petite anglaise

October 5, 2006

Fantasising

Filed under: misc — petiteanglaiseparis @ 4:07 pm

Now, this isn’t a proper post, but forgive me, I just want to harness the power of the interweb for a moment to help me make a momentous (and currently theoretical) decision.

 or  

I like both, because they are pretty. And powerful. And lithe. But I’m sure there are other criteria I haven’t even thought of.

Main functions: pretending to write book in internet cafés/on the go, when in fact chatting on gmail. Playing Mr Men DVD’s for Tadpole on train journeys. And yes, I realise I won’t exactly be pushing either of these to the limits, but, well, I deserve a nerdtastic little present, don’t I?

For once, I’m actually soliciting your advice.

243 Comments

  1. I like to travel lightly, so the comparative weight of the computer would sway me. As long as I could write my award-winning novel and download YouTube clips with lightning speed.

    Comment by Broady — October 5, 2006 @ 4:16 pm

  2. I would definitely go for the apple, it’s sooo user friendly and as a bonus, the system is less prone to virusses. Oh yeah, and there’s another thing: it’s so very cool! (Love your blog btw)

    Comment by natacha — October 5, 2006 @ 4:16 pm

  3. THE MAC THE MAC THE MAC!!!!! (D’ya think I’m a Mac fan?)

    Seriously though, as Tadpole wants to get more involved with computers and stuff as she grows, Macs are so much more user friendly with a lot more potential for fun art stuff too. And, well, they’re just so pretty.

    Comment by redlady — October 5, 2006 @ 4:17 pm

  4. Hi,

    I have used gmail with apple computers before and it seems that the chat function doesn’t work on apple systems. However, the macbook allows you to install windows too so.

    I’m a windows person, my laptop is apple and it drives me crazy… but a lot of people I know swear by apple. Everyone goes for either one or the other.

    Comment by Cheria — October 5, 2006 @ 4:17 pm

  5. I have been having the exact debate, and I think my new laptop is going to be a Mac. I spend so much time with PCs, and the graphics on Macs are so pretty. They are kind of like an electronical anachronism, but completely functional!

    Comment by FSolomon — October 5, 2006 @ 4:18 pm

  6. rien ne vaut un mcbook. c un peu snob comme club, mais ça ne fait pas de mal. désolé d’écrire en français, mais mon anglais est antédiluvien.

    d.

    Comment by david — October 5, 2006 @ 4:20 pm

  7. Dear Petite,

    Love your blog. Have read everything on it in the last 2 months. Like so many I can’t wait for every next post.

    I am really glad things are looking up for you.

    About the computer; lot’s can be said, but what it all will boil down to is: if you have the money to spend; buy the Mac. If you do not want to spend that much buy the PC, but don’t whine about connection problems and other issues that will arise (as Murphy’s Law will be applicable to PC’s).

    Regards, Robbert

    Comment by Robbert — October 5, 2006 @ 4:26 pm

  8. I was raised by a staunch PC user…but worked for an Apple guy and I have to say Mac all the way. I have a PC now, and it bites. The mac is user friendly, doesn’t tend to crash, are not as apt to get a virus and my old G$ was as fast the day I got it as it was 2 years later (which cannot be said for any PC I have owned)

    Comment by meredith — October 5, 2006 @ 4:28 pm

  9. Buy a mac!

    But don’t buy a white mac – they get dirty really quickly. If you are looking at the [white mac] price range then buy the sony.

    Sony are nice too [they do nice tiny laptops]

    But by a mac!

    Comment by andre — October 5, 2006 @ 4:30 pm

  10. While I am not a Mac head by any means, you may want to consider the Mac if for no other reason than it is far more widely used in the entertainment and publishing industry. Anything having to do with graphics is usually done on Mac’s. Just something to consider…….

    Okay, let the debate rage……….

    Comment by Dave of the Lake — October 5, 2006 @ 4:33 pm

  11. If you want style and substance it has to be the Mac. If you must it will now even run windows as a second OS, though why? The mac is stable, svelte and stylish, aren’t you just a dream couple!

    Comment by Paul — October 5, 2006 @ 4:37 pm

  12. With the mac you never have to worry about viruses. And I will vouch for their good customer service. They replaced the hard drive and motherboard for me two years after purchase, even though I did not buy extended warranty.

    Comment by Holly — October 5, 2006 @ 4:43 pm

  13. I have a mac at home but pc at work. I love the way the mac works (once you get used to it!) it does indeed not crash and do funny stuff you didn’t ask it to do. But there are negatives too. We use a webcam to communicate with our nephews and nieces in the US and the connection between the mac and the pc in the US does not allways work well. However if you connect between two macs it works very very well!

    Another negative is that shortcuts that you can use in MS Office programs on a pc do not work on office for mac which can be annoying if you are used to using excell and powerpoint.

    in other words… I wouldn’t know what to choose.

    Comment by CeeCee — October 5, 2006 @ 4:48 pm

  14. Stable?? anything but! Mac SUCKS. I’ve had an iBook g4 since February 2004 and it has crashed no less than three times since then, through no fault of my own. Had it not crashed yesterday for the FOURTH time, they tell me, it would soon have died of old age (just ask Gill, her 3 year old Mac died this past summer).

    Compare that record with the PC laptop I got in 1999, which only stopped working in 2004 because I idiotically spilled water in the keyboard. I think the choice is clear.

    Macs are definitely not any more user-friendly or user-unfriendly than PCs. They just have a cool interface and a cooler reputation.

    If there are any hardcore Mac fans out there who disagree with what I’ve just said, I welcome you to contact me privately to tell me HOW THE BLODDY HELL TO GET MY COMPUTER TO TURN ON. Thanks.

    Comment by maitresse — October 5, 2006 @ 4:53 pm

  15. Has to be the Mac. Get the PC and you’ll have to worry constantly about viruses, spyware, crashes and stuff. I switched to a Mac 3 years ago after a decade with Windows and have been very very happy. To the concern about GMail: GMail works perfectly on the Mac. For instant messaging you should use a free application like Adium.

    Comment by Simon — October 5, 2006 @ 4:58 pm

  16. Mac !

    Comment by wiLLoØ — October 5, 2006 @ 5:09 pm

  17. Buy the pc. To be fair, I say this because macs don’t like me and maliciously go wrong. Other people don’t seem to have this problem so you might be safe.

    Comment by Sali — October 5, 2006 @ 5:16 pm

  18. Definately the Mac.
    It’s a pleasure to use, so you’ll end up getting more done.
    (And it won’t look like its a company computer …)

    Comment by Jt — October 5, 2006 @ 5:18 pm

  19. You can’t drool over anything birthed by Bill Gates, the thought is too grotesque, but you can certainly fall for something from the Willy Wonka organisation that is Apple, while showing perfect taste.

    Besides, it will make for a matching pair with the iPod, as you jet from hectic book signings to your dreamy Caribbean hideaway…

    Comment by Andrew — October 5, 2006 @ 5:20 pm

  20. salut chere petite,

    get the mac!

    the one thing you forgot to mention missing from the office environment is the technical support staff, you know the sometimes surley guy that you call to come around and fix the problem du jour.

    working for yourself means you are your own IT department. i highly reccomend you get something with manuals written in plain english (or french) and that you don’t have to fight with to get any little thing done!

    a lower end model with the small monitor will do fine for your needs and will travel well. you can always plug into a larger one at home…

    Big bonus is that the Apple Store has the genius bar where you can walk in and get help.

    good luck!

    Comment by jodi — October 5, 2006 @ 5:23 pm

  21. At risk of becoming the comment box pariah, I reccommend getting an ACER. We recently aquired 2 for our highschool aged kids, and we did so for 2 reasons.. 1) the owner of a very large and well know private computer store reccomended them to us, and since he is also a client he would be amiss to steer us wrong… 2)
    I googled ACER computer threads, and spent a few days reading the comments of Ubergeeks around the globe regarding their love for the ACER… and was convinced.
    so, thats my advice, I will now log off before someone has a MAC attack all over me!

    Lara

    Comment by lara — October 5, 2006 @ 5:26 pm

  22. Hi, there! The computer engineer of this household is suggesting you buy the Mac. More, he says that if you’re into that whole “explosive battery” thing, buy the first version of it. (Ok, he’s now telling me that the problem has been resolved, so never mind.)
    I say go for the Mac. ;)

    Comment by Joana — October 5, 2006 @ 5:29 pm

  23. Oh God, what ever you do don’t get the Mac. They are very stylish, granted, but they are extremely expensive for what you want it for. Macs are great for high end graphics and people who want a design piece, but not great value for money for the normal person. Plus, if you have been used to PCs, they are quite difficult to get the hang of.

    I recommend getting yourself a dual-core Centrino (PC). You can get far more for your money and there are lots of stylish ones out there. Email me a budget, and I will see what I can find you.

    Comment by David In London — October 5, 2006 @ 5:39 pm

  24. Oh, and after your big winge about spelling errors in comments, I have to say I’m disappointed in you, Petite.

    Comment by David In London — October 5, 2006 @ 5:41 pm

  25. The Mac without a doubt! I was at a technology conference at the weekend and one of the guys was wandering around with the new macbook using the built-in web-cam to film what was going on – I was stunned by the sound and vid quality it produced.

    Comment by ellybabes — October 5, 2006 @ 5:41 pm

  26. David – it wasn’t a mistake, it was spellt in French.

    An entirely different thing.

    Maîtresse – I should have guessed that on the day that your gmail tagline reads “I hate Steve Jobs”, your report would not be glowing…!

    Comment by petite — October 5, 2006 @ 5:49 pm

  27. I love Macs. There is no doubt the user interface is nicer. They are less prone to viruses and other internet nasties (mostly because fewer people use them and so fewer hackers write nasties for them). They are design classics (a Brit) and will make you look cool when using one in cafe.

    But, having said all that, IMHO you should go for the VAIO, even with the exploding batteries. The vast majority of the world uses Windows. If Tadpole comes across computers at work, they are more than likely going to run Micro$oft operating systems and unless you go and work in a creative industry or advertising, companies generally run Windows PCs. 92% of PC’s browsing the web are Windows-based (Mac is about 2%).

    Got to say I love the Vaio screens as well. I was recently doing a weekend seminar on Adobe Photoshop and one guy had a Mac and another had a Vaio (I have a rather ancient Dell which refuses to catch fire); the Vaio screen was amazingly clear with fabulously bright colours.

    S

    Comment by SimonInBrussels — October 5, 2006 @ 5:49 pm

  28. To join the chorus, I too say ‘buy the Mac!’

    I changed over from PCs about two years ago and after 5 days of cursing and swearing that things weren’t where they used to be, I quickly got used to the user-friendly, super stylish, smooth edges of the mac. And now I would take a second mortgage on my house rather than use a PC again.

    Also, for diverting the attention of Tadpole you will find that the Macs play DVDs without the annoying background hum and without the skips and stalls often experienced with PCs. Gosh, I sound like a commercial or just one of those annoying Mac converts – Which I happily am!
    My 2 cents!

    Good luck with your decision

    Comment by Susan — October 5, 2006 @ 5:51 pm

  29. An iBook won’t suffer from the frailties of the Windows OS and one could question if they are the most robustly built and one would need to set aside additional funds for compartively expensive software purchases and upgrades. The Sony Vaio’s again are pretty but not too sure about their small human proofness and they do use Windows OS. Have you considered an IBM Think Pad/Compaq Presario too?

    Comment by Adrian — October 5, 2006 @ 5:54 pm

  30. Get the Mac definitely!

    I have a Powerbook with superdrive (so I can burn DVDs) and I absolutely love it. It is already 2 years old and hasn’t dated at all and you can even get all the Microsoft programmes for Mac (Word, Excel etc). Also it looks so nice – one of my main criteria when choosing anything. I bought the 12″ one and it’s a great size. I play DVDs on it the whole time and it’s great – good sound, great quality. So definitely go for the Mac!

    Comment by Hazy — October 5, 2006 @ 5:59 pm

  31. Oddly enough, last month I switched from my trusty but slowly-dying VAIO to a Powerbook.

    Verdict after three weeks: I’m giving it one more month, if I still hate it (and do I!), I’m going out and going to buy myself a VAIO again. Sooo much happier with a PC. Everything works the way I want it to, I know where everything is.

    It’s things like- on the PC, it’s either Ctrl+whatever shortcut button, or at the most ctrl+shift+whatever button. On the Mac, it could be ctrl, it could be “apple”, it could be shift, it could be alt, it could even be Fn. This drives me nuts, and slows me right down. And as for the lack of a right mouse button… *rolls eyes and decides against the rant*

    I really wanted to like the Mac- after all, yes, it is gorgeous, but omg, whenever I try to do anything more than surf/answer email, I start tearing my hair out and completely losing my cool. And my Zen. And that’s not good.

    At the moment, I wouldn’t tell you which to buy. But I really miss my Vaio (and, btw, I dropped it, it had a chip out of the side, and I never had a problem with it until it hit 4 years old and started being really damn slow. Not bad for something that is out of date 3 months before you buy it!).

    Comment by little_bounce — October 5, 2006 @ 6:01 pm

  32. Has to be the Mac. I’ve experienced both in the corporate world, as Windoze-only networks and Mac-only networks and a mixture of both. Without doubt, the Mac needs far less care and attention, does exactly what it says on the tin and doesn’t crash. I can’t remember the time ANY of my Macs crashed, and they’re a mixture of G5 (for work) 2 x PowerBook (1 also for work and 1 for my wife) a iBook G4 and a geriatric 1st generation iMac (running OSX incidentally).

    We have five Macs in our house. My youngest (now 6) started using one of them when he was 18 months. The kids can use them easily and always have. Now my two oldest are st secondary school they are using PeeCees at school and the Macs at home. They both say that they prefer the Mac – it’s easier to use and “just gets the job done”. Bottom line: no viruses (zero, zip, none), stable, stylish and, by the way, probably much better value as a similarly-priced Vaio. All that stuff about Macs being good for high-end graphics? Not true any more. Yes, they are the graphics industry machines of choice, but there’s no reason to buy a PC over a Mac. Have a look at this:

    http://www.apple.com/getamac

    That will probably answer most of your questions. If you have any more, please do not hesitate to send me an email and I will be only too pleased to help.

    Finally, if you buy a Mac, I guarantee that you will not regret it for one second.

    Comment by mac_kix_windoze — October 5, 2006 @ 6:02 pm

  33. Il n’y a qu’un choix: le MacBook.

    Comment by Cyrus Farivar — October 5, 2006 @ 6:05 pm

  34. Hi Petite…
    Here’s my 2p’s worth : I am definately pro-pc, however my experience with the Sony Vaio’s has been pretty bad – ie they are not worth the money you pay for them.
    Have fun choosing :-)
    Nicky

    Comment by Nicky — October 5, 2006 @ 6:08 pm

  35. From my experience with my clunky old laptop, the two bugbears I have are battery life and weight. Long battery life means that you can go out without carrying all the plugging-in paraphenalia, making it lighter to carry. Some of the Sonys have up to six hours, I believe. Had a guy in here on Monday who said it was great because he could just carry the computer around all day, without needing any other gear. And without all the gear, it fitted in his normal briefcase.

    Also, you don’t want to be watching a DVD on a long train journey and have the computer run out of juice halfway through.

    So I say go for the one with the best battery life.
    (I read some technology top 20 a couple of weeks ago and the Vaio and the i-Book were both up there. Sony was top, but at that level it’s all pretty close.)

    Comment by Damian — October 5, 2006 @ 6:10 pm

  36. Mac, Mac, Mac!

    Comment by Sarah — October 5, 2006 @ 6:11 pm

  37. Buy a mac, but get the extended warranty. They are more stable software-wise, but I have had hardware problems, and so have a lot of people.

    Comment by katie — October 5, 2006 @ 6:11 pm

  38. once you go mac, you never go back.

    seriously, I got mine in July, can’t even fathom turning on my (vaio) pc anymore (it’s even hidden in my desk so I don’t even have to *look* at it). I’m about to take mine on its first trip and am so excited to have something so tiny as opposed to my old machine (and also that its battery will last long enough to watch Grey’s Anatomy the entire flight!). The applecare packages also give you a 3 year warranty over anything that goes wrong–definitely a nice insurance package, esp with a little one around =)

    Comment by emily — October 5, 2006 @ 6:20 pm

  39. Ignore the talk about Mac’s supposed virus immunity and buy the computer you want, with a good virus checker. I use Nod32 from Eset at work and home and it’s brilliant. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had a virus infect any PC I’ve used – it would have to be about seven years ago (well before I started using Nod32) I think – and I am fairly cavalier about where I surf and what I open.

    Comment by Damian — October 5, 2006 @ 6:21 pm

  40. J’avais un portable PC quand même récent, avec XP pro, qui, malgré tous les anti-spyware et anti-virus dont mon copain l’alimentait, choppait tout ce qui passait et qui, en un an, est devenu un espèce de nid à virus qu’il me fallait réinstaller presque chaque mois et qui plantait sans arrêt.
    J’ai finalement acheté, en juin dernier, le dernier macBook… ô jouissance! Les nuages se sont dispersés et le soleil est réapparu.
    Vraiment, il fonctionne comme un charme et il est impossible de décrire combien il est agréable de ne pas avoir à se soucier des virus. Et je te garantie des heures de plaisir avec les petits logiciels de photo et de montage qui viennent avec…
    Et même si beaucoup se moquent des utilisateurs de mac, “buying pretty”, je t’assure qu’il n’est pas perdu, ce petit sourire de satisfaction en coin, chaque fois que tu sortiras ton portable… Ces gens sous-estiment le pouvoir que peut avoir la laideur sur le moral.

    Comment by Rosalie — October 5, 2006 @ 6:32 pm

  41. Sorry, MAC fans… I think the MAC can limit your ability to install certain software; many companies still do not have MAC-compatible version of their software. So depending on what you want to do with your new laptop, you may find that a problem.

    I’ve always had great success with Dell’s products, both on price/features and support. I used to work for a big corporation in the Information Technology group, and our in-house tech support team always favored Dell over other brands like HP/Compaq.

    I own two laptops: I’ve had an HP for two years and recently got a Dell when the HP (which I otherwise liked a lot) started overheating and shutting down. I had the HP serviced, thinking I would need some costly parts replacement and it ended up being DUST that was causing the problem.

    Go for substance over style and looks; and the more light-weight the better if you’re intending to be mobile with it; every ounce in weight makes a difference when you’re lugging it through an airport. Sure the MACs are prettier but looks aren’t everything.

    Comment by The Bold Soul — October 5, 2006 @ 6:33 pm

  42. As some one who is in the industry I would have to say get a PC. If you want tadpole to grow up knowing how to use a computer that she will be working with for the rest of her life then PC it is. Macs only account for 1% of the entire user base in the computing world they only sell 1.6 million computers a year, this pales into nothingness compared to the shear volume of PC’s sold. Whilst I agree that Macs are user friendly, there is also a good reason why they only have one mouse button, more that one and Mac users tend to get confused (boy am I going to get flamed for that one). In all seriousness though, the amount of money you spend on a Mac can get you a better specked PC. I have the fortune of having used several VIAO’s and Mac books, and I would have to say that whilst I have had problems with both, getting the VIAO’s fixed has been a piece of cake, where as the Mac was a right blighter and took far too long. VIAO = 1 day, Mac Book Pro = 6 days, and it turned out to be a smaller problem than my boss dropping the VIAO. I wont even get started on file transfer and compatibility issues, wireless networking with WEP/WPA enabled ($?). Yes they look good, but never judge a book by its cover, beauty of the Mac is only skin deep.

    Comment by Tim Brown — October 5, 2006 @ 6:36 pm

  43. The Sony, definitely. I respect mac and apple products (own two ipods), but as far as general all-around computing use, the sony is the way to go.

    good luck wif’ the purchase

    Comment by Gimp's World — October 5, 2006 @ 6:36 pm

  44. I would definitely go with the Mac. It is such a nice computer experience. I have an ibook and I can honestly say I LOVE my computer. Great for photos, video.

    Comment by Josie — October 5, 2006 @ 6:40 pm

  45. that’s all very well, Damian, saying “ignore the hype about viruses”; yes, of course, if you install an anti-virus proggy on your PC AND keep the definitions up to date you’ll be safe. Trouble is, most users neglect to keep current and hence open themselves to attack. An when you have to update those definitions DAILY….gawd…….

    Using a Mac means that viruses are just one less thing to worry about in the turmoil of normal, everyday life. And yes, one day, there will be viruses for the Mac, but not in the same vein as those that afflict PC users, simply because the Mac OS won’t allow stuff to run/take over the machine without explicit user permission. Until that day comes, and having watched my next-door neighbour struggle to keep on top of the viruses and spyware (and he only uese his machine for eBay and email when he comes home from work), I’d take a virus-free Mac anytime, thanks.

    Comment by mac_kix_windoze — October 5, 2006 @ 6:40 pm

  46. I feel moved to add an extra vote for the Vaio in the face of all this Macness. I must admit I was tempted by one of those Apples – but for me was swayed by all my existing stuff being PC and also the screen is very good. I use it for pretending to work in cafes too.

    love the blog,

    Lavender

    Comment by Lavender — October 5, 2006 @ 6:42 pm

  47. If you need the computer primarily for writing:

    PLEASE DO NOT GET THE MAC.

    I bought one and regret it. Nothing better than a PC for writers. Even when you instal the “word programme” to a Mac it does not work as well as it does on a PC. It is pretty to look at, but it isn’t user friendly at all.

    Comment by Cosi Fan Tutte — October 5, 2006 @ 6:42 pm

  48. Although Macs have their uses, I think they are very passé. You should also be aware that other full length overcoats are available.

    Umbrellas are also useful if the rain is particularly heavy.

    That is all.

    Comment by Mr Angry — October 5, 2006 @ 6:47 pm

  49. I’ve had nothing but PC’s since the 80’s and I’ve developed quite a bit of non-technical insight and expertise in how PC programs work. My spouse bought an I-Book two months ago and I played around with it to help set things up correctly. A very frustrating experience, because I find it harder with the MAC to get “behind the scene” and play with the controls…

    This being said, my girlfriend has also had nothing but PC’s for a long while, and she loves her new MAC. She is even figuring out by herself how things work and is very proud of her progress!

    I have to make the same decision soon and I frankly don’t know what I’m going to do. The I-Book is very pretty (and I’m NOT going to pay 200$ more for the black finish!) and seems to do everything right. Decisions, decisions…

    Comment by Gilles — October 5, 2006 @ 6:49 pm

  50. Totally non-technical here and purely going on aesthetics, but I just think the one on the left looks more professional – the white plastic looks a bit cheap (although I’m sure it isn’t). My boyfriend had one of the VAIO ones (until he changed jobs and had to return it to his employers) and he thought it was great. I wouldn’t like to have to learn a whole new system myself.

    Comment by old school friend — October 5, 2006 @ 6:54 pm

  51. I really dont know but the sony looks prettier. Lots of colours to choose from.

    Comment by Whisper — October 5, 2006 @ 7:02 pm

  52. Macbook with the large hard disk and use apple bootcamp

    http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

    to set it up to dual-boot windowsxp.

    then you can use windows or mac osx on the same machine.

    Comment by jacobyte — October 5, 2006 @ 7:08 pm

  53. I use my Mac primarily for writing and I find it user-friendly. I’m on my 3rd Mac in 17 years (this one is a year old) and I’ve only ever changed because I fancy a new one, never because of a problem. I’ve never had a virus, nor bought a virus program. I use shortcuts all the time with the command or alt key and I can easily do things (such as the diaeresis on my name, Zoë) that friends with pcs seem to find a problem.
    Not everything is compatible with it, but that’s got better over the years.

    I did get a cordless mouse with a right button, but the battery connection got bad after a few years so I’m currently using a Mac mouse and I don’t really miss the second button at all.

    Comment by Z — October 5, 2006 @ 7:09 pm

  54. Mac’s are the way to go. No virus, great support, compatable to pc’s, wonderful software, well built, very few problems if any. I have had my iBook for 5 years and I love it, love it, love it! I carry it everywhere.

    Comment by Mad William — October 5, 2006 @ 7:11 pm

  55. Give me a shout on Google Talk (jonathan.beckett).

    Several of my friends have had MacBook’s cook themselves.

    The PC will give you more grunt for the money. The Mac will turn you into a devout Apple sect member.

    Comment by Jonathan — October 5, 2006 @ 7:22 pm

  56. MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC

    I’m definitely a Mac girl. Once you go Mac, you’ll never go back.

    Seriously…….reliability, ease of use, built-in features like being Wi-Fi ready. I could go on and on but everyone else already has.

    I have a PowerBook G4 with metal outer cover. Has a feature that protects the drive if it falls. Has built-in burner. Now they make them with an Intel chip that will let you do windows too, if necessary. I use a ton of graphics programs and I do begrudgingly have Windows Office for Mac loaded because I need word, excel, etc.

    Mac might be more costly in the initial outlay but in the long run (service calls, etc.) things even out. Hey, for you (like me)it’s a business expense and a tax deduction (at least here in the states) so go for the best.

    Plus remember that it is SONY that is having scads of issues with their laptop batteries. Recalls after recalls. SONY is NOT the company it once was.

    Comment by jersey girl (that's New Jersey, USA) — October 5, 2006 @ 7:24 pm

  57. Just a few comments…

    Don’t make your choice soley on hardware. There are more important issues.
    1) Make sure whichever one you get runs the applications you need/want/desire.
    2) Don’t believe MAC’s are virus free or spyware free. You will need anti-virus and anti-spyware software for it as well.
    3) Check out the display… your eyes will be looking at it for long periods of time. You don’t want a display that’s going to strain your eyes.
    4) check out the keyboard – they are a little tighter than keyboards for desktop PCs. You are going to be doing a lot of typing so it better be comfortable.
    5) battery life is important if you plan to travel with it alot – check it out for each

    Both pretty much have the same technology… it’s more a case of which one “does the job” best for you. I am a PC “man” but I am seriously considering getting a MAC… they are pretty impressive. However, if I was getting it for work, I might reconsider as there are definite differences in the Operating Systems on both and switching to a new one will just add to your learning curve.

    I think you should go check out both and take the for a “test drive” before making your purchase. Hopefully you have stores close by where you can actually get your hands on one before you buy.

    Good luck…

    David

    Comment by David — October 5, 2006 @ 7:31 pm

  58. I just got a 1.83 GHz MacBook w/ 1 GB RAM and a 100 GB hard disk. I run Windows on it using Parallels Desktop and it runs faster than Windows does on my PCs. That would be the best way to go, IMHO. I’ve been very happy with the MacBook (it replaced an iBook G4 that got zapped by lightning).

    Comment by Steven Buehler — October 5, 2006 @ 7:33 pm

  59. The Mac is definitely cooler and I hear that Sony has been having some problems with their batteries. I used to have a Vaio and the screen went dead. Luckily I had (out of character) purchased the extended service plan as those things cost alot.

    Comment by Lost in France — October 5, 2006 @ 7:54 pm

  60. I have a friend who got the Sony Vaio. She got it on the basis of weight, battery life and she spends a lot of time on the train / plane watching DVDs as she travels around. I have to say that it’s a great piece of kit. On the other hand the Mac has a great interface and the old Mac I passed onto a friend for their child has served the purpose really well. I use a PC but I’d still move back to the Mac. True its not all virus and spyware free but the consistency of the interface and the way it seems to work with you would tip the balance for me…

    Comment by Mark — October 5, 2006 @ 8:09 pm

  61. I’m a Mac nerd, so I’d definitely go for the MacBook. Right now I have an iBook, and although you can’t use as many softwares as you would on a PC, it’s no bigdeal because there are other software for Mac. Plus if you already have a PC at home, you can use all the “PC only” softwares on that one, and do everything else on the Mac. I won’t repeat what all other Mac addicts have said, but just that using Mac is relaxing, comfortable, fun… and I do find it very user friendly.
    Oh, and come on… Mac users are just way more fun!

    Comment by pardonmyfrench — October 5, 2006 @ 8:26 pm

  62. I agree with the Bold Soul (paragraph 1 of her opinion) and David for his well listed, clear & concise criteria !!

    Many are swayed by ‘looks’ and ‘fads’…Be as objective as you can.

    I suspect your mind is already made up now though! LOL!

    Comment by Karma — October 5, 2006 @ 8:30 pm

  63. The mac, without questions (this is from a sofware engineer + linux geek who purchased a macbook recently).

    BTW, David : yes, the mac is virus/spyware free. No need for any anti-virus/anti-spyware for OS/X, even though I think a few do exists they are simply scams. The fact is that there are no viruses of spyware for OS/X, because the design of the OS makes it much harder to write such malware, and nobody is interested in writing malware for an OS with less than 5% market share.

    Bottom line : you won’t waste time with system maintenance tasks with a Mac. You will, and *a lot*, with a Windows machine.

    Comment by Guillaume Laurent — October 5, 2006 @ 8:32 pm

  64. Petite

    A few points in answer to the PC point of view. The latest Mac machines are no more expensive than PC’s and when you add up the extras to say a Dell that are really basics it will turn out more expensive. The iMac is a great example.

    IT professionals will say get a PC. Why because they need more support. Nobody votes themselves out of a job.

    The Mac is well built and designed, there are loads of machines soldiering on long after their PC cousins are landfill.

    The interface and keyboard issues are minor and within a few days you will be well aclimatised.

    Lastly because Tadpole is now in scool you will probably be able to buy from the Apple online education store and get a discount.

    Comment by Paul — October 5, 2006 @ 8:32 pm

  65. mac mac mac mac mac. I switched recently and think its fantastic.

    But a word of advice. I bought a macbook (1G) in June and its been away for the last 3 weeks waiting to be fixed – it was shutting down intermittently for no reason whatsoever. Only now do they know what’s wrong with it and I won’t have it until next week. If you can hang on another couple of months get a new Macbook with a new heatsink. That’s the bit I’m waiting for.

    Trust me its worth it, but you don’t need the hassle

    Comment by Marthe — October 5, 2006 @ 8:42 pm

  66. The Mac/PC fight is a little has been, and I was looking forward to read a slightly boring repetition of the same old points in the comments.
    And in some ways, it happened.
    But I almost forgot the delicate pleasure of reading someone boasting his professional stature while making the lamest comment of all. Thank you Tim.

    In addition, the macbook model you’re looking at is probably not far from being EOL’ed. The Vaio guts are more up to date. Either take the vaio or wait a few weeks for the macbook revision to be released.

    Comment by OC — October 5, 2006 @ 8:48 pm

  67. Mac people freak me out. The way they talk about their products reminds me of Barbara Kruger’s work.

    And besides, I can never open ANYTHING they send me.

    But don’t ask me – I’m just a sucka with a long-financed Dell.

    Comment by le Meg — October 5, 2006 @ 9:07 pm

  68. I can’t believe I’m going to comment twice, but I forgot to say:

    – isn’t Firefox (as opposed to Explorer) supposed to do away with (most of) the worry about viruses?

    – seriously, with a Mac nobody will be able to open anything you send them (ok, I already said that).

    – spend the money you save by not buying a Mac on fun things like an extra battery, faster processing and more memory – either internal or by getting an additional external hard drive (around 100 euros). Speed, memory and battery power are of the utmost importance when trying to build a porn, I mean Mister Men DVD collection!

    Comment by le Meg — October 5, 2006 @ 9:15 pm

  69. Oh dear lord…please don’t buy a mac. Much as I hate Microsoft, it’s the lesser of two evils (UNIX, Linux, and whatever other operating systems there are are laughable, so I’m not counting them. ^_^)

    Comment by Tom — October 5, 2006 @ 9:34 pm

  70. Buy the Mac. You can run Windows on it with Bootcamp or Parallels Desktop if your really feel the need (you won’t) and you’ll enjoy the experience of using the computer and even having it on you.

    That’s what Mac users enjoy. It’s like having nice cutlery or underwear, you don’t need it to function, but it’s nice if you’re going to use it every day. I’m sure you can appreciate that as a woman living in Paris (just remember British underwear and British bread)!

    My real advice is buy at least 1Gig of RAM (or more if you can) and to spend a little more than you can afford. In the end buying technology is always about throwing some money in the bin (you’ll see something more powerful for less money in six months) so it’s better not to scrimp. I’ve had four Mac laptops and they always have a longer lifespan than my desktop machines.

    p.s. Love your blog. I’m an Englishman in Germany and I know the feeling…

    Comment by Andy — October 5, 2006 @ 9:40 pm

  71. Get the Mac.
    I was a PC person for a really long time but am now a huge Mac fan.
    I am sure you’ll love it.

    Comment by Sozzle — October 5, 2006 @ 9:45 pm

  72. From a laymans perspective i love peoples enthusiasm for the macs -i would go for one of those.

    Comment by Ed — October 5, 2006 @ 10:05 pm

  73. Mac, mac, mac.

    Unless constant irritation and swearing is your thing.

    Comment by Maxly — October 5, 2006 @ 10:12 pm

  74. I recommend that you get a Mac.

    A few points to consider:
    a) The price difference is overstated; some Macs are more expensive than (say) their Dell counterparts, others less expensive.
    b) that small price difference (should it exist) buys you the ability to choose between two OSes rather than one..
    c) Other manufacturers play a finger-pointing game with the OEM makers of the parts they use, and with Microsoft (blaming Windows drivers etc). Apple assumes all responsibility for all the components, regardless of their source, as well as (obviously) the operating system. Naturally, because Apple handles driver writing as well as system integration, the chance of problems is lessened.
    d) Perhaps all computers have the chance of flaws, although Apple has above-average relability (according to Consumer Reports, a US consumer advocacy group which reviews almost every type of product under the sun). Apple has the best (by far) customer service, according to CR. Even if you laptop does have a flaw, it will be made right faster, and more painlessly by Apple than any other manufacturer.

    This is being posted from a MacBook (about a month old) and let me tell you, it’s great. I’d recommend you get the stock Macbook from Apple and buy 2 GB of memory from a third party source (just make sure it’s the right sort of RAM). It’s quite easy to install yourself, and much cheaper to source it independently. I’d also recommend that you look into a .Mac account; some find it useful, others superfluous. I find it useful to synchronise files and settings between the 4 Macs that I might at any given time use (my desktop, my laptop, my gf’s laptop, my gf’s desktop). It provides an IMAP email account, but that’s not really vital. 1 GB of space on .Mac servers can be used to backup files, which may be useful for you to prevent your work from being lost should something unfortunate occur to your laptop.

    I had always been a PC user, windows then linux. I switched to the Mac in 2004, and never looked back. The POS Dell I had before suffered one malady after another, and towards the end could only be turned on by being chilled in my freezer for 30 min first…

    -RS

    PS If you do get a Mac, do post an announcement; your Mac-using readers might have a few suggestions of how to get the most out of it. For example, Quicksilver, which is an application launcher cum graphical shell (http://quicksilver.blacktree.com/ and http://docs.blacktree.com/quicksilver/overview ) and Adium X, an IM clone that is far superior to AOL IM/MSN Messenger, etc’s clients.

    Comment by Rahul Sinha — October 5, 2006 @ 10:19 pm

  75. My dad used to work for Apple; I grew up on Macs. Every time I use a PC, a little bit of my soul dies.

    I understand that what you grow up using has a LOT to do with your computer preference later–interface intuitivity is such an important part of your experience with a computer. If I had grown up with PCs, I would probably be less hostile towards them…

    All the same, when I use a PC with Windows…it simply doesn’t have the immediate feedback that OS X does. Everything–mouse clicks, typing, opening files–takes a little bit longer to respond. Aside from the gap in aesthetic quality and the security considerations (which others have certainly elaborated on), that’s probably my deciding factor. When you’re typing and editing all day (which my mom does; she’s a manual writer), those little hesitations pile up…especially if you’re used to a Mac’s speed to begin with.

    Just my $0.02.

    Comment by Karen — October 5, 2006 @ 10:21 pm

  76. MacBook, no question. It is more feng shui, and you will be happier while you sit and write. Also, much easier connectivity and you get to be part of the elite club of cool kids.

    Comment by mle — October 5, 2006 @ 10:21 pm

  77. I use gmail ichat on my (work) mac with no problems. I pretty much use my PC at home for blogging and email and have had no system maintenance problems. Yes the mac is lovely, but I got the PC cos I didn’t need all the lovely stuff for what I use it for. Good luck deciding!

    Comment by the_editter — October 5, 2006 @ 10:34 pm

  78. With all these people saying Mac thousands of times I can’t help thinking about beige raincoats.
    Sorry, no computer advice forthcoming from an English tutor, but I couldn’t find your spelling ‘mistake’ either….

    Comment by Paris Lights — October 5, 2006 @ 10:36 pm

  79. GETAMAC!!!!!

    Comment by AMH — October 5, 2006 @ 10:39 pm

  80. The little Vaio’s are cute, light and great when away from home.

    Otherwise ………….Mac!

    Pip pip.

    Comment by Insider — October 5, 2006 @ 10:45 pm

  81. We have both a Vaio and an iBook in this house and the Vaio has, hands down, been the better machine in every way. It’s also suffered much more abuse, including a glass of water spilled on it. In that case, it took it a few days to dry out and recover, but it did so all by itself, no professional help required. The iBook, which replaced a powerbook, is just as much trouble as the Powerbook was. The power supply cords end up going ablaze, the battery life is poor withing a few months, and it’s been sent back under warranty for replacement twice. There’s a box from Apple in the living room right now, waiting for it to be sent back yet again, as each time it is sent they fix only one of the reported problems.

    The Vaio has been a solid, trustworty companion for our college girl. The best computer ever in a house where there are always at least 5 machines running!

    Whichever you choose, good luck!

    Comment by Tammi — October 5, 2006 @ 10:53 pm

  82. I am not a Mac user, every Apple freezes on me, even my Newton did this. I have bad Apple karma.
    But a friend of mine has one, she is a web designer and as much as she likes Apple, Web stuff looks totally different, Word on Apple doesn’t want to cooperate with any other Word out there and Outlook is hell. I know this, because I am the one called to solve the problem, usually by using my special magick voodoo skills, aquired by years of trying to get outlandish Linux distros to work on non standard computers. If you write your stuff in Word and want to know, how your webpresence looks to most of the world, don’t buy Mac, buy a Windows XP system. Oh and a lot of software, especially freeware is not available on Mac, even if it is a convoluted Linux system. And its around 10% more expensive than a similar XP system.
    BUT buying a laptop today is a question of love, everything you need is in one way or another possible on both systems. Buy the one you really, really want to have. Rationality is largly overvalued.

    Comment by mad computer voodoo priestess — October 5, 2006 @ 10:54 pm

  83. Another vote for the Mac here – unlike Windows, Mac OS X is reliable, stable and secure.

    But…don’t buy just yet. The MacBooks are due for an upgrade imminently (to Intel Core 2 Duo processors) so best to hold off if you can.

    Comment by Brian — October 5, 2006 @ 10:56 pm

  84. P.S. Make sure to get at least 1GB of RAM with the MacBook – anything less and you won’t be getting the best out of the machine or the OS.

    Comment by Brian — October 5, 2006 @ 10:59 pm

  85. I am a PC user and would not touch a Mac with a 10-ft pole. My two Mac-user friends have seen their machines catch fire – and then they went out and bought another Mac!

    This is my 3rd PC in 12 years and I never had any of them going back for repairs, let alone to have driver and motherboard replaced (#12) – the mere idea is enough to freak me out! Mac, vade retro…

    Comment by Magda — October 5, 2006 @ 11:00 pm

  86. Mac vs PC is a war that started in the early 80’s… and one of the key question would be “what do you expect from your computer?”. No one asked that, knowing that possible following question may be “why don’t you try both and figure out which one is the one you feel the most comfortable with?”. Both are fancy, there are pros and cons for each, but the referee is going to be your comfort and usage…
    Helping you might be easier if you’d just describe what would be the ideal machine for what you do, what you wanna do, what you’re bored with, what you’re happy with, what do you like or not, and so on, and so on…

    (I’ve been using both (and more) on a daily basis for more than 10 years, and do still like both. However, depending on what I plan to do, I choose one instead of the other…)

    Comment by Aymardo — October 5, 2006 @ 11:33 pm

  87. We had a Sony Vaio for twelve and a half months (just out of warranty) and then it completely gave up on us. Trying to get anyone at Sony to even begin to help us was a complete joke, we gave it up as a bad job and vowed never to buy Sony again (and definitely not a Vaio). It’s a great laptop while it works, but any problems and you’re stuck.

    Comment by jo in cayman — October 5, 2006 @ 11:41 pm

  88. I’m a Mac convert of a couple of years. I was talking to a couple of sweet geeks last night about the latest powerbooks last, as I was thinking of getting one. Currently they are working through a few teething problems I hear, especially getting too hot to actually use on your lap! They advised me to wait a couple of months til the all the quirks were ironed out.

    The pros and cons of mac vs pc that I found in my change over.

    Cost – really hard to bargin down the price of a mac and usually have to buy extra software (especially word/microsoft office for mac). EVERYTHING costs more for a mac.

    Sometimes you find great programs online that aren’t made for macs and its really annoying.

    Bugs – the plus is I haven’t had a single virus since I swapped over. Most nasty things that upset your computer are written for pc’s. If you are someone who doesn’t back up your work regularly, or sends the odd email that you hope only the person you send it to ever reads – then a Mac is for you. (But not if you were flamable clothes :)

    Comment by another outspoken female — October 6, 2006 @ 12:08 am

  89. I absolutely swear by my wide-screen Del Centrino Duo Inspiron 6400…I work whole days on it a time, it never crashes, is quick, powerful, hyper-easy to use and pretty. I even prefer it to the whatever-the opposite-of-laptop-is gigantic thing on my desk…

    Comment by Lucy-Jane — October 6, 2006 @ 12:13 am

  90. Petite,

    I have been using Macs since 1985 and first MS-DOS and then Windows since before that.

    For all this time I’ve been working in network engineering, and am comfortable with both platforms.

    In my experience the Mac is something you want to use, Windows has always been something you have to use.

    If I have a choice I go with Mac.

    During these past 20 years, I have never had a virus or a piece of spyware infect any of my Macs. I have also never used virus protection or spyware eradication programs on any of those Macs.

    I run virus protection and spyware detection and eradication programs at work on PCs I have used (and use) there. Several times a year I have some virus (and over the last couple of years spyware)problems to deal with. I have had to clean-off and reload the operating system twice.

    Many folks say that Macs are virtually free of viruses and spyware, and my experience has been that this is a true statement.

    I

    Comment by Lynn Bashaw — October 6, 2006 @ 12:16 am

  91. The Mac, of course.

    Why? Friendly interface, good looks, works seamlessly with your iPod/iTunes, frequently used in schools (at least in North America), and much more common in the publishing world than in other fields.

    I’ve been writing on a succession of Macs – and sending files to be published – without any problems for years. Word works just as well on the Mac as it does on a PC.

    Get the 13-inch black MacBook, if you don’t like the lovely white one.

    (Get a keyboard skin, whichever you buy. It will keep crumbs and jam from falling into the cracks between the keys. Ultra important with tadpoles around)

    Comment by canuck — October 6, 2006 @ 12:23 am

  92. i’ve been jonesing for an apple ever since i fell in love with my ipod. i hope you get one and then i can read about whether you like it! (since typing and videos is about all i’d use it for too …)

    Comment by s — October 6, 2006 @ 12:26 am

  93. Oh the Mac! Totally buy the Mac! Run right past that hideous VAIO thingo and go straight to the counter with the MAC!

    Owning a MAC is like some freaky form of techno-sexual pleasure. And I’m not even a geek.

    Comment by BLC — October 6, 2006 @ 12:26 am

  94. I would very definitely go for the Mac.

    1) its system is now based on UNIX, fast and robust
    2) there are now practically no compatibility problems with WIndows stuff. And if any (unlikely) ones appear, there are plenty of free (open software) applications, for word processing for instance, such as Open Office/Neo Office/Abi Word etc that will provide a “bridge” . And anyhow,
    3) you can run Window on a Mac. You can’t run OSX on a PC.
    4) there are -for the moment- no viruses for the Mac
    6) Macs lool cooler
    5) Macs (this is a matter of opinion, of course) are more user-friendly.

    I could go on… but I’d say: go for the Mac! And when you do, get them to put in more RAM – at least 1 MB of the stuff- before you leave the shop.

    Comment by Xavier Kreiss — October 6, 2006 @ 12:29 am

  95. 2 things to consider:
    1. the recent recall of Sony batteries
    2. how good/bad each of them would react to a fall? with a child around, you never know when your machine will decide leave the table and visit the floor

    Comment by David — October 6, 2006 @ 1:06 am

  96. Determine what you want to use it for and then decide which best meets those needs. Don’t rule out other brands but at the end of the day choose what represents best value to you, not other people.

    By and large David (57) and OC (66) have said everything I would. I also agree with Andre about light colours and dirt.

    Check out warranties and support as well, this can be crucial. You should also check with your accountant to find out if leasing deals would be of any benefit to you. You should also check with him/her on depreciation issues to find if there is any purpose in extended warranties or whether you should be considering replacement every x years (3?)as this may be more tax efficient for you. This can also impact on your choice.

    Good luck, decisions of this nature are always a pain.

    Comment by Tattieheid — October 6, 2006 @ 1:24 am

  97. Get the Apple.
    Try it for a while.
    If you don’t like it, I know someone who will take it off your hands…

    Comment by Hywel Mallett — October 6, 2006 @ 1:57 am

  98. I have worked with both and now, if given the choice, will ALWAYS go the Mac :) … besides, they’re prettier!

    Comment by Miss Lisa — October 6, 2006 @ 2:43 am

  99. well, we have the Mac at home and I understand it keeps the spam and viruses out better because most of these are designed for PCs. But honestly I use an IBM ThinkPad at work and I find Windows much more instinctive and easy to use.

    Comment by windytalker — October 6, 2006 @ 2:44 am

  100. All the writers I know use Apple Macs, and they are beautiful, but I would buy the Sony…

    Comment by helensparkles — October 6, 2006 @ 2:52 am

  101. mac all the way, ther are so user friendly. i used to have a PC till 3 years ago and would never go back.if its the windows applications you want pretty much all come now for mac. “microsoft office :mac” has word, powerpoint and excel. the appleworks program is very easy basically the same as mirosoft office. i use a mac at work and have never had an issue opening any attachment from a PC user or had anyone say the couldn’t open my attachment. my son made the switch when he was 8 years old without a problem and can easily go from PC to mac at anytime.
    not sure if its the same in paris but the apple store here in ny has daily one hour sessions on switching to mac from PC and sessions on how to use all the applications FOR FREE. you can just go in and attend as many as you like and while you’re there test one out. can’t beat that.
    as for tech support mac is well known to have the best in the industry with their applecare program. believe me they are fantastic and very patient!!
    good luck!

    Comment by jacq — October 6, 2006 @ 3:06 am

  102. I love my Vaio and have the entire Adobe graphics suite on it…never a problem! Last winter I was taking a Photoshop course with an evenly mixed group of PC and Mac users, all I know is the graphics ran just about the same and I was always the LAST one in class who had to reach for my power cord. I’ve also NEVER experienced a “crash” and simply run “automatic updates” for virus protection, a no-brainer. BTW, my instructor had several evenings of “technical difficulties” with his Mac (honest).

    Comment by California Reader — October 6, 2006 @ 5:16 am

  103. MAC, MACKETY, MAC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Comment by kate — October 6, 2006 @ 5:52 am

  104. I used PC’s all my life and then one day decided to buy a MacBook Pro.

    Best decision ever.

    Its sexy, fun and I’ve not had any virus problems.

    Also, it came with this cool remote thingy so I could watch DVD’s and movies with the Mac across the room and me snuggled in bed.

    What more could you want?

    Comment by Lauren — October 6, 2006 @ 6:22 am

  105. Petite,

    Most of the world uses windows. I have quite a bit of experience with both. Either would work, but I feel that your looking for which is better and why.

    We have 3 Macs in our household. Love them and we’ve been Mac owners for approximately 17 years. Windows computers requires remembering a great many things and putting up with viruses.

    My hubby discovered ilife a few years back. He now creates these amazing photo albums online that have to be done on a Mac. This, I feel is one of the best reasons to go with a Mac and Iphoto. My vote is for the Mac.

    http://www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/features/books.html

    My recommendation is that you pull up both computer features, print everything and compare them side by side. Whatever you decide, you should be happy with your choice.

    Comment by Diane — October 6, 2006 @ 6:34 am

  106. Go with the mac. I use a PC at work and a mac at home. I do not have problems with my mac at all. However, if you are going with a PC laptop then go with an IBM. I work in a research lab and all of our faculty and postdocs use laptops. We have had every variety, they are used daily and are taken to meetings all over the world. The brand that holds up the best is the IBM. Regardless, when getting a laptop make sure you get a service plan with it and hopefully one that has the repair person come to your house vs having to have to take it in for care.

    Comment by Maureen — October 6, 2006 @ 6:42 am

  107. Get the Macbook! I’ve been reading your site for a long while now on my Powerbook and it’s been an incomparable pleasure. Knowing that you’ve posted using a Mac would make my Powerbook purr with pleasure.

    Remember, you can run XP on a Mac now so if you ever feel the need to slip over to the dark side occasionally, it’s there at the push of a button.

    Comment by lyle — October 6, 2006 @ 7:26 am

  108. If I would have to decide between these two, I’d get the Mac, because I think OS X is far better than that other proprietary system from Redmond. And *if* it would be a Mac, it would be a Pro version with that far better metal case.

    But being a Linux guy (I started TheDebianUser.org back in August), I would recommend any newer Core 2 Duo or Turion X2 machine. The advantage? They are probably nowhere described better than in http://backup.polishlinux.org/gnu/10-reasons-to-dump-windows-part-i/
    and http://backup.polishlinux.org/gnu/10-reasons-to-dump-windows-part-ii/

    BTW: my wife Mitchie looked a bit puzzled first when turning to Linux, feeling like “coming home” whenever she occasionally started that other system again. But then she started to develop her own web pages with Apache, PHP, and MySQL, and nowadays she wouldn’t turn back to anything non-free. Just like me.

    Just my 2 centimes…

    Comment by wjl — October 6, 2006 @ 7:28 am

  109. Oh, and I almost forgot:

    Linux has just great games for the small ones…

    cheers,
    wjl

    Comment by wjl — October 6, 2006 @ 7:30 am

  110. Hi Petite,
    Definitely the Mac. I got a new Macbook a few weeks ago to replace an older iBook. I also used the new giant desktop Mac at work. Heavenly. It’s love.

    Comment by Karen — October 6, 2006 @ 8:36 am

  111. Not to wax on forever about Macs, but the dashboard widgets are wicked wicked wicked. Language translator, currency converter, dictionary/thesaurus, 5-day weather forecast, and iTunes lyrics thingy are on mine. I use the dashboard incessantly.
    Okay, I’ll stop now. It’s starting to sound like I’m on Apple’s payroll.
    Karen

    Comment by Karen — October 6, 2006 @ 8:46 am

  112. Bonjour, tout ou presque a déjà été dit sur la comparaison Mac/PC. De mon côté, je vous suggère de considérer le Dell Latitude D420. L’encombrement est comparable au Vaio C, les performances nettement meilleures, et Dell propose un service d’installation et d’assistance technique à domicile qui est d’après moi un vrai plus pour les utilisateurs non-professionnels. Pour avoir récemment fait passer un client d’un iBook et d’un Vaio C vers ce Dell (véridique!), je dirais qu’il n’y a pas photo.
    Et continuez d’écrire comme ça, vos textes sont un rayon de soleil quotidien ;-)

    Comment by Bootcat — October 6, 2006 @ 8:51 am

  113. Having just spent 45 minutes setting up a digital projector for a group of people with a Powerpoint presentation and a PC but no idea how to project it, I back myself (and other commenters) up again by saying MAC! I have never set a projector up with a PC before and couldn’t work out why the image wouldn’t show. It turns out that you have to press a combination of fiddly buttons to decide whether you want just an image on your screen, or on the wall, or both and other such hoo haa. With a Mac, you switch on the projector, you switch on the computer and it’s done! (And you don’t begin your Friday in a really, really bad mood!)

    Comment by redlady — October 6, 2006 @ 9:27 am

  114. A month ago, I bought the Vaio, having drooled over the ibook for ages because it just looks so cool (I’m the first to admit I’m superficial…). The price difference was the decisive factor but I have to say I’m very happy indeed with my Sony and haven’t regretted buying it so far.

    Comment by retailtherapist — October 6, 2006 @ 9:35 am

  115. The Mac for sure. I switched to Apple 18 months ago and would never go back. Plus I know someone who bought the VAIO recently and dropped it and it was well stuffed. And the battery thing is a biggie as well. The IBM types tend to have very limited lives and you often can’t get replacements.

    Comment by Lisa Hardi — October 6, 2006 @ 9:47 am

  116. le Meg: I’m baffled by your comment that you’ve had problems opening files sent from Macs. We operate a mixed-platform environment at work and the inter-operability is simply flawless.

    Comment by Brian — October 6, 2006 @ 9:57 am

  117. hi petite,

    you are definitely a mac person! I use a vaio, and its cool and all that, never mind all the technical ins and outs, I just know that the mac is for you!

    Comment by matt — October 6, 2006 @ 9:59 am

  118. Hi malaAngielko,
    I have not read the all of responds, so I don’t know if I repeat what already has be said.

    I could say, that:
    It is all about the design! Mac is a king of design and I really love. I also think you and Mac would match for 100%. But (there is always some but) your new computer should not limit you in any case.

    – Check what interfaces are available. Does it have wireless interface and DVD recorder it a must now.
    – Check the amount memory I think to work comfortably you have to have about 2GB.
    – Check the disk I mean ask about the size and speed. There are many king of disk size and they have two kind of speed one is about 5k tr/min and about 7k tr/min. You’ll get better performance with faster disk.
    – Ask about work on battery, how long it can work on battery is also important.
    – Check the size of TFT, both of notebooks have panoramic TFT it is a big plus I think.
    -Check if it has additional interfaces to connect it to let’s to TV to be able to play some movies for Tadpole
    – Think about application and how easily You can buy something for Intel and Windows and Intel and MacOS.
    – Think if You like MacOS design and functionality.
    – Check the weight of both.

    Compare all of above with the prices.

    … and remember if you will not be able to decide buy both and enjoy them.

    Best wishes!

    mr P.

    Comment by mr P. — October 6, 2006 @ 10:13 am

  119. I’ve worked with both over the years, and I have to agree with the commenter who said a Mac is something you want to use and a PC is something you have to use. I’ve had an iBook G4 for a year and a half and I love it. I’ve never had any problems (so far!), it runs Word perfectly well and compatibility is not a problem. The whole aesthetic aspect is just the icing on the cake: it’s a real pleasure to use because it all looks so nice and is easy to handle.
    By the way, mine is white and it still looks pristine, even though it travels around with me quite a lot.
    Mr Mancunian Lass has a Sony Vaio and it’s very noisy.

    Comment by Mancunian Lass — October 6, 2006 @ 10:14 am

  120. Having just skimmed through all 97 comments my reaction is ‘I bet you regret asking for advice!’
    Don’t know about you, but I’m totally confused.
    However, I’m sure whichever one you choose there will always be pros and cons so go for the laptop that looks the part and takes your fancy.

    Comment by Sablonneuse — October 6, 2006 @ 10:20 am

  121. The mac I reckon, but get the black one…. http://www.apple.com/macbook/gallery/index2.html cos it’s so cool, and the white ones are looking a little dated these days :)

    If you use it for what you outline above, you’ll be over the moon.

    Comment by Chris Dorward — October 6, 2006 @ 10:35 am

  122. hi petite,
    I’m usually just a lurker but I had to weigh in on this one because I faced the same decision 4 years ago. I’m a writer and was wooed into getting a Mac Powerbook because it was ‘cool’ and ‘design’ and I will embarrassingly admit Carrie from SATC had one.

    but when I started writing on it, I had many problems with compatibility as my editors were using PCs. sometimes my ‘?’ would turn into weird symbols (and my editors kept calling asking me to re-send because they couldn’t open the version I sent, etc) and the track changes function is nearly defective on Macs.

    it was really difficult to use Word on a Mac and once I was editing a 100 page report in track changes and my Mac just couldn’t handle it. I switched back to a PC after a year and haven’t had any of those problems. so I would suggest to resist the cool factor becuase it won’t seem so cool when you lose days of work in Word because the software doesn;t function properly (or when your editor calls and says he/she can’t read it).
    oh, and when people tell you that those ‘in the industry’ use Macs, they’re not talking about editors, they’re talking about designers and illustrators, etc.
    hope this helps!
    good luck with the decision,
    brandy

    Comment by brandy — October 6, 2006 @ 10:39 am

  123. (this is turning into slashdot, but with a topic like that, what would you expect ?)

    About the “with a mac, other people won’t be able to open what you send them” thingie : this is an old problem dating back to old OS9 mailers which indeed were using a mac-specific encoding for email attachments. This has been fixed long ago with OS/X and Mail. The only thing you have to think about is, if using Appleworks or OpenOffice, to tell it to export whatever file you want to send to the equivalent MSOffice format, or, much better, to something truly standard like HTML or PDF.

    Comment by Guillaume Laurent — October 6, 2006 @ 10:51 am

  124. I use both a Windows and an Apple machine – go for the Mac.

    As for Gmail chat, the in built and very pretty iChat application will look after that for you as it can be configured to do so.

    One detraction from Mac – webcam function doesn’t work with MSN Messenger, but alternatives like Skype more than suffice.

    Playing DVDs is much better than most machines as the MacBook screen is glossy/flat eliminating a lot of of the repositioning of screen necessary with a lot of PC laptops.

    And as good as iTunes works in Windows, it’s in pale comparison to it’s performance on a Mac.

    Comment by Brocade — October 6, 2006 @ 11:06 am

  125. I’ve got a Mac Powerbook, which I love. One thing I can’t do with it, though, is sit on a bench outside, even when it’s not particularly sunny. If the Viao has one of those ‘black’ screens that are quite new to computers/tv then I’d probably get that.

    Comment by Susan — October 6, 2006 @ 11:10 am

  126. yes, I’m definitely confused. I played with a friend’s Macbook yesterday and it did feel pretty warm, but I won’t be buying for a month or two, so hopefully any overheating issues would have been resolved. I would primarily be writing on my PC, I will add, the laptop would be for travelling, for experimenting with writing in cafés, for using at my folks’ house etc. And if I manage to rent a little chambre de bonne for working in (because I’m finding it hard to sleep in the same room I “work” in) then the laptop will be the one I use for email, blogging, surfing, playing music and watching films.

    Comment by petite — October 6, 2006 @ 11:33 am

  127. I’ve used Macs at work and PCs at home. Macs are definitely cool and sexy and fun, but unless you’re designing things or making videos or something you don’t need one. Petite – you know where I live now. I would highly recommend anything by Dell. Years of bugs, piles of dust, heat of 45C and my Dell laptop is still going. It’s invincible. (eek! I’ve probably jinxed it now!). My number one priority is having something that doesn’t break down. Dell all the way. Otherwise, as others have said, you need to look at weight and battery life. And I guess memory if you’ve got a lot of photos/songs to put on there.

    Comment by Clare — October 6, 2006 @ 11:35 am

  128. Why purchase? Can your agent get one for you for free? A sponsorship/endorsement deal type thing?

    Comment by Adrian — October 6, 2006 @ 11:39 am

  129. oh, small matter of taxes, definitely worth buying

    Comment by petite — October 6, 2006 @ 11:43 am

  130. I could not imagine that all your readres were so much into computer! I feel like a total incompetent!
    On a aestetic base I love the rose VAIO computer!!

    Comment by Olga — October 6, 2006 @ 12:11 pm

  131. buy a black or silver one

    Comment by kezz — October 6, 2006 @ 12:28 pm

  132. Good morning, Petite….

    ….and what a huge debate you’ve (wittingly!) started! I think (how original…!) that it is largely a matter of taste, as it is well established that each has its strengths/weaknesses. Having used both and being, ahem, a bit long in the tooth, I would say that a Mac takes a bit of getting used to, if you are PC person, which meant a lot of wall-kicking and swearing from me – but I’m sure you’re more adaptable and would soon get the hang of it. No question that it’s the way to go for graphics (I used a Mac when I worked for a landscape designer), but I would agree that writing is more straightforward on a PC. At the end of the day, there will always be compromise!

    Comment by Lindy — October 6, 2006 @ 12:33 pm

  133. I had to make this decision myself only recently and ended up going for a 17″ Macbook Pro. I do a lot of multimedia, photos, music, writing etc and it is the authors/publishers/Educators weapon of choice. It’s a sexy machine and I particularly like the backlit keyboard. You can also dip into Windows XP when you have to by using “Parallels Desktop” (see http://www.amazon.co.uk/Parallels-Avanquest-UK-Desktop-Mac/dp/B000HIHI7I/sr=8-1/qid=1160130418/ref=pd_ka_1/026-9318087-1180466?ie=UTF8&s=software). I’m a Systems Engineer who’s been working on Micro$oft systems for over 10 years – nuff said!

    Comment by Alastair — October 6, 2006 @ 12:34 pm

  134. In 1984 a cute Little machine arrived artists and writers have never felt the same way about computers.

    If you value your creativity and it appears Penguin does, you will make the correct choice :)

    Comment by David Giorgi | Join Expat France — October 6, 2006 @ 12:40 pm

  135. MAC BOOK – Every time! I am currently daydreaming about owning one and sitting in coffee shops pretending to write a book so it seems to fit well if you two would use yours to sit in coffee shops and pretend to write books too! Plus, it just looks sexier than the other laptops around and a little techy but simple with it! Good luck choosing!

    Comment by Louisa — October 6, 2006 @ 12:45 pm

  136. Considering all the pro Mac comments posted here, I think your decision is easy, petite. Get the Mac, if after a few months you decide it’s not for you, post a small ad here, there’s bound to be someone who will buy it from you for a reasonable price. You can’t lose…

    Comment by suziboo — October 6, 2006 @ 12:59 pm

  137. mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac mac … but you knew I’d say that.

    Comment by lucy blogzira — October 6, 2006 @ 1:23 pm

  138. mac, definitely.
    1- since the intel integration maxs are not more expensive than others.
    2-I use office programs on my mac with no problems at all.
    3- with the exception of outlook. now, why would you want to run outlook in the first place? you have mac’s mail client. (and a separate calendar with alarms and everything) and if you don’t like it, thunderbird is even better.
    i’m also assuming you’ve given up on IE long ago.
    4-mac has coordinated ichat with gtalk.
    5-leopard has very cool features.

    Comment by ellie — October 6, 2006 @ 1:41 pm

  139. If you aren’t going to be using it all the time, why not go for something that won’t break the bank, with a view to trading it in for a new one within a few years? After all, the technology is changing all the time and what seems fantastic now will be half the price and out of date in two years. Maybe it’s not worth blowing a huge amount of money on a top of the range one if it’s just for travelling. Something that’s as light as possible should perhaps be your priority (my Compaq laptop is VERY heavy).

    Comment by old school friend — October 6, 2006 @ 1:50 pm

  140. Hello Babe,

    No hesitation. My girlfriend was hesitating, just like you. She had been using a PC for ages. Now that she bought the new MacBook, she sleeps with it. She fell in love. You can’t imagine how sensual would be your relationship with a Mac. In fact, you compare a cold machine and a girly jewel. Trust me.

    Cheers

    Tadzio

    Comment by Tadzio — October 6, 2006 @ 2:25 pm

  141. Well, that all looks pretty straightforward then

    (Perhaps next week we can sort out global warming)

    Comment by murphy — October 6, 2006 @ 2:31 pm

  142. If you have never used a Mac before and you accept to change your Windows habits… go for the Mac.
    A few reasons:
    – It’s so nice to use (really good operating system, nice applications)
    – No virus, spyware or adware
    – Good battery autonomy
    – The MacBook looks really good
    – A friendly community (No kidding… we are not just freaks. Often “switchers” are surprised how friendly and helpful we are. A nice place to meet this “community”: http://forums.macgeneration.com/ And please if you register, can you say that I am your “parrain”. My nickname’s the same than the one used here.)

    But again… be prepared to change your habits.

    You won’t regret it…

    A little story: a journalist/blogger friend of mine was using a pc… when he came to the Mac, he told me that he was doing more things and doing them even better. He was “I want to do this, that way should be the logical one, let’s try… hey it works!”

    Have a nice one and if you have questions, please do ask.

    A.

    Comment by Adrienhb — October 6, 2006 @ 2:33 pm

  143. Hi Petite

    I would buy the one that’s going to be the most compatible (software etc..) with your other computer(s)

    Froog

    Comment by Froog — October 6, 2006 @ 3:16 pm

  144. i have been reading your blog since i saw it all over cnn.com and now i finally have something useful to say! =) i say a macbook. if you love to talk on gmail (like me), a mac allows you to do this with a program called “ichat” and little talk bubbles contain each message you send. it’s very cute.

    i love your blog! =D

    Comment by Ruthie — October 6, 2006 @ 3:24 pm

  145. As someone who has made the change over herself, MAC all the way.
    You can gmail chat through Firefox.
    The screen resolution on the new macbooks is fantastic.
    There are no longer compatibility issues with MACs and PCs. Anything you send from a MAC can be opened on a PC.

    Comment by sarah — October 6, 2006 @ 3:47 pm

  146. MAC…all the way…and I guarantee once you go Mac, there’s no going back. I have the black version of the Macbook and absolutely LOVE it-you will too!

    Comment by Susan — October 6, 2006 @ 4:02 pm

  147. Do not go for a Mac, they are evil and will probably kill you to death.

    Any windows machine PC should be the way forward. Definitely.

    Comment by Bill Gates — October 6, 2006 @ 4:10 pm

  148. MAC! Always and forever a MAC… if given a choice.
    I use a PC at work… because I HAVE to; but a MAC at home. You will never regret getting the Mac.

    Comment by Mary Jo — October 6, 2006 @ 4:13 pm

  149. Whatever you do, don’t buy a Dell laptop. They are terrible! I quite like the slim Toshibas. Toshiba make most of the parts for laptops.

    Comment by Tom Amos — October 6, 2006 @ 4:14 pm

  150. Hello Petite,
    I’ve been following youy blog for a year now, and well… I have to say a few words in the infamous PC/Mac battle.

    I’ve been a Macuser for my entire life (i mean, literally, no PC has ever entered my parents’ house :), but I must say I tolerate my roomate’s)
    I’ve also used PCs, of course (high school, university, friends’, work…).

    If you’re looking for a computer that allows you to be carefree about evrything that’s supposed to be a hassle on a computer (viruses, crashes, obnoxious alert messages), go for the Mac. You’ll have the eventual frozen screen when using 10 heavy apps at a time, but that’s all. And there’s a button for that kind of situations.

    If you’re looking for a fast and efficient machine to work on, go for the Mac. They are extremely reliable computers. My mother still uses the first one she bought almost 20 years ago (for tiny little things, obviously, but it still works). My Powerbook has been through multiple trips in my handbag, or my bycicle basket, has taken numerous planes, has already fallen from 1m right the on pavement. He’s more than 3 1/2 years old now, and it’s still perfect.

    If you’re afraid of the compatibility between PCs and Macs, then you can go for the Mac as well. Some little things to know (always check that the .doc of your word files are there, for instance), some great free apps to download, and you won’t notice the difference. Well actually, you’ll love the difference :)

    If you’re looking for the simplest and most efficient way to do the maximum of things (not including heavy computer programming, I must admit, but more things like writing, listening to music, surfing the internet, blogging, and well… like me, spending most of your time on your computer), then, definitely, go for the Mac.

    If you don’t know anything about computers, go for the Mac. It’s sooo user-friendly. If you love everything about computers, go for the Mac. It’s soooo customizable.

    If you have any specific questions, I recommend you go through the Mac forums on the internet (in french for instance : Macgénération). We’re a very friendly community.

    And if you have questions about personnal use, you can also email me personnally, I love talking about my computer ;), and I’ll be delighted to help you.

    Take care Petite
    Sarah

    Comment by SaraKa — October 6, 2006 @ 4:14 pm

  151. Oh and, I’ve read things in the thread about, softwares you’ll never find on a Mac, on non-fixable bugs, on networking issues… Well, I have answers for a lot of these things, you can send me an email if you’re interested.

    Comment by SaraKa — October 6, 2006 @ 4:21 pm

  152. The Mac.I bought a Powerbook 4 years ago and it is still going strong and I also got a mini mac recently.

    They are really easy to use- it isn’t that big of a deal to go from a PC to one and back again.

    They’re more stable. You don’t have to worry about viruses.

    And they’re cool. . .

    Comment by Nicole — October 6, 2006 @ 4:41 pm

  153. just to throw this thread off slightly, I was reading this from Reuters, and I can see I am going to have to work on developing a very thick skin…

    Comment by petite — October 6, 2006 @ 4:49 pm

  154. i’m coming in very late to this discussion, but i say get a mac. i’ve used apple products since the apple II, and i’ve never regretted it. you CAN get viruses, but they are few and far between (i last had one in 1998), and there is (free, open source) anti-virus software out there.

    people who say they are too expensive haven’t looked at what you are getting for the price, and compared it to the same specs on the PC end of things. when you break it down, macs actually come out the same, or even a bit cheaper. as far as cross-platform compatibility goes, i work with PC users all the time, and never notice a difference. get a mac — and if you end up not liking it, you won’t have any trouble selling it. good luck with your decision!

    Comment by franko — October 6, 2006 @ 5:03 pm

  155. Wow. You’re getting a quite a bit of response. Perhaps you can judge what my answer would be just looking at my email address, but as a person whose life revolves around computers, I think I would pitch in.

    Oh, yeah. I carry 2 laptops everyday (1 Mac, 1 XP)… I use Windows because I have to. I Mac because I choose to… (I sound like a Apple slogan…)

    The easy / fun answer:

    Buy a Mac (MacBook Pro if you can shell out a bit extra). Everything just works out of the box and you’ll look hip (though not at the front end of the wave). All the every day life applications are so well integrated and they are so intuitive that you won’t want to go back to Windows. Ever.

    Window

    The boring answer:

    If you do the hardware comparison, you actually get a better deal buying a Mac these days. Apple just chooses to use higher end components. The core operating system of Mac is UNIX based (BSD) and it’s quite stable. Though I do have to admit, my new black MacBook has been freezing once in a while (I suspect it has something to do with switching from PowerPC to Intel), but it’s almost nothing compared to Windows; I reboot my XP machine about 5 ~ 6 times more often per week than my Mac.

    I hope this helps.

    Comment by Sam — October 6, 2006 @ 5:11 pm

  156. Just ignore them and keep on writing brilliantly as you always do (and buy the Mac!!)

    Comment by Hazy — October 6, 2006 @ 5:18 pm

  157. I know little about techy stuff, but the Reuters article was clearly written by someone without your talent at blog/book writing!

    Comment by rich — October 6, 2006 @ 5:25 pm

  158. No question! Once you’ve had a MAC you’ll never go back to a PC. They don’t crash, they look pretty, the graphics are great. Who cares if most people use PCs – nowadays files work across both. I would say a MAC is a creative persons tool whilst PCs are for the office workers. No contest!

    Comment by Debs — October 6, 2006 @ 6:00 pm

  159. I’d go for the one of the left – the Vaio. I just bought that exact computer 2 weeks ago and am typing you this message on it. My last laptop (purchased in 1999) was also a Sony Vaio. It survived from 1999 – 2006…with me. I dropped it, I abused it, I spilled food on it, my cats slept on it. By the end, the keyboard was a little off, it had a few functions missing, it looked ragged, but was running! It took my hits, drops, abuse and kept going. I love my new one and look forward to another abusive, loving laptop relationship. Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Pixie

    Comment by Pixie — October 6, 2006 @ 6:12 pm

  160. Mac. It was while working in an Apple Mac shop that I found and became a regular reader of your blog. Hated the job but loved the computers. And now they run Windows if you really want them to, it’s a no-brainer…

    Comment by Puplet — October 6, 2006 @ 6:23 pm

  161. Oh. I forgot to mention something. If you want to play DVD’s on you laptop, you’re going to LOVE the Apple Remote that comes with MacBooks.

    Comment by Sam — October 6, 2006 @ 6:38 pm

  162. I will never find time to read all these comments but will toss my hat into the ring for the Mac.

    I’ve noticed something odd in the world of computer affinity, though. It may be borne out by this discussion. Then again, it might not. My observation is that Mac people love Macs but don’t hate PCs, but for some odd reason, the opposite is not true. PC people seem to actually hate Macs in a deeply emotional way. The way PC people speak of Macs reminds me a little bit of the way Republicans spit out the word, “liberal”.
    ;)

    Comment by Sophmom — October 6, 2006 @ 6:46 pm

  163. Dell, good performance, good support and most important if you are unemployed… good prices/value for money.

    Comment by Keith — October 6, 2006 @ 6:55 pm

  164. My kids say I emit death rays to kill all electronics, but I must say that I have had two Sony Vaio laptops just die mysteriously from one minute to the next. I mean dead as a doorknob.

    Our household has a Dell PC desktop that works perfectly, several Sony laptops that have ALL had battery problems, an Acer that runs well, a Hewlett-Packard laptop that runs well (but I’ve had to reinstall Windows XP Pro twice), and a Mac desktop that also died from one minute to the next. The Mac was repaired in one month and for free by the great Paris Mac center. The Sony helpline and warranty were utterly useless.

    However, I wonder if all the Mac users are right about editors/publishers and writers. Macs are great for anything to do with art/graphics/movies/music, but before you buy a Mac, you should be very sure that your editors can read what you send them. I know a lot of people who have had problems with that. At least chez nous, Word for Mac doesn’t work very well. Also, if you are used to a PC, the Mac is such a different operating system that it may not be easy to switch over. If you just want to get something done in a hurry, you don’t always want to bother with the learning curve.

    Of course the Mac is a better OS. No question there. But the bad guys won.

    Comment by Sedulia — October 6, 2006 @ 6:59 pm

  165. I bought a sexy looking Dell computer with a widescreen and every gadget known to man. It looks amazing and makes me feel like I can conquer the world (which I can do if I have the right project!!!) but it weighs a bloody ton and I regret it every single time I go on a trip and it comes too. Go for the lighter option and for the p.c.! s

    Comment by simon t — October 6, 2006 @ 7:06 pm

  166. I LOVE MY MAC! I switched from PC to MAC six years ago, and I am still using the same laptop (with an updated OS, of course). In the six years I have had Iris (you have to name your appliances, otherwise they don’t work), I have moved three times, including the puddle jump to Paris. She goes everywhere with me and never fails, despite various abuses. Oh, and you can buy an international adaptor pack that gives you plugs for every wattage in the world. No worries in going between Paris and UK.

    I download all my favorite TV shows from back home on iTunes and watch them on my computer. Tadpole will not be able to tell the difference between your TV at home and your computer.

    Is this advice or a commercial? Cheers!

    Comment by NutMeg In Paris — October 6, 2006 @ 7:10 pm

  167. I used a Mac all the way through university. It was fine. No complaints. I confess: I find the “cult of Mac” odd. I’m sure the machine is just lovely, though the conversion impulse annoying – even if very well-meaning. I like banging my laptop around. Did someone really call their Mac a “jewel”? Or was it my precious? I couldn’t live with myself if I dropped my jewel…

    Comment by Pixie — October 6, 2006 @ 7:14 pm

  168. Just wanna say “congrats” on your book deal with Penguin.

    http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/arts/entertainment-media-books-blogs.html

    Can I say “I ‘knew’ you when?” :)

    Comment by cass — October 6, 2006 @ 7:28 pm

  169. Macs are the ones seen on “Queer as Folk”, “Sex and the City” and all the other cool shows.

    Comment by Lost in France — October 6, 2006 @ 7:47 pm

  170. I’ve had PCs since before they came standard with hard drives but think that people who are passionate combatants in the PC vs. Mac battle are just as silly as people with bumper stickers that say, “I’d rather push a Ford than drive a Chevy.” Or vice versa. Those bumper stickers(arguments) say more about the driver(computer user) than they’d like us to know.

    I know PCS–built my last desktop PC on my dining room table and have used nothing but PCs for a very long time. Last spring, with some trepidation, I bought my daughter a MacBook to take with her to her first year of college. I don’t know Macs, but my next computer is going to be one. Everything they say is true: they just work like they’re supposed to. I’ll always have a desktop PC because of the legacy software I’ve collected, but I seriously considered telling my daughter that she was free to leave for college, but the MacBook stays home.

    Comment by A Whole Year — October 6, 2006 @ 7:55 pm

  171. MAC.
    The new ones have built-in camera on top edge of screen.
    Lovely.
    Easy to use.
    Light and robust too.

    Comment by Britalian — October 6, 2006 @ 7:59 pm

  172. I love my VAIO, which I bought in a spasm of self-gratification last year for about 1300 US$. It’s slim, with enough USB ports, hard disk space, processing power, and memory for my limited uses. I suggest a wireless USB mouse to go with it, the touchpad is annoying. The integrated wireless was superfast compared to my old laptop with a card.

    Also, it’s pretty.

    Comment by Tanya — October 6, 2006 @ 8:25 pm

  173. Ma cher petite,

    Buy the Mac. For writing, audio, DVD all the things that make having a laptop worthwhile, it is the most user friendly and coolest. Read some reviews for example the ones from the Wall Street Journal, bastion of the status quo. They even like it. Check out Apple’s stock while you are at it. They aren’t going anywhere soon. Check out the consumer ratings. JD Power has it rated the best in customer support and satisfaction.

    Bon chance.

    Comment by Cary — October 6, 2006 @ 9:14 pm

  174. Get the Mac. Hands down. They crash less, function better, have more speed and are more user friendly once you make the transition from PC to Mac.

    As for the chat function in gmail, I haven’t had a problem with it on a Mac.

    :)
    AM

    Comment by AlieMalie — October 6, 2006 @ 9:51 pm

  175. You’re going to be okay Petite. If this is the worst they can say about the deal or about you for that matter, then I’d breathe a sigh of relief. Notice the article was all about the trend in general and not about your writing.

    Comment by Sam — October 6, 2006 @ 10:22 pm

  176. The Mac is better both in style and ease of use – no viruses, no chrashes, and we don’t even know how silly the new (delayed) windows system is due to be. I use both and am in the Mac camp out of style and productivity. Have a go on one in a store and see. You can do so much out of the box.

    I have the MacBook Pro and my wife and daughters love their iBooks – even without the great cam. The style and compact size make them very chic – chick also :-)

    Comment by Lee A Elliott — October 6, 2006 @ 10:29 pm

  177. Bonjour! from Dallas TX
    well……..after having been divorced now for six months from my wife, I finally STARTED writing my novel in the coffeeshop, where I’m spending all my time now……(and yes, I admit…some girl-watching is going on)….anyway….it is possible to get some work done there……until the cute ones start flirting that is…….and since I’m about halfway done with the novel, I’m just not sure what that says about my flirting abilities………?

    Comment by D.W.Sinclair — October 6, 2006 @ 11:34 pm

  178. I just read the 173 previous messages. I’m upset.

    Everyone seems to think that Mac is really powerfull, easier to use and prettier. I have two portable computers: a PC and Mac which I use the every day. I believed I was only one to find the Mac incredibly advanced compared to my PC. Well, I’m not alone. Get the mac ;)

    Comment by Denis — October 7, 2006 @ 1:11 am

  179. Buy the Mac and install Windows XP using bootcamp on it (it’s now possible AND easy with the new processor core intel duo). This way you get best of both worlds and look like a Power user :)

    Comment by Teddy — October 7, 2006 @ 1:45 am

  180. Plante un arbre.

    Comment by 4 roses — October 7, 2006 @ 2:43 am

  181. At comment number one hundred and seventy something, who cares or reads anyway, but here goes:

    (1) Blogs to books (Petite’s post #153): No one in these articles mentions Riverbend’s Baghdad Burning, a stunning blog-turned-book that tells what it’s like to be a once-independent Iraqi woman living in a war zone/occupied country. Pity. It’s got serious substance and is worth reading.

    (2) Computer: Rather than trusting the recommendations of a bunch of strangers whose credentials and technical expertise are unknown, find a geek you trust or go to a reputable store and find someone who knows what he/she is doing. Explain exactly what you plan to use the machine for, what apps you plan to run, and what apps the people you will be exchanging files with run. Then tell the person what else is important, like battery life and weight, and go from there. I know you’re smart enough that cute gmail message bubbles (#144) or using the same laptop that someone uses on Sex in the City and “all the other cool shows” (#169) will not be part of the equation.

    If you want something to play kidvids on the train, why not get a small DVD player? They’re cheap these days. You can easily carry a laptop and the DVD player, and if she spills apple juice on the latter, you won’t be out a whole lot of money and lost files.

    Comment by Passante — October 7, 2006 @ 3:30 am

  182. My Dear Petite,

    The Reuters story was true enough, in that publishers are buying a bunch of blogjunk lately. You, however, are in a different realm. You write so beautifully, and only happen to blog also. So you got “discovered” because of the blog. People will buy your books because you are that good. I know I will. Good for you to get the press. Francophiles all over the world will be dying for the book. Any idea when it might appear in the US?

    Bonne chance, PA

    Comment by PJ Carz — October 7, 2006 @ 4:16 am

  183. Buy the Mac, it can run Windows as well now, so it’s like 2 puters in 1! I got to try one of those when they were released: I reluctantly ventured into the Windows environnement for a brief moment before switching back to MacOS X. I must say I felt a little dirty, a little as if I had cheated on my wife with a tranny but, overall, it’s a good functionality to have at hand.

    Comment by MacEnthousiast — October 7, 2006 @ 5:34 am

  184. I would say buy the Mac. I recently got a Powerbook G4 (couldn’t afford a Macbook D: )

    If playing back DVD or video is a big must: go for the Mac. My Powerbook has almost the exact same specs as my PC and frankly, my PC cannot play video for crap. My Mac can flawlessly.

    Happy shopping.

    Comment by Liz — October 7, 2006 @ 6:33 am

  185. I would go for the mac also. I love love love love my mac. We have a Dell computer and a Mac. Both are about 4 years old, and both work fine. But the mac is so much more reliable, NEVER ever gets a virus or even so much as a pop=up ad. When I think back to the old PC I had, and the way it used to freeze and misbehave, I have to shudder. As long as I have any say, I will never again use a PC. As for the people who don’t know how to figure out the mac, all I can say is that they didn’t care to, because it is very easy and intuitive. Good luck.

    Comment by liz — October 7, 2006 @ 8:04 am

  186. Hello, Petite!

    Maybe you will find this note helpful:
    http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/01/dear_god.html

    It helped me to make a similar decision.

    Good luck!

    Comment by Sandrine — October 7, 2006 @ 10:38 am

  187. I’ve been a Mac user for more than ten years, and I still use them at work. I was a proud user some years before, as I felt part of a conscious minority who knew a different, intuitive, easy to use OS that would work, was stable and fulfilled all my needs at that time (Photoshop, Quark… design and publishing environment). Windows was unstable and far behind Mac OS then.

    But nowadays PCs with Windows XP are capable to do everything a Mac can do, I now work more for web and screen than paper, Apple has changed and is (in its philosopy) not as different as it used to be, while PC laptops are cheaper and powerful nowadays.

    I bought a powerful dual core DELL inspiron laptop for 870 euros four months ago and I’m very happy with it. Why would I pay twice as much for a Mac of the same specs?

    Comment by Jabi — October 7, 2006 @ 11:19 am

  188. Don’t worry, Petite, I think your book is definitely going to sell well because you write so engagingly.

    Comment by Susannah — October 7, 2006 @ 11:47 am

  189. Get the Mac, but not the white one! The black Macbook is beautiful as well as the Aluminium Macbook pro, but the latter may be a bit overspecified and expensive… Good luck deciding, this blog might make it actually more difficult to decide!

    Comment by karst de jong — October 7, 2006 @ 11:48 am

  190. If you buy a Mac and think afterwards “Damn, what have I done..” (Probably won’t happen) You can simply instal Microsoft Windows on your Macbook! So, then you can do anything you else would have done with that way too expensive Vaio…

    Yes; You can install Windows XP/Vista on your Macbook ;]

    I’m both a PC and Mac user, but I prefer Mac.

    Comment by Ru — October 7, 2006 @ 11:50 am

  191. Although the VAIO is a very pretty notebook and very light, I wouldn’t want to buy one again.
    We had two at work and both had a great deal of problems, both software and hardware issues.

    After too many headaches we decided to buy a toughbook by Panasonic, it’s being used by the US military, so it can’t be that bad :)

    They have an ultra light version which wheighs about 1,1 kilo. Never had any problems with it.

    Comment by give my ip address — October 7, 2006 @ 12:11 pm

  192. Looking over the posts, I’d say the majority of this group probably doesn’t enough about computers to say anything substantive.

    It’s a consumer electronics item. It’s marketed to non-techies by appealing to feelings and emotions.

    Manufactures don’t improve the quality of their products as often as they improve the perception of quality.

    The Sony is open spec driven, which allows for more competition and lower prices.

    How much arm stretching you are willing to endure is important.

    Get the one that make you feel the best.

    Either one is probably equally likely to be a piece of junk.

    That’s why I’d buy it cheaper on e-bay if it were me.

    Comment by Bruce — October 7, 2006 @ 3:04 pm

  193. My god, 200 comments? it’s always Mac vs PC posts which get people good and riled up.

    I hear Macs are very pretty and stable… and there is the whole intel evolution which means if it turns into a disaster you can still use windows without having to buy a whole new computer. I am sure this point has already been raised, but I can’t bring myself to read through 200 comments of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates propoganda.

    Although having said all that, the following video is the sole reason why my next computer is going to be Mac

    Comment by Hugo Carr — October 7, 2006 @ 4:40 pm

  194. re: press:- You have built up your readership more through your writing than because you were sacked, but the latter has brought about some very useful publicity.
    Even if ‘blogs to books’ is destined to go downhill eventually, as suggested by the press, don’t worry – you are among the first, you have talent and there are thousands of people out there waiting eagerly to buy. I bet you can sell a million world wide.
    Don’t be disheartened – go show’em!!!

    Comment by Sablonneuse — October 7, 2006 @ 5:09 pm

  195. These are both very good machines.

    I switched to macs because I needed stability and portability in a laptop. The mac is way ahead of comparable PC laptops on those criteria. So now I have a macbook and it is a simply brilliant machine.

    The number one best thing about it is that it is beautiful and all its programmes are beautiful so you get a little thrill every single time you open it.

    I love it because it comes with brilliant – brilliant! – consumer media software. Iphoto, iweb, imovie and itunes are fantastic. I never used to store music, photos and stuff digitally – but the mac makes it so easy it has changed everything.

    If you are writing a book, can I advise as a professional writer, don’t use Word. That programme is designed for non-writers to prepare memos, letters and so on in an office. It is designed to let non-writers quickly put together an adequate short document and format it.

    Real writers, though, don’t write in a linear style from top to bottom. They don;t format until their words are created. They need software that organises all their thoughts, finished ideas and half-finished scraps. Scrolling around in Word is hopeless for that. You need a professional authoring software – on mac, programmes like Ulysses and Copywrite are brilliant. Once you use them for writing a book, you will not believe you ever went anywhere near Word. If you want a layout-authoring combo Pages is far far better and more stable than Word. If you do go with the Vaio, I am sure there are better wp programmes for Windows too. (They usually export to Word and open word docs so don’t worry about compatibility).

    Just on a couple of comments above. Some people said get a PC cos Tadpole will grow up learning how to use the PC software. That’s bad advice. PC software in fifteen years will look nothing like it does today. What tadpole needs to learn is stuff like drag and click. Kids love the visuals. Both computers are good for that. I personally find the intuitive style of the mac has been great for my tadpole aged daughter. But there are probably good Windows programmes too. (She loves the built-in photo-booth, too! No more trips to the metro photo booths for the ubiquitous id photos. Hours of entertainment making funny faces!) Just don’t make your decision on tadpole’s use of it in 2015.

    The mac does some truly awesome tricks: Two finger scrolling on the trackpad. Sit in a cafe and pull out your slim elegant macbook, open it and it’s on! No waiting for it to boot up! It finds a wifi connection by itself and you can video chat with someone from a Paris park using the built-in cam in seconds, while the vaio is still booting.

    I’ve had no problems finding brilliant software for the macbook, except for business management and accounting software. If you need the computer to do that, though, the mac will run windows and all the tests show it runs just as fast as comparable windows machines.

    Every brand of computer has a few duds come off the production line. You can’t make a decision by listening to people say ‘I got one of those and it didn’t work!’ You can find someone to say that about every brand.

    Finally while I recommend the mac – and it is very intuitive – it does take time to get used to a new system. That is annoying. If you are impatient then you might not get a big buzz out of the initial experience.

    In the end, the Mac v PC debate is a bit overwrought. Both will do a good job.

    Comment by John — October 7, 2006 @ 5:17 pm

  196. If you won’t be pushing the computer, then go for the better looking one! (“,)

    Comment by teeweewonders — October 7, 2006 @ 5:20 pm

  197. Well, looks like you have an apple audience, votes at the moment are:
    192 msgs,
    PC/Vaio : 32
    Mac : 101
    and one tree

    Add another one on the 101, as I’m just sending this msg from ….. my mac!
    As for Reuters, let people talk, I guess a rhino skin wouldn’t suit you that much ;)

    Comment by Aymardo — October 7, 2006 @ 5:37 pm

  198. i’d suggest the mac,
    just a shame they don’t do ppc anymore
    (intel dualcore, hope someone will encourage them to use amd64 multicore),
    but nevertheless macosX is a good #nix based system…

    The last thing you’d want is all the frustrations (w3.11 95 98 2000 XP blabla..)with an overexpensive, crappy unstable vista os ( just a matter of time and they’ll oblige you to upgrade to vista ).
    So if you wnt a good secure os and you don’t want the hassle of baking your own os (linux freebsd etc) get a mac, BTW the mac is also perfect for free os’es.
    I have an ancient g3 an b/w powerbook they still work well.
    my 486 laptops are dead, my new ACER(it sucks! it’s cheap crap) is also dead(fried graphics board, bad design).

    get a mac, and don’t worry
    (get the extended warranty though)

    ps: i love reading your blog, bon courage.

    Comment by dutch_duude_in_france — October 7, 2006 @ 5:44 pm

  199. I won’t need to sell a million of course, sablonneuse – that figure is ridiculously inflated, because the guy (pretends to) forget that the advance is evenly split over two books and separately accounted, and exaggerates the total wildly. Slightly disingenuous, in my opinion, given that the person in question was involved in the auction.

    Comment by petite — October 7, 2006 @ 6:08 pm

  200. Petite, all technology has one or the other “bug” or “problem” … so your only choice is the one you find pretty and which delights you. It’s just not worth weighing up the current pro’s and con’s, because in a month’s time when the next update/upgrade/version comes out, there will be a whole new set of problems, tipping the scales all over again.
    But, I must offer one word of advice re preventing your laptop/notebook/powerbook of choice tipped/knocked onto the floor – I have been using a laptop for many years now, and just after my daughter was born my husband put narrow little velcro strips onto the underside of it, and onto my regular work desk. A bit of a yank to get it off when I’m mobile, but when it’s left alone for a bit it doesn’t go for a walk off the desk (even when I bumped it myself)
    Good luck making the right choice.

    Comment by Cat — October 7, 2006 @ 6:54 pm

  201. Oh, and I wouldn’t bat an eyelid at the Reuters Rubbish. You have a beautiful, unique style which keeps me coming back, and I do believe I have authority to make that statement since I NEVER read anything but non-fiction (writers such as Richard Dawkins, Michio Kako, Stephen Hawking, John D Barrow) so your skills MUST be mega-supreme to draw me without fail.

    Comment by Cat — October 7, 2006 @ 7:04 pm

  202. I just bought a new Vaio laptop a couple of months ago and I just love it, but then I’ve never really used Macs. There were some in the language lab at the college I go to, but I could never quite get the hang of them.

    My new Vaio only weighs 6 pounds. I moved from an older Vaio to a newer one. My other one seems like it weighs a ton now compared to this one.

    I honestly don’t know that much about the interworkings of computers. I just know what I like. Who knows, if I had started out with a Mac, I might be a Mac person now.

    I do love my Vaio, though.

    Comment by Anias Nin — October 7, 2006 @ 7:28 pm

  203. GO MAC!!! (I don’t have one yet – but I’m saving! They’re pretty expensivo over here in South Africa – but I’ve worked on a friends and they are *SO* worth it!!)

    Comment by Valkyrie — October 7, 2006 @ 7:52 pm

  204. How can one site get over 200 hits?! Who are you anyway?!

    Comment by Kate — October 7, 2006 @ 10:06 pm

  205. Has to be a Mac – They don’t sound like hairdryers!

    I bought one last year with my student loan – it was worth eating pasta for three months!

    Comment by Sharon — October 7, 2006 @ 10:12 pm

  206. Kate – no-one. But you could try googling, for fun.

    Comment by petite — October 7, 2006 @ 11:01 pm

  207. The MAC! Hands down. Why buy the other when you can buy the only? Just one woman’s opinion!

    Comment by azure_erin — October 7, 2006 @ 11:55 pm

  208. Go for the mac! I bought an iBook G4 last spring at the same time my roommate bought a Sony Vaio. We use our computers for basically the same things- school, music, pictures, internet… and she has had nothing but problems (lots of viruses, crashing, multiple AC adapters breaking, etc) while I haven’t had one. Make sure you buy AppleCare if you get the mac, their customer service and warrenty is awesome.

    Comment by Annie — October 8, 2006 @ 12:30 am

  209. Also, gmail and gmail chat both work great on macs, I’m not sure what Cheria and others were talking about.

    Comment by Annie — October 8, 2006 @ 12:31 am

  210. ;) the mac… I have had a vaio, which was also a pretty machine, exept for the operating system which was on it… Micro$oft windows is still not that good as Mac osx.

    Beside that you will like the environment a macbook provides : powerplug, leds indicating yourbattery status, widescreen, isight, …

    .kj

    Comment by Klaas Jan — October 8, 2006 @ 1:44 am

  211. Hi…

    I’m in the odd position whereby I’ve got a version of the one on the right, and my other half has a version of the one on the left… I’m a mac convert and my other half liked the shiny viao… not to say either isn’t bad or good, but it comes down to personal preference. I’d say go with the one you feel most comfortable using.:o)

    Comment by emchi — October 8, 2006 @ 11:17 am

  212. re #199
    Sounds like a case of sour grapes on his part.

    As for sales figures, two books both sides of the Atlantic should sell very well – if not a million.
    Are you thinking of translating it into French? Would you do it yourself? How would you keep your own personal style in a foreign language? I find even a simple letter difficult.
    Bon courage!

    Comment by Sablonneuse — October 8, 2006 @ 11:21 am

  213. I’d also go for the Mac – the little iBook that I’m now using. Only thing you do have to be aware of is that sometimes you won’t be able to access the clever bits of people’s websites because they’ve only built them for your common-or-garden PC user! (i.e. 98% of the computing population).

    Comment by jj — October 8, 2006 @ 12:09 pm

  214. I know I’m in the minority here, but I love my little Sony Vaio. It is so portable, and fits easily on the smallest cafe table. It also has mega-storage capacity and the screen is amazing. So amazing that sometimes I am forced to stop writing and watch DVDs on it…

    Comment by Beth — October 8, 2006 @ 1:27 pm

  215. This is getting so boring… Please put up a new post Petite!

    Comment by old school friend — October 8, 2006 @ 6:00 pm

  216. not sure if anyone has already said this because I don’t have time to read 120+ posts to check but if you buy the Mac but want other things that a windows computer is good for – i.e. Word and gmail chat you can easily get them on Mac. Microsoft Office for Mac is so cool and allows you to have a floating tool bar as far as I know which is very handy. It’s a bit sleaker than on XP. Also if you use Firefox as your web browser from a Mac you can use gmail chat. For some reason Safari (Mac web browser) doesn’t allow gmail chat yet but it can’t be far off surely!

    I would say get the Mac because they’re sleak in every way and they come with so much more built in, and they are much more realiable! I would also say get a sleeve case to keep it shiny (just found foofshop.com – quite quirky!).

    Make sure you check which operating system you’re getting with your new laptop as you might be just missing out on the new versions which you can’t get through updates – always good to know because new versions always have extra little quirks that make using the computer easier or more fun!

    Comment by Grace — October 8, 2006 @ 6:14 pm

  217. about the book deal and possible translation in french, dont let it be translated … by someone else… if there is a market in french, write it again yourself with your own words and cute mistakes…

    Comment by jp — October 8, 2006 @ 6:29 pm

  218. If foreign rights are sold to a French publisher, I imagine I’ll ask for approval of the translation, but I don’t think I’d be translating it myself (no time!)

    It will be fun to see translations into American (!), Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian….

    Comment by petite — October 8, 2006 @ 7:23 pm

  219. Hmm, Petite, Tadpole is Kaulquappe in German – are you sure you want that? Fröschilein sounds even worse…

    Comment by alcessa — October 8, 2006 @ 8:23 pm

  220. BMSW that provoked a lot of comment!
    hmmm……The Mac

    Comment by meredic — October 8, 2006 @ 9:13 pm

  221. Oh dear! Are the books really to be translated into American? If so, I definitely want to buy a British version.

    If you were just joking, the joke’s on moi, which is fine!

    Comment by PJ Carz — October 8, 2006 @ 10:31 pm

  222. Well, I’m only half joking. The American publisher will obviously Americanise the text… to eliminate the nappies, pushchairs, and change to US spellings.

    Comment by petite — October 8, 2006 @ 11:06 pm

  223. Petite,
    re: your comment #222. Please don’t let the American publishers “Americanise” the text. That’s terrible! First of all, yours is a Brit’s Eye View (isn’t that the point?)…and secondly the push chairs, nappies and Euro-spellings are part of the flavor and charm of your blog. Changing that would be just the same as altering a great book-turned-movie because some idiot focus group didn’t like something. Speaking for at least one American…my vote is to let you tell your stories just as you have been and in your OWN words.

    Comment by California Reader — October 9, 2006 @ 3:20 am

  224. Hello Petite, My girlfriend worked for a big organisation and she surfed from time to time and all her emailing was done on the job. When she went part- time she realised that she missed her PC and told me she wanted to treat herself to a laptop. Although application literate, able to type blindfold, she had never had to solve any windows problems as the firm had bods who were but a phone call away would solve all the problems from a distance. I advised her to get a iBook as she would have had to “learn” windoze and deal with all it’s idiosyncrases: better I thought to go for Mac OSX and learn that instead.
    BTW I have an old PC but will, being a photographer, go for the 24″ iMac as soon as I have the wherewithal.
    Love your blog which I discovered an hour ago.
    Bon courage.

    Comment by Barry Holbrook — October 9, 2006 @ 6:56 am

  225. I have a top-spec VAIO (because I work in IT). It seems to be good. But I’ve never had anything else, so I don’t have anything to compare it with!

    It’s never broken though.

    Comment by Clare — October 9, 2006 @ 10:08 am

  226. Crikey! Interesting reading the comments. I’m a PC user and now addicted to Linux. However, if I had the dosh, I’d go for a Mac.

    I agree with California Reader. I hope the text is not Americanised.

    Comment by Greg — October 9, 2006 @ 11:13 am

  227. Hello,
    i) I’ve been on long holidays and did not hear about your job&blog problems : hold on !

    ii) I know 3 kinds of people :
    * these who only know Macs and definitely use Macs
    * those who only know PCs and defeinitely use PCs
    * and others who know both and definitely use Macs.

    iii) A subcategory in the 3rd kind, is made up of former “salarié/es” (eng.?), who have become free-lancers of any kinds, and have found that one oof the great joys in freedom is this one : at last, being free to use a Mac. I belong, and this is my 9th Mac in 10 years, 7 of which are still alive (uh, large family).

    Comment by FrédéricLN — October 9, 2006 @ 11:44 am

  228. Of course, Mac is much better: reliable, faster, user-friendly graphic interface, Microsoft-virus proof, Microsoft proof as well.
    Mac laptop battery last longer than Pc’s. Tadpole could watch one complete DVD in the Eurostar without an unexpectable power off.
    X

    Comment by Padoux - Atys father - — October 9, 2006 @ 4:45 pm

  229. Hi !

    The war PC vs Macs is over since windaube (froggish idiom) can be run on Macs.
    Let’s consider your needs first of all.
    If your need is writing/editing, someone answered before: a lot of dedicated softs are available on Mac platform.
    If you need anything else…it is the same !
    The price gap is over as well: a similarly fitted Dell is more expensive nowadays.

    my 2p’s: instead of buying consider a financial lease. You’ll ever have a new machine.

    Comment by Saluki — October 9, 2006 @ 7:07 pm

  230. Mac. QED.

    Comment by udge — October 9, 2006 @ 7:46 pm

  231. 230 comments, waw! felicitations for your book contract about what I just read today in another blog of my contact,

    mac or pc it always provoques a passionate answer, I was apple’s defendor for more then 20 years, but after it quit me for unix under it, I did to, and now enjoy a viao (sony pc) and like it a lot, however, I do not know how long it would last in a caffee, my son’s ibm pc (from work) portable last a lot longer

    but finally I think it should be not technical considerations to determine the choise but your hart (coeur), bonne écriture et amusement, a tool must also become a friend, a pote…

    Comment by julie70 — October 10, 2006 @ 2:13 am

  232. MAC MAC MAC all the way.

    Comment by becky — October 10, 2006 @ 7:21 am

  233. Petite,

    How can you ask that question! Your are living in Paris!… where does the word chic appear in any description of a Sony Vaio?

    grayarea.

    Comment by grayarea — October 10, 2006 @ 8:16 pm

  234. Oh. I had to be HERE in English-speaking Paris, to read news from my neighbour photographer of Argenteuil, julie70, and see what : she shoots down my magnificent 3-groups theory. Argenteuil is really a land where everything is possible. I was just taking a picture this afternoon to post about that. And after recount, it seems that only 6 of my 9 macs are still alive. Good news for Argenteuil, bad news for Apple. I nevertheless keep standing for A.

    Comment by FrédéricLN — October 10, 2006 @ 9:52 pm

  235. Personally I’d say the Sony Vaio. If you’ve never used a Mac you will be frustrated at first as you have to relearn how to use a computer. For example, there is no right hand mouse button…However that is merely my opinion!
    I work in IT and I’ve experienced both…granted people write viruses and Spyware which attacks PC’s, but as long as you stick to decent parts of the web and keep a current anti-virus (try Grisoft AVG), it’ll be fine. The only reason they write viruses for Windows is because it’s easier!

    Comment by RattyocasteR — October 11, 2006 @ 12:57 am

  236. Get the MacBook, no question about it. It’s much more reliable and makes you much more productive. You can open it and close it without shutting down (theoretically you can do that with the PC, too, but it never quite works and very quickly your PC crashes and you have to reboot). The MacBook is also easier for all wireless connections. It also has a built-in video camera and that’s really cool and easy to use. And there are many other small things (software installations, navigating files, easy to use applications, a lot of free software, widgets, etc) that just make the Mac easier to use and work with.
    Finally, if you really, really need Windows for something particular, you can always install it a well. So you only gain by buying the Mac. It’s just a better value all around.

    Comment by Marmotton — October 11, 2006 @ 1:30 am

  237. No question: Macs all the way.

    I used Windows for years, I even wrote my PhD on it. Never again….& that’s just the Windows bit…

    I wouldn’t recommend Windows computers for anyone writing, especially a long piece of work. In fact, most academic colleagues I know wouldn’t touch Windows with a Cabernet Sauvignon attached to the pole… which is saying something.

    I thought moving over to Mac might be tricky. It wasn’t (not for anyone with a half a brain.)

    The only slight probs came with some websites that don’t cater for Macs, ane Microsoft stopped updating it’s browser ‘IE For Mac’ earlier this year – and buying a new mobile phone – apparently only Sony Ericsson phones are compatible software-wise with Macs (but it’s a damn fine, easy system). Oh, the hardships of not having a Chav Motorola V3… But maybe phone envy hasn’t reached Parisian shores. If it does, it won’t be the look of your laptop you’ll be bothered about.

    Comment by Dr Analyst — October 11, 2006 @ 3:04 am

  238. Dr Analyst : Some phones dislike Macs, indeed. Websites, I don’t meet any more examples. And Safari 2 (with its RSS agregator) is so much better than IE.

    Comment by FrédéricLN — October 11, 2006 @ 2:35 pm

  239. BUY A MAC!!! don’t even think about buy a PC if you can buy a MAC

    You will be very happy with a MAC and free of Windows bugs!
    Here, in Brazil, buy a Mac is very expensive and, becouse that, so impossible to have one. But MAC is a MAC.. believe

    Regards

    Paulo Renato

    Comment by Paulo — October 11, 2006 @ 3:41 pm

  240. i had a vaio that died twice within its first year. the first time it took forever to be repaired. the second time it couldn’t be repaired and the warranty company tried to tell me it was worth nothing. after i fought with them, they sent me an hp laptop — which had multiple problems within, let’s see, three years. bought a white ibook in january. love, love, love it. will never go back to a pc.

    Comment by lpw — October 12, 2006 @ 4:46 am

  241. As someone who has to sometimes fix these things for a living I would avoid the Dell stuff. Vaios I’ve seen get abused and survive, and they seem to last to a good age. Sony, Toshiba, Acer I’d go for before Dell. If in doubt, try ringing the help line.

    As for PC v Mac, I’ve owned both. I don’t really see the point in owning a Mac only to load it with Microsoft software.

    For writing, I use Neo Office, Open Office or Appleworks. For photos I use iPhoto or GIMP. For browsing I use Camino or Firefox. All this stuff is for free.

    Popular misconceptions:

    No right click in Mac. Non. Right click has been there since late 1990s and can work if you buy a 2 button mouse or use Ctrl and click.

    Only a Sony Ericsson will work with Mac. Non. I’ve got a Nokia and lots of other phones are supported.

    Why oh why use Outlook? Use Mail or Thunderbird with iCal.

    Mac support and backup is top notch. The people in the stores know the product.

    But to add to the list of PCs to look at, check out the ultra light and slim Samsung PCs.

    http://www.samsung.com/fr/products/notebookcomputer/power/seriex/index.asp

    My brother has had a Samsung for the last 3 years and I’m very impressed with it.

    Comment by Steve — October 13, 2006 @ 1:29 am

  242. Petite,

    I only find a few comments (likely from Americans) who have expressed, as did I, the opinion that your upcoming book should keep nappies, pushchairs, and spelling, (oh my!) in the original Queen’s English. I wonder if this is really a minority opinion, or if most of us were too bashful to insert that notion into the Mac vs PC thread, as being off-topic. (Or maybe we are just oddballs.)

    Your book is to be a British woman’s perspective of living in France, not some anonymous observer’s. YOUR take on living in France is absolutely British, including your voice, Tadpole’s, Mr. Frog’s delightful plurals, etc.

    I know nothing of publishing, and it is likely your publisher is doing what is best for you and them financially. Still, I hope you will have a link so some of us overseas can buy the British version online, or perhaps even from your site.

    Live Long and Prosper, Petite!

    Comment by PJ Carz — October 13, 2006 @ 2:49 am

  243. What are you going to want to do on it? Do you know? Are you going to buy your software or are you going to rip it off? (Rhetorical question!!!)

    You’ll find a far wider selection of software for a PC than you will for a Mac.

    Apple stuff is very ergonomic I find, I like my wife’s iPod so much I made her stick all my music on it! But there are reasons why most office environments will go down the PC route.

    People who say you don’t need to worry about viruses, spyware and the like on macs are basically talking bollocks. You should be aware of nasty things lurking out there whatever you get.

    Are you actually considering a vaio or more generally just a windows-based laptop? I agree they look smart but Vaios seem pretty expensive for what you actually get. I’m not sure I’d trust Dell after the spontaneous combustion stories (my own Latitude has scorch marks to prove it), but didn’t I read somewhere about the same problem with other brands?

    Food for thought.

    Comment by Pete — October 13, 2006 @ 6:10 pm


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