Macbook!!!
 

Its out, its beautiful and its cheap.

Entry level:
Intel Core Duo 1.83GHz
13" Widescreen Glossy Screen
Built in iSight camera
2x256MB RAM
60GB 5400RPM HD
DVD-ROM, CD-RW
Only $1099

With Bootcamp out now, I probably would have purchased this instead of my HP when I was shopping.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Did anyone else notice that the pricing for the black Macbook is $1500 while the mid-range white one is $1300, however the only difference I can see by looking at the tech specs page is an 80 GB hard drive versus a 60 GB one. If you go to the store, however, and configure the white one the upgrade from 60 to 80 is only an additional $100. Am I missing some additional features?

Re: Macbook!!!
 

$1100 is cheap?

I got an HP/Compaq 6 months ago with more memory + a larger LCD for $600

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Opening bid for us college students is $1049. :D

Either way, I'll be passing on this one. Let Apple sort out the inevitable kinks in the first generation, then it'll really scream.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Does it have a Core Duo/OSX. The nice thing about the macbook is that its a really powerful machine, You won't be gaming much on the Intel graphics but the processor its self is worth $300. The factor that makes it worth the extra $500 is the functionality of OSX and the lack of spyware/viruses that you get with windows. If you pay for the apple care that machine will last you a good 3-4 years.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Even if you don't pay for AppleCare, it'll last you for many years. Even more as an email-and-word-processing machine.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

The average mac user (based from experience working at the store) keeps their machine a good 3-4 years before needing anything bigger than very minor upgrades. Yes, there are failures, but again this is an estimated average, and is based on my experiences (as well as some of the people I work with).

Re: Macbook!!!
 

My son got a G4 while he was in HS. A few months after the 1 year warranty expired the onboard LAN failed. He used a LAN card to keep it on the network.

A few months later the whole mother board went up in smoke. Id say about 16 months after it was new. Replacement mother board was something like $350 - and thats assuming nothing on the board (processor, memory...) was destroyed when it blew. Its sitting on a shelf in the basement - 50 feet of rope and it will make a nice boat anchor.

That was the last thing we bought from apple. When you buy those extended warranties you are more or less paying for the replacement parts upfront (whether you actually end up needing them or not).

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Sexy keyboard and no latch. Ooo-la-la! ;)

BTW, what's bigger news, this, or Mythbusters on the iTMS! :P

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Ken, I understand your pain, but it is felt with every computer manufacturer. The truth is that laptops don't last well under regular use. I have had a dell and a Toshiba laptop and have had major problems with both (causing costly repairs). It seems like everyone has horror stories with laptop manufacturers these days. I have just heard much better stories about apple's customer care (if you get the extended service +$$$), than what I received with both dell and Toshiba. With Toshiba they had my computer in for repairs for 3 months and 29 days (2 more days and they would have had to give me a new comp). To me it seems that Apple makes better products, and take better care of their customers. (No, I have never bought an Apple computer, but my next purchase will most likely be a Macbook Pro)

Re: Macbook!!!
 

This is certainly not the first time I have heard of problems like this. Like Jonathan said though, these things happen with all computer manufacturers. Jonathan had it happen to his Toshiba. A good friend of mine literally had his new Gateway laptop melt only 15 days out of warranty (Gateway told him there was "nothing they could do for him"). Traditionally, though problems certainly do occur, Apple is very good about caring for them. They try to take the best care of customers that they can. Purchasing AppleCare is your own decision; the sales people try their best to outline the benefits of having it, especially on a portable computer, but if you decide not to get it they're not going to force you or lie to you as is the case with some other retailers. Apple's policy is that they gave you the opportunity, if you decide of your own will not to purchase the additional warranty they can't cover problems like that. It is a terrible coincidence for it to occur just outside of warranty, but these things do happen. I always recommend that people purchase the AppleCare as, in the majority of cases, they will be happy they did, if only for the phone technical support.

I have owned many different computers over the years and have compared my experiences with technical support services for a number of different manufacturers. I would say that the worst experience was certainly the old Compaq service (though they have improved with the HP buyout), followed by Packard Bell. Above those two were Gateway, then Dell, then IBM. Apple has always been much more helpful for any problems (software, hardware, or otherwise) that I have had, and that is from a user standpoint. Please know that I am trying to be unbiased, despite being an Apple employee, however hard that may be. I hope this helps, I'm sorry you've had bad experiences in the past and I wouldn't be shocked if you wished not to purchase any further Apple products. Still, you may want to give them another shot, at least some time in the future.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

That was quick.....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pealco/...7594136649292/

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Must be an awfully small boat. The rope will weigh more than the anchor! :) G4 Powerbooks are known for their lightweight properties.

Totally different experience with Macs. In 21 years, I have owned 5 different models, and all continue to run. Three (iMac G3, iBook G3 and Powerbook G4) are used on a daily basis. The other two (FatMac 512k and Performa 475) work perfectly, but are obsolete for modern programs.

Only one that had to go into the shop was the iBook G3 (which I bought secondhand), and that was for a factory recall to replace the motherboard free of charge.

It would be wonderful if every appliance/tool I purchase lasted as long!

Re: Macbook!!!
 

My HP Pavilion zv5000 cost me $1,150 :(

Specs:
AMD Athlon 64 3200+
2x256MB RAM
80GB 5400RPM HD
15.4" Widescreen Glossy LCD
CD/DVD-RW

Re: Macbook!!!
 

maybe I got the model number wrong. The apple that went up in smoke was a Mac tower (~$2400) - I thought it was a G4, maybe it was a G3?

Ive been using PCs since the first ones came out back in the 80's, and Ive never had a motherboard fail like that. I think a few memory sticks, a couple hard drives that went south

but heres the thing, with a desk top PC I could get a new motherboard for less than $100, easily - or upgrade to a newer processor and board and keep everything else for a couple hundred dollars.

This Applecare thing - all you are doing is paying even more for an already expensive computer, right? If the Apple sales guy is telling you 'you really want the extended warranty" then what is he saying about Apple quality?

Re: Macbook!!!
 

This is seems to be a pretty good computer at a solid price. Some goodtech specs with it too.

However I wouldn't recommend anyone buying it, unless you really needed it. The best is yet to come in the Apple x86 transition, including but not limited to Intel Viiv, better virtualization technology, and many more things in Leopard. It would be like buying a first generation iPod, while it was nice, it didn’t have the infrastructure that the iPods have today.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

I agree with Ken here. The only thing I use that's an Apple is my iPod. And even then, it died on me after a year of use. Luckily, I had purchased the 2 year apple care plan for it. Had I not, I would have been screwed and would have to buy a new one.

If I were getting a mac, I would buy the longest warranty possible for it.

However, I wouldn't buy a mac, just because I want my computer to do more than graphics, video editting, music, etc. - I want to play games. And I don't care what any mac user says - you really can't do that on a mac. Maybe soon because of the Windows booting ability, but on a straight mac you just can't game.

However - this laptop looks pretty decent. Still pricey though. Gimme a call when Apple sells a notebook for under a thousand and we'll talk.

Anyone else think those new commercials are just stupid? Clearly macs are for hip young people while windows based machines are for old, non tech savy people...

I close with a funny CTRL+ALT+DEL comic that shouldn't be clicked on unless you're okay with a bit of foul language - Here

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Because we're talking about laptops, don't switch the topics and then switch the comments we made. It's SMART to buy warranties for laptops, no matter WHO makes them.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

There was a time last summer when Apple sold a $999 iBook. Of course, it only had 256 MB of RAM and a CD-ROM drive (yes, you read right) and was aimed squarely at education, but I digress.Actually, I got the opposite from the commercials--that Macs are just as much for the tech-savvy as the non-tech-savvy (see also: the digital camera commercial). My mom rolls her eyes whenever I preach the gospel of Steve, though.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

The G3/4/5 designations refer to the generation of processor used in the machine. It's possible that it was either of those two, depending on when you purchased it. Judging by the price you stated it was most likely a PowerBook.
It's definitely possible to have computers last those lengths, however it is also possible to have machines fail. I stated the two earlier examples. I have also had hardware failures of my own including (but not limited to) a motherboard failure, a faulty power supply, a sound input bus failure, multiple hard drive failures, a 3D acceleration failure on a video card due to faulty capacitors, etc. All of those were on PCs.

I do agree with you that the cost of replacing hardware outside of warranty is certainly lower for PCs though. Still, while failures certainly do happen, they aren't as common as one might think for any manufacturer.
I wouldn't say that. Every computer manufacturer and retailer provides some sort of warranty support, as well as an optional extended warranty. This is not limited Apple. If they didn't cover the product at all after the purchase date, then I would agree with you that there was an issue. The length of time that a company decide it is cost effective for them to cover the product varies greatly among the many well-known computer companies, as well as the lesser-known ones. I feel that, while it seems short in comparison to some others, Apple's policy is generally fair and of decent length.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

I certainly will buy one of these Apple laptops as i head off to college in two years since they do what i need for school: word processing, email, and high security. but for my powerhouse and desktop systems what i am waiting on them to do is release the MAC OSX so that i can install it on my current system in a dual boot config so that i can do MAC for office stuff and windows for games

Re: Macbook!!!
 

That will never happen, Apple is a hardware company first and foremost. They make the most off their premium hardware. Plus Microsoft makes most of it's money selling software from OEMs, not selling it to customers directly.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Not only that, but there is also built-in iSight, built-in wireless devices (Bluetooth and Apple's answer to WiFi, AirPort), Front Row and the remote for easy access to multimedia (music, movies, and pictures), as well as iLife '06 with the Mac (all of the new ones IIRC).

iWeb just sounds awsome. 'nuff said...

Not only that, but students and staff of colleges (and other schools) can get a small discount on the upgrades available for the Macs

Re: Macbook!!!
 

I asked my son, it was a G4 dual processor desktop (tower). $2400, lasted 18 months, that comes out to $133 a month for the honor of owning a Mac!

BTW, as I understood it, we could not buy a new motherboard, we could only exchange it for a new one for $350. Macs are so overpriced that Apple is scared to death someone will buy the motherboard and build their own.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

That definitely does hurt to have it die on you so early on. I won't try to say that that isn't really unfortunate and unfair, it is and I totally agree with you that it is too much money to lose like that.
That is correct, you cannot purchase a 3rd party motherboard for an Apple computer. A large part of this is that Apple is very much a hardware company, as well as a software company. The reason you can buy 3rd party hardware for a PC system is that Microsoft is not such a company. Microsoft focus only on the software aspect of the system, leaving it to the hardware manufacturers and retailers to do the rest. Apple tries to encompass both aspects, so as to give a system truly designed to work as one. They do this so they can optimize the performance of the machine for the aspects that it is designed for, a good chunk of which is multimedia. It's not that Apple is entirely afraid of people taking over their hardware business (though I won't deny the thought has crossed their minds), but that part of the experience of owning a Mac is its full compatibility, and the ability to have Apple overseeing both hardware and software so as to ensure a well-working machine (though it does sometimes fail as is your case).

I definitely wouldn't argue with you on the price of the Apple high-end desktop systems, which it seems to me is the machine your son purchased. I don't own one myself, though I would like to, as they are certainly very expensive. The iMac, however, is actually relatively low-priced, especially considering the hardware capabilities of the machine, as well as the large amount of bundled software that you get. A good portion of the cost of a Mac goes into the really amazing and powerful software bundles, and the operating system itself. Also, unlike the professional-geared desktop systems, the laptop prices are well within reason. My system actually cost me a little bit less than a number of those of my friends at school who all own powerful new PCs. I don't have a MacBook unfortunately so I can't run Windows to do a full comparison, but my G4 PowerBook matches their computers pretty well for most applications.

I hope I don't sound like I'm trying to convert people, I'm just a Mac enthusiast. ;)

Re: Macbook!!!
 

The low price is probably at least partially due to the graphics. It's an intel GPU, which isn't necessarily that bad, but it shares memory with the main system memory; they say that the minimum memory used by the gpu alone is 80 MB, and it only has 512 MB, so i'd be willing to bet that this isn't going to be able to do anything even remotely graphically intensive...

Sure looks nice though...

Re: Macbook!!!
 

I dont think you fully understand. I cannot purchase a new motherboard for the flaming G4 FROM APPLE!

you can only exchange the failed one for a new one (for $350 - just for the board, no processors, no memory!). If you dont have a failed motherboard then APPLE will not sell you a new one

because they know people could buy just the mother board and then get everything else (processors, memory, HD, CD drive, case, power supply...) from somewhere else and make your own Mac much cheaper


there was nothing in that G4 tower Mac that cost Apple $2400 to manufacture - they pay the same price as other PC companies to get circuit boards made, to buy hard drives and power supplies... the difference is the extreem markup - Apple makes a huge profit on each computer they sell.

what do you get for the extra $$$? better quality? the engineers at Apple do not hold the patents on design quality - what you are paying for is the logo, the company image

or in my case, blue smoke and mirrors! :ahh:

Re: Macbook!!!
 

I'm not quite sure I do understand. I though you had a machine with a failed motherboard? It seems like you are saying that you cannot purchase a new board because they only will replace broken ones, but that you do have a broken one that needs replacement.

In any cases I think we might want to open a new thread to continue this discussion. I'd be happy to keep going on it, as well as to get others' input, if you'd like to.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

yes, that is what I am saying. No other company in the world forces you to send back your original board before they will sell you a replacement. You cannot buy an extra one, or spares, you cant build your own Mac, or buy just the motherboard to experiment with - they only sell computers: whole computers

no one else does this to their customers! Its outright contempt for the people who buy their machines.

If I need to buy a new crankshaft for my Saturn Vue, I dont have to first prove to Saturn that I own one of their vehicles. If I want to buy a new motherboard for my $3000 Tektronix Oscilloscope, all I have to do is order it.

Apple has gone off the deep end, and the only reason is to keep their prices high, because they have prevented any possible competition. I think this borders on criminal Monopoly-type market control.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

I really wouldn't say that nobody else does that. Yes, you can purchase 3rd party motherboards and hardware for a PC as replacement parts. I don't deny that that is not available to Mac owners. It has been my experience, however, that if a computer retailer is to service their own hardware they will indeed require you to send them the broken hardware. This has happened to me with Dell, Packard Bell, and Gateway in the past. I can purchase my own hardware and do the replacement myself, but if I want it done under warranty I have to have their technicians do it, and I do not receive the broken hardware along with the fixed machine.

Again, I would be more than happy to continue the discussion if you'd still like to, but I'm not sure that it belongs in this thread. We could start a new thread if you would like?

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Then how come when I walked down the hall earlier this evening and checked our parts bin, there were 6 brand new G5 motherboards sitting right there, still in their boxes? It sure looked like they were sitting in stock as spares, in case we ever needed them. And since they had Apple logos on the boxes, I am pretty sure where they came from.

-dave

Re: Macbook!!!
 

If Microsoft didn't publish an open hardware standard for the Microsoft OS, there wouldn't be an argument here. You are angry with Apple's marketing choice. Folks have been railing against Apple's closed marketing method ever since they released the Mac in 1984, it didn't start with the G4.

If the most common OS on the market today (Microsoft) chose to engineer both the hardware and software, there wouldn't be anything to compare. That is not how their business started; they began by writing software for other peoples hardware. Apple developed their business doing both.

In an interestng twist, Microsoft has more recently taken the closed approach to marketing and engineered the whole package with the X-box gaming system. And, just like Apple, people are ticked that the system is closed. Hackers have been cracking the system to fit Linux or Mac OS systems onto the box, much like hackers have been cracking Apple's control over the systems they sell for years.

Dave, I suspect someone on your IT Staff is an Apple Certified Technician, because this is not typical of Apple's method of operation. I provided 9 years of support for a local school, and though we could get the repair software discs, we couldn't get any hardware, because we didn't have someone trained. (Small school, 70 computers mostly donated from businesses, voluntary technical support.)

Re: Macbook!!!
 

The reason I brought this up in this thread is to make people aware that Apple's sales, marketing and engineering approach is very different from the PC line of computers and laptops (that changed our world).

There are two ways to approach engineering:

1. Make the best products possible at a price the market will accept. Continue to innovate and improve - stay locked in the engineering design cycle - keep you quality standards high - keep your customers happy by meeting their needs and solving their problems. Accept competition as the driving force that keeps you on your toes, and keeps your engineers working to stay on top of the game.

2. Sell your customers products for reasons other than engineering/design excellence (fads, image, snobbery, vague indications that your products are better with no real substance behind the claims). Then lock your customers in by not letting them modify, fix, improve your products, and not letting them use anything off the shelf from other suppliers whenever possible. Dont allow competition. Make a big profit every way you can from your customers: original sale, upgrades, extended warranties, repairs, supplies, accessories - keep sticking it to them.

A good example is the new Apple video Ipod. There have been video&audio cables out on the market for years with the 3.5mm 4 conductor connector on one end, and the yellow/red/white RCA plugs on the other. Camcorders have standardized the pinouts - you can buy these cables off the shelf at Radio Shack or any AV store. So what did Apple do with the AV cable for the Ipod Video? (Take a guess) they changed the pinout so only $30 cables from Apple will work! Whats more they had to put the video signal where the ground signal should be on the 4th pin of the plug - they had no problem compromising the engineering design to take more money out of their customers pockets.

Thats my point, Apple is not just another company selling computers and laptops and MP3 players - their focus is not on technology and innovation, its on your wallet!

When you walk into an Apple store and hand the Apple saleman $1200 for a computer, when you could get something better for $600, then he knows he has you!

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Yes, apple is guilty of keeping their software and hardware propietary, but are they any worse than the likes of Sony. Sony has a long history of keeping propietary formats which are closed off to the rest of the manufacturers. Look at UMD, MiniDisk, BlueRay, they are all closed formats! The only difference is that Apple does it with their hardware, Apple's focus is on controlling every aspect of their computers and Ipods. For years they have controlled everything about what parts go into their products and how they are designed, and function. This is what has given Apple it title of being the 'high end' computer manufacturer. It is also what has limited their growth to a very small market share, and no were close to the profitability of the likes of Dell. If you wana talk about a comany who'se focous is on profitability look at the PC manufacturers who have used the model for years where parts come from a multitude of different companies and seem to work together, but never seem to work perfectly together. Apple was a struggling comany untill the ipod came around, they have never made much off their macintosh buisness.

You talk about how you can get a similar computer from another company for half the price, but every time someone shows me one of them, they either use a lower processor, and terrible poor resolution (cheep) screen, worse graphics etc. Show me a computer which has very similar specs for half the price of a mac and I will believe you. To date I have only seen ones (dell's) which are off by $100 or so (Which I am very willing to pay for a much better designed/built computer which runs OSX).

Aren't these discussions fun :p.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

To get back to the point, Yes, it is overpriced, and even if you say it's not... you can't say that it is cheap. I, for one will never fully go with a mac system. They don't let the user repair them. Sit me down with a broken PC and I can fix it, do the same with a mac and unless I am a certified mac technician with the tools and replacement parts, I can't. Mac is for those who don't like to tinker, and don't want to worry about having to. as for the dual-boot Mac Windows system... there is no point. Windows, as of now does everything that mac does I just built the desktop equivalent the the mentioned mac laptop for under 260 dollars... and I got a cool case too. :p So I am sticking with PC.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

However the simple fact that you know this pinout means that they are at least somewhat open to competiton. Whether they released it themselves, or someone reverse engineered it (which obviously wouldn't be very hard..), they did nothing to hide it. There are plenty of companies that are capable of making an A/V cable for the iPod and I'm sure that some will be available soon. I would not put it past Griffin, MonsterCable, XtremeMac, or any other company to develop their own cable priced at or above the Apple cable price point.
This really isn't true. A big part of the Apple selling method is to ensure that the customer receives what they need and nothing more. This is the reason that Apple retail employees, unlike those at most other retail chains, are paid hourly salaries and do not receive any commission. We are really there to help people. If someone comes into the store and has absolutely no need for a Mac, we aren't necessarily going to suggest that they purchase one. This is especially true for additional hardware. For instance, a woman came to me looking for a flat-panel monitor for her MacMini. She was told by a friend that the Apple displays were the best way to go. She, however, did not need such a display as she really doesn't do much more than typing documents and browsing the internet, and so I sent her to CircuitCity with printouts in hand of the exact monitor to best suit her needs.

Yes, we do want to sell computers, but not at the expense of the customer's happiness. The price point is not set primarily for hardware. Much of what you pay for is the operating system and the experience you get when working with a Mac. If that is not for you then you don't need to purchase a Mac, but many people prefer it. I'm not going to suggest that someone who only browses the internet and wants to try out Mac OS purchase a PowerMac for $2000, I would suggest a MacMini to get them started and if they want to go up from there to the iMac so be it. Despite what many people believe, Apple employees are there to help the customer first and foremost, and to the best of their abilities even if that means telling them to purchase a non-Apple product.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

As I said before, I would never purchase a Mac desktop system myself, they don't fit needs and aren't easy to modify. I wouldn't say that the Mac is for "those who don't like to tinker," or at least I certainly wouldn't put myself in that category. I love to tinker. In general though I prefer Mac OS greatly to Windows, especially if I'm doing any audio work. That is why I own a Mac laptop. The prices for laptops are very comparable, especially considering the software you get when you purchase the Mac. It is not easier to upgrade a PC laptop than it is a Mac laptop, it really isn't. Having the ability to dual-boot is an added bonus for me. There are certain programs (ECAD, etc.) that don't run on Mac OS that I do need for daily work, but that doesn't mean that I would prefer to have a PC, I would much rather have a Mac generally. So my options are either to purchase an additional PC, or to have a Mac that can run Windows. The later is much more preferable. While it might not be useful to you, it certainly is to many others.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Speaking of inabilty to improve the product, I was searching the "Mac rulez lol" sites and noticed this...

http://www.macworld.com/2006/05/firs...irst/index.php
http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/macw...ideo/index.php

Apparently, it's very easy, in this model, to remove the RAM and the hard drive by removing the notebook's battery and then unscrewing and removing the L-shaped housing.

So what does mean?

This could be promoting a "user-friendly" notebook in the sense that you can bump up the RAM and Hard Drive when you really want to.

So yeah...

Intel Core Duo (Starting at 1.83 GHz, though I wouldn't be surprised if they bump up the speeds anytime soon)
OS X
Wireless devices
Built-in iSight
iLife '06
Something that's portable
And the now the ability to upgrade with ease

"Starting at just $1099"

:D

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Apple is an end to end solution. They always have been, and always will be. There are advantages and disadvantages to it.

But to say that the Macbook is expensive has to check there facts first. I have priced out a similar HP notebook and it came out to be $1252. And that is without iLife, and all of that.

A couple of years ago a dual processor system at this price would be unheard of.

Right now Apple can’t sell computers for any cheaper because they using Intel’s new architecture. And Core Duos are still expensive compared to the older Pentiums.

But I do agree that Apple needs to have customizable options on their notebooks. This is one area that PC manufactures have an advantage over apple.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

well, yeah, you priced out an expensive HP notebook

thing is, you can get that notebook with less expensive versions of windows, a smaller HD, without the fancy bluetooth network card, without the complete WORKs SW.... and you are looking at a laptop more like $600

those of us who have owned PCs for the last 20 years dont need to buy everything with each new computer (esp SW) - and when you step away from Apple you have that option.

When you load up any laptop with all the bells and whistles you drive the cost way up - the manufacturer makes a huge profit from all that extra stuff - just like you can buy a baseline Saturn Ion for $12,000 or you can buy it fully loaded for $25,000 - but under all the gagets its still the same car.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Air conditioning? Power windows? Sun roof? Can these things be added afterwards, no. Software can be added to computers, but not hardware. Remember Ken, for the majority of people out there they make one major computer puchase every few years, and it's when they get the computer. That's why they push you hard for the extended warrante and new shiny printer, they realize once you are out that door with your new machine you won't be back until you need it replaced.

I don't know about you, but HD and wireless options are an important thing to have, and getting a $600 computer with a small hard drive and weak processor might get the job done, but will become a $600 paperweight much much faster than if you get it done correctly the first time. I'd rather pay $1200 for 4 years with a computer than $600 for 2 years with one. That's why I own a PowerBook G4.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

In this case a desktop system and a laptop system are very different. A PC desktop you can build slowly adding and upgrading as you go, thats what i am doing with my computer(I'm ordering a 100 gig HD and a gig of RAM to add this weekend) but with a laptop it is a one purchase system. when you buy it you should get it with all you will need for a while becuase upgrades for all laptops are not easy.

Re: Macbook!!!
 

Boy I love reading how polarized people get about Apple and its products! Only religion and politics beat it for weeding out the meek from the truly opinionated (pro and con) - and we won't go into those taboo topics here! Since the thread seems to have cooled off, I'll see if I can fan the flames a little with my experiences and opinionation:

A recent CNET article says Mac deskops cost just 13% more than comparable PCs and the margin shrinks to 10% for laptops. The operable word here is comparable - as in similar hardware and bundle.

Contrary to popular belief, you can open the case on Macs and replace some parts (like memory, disks, graphics cards, etc.) - you just have a very hard time getting Apple parts unless you're certified. For people who tend to be like your typical CDer, that last part may be enough to keep them from buying Apple, but I'll bet a box of Krispy Kremes that the majority of computer owners (Mac or PC) never replace anything inside the box.

I used to believe that Macs stayed usable longer than PCs for a given set of uses, but I think the gap has narrowed a lot since WinXP. Still, the only reason I have to look at a replacement for my 3 yr old TiBook is so I could dual boot and ditch the clunky hp DV4000 I had to get to run some Windows-only apps I need. For everything else the 1 GHz G4 still hauls the mail.

As for reliability, I'm glad I bought AppleCare for the TiBook, because it needed a new logic board last year to cure a weird wake from sleep problem - the protection paid for itself there. It's also needed a new HD (1 mo) and battery (1 yr) which were covered by warranty. I don't think that's unreasonable service for a heavily-used laptop, though my wife's Dell laptop hasn't needed any service in 9 mo. (I bought the extended warranty for it, too). My daughter's AluminumBook (just doesn't roll off the tongue like TiBook), a couple of fruit-flavor iMacs and an old Dell desktop have never given problems, either. Not a statistically valid measure, but it's what I have to go on.

My next computer purchase will be a MacBook Pro for my other daughter, but I don't have any problem recommending a PC to someone who doesn't need that level of hardware and just needs a $600 Internet appliance - or a mega-powered system if they want games. So for me it really boils down to how important look, feel, design and being "different" is to you, and whether you're willing to pay 13% more for them. I could have bought a Subaru WRX for less than I paid for my Audi, but I like Audis (okay, I love it, but don't tell my wife).

Edit: There is one area I believe Macs are superior to PCs: long-term power-up stability. I leave my TiBook on all the time. Literally. Every couple of weeks I clear the caches and reboot for kicks, but otherwise it's either in use or asleep. I cannot do that with the hp, which also takes an excruciatingly long time to wake from sleep (the TiBook takes a few seconds, including re-connecting to the wireless LAN) - another area where Apple continues to lead.