I'm on borrowed time with my hard drive. And since the CD drive is broken, too, and the unit is over 5 years old, I'm just going to get a new 'puter instead of replacing components.

Any recommendations? I typically get a Dell and have been happy with them, but I'm open to other options. Keep in mind that I need a workhorse, not a light machine to check email and surf the web. Design applications being a primary, gaming not worth mentioning.

And don't say Mac, because they suck and I'm not interested in buying a bunch of new software to accommodate it.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Are you looking for a desktop or laptop?

If laptop, then I would reccomend the Dell Studio 17. It is a major workhorse machine and is beautiful to look at. I got one for my wife and it has never caused her one problem. She also uses it heavily for work on average of 10 hours a day.

Dell Studio 17 Laptop Details (http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/studio-1747/pd.aspx?refid=studio-1747&s=dhs&cs=19)

I'm typically a fan of Dell, however I've heard they've been slipping. I heard HP has jumped up recently, but I'm not sure. I'd check Consumer Reports if you have access to it, they are usually pretty good. They're also great at disspelling that myth about Apple being oh so amazing. :evil:

so yeah, stick with a PC!

I'm not a fan of Dell or HP, although the HP I have at work now has been pretty reliable for the past 3 years. I've always had my best luck with IBM (now Lenovo), both laptops and desktops. Rarely had motherboard or LCD failures with them, but have seen quite a few with HPs. Keep in mind we're talking corporate devices, not necessarily the same units you'd get for home.

I'd go to best buy and browse around and see which one catches your eye. They all have so many different computers depending on what you primarily use it for.

HP TouchSmart 600 Review | ZDNet: Reviews (http://review.zdnet.com/product/desktops/hp-touchsmart-600/33775796)
this is a review for an HP desk top.

I have an HP Pavilion Laptop with AMD Turion II 17" display that work for what I do at home, but I think the Toshiba Satellite would be a better choice for you.

I have a Dell XPS710... 3.0 GB of RAM. ...4 "250" gig hard drives that I can swap in and out to save data which gives me a working load of ONE terabyte of hard drive space!!!...2.39 GHz...two huge cooling fans..weights a lot....and it is huge...
Oh, I have 3 optical drives a 3 1.2 floppy drive and a multicard reader...

I have never had any trouble with it..never acted up... no BSD.....nothing..
I do a lot of photography...and it handles many Adobe programs at once.

Oh...and it is Win XP.....Home Edition...again, never any problems...

I would buy an XPS again.

I went to the Dell Outlet site and bought it there and saved 100's....UPS delivered ...Love my Dell!!!

They're also great at disspelling that myth about Apple being oh so amazing. :evil:



Apple tops Consumer Reports in EVERY computer category (except price).

Apple tops Consumer Reports in EVERY computer category (except price).

And compatibility. If it were my first computer and I were building software and peripherals around it, I'd go for a Mac. But as it stands...

It's just like a Mac-hater to be a Dell person.

And compatibility. If it were my first computer and I were building software and peripherals around it, I'd go for a Mac. But as it stands...

True dat.

Do you get consumer reports? The new issue runs down their lists of tested platforms. I'll guess that you'll be needing a true work horse computer, I can give you their recommendations and where to buy tips.:shrug:

Macs don't suck!:burning:

Macs don't suck!:burning:

Macs suck because they don't play nicely with others. The elitist snobs of the computer world, disdainfully sipping their cognac and listening to Mozart, looking down on the little people while the rest of the world is drinking beer and playing Rock Band.

CR Recommended for gamers and power users:

HP Pavilion Elite (m9650f)
6GB memory
750GB hard drive
512 video memory

$1,150

OR

HP Pavilion Elite (e9120f)
8GB memory
1024 GB hard drive
512 video memory

$720

The first one scored an 85 and the second a 78 with the difference being in the "performance" category.




Macs suck because they don't play nicely with others. The elitist snobs of the computer world, disdainfully sipping their cognac and listening to Mozart, looking down on the little people while the rest of the world is drinking beer and playing Rock Band.
I've never had cognac, but I have been known to listen to Mozart. :lmao:Besides, I tried Rockband once and the game laughed at me.

Thanks, Kom!

HP used to be somewhat of a dog - nice to see them getting good reviews!

Are you looking for a desktop or laptop?

If laptop, then I would reccomend the Dell Studio 17. It is a major workhorse machine and is beautiful to look at. I got one for my wife and it has never caused her one problem. She also uses it heavily for work on average of 10 hours a day.

Dell Studio 17 Laptop Details (http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/studio-1747/pd.aspx?refid=studio-1747&s=dhs&cs=19)

:yeahthat:

And Bestbuy has a nicely configured Studio 17 for less than $800.

I have a Dell XPS710... 3.0 GB of RAM. ...4 "250" gig hard drives that I can swap in and out to save data which gives me a working load of ONE terabyte of hard drive space!!!...2.39 GHz...two huge cooling fans..weights a lot....and it is huge...
Oh, I have 3 optical drives a 3 1.2 floppy drive and a multicard reader...

I have never had any trouble with it..never acted up... no BSD.....nothing..
I do a lot of photography...and it handles many Adobe programs at once.

Oh...and it is Win XP.....Home Edition...again, never any problems...

I would buy an XPS again.

I went to the Dell Outlet site and bought it there and saved 100's....UPS delivered ...Love my Dell!!!

I am running a Dell XPS 600 and it is my workhorse - NEVER an issue.

Previous to that was an XPS Gen 5, still runs like a clock, it is my CentOS box.

I have two laptops, XPS 1710 and 1530, both are rock solid.

I just ordered a new machine, AlienWare Area51 (XPS on steroids), I-750 Extreme Liquid Cooled processors - this will be my main machine and the 600 will be a backup.

Vrai - all I own are Dell's and they have never let me down. :yay:

Macs suck because they don't play nicely with others. The elitist snobs of the computer world, disdainfully sipping their cognac and listening to Mozart, looking down on the little people while the rest of the world is drinking beer and playing Rock Band.

Warning: Some of this is a rant.

That's not so much true anymore. Macs are now much more compatible with the PC/Windows world. Beyond specific application compatibility, you can run Windows on top of the Mas OS, and you can even run Windows as the native OS on a Mac.

The reason Macs haven't played well with the Windows world in the past is, well, because Windows is junk - it always has been. It has so many design and execution problems, not to mention having to deal with viruses and such. It's just crap. I know, I have 2 Compaqs, 1 HP and 1 Apple laptop. When I'm mobile and using the Apple laptop, it's like night and day. It just works. Apps don't freeze up, stuff doesn't just happen for no apparent reason. At some point I'll stop being complacent and just make the conversion to Apple for all of my computing needs. Working in the Windows world, and not being a computer person (meaning I've never bothered to develop a vast understanding of what underlies the computer's operation, I'm not a programmer, or support person, or tech person) is very frustrating.

PCs are more for people who want to be able to get under the hood and mess with stuff - fix things - for people that kinda want little things to go wrong so they can figure out how to fix it. If you want to have to know what's going on under the hood, and get a little grease on your hands from time to time - then the PC world suits you. Macs are for people that just want things to work - the same every time. They want to get in the car, start it up, and go where they want to go. They don't care about what is going on under the hood, they just don't want to ever have to know about it or fiddle with it. In some aspects of life, I want to know what's going on under the hood - but with this particular tool, I just want it to work - predictably and reliably. I know 2 people who are tech/support types and they both tell me, thank god for Microsoft. Its fouled-up-ed-ness has created an entire industry that isn't nearly as needed in the Mac world.

Microsoft had one stroke of genius in its history. They have rode and leveraged that one stroke of genius ever since, in order to make themselves the dominant force in the computer world. As a company, they are complacent, they don't create an environment in which 'getting it right' is emphasized, and they aren't' the least bit innovative. They've ridden on their past for decades now, and that shows through in their products. Their dominance, and failure to live up to the level of competence needed from someone in that position, has effectively stifled the computer world. They have held that world hostage for quite some time. I'm not suggesting that they haven't had the right to - just pointing out what they've done. They earned the right to do what they did, by positioning themselves correctly to begin with.

All that said, it may well still be the case that Macs wouldn't serve your particular needs. :lol:

Thanks, Kom!

HP used to be somewhat of a dog - nice to see them getting good reviews!

I have a new HP. You should check it out before you make a decision.

Build your own computer.
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more! (http://www.newegg.com)

Build your own computer.
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more! (http://www.newegg.com)

:yeahthat:

my current home desktop i built myself about 2 years ago. i spent about 1000 for all the parts, whereas a comparable dell machine would have been about 1500 or so. it's really easy to do, its basically just matching the specs on different components and all mobos say which components they support.

but, if you're looking for a laptop, i bought my wife 2 HPs (DV6z and a DV6t) that i've been happy with so far.

Build your own computer.
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more! (http://www.newegg.com)

Ive built so many machines that would kick a dells ass for a bit less than a dell costs.

If no one has said it yet, I would go with a Dell business machine, like a Vostro. They are made to work hard and take a licking and keep on kicking. If it's a laptop your looking for I would recommend a Lattitude.

I'd check Consumer Reports if you have access to it, they are usually pretty good. They're also great at dispelling that myth about Apple being oh so amazing. :evil:

so yeah, stick with a PC!



Hater ........

Warning: Some of this is a rant.

That's not so much true anymore. Macs are now much more compatible with the PC/Windows world. Beyond specific application compatibility, you can run Windows on top of the Mas OS, and you can even run Windows as the native OS on a Mac.

All that said, it may well still be the case that Macs wouldn't serve your particular needs. :lol:



:buddies:


Support Winblows @ work; run a Mac, a Wintel / Gatesware Box, and Ubuntu @ home .....

Im in the it field and 95% of what we work on are dells stay away from them the average life span of a current dell is about 3 years Hp has definetly jumped up over the years and can offer you a way more powerful machine for about the same cost as a dell, Dell also has one of the worst customer support ratings in the industry. 1 more hint about dells just about every dell out there in a series ie. (XPS or vostro) Have the same motherboards dell just uses add in cards to make them different from each other. If you can find someone to build you a computer give a budget and go from there because you can get a machine that will smoke a dell for alot cheaper.

My Current Machines:
Compaq With Msi MOBO
3GB DDR2 800
AMD Athlon 64X2 6000+ 3.0GHZ
Nvidia 9400GT Video
500GB HDD
Cost:74.99 only had to buy the mobo had spare parts

HP M8000 series
4GB DDR2 667
Intel Pentium D 3.0GHZ
Nvidia 8400GS Video
640GB HDD
Cost:79.99 Only had to buy the video card recycled Parts

:buddies:

To MAC Fans I agree with you MACS are the greatest things since sliced bread but for someone who is not a tech junkie It would take alot of time to relearn their computing enviroment again and yes they do have alot of compatible programs now actually most mainstream programs for pc also support mac including office but if someone already has the pc software theyd have to buy it all over again for a mac.

And to Tilted and anyone else who thinks MACS arent vunerable to anything including your ipod or iphone:

Mac Virus FAQs: Do You Really Need Mac Antivirus Software? (http://antivirus.about.com/od/macintoshresource/tp/macvirusfaqs.htm)

And to Tilted and anyone else who thinks MACS arent vunerable to anything including your ipod or iphone:



I fly with my AV turned off on my PC, use FF to view web pages and only scan something when downloading torrents, game trainers and keygens ...



it is all about common sense computing ...... and nothing on my Macbook 17

To MAC Fans I agree with you MACS are the greatest things since sliced bread but for someone who is not a tech junkie It would take alot of time to relearn their computing enviroment again and yes they do have alot of compatible programs now actually most mainstream programs for pc also support mac including office but if someone already has the pc software theyd have to buy it all over again for a mac.

That's just it, it doesn't take a long time to learn the computing environment in the Apple world - it is more intuitive than the PC world. It doesn't ask you to understand how it works or deal with its problems, it just invites you to sit down and use it. But, there are certainly many reasons why someone would want to stay in the PC world - for various reasons, I still do most of my computing in the PC world.

And to Tilted and anyone else who thinks MACS arent vunerable to anything including your ipod or iphone:

Mac Virus FAQs: Do You Really Need Mac Antivirus Software? (http://antivirus.about.com/od/macintoshresource/tp/macvirusfaqs.htm)

Of course MACs are vulnerable to viruses and such, I've never thought they weren't. But, it is no where near as much of a problem, or as great a source of concern, as it is the the PC world.

Of course MACs are vulnerable to viruses and such, I've never thought they weren't. But, it is no where near as much of a problem, or as great a source of concern, as it is the the PC world.

That's because there aren't enough of them for anyone to bother with writing hack code for. If Mac were the standard and PC the "boutique" system, you'd see it vice versa.

That's because there aren't enough of them for anyone to bother with writing hack code for. If Mac were the standard and PC the "boutique" system, you'd see it vice versa.

That is no doubt true to some extent, but that isn't the only part of the equation.

That's because there aren't enough of them for anyone to bother with writing hack code for. If Mac were the standard and PC the "boutique" system, you'd see it vice versa.



Unix / Linux / BSD based systems are inherently more secure, are there coding errors that lead to exploits ...

sure

look @ the Morris Worm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_worm)



Architecture of the worm


According to its creator, the Morris worm was not written to cause damage, but to gauge the size of the Internet. However, the worm was released from MIT to disguise the fact that the worm originally came from Cornell. (Incidentally, Morris is now an associate professor at MIT.) Additionally, the Morris worm worked by exploiting known vulnerabilities in Unix sendmail, Finger, rsh/rexec and weak passwords.

A supposedly unintended consequence of the code, however, caused it to be more damaging: a computer could be infected multiple times and each additional process would slow the machine down, eventually to the point of being unusable. The main body of the worm could only infect DEC VAX machines running 4BSD, and Sun 3 systems. A portable C "grappling hook" component of the worm was used to pull over the main body, and the grappling hook could run on other systems, loading them down and making them peripheral victims.

The mistake

The critical error that transformed the worm from a potentially harmless intellectual exercise into a virulent denial of service attack was in the spreading mechanism. The worm could have determined whether to invade a new computer by asking if there was already a copy running. But just doing this would have made it trivially easy to kill; everyone could just run a process that would answer "yes" when asked if there was already a copy, and the worm would stay away. The defense against this was inspired by Michael Rabin's mantra, "Randomization." To compensate for this possibility, Morris directed the worm to copy itself even if the response is "yes", 1 out of 7 times.[2] This level of replication proved excessive and the worm spread rapidly, infecting some computers multiple times. Robert remarked when he heard of the mistake, that he "should have tried it on a simulator first."


lol it always comes back to weak passwords

That's just it, it doesn't take a long time to learn the computing environment in the Apple world - it is more intuitive than the PC world. It doesn't ask you to understand how it works or deal with its problems, it just invites you to sit down and use it. But, there are certainly many reasons why someone would want to stay in the PC world - for various reasons, I still do most of my computing in the PC world.



Of course MACs are vulnerable to viruses and such, I've never thought they weren't. But, it is no where near as much of a problem, or as great a source of concern, as it is the the PC world.

I completely agree Macs are alot easier to use once you get the basic functions down. either way both have there pros and cons. Mac leaning more towards the pro side theres alot of things macs can do that pc cant and vise versa. what it all really comes down to is what you want in a machine because there are so many different configurations out there for various things one system is never greater than another.

But for a business worhorse I would sy stick with a pc because in the business world with a mac your bound to run into a problem somewhere.

But for a business workhorse I would sy stick with a pc because in the business world with a mac your bound to run into a problem somewhere.




not necessarily grasshopper .....

if your using strictly M$ Office software .... Mac Office 2008 (http://www.microsoft.com/mac/default.mspx)

Mac Apps (http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/)

I ended up with a Dell - got it on Saturday. I'd forgotten how nice it is to open a program and...it opens. No delay, no thinking about it, no errors.

I'm getting used to Win7, which I may or may not like. And it won't load my Hoyle games, so I've had to do without canasta and gin for the last few days.

Other than that, I'm happy but we'll see as time goes on.

I ended up with a Dell - got it on Saturday. I'd forgotten how nice it is to open a program and...it opens. No delay, no thinking about it, no errors.

I'm getting used to Win7, which I may or may not like. And it won't load my Hoyle games, so I've had to do without canasta and gin for the last few days.

Other than that, I'm happy but we'll see as time goes on.

I hope you got a decent freaking monitor! :tap:


:lol:

PS: Can I have your old 17" flatty?

I hope you got a decent freaking monitor! :tap:


:lol:

PS: Can I have your old 17" flatty?

I didn't get a monitor, the one I have is fine. :razz:

I didn't get a monitor, the one I have is fine. :razz:

:tap:

Only you (and my dad) would get awesome brand new shoes and keep the old laces. :lol:

:tap:

Only you (and my dad) would get awesome brand new shoes and keep the old laces. :lol:

And only you would fix something that's not broken. :lol:

And only you would fix something that's not broken. :lol:

It's not a matter of fixing that which aren't not unbroken but, a simple matter of...UPGRADE. It is a matter of more better.

I hope you got a decent freaking monitor! :tap:


:lol:

PS: Can I have your old 17" flatty?

A 17" monitor? Holy cow - it's like, the 21st century now, you can get full size monitors.

A 17" monitor? Holy cow - it's like, the 21st century now, you can get full size monitors.

I am related to my dad. Her old 17" flat is better than the old 17" dino model I am looking at now.

:lol:

I am related to my dad. Her old 17" flat is better than the old 17" dino model I am looking at now.

:lol:

Geesh, I've got 4 monitors in my office and I'm always wanting for more display space. :lol:

Geesh, I've got 4 monitors in my office and I'm always wanting for more display space. :lol:

You are a guy. I are guy. We want MORE. She is practical right down to her socks. I'm kinda shocked she's actually getting a new puter at all.

Geesh, I've got 4 monitors in my office and I'm always wanting for more display space. :lol:



lol I upgraded to a Dell 24" Wide Screen last yr on Black Friday


it sucks going to work on a 19 :whistle:

PS: Can I have your old 17" flatty?



17 inch flatty ..... :faint:



LG do you need the little blue pill :popcorn:

I'm on borrowed time with my hard drive. And since the CD drive is broken, too, and the unit is over 5 years old, I'm just going to get a new 'puter instead of replacing components.

Any recommendations? I typically get a Dell and have been happy with them, but I'm open to other options. Keep in mind that I need a workhorse, not a light machine to check email and surf the web. Design applications being a primary, gaming not worth mentioning.

And don't say Mac, because they suck and I'm not interested in buying a bunch of new software to accommodate it.

Thanks for any suggestions!


Just curious, but what software would you need to buy to 'accommodate it'?

Just curious, but what software would you need to buy to 'accommodate it'?

I have a dozen programs that I use at least once a week, and another dozen that I don't use often but are critical when I need them. Some of them are old, and were expensive, so it's unlikely they will run on a Mac, even if it has a Win simulator (or whatever it is).

It's been tough enough getting my software to run on Win7. :lol:

I have a dozen programs that I use at least once a week, and another dozen that I don't use often but are critical when I need them. Some of them are old, and were expensive, so it's unlikely they will run on a Mac, even if it has a Win simulator (or whatever it is).

It's been tough enough getting my software to run on Win7. :lol:

:yay:

Im in the it field and 95% of what we work on are dells stay away from them the average life span of a current dell is about 3 years Hp has definetly jumped up over the years and can offer you a way more powerful machine for about the same cost as a dell, Dell also has one of the worst customer support ratings in the industry. 1 more hint about dells just about every dell out there in a series ie. (XPS or vostro) Have the same motherboards dell just uses add in cards to make them different from each other. If you can find someone to build you a computer give a budget and go from there because you can get a machine that will smoke a dell for alot cheaper.

Speaking of life span. I just saw this article this morning. Years ago where I worked they kept giving me a Gateway. They were junk, IMO. No surprise to see them listed as one of the most unreliable.

1 in 3 laptops die in first three years : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech (http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/154921)

The key to long computer life is...don't use it.

My laptop is for occasional use and when I travel. So far I've had it for four years with no sign of malfunction.

My work PCs last me about 3 years before they start to whine and cry. BUT, while I'm not a programmer or anything taxing like that, I use them hard at least 10 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The key to long computer life is...don't use it.

My laptop is for occasional use and when I travel. So far I've had it for four years with no sign of malfunction.

My work PCs last me about 3 years before they start to whine and cry. BUT, while I'm not a programmer or anything taxing like that, I use them hard at least 10 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The machine you just replaced had something like five years on it, right?

Not bad for as hard as you use 'em.

The machine you just replaced had something like five years on it, right?

Not bad for as hard as you use 'em.

The hard drive was about 1.5 years old. David replaced it for me when the last one failed completely and gave me the blue screen of death. The computer was new about 2 years before that.

I was thinking of replacing my laptop. It is a Dell that is 5 years old. I use it everyday for several hours. Every once in a while I have to vacuum the crumbs and dust out of the keyboard because it gets full. :lol:

Since it is the storage for everything from pictures to Quicken I can't afford for it to die.

I was thinking of replacing my laptop. It is a Dell that is 5 years old. I use it everyday for several hours. Every once in a while I have to vacuum the crumbs and dust out of the keyboard because it gets full. :lol:

Since it is the storage for everything from pictures to Quicken I can't afford for it to die.

BJ's is going to have a 1TB external hard drive for 95.00 Friday. You might want to check that out! :yay:

The hard drive was about 1.5 years old. David replaced it for me when the last one failed completely and gave me the blue screen of death. The computer was new about 2 years before that.

Gotcha. Didn't know the HD croaked.

I would pay to see a Mac that can run FEA analysis on solid models from something like ProE or SolidWorks as efficiently as my PC... which happens to have 4 3.6 GHZ quadcore processors a and 16 GB of ram... LOL. I don't think Mac makes anything remotely comparable... I don't think they can even touch my GPU capabilities... Not to mention I don't think anyone makes that sort of scientific / engineering software for them.

Macs are great for people who don't need raw power or the ability to modify hardware for extreme performance / special purposes, and who want a dumbed down OS w/ a minimal learning curve... But for anyone who wants to be able to do more than edit pictures , tweet, and type letters, PCs are simply far more flexible options.

That flexibilty is why Windows can be touchy. Apple has an OS that is designed to run on a limited number of chipsets. Windows has to run on a much greater variety... All those competing manufacturers and vendors... As such MS has exponentially more hurdles to overcome w/ their code. Set up properly, Windows is just as stable as MacOS. Not to mention you can always go with Linux. But then, that requires learning something about computers, heaven forbid!!

I like PCs because my mom, who is tech-challenged, can get a little Vostro for surfing and email, or I can build a custom data grinding, super duper graphics monster, and we can share software, OS's, etc. I can upgrade, cusomize, install a variety of OS environments. I can run old software from 1978 if I need to, on a Windows 7 box. They are just very very flexible.

I'm due for a new computer too. My old Dell just won't cut it anymore. 2.53 processor and only 1 gig of ram. It's about 5 years old and time to replace. Looking at a new Dell quadcore, but they want big bucks.

I used to get sucked into the "bigger is better" when I looked at new computers. This time around, I got a netbook. Pretty inexpensive, does everything I need it to do, and it's pretty quick, compact and lightweight. 6-7 hours on a charge. That with Win7 is perfect. Power up from sleep mode to actually usable is 3-4 seconds. If I need more screen, I just hook it to an external monitor.

I just don't need more than that.

I used to get sucked into the "bigger is better" when I looked at new computers. This time around, I got a netbook. Pretty inexpensive, does everything I need it to do, and it's pretty quick, compact and lightweight. 6-7 hours on a charge. That with Win7 is perfect. Power up from sleep mode to actually usable is 3-4 seconds. If I need more screen, I just hook it to an external monitor.

I just don't need more than that.

:buddies:

Yup no point in going all overkill. Sort of like getting an H2 w/ a the towing package when you never leave the city and never tow. Get a friggin' Prius, ya moron! LOL.

I used to get sucked into the "bigger is better" when I looked at new computers. This time around, I got a netbook. Pretty inexpensive, does everything I need it to do, and it's pretty quick, compact and lightweight. 6-7 hours on a charge. That with Win7 is perfect. Power up from sleep mode to actually usable is 3-4 seconds. If I need more screen, I just hook it to an external monitor.

I just don't need more than that.Got a good laptop and for what my son and I use it for, it's fine. I want a new desktop with a little more juice than what I have now.

I would pay to see a Mac that can run FEA analysis on solid models from something like ProE or SolidWorks as efficiently as my PC... which happens to have 4 3.6 GHZ quadcore processors a and 16 GB of ram... LOL. I don't think Mac makes anything remotely comparable... I don't think they can even touch my GPU capabilities... Not to mention I don't think anyone makes that sort of scientific / engineering software for them.

Macs are great for people who don't need raw power or the ability to modify hardware for extreme performance / special purposes, and who want a dumbed down OS w/ a minimal learning curve... But for anyone who wants to be able to do more than edit pictures , tweet, and type letters, PCs are simply far more flexible options.

That flexibilty is why Windows can be touchy. Apple has an OS that is designed to run on a limited number of chipsets. Windows has to run on a much greater variety... All those competing manufacturers and vendors... As such MS has exponentially more hurdles to overcome w/ their code. Set up properly, Windows is just as stable as MacOS. Not to mention you can always go with Linux. But then, that requires learning something about computers, heaven forbid!!

I like PCs because my mom, who is tech-challenged, can get a little Vostro for surfing and email, or I can build a custom data grinding, super duper graphics monster, and we can share software, OS's, etc. I can upgrade, cusomize, install a variety of OS environments. I can run old software from 1978 if I need to, on a Windows 7 box. They are just very very flexible.
Say whaaaat?

The Mac OS is based on UNIX. Obviously you didn't know that. It is hidden from the user, but that is the root, and it can be gotten to and used from the command line. The Motorola CPUs that the Mac originally used to use were more powerful than the Intel chips of the day. The Mac now uses Intel processors including the Core i7.

I think you speak of what you do not know.

And I happen to be a PC user on Linux, so I have no dog in the fight.

I would pay to see a Mac that can run FEA analysis on solid models from something like ProE or SolidWorks as efficiently as my PC... which happens to have 4 3.6 GHZ quadcore processors a and 16 GB of ram... LOL. I don't think Mac makes anything remotely comparable... I don't think they can even touch my GPU capabilities...



# Two 2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
# 32GB (8x4GB)
# Mac Pro RAID Card
# 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
# 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
# 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
# 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
# 4x NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 512MB


max on a mac pro from the apple store .... more video options may be available from other vendors

# Two 2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
# 32GB (8x4GB)
# Mac Pro RAID Card
# 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
# 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
# 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
# 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
# 4x NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 512MB


max on a mac pro from the apple store .... more video options may be available from other vendors

Not bad, but Basically a mid level Dell Precision Workstation. The GT 120s cant touch a pair of 4GB 5800s.... And the Dell Precision can hit 192 GB of ram if you want to plunk down an immense amount of cash... I mean like, mortgage your house.... The 4 1 TB SATA drives are nothing special any more, either. I dont see a Tesla C1060 on it either....

Say whaaaat?

The Mac OS is based on UNIX. Obviously you didn't know that. It is hidden from the user, but that is the root, and it can be gotten to and used from the command line. The Motorola CPUs that the Mac originally used to use were more powerful than the Intel chips of the day. The Mac now uses Intel processors including the Core i7.

I think you speak of what you do not know.

And I happen to be a PC user on Linux, so I have no dog in the fight.

What is your deifinition of more powerful? Post 8086, the Intel chips consistently whacked the old Macs in scientific benchmarking (planetary orbitals, etc). Mac had pretty pictures and much faster video rendering, but that was pretty much its claim to fame.

Mac superiority is a myth. Everything from LISA on was created and marketed for the general lay-public. And yes, NOW they are using intel chip sets and processors. But what does that tell you? Tells me, Mac couldn't compete.

I'm working on this now... (should be done in January; waiting to see if some hardware prices drop after Christmas)

CoolerMaster HAF 932 case
Raptor CM 1000 watt psu
ASUS P6X58D MB
CORSAIR XMS3 12GB (6 x 2GB)
OCZ Vertex Series SDD (60 GB - boot drive)
Western Digital VelociRaptor (150 GB - data drive)
Generic SATA (1TB) - backup and whocareshowquickitgoes data
Intel Core i7-960
22x DVD R/W
Radeon 5770 (x2)
Windows 7

I'm working on this now... (should be done in January; waiting to see if some hardware prices drop after Christmas)

CoolerMaster HAF 932 case
Raptor CM 1000 watt psu
ASUS P6X58D MB
CORSAIR XMS3 12GB (6 x 2GB)
OCZ Vertex Series SDD (60 GB - boot drive)
Western Digital VelociRaptor (150 GB - data drive)
Generic SATA (1TB) - backup and whocareshowquickitgoes data
Intel Core i7-960
22x DVD R/W
Radeon 5770 (x2)
Windows 7


after all that, why not go with the new radeon 5970? you'll only need 1.
ATI Radeon HD 5970 2GB: The World's Fastest Graphics Card : Introduction - Review Tom's Hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5970,2474.html)

But what does that tell you? Tells me, Mac couldn't compete.


IBM could not get the G5 Processor cool enough to put in laptops ....


funny thing is Mac Went Intel, Microsoft xbox went PPC


:killingme


Apple sells hardware @ outrageous markups and always has .... 400 % I believe was the max ever charged price of parts over purchase price .... bu then they do not pay a TAX to M$


you are already running BSD, why not cheapen your hardware cost ...

I'm working on this now... (should be done in January; waiting to see if some hardware prices drop after Christmas)

CoolerMaster HAF 932 case
Raptor CM 1000 watt psu
ASUS P6X58D MB
CORSAIR XMS3 12GB (6 x 2GB)
OCZ Vertex Series SDD (60 GB - boot drive)
Western Digital VelociRaptor (150 GB - data drive)
Generic SATA (1TB) - backup and whocareshowquickitgoes data
Intel Core i7-960
22x DVD R/W
Radeon 5770 (x2)
Windows 7

I just built this machine. The guts come in tomorrow.

Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

CORSAIR CMPSU-850HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G2000LV6GK - Retail

Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2M080G2R5 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Retail

2x SAPPHIRE 100281SR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video ... - Retail

Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail

ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

Windows 7 Pro. :smile:

I just built this machine. The guts come in tomorrow.

Windows 7 Pro. :smile:



What Games are you Playing ....

What Games are you Playing ....

Dragon Age, L4d2, Mass Effect (2), a few others but those are the recent releases.

after all that, why not go with the new radeon 5970? you'll only need 1.
ATI Radeon HD 5970 2GB: The World's Fastest Graphics Card : Introduction - Review Tom's Hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5970,2474.html)

I thought about it. I also thought about just doing a single 5870, which is comparable in performance for a lot of games. I can crossfire two 5770 for $330. I can pay about $400 for a single 5870. The 5970 goes for $630. At the point you start maxing out the 5970, your bottlenecks are probably not going to be related to the GPU.

I have plenty of upgrade capability when things get to the point it needs a 5970 - which nothing needs right now. It would just be extra money for the sake of having the bang.

If I was just going to blow money, I would get a lot of things - i7 975 extreme edition, crossfire 5970s, more power, premium liquid cooling, etc... I can afford it, but why? What would be the point?

Also, after checking some better reviews, I think I am dropping the SDD. The bang for the buck is not much compared to the problems still facing write degradation on the drives. I will give them another year or two before switching. I can get enough performance from other drives.

I just built this machine. The guts come in tomorrow.

Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

CORSAIR CMPSU-850HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G2000LV6GK - Retail

Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2M080G2R5 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Retail

2x SAPPHIRE 100281SR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video ... - Retail

Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail

ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

Windows 7 Pro. :smile:

:yay:

Also, after checking some better reviews, I think I am dropping the SDD. The bang for the buck is not much compared to the problems still facing write degradation on the drives. I will give them another year or two before switching. I can get enough performance from other drives.

true, but you can also get a pair of raptor drives and throw them in a raid 0 and get the same performance as a SSD. i also like to have a secondary raid 1 as my data/program files drive. just in case i blow something up, i won't lose everything.