The Wall Street Journal’s Walter S. Mossberg is out with his most recent personal computer buyer’s guide.
Mossberg writes, “As always, this is a general guide aimed at mainstream, nontechnical consumers who dwell on common tasks such as email, instant messaging and surfing the Web; managing and lightly editing photos, videos and music; and using basic office applications. It is not intended for heavy gamers, video producers or corporate buyers.”
“In my view, Apple’s Leopard operating system is faster, better and far less prone to malicious software than Microsoft’s Vista operating system. And the Mac laptops also come with better built-in software. The $1,099 MacBook is a solid, fairly priced machine, and the $1,999 MacBook Pro is even better. Both also can run Windows,” Mossberg writes. “But Windows laptops are often less expensive…”
MacDailyNews Take: You get what you pay for; spec out a WIndows laptop that compares with what’s offered in an Apple notebook and check the prices. You’ll likely be very surprised at the Mac’s price-competitiveness. Apple refuses to compete in the bargain basement junk PC market. Apple wants to satisfy customers; they won’t make junk for the sake of low sticker prices. Apple has a reputation for quality that they will not sacrifice to pad their market share numbers like HP, Dell, Gateway, etc.
We can’t ship junk. There are thresholds we can’t cross because of who we are. The difference is, we don’t offer stripped-down, lousy products. – Apple CEO Steve Jobs, August 7, 2007
Mossberg continues, “If you’re buying an Apple laptop, two gigabytes of memory is plenty. If you’re using Vista Home Premium, I’d consider three gigabytes for best performance.”
MacDailyNews Take: Don’t forget to factor that extra RAM into the price comparison. While you’re at it, factor in the cost of your time, the cost of Antivirus software and the processor cycles to run it, and the general frustration tax that Windows routinely exacts.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Windows-only users: Get a Mac and you’ll never look back. Don’t just take our word for it — we are MacDailyNews, after all. Don’t even rely on just Walt Mossberg’s advice, either. Instead, please see the wealth of related articles below from an extremely wide variety of sources and you’ll find out pretty quickly that your next computer should be a Mac.
Related articles:
Gartner: Microsoft’s Windows collapsing under its own weight – April 09, 2008
ChangeWave: Mac OS X Leopard satisfaction far outpaces Vista; Apple Mac strong despite PC slowdown – March 26, 2008
PC Magazine reviews Apple’s Mac OS X 10.5.2 Leopard: ‘By far the best consumer OS available’ – February 21, 2008
Mercury News: There’s never been a better time to switch to Apple Mac – February 19, 2008
Chris Pirillo: 50 Reasons to switch from Microsoft Windows to Apple’s Mac OS X – February 18, 2008
InfoWorld: Time to dump Microsoft’s Windows and ‘Get a Mac?’ – February 18, 2008
PC Mag: Apple’s Mac OS X 10.5.2 Leopard is strongest case yet for Windows PC users to switch to Mac – February 15, 2008
Microsoft already giving up on Windows Vista – February 02, 2008
Microsoft’s Windows Vista one year later: ‘the chrome has worn off the turd’ – January 30, 2008
Laptop Magazine offers online Windows to Mac Switcher’s Guide – January 30, 2008
Microsoft’s Windows Vista: Your Frustration. Our Fault. – January 30, 2008
ExtremeTech: Microsoft’s Windows Vista simply can’t compete with Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard – November 12, 2007
Computerworld: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard spanks Microsoft’s Windows Vista – November 07, 2007
Salon: It’s time to buy an Apple Mac; Macs cost less to own than PCs – November 06, 2007
Chicago Tribune reviews Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard: Further proof that computing needn’t be stressful – November 03, 2007
Fast Company: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard handily outshines all other computing interfaces – November 02, 2007
Houston Chronicle reviews Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard: A winner for Mac users and Windows switchers – November 01, 2007
MSNBC reviews Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard: ‘An even better experience with an already excellent OS’ – November 01, 2007
PC Magazine reviews Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard: ‘By far the best operating system ever written…’ – October 30, 2007
Apple sells two million copies of Mac OS X Leopard in first weekend – October 30, 2007
CNET’s Reisinger: Apple’s Leopard will open the Mac OS X floodgates and embarrass Microsoft – October 29, 2007
ZDNet’s Kingsley-Hughes: Mac OS X Leopard’s Time Machine ‘brilliant, fantastic, an absolute winner’ – October 29, 2007
Ars Technica reviews Apple’s Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: ‘Absolutely packed with improvements’ – October 29, 2007
BBC: Apple’s new Mac OS X Leopard’s Time Machine and Quick Look alone worth upgrading – October 29, 2007
CNET’s Reisinger: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard’s Time Machine interface is perfect – October 27, 2007
IT Business: US$129 for Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard is money well spent – October 27, 2007
Guardian Unlimited reviews Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard: ‘a very solid platform for the future’ – October 26, 2007
CNET reviews Apple’s Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: ‘Excellent’ – October 26, 2007
Dallas Morning News: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard is a leap forward – October 26, 2007
Apple pulls wireless backup from initial Mac OS X Leopard release – October 26, 2007
Wired: Mac OS X Leopard may be Apple’s most revolutionary product release of 2007 – October 25, 2007
Technology Review: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard is ‘visually stunning, fast and stable’ – October 25, 2007
USA Today: With Leopard, Apple’s already superior Mac OS X widens lead over Microsoft’s Windows – October 25, 2007
New York Times’ Pogue reviews Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard: ‘Powerful and polished’ – October 25, 2007
Mossberg reviews Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard: ‘better and faster than Windows Vista’ – October 25, 2007
Mac OS X Leopard’s new Time Machine – October 12, 2007
Microsoft must abandon the Windows Vista albatross – September 26, 2007
Forbes: Microsoft’s Windows Vista and Office ‘Blunder 2007’ will drive a lot of users to Apple – September 17, 2007
NPD: Windows Vista retail sales down down 60-percent vs. XP – September 11, 2007
Apple’s Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard shames Microsoft’s Windows Vista – August 31, 2007
Pioneer Press reviews Apple iMac: ‘An ideal family computer; Mac OS X puts Vista to shame’ – August 17, 2007
2008 Olympic Games dump unstable, unreliable Windows Vista – August 16, 2007
Vista Nightmare: The ‘Oww!’ Starts Now – July 28, 2007
Ballmer: ‘Vista doesn’t get done by three people in a garage in three days’ – July 27, 2007
Acer chief slams Microsoft: ‘The entire industry is disappointed by Windows Vista’ – July 23, 2007
Mercury News: Mac OS X already beats Windows Vista, Leopard will widen the gap – June 12, 2007
Apple ought to send Microsoft flowers and nice ‘Thank You’ note for Windows Vista – May 21, 2007
U.S. News & World Report: Apple Macs are attractive, stable, secure, and more fun than Windows – May 16, 2007
The full horror of Windows Vista – May 14, 2007
Apple need not rush Mac OS X Leopard to market; Tiger already superior to Windows Vista – May 03, 2007
IDC: Apple Mac shows market share gains despite launch of Windows Vista – April 30, 2007
Windows Vista: Emperor Microsoft’s new clothes – April 29, 2007
Forget VIsta: Beleaguered Dell brings back Windows XP, people also asking for Mac OS X – April 19, 2007
Windows user spends 30 Days with Windows Vista: ‘It’s a lemon, an unstable operating system’ – April 04, 2007
Network World: Need a new PC for Vista? Switching to Mac may cost less and give you more – March 16, 2007
Analyst: Microsoft’s Windows Vista is very good for Apple Mac – March 13, 2007
The Register reviews Microsoft’s Windows Vista: ‘Don’t buy it’ – February 20, 2007
Forbes: ‘Windows Vista utterly unimaginative, internally discordant and woefully out of tune’ – February 09, 2007
Windows sufferer spends six hours trying to ‘upgrade’ to Vista, says: ‘I should’ve bought a Mac’ – February 07, 2007
Windows Vista woes push BBC News editor to regret never having ‘defected’ to Apple Mac – February 06, 2007
Microsoft’s Windows Vista: Five years for a chrome-plated turd – January 30, 2007
Digit: ‘Microsoft’s Windows Vista may be the best reason yet to buy an Apple Mac’ – January 29, 2007
Pioneer Press: Windows Vista shows ‘Apple is an innovation engine; Microsoft, not so much’ – January 29, 2007
Windows Vista disappoints, so get a Mac – January 29, 2007
Analyst: Microsoft’s Windows Vista could be an opportunity for Apple – January 26, 2007
CNET Reviews Windows Vista: Is that all? Clunky and not very intuitive vs. Mac OS X; warmed-over XP – January 24, 2007
InformationWeek Review: Apple’s Mac OS X shines in comparison with Microsoft’s Windows Vista – January 06, 2007
Computerworld: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard’s ‘Time Machine’ is truly remarkable – October 05, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista: If you can’t innovate… try to impersonate Apple’s Mac OS X – August 10, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s new Mac OS X Leopard sets new bar, leaves Microsoft’s Vista in the dust – August 08, 2006
eWeek: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard with 3-D Time Machine is amazing – August 08, 2006
Computerworld: Microsoft Windows Vista a distant second-best to Apple Mac OS X – June 02, 2006
Moving train wreck that is Windows Vista to leave the station in late 2006/early 2007 – June 01, 2006
How to delete a shortcut in Windows Vista in just 7 steps – June 01, 2006
Pirillo critiques Windows Vista with long lists of mistakes – May 30, 2006
Video of Microsoft’s Windows Vista beta 2 release in action – May 23, 2006
Report: Microsoft Windows Vista could drive users even more nuts than usual – May 16, 2006
Yankee Group: Windows Vista to alienate business with disruptive security features – May 09, 2006
Windows Vista to be Microsoft’s last operating system? – April 21, 2006
Thurrott: Microsoft collapsing under its own weight, Gates has driven Windows Vista into the ground – April 20, 2006
Microsoft employees call for heads to roll over continual Vista slips – March 27, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Albatross, er Vista could slip even more – March 27, 2006
Microsoft Vista fumble could lead to score for Apple Mac; Mac OS X Leopard may beat Vista to market – March 23, 2006
What’s the difference between Mac OS X and Vista? Microsoft employees are excited about Mac OS X – March 22, 2006
Microsoft delays Windows Vista again – this time until January 2007 – March 21, 2006
Thurrott: Microsoft going to get eaten alive over Windows Vista’s resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – March 09, 2006
Episode 2 of Microsoft Windows Vista, Bill Gates CES keynote video spoof now online – January 07, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista, Bill Gates keynote video spoof debuts online – January 06, 2006
NY Times’ Pogue on Gates’ CES demo: Most of Vista features unadulterated ripoffs from Apple Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Analyst: Windows Vista may still impress many consumers because they have not seen Apple’s Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista compared to Apple Mac OS X – December 05, 2005
Gartner: Ignore Microsoft Windows Vista until 2008 (why not just get Apple Mac OS X Tiger today?) – November 12, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows Vista strives to deliver what Apple’s Mac OS X already offers – October 10, 2005
Thurrott: Microsoft’s Windows Vista Beta 1 vs. Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger – August 29, 2005
Apple to unleash Leopard on Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn; Mac OS X 10.5 due late 2006 – early 2007 – June 07, 2005
Thurrott: many of Windows Vista’s upcoming features appeared first in Apple’s Mac OS X – September 26, 2005
Microsoft’s Ballmer: It’s true, some of Windows Vista’s features are ‘kissing cousins’ to Mac OS X – September 19, 2005
Microsoft suffers from malaise, key defections, Windows Vista struggles, lack of towels – September 16, 2005
PC World: Microsoft innovation – an oxymoron – September 15, 2005
Microsoft debuts Dashboard Widgets, er, ‘Microsoft Gadgets’ – September 13, 2005
Apple to unleash Leopard on Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn; Mac OS X 10.5 due late 2006 – early 2007 – June 07, 2005
Windows tech writer Thurrott: ‘In many ways, Mac OS X Tiger is simply better than Windows’ – May 07, 2005
Thurrott: ‘Longhorn is in complete disarray and in danger of collapsing under its own weight’ – April 27, 2005
Thurrott: Longhorn ‘has the makings of a train wreck’ – April 26, 2005
Thurrott: Longhorn demos ‘unimpressive, fall short of graphical excellence found today in Mac OS X’ – April 26, 2005
Microsoft employees leaving due to (and blogging about) malaise smothering company – April 25, 2005
eWEEK Editor Coursey: Longhorn so far ‘looks shockingly like a Macintosh’ – April 25, 2005
Due in late 2006, many of Windows Longhorn’s features have been in Mac OS X since 2001 – April 25, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn will bear more than just a passing resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – April 15, 2005
The Age: ‘Apple’s Mac OS X at least a generation ahead of Windows XP, iMac G5 clearly the best’ – December 15, 2004
Apple CEO Steve Jobs: Mac OS X Tiger ‘is going to drive the copycats crazy – June 28, 2004
Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs previews Mac OS X 10.4 ‘Tiger’ to ship in the first half of 2005 – June 28, 2004
Apple takes dead aim at Microsoft, ‘Longhorn’ with WWDC Mac OS X 10.4 ‘Tiger’ ads – June 28, 2004
PC Magazine: Microsoft ‘Longhorn’ preview shows ‘an Apple look’ – May 06, 2004
Windows ‘Longhorn’ to add translucent windows that ripple and shrink by 2005 – May 19, 2003
Apple leads; Wintel follows as usual – November 11, 2002
“Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard faster, better, far less prone to malware than Windows Vista”
Spread the word.
“Spread the word.”
From the mountain tops Ampar.
Many other words, spread from the mountain tops, have both been mocked and found many followers.
This will be no different.
Looks like my stalker has been drinking again.
This page is totally screwed up. MTFKNG GREMLINS !!!!
hmm. Actually, on my mac, 1 gb ram actually runs pretty good. I’D like 2, but hard to justify considering performance is fine.
@ @feedback
Bank vaults are pretty easy to get into when you’re already standing inside them, too.
How much does 1 GB of ram cost now $20-$30?
In most cases Windows machines cost less. After that who cares about any competition, be it Apple—if you’re crazy enough to consider puny Crapple competition for the mighty Microsoft—or anyone else.
Cost trumps speed, ease of use, security, design quality, seamless integration, and my favorite whine from the MAC sheep: “everything just works”. What a bunch of babies. I figure you smug and pretentious MAC lemmings would want to have a little extra money around to buy highfalutin toys so you can parade around town with useless junk. Can’t be any different than owning a sissy MAC.
Oh, and Mossberg is wrong. Dead wrong.
Your potential. Our passion.™
Looks like that cock sucker, Zune Tang is back for his 15 minutes of fame.
I’m a loser. I’m a Windows user. ™
@Ampar
I’m spreading it nice and thick, like a big giant peanut butter sandwich.
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Hmmm, page still screwed I see. My fault. I shouldn’t have mentioned mountain tops.
To Jubei:
Nice! But the real question is crunchy or smooth?
So come on Zune Tang, tell us; which MAC do you use?
Really now, we all know, sarcasm aside and everything, what model do you have?
I’ll bet its a MacBook Pro.
Have a great day!!
Is it just me or does Unkie Mossy just reruns this very same article every couple of months or so?
MDN, seriously. fix the broken site tables. Repeat after me, CSS is your friend… CSS is your friend…
… is “Made on a Mac”, “Powered by Mac”.
If you don’t believe me, look in the lower left and right corners. If you can locate them in the current configuration.
MacDailyNews Take: You get what you pay for; spec out a WIndows laptop that compares with what’s offered in an Apple notebook and check the prices. You’ll likely be very surprised at the Mac’s price-competitiveness. Apple refuses to compete in the bargain basement junk PC market. Apple wants to satisfy customers; they won’t make junk for the sake of low sticker prices. Apple has a reputation for quality that they will not sacrifice to pad their market share numbers like HP, Dell, Gateway, etc.
The new 20″ iMac screen ?????????
@tmsruge
if you take a look at the source (firebug in firefox) you can see that they do use divs and css for their functionality. The problem is that the php script that generates this page has thrown a wobbly over something, closed part of the page structure, then continued generating the comments. Basicly it’s a blind spot in error handling… easy thing to do, though they should use this opportunity to dig throught the code, figure out what’s causing the error, and build an error trap that works around it to continue showing decent information.
Yah… I’ve done this a few times (used to work for a company that did dynamic websites)
Just curious. What does LinuxDailyNews recommend for an OS?
@Troy
I have a new 20″ iMac and I really like it. I guess it isn’t for pros who do a lot of image editing and the like, but for a consumer such as myself, it does a great job.
Zune Tang = boring ass.
I am told I am supposed to laugh and laugh when he writes these all-too-typical troll diatribes. Um, why?
I can get my fill of insane sadomasochistic troll trash any time I like over at comp.sys.mac.advocacy. Ha ha? Yawn. zzzzzz