do you use a laptop and if so... what do you use?

[MadDogE134]

lol... that was funny... about your dad. yeah i have been messing with computers since before there were actually personal computers commercially available for mass consumption. but i do know a little about unix based systems and they can get screwed up rather easy imo cheers

[Forgotten]

I'm really curious what people are always doing with their systems that Windows is always crapping out on them

Drivers. Way more than anything else, if the standard Windows driver didn't work and I had to install a 3rd party, there was a possibility that it would cause problems (usually BSOD). Also, they just fail from age (or individual components fail). Within a few short years in some cases.

[chk071]

I'm really curious what people are always doing with their systems that Windows is always crapping out on them

All kinds of shit. I frequent some Windows support forums, and, most issues in regards of updating Windows, or issues starting programs are caused by "awesome" security programs these days. Windows users just, in general, install way more applications on their system, or use some stupid driver updater, system tuner, or similar BS, so, no wonder the system messes up over time.

Since my last Windows XP machine, I've had very, very few issues with my Windows computers. Windows 98 and Me were trouble though. Me was very unstable on several machines I've used. But, since XP, Microsoft really nailed it in terms of stability. Windows 10 has some bugs though. But then, Mac OS X has too.

[FapFilter]

I don't think that “PCs“ that happen to have Windows, or Linux installed, die earlier than others. In fact, i actually hear more about Macbook and iMac failures.
No expert here, but maybe it's the toll you pay for wanting something extremely slim and silent, yet powerful at the same time

[chk071]

The hard drive of the Macbook of a relative died after 6 months of use... so much for that. Total myth that Mac hardware lives longer than others. But, I assume you have to sugarcoat the expense one way or the other.

I never had a hard drive failure on any of my Windows machines BTW. And, they all weren't exactly expensive and high end, actually, quote the opposite. Which reminds me of the laugh I had recently when I saw that plus 1 TB SSD storage costs 500 € on a Mac, and plus 16 GB RAM cost 500 €...

[jancivil]

I’ve had a number of MBPs, most of them pretty old. Except for two new ones, all were 3 or 4 hundred dollars off craigslist. Half of them way under spec for trying to do virtual music. One of them (2010), the last one before I got the highend model in 2018, died (2018), but the battery daemon was indicating replace before I bought it and the seller was straight about that. One was from the 2010 batch with a botched graphics card. The new 2009 job lasted right about 6 yrs, and I was physically really hard on it. I would say my experience gave me the impression of a robust box, overall.

Some people need to realize that a single anecdote as though an argument isn’t.

[Forgotten]

The hard drive of the Macbook of a relative died after 6 months of use... so much for that. Total myth that Mac hardware lives longer than others.

You can't make generalizations about an entire market based on one single example.

Apple generally does really well on reliability consumer reports, often coming out on top year after year. They didn't come top last year from what I remember, but reliability measured across the entire market is generally very good, if not the best.

[chk071]

It would be silly if it wasn't the case, considering the price of the hardware. But then, why would it be so different for them? Many PC manufacturers use the same or similar hardware.

What I was trying to say is that Apple's devices are no magic devices, which seems to be what some people are thinking.

[BONES]

I don't think that “PCs“ that happen to have Windows, or Linux installed, die earlier than others. In fact, i actually hear more about Macbook and iMac failures.

Yeah, I just got news the other day that the Dell M4400 I bought in 2008 has finally died. It still boots but the screen no longer works and it's way too old to be bothered fixing. I gave it to my bandmate when I had finished with it and it had been his kids' internet access machine for the last 6 or 7 years, until the twins started high school this year and had to get their own laptops. 12 years seems to me to be above and beyond any realistic hopes or expectations of the life of a modern PC laptop.

Which reminds me of the laugh I had recently when I saw that plus 1 TB SSD storage costs 500 € on a Mac, and plus 16 GB RAM cost 500 €...

Yeah, I added a 1TB SSD to my Dell G7 for about $150 and 32GB of RAM was another $150 or so. And I did it without voiding the warranty.

Apple generally does really well on reliability consumer reports, often coming out on top year after year. They didn't come top last year from what I remember, but reliability measured across the entire market is generally very good, if not the best.

That's because they only play in a tiny segment of the overall market. If you were to compare their reliability against other high-end PCs, I doubt you'd get the same result. More importantly, if you compare their warranties to other premium products, e.g. Dell XPS and Precision lines, Apple's is pretty lousy and very expensive. Dell provide next day, on site repairs and on the three occasions I've required it over the years, they have delivered brilliantly. The first one was a dead charger and they couriered me a new one within two hours. The second one was an nVidia issue that affected a lot of vendors, which Dell fixed two months after the warranty had expired (I assume nVidia were paying). On that occasion I reported the problem while I was overseas and the repair guy was at my place around two hours after I got home. If you'd had the same issue with your Mac, you'd have been without it for a couple of weeks. The most recent was an eBay purchase of a refurbished XPS 13, which had a stuck key the day I got it. The Dell guy was waiting in the foyer when I got to work the next day and had a new keyboard installed in 10 minutes.

[MadDogE134]

well all things... especially electronics suffer from some sort of defect from time to time be it from assembly or just parts failure. it is the nature of the mass manufacture beast... no QC does 100% testing of product so everything is a grab bag to a certain extent. and reliability is based on sheer numbers hence why i stated "barring a lemon" lol so we ALL keep our fingers crossed when purchasing.

i still have an old Vendex Headstart System the Turbo-888-XT... the first one they put out... and it still functions perfectly. if i am not mistaken it was bought back in 1985 maybe one day it will be in a museum lol j/k

[Forgotten]

Apple generally does really well on reliability consumer reports, often coming out on top year after year. They didn't come top last year from what I remember, but reliability measured across the entire market is generally very good, if not the best.

That's because they only play in a tiny segment of the overall market.

No, it's stated as a % of units sold that fail within 2 years, so the comparative numbers sold is irrelevant.

[BONES]

It's not about numbers, it's about price. Cheap computers use cheap components so a $400 Dell laptop is far more likely to fail than a $4000 Dell laptop. Apple don't sell $400 Macs so they don't get dragged down by cheap components. So what I was saying is that if you only look at laptops that are as expensive as a MacBook, then you would very likely find that Macs were no more reliable than other brands in that price range.

[jancivil]

What I was trying to say is that Apple's devices are no magic devices, which seems to be what some people are thinking.

Well, given that literally no one has said anything resembling that in the thread you’re doing your own credibility no favors. I don’t get why one needs to do this, to try and make a personal preference into something stronger and then have to skew and misrepresent.

[Mushy Mushy]

N/M

[chk071]

What I was trying to say is that Apple's devices are no magic devices, which seems to be what some people are thinking.

Well, given that literally no one has said anything resembling that in the thread you’re doing your credibility no favors.

Oh, the general perception of Apple computers being somewhat... better, because, dunno, is definitely noticeable.

Anyway, none of my business, it's just that the OP asked for opinions, and I gave my opinion that I'd definitely buy a Windows computer.