Thank you for your input. I`m well aware that my last computer is not representative of all Windows laptops, but I merely mentioned it since it was stated earlier in this thread how almost any laptop would do. Further, it`s been like this right from the box, so I doubt it is any software or virus issues. As for choosing or not choosing MAC, I`ll take note of what you`re saying and I think I may get just as good a deal on a powerful Windows laptop with similar specifications at a far better price, but, I have talked to a lot of people who run Windows on their MAC and is very happy with that solution. Regards, LF
I'm 100% for windows, but when you say "powerful windows computer at a far better price," that is simply not going to happen. All of the high end laptops by Dell/HP/Asus are the same price as the high end Macbook Pros ($2k+, occasionally a couple hundred less). There's a reason why 92% of all laptops bought costing over $1,500 are Macs. You can buy a brand new 17" Macbook Pro (1920x1200 - perfect for trading, ideal laptop resolution) on ebay for $1900. You can look around for other laptops, but they're all going to be the same price. Anyting less, and you're talking very small resolutions - the next step down is 1600x900, which is about HALF of 1080p. And don't tell me about netbooks! Bottom line: are you worth 1600x900, or 1920x1080? I hope you believe it's the latter... spend some bucks and get a laptop with a decent screen, which will probably be a Mac. Don't be cheap, it's not like you're a barber needing a laptop to email your former roommate!
BTW, I run Windows 7 Ultimate on my Macbook Pro with ease. While I still strongly prefer Windows on a desktop over Macintosh OS, OSX Lion has exceeded my expectations, and I actually like OSX 10.6 on a laptop more than Windows 7. Even better, all my trading software (java based) runs fine on OSX. If you have had a windows computer before, you probably won't need to purchased a new copy of windows, just use the serial on that laptop. .
That's quite a stretch: 17" MacBook Pro $2400 17" Dell XPS $1200 There's little point of getting a MAC if your intention is to run Windows 7. By doing so you're increasing your failure rate (having to maintain two OSes instead of one). If you can use Mac OS exclusively (interactive brokers, inverstor R/T, etc...) than OSX is a more stable solution than W7 just because malware and exploits are not as common.
there are good apple laptops for $999 Also, after 3 years, you sell your apple on ebay for 50% of the purchase price, for how much do you sell your dull after 3 years? Right.
One other thing I forgot to mention - the Macbook Pro is the only laptop with multi monitor capability. You can plug up to four 1080p monitors, or two 1440p monitors via the thunderbolt port. No external hardware or third party devices necessary, besides some screens. This makes it more of a desktop replacement than any dell will ever be. New MBP 17": $2k ASUS builds a very competitive 1080p laptop for $1,100 (link below)... go to best buy to see it in person, I don't think the extra weight (few ounces) is such a big deal. It's not like you're a woman or anything. IMHO, these are the only two options for high res laptops. All of the others are the same priced, and simply do not compare to the design of Asus and MBP, the price of ASUS and the versatility (and I suppose prestige) of the MBP. Hey stupid, Your 17" XPS has an incredibly shitty and laughable 1600x900 resolution. That's half of the 1920x1200 you get with a MBP, or 1920x1080 of a PC laptop (also in the $1.5k+ price range) MBP starts at $2k, not the four hundred more that you listed (unless you're going to buy from the apple store). Get it at Best Buy, eBay (sealed new from dealers) or a university book store for about 20-30% less sticker. Your statement about failure rate is the stupidest thing I've heard so far today... and while OSX has few exploits, there is still no excuse to get these problems with Win7. Like I said, there's a reason why Mac's have 92% market share for laptops above $1.5k. If you think you're a 1600x900 person, then by all means, get the yesteryear email machine... Anyways, I digress. IMHO, get a 17" Macbook Pro or 1080p ASUS laptop. ASUS is very competitive at $1,100. The MBP will give you multi monitor functionality out of the box, and ASUS will save you a few hundred for a top of the line machine. Honestly, you're not going to find a better priced high res laptop. If you want to look at the M6500's from Dell, fine, but they're actually more expensive than both the Mac and ASUS variants. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7124324&CatId=4938
One reason could be that the masses are fucking stupid and consistently wrong. Thanks for your input, though. I`m sure it is a great machine and I may very well end up buying one.
If you go to the second photo in the top slide show, you'll see the 17" with the multi monitor setup (on 1440p monitors - each monitor is about two 1920x1080) http://www.apple.com/displays/
If anyone is looking for a solid laptop deal...here ya go: http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/277406 Regular price: $1,613.99 Sale price: $899.99 (plus free shipping) Dell XPS 17.3" 1920x1080 LED Intel Core i7-2670QM 2.2GHz Quad-Core Sandy Bridge 8GB RAM 1TB HDD Blu-Ray reader Windows 7 Home Premium NVIDIA Geforce GT550M 1GB (and you can upgrade and change around the configuration as well)