DamianD Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 Im no computer expert by any means but I swear by apple products. Some have mentioned your paying a premium price for the name but I disagree. I bought my macbook back in 2008 when they first came out with the aluminum body, I believe its the 5.1. Thats going on 8 years and the thing is still just as fast and capable as it was when I first bought it. I dont know, maybe its just me, but any pc whether it be laptop or desktop I have ever owned has had a short shelf life. Constantly requiring updates, this and that and then slowing down and eventually crashing. The only pc's I see around that are older and still operating well are ones owned by people who know how to take them apart and fix themselves. That said tho, a mac's cost is twice that of a similar spec pc. So thats to be taken into consideration also. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEtwidget Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 Ya.. Drop the $800 for the acer I recommend and call it a day. It's not overboard and it has everything you need. The cheaper Dell is nice but it's a lot slower. I would only get the Dell if budget was them main concern.Once you start using CAD your going to need the extra RAM, GPU, and fast CPU. Pay once, cry once. Again, stay away from Apple... Unless you enjoy overpriced marketing gimmick with reduced functionality. (Speaking from a technology point of view) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comp56 Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 if you are getting a laptop to use while in school wait to buy your own when you are finished school no sense having 2 laptops while in school can't see you lugging around a second laptop just do check TIA save your money until you need 1 then you will be getting a new laptop when you give back the other one..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEtwidget Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 The quick truth about CAD. For learning & casual CAD a decent graphics card will work. For serious CAD a workstation graphics card is a must. The hardware components in the workstation cards are higher class and built to withstand greater fluctuations in temperature. This translates to increased reliability and greater lifespan. Also, the physical design of the peripherals differ from gaming cards. The novice user will see gaming card specs with higher numbers representing components they don't understand and assume it's better then the workstation card with lower numbers. Workstation cards also have very specific drivers created by the software companies directly. QC is a lot better in workstation cards, only one vendor can make a workstation card while there's no limitations on who can build gaming cards.But are they worth the crazy high price? Only if you're making money with CAD, otherwise no.A note about Apple: they make good computers but they limit what you can do with them. They hold software creators hostage and restrict software that hasn't been approved by Apple Engineering. This practice reduces the risk of compatibility and driver conflict problems but also limits the users options/functionality. Apple does the same with hardware and often upgrade restrictions force a user to buy a new product vs simply upgrading like a PC.Apple loves to mask new tech and try to claim it's there own creation. Example: Thunderbolt - Intel creation, Apple adopts it earlier on, consumer thinks it's an Apple exclusive.It's true Apple has good quality products, however so does PC. For the price $$$ Apple is cheating you. Think of it like this; Apple makes like 3 different laptop models. They are all good quality but they are all $$$. Meanwhile in the PC world hundreds of models are created by about 10 manufacturers. Some are good quality and some are crap. It wouldn't be fair to compare an Apple vs one of the crap PC and say Apple is better then PC... On a more technical level, it's only fair to compare a computer with not only like specifications but also build quality.As far as using a work computer for school... I have done that and been bitten. It's always better to have your own tools. A lot of personal info gets passed through cyberspace and you do not want your company accessing that. Also, most IT restricts administration rights. Meaning your going to have a hard time installing software you need or accessing sites. Better to own your own.Buy the computer and write it off on your taxes. Student or tech relayed. I don't want to force you into buying a $$$ computer, but I don't want to watch you drop $500 on a POS you're going to want to throw against the wall. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeldfabNeil Posted December 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 I think I am gonna use works laptop for school an keep my tablet for personal use. I want a laptop of my own to do everything on but I am gonna try this way first. If for some reason it doesn't work out I will just buy a laptop of my own. Even thoe I have money saved I can spend I don't want to unless I have to. Thanks for all the advice guys. I will report back if anything changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeldfabNeil Posted February 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 I got a laptop yesterday from work. I figured it would be a beat up used thing. It is actually a brand new dell latitude rugged 14 series laptop. I know it has a few upgrades/options. The IT guy went over it an I was lost in the technical stuff. I was sort of thinking dude ime not trying to design a rocket ship, just the basics will do. He was telling me it's not geared towards what ime using it for but does it. He also told me it cost 3200 so don't break it. My thought was really what do I need that overpriced fancy thing for. I mean ime thankful I work for a company who provides proper tools. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comp56 Posted February 2, 2016 Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 I got a laptop yesterday from work. I figured it would be a beat up used thing. It is actually a brand new dell latitude rugged 14 series laptop. I know it has a few upgrades/options. The IT guy went over it an I was lost in the technical stuff. I was sort of thinking dude ime not trying to design a rocket ship, just the basics will do. He was telling me it's not geared towards what ime using it for but does it. He also told me it cost 3200 so don't break it. My thought was really what do I need that overpriced fancy thing for. I mean ime thankful I work for a company who provides proper tools.ya the cost is for the ruggedness not so much for specs of the computer, for that kind of money you should be able to drop it off the side of a building drive over it scoop it up with a loader and turn it on and check for new emails....lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimboS1ice Posted February 2, 2016 Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 First thing I do when i get a computer is throw it off a building, if it survives, I keep it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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