$2000 is a bit steep isn't it?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-det...
$1050
The "fashion" tax is pretty high on Apple. The only advantage it has on the HP is a superior video card.
some would say the main advantage is the OS (without hacking to make it work with a normal PC)
"It just works" - you just can't really say that for a PC
I certainly appreciate when things work immediately, but my overall curiosity means that even if I use Apple hardware, I put linux on it.
You'll be wasting your money.
The main reason for me to use macs is mac os. While the features of the apple hardware are nice, and they look good and all that, the most important thing to have is a commandline and a set of decent apps like photoshop, bbedit etc, on one machine. Most linux applications are crap compared to os x apps!!!!
If you want to run linux and are not on a tight budget, I recommend Thinkpads. Although not all features are perfectly easy to activate (power management, bluetooth, wireless :o|), the hardware is superior to macs.
I paid the price for Powerbooks since ever. But now I have decided to go with a MacBook (as soon as they come with LED backlit screens). I think the value for the money is much better. I'd rather pump them up with the largest and fastest drive and memory.
That HP machine is in no way comparable to Macbook Pro...
The base Macbook is the same price as that HP machine, and is roughly the same price.
Anyway, the HP actually seems better for most things. The AMD processor seems to cost a bit more than Intel. Aside from that, I won't compare them.
mac:
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB memory
200GB hard drive1
Double-layer SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB
Turion 64 X2 TL-62
Memory Size: 3GB
Dual Layer DVD RW
Capacity: 250GB
Unspecified, probably crappy, video card.Macbooks, let alone the pro, have dvi out, which is a must for most people, and the HP doesn't.
The HP is about the size of 2 macbook pros in terms of thickness.
The HP's horrible vid card and screen gives it a resolution of 1280x800 on a 15 inch screen. The Pro you are comparing has 1440x900 on the same sized screen.
I realize I am coming off as sounding fanboyish, but that is not my intention. I fully realize Macs are not priced very low, but these crappy HPs and Dells are nowhere near the quality of components.
Macbooks have the small connector because the large connector is too large in form factor for a laptop (well maybe not that huge HP :P). So other laptops would have to do something similar, but perhaps apple patented the mini-dvi port?
2. Even then, the HP is not similar to the MacBook PRo, it's missing a comparable CPU, 802.11n, backlit LED screen, multitouch mousepad, backlit keyboard, and most importantly software: Mac OS X and iLife.
3. The "fashion" tax is also the quality tax. Al casing and hundreds of screws is a very real difference.