Dell Studio 14 Laptop OR MACbOOK

[techmaniack]

hi friends i am looking for a laptop recently and also started a couple of threads in the wrong section! neways my question is which laptop should i prefer:
1)Dell(TM) Studio 14 Laptop (T540530IN8) (aaprx 55k aftr customisation)

Intel® Core™ i7-720QM (1.6GHz, 4 Cores/8 Threads, turbo up to 2.8 GHz, 6MB Cache)
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64bit (English)
4GB (2GBx2) 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
500GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
14” High Definition 720p WLED (1366x768) Display with TrueLife™
512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4530
Now with Microsoft® Office Starter 2010!


2)Apple macbook (60k)

# .4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB on-chip shared L2 cache
# 1066MHz frontside bus
# 2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB
# 250GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive
AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible4

Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)

Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)

8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory5



what i care about

-Video editing/converting
-Web Designing (Adobe Dreamweaver, Flash, Flex, )
-XAMPP
-Multiple OS's
-VMWare(a couple of virtual machines)
-a lot of coding as i am an engg student. (i.e keyboard and mousepad should be friendly)

What i don't care about

-Weight
-Looks


i doubt about only one thing that this Core i7 720QM has a clock frequency of 1.6Ghz would this affect the performance, as compared to a 2Ghz Core i5 or Core2Duo? coz if i go for a Corei5 or Core2Duo, i get more of RAM plus more Graphics memory...

Comment by any MACbOOk user would be very helpful, Thanks

[desiibond]

that studio config is anyday better than macbook's but the GPU is a weak spot. see if you can get one with a newer dx11 GPU. check Sony Vaio E series too.

[hackerzlab]

i used a macbook pro and its awesome. i'm using it for movie editing (just 3-4 movies so far after a year) and photoshop with dreamweaver. i dont used flash. m a web developer too and uses xamp for php and mysql. it works flawlessly. u won't ever need a mouse with the multi touch thingy. apple is apple. its just different and u will learn to like it within a week or two. i used windows laptops for over a decade if u wanna know and i'm very happy with my macbook pro. i will never buy another windows pc if not for some weird reason. sometimes, there are software which doesn't suppose mac and need to run through vmware. never had any issue so far. the mac hasn't hang up even once! no virus issue either.

but then, the configuration of the dell laptop is also very good. windows has an advantage of countless number of software (pirated) while for mac, its hard to find pirated copies ...nobody in his/her right mind buys software, right? lol

its upto to decide.

[ssk_the_gr8]

Looking at the config studio is the better choice. But look at acer etc. And try to get a dx11 gfx card.

[techmaniack]

yeah even i've heard abt Acer Laptops but then u c the after sales service from Dell is better!!!

Pls suggest A Laptop within 55k or so, i'd be buying one in this week itself so it URGENT

[jayantr7]

studio is better in this budget..best macs are available above 100,00...

[Pravas]

Originally Posted by jayant_raj7

studio is better in this budget..best macs are available above 100,00...

+1

[hahahari]

studio is great for your needs.

[aryayush]

@techmaniack,
I do not know which city you live in but if you have any Apple Authorised Resellers (like iStore, Imagine, etc.) where you do, walk into one of them and take a look at a Mac. They will allow you to freely use the Mac for as long as you want and you can have them point out the differences and advantages of the Mac to you. If you decide that you like Mac OS X, buy a Mac; if you don’t, buy the Dell Studio. Make an informed choice.

If you have any questions about Macs, feel free to post them here. Wish you luck with your purchase.

[Liverpool_fan]

Dell Studio is better in terms of hardware, Macbook I guess has a better OS (basing on the fact that OS X has a Unix base rather than experience), I would suggest to get the Dell Studio and try dual booting it with Linux, which will serve for your *nix needs in Engineering perfectly. Obviously if you don't care about games, you should try the OS X as well, it might very well be a good blend of Unix plus support for Adobe Software for you.

[aryayush]

Heh, the lack of games is not really a valid argument against Mac OS X anymore. Visit this URL and check out the “Mac Games Now Available” column on the left. A lot of the bestsellers on Windows are regularly being ported over to Mac OS X now and it even has Steam on it now. And that’s not to mention the thousands of famous formerly PC-only titles that have unofficially been ported over to Mac OS X using Cider buy enthusiastic fans. It’s illegal but at least they are available.

Of course, the collection is still much smaller than what is available for Windows but you will not be starved for video game entertainment on the Mac, that’s for sure.

[Liverpool_fan]

That's true, the porting of Steam and Source engine games to Mac OS X has given a HUGE boost to Mac OS X gaming market. Still for medium to heavy gaming, Windows is sadly the choice.
@Techmaniak:
You can also buy the Macbook, triple boot with Windows Server 2008 (free via dreamspark for students like you), and a distro of Linux and have the best of all the three worlds.

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by aryayush

Heh, the lack of games is not really a valid argument against Mac OS X anymore. Visit this URL and check out the “Mac Games Now Available” column on the left. A lot of the bestsellers on Windows are regularly being ported over to Mac OS X now and it even has Steam on it now. And that’s not to mention the thousands of famous formerly PC-only titles that have unofficially been ported over to Mac OS X using Cider buy enthusiastic fans. It’s illegal but at least they are available.

Of course, the collection is still much smaller than what is available for Windows but you will not be starved for video game entertainment on the Mac, that’s for sure.

it's not just gaming.


Intel® Core™ i7-720QM (1.6GHz, 4 Cores/8 Threads, turbo up to 2.8 GHz, 6MB Cache)
vs
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB on-chip shared L2 cache


4GB (2GBx2) 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
vs

# 2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB

Macbook on the other hand is better in aspects like(when compared to Dell Studio 14):

GPU
display
OS options
build

If the Op can get that Dell Studio 14 with a GPU like HD57xx series, it will be one hell of a buy.

---------- Post added at 03:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:11 PM ----------

btw, these two models look to be more balanced :

VPCEA16FG : E Series : VAIO Laptop & Computer : Sony India
VPCEB26FG : E Series : VAIO Laptop & Computer : Sony India

[aryayush]

Again with the hardware comparisons. When will you guys learn that a computer is more than just the sum of its parts? When comparing a Mac to any other computer, the only factor that matters if whether you like Mac OS X or not. That’s it! If you like Mac OS X, buy a Mac; if you don’t, don’t. Comparisons of individual hardware components are mute.

---------- Post added at 05:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:53 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Liverpool_fan

You can also buy the Macbook, triple boot with Windows Server 2008 (free via dreamspark for students like you), and a distro of Linux and have the best of all the three worlds.

“Best of all three worlds?” Sounds more like a nightmare of all three words to me, what with all the various differences between the three operating systems and having to reboot all the time.

Does he want to use a computer just for the sake of using a computer or as a means to an end? Because I sure as hell cannot imagine anyone actually getting anything done if they are switching between three operating systems on a regular basis.

[Liverpool_fan]

Originally Posted by aryayush

“Best of all three worlds?” Sounds more like a nightmare of all three words to me, what with all the various differences between the three operating systems and having to reboot all the time.

You doesn't HAVE TO reboot. Note the word "HAVE". Neither of the OSes will interfere with each other. And with that the user can have reasonable objective which one is the most reasonable to use according to the needs rather than just blinkly jumping "OMG it's mac, it's soo cool" or "my game xyz don't run, awww", etc. Of course buying a Mac and not using OS X will be waste of money, but how about the reasonable objective?

Does he want to use a computer just for the sake of using a computer or as a means to an end? Because I sure as hell cannot imagine anyone actually getting anything done if they are switching between three operating systems on a regular basis.

Well that is only YOUR imagination. Work can be segmented for each OS if it is required(I personally do it between Linux and Windows), and nothing could beat learning each of the OS for (that's an opinion). And each OS is worth a try.
Again any of those OS can be removed at any time and any kind of discomfort experienced with dual/triple-booting and all will dissappear. As I will repeat a reasonable objective is more desired rather than blatant fanboism.

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by aryayush

Again with the hardware comparisons. When will you guys learn that a computer is more than just the sum of its parts? When comparing a Mac to any other computer, the only factor that matters if whether you like Mac OS X or not. That’s it! If you like Mac OS X, buy a Mac; if you don’t, don’t. Comparisons of individual hardware components are mute.

---------- Post added at 05:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:53 PM ----------

“Best of all three worlds?” Sounds more like a nightmare of all three words to me, what with all the various differences between the three operating systems and having to reboot all the time.

Does he want to use a computer just for the sake of using a computer or as a means to an end? Because I sure as hell cannot imagine anyone actually getting anything done if they are switching between three operating systems on a regular basis.

You not switching between OSes doesn't mean that none should. And given the OPs usage, h/w does play a big part here. All that the OP has asked is to suggest some models. His budget is 60k. If you want to help, just post a brand/model that you think suites his needs and a link to check price etc. Plain and simple. Let we PC guys worry about OSes and h/w.

In one sentence: Suggest a mac for the budget and leave the discussion to us and Mute it!

[SunnyChahal]

@techmaniak I'd suggest you to go for Dell Studio 14 simply because it has superior hardware. Coupled with Windows 7 64-bit, it'll perform much better than the MacBook. I'm not saying that you shouldn't try out a Mac but looking at your needs, I feel that Dell Studio will suit you better.

As you said, you would be converting videos and running Virtual PCs on your laptop which I suppose needs powerful hardware. Just try out both the laptops and then decide what you want. You might like Mac OS X.

@aryayush Let's suppose for a minute that Mac gets all the games available on Windows. The question now is, "Are the current Macs capable enough to run those games?". I tried some of the recently released titles on my MacBook( C2D 2.4Ghz & nVidia 9400M) and it was struggling really bad even on medium settings. Performance is what techmaniak needs and I don't think MacBook could beat Dell Studio 14 in that department.

[techmaniack]

thanks guys for showing so much interest. I have almost made my mind to go with Dell (15 instead of 14, as some people suggested that there might be heaing issues with 14+i7...) Here is the config.



PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ i7-740QM (1.73GHz, 4Core/8Threads, turbo boost up to 2.93Ghz, 6M cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64bit
SECURITY SOFTWARE McAfee(R) Security Center- 30-Day Trial Version
HD DISPLAY 15.6 " 720p WLED (1366x768) Display with TrueLife™
MEMORY 4GB (2GBx2) 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM (operates at 1066MHZ for Core i3/i5, and i7-620M processors)
HARD DRIVE 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
OPTICAL DRIVE Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Combination Drive with dual layer write capabilities
BATTERIES 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
KEYBOARD Dell(TM) Backlit Keyboard with Touchpad (English)



there is only one doubt in my mind, the 1.73Ghz will this processor be slower than than the i5's in the similar price range???
Has any one of you OR any of your friends used Intel Corei7 720/740???
pls reply ASAP i'd be ordering my laptop within a couple of days...
-Thanks

[desiibond]

in the current gen, clock speed doesn't matter much. core i7 will be lot faster than core i5 for AV encoding tasks but for gaming, core i5 may have upper hand. btw, what GPU does that laptop model have?

[hackerzlab]

macbook pro has 10 hours battery life, 10x times better hardware (not in terms of processor and ram) which is the look and feel, multi touch, no anti virus and so many things u might missed out as compare to any other laptop.

u better go n have a look at the apple store before going for dell. 15inch screen?? now this is a little crazy!!

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by hackerzlab

macbook pro has 10 hours battery life, 10x times better hardware (not in terms of processor and ram) which is the look and feel, multi touch, no anti virus and so many things u might missed out as compare to any other laptop.

u better go n have a look at the apple store before going for dell. 15inch screen?? now this is a little crazy!!

stop talking like a fanboy. and please stop this no antirivus thing.

if you think that having a better case means 10x times better hardware, am sorry to say this, you do need to get some knowledge about computing.

[techmaniack]

i visited the dell store today, for a demo. All they had to test the processor was a HD video! neways i tried it on core i5 540M 3M cache (45%-50% CPU usage ) and core i7 740QM 6M cache(14%-17% CPU usage). This has made things a lot clear for me.

The question of mac is out of sight coz i don't think the performance will be anywhere around the Dells config. I just attracted towards mac because of its Brand Name and nothing else...

So, i have almost made up my mind that i would be going for Dell Studio 15...
if you have any suggestions pls feel free to share.

---------- Post added at 08:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:52 PM ----------

@DesiiBond the Graphics card is ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 1GB...

[Liverpool_fan]

Originally Posted by hackerzlab

macbook pro has 10 hours battery life, 10x times better hardware (not in terms of processor and ram) which is the look and feel, multi touch, no anti virus and so many things u might missed out as compare to any other laptop.

"No need of Antivirus" is NOT hardware dependent. You can have that with any Linux distro in that Dell for your information
And @ "10x better in terms of hardware (not in terms of proccy and ram)"

---------- Post added at 09:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:06 PM ----------

Dell Studio 15 is a solid choice

[hackerzlab]

10x times better is just a metaphor.

dude, i'm not being a fanboy here. i dont like it when somebody takes it personally. just being truthful n tryin to help.

as for my stand,

1. a windows will get virus 10 out of 10 times when given a chance while mac has a minimal chance. not that its not possible.
2. 10 hours battery life. which windows machine gives this?
3. great body
4. multi touch. (trying using your laptop for a day without an attached mouse hehe).
5. snow leopard is lighter as compared to windows OS. my own experience. i have been using windows since the days of windows 98 if u wanna know.

its trouble free as compared to windows machines.. no more comments on this.

[azzu]

Originally Posted by hackerzlab

1. a windows will get virus 10 out of 10 times when given a chance while mac has a minimal chance. not that its not possible.

Not really ..
Many of people here i assure will be usin windows from more than an year without any virus issue..
given a chance one can get...Malaria too . its all on u how u use ur system..
there's also a Os named linux which one can use if u r Allergic to windows

Originally Posted by hackerzlab

2. 10 hours battery life. which windows machine gives this?

Now go and search for 10 hours battery laptops and 8/10 laptops search returns are Windows..
ever heard of Extendable Batteries ( 9cell , 12 cell etc..)

Originally Posted by hackerzlab

3. great body

No

Originally Posted by hackerzlab

4. multi touch. (trying using your laptop for a day without an attached mouse hehe).

Agian ..many here use laptop for more than a day without .. he he he

Originally Posted by hackerzlab

5. snow leopard is lighter as compared to windows OS. my own experience. i have been using windows since the days of windows 98 if u wanna know.

its ur Own experience and there are many others too...
but finally the OP's matter most here Right ?

Originally Posted by hackerzlab

its trouble free as compared to windows machines.. no more comments on this.

WAT ?>

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by hackerzlab

10x times better is just a metaphor.

dude, i'm not being a fanboy here. i dont like it when somebody takes it personally. just being truthful n tryin to help.

as for my stand,

1. a windows will get virus 10 out of 10 times when given a chance while mac has a minimal chance. not that its not possible.
2. 10 hours battery life. which windows machine gives this?
3. great body
4. multi touch. (trying using your laptop for a day without an attached mouse hehe).
5. snow leopard is lighter as compared to windows OS. my own experience. i have been using windows since the days of windows 98 if u wanna know.

its trouble free as compared to windows machines.. no more comments on this.

Hey. We are not asking you to take stand. Your two posts showed that you recommend mac for it's look and multitouch while The op needs a powerful laptop
Tha can excel in processing power. So, suggesting app mac here is like asking to live with megan fox and not make love.

[azzu]

Originally Posted by desiibond

So, suggesting app mac here is like asking to live with megan fox and not make love.

Awesome Explanation

so OP u goin with Dell 15 ?

[Liverpool_fan]

Originally Posted by hackerzlab

10x times better is just a metaphor.

dude, i'm not being a fanboy here. i dont like it when somebody takes it personally. just being truthful n tryin to help.

as for my stand,

1. a windows will get virus 10 out of 10 times when given a chance while mac has a minimal chance. not that its not possible.
2. 10 hours battery life. which windows machine gives this?
3. great body
4. multi touch. (trying using your laptop for a day without an attached mouse hehe).
5. snow leopard is lighter as compared to windows OS. my own experience. i have been using windows since the days of windows 98 if u wanna know.

its trouble free as compared to windows machines.. no more comments on this.

You are simply comparing the two OSes against each other. Not considering factors like performance and costs. The biggest problem with OS X is the binding of their OS to Apple hardware and the extent to which their machines cost. That's why Apple products are no more than Premium Products with only the quality of their OS and some style to show for with inferior hardware. An Apple machine with good hardware costs a bomb.
Also regarding the Virus problem, I think I've already told you the answer.
Thus In this situation Dell Studio 15, is the right choice.

[aryayush]

Originally Posted by techmaniack

The question of mac is out of sight coz i don't think the performance will be anywhere around the Dells config. I just attracted towards mac because of its Brand Name and nothing else...

I know, which is why I asked you to go take a look at it.

I am not going to get involved in this Mac versus PC debate all over again but you would be doing a disservice to yourself if you have an Apple Authorised Reseller in your city and do not at least go there once and use a Mac for a little while. You are about to spend half a lac on a computer and you owe it to yourself to look at all the options out there.

The first time I was in the market for a notebook, I got one suggestion out of twenty posts to go and take a look at a Mac. Thankfully for me, even though I was almost on the brink of purchasing an HP notebook then, I listened to that one blessed commenter, and it changed my life forever. I know it sounds like an exaggeration but it really has had that impact on me. (Three years later, I Googled for his username, found his e-mail address and sent him a “thank you” note.)

You may find that you prefer the customisability of Windows or the raw processing power in a cheaper machine that PC manufacturers offer even after trying a Mac. If so, by all means, buy the Dell Studio; it sounds like a great machine.

But you won’t know what you are missing until you give it a shot.

That’s all I’m sayin’.

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by aryayush

But you won’t know what you are missing until you give it a shot.

aaah. lovely post. Can you please elaborate what will be missed?

---------- Post added at 01:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:36 PM ----------

Originally Posted by techmaniack

i visited the dell store today, for a demo. All they had to test the processor was a HD video! neways i tried it on core i5 540M 3M cache (45%-50% CPU usage ) and core i7 740QM 6M cache(14%-17% CPU usage). This has made things a lot clear for me.

The question of mac is out of sight coz i don't think the performance will be anywhere around the Dells config. I just attracted towards mac because of its Brand Name and nothing else...

So, i have almost made up my mind that i would be going for Dell Studio 15...
if you have any suggestions pls feel free to share.

---------- Post added at 08:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:52 PM ----------

@DesiiBond the Graphics card is ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 1GB...

ah. that GPU is a weak link but still, should be okay. Also, if possible opt for 1yr or 3yr complete cover accident protection. 1yr costs 800 something and three year should cost around 8k (which can be taken later too).