MacBook Pro 15" 2011 vs. HP dv6tqe Quad Edition

[AlexMitu]

So my old HP dv2000 busted itself yesterday, and I'm in the need for a new laptop, yes a laptop, because I need the mobility.

I wanted something that will last me a good few years, with few to no problems. In a year, I will go to college, so definitely this computer will need to last (being the broke college student I will become). I don't care much in the way of gaming, though it would be nice (which I know Mac's aren't known for). It will mostly be used for heavy video editing, web surfing, stuff of that nature.

Price isn't too big of a concern, and with all maxed out hardware into each one, I'm looking at a $2700 vs a $2000 cost.

The HP has Blue-Ray and USB 3.0, with the Mac's solution to that being Thunderbolt. So the HP wins there. But I like the overall look of the Mac better, and to be, aesthetics is a make it or break it (I don't wanna lug around an ugly piece of machinery, no matter what the specs) , though the HP one has sort of mimicked its design to that of the Macbook.

Anyway, I don't want to start a Mac vs. PC flame war. I honestly don't care about any of that crap.
I just want to know, which one will hold out the longest?

 

[Dense_Electric]

Go with the HP, just because Windows is so much more versatile and easy to maintain than OS.

 

[PunkyMcGee]

My brother's MacBook needs to go in for repairs A LOT. Make sure you get the insurance for it if you do get one.

 

[CrystalShadow]

OK, I don't care much for Macs, but HP laptops have some of the worst build quality ever.

Seriously. I briefly repaired laptops for a living, and I've taken apart a lot of them from various manufacturers.

All manufacturers occasionally build things that you have to wonder what they were thinking.

But I really have never seen any manufacturer that's so consistently insane about how they put their laptops together as HP.

My mother had a HP laptop, and it broke within a year. (Although to be fair that model has a known design flaw and should be considered a particularly bad case).
Also, it had literally 1 screw holding both the hard drive and DVD drive in place. Scary.
(And other HP laptops all seem to have very dubious hard disk mounting.)

OK, to make a long story short, I would never buy a HP laptop.

I don't like macs (because they're macs, but they've also traditionally had issues.), but in a choice between Mac & HP, I would avoid HP at all costs.

But realistically, personally, I wouldn't choose a Mac either.
Find something else.

 

[Zer_]

Generally, you can get more bang for your buck with any PC based laptop. And when your Mac breaks down, you have to pay a LOT for repairs unless you get an (expensive) extended warranty plan.

The hardware in a mac is actually not any better than what you'll find in a PC based laptop. In fact they use the same parts. They are generally higher quality, but you can get the same quality for a much, much cheaper price...

Apple's prices for RAM and hard drives are outrageously high. Remember, Apple loves profit, not you. Whenever you can buy your Mac with the stock RAM, and upgrade later with third party RAM from a reputable supplier. Apple buys Samsung, Hynix and Micron RAM modules in bulk, just like good third party brands do, there is nothing special about Apple branded memory.

When buying memory, it is generally not advisable to go with the absolute cheapest stuff you can find. Many Mac models have a reputation for being very picky about the quality of RAM they will work with. Low quality memory can and often will cause application crashes, total machine crashes, and data corruption. Do your homework on quality reputation up front, and be advised that while buying generic memory saves you money, you assume a greater risk of trouble later on.

You may also have issues if you use High Density RAM in your Mac (this is the most common form of RAM that can be purchased from eBay). You may find it simply doesn't work with your Mac, the computer only accepts half the amount or it runs much slower. RAM bought from a recommended supplier will not be high density and will work correctly.

It is not recommended to buy RAM faster than your machine will handle. It won't make the machine run any faster (the Mac sets the memory bus speed, not the RAM module), and there may be compatibility issues with the RAM clocking down to the Mac's bus speed. 800 MHz SODIMMs are widely reported to be incompatible with Penryn Core2Duo Macs, which require 667 MHz memory.

If you MUST go Mac... http://guides.macrumors.com/Buyer%27s_Guide

That is all.

 

[AlexMitu]

@CrystalShadow, well I don't have a problem with the HP build quality. I've heard people say some of the same things that you just did, but as I said earlier, I own(ed) an HP dv2000 that gave me a good few years, without many issues.

 

[Zer_]

Also, may I suggest the Asus G73Jh-A2

http://www.amazon.com/Republic-Gamers-G73JH-A2-17-Inch-Gaming/dp/B0036ZE6SS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306802230&sr=8-1

You could even go higher end.

 

[octafish]

The Mac has a really good quality screen, good colour rendition which is important for Video and Stills, that super sexy shell, a nice keyboard, and of course OSx86 which a lot of people love. They also have slightly reduced specs because they are designed for portability over power, they do get exceptional battery life, which could be a boon when studying. I like Macs myself, I just can't justify the cost, so I compromise.

Oh and HP have a terrible reputation when it comes to reliability. That said I really like the HP supplied by my work. It is a HP elitebook 8440p and is a nice solid 14" laptop that is reasonably rugged and suitable for life on the road. Terrible battery life though, only a few hours. It must be cheapish though so it may be an aternative. It has a nice i7 quad core at 2.8 Ghz so I'm sure it would do ok.

The new Macbooks have pretty rocking ATI graphics when compared to other non-enthusiast laptops as well. If you dual-boot windows there would be a lot of games that would be playable.

 

[jesskit]

I have to say i dont trust HP, i had a benq with the same specs as a friends HP (he was running vista i was on xp) and he would get at most 3/4 the battery life of mine.

I do like macs but do not go for one of the white unibody's def go a pro, and get urself apple care.

 

[Necator15]

I would advise against the Mac, but then again I probably wouldn't get an HP either. Any chance you could go for a Sony or an Asus? They tend to be more reliable.

 

[viranimus]

i Am the first one to jump on the "Die apple die" bandwagon usually, and one of the most relevant points is that the price is never justified.

However, I would gladly pay nearly 3k for a mac compared to 2k for anything from HP (or compaq for that matter)

I really do not like, nor do I trust their equipment.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

aesthetics is a make it or break it (I don't wanna lug around an ugly piece of machinery, no matter what the specs)

And this is why you fail.

 

[ScRaT_the_destroyer]

im in the same position as OP i need a decent laptop that will do me through university, i am seriously contemplating a high-end 15" macbook pro that'll cost me £1500-1600 give or take with the university's discount working out at something like £53 a month.

truth is i want something with decent battery life (6+ hrs) for class and with enough firepower to play a bit of battlefield 3 when it comes out later this year. plus it saves me having to lug the doom-fortress (aka my desktop) to my digs

 

[lacktheknack]

Try Dell instead.

If you must choose between those two, then get the cheaper one. Both are perfectly usable, but both of them have less than spotless repair records (especially HP).

 

[MorphingDragon]

I would go neither.

If you want to game on your laptop I suggest looking at ASUS' ROG laptops, like the ASUS G73SW-A1.

Go with the HP, just because Windows is so much more versatile and easy to maintain than OS.

Pure FUD.

 

[Blast9]

I would advise against maxing out everything on an Apple computer product because most, if not all, upgrades are overpriced. Unless price really isn't "that big of a concern," in which case I'd like it to be known that I am always taking monetary donations.

For the most part, a big part of how long a laptop lasts is how you treat it. I'm using a 2008 MB Pro, and everything runs tip top except for the battery is shot and I have a dent on a corner of the case (though that was caused by an awesome acquaintance of mine kicking it off a bed).

My thought is for you to get the Macbook Pro, go to college, and get a cheap version of Windows from the campus store. Use Boot Camp, and you've got OSX for the cliche heavy video editing, and Windows for the gaming and whatever else all on one machine. Probably easier than trying to make a hackintosh.

 

[Zer_]

I would advise against maxing out everything on an Apple computer product because most, if not all, upgrades are overpriced. Unless price really isn't "that big of a concern," in which case I'd like it to be known that I am always taking monetary donations.

For the most part, a big part of how long a laptop lasts is how you treat it. I'm using a 2008 MB Pro, and everything runs tip top except for the battery is shot and I have a dent on a corner of the case (though that was caused by an awesome acquaintance of mine kicking it off a bed).

My thought is for you to get the Macbook Pro, go to college, and get a cheap version of Windows from the campus store. Use Boot Camp, and you've got OSX for the cliche heavy video editing, and Windows for the gaming and whatever else all on one machine. Probably easier than trying to make a hackintosh.

That's not quite true. Yes taking care of a laptop is important, but due to the design of almost all laptops, they are actually much more prone to failure than desktops. The small form factor causes them to run much hotter. This results in a reduced lifespan. They can break down a lot easier (and that means replacing parts can be more expensive).

MACs may be well built, but if it breaks out of warranty, you will pay a LOT of money to get a part replaced. Even if the HDD fails, a replacement is ridiculously overpriced on a MAC...

 

[EricL]

Replacing a Hard Drive is not expensive on a Mac? I did it myself replacing the standard 320GB on my Mac to a 750GB 7400rpm one without a hitch. Only iMac's are expensive in that aspect.

OT:Well, if you are doing heavy film editing I believe that the Mac will definitely be the better choice for you due to Final Cut Express, the fact that I believe CS5 is better on Mac than Windows (personal preference due to enhanced UI), Thunderbolt will almost definitely become an Industry Standard because Apple will certainly be pushing it for Final Cut X. If you must opt out of Mac, don't get a HP, get a Sony or ASUS.