Need a new laptop- PC or Mac? Your recommendations please

[Jemart]

My laptop is officially deceased. Sniff.
Anyway, I haven't bought a computer for several years and tapping away on my iPod touch is starting to get irritating. A shiny new laptop is required, please help me choose one. Will be used for website design and maintenance plus Internet access.

[jace2010]

I would go for a mac i changed last year after having pc's for 16 years best thing i ever done.

Go for a macbook.

[Petal]

I have a friend who has used Macs for years and years. They never go wrong. I have a windows machine and they are a pain in the butt. Always on the blink and we've had loads of PC's in the time said friend has had her one machine!

Good luck with your choice.

[mizgeorge]

I use both, but find website maintenance much easier on PC.

[ps_bond]

Personally, while I like Apple's designs & user interfaces, I've found there to be too many time when the form has taken precedence over the function of the unit - one example being the snazzy power switches the G4 Cubes had, that triggered at random on a number of units. To add to that, I feel that they are overpriced for the hardware.

As for the control freakery on the iPods & iPhones, that is anathema to me - which is a good deal of the reason I've zero interest in developing for them.

Of course, you can always look at using Linux on an Intel laptop - you don't have to be lumbered with Windows. It rather depends on what software you need to run. There are also ways to run Mac OS X on non-Mac hardware, although I don't know of any that are strictly legit.

[Jemart]

As for the control freakery on the iPods & iPhones, that is anathema to me - which is a good deal of the reason I've zero interest in developing for them.

interesting that you feel that way towards the mac Peter, I was under the impression they were something of an industry standard?
They are so much more expensive and I'm only considering getting one because lots of creative people I know rave about them and I like my iPod so much.

[Jemart]

It is irritating that I can't view Flash files on my iPod though.

[ps_bond]

interesting that you feel that way towards the mac Peter, I was under the impression they were something of an industry standard?

For the DTP, photography and video industries they have long been considered "better" - and certainly, they do excellent work on UIs, but I don't really think that Windows is significantly worse. The boxes look nicer as a general rule, but if you want performance for your money then my feeling is to forgo the exterior design costs and put more into the internals.

They are so much more expensive and I'm only considering getting one because lots of creative people I know rave about them and I like my iPod so much.

Oh, I *like* my iPod Touch, but the limitations that have been deliberately placed on it feel so arbitrary that it irks me - like Flash, for example. Oh, and Bluetooth profiles - I'd like to be able to use a headset with the Touch (Skype), but despite it being in the stack they use, they've not enabled it.

When it boils down to it, they'll all do the job, it's a question of going with what you're happy with.

[AlexandraBuckle]

Have you ever used a Mac jemart? We had Macs at uni and I didn't get along with them at all, I found they worked quite differently to PCs - only one mouse button for eg. If you know people who have them, why not ask them if you can try it out to help you make your mind up.

As a general rule I'm fairly anti-Apple, tho Ben did get an iPod touch recently as he is developing a game for one, and I have to admit it is quite slick and works a lots better and faster than I thought it would.
Still doesn't make me want to get a Mac tho, PCs might not look as pretty but you get a lot more for your money.

[Jemart]

I did get to use macs at uni I think they were G4s? I got on with them the same as the PCs. Technology will have moved on considerably since then though.
Any specific makes of PC you would recommend?