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solofx7 · Dec 18, 2007, 01:27 PM

My lady just bought a new Dell XPS 1530.
For the money, roughly 1200 she got a pretty good machine.
The problem being it has Vista and I refuse to be the one that works on it.
I cannot talk her into a Macbook because of the smaller screen and it is not pretty as the Dell with the red leather case.
Can anyone make any portable Mac suggestions that would be in the same price/configuration range?

Dell XPS M1530 Product Details

Cold Warrior · Dec 18, 2007, 02:56 PM

I get an error with your link

An iMac is the best high-performance, large-screen Mac you'll get for your price.

If you don't like Vista, consider 'upgrading' to XP Pro.

Smillz · Dec 18, 2007, 04:13 PM

Macbook can compete with those laptops

Cold Warrior · Dec 18, 2007, 04:25 PM

You're asking for a Mac laptop recommendation, yet your 'lady' refuses to accept a Macbook b/c of the screen size.

There are no options for you, unless, like I wrote previously, you get an iMac.

Or a Macbook with an external LCD monitor.

Laminar · Dec 18, 2007, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by Smillz

Macbook can compete with those laptops

Processor and memory-wise, perhaps, but to get a portable Mac with a comparable graphics unit and screen size, you're going to need to spend $2000.

peeb · 06:21 PM

It's not really worth playing the 'price-per' game like this. If she wants a 15 inch screen, and is prepared to put up with Windows and all the crap that comes on a Dell, then it looks like this is a good choice for her.
I guess, re-reading your post, that the problem is that she may be prepared to put up with Windows and all that crap, but will expect you to fix it all the time. I might be worth kicking in the extra cash to get her an MBP, just for that.

Sub · Dec 18, 2007, 06:44 PM

Dell's aren't bad machines...all you have to do is wipe them when you get them. Since Dell actually came back to the company, the new ones on the market should last as long as the tan ones, unlike the black ones that died after 3 years.
My Xps R just celebrated it's 11th birthday.

However, a Mac with windows on it will kick a dell in the pants..haha, especially the MBP, so I guess I am with peeb.

mduell · Dec 18, 2007, 06:46 PM

A refurb 15" MacBook Pro comes the closest.

Did she actually want Vista? If not she could have bought it with XP.

Christopera · Dec 18, 2007, 07:30 PM

Sadly, the majority of the computer buying population doesn't care what they get as long as it is a computer that looks good. I can't tell you how many times friends and relatives have made bad decisions when purchasing computers and I am left with my hand on my forehead. Purchasing is confusing and many people would rather just buy than do the research.

redhot_nyc · 12:00 AM

MacBook Pro: 336,000 more pixels (two iPhones worth), LED screen backlight, glossy OR matte screen, gigabit ethernet, Wireless N (not B/G), Bluetooth 2, illuminated keyboard, Firewire 800, full-size Firewire 400, DVI-out, MagSafe power adapter etc. All of which are available or yet-to-be-available options for the Dell.

We have to go all the way back to 2001 to find a Powerbook without gigabit ethernet, and prior to 2001 to find a Powerbook with lower resolution-to-size ratio. We also have to take a step back in time to find VGA-out on any Mac. (although the Dell does have HDMI-out)

solofx7 · Dec 24, 2007, 11:33 AM

Thank you all for your help.
Performance is not the issue, nor is the Mac OS X , it is the 15 inch screen the looks of the machine, and the price.
I am doing everything that I can to talk her into it because I am sick of fixing Windows issues. I am so tired of doing it for my friends just because I know what I am doing .
I feel this obligation to make their machines run as best as I can.
I am cornered on this one. Any other thoughts?

analogika · Dec 24, 2007, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by solofx7

I feel this obligation to make their machines run as best as I can.
I am cornered on this one. Any other thoughts?

Yes: Start charging for your time.

I am not kidding.

What is your time worth? Your employer wastes your time on stuff you wouldn't do on your own accord - what does he pay you?
Why should you do stuff you don't enjoy for free on YOUR OWN TIME?

Just flat-out refuse to do it for free, and, in the case of your significant other: the first time, spring for a paid support guy to come in and fix the mess.

I've found that simply not being available for a week while some friend had a computer emergency worked wonders - they found a commercial support service and were rather stunned at what people charge for stuff you'd been doing out of friendship.

mduell · Dec 24, 2007, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by redhot_nyc

MacBook Pro: 336,000 more pixels (two iPhones worth)

The M1530 offers 1680x1050, 468,000 more pixels (three iPhones worth?) than the MBP's 1440x900.

Originally Posted by redhot_nyc

Wireless N (not B/G), Bluetooth 2

M1530 has both of those.

Originally Posted by redhot_nyc

DVI-out...
We also have to take a step back in time to find VGA-out on any Mac. (although the Dell does have HDMI-out)

Converting HDMI to DVI is trivial (same bus, different connector) and cheap. The MBP does have dual link DVI, which only matters if you have a 30" display.

Originally Posted by redhot_nyc

prior to 2001 to find a Powerbook with lower resolution-to-size ratio.

Apple has never offered a 15" laptop with the same resolution as the M1530 offers.

As long as we're comparing deficiencies, where's the full size (/54) ExpressCard slot in the MBP? Or flash card reader? Or high-performance low-power SSD option? And HDMI port for audio+video in one easy cable? And built in high-speed WWAN?

Each laptop has its strengths; let's not pretend the MBP really stands above the rest.

solofx7 · Dec 24, 2007, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by analogika

Yes: Start charging for your time.

I am not kidding.

What is your time worth? Your employer wastes your time on stuff you wouldn't do on your own accord - what does he pay you?
Why should you do stuff you don't enjoy for free on YOUR OWN TIME?

Just flat-out refuse to do it for free, and, in the case of your significant other: the first time, spring for a paid support guy to come in and fix the mess.

I've found that simply not being available for a week while some friend had a computer emergency worked wonders - they found a commercial support service and were rather stunned at what people charge for stuff you'd been doing out of friendship.

I very much agree with you, but it is tough at times...
I really want to find a good Mac for the lady.
Over time i will be getting rid of the 3 windows machines...

zaghahzag · Dec 24, 2007, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by solofx7

Thank you all for your help.
Performance is not the issue, nor is the Mac OS X , it is the 15 inch screen the looks of the machine, and the price.
I am doing everything that I can to talk her into it because I am sick of fixing Windows issues. I am so tired of doing it for my friends just because I know what I am doing .
I feel this obligation to make their machines run as best as I can.
I am cornered on this one. Any other thoughts?

My wife was the same way with her PCs laptop pieces of ****. Unfortunately, I know enough about windows to be able to keep them working, at the expense of my soul. I told her that I just wouldn't do it anymore, that it wasn't worth my sanity. I bought her a MBP and run winXP in parallels on it, which lets me do snapshots and makes it 1000x more secure since I can force it's always behind OSX.

Just refuse to take it anymore. It's not worth it.

The final straw for me was when we sent her sony in to get fixed and it came back completely reset to factory EXCEPT IT HAD A VIRUS ON IT. The guys in the shop probably turned on its wireless and like a good little box, it connected automatically to some network where it got instantly infected.

Tell her that she can keep her POS dell, but when it breaks and she keeps getting disconnected to the tech support in India, that she's on her own.

As for dells being good machines, in my experience they're cheap and dell's support is way sub-par.

If she just wants a big screen and she doesn't need dual-cores, get her 15 or 17 inch g4 powerbook. If she doesn't like aluminum, you are SOL though.

peeb · Dec 24, 2007, 03:38 PM

You said that to you wife? IIRC the OP is not married yet - better still do the tech support...

zaghahzag · Dec 25, 2007, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by peeb

You said that to you wife? IIRC the OP is not married yet - better still do the tech support...

Yeah, well, maybe if I'd known how long she was gonna make me suffer with windows, I'd not have popped the question.

lol..

yeah but you're right. this is a moment where you have to decide how worth your GF is to you. Is she worth having to support her POS dell? That can be a really tough call. With apple's most recent growth in market share, there are a lot more mac girls out there to pick from.

solofx7 · Dec 25, 2007, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by zaghahzag

Yeah, well, maybe if I'd known how long she was gonna make me suffer with windows, I'd not have popped the question.

lol..

yeah but you're right. this is a moment where you have to decide how worth your GF is to you. Is she worth having to support her POS dell? That can be a really tough call. With apple's most recent growth in market share, there are a lot more mac girls out there to pick from.

hehe...
I am not sure she is worth dealing with Dell and Windows...
just kidding.
Basically, she is considering giving the Dell to one of her sons and "possibly" getting a Mac.
The getting a Mac part makes me happy, but the crappy part is that the Dell is still hanging around ass "part of the family."
She knows in the long run that the whole house is going to be Mac and there is nothing that she can do about it

but I may end up losing this Dell battle.
Trust me when I say this, I know that when everything is taken into account, there is no comparison at all between Mac and PC, but this configuration thing is killing me. Even with a student discount, the cheapest that I can get the MacBook Pro 15 is $1799.00 which is out of the price range. A desktop is out of the question for her mobile needs. Honestly she does not need the power of the MacBook Pro, but the screen size is the only reason it came into the conversation, but then so did the price.

Thank you all for your help and let me know if there are any new thoughts?

peeb · Dec 25, 2007, 07:21 PM

refurbs are the way to go.

Jesus On Cheese · Dec 25, 2007, 09:02 PM

She bought a Dell. She's beyond help. Just smile and nod politely

Sage · Dec 25, 2007, 09:16 PM

Why does she need the 15" screen? Can you convince her to get a MacBook and a cheapie external LCD?

BTW, has she actually tried out a MacBook? Somehow, the MacBook’s 1280x800 screen feels like a vast, yawning chasm compared to a 1024x768 screen. I had an iBook, and hated hated hated the size of the screen, but now I have a MacBook, and the screen size is just perfect 99% of the time. It’s really uncanny how much of a difference the widescreen format makes.

solofx7 · Dec 26, 2007, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by Sage

Why does she need the 15" screen? Can you convince her to get a MacBook and a cheapie external LCD?

BTW, has she actually tried out a MacBook? Somehow, the MacBook’s 1280x800 screen feels like a vast, yawning chasm compared to a 1024x768 screen. I had an iBook, and hated hated hated the size of the screen, but now I have a MacBook, and the screen size is just perfect 99% of the time. It’s really uncanny how much of a difference the widescreen format makes.

trust me, I agree with you about the screensize.
I myself have a 17 Macbook Pro and I got the larger screen so i could avoid buying a screen.
For like 90% of what I do, the MacBook would be more than fine.
I am not sure why she has fallen in love with the larger screen and for the looks there is nothing more I can say is that there is something to be said for simplicity.
In the long run I will win, but I know that in the meantime when Vista craps the bed I am going to have to handle it.

zaghahzag · Dec 26, 2007, 10:05 PM

For some women, size does matter. duh.

Still you'd think that 13 inches would be enough. Am I going to hell?

solofx7 · Dec 27, 2007, 10:27 AM

13inches of a computer that works should be more than enough.
It's not like she is playing doom.

zaghahzag · Dec 27, 2007, 01:40 PM

Did you tell her its not the size of the screen but how you use it? Point out Spaces to her. Makes a 13 inch screen feel like a much bigger screen. (if you can figure out how to use the stupid thing)

solofx7 · Dec 27, 2007, 03:10 PM

I let her know about spaces and I use it myself all of the time.

imitchellg5 · Dec 27, 2007, 03:33 PM

Why couldn't you maybe get a refurbished or used MacBook Pro? That would alleviate the size issue, and she probably wouldn't notice any speed difference.

solofx7 · Dec 28, 2007, 03:18 AM

I have not found any refurbs that meet her needs.

brettcamp · Dec 29, 2007, 06:59 AM

Here's a good link to good deals on 15" G4 PowerBooks. I'm using one from 2005 (1.5 GB RAM) and it's working just fine in 10.4.11. And here's a similar link to good deals on 17" G4s. Most of these run <$1000, <$800 for the 15". And don't forget the option mentioned here a couple times already: augment a MacBook with a cheap external display of 17" - 20" for her to use at her desk.