cheeky16

Maybe try unplugging the modem and printer to be sure there is no power going to them and all other speakers and electronic devices are removed from the area. If it is interference it can be very difficult to find the source. Theoretically anything electronic could cause interference, maybe try the speakers with your phone or an iPod in another room to rule them out if you haven't done so already.

That's like a $3000 laptop during benchmarking... not a laptop anyone would buy for school. I do agree that the design is a flaw for heat dissipation. I never said they are perfect but to me to battery life is worth the money. There are pros and cons for either laptop. Everyone has their own individual needs and should buy a laptop according to those needs. If your laptop is to move from office to office or for traveling where plugging in is never an issue you could buy any laptop you'd like. There is also an optical audio output and backlit keyboard which are important to people who use them. I'd also like to add the review you posted was 17 months ago and that chip is no longer used in the MacBooks either.

My MacBook will run 9 1/2 - 10 hours on word processor. I've also never seen a windows laptop run that long without the extra large battery.

Oh you can change settings and everything on the mac, just less of them. I personally prefer to work on windows but while at school I find the mac superior as I run off the battery LOTS. I honestly think it is the battery life that makes me enjoy using it for school the most. I don't find many compatability issues with files anymore, buy microsoft office for mac and almost all issues are solved. I just read the PM as I had not noticed. :)

Yes but all versions of windows can be messed up by changing the wrong settings or not having it properly protected. I think he's decided anyways.

Those are all fair reasons to get windows for sure. I actually prefer my windows machine to OSX. But like it was said, they are pretty much idiot proof. There are very few drivers that Apple needs to release to keep their machines running. The price tag is still quite high but I bet if you asked macbook owners if they would drop that much cash on one again they would say yes. I'm not sure how fast laptops are able to startup running windows but my macbook starts in about 16 seconds to a fully operational OSX. It is on an OCZ Vertex 2 SSD though, but my desktop with like 10x the power takes almost a minute to fire up. Also, when I read the comment about having good luck with windows and linux I have a strange view about you. Not in a bad way of course, but in comparison to most of the general public. The linux part instantly says to me that you're very comforatble using a computer and learning new things. Which is good as far as I'm concerned, I haven't had enough time to play around enough myself(yet). The majority of people posting are comfortable with the issues that may arise with drivers, virues, etc. But not everyone is. So the idiot proof mac is often nice to use if you don't know the ins and outs of windows. I've had my fair share of little issues. I'd get a MacBook for a laptop and a Custom Build for my desktop. That's what I have and I would do it again anyday.

Sounds like you have it all figured out. The $1200 MacBook Pro is a great machine. It's what I use all the time. For the gaming laptop, I would likely check out some ASUS laptops. I've talked to a couple guys at school with them and they were quite happy with them. I wouldn't be bothered too much with the mac haters in the forum. I can definitely see their point of a high price tag but price isn't everything to some people. I have also had better reliability with my Mac than I have with any windows pc. Including my desktops over the years.

I assume he's referring to the groupie mentality some apple users have - mac can do no wrong. In that sense, they'll always be "satisfied" even though the quality might not be as good as other products. I suppose this might be that case. The only apple products I've seen with lower quality is some of the accessories. The Mac computers I haven't seen much lacking other than the slow connections for external drives. The new Thunderbolt seems nice, but scarce and a bit ridiculous for now. :)

The reliabilty definately isn't worth the extra cost for most people really. From personal experience you can't really afford to be without a computer for even a couple days while going to school. Once I'm done school I'm not sure I'd puchase another macbook as I do like my windows computer as well. Although if I was traveling and desired increased battery life and some of the other little perks that come with the macbooks I'm sure I would do it again. And about customer satisfaction... are you implying that you never read reviews? I guess if somebody else likes a product you won't... I'm really not certain what you are trying to say here.

Personally for me I need my computer to work when I'm in school. I've just had better luck with my macbook. Went through two windows laptops before this one. Believe me it's not marketing that got me hooked on this laptop. I think the marketing they do is ridiculous and overdone. Turn around time for a repair on my desktop took a week, turnaround for work on my macbook was like 20 minutes. Longer I suppose if parts needed to be ordered.

I'm going to have to say not really. The parts tend to be a little cheaper so they can keep the price down. You really do get what you pay for. I would stick in the $700+ range for a good laptop. Also try and look up reviews of that laptop and stick with a reliable brand. Some of the cheaper ones with cheaper parts tend to break down a little more often and might leave you without a computer. Myself being a university student who has used both windows laptops and now a macbook pro would recommend the macbook pro. Not only was I finding I had to replace the windows laptops after a year and a half to two years they were a bit of a pain to keep stable as they fill with random files and downloads. Not to mention the major slow downs when you start to fill it. If you watch what you're doing and don't download a bunch of garbage I'm sure you'd be fine. I bought this macbook pro in 2009 and it's still running perfectly. I had to replace the battery after 2 years but that was all that needed to be done. Also when apple releases a new operating system they only charge like $29 to upgrade, not $150. I've now added a Solid State Drive to my laptop and with the keyboard off and the screen dimmed I can get somewhere between 8-9 hours on battery while using a word processor in class. I was amazed at the battery life gain with the new hard drive, but typical web browsing brings the battery life back down to around 5-6 hours. I know people will argue that the price of the macbook compared to the price of any windows pc is ridiculous but apple must be doing something right. I've noticed in school the number of MacBooks entering lecture are starting to take over, very few people bring any windows based pcs into class. Well if they do they tend to be the first person running for a plug in. If there was no intention to take the laptop to class and to study at school than the vastly longer battery life really isn't much of an argument. I think the MacBook is worth the money when going to school but most here I'm sure will disagree.

Unless you're willing to spend about $1200 you won't be getting a good macbook. I use one for school and love it though.

Are you running 3way SLI with 590s or something? Haha no, but who knows what the future will bring. I had a CX500 and turns out it wasn't big enough when I took it in to get looked at. Recommended 750 to run my system but said an 800 would be ideal. Me looking in the future to future proof it and have it last a few years I went with the 1200 watt PSU.

The Shell Shocker looks like a wicked deal. I paid about that for my PSU alone. :P Also my case was around $300 as well. I found that once I built one it wasn't quite what I wanted. So take into consideration if there is anything like a case upgrade you would want to do in the near future. I spent lots on my case and PSU hoping to enjoy them for a few years before any upgrades are needed. I got the Corsair AX1200 PSU and Corsair 800D case.

Glad to hear all is running well. Hope it runs great for the rest of it's lifetime. Enjoy the new rig!