Is a Macbook not a good idea for somewone who doesn't need portability?

[Hamish42]

Hi, I really want a macbook but the only thing stoping me is the screen size it looks too small and it could bug me. I will mainly be using the laptop around the house with it only traveling once a week. Should i go with the 13.3-inch or get a 15.4-inch PC?, please help. Thanks

[zadillo]

It depends on what you're doing. If it's stuff like word processing, e-mail, etc. the 13.3" screen size is still just fine (especially at a 1280x800 resolution, which ensures that text, icons, etc. aren't too small to read).

Frankly, if you have some place near you where you can see a MacBook in person, that would be the best bet. It should give you an idea of whether it will work for you.

You can of course get 15.4" machines that aren't that much larger/heavier (heck, the new Santa Rosa MacBook Pro is actually thinner at 1" for 1.08" thin, and is only .2 pounds heavier at 5.4 pounds compared to 5.2 pounds).

[Vaath]

Hard to say, as zadillo said what exactly will you be doing with it?

Only thing I can add is that if your doing lots of photoshop or others having a nice 15.4 of the macbook pro might work better for that.

[Hamish42]

hello, I would mainly be using this for internet browsing and word documents and music, just the basic stuff.

[Wooky]

hello, I would mainly be using this for internet browsing and word documents and music, just the basic stuff.

I think the screen physical size is more than enough for that. Plus, you can get an external LCD cheap and plug it in. But as said try to see one in person.

[00fez]

Yeah, for basic stuff, the macbook's screen resolution is more than enough.

[swarmer]

Well, for what it's worth, I disagree with most of the above responses. Since you don't need very much portability, I would get something with a 15.4" screen. 1280x800 probably is enough resolution for what your doing, but regardless of the resolution, I personally appreciate the larger physical screen size no matter what you're doing on it, and the only reason I'd even consider a 13.3" is if you want to carry it with you all the time.

If you love Mac OS X that much, then it may just be a compromise between OS and screen size, and you'll have to decide which you value more. (I assume MacBook Pro is over-budget.)

If you're open to running Windows or Linux, then why not fill out the FAQ so we can suggest a PC notebook that might be a good fit for you.

[Hamish42]

I am deciding between a Macbook, HP Pavilion dv6500 and the new Sony VAIO FZ. Got any tips on which one to buy? Thanks for helping me because its hard work picking out which notebook you want. lol

[swarmer]

Personally, I don't like the looks of the HP Pavilion notebooks (the glossy plastic casing puts me off, although everyone else seems to like it for some reason). The keyboards aren't my favorite either (though I've certainly seen worse). However, if you've tried one of the Pavilions out in a store and you're not bothered by either of those things, I think they're fine.

I do like the Sony FZ a lot... I'm kind of tempted myself.

The Asus F3 series is worth looking at too. If you're ok with a matte screen and can live without a webcam, I'd also suggest looking at the Dell Latitude D830.

[Sirius_GTO]

i think the M2010 is your best bet.