Dell vs Apple

[Pheebs]

Hello people!

My parents are needing to buy a laptop (pronto) and are deciding between either a Dell or an Apple.

The ones they have been recommended are (I believe)

Dell 1320 (or 1325... unsure) XPS

and

Apple Book

Price range they're looking for is £0 (;)) - £800

They are used to windows and have many MANY microsoft documents which they are concerned will not open on a Mac (I am certain they would be compatible though no?)

They would use it for emails, typing letters, research (so tinterweb) and photos.

What are your thoughts? Any suggestions on other models/makes and any idea where we can get hold of one soon and cheaply! (Also note Picky is a teacher so we may have some discount action there!)

Cheers people!

[Belmit]

Just tried looking up the 1320 and couldn't find it - only the 1330.

Microsoft Word documents will only open on either a Windows or Mac PC if you have Office installed. Even a Windows PC without Office won't open a Word document properly. You can of course install a free compatible program such as OpenOffice.

As much as I like to promote Macs, if they have little to no experience of them it might not be worth straying from Windows. I personally wouldn't go straight for a Dell though - Toshiba are also very good.

[Flibster]

Dell do some cracking deals. Take a look on Hotukdeals.com and see if there's any laptop offers on there.

[Joe 90]

dell have had some great deals... like flibster says, on hotdeals

not seen a laptop for a while, there was a cracking desktop deal today... but have a dig through for a laptop deal as they might not have expired.

[Desmo]

My advice would be stick to a PC laptop rather than apple.....unless you want to teach them to to use OS X ;)

[Matblack]

Go with the PC and the 1330 is a good one to choose as its compact and has enough umph to see them good for 3-5 years of new programs coming out.

MB

[leowyatt]

Stick with Windows Pheebs :) It's the best for them because that is what they are used to and it'll be easier in the long run.

[Mark]

Much as I think Macs have a place, I don't think this is it.

Don't forget to Quidco it if you go Dell direct. :)

Also worth a look around the refurb market (EuroPC or Dell Outlet) if they have the sort of thing you want (EuroPC don't do the XPS range, but they do do Vostro which are pretty good for the money).

[LeperousDust]

But for that limited set of things, windows is easy too! Go with whats cheaopest, which after hotukdeals will probably be dell.

[Flibster]

Some very good Dell offers on a couple of basic lappys.

http://www.hotukdeals.com/item/151141/dell-vostro-1500-notebook-1-40ghz-c/

http://www.hotukdeals.com/item/151121/dell-basic-vostro-1700-notebook-2gh/

Simon/~Flibster