Thursday, April 19, 2012

Do Not Buy a Laptop Computer Now!!

Wait for prices to fall and new models. Free market competitiveness, in a sector where regulations are few (and so don't hamper innovation), is about to kick in and result in even better laptops by this fall.

Walter Mossberg at WSJ explains:
If you're thinking of buying a new laptop this spring, my advice is to think again. Unless your laptop is on its last legs and you have to move quickly, there are compelling reasons to wait until at least the summer, and probably the fall, to buy a new machine, especially if you are looking for a Windows PC, but even if you are in the market for a Mac...

On the PC side, Microsoft is set to introduce Windows 8, the most radical new version of Windows in years, probably in the fall. PC makers will be introducing new laptop designs to take advantage of it. While Windows 8 will work with a mouse or tcomputersouch pad and a keyboard, it will be heavily oriented toward tablet-type touch-screen navigation. Many PC makers are planning convertible Windows 8 models for the holiday shopping season that can act as either tablets or regular clamshell laptops...

On the Mac side, Apple  also is bringing out a new operating system, this summer. Called Mountain Lion, it won't be as big a change as Windows 8, partly because Apple already has integrated a lot of touch gestures and tablet-type features into the Mac using the touch pad, and has given no indication it plans touch screens.

However, Apple is overdue for redesigned laptops, especially in its MacBook Pro line, and it is a good bet that new, possibly heavily redesigned, models will begin appearing later this year....


There is another factor that calls for waiting. Intel, INTC -1.83% whose processors are used by most Windows PC makers and by Apple, is on the verge of introducing a new family of chips, called Ivy Bridge, which the chip maker claims will offer much faster graphics performance without sacrificing battery life. While some Ivy Bridge laptops will be available very soon, the new chips won't show up in large numbers of consumer laptops until around June. So, even before Windows 8 appears, many consumer laptops you buy now will be outclassed by similar machines that will be introduced this summer.

There is a silver lining. If you watch prices carefully, you may find bargains on Windows 7 laptops running the current Intel processors—which are plenty capable—as the newer models get closer. And PC makers are likely, at some point, to offer free upgrades to Windows 8.

32 comments:

  1. I'd say.. don't buy a laptop at all. Especially the one running that piece of crap Windows. Most people don't need laptops anymore - an iPad is what they should be buying. And if you need to do some hard work, buy the iMac.

    But Windows 8? Quoting Steve Jobs - ''The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste, they have absolutely no taste, and what that means is - I don't mean that in a small way I mean that in a big way. In the sense that they they don't think of original ideas and they don't bring much culture into their product.''

    W8 is just plain ugly. I wouldn't use it even if Bill Gates himself would pay me to do so.

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    1. CC, you're such an Apple f@g. An iPad, what a moron. You can't even run Mac apps on it.
      Before anyone tells me I hate Apple, please know that I own and iPhone, the new iPad and a MacBook Pro. But I'm no Apple f@g at all.

      I also have Windows computers and phones as well as Android phones and tablets.

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    2. FUD

      Windows 8 has the same interface as Windows 7 "behind the tiles" if you don't like to use the tiles. Yes, the tiles are unpolished but will eventually become high res icons and images when apps are developed. The tiles work well for touchscreens and is why they are there. Get a clue CC.

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    3. My studio requires a minimum of 7 usb ports, 3 computer monitors and 3 sound cards. An ipad is a waste of money for anyone who's not "surfing the web" in their pajamas. Windows is a fine software, as is OS X, as is Linux. Those who debate the differences have a narrow view of the products, and demonstrate their bias lack of experience. No software, or hardware, no matter who wrote it, is perfect. And someone out there will hate it, and someone will love it. Stop arguing, it's silly. You can't convince a dog lover that dogs are stupid, and you can't convince a windows/mac/linux user that a windows/mac/linux system is better their system.

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  2. I find microsoft quite suitable for your average computer user. I always believed hard core users use linux. Wannabees use IMacs. (As evidenced by their popularity with educators.)

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    1. Rotflmao. Succinctly put. 10 points Josiah.

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    2. Gee, I've been a professional software developer for 30 years and a Mac user for 28 of them. One of the great things about MacOS X is that I can apply my Unix knowledge; I just pop up a terminal window and I'm in that environment with all of the text manipulation (sed, awk, grep) software development (EMACS, GNU compilers) tools that I've been using for most of my career. One of my great frustrations with Windows is how hard it is to get little tasks (e.g. 'sort the data in this file') done.

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    3. Macs were the wannabees but now they've gotten with the program and put a real OS under their fancy desktop. They're using FreeBSD under the hood and that's why sed, awk, grep, emacs, vi, the gnu tools as well as the bsd versions are there.

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    4. The Windows user can use the very same open source shell utilities and X apps by installing Cygwin.

      This article is about waiting for the hardware crest, not selecting an operating system. While I agree with the later comment that every 6 months..., it does appear that the stars are aligned to make big changes in the latter part of this year.

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    5. Its all about what you are familiar with. I personally feel that awk/grep/sed are arcane and awkward tools. Powershell is much more natural, IMO:

      PS> get-content file.txt | sort

      To each his own. If you can settle on just one OS for everything, consider yourself blessed.

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    6. Simply put..., Very Well Said.. MSFT puts out BS, AAPL 'captures' you with decent products, but SO Proprietary it's painful, and probably only the '1 %' use Linux.

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    7. Yikes! I am categorised as 'hardcore'. I use Linux at home and on my work desktop, but that's just because it is a great OS. I support Windows and Citrix at work - but that is because businesses seem to be wedded to Windows and too afraid to voice that the emperor has no clothes.

      I found the quote somewhere "Consumers use Apple. Producers use GNU/Linux." Seems about right to me.

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  3. @CC
    I'm in IT management. I have used Windows since Win 3.1. I bought a mac 4 years ago for the first time and I must say I enjoy it! I use it every day. It's pretty cool and works well! Since my business require that I own many computer, I also have Windows machine. I installed Win8 on some computer and I disagree with you, it's not ugly, it's really well design and works much butter than iOS! I was never a Microsoft fan but with Win8 I will probably not buy back a mac nor an ipad.

    For the WSJ article, it's true that whats coming is better, but it's always the case in technology ;P

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  4. It's always funny to see the negative criticism from people who have not converted to Apple yet.

    "Apple is for trendies... it's only for creative types... it's for wannabes."

    Never any actual LOGIC or insights into why the computational device is not as effective or high quality.

    .... Because it's MORE effective and HIGHER quality.

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    1. I see you haven't converted to ubuntu yet.

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    2. NOT more effective and NOT higher quality but DEFINATELY
      more expensive.

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    3. MAC gets lower usability ratings than any other OS. Macs are not higher quality. Sure they have pretty exteriors but the guts are the same. I've taken apart quite a few macs and PC's and iPhones (iPhone screens break easily, more so than Android phones) This is by design so MAC has another revenue stream for repairs (iCracked dot com is doing so well because of this secondary market). Also Android is less restrictive (hotspot apps without rooting or the hotspot provider fees - FoxFi)

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  5. I have a great idea, let's fight over which computer brand is better!

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    Replies
    1. Timex Sinclair!
      Commodore Amiga!
      Sun Sparcstation!
      Silicon Graphics Indy!

      Delete
  6. Whew! getting stuffy in here. I own and use multiple platforms/OS and find that all have their individual strengths. Tried to do it all on an iPad for a while (with keyboard and cloud) but just didn't size up. Curious what Win8 and a lap/pad "hybrid" might offer. Definitely won't limit myself to either camp - or the blinders...

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  7. This post is basically a waste of time. Every six months sees NEW! SUPER! GREAT! ADVANCED! HOT! computers. If you think they'll be a better buy this fall, wait until after X-mas when they put them on sale like every year.

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    1. I have XP at home and had 2000 at work.
      They moved me to a Win 7 machine at work last year.
      It seems to be less customizable, things take longer to find, and more clicks to do things. Blah!

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  8. I am working with 3 computers. A labtop, a a-Mac and a PC. The labtop and the PC run the XP-professional. They work perfect together for stock-trading. The a-mac shows the grafics and the others do the trading and communication.
    I am only afraid that those new developments may change some software which cause problems?

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  9. i don't give a shit

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  10. Hey! I'm anonymous. Stop using my name.

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  11. I'd venture to bet that Microsoft and Apple are in bed together. Ruling the world as the 2 technology giants that keep everyone else out of the game. There is no real competition between these two. They've got the market evenly split, and their products are compatible with each other. Plug your ipod into your windows laptop, they work seamlessly togather. Yeah, they're not competing with each other, the game is in making you think they are. It creates the illusion of choice in the market/monopoly.

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  12. Apple is improving share in all segments with correlating benefits of increased network effects.

    I've been using DOS/Windows PCs for over 30 years along with machines and OSs from DEC, Motorola, Palm, Sony, Apple, and even Radio Shack/Tandy. That doesn't even count to scads of GPS, fitness, measurement, and other devices which can be used independently and together with more general purpose machines. Use whatever works.

    Programming and creating content is entirely different from consuming content. The ability to create content is moving down the chain to handhelds but so far tht ability is very, very limited.

    Use what works for you for the application and target market intended.

    Development for iOS devices pretty much has to be done on Apple machines (workarounds exist, but that is definitely the path of least resistance for now). That and the fact that Apple's more powerful machines can also run Windows is probably the largest force driving sales in that space right now.

    I never expected the situation on the ground to move me in that direction, but there I go.

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  13. Recently I splashed out on an Asus Transformer Prime 64 (tablet with keyboard running Android). Being an early adopter it cost me more than would have an iPad, but the utility of that device is remarkable.

    If I need Windows apps I connect via Citrix Receiver.

    Android is showing enormous potential.

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  14. I'm sure not all laptops are like that. My sister tried to buy laptops online and there was nothing wrong with it.

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