best laptop for college under 2000 image
asarean@ym
I'm going to be entering college, fall 2009, and I'm an art major. I really don't know what kind of laptop I should get. It seems that every art school uses Macs, but I've never used one before.
For preference, I want something that has high quality graphics (again, art major) and can run Photoshop and Illustrator well, has a lot of memory, and is relatively light.
Answer
As an art major, a Macbook will probably suit you better than a PC. However, that does not mean you should run out and plop down the cash for a Macbook.
As an art major, Macs have better software for art-related activities (audio/video editing, etc) than a Windows PC for free, however there are plenty of Windows programs that do these jobs just as well as Mac software and are often either free or only cost a small amount (under $50).
Photoshop and Illustrator really do run best on a Windows laptop. It's probably because Adobe has created both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of their programs for Windows, but there is no 64-bit Photoshop for Mac.
A Macbook at $1000 has the same specs as some $450 laptops. Unless you feel like it's absolutely necessary to buy the laptop that's $1000 over a laptop that's better spec-wise at $700, you should stick with Windows. Plus, you're already familiar with the software.
One person suggested what to look for, but had really bad suggestions. First, no self-respecting person buys an Acer laptop unless it's the mini-notebook that's about $250, because they are pieces of crap. If you want a notebook that is meant for art majors and runs windows, I suggest an HP. They've got the best software built in for movie editing, audio activites, etc.
You can find a Windows laptop with a 2GHz Dual-Core Processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB Hard drive (good specs) for about $600 new. Finding a Macbook with those specs can run up to 4 times the cost. While it's up to you, I know I would rather spend $600 on a Windows PC than $2000 on a Macbook for the same specs.
Security on a Mac is bogus, as Macs are virus prone just like Windows. Anyone that uses the excuse that Macs are more secure than Windows are idiots and their opinion on laptops should not be taken seriously.
As an art major, a Macbook will probably suit you better than a PC. However, that does not mean you should run out and plop down the cash for a Macbook.
As an art major, Macs have better software for art-related activities (audio/video editing, etc) than a Windows PC for free, however there are plenty of Windows programs that do these jobs just as well as Mac software and are often either free or only cost a small amount (under $50).
Photoshop and Illustrator really do run best on a Windows laptop. It's probably because Adobe has created both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of their programs for Windows, but there is no 64-bit Photoshop for Mac.
A Macbook at $1000 has the same specs as some $450 laptops. Unless you feel like it's absolutely necessary to buy the laptop that's $1000 over a laptop that's better spec-wise at $700, you should stick with Windows. Plus, you're already familiar with the software.
One person suggested what to look for, but had really bad suggestions. First, no self-respecting person buys an Acer laptop unless it's the mini-notebook that's about $250, because they are pieces of crap. If you want a notebook that is meant for art majors and runs windows, I suggest an HP. They've got the best software built in for movie editing, audio activites, etc.
You can find a Windows laptop with a 2GHz Dual-Core Processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB Hard drive (good specs) for about $600 new. Finding a Macbook with those specs can run up to 4 times the cost. While it's up to you, I know I would rather spend $600 on a Windows PC than $2000 on a Macbook for the same specs.
Security on a Mac is bogus, as Macs are virus prone just like Windows. Anyone that uses the excuse that Macs are more secure than Windows are idiots and their opinion on laptops should not be taken seriously.
What could have caused my newish Macbook Pro that is usually reliably awesome to spaz out? What can I do?
Skylark
Like a masochistic dork I installed an app called SelfControl on my three-month-old 15-inch Macbook Pro that I love and cherish to prohibit myself from accessing time-vacuuming sites while writing papers and studying for finals. The app lets you create a list of sites to "blacklist," and then prevents you from accessing them for the duration of the time limit you've set. Normally, the app works perfectly. For some reason, a couple of weeks ago it malfunctioned, and ever since then my laptop has been having tantrums. The timer wouldn't run out, so all sites I'd blacklisted were blocked for days. Even uninstalling the app and rebooting failed to lift the bans. Then, last Saturday the images on the screen became fragmented and frozen, and the laptop wouldn't let me restart it. I just unplugged the battery, let it completely die down, then plugged it back in and powered it on. It took considerably longer than usual, but the laptop did finally turn on. The really odd thing is that my screen image had changed on its own. Everything else seemed to work smoothly, and I could hop on to all the sites previously barred. Then one morning I woke up and the battery was totally dead. It won't take a charge now. Previously the battery health had been listed at 89%. Now it's 0%. This means that if the laptop is untethered from the cord for a nanosecond, it dies. It is also far more sensitive than before, and will sometimes just power off when I'm repositioning it on my laptop desk even if it's still plugged in.
Other oddities:
~ Sometimes when I log on the date will be listed as December 31, 2000, and apps won't function properly.
~ The system takes much longer to boot up
I admit to having mistreated the laptop a little, but it hasn't been seriously abused. I've never dropped it, and I never download torrents. I wrote over 220 pages in one month for five papers (college student), so I basically had it on nonstop. I kept it plugged in too often, which I know diminishes the battery power. A couple of months ago there was a tiny amount of liquid spilled on it accidentally, but the kind gents at the Mac store thoroughly examined it then and said no serious harm had been caused. Most people on my campus have Macs, and most of us have also been overworking our laptops, but none of my friends are encountering this problem. A ton of people use SelfControl without any woes.
Sorry my question is so long. I'm seriously wordy when I'm tired, haha. I am planning on posting this question in Mac forums and on the Apple discussion site, and I'm going to make an appointment for the Genius Bar. I would just love some feedback now. Is there anything I can do to fix some of these issues? Could the SelfControl app be responsible for these problems?
This is what the screen looked like after the first major spaz out when it rebooted:
http://s353.beta.photobucket.com/user/SkylarkMelody/library/
Does anyone recognize that screen image? Does it signify anything? It kind of looks like a variation of the default image.
Answer
try http://www.apple.com/community & discuss the problem. also have a tech look at it if still under warranty. sorry I couldn't be more helpful
try http://www.apple.com/community & discuss the problem. also have a tech look at it if still under warranty. sorry I couldn't be more helpful
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Title Post: What kind of laptop should I buy?
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