Mac or PC for 11yr old?

[Freak Out]

The answer is here....

http://www.laptopmag.com/Review/Exclusive-First-Review-Asus-Eee-PC-701.htm

[Partial]

The answer is here....

http://www.laptopmag.com/Review/Excl...Eee-PC-701.htm

Yeah. I actually want to pick one of those up. I don't have a laptop and often find myself sick of sitting at my desk/table. 250 is kinda steep for the features, but I guess they'll hold their value for awhile.

[3irty1]

The answer is here....

http://www.laptopmag.com/Review/Excl...Eee-PC-701.htm

Anyone actually have one of these? Seems a little too dumbed down for anyone but old folks.

[Freak Out]

The answer is here....

http://www.laptopmag.com/Review/Excl...Eee-PC-701.htm

Anyone actually have one of these? Seems a little too dumbed down for anyone but old folks.

I believe it was intended for children/education...I love the fact that it runs another Linux variation.

[3irty1]

The answer is here....

http://www.laptopmag.com/Review/Excl...Eee-PC-701.htm

Anyone actually have one of these? Seems a little too dumbed down for anyone but old folks.

I believe it was intended for children/education...I love the fact that it runs another Linux variation.

Everything runs linux.

[Freak Out]

The answer is here....

http://www.laptopmag.com/Review/Excl...Eee-PC-701.htm

Anyone actually have one of these? Seems a little too dumbed down for anyone but old folks.

I believe it was intended for children/education...I love the fact that it runs another Linux variation.

Everything runs linux.

Ok...let me rephrase that last statement. I comes with an Asus/linux OS.

[superfan]

Ok, if I decide to go the used Mac route, what's acceptable hardware? I've seen a couple of 933Mhz G4's running 10.4 for around $500. Is this still a useable platform, or would you stay away from it because of the architecture change?

Guiness, since you stated earlier that you were OK with spending for a new MacBook, I would pass on the PowerBook G4. The G4 should run Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger) just fine, but it barely meets the minimum specs for the latest OS, 10.5 Leopard, which was just released a couple weeks ago. Usually when systems barely meet the minimum specs, they are very underwhelming in real world use.

The benefit of the MacBook over the PowerBook is that you will likely extend the usefulness of the system by 2-3 years, which can save you money over the long run. And you can run the Mac OS now but switch to Windows (or even run both) later if you wish by using the methods described previously. You can't run Windows on a PowerBook.

As far as Mac vs. PC, of course there are pros and cons with both. Less virus risk is a nice benefit of the Mac OS, especially considering this is intended for an 11 year old who will likely be spending a lot of time online. However, there are still many less games available for Mac OS than Windows, if that is a consideration.

Some claim that Macs are generally more durable than PCs, and I have found this to not be the case. While Macs are widely viewed to be better designed, we (my company) have found the build quality to deteriorate more rapidly over time than Dells, resulting in more hardware repairs than the Dells. The MacBook line has been more durable to date than the previous Apple lines, but still less durable than Dell and Lenovo.

Since you stated that you already have a Windows system that your 11 year old has been using, I would go with a MacBook. This will give your kid exposure to both operating systems, and since Macs ARE making inroads in many businesses (sorry Killer, but that is the case in some industries) I think it is a smart move to be well versed in both.

[superfan]

and a tool-less hard drive upgrade (which doesn't void the warranty). You cannot upgrade the hard drive on very many other laptops without voiding your warranty.

Thank God. The previous generation iBooks required a complete disassembly of the system to remove the hard drive. Over 100 screws, and took the better part of a day. And that's assuming you were lucky enough to put everything back together without any screwups. Apple listened to their tech community on this one.

I question the statement about swapping hard drives with other laptops voiding the warranty. I haven't run into that. But then again, I haven't worked with many consumer class laptops, so that could be the case with those lines.

[superfan]

FYI you can run OS 10.4 on a Core2 PC if you have an ATI card.

Seriously? Didn't know anybody had cracked OS 10 to run on third party hardware yet. Link?

[Rastak]

FYI you can run OS 10.4 on a Core2 PC if you have an ATI card.

Seriously? Didn't know anybody had cracked OS 10 to run on third party hardware yet. Link?

Yea, that would be interesting...although I doubt I'd use it being a gamer.....

[Partial]

10.5 got cracked the first day it came out for use on a core 2 system. It's still illegal, however.

[Freak Out]

Hmmmm..

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/2007/11/02/mac_osx/

[Zool]

10.5 got cracked the first day it came out for use on a core 2 system. It's still illegal, however.

And I would never condone such a thing.

Although all you need is an Intel MB(765 chipset i believe?) with a Core2 and an ATI video card. I haven't researched it all that much as I'm still running an AMD.

[Merlin]

Here we go again with this ridiculous debate.

Exposure to MAC is a good thing, however not the end all. MAC will NOT be over taking the market nor will Linux/Unix. Not 10-15 years down the road, not now not ever. 10-15 years from now you will see a large change in PC/MAC, the idea of a home computer won't exist.

PC's are what most companies and a lot of schools mandate to use. Unless your child is going to be working in IT, then their PC knowledge is much more important at this age then who can piss the farthest. I am not saying surrender to almighty Microsoft but I am saying be smart with your kid and let them be educated on what is the standard today. They can learn MAC, Linux, etc when the time is right if need be. It isn't a stretch for any GUI OS anymore anyway.