What laptop to get to replace my 15" macbook?

[Bob Elzer]

How much did you spend on the Macbook, and how much do you want to spend on
a new laptop ?

What are your preferences, what does it have to have, or not have, and what
do you want to do with it ?

 

-----Original Message-----
From: plug-discuss-bounces at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
[mailto:plug-discuss-bounces at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us] On Behalf Of Josef
Lowder
Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 2:25 PM
To: plug-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
Subject: What laptop to get to replace my 15" macbook?

Based on the very positive and enthusiastic comments from so many people
(including several of my good plug friends), I recently purchased a 15"
Macbook, thinking that it might be "the way to go."

While the Mac is a very appealing product in many ways with many outstanding
features, I have finally come to the conclusion that the disadvantages (to
me) far outweigh the positives.  So I am now thinking of selling it and
looking for something more sensible in the real world.  Therefore, once
again, I am seeking input from the collective wisdom of this esteemed group.

The simple, but (to me) major drawbacks of the Mac (not to mention their
proprietary impositions that seem to be even worse than M$), are as follows:

1. The keyboard layout that forces that screwy Mac/Apple X key on users in
lieu of simply using the CTRL key ... and then positioning that weird mac
key in such a terribly awkward place.

2. Putting the "FN" key where the "CTRL" key should be (and is on every
other computer keyboard) is really stupid.  Bottom-farthest left is the
*only* place (from an anatomically logical standpoint) where the CTRL key
should be (imho).

3. Failure to totally eliminate the "caps-lock" key (of course I guess all
keyboard mfrs still remain guilty of this ridiculous failing, at this
point).  However, I seem to accidentally hit it more on the mac than on my
other keyboards ... I guess because on the mac it seems to be slightly
oversized.  Why?  Duh!

4. The absolutely ridiculous limitation of being forced to the bottom right
corner of every window as the *only* way to resize windows.
That might be the most stupid of all Mac contrary-to-all-common-sense
"features."  And apparently no way that I can find to "maximize" a window.

5. The needlessly glitzy but cumbersome "dock."

6. The lack of a simple text editor ... one that doesn't force the use of
html or rtf.

7. Most of the *nix command-line commands and utilities that I am used to
using do not seem to work on Mac OS-X

8. While I like the slot drive rather than a DVD drive that slides open, I
do (not) like having it on the front. Has that changed on newer models?

9. And as for being "intuitive" ... I've tried for a week to get the hang of
using a Mac and almost everything that I am used to doing on my "normal"
computers, I find almost impossible to figure out on a mac.  The 529-page
"How to do everything Mac" doesn't ... and if mac is so "intuitive" why
should it need a 529-page book to explain how to use it?

In any case, I am now looking for a new (or used) laptop to replace this mac
and get back to the real world.

One that intrigues me is a new, single-core, lower-powered Asus that claims
to have 8+ hours of battery life.  It is also the only one I have seen so
far that has lighted keys (the letters light up on the keys like the mac --
one of mac's truly great features).  That seems to me to be a very desirable
feature.  Only problem is that that feature seems to be available only in a
larger format Asus unit with a number keypad (that I do not want).

So what do y'all recommend?

I like the slot drive (on the right side), built-in camera, lighted keys,
lightest and thinnest possible, a "normal" keyboard (no 10- pad), at least a
15" screen, preferrably matte not glossy, and long battery life. I want to
install Linux as the base OS and use whatever virtual ware will allow me to
install win98 (I do *not* want the all-intrusive, pop-up crazy winXP).

PS: Anyone interested in trading for or buying a 15" macbook with 4-gig of
ram?
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