Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Dell PC Laptop vs MacBook Pro

I decided to go online to Dell and Apple and configure a similar quality and performing Dell 15" Laptop with a MacBook Pro 15" and compare their prices in US dollars. The reason is as I mentioned in a previous post I get Mac withdrawals during the day as I use Windows XP on an IBM Thinkpad when I am on site at clients. I only get to use my iMac and 13" MacBook Pro back at my office. I am now seriously thinking of switching to a MacBook Pro 15" for onsite usage. So here goes.

Dell Precision M4400 Laptop ($1905)
  • 15.4" UltraSharp WXGA+ (1440x900) LED Display
  • Intel® Core 2 Duo P8800 (2.66GHz, 3M L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
  • Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate, 64-bit
  • 4.0GB, DDR2-800 SDRAM, 2 DIMMS
  • 500GB Hard Drive, 7200 RPM
  • 8X DVD with Cyberlink Power DVD
  • NVIDIA Quadro FX 770M, 512MB
  • 10/100/1000 Ethernet, Wireless-n, Bluetooth
  • FireWire, USB 2.0 (x4), VGA, Display Port, Audio, eSATA
  • 9 cell battery, productivity life not specified
  • 5.92 lbs (2.69 kg)
  • Environment None (Due to camera selected)
  • Software: Not specified

MacBook Pro 15-inch: 2.66GHz ($2149)
  • 15" Glossy Widescreen Display 1440-by-900-pixel LED-backlit display
  • Intel Core 2 Duo (2.66GHz, 3MB on-chip shared L2 cache, 1066MHz frontside bus)
  • Snow Leopard, 64-bit
  • 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
  • 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
  • 8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
  • NVIDIA GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT with 256MB
  • 10/100/1000 Ethernet, Wireless-n, Bluetooth 2.1
  • FireWire 800, USB 2.0 (x2), Mini DisplayPort, Audio
  • 7-hour wireles productivity battery
  • 5.5 lbs (2.49 kg)
  • Environment ENERGY STAR Version 5.0, ePeat Gold
  • Software: iLife (includes iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand), Backup (Time Machine)
Ok, I am shocked, the Dell Laptop is only $144 less than the MacBook Pro but has no aluminum unibody, no multi-touch trackpad, no iLife software, no advanced email/address book/contacts (unless you buy MS Office). Also MS Office on Mac is $149.95 whereas on a PC it is $349 for the professional version. In fact Dell does not even mention the battery life or the software they install on their laptops. Also Dell is currently having a special otherwise the above laptop would have cost $365 more plus the cost of shipping which is not always free.

Can't say the website experience on the Dell site was great either as I had to painstakingly go through each option as many of them were not standard, plus all the 3rd party products they were trying to sell me along the way. It took almost 20 minutes more for me to get the Dell Laptop with my options into the shopping cart. On the Apple website it took a few minutes as most items were standard. Ok am I missing something again? I would say there is no question get a MacBook Pro.
Posted by at 5:23 PM
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16 comments:

  1. My post compares price but the true comparison is Mac OS X vs Windows XP/Vista/7. This is where the user experience of Mac OS X makes users come to love the Mac. Whether you are developer or systems admin who likes working at the Unix shell level or an everyday user who just want to be productive using the User Interface and Apps, Mac OS X has everything for all levels.
    ReplyDelete
  2. The strongest thing to consider in a comparison of the MacBook vs. PC laptop is the operating system. Chances are good that you have not used Mac OS X that much. However, you probably do have some experience using Windows. So, the first thing to consider is do you want to switch to a new operating system? Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Windows 7 have more differences than similarities. Thus, you will need to learn how to use the MacBook.
    ReplyDelete
  3. Macs have been on Intel processors for some time now though, making analysing Mac versus PC hardware a bit more like comparing (ahem) apples to apples. Not to mention more and more PC vendors are copying Apple's style and features in order to stay competitive. Things are more alike than they've ever been.
    ReplyDelete
  5. this post is very informative and useful...
    ReplyDelete
  6. As its not very difficult to choose that which one is better DELL or MACK BOOK PRO.
    DELL IS BETTER I THINK BECAUSE IT HELPS YOU IN IN YOUR MULTI PURPOSE WORK.
    AS LOOKING FOR MACK BOOK IS NOT HELPFUL BUT ITS QUITE IMPRESSIVE.
    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for shearing the knowledge. It elaborates my searching working. i am finding from long time it is helpful for my searching work.
    ReplyDelete
  8. Nice post. This post is different from what I read on most blog. And it have so many valuable things to learn.Thank you for your sharing!
    ReplyDelete
  9. I decided I'm buying a MacBook Pro 15". Here's why:
    MacBook pro refurbished w/apple care: $1500

    HP laptop starting at $850
    +antivirus: $150
    +a real photo editing program: $100
    +a vid editing program that will work: $200
    +2gb DDR3 ram to make the laptop even boot: $50
    ++++++++++++++++++as the years go by of antivirus updates etc etc etc...
    HP: $1,350...and not having the power still of a MacBook pro...thanks anyway...I'll add the two hundred buck for the apple MBP!
    Macs are cheaper! Seriously!!!
    Do some research...you'll find it's true!
    ReplyDelete
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