Help me buy a computer

[KLEIN]

Pretend that money is not a major concern, and help me find the best option for each of the following:

1 Mac and Windows compatable box

1 Monitor that can also be used as a good, if small HD TV

1 keyboard

1 mouse

[MST3Kakalina]

my hp pavilion dv5230 has a gorgeous widescreen monitor. PLUS wicked wireless capabilities (a/b/g) and a fair sized hard drive (120 GB).

[exemplary citizen]

Might I suggest the new Intel-based Macs? You can run both Windows and MacOS on them.

[Spleenazor]

aggree with ami. intel core duo for the win.

[exemplary citizen]

Hot damn, I want one of those so bad. I would finally be able to run XSI on the same machine as the rest of my stuff. :(

[Spleenazor]

Im going to buy one (hopefully) before school starts, probably the 2GHz Macbook Pro.

[Meat Load]

www.alienware.com

[exemplary citizen]

Im going to buy one (hopefully) before school starts, probably the 2GHz Macbook Pro.
How much are those running for these days? I'm kind of fiending one m'self, mostly as a portable editing station and camera controller for my weirdo-freakout-experimental whatnots. I would be using my 2001 vintage G4 notebook for that, but the optical drive took a shit on itself and quite frankly, replacing it would cost more than the machine is worth. I might as well man up and take advantage of my student discount for a new machine while I'm still enrolled.

[t3]

Hot damn, I want one of those so bad. I would finally be able to run XSI on the same machine as the rest of my stuff. :(

I envy all who own them too. They are fast as hell and have a little built in camera for to video chat with people over AIM and the like. And it's screen is of a rather awesome ilk, too.

So yeah. Macbook basically covers everything on the list, there Klein.

[exemplary citizen]

Haha. Well, I finally broke down and bought a mac-compatible webcam for doing stopmotion stuff anyway; since my GOOD camera is a reflex type, I can't preview the image except through the viewfinder, which a) risks bumping the camera once its "locked down", and b) does me zero good for a video tap that I can pull framegrabs from to preview my animation (because I suck). So the idea is to mount this here webcam on the hot-shoe of the camera and point it through the viewfinder for presto-instant-video-tap on the cheap.

Of course, problem is again, that said available remote preview machine blows goats. I really need a new laptop. :(

[mcrandmuffins]

I want a new computer or some more ink for the printer and a scanner, but I don't think they'll be coming anytime soon. ='(

[KLEIN]

But what about my HD monitor needs? You people never think of the important stuff. Without a A/V capatable monitor, how will I play my Xbox 360 and my Wii in my dorm room? I wouldn't want to share all this next-gen content. Anyone know of any good ones?

Also I do not like the current mac mouse. Does Logitech still make good mice?


Also it should be said that laptops are an abomination, and that I want a computer, not an abomination ok thanks.

[strawberry kiss]

Also it should be said that laptops are an abomination, and that I want a computer, not an abomination ok thanks.

Agreed!

I love the computer I bought, but mainly because it's mine....and I bought it. It's homemade by my dad's co-worker, so I have no recommendations. :ava:

[Spleenazor]

Ami- about 2000+ depending on how much ass you want your computer to kick.

yeah, im going to be using it for my animations and what not too, I expect most of the hardrive to be full of final cut HD crap.

Klein
logitech makes the best mice (i guess thats the plural), but unless your going to be doing some serious gaming i wouldnt suggest spending like 200$ on a mouse.

[exemplary citizen]

Hey Spleeny -- I think you mentioned it before, but you're going to college for animation, right?

[Kenji]

I'd probably suggest a Windows compatible Mac Mini, which means you can save up whatever money you originally planned on using for the actual computer into better equipment for it. I've only ever used it in the Apple store, and for such a small thing, it works pretty well. It's also portable, so you can hook it up to someone elses monitor in a different state if it's USB compatible. Good for work.

[Spleenazor]

yeah, that and american lit.

[exemplary citizen]

Where at?

[Spleenazor]

CSUF

EDIT
i really just chose Fullerton because it offers a pretty decent animation course, as well as a solid english dept. Had I gone to an art college (like CalArts or Otis or their ilk) I wouldn't get the Lit studies I so desperatly crave.

[t3]

Klein: Try customizing a computer. Since I'd wager no comapny on this mortal coil has managed to make a machine that will manage to evade evoking a single Klein-based complaint. Also, you can save quite a bit of money this way.

Why not just use, y'know, a TV for your systems? Computers can also be coaxed into displaying things on a TV, so y'know. I be you could also use the 360 like a dektop PC, I mean if the PS2 can run Linux. (Or, you could wait and buy a PS3. Sony's even boasting that "it's a computer.")

[MST3Kakalina]

is this a machine for school? because if so, you're reeeaaally going to want to stick with a laptop.

[KLEIN]

Yeah, but I really don't like laptops. The thought of doing all my major computing on one makes me feel ill. I need to be able to move the orientation of the screen, mouse, and keyboard.

[Forever Finite]

you can't be too picky. moving a desktop all over the place is not so easy. plus, easily damaged in transport.

[Spleenazor]

True, but counterpoint:
laptops are a bitch to upgrade. when you buy one, it becomes obsolete. Desktops on the other hand can be upgraded fairly easily, for a mostly nominal fee.

BUT
LAPTOPS R TEH BEST!1!!!

[Spleenazor]

BUT you can always get a virtual keyboard if youre really serious about the whole keyboard mobility thing.
This would not only be cool, but it would also make you look cool. (http://www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com/)

[MST3Kakalina]

True, but counterpoint:
laptops are a bitch to upgrade. when you buy one, it becomes obsolete. Desktops on the other hand can be upgraded fairly easily, for a mostly nominal fee.

BUT
LAPTOPS R TEH BEST!1!!!
yeah but a laptop now will still be decent enough to use for work (and gaming) during the next four years. after that you can sell it for at least a little cash and save up for that big honking desktop you want.

anyone i know that had a desktop their freshman year of college ended up getting a notebook for the next year anyway, so.

[Spleenazor]

oh, I know (im all in favor of laptops) I just wanted to present another view, resulting in (hopefully) Klein making the best decesion possible/

[Anne]

Seriously? Hardly anyone here uses laptops at all, though one guy in my Tolkien class does seem to just use a palmpilot of some kind. Good old pen and paper for everything else.

[xsbs52x]

mac and windows compatable? meaning you want a mac and you want to dual boot with boot camp? or you want a pc and you want to dual boot with os x86?

if the former, then its pretty simple, as you dont have many options. just make sure you buy one with an intel processor cause windows wont run on a powerPC processor.

if the latter, id recommend a Core 2 Duo processor, 1gb of ram (os x is a huge ram hog), and any recent ATI card. other than that it doesnt really matter. really the important thing for running os x86 is a processor that supports SSE3, lots of ram, and a decent video card.

[ln_e_is_1]

Mac has come a long way recently. I like how all of their shit is bluetooth compatible and all thier computers come bluetooth enables, so getting a wireless keyboard and mouse are easy, you just turn them on and use them. Mac has a 30" flat panel moniter that is awesome, our IT guy has one (monitor envy). They're only $2500 for the monitor. And they have S-Video and I believe composite in, so you can use it with your X-Box and DVD player in your dorm room. Also, I'm liking OSX. Coming form a Unix background, most everything is where it should be. Everything that's different from the Solaris and Red Hat builds that I use is easy to figure out. It's Unix for people who are afraid of Unix. You can live just fine with the GUI and never even know it's a BSD Unix build. Also, if you still must compute leaving your house with a bicycle helmet on because you're "special," making it dual boot with Windows is easy. Hell, since Vista is built from the ground up, it might not suck. I've been dismayed at how decent XP is, so Vista might actually be a decent OS. If coin were no issue, I'd get a dual core new Mac with that Ginormous flat panel moniter. Hell, the desktops come with videocards that support dual monitors, so get a new mac with TWO of those 30" flat panel monitors. Bling it up with matching bluetooth keyboard and bouse and a surround sound stereo system, and you're good to go.

Also, watch the laptop dissing; they make great secondary computors. Also, with the emulators out there, it's nice to be able to play any video game ever released for any system, ever!!! Thay have emulators for everything, even PS2s. Good times. I have yet to find any game I can't get ROM for. It makes that 13 hour L.A. - Rome non-stop flight actually kinda fun. Checker has 12V-120V inverters for both car and plane for $40. Who needs a battery?