cheap Macs?

[cellio]

Dear LJ brain trust,

I'd like to get an inexpensive laptop. It won't be my main machine; it's for travel and other situations where portability is useful. So it doesn't need to be studly; it just needs to be reliable and support basic tools like Firefox, emacs, SSH, FTP, and that sort of thing.

This would be a prime opportunity to explore the Macintosh, which some of my friends rave about, except for one little thing: I can get a (new) Dell laptop for around $400, but Macs start at $1100. Is there some less-expensive option I'm missing?

Comments

[hrj.livejournal.com]

Is there some less-expensive option I'm missing?

Used.

Not ideal, but if you know someone who's upgrading their iBook (as opposed to replacing it because it's died the death), my experience has been that people are glad to get anything for an old machine. The down side is that you probably won't be able to get warranty coverage (which is delightful and irreplaceable when it's necessary).

If what you really want is an occasional travel machine and you're currently a Windows user, I'd stick with the Dell, since the handling will be familiar. Apples are very friendly for new users, but unless you're going to be using it fairly regularly, there's still a learning curve you can trip over, and you don't want to be tripping when you're ... tripping, as it were. Now, I'm a major Mac proselytizer, but it doesn't sound like your situation is ideal for making a joyous conversion. :)

[murphstein.livejournal.com]

I haven't had a Mac for years. Back then,most software was made for PCs only. (Apparently the opposite is now the case.)

Everyone has different experiences, but my last three computers have been Gateways and wouldn't consider switching. I've had good luck with them and on the rare occassions I've needed to call their service department, I was pleased with the help I got. (I think Dells might be cheaper, though.)

My parents purchased a new Mac over a year ago that they've sent back again and again to be fixed. Just last week, it was finally determined that a key component had never been installed.

It was hard to switch from Mac to PC, but now I just about go through the roof when I'm forced to use my parents' computer. Then again, I think you're much more technical than I am.

Good luck with your computer shopping!

[sui66iy.livejournal.com]

There is always the refurbished stuff (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/0.RSLID?mco=D8593B5A&nclm=CertifiedMac), though it won't get you anywhere near $400.

On the other hand, I actually bought that $400 Dell laptop for Jill, because she needed a Windows machine, and frankly it's less than delightful. So if you decide against a Mac, you might want to shell out a little more than the bare minimum for your Windows machine. (Then again, I could be biased by my intense dislike of installing stupid Windows patches every 10 minutes. Since you mostly want to run free software, I guess you could just put Linux on it and maybe it would be better.)

[kmanista.livejournal.com]

So far, I'm very happy with the $599 (PC) laptop that I got for school from http://www.pcconnection.com/home. I think they also run a Mac site.

It sounds like what you want - it's good for note taking and internet access plus itunes, but I wouldn't play a game on it.

Note: there is as far as I know no tech support for this machine - it came with no install discs or information, and did come with a lot of crapware. But, cheap and easy.

[siderea]

Short of finding a Mac user who has the machine they want, following them down a dark alley and mugging them.... No. If you want a Mac, you pay for a Mac. New Macs cost more than New PCs; used Macs cost more than used PCs (and sometimes more than new PCs).

[patsmor.livejournal.com]

Jen and I both have Dell refurbished laptops, and we're pretty happy with them. Both of ours cost about $750, and for the basic uses we have they do very well.

Duncan wants a game machine, so that will have to wait for more money. Lots more money.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

Have you talked to Ralph about this? He'd be a good resource. (I haven't looked at many of the other comments, so if he's already commented, then ignore me.)

A note of caution about used Macs...

[starmessenger.livejournal.com]

I'm coming in a little late and you may have already made your decision, but I want to amplify a previous comment that "Apple builds tanks." This is true. I'm still using the the Mac Plus I bought in 1987. It shows no signs of decline. We're still using the iBook we bought in 1999 -- again with no indication that the machine will ever die.

That said, I have to keep buying new Macs anyway, because Apple has historically made no effort to ensure backwards-compatibiility for third-party software in successive releases of the Mac's operating system. The software that runs on my immortal Mac Plus (System 6, I think) won't run on the iBook, nor will the iBook's software run on the Methuselan Mac; the software that runs on the iBook (OS 9) won't run on my current work Mac (G4 Tiger), and vice-versa. If I ever upgrade to an Intel Mac, the software I'm using now won't run on it. New software for the Intel machine won't run on my G4.

No backwards compatibility is probably the main reason why most software developers never took the Mac seriously until the UNIX/Intel release. A good developer can get a twenty-year-old Windows program running on XP. Not so with Macs -- at least not until the Unix/Intel release.

I think the important thing to keep in mind is that if you're planning to buy a used Mac, it will likely be a Motorola machine, and you'll be limited to a narrow subset of software. New software for the Intel Mac might not run on it, and developers are unlikely to release upgrades or write new programs for a what is essentially a dead hardware platform. A used G4 will probably meet the needs you have now. But if your needs change in the next few years or something really great comes along that you want to use, you'll be screwed. Yes, the machine will last forever -- a "forever" in which you're stuck with whatever was current the year you bought it.