are the best!

My first laptop was a PC, a Dell I think. I love being able to work from anywhere. Right now I'm sitting outside on a beautiful morning.

I got a MacBook when the Dell died, and won't go back to either a desktop or a PC.

When I'm done with the Mac, I close it. Not shut it down and wait for it to shut down all the programs and then have to boot it up and wait for everything, just close it and open it back up.

When I was in vet school I was working with a lot of large PDF files with very large pictures, many times I had more than one file open at once to make myself a better more cohesive study guide. The Macbook is SO much faster with graphics, I think I would still be making study guides on the PC and I graduated last year! Now I access all those study guides at work, and it is so nice to be able to load them up quickly when I have a client waiting for me to figure things out.

I have Fusion which allows me to work with Windows based programs. This allows me to connect with the server at work and use the Mac to enter stuff into the work program. I also have a Windows based cooking program that I love and have entered tons of recipes into, and Fusion allows me to continue running that program. Oddly enough, that program won't run on a new PC.

Which reminds me, Macs are almost 100% backwards compatible. You'll be able to use your programs no matter how many upgrades and new operating systems are made. I like not having to buy new programs every time I buy a new computer (although I will have the Macbook for a LONG time).

I am a certified klutz and have dropped my Mac several times without damage. I think the newer ones have stronger cases (mine is 2 years old now) but that hasn't been an issue with me. This from the girl who killed 2 Palms IN the titanium cases within 1 year.

No worries about viruses on a Mac. No Blue Screen of Death. I have never had a program just quit or stop responding. The only time I ever shut down is when I download a new program or update one and have to restart, which takes about 1 minute start to finish. In fact I can update iTunes faster than my husband can even boot up his desktop (which is top of the line).

The Mac is intuitive. You aren't searching for the shut down button under the START icon. If you do a lot of multitasking like I do, you will appreciate the fact that processing speed is not lost on either task. If it takes 10 seconds to download a song, it will take 10 seconds whether or not you are also surfing the net or uploading pictures to Photobucket or whatever. This is nice because I have a huge CD collection that I am ripping into iTunes, and I can do other things while the CD downloads. It would take *forever* on a PC.

DH bought it for me at the Apple store. Absolutely no problems and will never go back to PC.

We have an Acer about 6 yrs. now NP's what so ever,but desktop is a Compaq/HP, would replace if needed with an HP product, love the free tech support for life, never get a Dell they make you pay through the nose for everything, and tech. support was nasty to my niece,(and you pay for it) besides for what you get they are way over priced (who do they think they are?)

Son #1 has a an IBM Lenovo - no problems, and says support is the best he's ever had. He had it on a 2 week trial and called support during that time with general questions - was given the personal cell # of 2 of the tech people he talked with - they said he should be able to speak with someone familiar not someone different each time. It replaced his Dell which was a good computer although a bit underpowered for his use.

Son #2 has an HP - it's under an extended super warranty and it's a good thing - he's getting his SECOND new hard drive in under 18 months and this time will also need a new internal fan and a new motherboard.

I have a Sony Vaio - in fact that's what I'm on at this moment. Mine is not a laptop for travel but for using in various places around the house so I don't mind that it's not lightweight - I wanted a big screen. If you want to take yours on trips weight should be one of the biggest considerations.

All of our PCs are Dell - we have 3 in the house - and they are workhorse computers. The little bit of support we've required for them has been A+ and I wouldn't hesitate to get Dell again.

All that said...... both my sons have expressed interest in getting Macs. As soon as they're off our payroll they're more than welcome to spend whatever they want on new computers!!!

MacBook Pro. Or the regular white MacBook, if you aren't going to be doing lots of intense video or graphics.

I deal with computers professionally, and can heartily endorse everything Meghane says above. I think there are some older myths about compatibility running around - you can run almost anything on the new Macs that you can on a PC, except for certain CAD imaging software and Russian fonts.

So unless you're an architect or a Slav, go for it. :-)

I love my Mac. I'm currently using a 5 year old Mac Powerbook G4. I recently did have to replace the hard drive, which was a $250.00 repair. However, since the computer has otherwise been great and I still enjoy using it, I decided to go ahead with the repair rather than replace it. I've NEVER enjoyed using a 5 year old PC, I'll tell you that.

When I replace this laptop it will be with a MacBook Pro. I will never go back to a PC again.

Another MacBook here, too! Our first home computer was an Apple, then we tried a PC for a while. Never again!! So now we have both the MacBook Pro and then the larger Mac OS X desktop in my office. Love them both, for all the reasons mentioned above, and would never go back to a PC.

Mac Book Pro as well. We have 6 other various Macs in the house also. We did the pc thing & about 6 yrs. ago made the switch, would never go back.

I just got an Asus Netbook a month ago - totally for convenienc - I have other laptops (hp, compaq, and macbook) and this has a 10 inch screen, 160GB harddrive, can fit in my larger purse or bag, and has a 9 hour battery life. I LOVE my netbook - so portable and so much fun!

Acer's garbage, run away screaming like your hair's on fire.

Dell makes good desktops, crappy laptops, and their customer service blows. I posted about my Dell nightmare recently.

Have had a couple of Toshiba Satellites and have been pleased with them.

Currently have an HP Pavilion (as does DH, although his was provided by work). It has its issues but I also abuse it terribly. :-) It's under extended warranty (thrown in free when I bought it) and I should send it in for a kick in the arse service/hardware tuneup since I've dropped it a few times but I need to find the paperwork on who was taking over the service contracts since Circuit City croaked.

Would have loved to get a Mac this last time around because they're supposed to be so idiotproof and the days are long, long gone when I could make Windows sit up and beg, but the prices were outright prohibitive. Captive market, obviously - between having only one company making them and a customer base willing to pay pretty much ANYTHING for their Mac fix. The "entry level" Mac was still $300 more than my HP (which came with a big pile of goodies on top), and it had this pathetic little 13" screen (compared to my 17", which is much easier to see stuff on) and weenie little keyboard. The cheapest MacBook with a "normal" 15" display was nearly two grand (unless I went to the Apple online store and bought a refurb, and I have had such bad luck with refurb anything that that wasn't an option to consider for the relatively puny discounts). DH scored a handmedown Mac G4 notebook from a friend but there ain't no more where that one came from and it's slower than a tortoise in lead shoes.

Definitely will never go back to a desktop again though. No place to put a desk in this little house without hiding it off in the corner of the back bedroom, and I love being able to fold up three computers (mine, DH's work machine, and his personal one) and stuff them all in the coffee table drawers when we want them cleared away. It's also darn hard to drag a desktop out to the porch in beautiful weather, off to one of the many WiFi-enabled nearby cafes to people-watch, eat lunch and surf, to the car dealership to entertain myself while waiting for my car to be serviced, or up to bed if I'm having a rough day.

I was raised on PC. Had the first PC when it came out (IBM, green-screened monster) that ran BASIC. Ha! Those were the days of programming. :) So this goes on for 20 years. I've gone through five or six desktops, first IBM, then DELL, and 2 or 3 laptops, also DELL. Then, because I'd heard so much about Mac's making maintaining a Website so simple, and the way they don't need a virus program, and their intuitiveness . . . well, I bought a Macbook Pro. Refurbished. Which is an option that some might frown upon, but the unit is stable and has not given me near the amount of trouble DELL has.

I love my Mac.

Love iWeb--you wouldn't believe how easy it is to maintain a Website! I can't recommend Macbook Pro highly enough. I'll never have anything else unless it's given to me for free. I'd buy a Mac again in a heartbeat. Refurbished even.

Thanks! I'm seriously considering the white MacBook! I'm excited but am waiting to see how my work situation goes. So far I've been fortunate.

I've loved my Dell desktop for quite a few years but I'd really love to be able to NOT sit at a desk to use a computer. It's slowed down so much that it wastes my time. Also, the lack of virus issues would be a huge incentive to get a Mac. Hopefully, I'll be a new convert soon!

So, lots of Mac people on this board!

What I need (or want) is to use a Mac for a few days and then I'll know. It's like test driving a car, I just have to try it myself.

Thanks Catkin for starting this thread and thanks to all for the input.
Susan

You're welcome!

Another vote for MacBook. I've used Dell laptops since 2001 for work, but we have a MacBook and an iMac at home for personal use. Love both of my Macs. My father was not computer savvy at all and he bought an iMac last fall. His iTunes library is now 5x the size of mine, and his iPhoto is getting there. I'm really impressed at how quickly he picked up on it!

What I love most: The ease of starting and stopping; like someone else mentioned, I tap the spacebar to wake it up, and when I'm done I just close programs and walk away. Easy peasy. Very reliable, too.

I bought mine at the Apple store after several familiarization visits.

If you're used to a PC, you do need about a week to feel comfortable using a Mac. Having a friend who is Mac-familiar helping you makes it much, much easier. The most important thing I learned in making the transition is that the Apple key on a Mac keyboard functions like "Control" on a PC keyboard. Once I learned that I was able to translate all the keyboard shortcuts I'd memorized.

I got my first laptop about 5 years ago (Lenovo Thinkpad) and loved the convenience and freedom of a laptop. I replaced it with a newer model last year, another Lenovo Thinkpad. The only issue I had with it was a faulty battery, which they replaced under warranty with no issue. My favorite thing on the Lenovo is the red toggle button - for me it is much faster to use than the touchpad (which it also has) & was the reason that I didn't even look at another brand when replacing my Lenovo. That being said, several months ago I purchased an iPhone, which I love so much that I told my husband that I would have to give Applie's laptops consideration next time I replace my laptop - my iPhone is so intuitive that I am able to utilize features on it that my previous phone had, but I could never figure out how to use -- which makes me wonder if having one of their laptops would be a similar experience.
My husband is a techie who prefers a desktop computer mainly because he cannot duplicate the graphics capabilities or something like that on a laptop (or at least do so affordably) - I, on the other hand, will never go back to a desktop. Happy Shopping!

Wow..Lots of Mac people, I know nothing about Mac. We do have 3 laptops that all work great, all have some form of Intel Pentium processors. Toshiba Satellite, a couple years old, an HP Business, and a Compaq used for business, which are both very HEAVY !! No problems with any of them. I prefer my Toshiba Satellite, bought from Office Depot, light weight and very reasonably priced.

We have two Sony laptops and my husband (a computer geek) has a PC he built that does everything but cook dinner. Before that I had a Toshiba laptop which was also quite good. I've never had anything but a laptop since I like to be on the computer while I'm sitting on the couch with my cat, dog and husband (who also has his laptop on his lap). We're pitiful. We're now getting two Toshiba Satellites which are basically for surfing the net, with a big screen, and superfast because they don't have to support any other functions other than playing CD's. It's supposed to have really great color resolution, perfect for the decorating forum and the rose forums I frequent. My laptop is really slowing down lately so it'll be such a treat to have a very fast system soon.

The ease of starting and stopping that people here mention about Mac works the same on our three machines so it's not just a Mac feature, and will be available on the new ones were getting too. I just assumed every laptop now had that feature.

I have a Toshiba Satellite and I've owned it four years with no one problem. This is my second Toshiba. I got it at Best Buy and only paid 400.00. It has Vista home.
That being said, my daughter works for Apple and, in my opinion, there is no better laptop. I use it when I'm there and it's so superior. So my next will be an Apple. My husband has an old desktop Apple and it still works fantastic. SIXTEEN years old.

Very interesting thread! I decided to switch to a new aluminum 13" macbook laptop to replace my aging Acer, which had VERY FEW problems over three years, but seemed to be aging fast.

Needed to run at least two windows-based programs on the Mac (historical data involved) so had the Parallels program installed.

The experiment was a TOTAL disaster---the windows programs did not run as they were supposed to and I absolutely HATED the mac. It was not reliable---did not do the same thing in every situation. Hated the operating system, the icons, you name it. And I had been absolutely set on getting the mac because I had heard it was easier to use, the operating system more efficient, etc.

After taking it in for service FOUR times in two months, and the apple store is more than an HOUR away from us, I finally had it wiped clean and gave it to my junior in high school. He's fine with it but the other day I caught him using his old Dell to do something. The mac is just not easy to use imo. Everyone told me that it was "smarter" than pc's, but I have decided that, for me at least, easier IS smarter.

I bought a Sony Vaio laptop (ended up costing about $1,000 as opposed to the $1299 macbook) and I like it much, much, better.

Different strokes.... but the people I know who do not like Macs are all left-handed. That may be a coincidence or it may not! :)

And I also found that, while the employees at our Apple store are polite and hip, they do not follow directions and are incapable of reading the plain English words telling them what to do/fix/change that are written on the service ticket.... "oops, we forgot to do that," or "sorry, he just didn't look at the ticket..."

MAC "used" to be incompatible with the IBM world we lived in....now??? People that want high graphic resolution for playing internet games use a MAC. Cost compared to an HP?

I own an HP. Love it! I travel with it to download my underwater photography photos. I used to work for IBM....yeah....20 years ago. :0)

"Different strokes.... but the people I know who do not like Macs are all left-handed. That may be a coincidence or it may not! :)"

I'm left handed..........and as I said earlier, I LOVE MY MAC!! :-)

Perhaps then it is coincidence, nanny :)

Hope I'm not getting too far off track here, but we have an hp desk top. We will need a new computer soon - computer old and slow however monitor is new. Desktop is in living room and is easily viewed by anyone who walks by. That gives me a sense of security where my children are concerned. We would love the ease of wireless internet and laptops, but I don't like the idea of children using laptops all over the house unsupervised, or OTHER teens bringing their laptops into my home and using with my kids unsupervised. Those of you with laptops and kids, how do you handle supervising their use?

i love my Dell laptop, I went online at Dell and ordered it with just what I wanted on it..just the right one for my needs..it has all the best do dads..just got it this late winter..problem is it is so nice my son who has a dell borrows mine regularly..as he didn't get all the do dads on his..

A month ago, I bought an Acer Aspire and have been very pleased with it.

I got a Toshiba Satellite about a month ago. It replaced a Dell Studio that I had for 13 DAYS!! before it crashed and died. The Dell replaced an Acer Aspire that I had for two year and which worked well until I dropped it against my metal coffee table and cracked the screen.
We have had computers in our house since 1980 and we've had good and bad ones. My husband has HP laptops at work and his people say that they have problems with 3 out of 5 which makes me wonder why they keep using HP.
I love the convenience of a laptop.

Joanie38, I installed the SafeEyes program on my son's laptop. We are all wireless here and require a password to connect to the network. Visiting teenagers are not given the password; they have to use my son's laptop or nothing.

We researched different options and felt that this particular program offered the greatest flexibility of all the major names. We'd tried cybersentinel before and it did NOT work as it was supposed to, blocked sites unnecessarily, etc.

Good luck, and you are smart to protect your kids.... you would not believe some of the sites my friend's child was on that she happened upon when looking at the browser history.... UNBELIEVABLE.

2 year old Dell Inspiron laptop. I have a Gateway desktop that I haven't used in 2 years since getting this one. Love the Dell, but as another poster said, their customer service blows. I have XP installed on the laptop instead of the Vista. After going to the laptop, I will never buy a desktop again.
Lots of friends have the Mac and love it; especially my designer/architect friends. Different strokes for different people. As you can see, you're getting lots of different opinions. Good luck!

Kswl, Thank you so much for your response! My kids have happened upon things on ours and yes, it was unbelievable. I was so shocked I couldn't breathe, and it happened right under my nose. We have our computer password protected, and we can do that to a laptop. I guess I worried about a laptop going into another room and sites being explored that I don't approve of. I will explore SafeEyes. It makes me so mad that garbage can come into my home via internet without my consent, and I have felt powerless. It's a totally different world than I grew up in and it's tough to stay caught up. Thanks again.

I have a Sony Vaio. I've had it for about a year. It's been fine. It's one of the larger ones, 17" screen. I needed a larger screen because I mentor (for a lack of a better word) a girl who is visually impaired. We have to use larger fonts for her to be able to read anything. She has a 22" screen at home, which is fantastic!

I love my laptop for home. I do have it set up on a small desk with my printer. However, I frequently unplug it and sit on the couch or take it to the kitchen. I haven't quite got into the habit of taking it to bed with me :) I have traveled with it.

My only issue, I wish my battery life was longer. I think there might be a better one available. If you have the option, get the longer battery life. I really like having the larger screen.

Lisa

I'm a left-handed Mac user since 1987. I've used various desktop and laptop PCs at work, from back in the days of DOS to the latest version of Windows. From my experience, Macs are easier to use, but I haven't got a new one, so I can't speak to running Windows-based programs on them. I've got a 5 year old PowerBook G4 and I love it.

Overall, I find that with a Mac, it is easier to install new software and hardware. Updates are easier as well.

If you want to do a lot of number crunching, I do think that a PC is your best bet. If you are going to do a lot of graphic-intensive work, a Mac is your best bet. For general wordprocessing and web surfing, get whichever one works best for you.

If you don't need to carry the computer around with you, an IMac is another option. It's a desktop, but takes up much less room than a PC with a tower and monitor. Of course, if you want to pick your computer up and carry it around, the laptop is your best bet.

DS has a MacBook Pro. He loves it. We've never had a problem with our Macs and we've been using them since 1889. Love them. I easily get 5 years out of my computers. If I updated the system software, maybe I could get more.

Those of you wanting a laptop, definitely read the post Have you switched from a PC to a laptop? lots of good points in it, not only Windows computers but Mac's as well.

My pain management doc has a Sony Vaio that he loves as well as 2 Mac laptops; he's mentioned one other but can't justify buying another. Wish I could remember what brand it was.

Before buying be sure to research. As johnmari says about her Dell experience, unfortunately, that's what most people say. They also string you along until your 30 days are up to return it, then end up sending you a similar system, usually minus premium software you've paid for; and it's a refurbished machine.

I have Windows and a Mac.. While I've been using the Mac mini, Windows is just so much easier and once I get the Windows machine finished (still not done building/adding parts) I will switch to that full time.

Not sure if I posted in the other thread about our Compaq laptop, I bought it for my son when he graduated in 2003, that thing was a floor model and is still running. We blew a drive out in an airport (got hit against something) but installing the new drive was painless. I would buy one again, depending on how much they are compared to a Sony. I love the look of the Sony screens; we own 3 monitors with the XBrite technology..

I'm so surprised at all of the Mac users! I had no idea. It has me really thinking about Macs now. I have a Dell Inspiron that is about a year and a half old. For about the last year or so the monitor has started getting lines running down the screen. I think the monitor is starting to go out.

My departmental laptop is an Acer Aspire, which I initially liked. But a year or so later, it's sluggish, and taking it places is a big pain, as it's enormous and quite heavy. The department is about to switch me to a cheapo "netbook", so I'll report on that after I've been using it for a while. But if it were up to me, it'd be a Mac, no question!

Lots of good responses. I believe after researching we're in the market for a PC - laptop. Not Dell, not Mac. But where to buy? In my area I've got Best Buy, Sears, Frys and a local electronics dealer, plus Staples, Office Depot, etc. I'm not big on WalMart or Sam's for such a purchase. Where do you buy your laptops, and do you buy the store warranty?

Wow! Thanks for all the responses! I still have a job but things are iffy.

Still dreaming of the white MacBook I WILL have someday, just not sure when! :~)

In painting and gardening mode, now :wink wink:

Where do you buy your laptops, and do you buy the store warranty?

Nellie820, we've usually gotten our electronics from brick and mortar stores like Best Buy and Fry's, but next time around we're going to look on the internet at places like newegg. Lots of my son's friends buy from there and are very happy with their purchases. We get the extended warranties.

I agree with camlan - Mac has a reputation for being very good for people in education, music, art, graphic design, etc. For pure business number crunching, I'd go PC. My kids go PC because of some of the courses they take in school. For email, word processing, web surfing, just get what you like.

The newly-announced $1199 Macbook Pro 13" is the way to go. Intuitive, immune to most viruses, powerful, easy to use, has a way-cool multitouch keypad, and a keyboard that lights up at night. What else could you want? If you know of (or are) a student, they are offering the same laptop for $100 less and throwing in an iPod Touch, itself a spectacularly useful gizmo for business as well as entertainment, benefiting from the thousands of apps written for the iPhone that also work on the iPod Touch.

I myself have a Lenovo Thinkpad R series, which is also quite good. Great keyboard and solid construction that makes every other PC laptop feel like a toy by comparison. And the Trackpoint mouse is a joy to use. And again a keyboard light (I like to work outdoors at night).