By 'PC', do you mean Windows?

eloisius · on Nov 16, 2011

Probably also referring to the inferior quality hardware in most PC laptops.

Legion · on Nov 16, 2011

This. For me, the comparison is never between a $1000 Apple laptop and a $400 Gateway one.

The comparison is between a $1000 Apple laptop and an $800-$1000 Lenovo T-series or X-series Thinkpad (or, as I call them, the "real" Thinkpads).

For something that I use for hours every single day, an overly-heavy and shoddily built piece of junk is not an acceptable option. Apple isn't the only manufacturer that makes quality hardware, but the quality non-Apple machines cost much closer to the Apples than the junky Gateway does.

dfc · on Nov 17, 2011

As a linux user I can be fairly hardware agnostic. I used to consider apple laptops when purchasing a laptop. After I purchased my first thinkpad it was a no brainer, the real thinkpads are the perfect linux laptop. The ideapads are not so bad for a cheap tiny netbook thingie. They obviously don't compare to the thinkpad line but they are okay for what they cost...

PS I have the W500 and I'm curious why you do not include it among the real thinkpads.

Legion · on Nov 17, 2011

Those big desktop replacement sort of laptops aren't what I think of when I think of "Thinkpad".

But you're right, those big W-series machines maintain the Thinkpad build quality.

lucian1900 · on Nov 17, 2011

I've used a Macbook Pro for 3-ish years, and I didn't like its build quality very much.

I just bought a Thinkpad E325, one of the "edge" thinkpads. Its build quality is exceptional for a £350, and I'd say mostly on-par with what I could get from apple nowadays.

dextorious · on Nov 16, 2011

No, I mean an IBM PC compatible computer, whether it runs Windows/Linux/or whatever.

Well, Macs are IBM PC compatible too nowadays, but you get my main distinction.

code_duck · on Nov 17, 2011

It was unclear to me whether you're saying you don't want to use non-Apple hardware, or that you don't want to use Windows, or whether you're referring to a combination of those two.

Though Apple continues to use 'PC' in their marketing, it's an obsolete term. Macs are running on the same hardware these days, and you can run Mac OS on 'PC' hardware. You can run Linux on Apple hardware, and Windows on Apple hardware. So, it's a bit muddled.

I assume by 'PC' you mean 'anything besides OSX on Apple hardware'. Okay. Personally I also run Linux on my MBP... not sure where that fits in.