Gaming xps vs macbook pro rant

[junkerde]

so its my senior year in high school and when graduation time comes along im looking to buy a new laptop. wat i found out was beyond my belief, i mean i hear the stereotypical MACS are OVEPRICED but i never actually thought it would be like this, so anyways here are basic specs of both the xps and mac pro that are kind of comparable in terms of power.
XPS: 15"screen
intel core i5 460 2.53ghz
4gb DDr3 1066mhz RAM
Nvidia Geforce GT420m 2GB
500gb 7200 RPM Sata Hard Drive
costs: $800 bucks

MBP: 15' screen
intel core i5 @ 2.4ghz
4gb DDr3 1066mhz RAM
320gb SATA Hard Drive 5400 rpm
Nvidia Geforce 330m 256MB
costs: $1,800

I mean am i missing something here with the xps???? a 320gb hard drive running only at 5400rpm is really the only difference, but i mean for a total difference of 1 fricking thousand dollars?? i must be missing something! to upgrade the memory costs a shitload on the mac, while on the xps its almost half of that of the macs ram upgrade price. I was looking for a computer for video editing and film stuff since that is my major, and i heard macs were great for that but for this price its such a cheap trick by apple, rip off. Ahh just wanted to rant a bit about this, i guess im going with the xps and ill just run hackintosh off of it since the hardware is pretty much similar...bah macs.

 

[tijntje_7]

The difference is that apple got 'super uber' software > windows in their opinion. And yes, that is their reason for it to be 1000$ more expensive.
(also they use more durable materials iirc, to get them as flat as they are)

 

[nando]

just get the xps and be happy

 

[Originality]

You pay more for the half-eaten apple logo (and OS license) than the actual hardware (an exaggeration, but ignore that).

As nando said, just get the xps and be happy.

 

[nando]

one thing tho.

1366x768 is pretty crappy to do any sort of graphics work on, specially video editing.

 

[Originality]

External monitor = problem solved.

 

[nando]

not really, but if you say so.

 

[nutella]

A lot of what you pay for are intangibles. Software, the "Apple Experience", the OS especially. You're even paying premium for the damn packaging. If that's important to you, go for a MacBook Pro. I personally don't care for any of that but I know some people do. For video editing, get the XPS and upgrade the RAM.

Please don't tell me you heard Macs are better for video editing because of iMovie. If you're doing film as your major, there's as much great software for Windows as there is Mac (though some would contest this with Final Cut Studio).

not really, but if you say so.

When professionals do video editing, whether it's a desktop or laptop, they normally use a secondary monitor.

 

[nando]

yeah and when students use a laptop, it's desirable to work in school along with other students and not drag around a second monitor. unless you are a lone genius, you are likely gonna learn more by working with classmates as opposed to by yourself in your dorm.


edit: i actually i don't know his school situation. so i take that back. in my school we were encourage to stay in studio at all times and never work from home. first couple of years i was reluctant, but i did notice my work improved when i worked along with others.

 

[nutella]

yeah and when students use a laptop, it's desirable to work in school along with other students and not drag around a second monitor. unless you are a lone genius, you are likely gonna learn more by working with classmates as opposed to by yourself in your dorm.


edit: i actually i don't know his school situation. so i take that back. in my school we were encourage to stay in studio at all times and never work from home. first couple of years i was reluctant, but i did notice my work improved when i worked along with others.

I guess it really depends on the kind of graphics work you're doing, but a secondary monitor is very helpful for video editing specifically.

 

[nando]

i don't know how popular second monitors are anymore. i have a 2nd one but that's because my previous monitor was only 1280x1024 which was really crappy to fit tools and what not. now i only have 1900x1400 but the difference is huge and i don't need the 2nd screen. i still have the 2nd one but i just use it to chat, but it's really just taking up valuable desk space.

 

[Originality]

I remember the days when my dad (who used to work as a multimedia consultant at an editing studio) used two giant (30"+) CRT monitors for his video editing at home, and a relatively tiny TV for authentic colour reproduction.

Also, don't assume that you need to drag the secondary monitor around everywhere - just leaving it at home (or in the dorms, depending on the situation) to hook the laptop to can help a lot with doing work. That's one of the main advantages of laptops over desktops - portability.

EDIT: Forgot to add, secondary monitors are pretty popular in media related studies. My brother does Computer Game Programming and Design, and most of his entire class uses dual or triple monitors. One of my other friends does Modern Graphics for university and uses Adobe Suite a lot and she finds a second monitor (even if it's only 15") very useful for direct comparisons. Heck, even I've found a secondary monitor invaluable in my Creative Writing, as I can have up to 5 half-windows up at any time, either for writing, comparing, researching/referencing or even just spellchecking. Add to that having one or two laptops at my side (17" media and 14" tablet)...