Acer Aspire or Macbook?

[SomethingElse]

I need a new laptop, but I'm indecisive and confused! I've only ever had one laptop (Toshiba - which I bought specifically because it wasn't overly expensive because I have a poor concept of money and spending money panics me!). It's never been a brilliant laptop, but served for what I needed it for and has survived this long, although with some problems... It's never had a very good battery life, and it's even worse now, and it overheats quickly, has no memory (but isn't worth getting an external hard drive for because of other problems) and now the screen tends to go a funny colour from time to time or if it's not set just so).

My family aren't very technologically minded, because although my dad loves gadgets, we've never really had the money for them. So we had a computer when I was in my teens with no internet, and only got the internet when I was about 16, and we've had one other computers since then (both cheap ones, possibly gifted to us from my dad's work or second hand ones or something). I'm pretty sure our current computer is the second we've ever owned, and my laptop was the first our house has had.

My brother recently got himself his first laptop. An Acer Aspire touchscreen one. Now I have no use for the touchscreen, but I prefer to use things that I've had a go on, and I tried out his laptop and it's fine. Swisher than mine, but similar. And the keyboard is different and a bit uncomfortable but I'd get used to that. Reason that one in particular is what I'm looking at is because it's usually £600 but is down to £500 until the end of April, and I like saving money, and for the memory size and that it's better than other similar priced Acers. I've also had Acer in particular recommended by one of my friends, and I think I recall a few people saying they were good laptops. Online reviews, according to my brother, on the site he got his from, are all good.

However, since using R's Macbook when staying at hers, I've decided I quite like them! I've never used one before and had always disliked them because they seemed so different to Windows laptops, but it was comfortable to use and I'd probably adjust to all the differences (even having to use iTunes, which I never use, I suppose!). So before my brother got the Acer (and my online friend seemed appalled that I was considering getting a Macbook even before then) I was seriously considering getting a Macbook Pro. The memory seems the same as the Acer, the camera seems slightly poorer but I'm not that fuzzed about the built in camera.

I'd mostly be using it for internet, listening to music and perhaps watching DVDs (I don't currently use mine for that as it's not that good, but my brothers seems good for it and I know R uses hers for that), and uploading photos.

I know that the Macbook is almost twice the price (I can get one for about £940 from the education store part of the apple site), and for what I want it for might not be worth it. I just don't really know what to do! I have an Acer reserved until closing time today because it was the last one in stock, but I don't know if I can decide by then whether I want that or a Macbook Pro.

I figured I'd ask your advice. I am open to other suggestions for laptops with similar functions, memory size, that kind of thing, but I'd ideally like to not be confused too much more than I already am!

[Aspen]

I'm sorry, but because I haven't had either one of those laptops, I can't really be much help.

[goddessoflubbock]

While I have an iPod I don't care for the Mac. It could be my issue, but when I had to use one at work, nothing seemed intuitive as on a PC.

Personally we've mostly had Gateway laptops altho my first was a Toshiba satellite that lived forever and DS has a Dell that is nothing but trouble...

[Aspen]

My first laptop was my husband's old Toshiba Satellite when it got too old for him to use because he develops software for a living and it lasted for a very long time for me as well. I think we had to take it to the shop and have the screen light bulb replaced, and then it eventually got too old for me too.

I also had a Gateway and now I have a pink Sony Vaio. The laptop we got for our daughter for Christmas was a Toshiba and my husband has two Apple Macbook Pros.

I asked him for you, Benji, and he said that which computer you need to buy depends on what it's going to be used for. The people he works with in India use Acer Aspires and they seem happy with them, but he needs a more powerful machine, so his newer Macbook Pro has four processors with hyperthreading. He says for writing documents and surfing the web, an Acer Aspire should work OK, but Macbooks are more reliable. However, If you want to use a Windows operating system on a Macbook, you would have to buy one separately and they come installed on an Acer Aspire.

He says that Dells are notoriously unreliable, by the way. The company he works for wanted to get everyone Dells because of the favorable financing terms and he didn't want one.

[adhocisadirtyword]

I second everything Aspen says. We got my daughter a Toshiba when she was 7 and it lasted a long time -- it was built very well ... still going as far as I know (5 years later). Dells are cheap, HP quality has gone down the drain (and I used to work there).

I used to work at Apple too. Macs are great at certain things and you would probably not need to do anything that they aren't great at. They're horrible for big calculation tasks unless you get a very powerful one. Part of that is the some of the software isn't built the same for a mac, but part of it is because they just aren't made for that type of activity. Since I use my computers for data analysis, I prefer PCs. If you won't be doing large-scale data analysis on it, a mac will probably work beautifully for you. Try to get someone you know who is a student to do the purchase for you, so you can get a discount. And call the Apple call center to make your purchase. The call center you would be calling is located in Cork, Ireland and they may be able to tell you about other deals.

Acers have a low cost ... not sure about value. You may want to look up reviews online. You can always go with a higher end model. My mom has one and has been happy with it. She downloads and burns movies on it to give you an idea of her activity. That's probably the most resource intensive thing she uses it for.

[SomethingElse]

My papa ended up taking me out to have a look at laptops, but I wanted to stick with what I knew (i.e. only Acers and Macs have ever really been 'promoted' by other people I know, and I have a Toshiba and it's about five or six years old but quality has dropped quite a bit in that time, rather than it lasting in a way that I'm happy with (it's been prone to overheating for a long time and has always had a poor battery life, for example). I think the problem is that my laptop is just a laptop, it's not something I'd particularly bother to recommend to someone else because I don't LOVE it, it's just a laptop that did the job but perhaps not as well as another laptop might.

I decided that if I got an Acer I could get one with a better memory for the same price as my brother's, without the touchscreen (and I don't want or need a touchscreen).

However, I then realised that part of my problem with the Acer laptops is the keyboard. I'd imagine that lots of dirt could get underneath them. I also like laptops to be quite portable, and the Acer appears to be a little bigger than my current laptop. I like that Macs are small.

On the plus side, although I'm not completely decided, having had a look around I realised that I didn't NEED to go and get the last Acer touchscreen one from the shop because I could get something similar but better for me. So I decided it wouldn't matter if I took a few more days to decide.

I'm not bothered about Windows. I'm used to it, which is something that could sway me, but if I had a Mac I'd cope without it.

Thank you all for your input, it's going to be a help towards making my decision in the end, I'm sure.

[SomethingElse]

Try to get someone you know who is a student to do the purchase for you, so you can get a discount. And call the Apple call center to make your purchase. The call center you would be calling is located in Cork, Ireland and they may be able to tell you about other deals.

I will get R to call for me, but I'm under the impression that I get a discount anyway because I work in education (there's no other rules added to it on the site, as I thought it might only be for staff of certain schools or only teachers, but it doesn't specify). Hopefully this is true as I don't know anyone who is a student who I'd feel comfortable asking to purchase it for me.

[adhocisadirtyword]

Try to get someone you know who is a student to do the purchase for you, so you can get a discount. And call the Apple call center to make your purchase. The call center you would be calling is located in Cork, Ireland and they may be able to tell you about other deals.

I will get R to call for me, but I'm under the impression that I get a discount anyway because I work in education (there's no other rules added to it on the site, as I thought it might only be for staff of certain schools or only teachers, but it doesn't specify). Hopefully this is true as I don't know anyone who is a student who I'd feel comfortable asking to purchase it for me.

Yes -- I forgot about that. I think working in Education is enough. I remember I got the education discount once by being a PTA president.

[renaeden]

I have an Acer netbook, have had it for over a year now and had no troubles at all with it. I don't eat food anywhere near it as I am sure crumbs will get beneath the keys.

I would choose an Acer anyway over a Macbook.

[Sophist]

I second everything Aspen says. We got my daughter a Toshiba when she was 7 and it lasted a long time -- it was built very well ... still going as far as I know (5 years later). Dells are cheap, HP quality has gone down the drain (and I used to work there).

Great to hear since my laptop I purchased last fall is an HP. Bugger...

Benji, my vote goes for the Mac. I'm definitely partial. If I'd had the money I'd've bought a Mac. But as far as speed, memory, etc., it seems like you get more for your money with a PC. You just have to expect them to die sooner I guess. But the Macbook could last you a long time.

[Civet]

In your situation I'd suggest just sticking with a PC. Macs are really good for things like graphics work/digital art, but it really doesn't sound like you need it for that. I have an HP that I use for work and for watching Hulu and Netflix and it works fine for that (I work with Photoshop and Illustrator and often have somewhat large files). So, I feel the Mac would be "overkill" for what you plan to use it for. I say this only because Macs tend to be a lot more expensive than PCs of similar specifications. I can't specifically endorse Acer as I've never had a computer of that brand.

[hcted]

If you are still debating about this more than a month later then here is my post

I say Macbook even though I hate the app store and apple's general view towards the macbook. I'd get it because macbooks do not come with cheap part - all backed by apple. They are also less prone to have viruses.