My budget for the new computer is:
$1500, but less if I go the PC route
What are the primary uses for this computer (IE: mail, web browsing, programming, games, etc?
It's for my wife. She does occasional consulting work which involves MS Office programs like Word & Powerpoint. Need file conversion capability on that front, at the least. But vast majority of hours are spent web browsing, Facebook etc. Little or no gaming. Sometimes will watch DVDs. Biggest frustration with her current Dell Laptop (about 3-4 yrs old) is how slow it is, which might relate to limited RAM, but also seems to relate to poor wireless radio power. Her wireless reception seems really weak compared to my work laptop in same environment. I just installed an N+ router and would like to max that out. But overall, speed is THE frustration driver. I was particularly frustrated by how much McAfee AV/Firewall slowed down her machine, which I eventually uninstalled, but all programs seem to run fairly slow. Have also had problems with the battery and the charge cord, so I'm about fed up with Dell.
What software do you intend on using on the computer?
Chrome and the MS Office package. Outlook for email. Important to have email functionality with storage on our machine, not on web somewhere.
Do you play games? If so, what type of games?
Rarely. Sometimes the kids will install and use when on a vacation.
Do you tend to have a lot of programs running at the same time, or do you close every program when you are done using it?
Fair amount of multi-tasking, although only with programs previously mentioned. Sometimes the work files are large MB with lots of images, which of course slows down current machine.
Do you store a lot of pictures or music on the computer?
Pix no. Itunes music yes. Not a primary source of music archive in our 'network'. But some.
Bonus question:
I am so sick of the antivirus/firewall crap and all the MS and windows nonsense, that I am tempted to go Mac Powerbook. However, I only "speak" PC so am a little worried about the learning curve. She is non-tech, and so I have to fix problems, and I'm not very tech either (why is why I love this site).
So, in summary -- PC or Mac? And if PC, which are the best laptops (brands or actual models) I should consider.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
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