Quote:
Originally Posted by FanIn80
Without wanting to turn this into another Mac vs PC thing, I have to point out that this statement just isn't true anymore.
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I agree 100%, however when purchasing a laptop for a student who will use their laptop for doing assignments, taking notes, surfing the net, checking email etc the power provided by those laptops (Macs or the 'equiv' PC) is not needed.
Unless the student NEEDS a specific platform, then the main factors for your decision should be
- Weight : 10 lbs of laptop + power supply etc is a lot to carry in a backpack.
- Price : Paying $1,000+ for something that will be lugged around in a backpack, opened and closed in crowded lecture halls with desks with less than 1 square foot of room on them. There is a lot of abuse that happens and I have seen Macbook Pros that had the aluminum case buckle so badly that you can't get the DVD tray out.
For a gift to a new student, I would suggest one of 2 options.
An entry level Dell, HP or some other < $700 laptop.
A netbook, such as an Aspire One, Dell Mini 9. Just over 2 pounds with a < $400 price tag.
Another suggestion I would make is that you wait until right before school starts in the fall so you have more options, especially if you are considering a netbook, since the technology is advancing so quickly that you have no idea what will be available 4 months from now.
Edit: Also, there seems to be a lot of market pressure on Apple to get into the netbook market, so it might be something that comes up in the future.