Should i switch?

[dangel]

I think that shows the important specs.

So for a dell with a slightly bigger screen (about the same when you get to actual viewing area), a dvd write (that you will never use on the move) a slower CPU, no gigabit ethernet, no OSX you pay an extra £110

I've set the warranties the same, and removed any dell special offers - and have done the same for apple (so no edu discount or promotion included).

Granted if you include teh current dell offers you get 1gig of ram and an extra 70 quid off- but this only brings it down to teh same price as the macbook (if you upgrade the macbook to 1gig) and your buying a dell, not an apple.

Of course it all comes down to local pricing in the end - you may well find a sony or asus laptop similarly specced to a macbook for a lower price, but not by much, and even if you are you don't get the integrated webcam, front row remote, apple stylings, magsafe, OSX (and windows with bootcamp) etc etc.

I think you can leave the 'special offers' on really - it's perfectly realistic as Dell run them pretty much all the time (in some form or another). I'd have to say i'm impressed by Apple's pricing - although i'd want at least a gig for my laptop (for windowsxp/vista) and I suppose you need to add the cost of XP on top too. All said and done I reckon dell works out cheaper for a well specced laptop and doesn't require special adaptors for monitors etc. I'm also not convinced Apple's stuff is actually built any better either (in fact the press reports recently haven't changed my mind here either) and the larger screen is more important than you think for some of us (what are the native resolutions for both incidentally?).

I'd like to see Apple sell a dual OS pre-configured laptop too - i'd rather not pay retail for XP or have to faff around installing it from the get-go. This would appeal more to business folk too.

Lastly, as a business user my final concern is support - and Dell's business support is very good from my experience.

I'd consider a macbook for a work laptop (provisor would be it'd have to run XP) but i wouldn't touch one as a desktop replacement as really they're nowhere near competative for gaming etc. I'd have a great deal of trouble selling the idea of buying one to my boss over a dell and the network admins would freak out too probably (support issues).

[Spud1]

I think that for business use don't go near one of these - macbooks are *not* professional machines, and they work best when used as a portable, thin, light laptop for when your on the move, or cant take a basestation with you for whatever reason.

Mine has replaced my PC while my graphics card is being RMA'd again - and I can honestly say i've been fine with it. It does the net, World of warcraft, Dvds/films, music(recording and playing), photos fine,and with bootcamp I can run XP.

The only thing stopping me fully replacing my PC with it is graphics really - but I didnt buy it as a replacement (couldnt afford a MBP lol)

[dangel]

I think that for business use don't go near one of these - macbooks are *not* professional machines, and they work best when used as a portable, thin, light laptop for when your on the move, or cant take a basestation with you for whatever reason.

Mine has replaced my PC while my graphics card is being RMA'd again - and I can honestly say i've been fine with it. It does the net, World of warcraft, Dvds/films, music(recording and playing), photos fine,and with bootcamp I can run XP.

The only thing stopping me fully replacing my PC with it is graphics really - but I didnt buy it as a replacement (couldnt afford a MBP lol)

Yeah I see what you mean - it's just the only reason have my current laptop is i built it from barebones on the cheap so i'd only buy one for work. MBP's look distinctly expensive. I've a lot of time for Macs but i've never bought one simply because they don't really do anything that i can't do on Windows already (vice versa not being true). However if i got OSX 'free' with my laptop then i guess i'd play around with it