If you decide to buy a pc laptop, I have a few suggestions:

1) get the pentium m processor -- it has more level 2 cache, so it runs just as fast as the p4's but stays cooler.

2) I have heard bad things about dell -- some people say they feel like their dell laptop feels like it is about to fall apart at any moment. This probably depends on the specific model, just saying. Also, I heard their service sucks (but service probably sucks everywhere).

3) I have a toshiba, and love it, but my brother's toshiba recently quit on him after only a year and a half.

4) Generally, thinkpads are considered the best, but you have to pay more.

5) I strongly recommend checking out the reviews on cnet. These helped me a lot in deciding which laptop to buy. And don't discount comments people make like "the touch pad sucks" because small things like that can drive you crazy.

Hope this helps.

Please. I used three different G4s at my job I left in August and not a damn one of them can hold a candle to my pansy ass Dell.

And there are few groups of people more blindly path dependent than Steve Jobs and those who jizz at his every word. iPod Shuffle anyone?

i kind of like the ipod shuffle. the price is right, the battery is rechargable, it's probably easy to use at the gym, what's not to like if you're not really interested in a display?

I'm a screen whore, that's all.

If I can match size and price plus get a screen, I'm going that route, style be damned. As with most Jobs announcements however, there is a certain amount of "he's changing the world again" amazement.

That's where I'm having a problem. I wand it to be reasonably priced, but I don't want to sacrifice quality.

You can always upgrade later. I bought my machine to keep it within what I had available to spend, then as my needs grew I added RAM, second hard drive, etc.

It ain't hard, hell, if you can change a light bulb you can install RAM. And it's a good bit cheaper if you order it online rather than getting it from Dell, Gateway, etc.

For the record, with a laptop you definitely pay more for less power (especially in the video area), and thus a computer that will not last as long.

I thought laptops are alot more difficult to upgrade?

Laptops are more expensive to upgrade, and many things (like the video card) are not upgradeable at all. They generally cannot be upgraded to the same extent in any given area.

this is absolutely true, but things like ram, hard and dvd drives are certainly replacable.

So, I should probably consider buying a desktop. Damn, I'm having a difficult time figuring out what exactly I want. I guess when shit is expensive, I get a bit indecisive.

Spencer, get a fucking mac. All these tech nerds know shit all about all this shit. I've never not been able to get something I needed for mac, excpet CC, and that's because I was drunk THE ENTIRE TIME it was up an running. Yes it is more, but believe me, it's easier to use, easier to figure out, it comes just about usable out of the box, and plus, they're just fucking cooler.

Also, I have a listserv type thing that send me deals, pm me and I'll either add you, or forward things to you that seem up yr. alley. With everything, if you shop around, you'll get the deal you need.

<-----Mac Whore.

Is the applecare plan worth the extra $175?

In my experience, yes. Because they will answer any questions you might have, and it's basically a three year warranty. Most people have no problems, I have had a few, and they are sending me a replacement that is actually a better cpu than the one I purchased. My dad (one of the original Jobs groupies) swears he doesn't buy anything w/o it. On the other hand, the last candidate that I worked for, runs an office of 75 people exclusively on Macs, and doesn't even some kind of group rate, and has never had a problem.

Personally, I just don't care enough to learn enough, and would rather rely on someone else when problems arise....probably why I'm always lost and disheveled, but that's a personal problem, no?

Yea, you would.

I'm not sure what I mean by that, but I think the fact that you can't see what track is playing, would make it really hard to play what you might want to hear at the moment which is key to my happiness.

Here's an example of the type of deals I get peeped to:

Mac Deal - iBook G4/1GHz 12.1" for $900 Shipped, More

A reader notes that GoodGuys.com offers the iBook G4/1GHz with
12.1-inch LCD, 256MB RAM, 30GB hard drive, and DVD-CDRW combo drive
for $899.99. With free shipping, that's the lowest total price we
know to be available. Also available are the iBook G4/1GHz with
14.1-inch LCD, 256MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, and DVD-CDRW combo drive
for $1,029.99 and the iBook G4/1.2GHz with 14.1-inch LCD, 256MB RAM,
60GB hard drive, and DVD-CDRW combo drive for $1,149.99.

You're right. The two-button vs. one-button mouse learning curve is a real stumbling block for some people.

I FUCKING HATE THE TWO BUTTON MOUSE. I always click that other fucking button and get a list of shit and then it does something and I'm all fucked up.

Just for comparisons I got for $850 (after rebates)

HP
Pentium Celeron 2.8ghz
512 mb RAM
60 gb Hard drive
64mb shared video ram
Dvd drive/ CD Burner combo
Wireless networking
15" Screen

That was 11 months ago. Granted I got a steal, and haven't seen deals this good since, but I haven't been scouring the Office Depot ads and such, but I think you could find something good.

I don't know how one works with a one button mouse. That would be like working with a keyboard with half the keys. I can't even surf anymore unless my mouse has a wheel.

I'm not sure if this is correct, but aren't the GHz calculations of rmacs and pcs different. i.e. Mac has about 1/2 the functions to go through, so therefore its GHz comparisons should be about half of that of a pc?

You don't know what you're talking about, do you?

It does say that "I'm not sure if this is correct" I figured one of you computer nerds could clear this up, and that's why I posted it

I think that, in general, it's true that you can't compare mac processors Ghz-for-Ghz against PC CPU's, because a Hz only refers to a clock cycle, and different CPU's can run more instructions per clock cycle. I think your "2x" figure is pseudoscience, however...

it may be a first, but i completely agree with the senator in this case.
if i have any questions or problems i call my computer men.
i am smart enough to know what i don't know. well...most of the time.