Laptop searching...

[Mao]

Yes, you can get microsoft office on mac. No, you won't be able to use most of the pointless windows software. Yes, there are better mac alternatives than endnote. Yes, any sufficiently useful program has a mac version. No, if the program you want doesn't have a mac alternative, it is probably useless to begin with.

People are forgetting something about mac users. Some of these users have little idea about computers and decided to pick the easier road, the rest are hardcore academics and professionals who will stop at nothing to have their computer running at optimal productivity (have a look around, every scientist and engineer these days rolls with an Apple). A year ago I would be skeptical towards apple computers, it's not until you use one that you understand why apple users try to convert others.

[Russ]

a dell xps would most likely be faster in most cases, and with the new nvidia tech in it, possibly longer battery life due to offloading tasks onto the gpu (compared to 15inch mac book pro).

This is a joke right?

[jaker1993]

a dell xps would most likely be faster in most cases, and with the new nvidia tech in it, possibly longer battery life due to offloading tasks onto the gpu (compared to 15inch mac book pro).

This is a joke right?

If its possible to get the 9 cell option, it probably would out perform it. i looked mac book pro's up in 15inch range, and all of them start at 2000+, while an xps starts at 1300.
depends on how you customize it.

[ioaus09]

Generally, I would not get Dell laptops, the build quality is bad and the customer service is bad. The XPS has decent (not great) specs, but it looks horrible (quite heavy as well). Alienware has the best specs, but it looks bad, screen too small and the battery is quite bad for the price you are paying for it. Toshiba Qosmio has good specs, but again battery lasts only 2.5hrs or so, but DONT GET THE F60!! especially from JB hifi , get another qosmio if you must. Asus has good laptops, but customer service is horrible very very horrible. The Thinkpad range is pretty good, the Lenovo ThinkPad T410s (Optimus) is great, but Lenovo won't win any beauty contests. I would look at the Tosh Satellite range the Toshiba Satellite A665-S6050 Core i5 is pretty Good (my friend has one, battery isn't the best though).

I'm getting the protege r700 from America (AU$1 = $1US Yo). I'm tanking up the specs costs which costs $3k here but 1,900US. It is the best ultraportable i've seen so far (weighs only 1kg, but has a full processor, graphics and dvd drive - something most ultraportables downgrade), Graphics card on it is decent, can't play Crysis 2  on it, but it can play game like Mass effect 2, football manager 2011 etc, I think this is the best, but not for gamers.

Don't get a Mac,  it is too expensive and the specs aren't that good for the price (contrary to popular belief, you can't play games and heavy media on it properly even on the pros.), if you must get it, get extended warranty. It is $300 to replace just 1 key (the "e" key) from my keyboard and $200 for a replacement battery. With the money I spent on it in just 2 years, I could of gotten a top of the range desktop. Seriously, I'm typing this from a Macbook Pro, and I do regret this. All In All , It is a decent laptop, but it not worth the money you will spend. Many people have it now because it is "trendy" and it is a status symbol (most people think that macbook owners are rich    ).

haha lots of stuff, i was looking for a laptop as well.

[TrueLight]

hey thanks ioaus09!
in the end i bought an asus n53sv (lol i was really indecisive) and im happy with it, yea the battery isnt that great and theres alot of preloaded programs but its fast, screen 15.6" looks great, speakers are good, its not light but its not very heavy either, good screen size, has numpad and it has i7 too. i was seriously considering the xps but maybe its better i didn't lol