My Next System, A Rough Decision...

[strangeseraph]

I have a tough decision to make. Come April or May I will be recieving my Income Tax return, and I have a decision to make about what sort of laptop I am going to buy to replace my current system.

If I were honest with myself I would say I want a Macbook pro and have Bootcamp so I could have Mac OS Tiger and XP on one system. But I know if I use one OS, I'm just going to use that OS and no more.

My current system;

Dell Latitude Cpi, Pentium II processor, with 20 GB HD, CD/DVD-RW, 128MB flash (expandable, but haven't found compatible memory yet! DOH!) PC Bus ethernet, 1 USB, 1 PS/2 mouse, lots of other ports for printers and monitors and such, and a trackpad. Nice big LCD screen. Windows 2000, no service packs (NEVER HAD A VIRUS! Spyware, well yes, and I use AdAware, but no viruses. *knock wood*)

But its old. I need something speedier and modern. So my choices.

A Used G4 or G5 iBook, from ebay, and then buy OX 10.4.? Tiger (Apple supports their hardware as far back as OS X, but I'd want Tiger just cause the latest I've used is Jaguar and I haven't tried the new OS Yet.) Apple is so tempting. The reason why I want an Apple system is because I have an iPod, and potentially will be getting an iPhone next year when it comes to Canada. Potentially, who knows. Anyway I want to make the transition from downloading all my mp3s and movies through shoddy means, like ripping from CDs I borrow from the library, or Limewire, to downloading through iTunes. But I hear iTunes is limited in its selection, or maybe I'm wrong? Limewire is good for finding the most obscure songs, but you have to sort through garbage to do it. I also have DVDs I want to be able to play, but just being able to download movies and not have to worry about DVD players, whicih break, which use up system memory, which...well I suppose any computer would have a better and faster DVD player than my current. But I hate copyright protection software. >_< I like the Apple OS because of all the great user functionality and just how easy it is to configure.

But then again I haven't met any OS that I didn't like (except those obscure Linux distro's that have little GUIs to speak of. Give me my pretty graphics please!)

The other option is a full new system or laptop computer. The Source by Circuit City has great great computers and laptops, all under $900 which have huge screens, all the space I could ever want, tons of memory and XP Home edition pre-loaded. Some even under $700 or even $600! But I doubt they'd run Mac OS! :(

Any computer I end up getting will be my main computer for email, internet, movies, music, word processing documents (I use Abiword for my writing, but I would love to get MS Word Professional if I had the cash, or use Openoffice.org, but its so huge and bulky!) I also play tons of web games, and I've checked, all my web java games have Mac equivilants.

So XP or Mac? I have a budget of under $900 you understand, and even that budget is based upon my ability to save up $550 between now and April, when I get my $350 big cheque (all these prices are in Canadian)

Maybe I'll have more than $900 by that time. Maybe I COULD afford a Macbook pro and bootcamp XP. Is Windows XP Professional more money than Home edition? (And on that note, what about Vista? I don't think Vista would work on bootcamp.)

So its not really deciding which laptop, because either would be nice and speedy, but it is ultimately deciding which OS to commit to. Hmm...

Also, the old laptop, once I get new, will be entirely devoted to running Ubuntu Linux Gnome and Ubuntu server for doing all my MUSH admin related tasks and Linux stuff. Right now I have an old Mac clamshell with Ubuntu on it that serves that purpose, and it is gathering dust right now because I never use it.

Okay, thats about all the information you need I suppose. The reason I can't spend more money is because starting Marsh I have to start making payments on my debt to my landlady, and I may never get the Income Tax Return anyway if the government decides I need to pay off my debts with it. Sucks to be an ex-student. I need a new job! Freelance writers don't get paid for !

Thanks for any advice you can give me. If people think its tough just buying a first computer, imagine being 100 percent totally able to use any desktop operating system you put in front of me and not being able to decide which one to use!

[strangeseraph]

Um, this is a serious post guys...what, did I say a swear word or something? Why is everyone ignoring me? If I just wanted a Mac VS PC thing I would have done a poll, but I need serious feedback and intelligent thought.

What gives? Its been over a week now, surely my problem doesn't stump you THAT much! :(

[-pops-]

I don't think it's so much that you're being ignored but the fact that your post is very long and difficult to reply to in a succinct manner.

The selection of a computer/operating system is so much a personal choice that only you can make the "correct" decision in respect of what system to have.

You point out a number of uses for the prospective machine - some of these I would never contemplate letting even near to a machine of mine and you also want/already do carry out "less than legal" activities that it is not really in order for Windows Forum to give advice on that.

[jason.b.c]

You point out a number of uses for the prospective machine - some of these I would never contemplate letting even near to a machine of mine and you also want/already do carry out "less than legal" activities that it is not really in order for Windows Forum to give advice on that.

What is he doing that you consider to be "less than legal"..? What did i miss here..??

[-pops-]

ripping from CDs I borrow from the library

[Scarecrow Man]

Mac for graphics

PC for games

You're choice :)

[jason.b.c]

ripping from CDs I borrow from the library

THAT'S IT...?

This is what you weren't comfortable with and what you would:

never contemplate letting even near to a machine of

your's..?

What the..??

[jason.b.c]

Mac for graphics

PC for games

You're choice :)

Scarecrow - You forgot one...

And Linux for the internet.....

[Scarecrow Man]

Linux for... well just about everything else.

http://forums.windowsforum.org/index.php?showtopic=20131

[-pops-]

ripping from CDs I borrow from the library

THAT'S IT...?

This is what you weren't comfortable with and what you would:

never contemplate letting even near to a machine of

your's..?

What the..??

You are missing things and interpreting other things wrongly.

If you can't understand what I am trying to say, leave out your comments. After all, it isn't your problem we're dealing with here.

[Scarecrow Man]

The reason why I want an Apple system is because I have an iPod, and potentially will be getting an iPhone next year when it comes to Canada. Potentially, who knows. Anyway I want to make the transition from downloading all my mp3s and movies through shoddy means, like ripping from CDs I borrow from the library, or Limewire, to downloading through iTunes.

Windows can do all of this, as well as Mac.

But I hear iTunes is limited in its selection, or maybe I'm wrong? Limewire is good for finding the most obscure songs, but you have to sort through garbage to do it. I also have DVDs I want to be able to play, but just being able to download movies and not have to worry about DVD players, whicih break, which use up system memory, which...well I suppose any computer would have a better and faster DVD player than my current. But I hate copyright protection software. >_< I like the Apple OS because of all the great user functionality and just how easy it is to configure.

iTunes is limited? Well, it offers nearly every song ever written. I am sure you will be able to find whatever you are looking for.

A DVD Player for Apple is QuickTime, and for Windows is Also QuickTime but I like Media Player Classic from http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli/ it is Windows only as far as I know.

But then again I haven't met any OS that I didn't like (except those obscure Linux distro's that have little GUIs to speak of. Give me my pretty graphics please!)

Gnome and KDE are both quite popular, and they are the most user-friendly GUI's. I have used both, and have to say that I love both. Look for a linux distrobution with one of these and you will be pleased. Like, Ubuntu (Gnome) or Kubuntu (KDE)

The other option is a full new system or laptop computer. The Source by Circuit City has great great computers and laptops, all under $900 which have huge screens, all the space I could ever want, tons of memory and XP Home edition pre-loaded. Some even under $700 or even $600! But I doubt they'd run Mac OS! :(

Probably not. From what I hear (I could be wrong) Intel for Apple will run Windows XP but an old Intel, or one not designed for it, will not run OSX.

Any computer I end up getting will be my main computer for email, internet, movies, music, word processing documents (I use Abiword for my writing, but I would love to get MS Word Professional if I had the cash, or use Openoffice.org, but its so huge and bulky!) I also play tons of web games, and I've checked, all my web java games have Mac equivilants.

Web games are usually browser dependant. the OS should not make much of a difference. OpenOffice.org is great, and usually comes with every Linux distro. It is available for download for Windows. As for an alternative to Microsoft Office for Apple try http://www.neooffice.org/

So XP or Mac? I have a budget of under $900 you understand, and even that budget is based upon my ability to save up $550 between now and April, when I get my $350 big cheque (all these prices are in Canadian)

It sounds like you want a Mac, so go for it. Just remember Linux is free, comes with free programs, and will always be free. Microsoft is Expensive, but you can get free programs after you install it. A Mac is expensive hardware, software and it is more difficult, but not impossible to find free software.

Maybe I'll have more than $900 by that time. Maybe I COULD afford a Macbook pro and bootcamp XP. Is Windows XP Professional more money than Home edition? (And on that note, what about Vista? I don't think Vista would work on bootcamp.)

Vista on Bootcamp - http://www.macobserver.com/article/2006/04/10.11.shtml and yes XP Pro is more than XP Home, also the same with the versions of Vista.

So its not really deciding which laptop, because either would be nice and speedy, but it is ultimately deciding which OS to commit to. Hmm...

Also, the old laptop, once I get new, will be entirely devoted to running Ubuntu Linux Gnome and Ubuntu server for doing all my MUSH admin related tasks and Linux stuff. Right now I have an old Mac clamshell with Ubuntu on it that serves that purpose, and it is gathering dust right now because I never use it.

Okay, thats about all the information you need I suppose. The reason I can't spend more money is because starting Marsh I have to start making payments on my debt to my landlady, and I may never get the Income Tax Return anyway if the government decides I need to pay off my debts with it. Sucks to be an ex-student. I need a new job! Freelance writers don't get paid for !

Thanks for any advice you can give me. If people think its tough just buying a first computer, imagine being 100 percent totally able to use any desktop operating system you put in front of me and not being able to decide which one to use!

After reading everything, I think you should go for Windows. It will do everything you want to do, and you already mention have unbuntu on an old MAC.

If you want a mac, then go for it. It's all personal preference.