MacBook Pro vs. Alienware
Hey everyone,
I'm looking to buy a laptop for desktop replacement. I want a laptop that will allow me to play games for at least another 1.5 years. After that, I will only be using the laptop for general word processing/email.
I really would like to purchase a Mac, I like the sleekness, and I believe I have been converted to OS X. However I have my doubts at it's ability to keep up with future gaming needs.
My other option is to buy one of the Alienware gaming laptops, their big, their builky, but their going to suit my needs. But when it comes time that it will just be used for general stuff, it's size and weight will really become a pain.
I'm looking for opinions, from Mac users (biased, I know). But I need to know what people think about MacBook's and their ability to keep up with future gaming trends. As much as I would like a beast that can run top settings in anything, I guess my primary focus is to get something that will just get me through.
Look forwards to your replies.
Chris
I'm looking to buy a laptop for desktop replacement. I want a laptop that will allow me to play games for at least another 1.5 years. After that, I will only be using the laptop for general word processing/email.
I really would like to purchase a Mac, I like the sleekness, and I believe I have been converted to OS X. However I have my doubts at it's ability to keep up with future gaming needs.
My other option is to buy one of the Alienware gaming laptops, their big, their builky, but their going to suit my needs. But when it comes time that it will just be used for general stuff, it's size and weight will really become a pain.
I'm looking for opinions, from Mac users (biased, I know). But I need to know what people think about MacBook's and their ability to keep up with future gaming trends. As much as I would like a beast that can run top settings in anything, I guess my primary focus is to get something that will just get me through.
Look forwards to your replies.
Chris
Comments
Hey everyone,
I'm looking to buy a laptop for desktop replacement. I want a laptop that will allow me to play games for at least another 1.5 years. After that, I will only be using the laptop for general word processing/email.
I really would like to purchase a Mac, I like the sleekness, and I believe I have been converted to OS X. However I have my doubts at it's ability to keep up with future gaming needs.
My other option is to buy one of the Alienware gaming laptops, their big, their builky, but their going to suit my needs. But when it comes time that it will just be used for general stuff, it's size and weight will really become a pain.
I'm looking for opinions, from Mac users (biased, I know). But I need to know what people think about MacBook's and their ability to keep up with future gaming trends. As much as I would like a beast that can run top settings in anything, I guess my primary focus is to get something that will just get me through.
Look forwards to your replies.
Chris
I don't think many people here would recommend the pc unless you want serious gaming instead of casual. I just installed boot camp for playing halo and apart from being reminded why I love OS X over any windows OS, my experience pretty much sucked (I will post a link to it soon) and I would STRONGLY recommend backing up any data before hand if you were to go that route. The alienware will most likely cost you more than the MBP and the current MBPs are pretty decent spec-wise unless you want some insane thing like a quad core processor with 512 VRAM. But as for ANY non-gaming stuff (apart from tons of semi-useful freeware apps) OS X is SOOOO much of a better experience than windows that I would factor it in as around $400 in the price of the computer (a $1,600 pc being equal to a $2,000 mac with the same specs). Size and weight: this thing is light and beautiful and compact. I love it.
edit: here is the link.
1. The size is terrible for transportation
2. Your basically paying money on the alienware case
3. Unless your a serious serious gamer the macbook pro will suit your needs, the graphics card in the macbook pro is good enough to play most to all games.
4. If you are still worried about game performace, just upgrade hard drive space, RAM, and graphics card
5. No OSX on alienwares, they are very prone to getting a virus, plus Leopord comes out in october.
Overall you should definetley go with the mac. Better transportation and you can get good gaming performance from the mac. You dont need everything in the alienware, and if you really did need it for gaming, Then order all the parts you want and have someone put together a custom computer for you.
It's all about the graphics, so look at 8600M benchmarks and see if you are happy with the level of performance it provides. Looks to me that all current games will run on it at 1280x800 resolution and reasonable amount of effects turned on, and at competetive framerates (which I define as "high enough that they do not significantly handicap the player in multiplayer"). Single player gaming demands less from the computer.
My gut feeling is the MBP will serve you well as a gaming machine for one and a half years. You'll be booting into Windows to play almost all games; better to go with XP than Vista because the performance is significantly better, and the very few future games that require Vista are mostly going to be out of reach in performance. Blizzard's games are practically the only ones you won't need to boot for. You will have to go to a low resolution for Crysis (a FPS out in November) and your graphics are close to minimum required. Towards next summer or fall there'll probably be some game out that the computer can't handle.
A gaming laptop is always going to be a half-baked solution when the games you run are new. If possible, you should seek to move the bulk of your gaming onto a desktop.
I personally gave up PC gaming when I bought a Mac, with the idea of having a PS2 to tide me over, and getting a gaming desktop in two years or so. Well, that didn't happen. Among other things, I didn't want components aging a year while I'm in the Army. Now I'm pushing five years without any PC/Mac gaming to speak of. This fall I'm definitely getting the desktop though. *cough* Starcraft 2 *cough*
4. If you are still worried about game performace, just upgrade hard drive space, RAM, and graphics card
If someone is actually worried about game performance on the MBP, then they should not buy it. HD and graphics RAM upgrades have a minuscule effect on gaming. You should have 2GB memory in any case, and games won't care if you have more than that.
5. No OSX on alienwares, they are very prone to getting a virus, plus Leopord comes out in october.
If you use quality software, no warez or random crap off the net, no Internet Explorer or Outlook Express, Windows is not prone to viruses. I used Windows 2000 Professional without a firewall or real-time virus scanner for years and never picked up anything nasty. All my daily use software was reputable open source stuff.
Overall you should definetley go with the mac. Better transportation and you can get good gaming performance from the mac. You dont need everything in the alienware, and if you really did need it for gaming, Then order all the parts you want and have someone put together a custom computer for you.
Custom laptop? Ehh...
If someone is actually worried about game performance on the MBP, then they should not buy it. HD and graphics RAM upgrades have a minuscule effect on gaming. You should have 2GB memory in any case, and games won't care if you have more than that.If you use quality software, no warez or random crap off the net, no Internet Explorer or Outlook Express, Windows is not prone to viruses. I used Windows 2000 Professional without a firewall or real-time virus scanner for years and never picked up anything nasty. All my daily use software was reputable open source stuff.Custom laptop? Ehh...
the macs video card will be enough to play most games. i have a dell default 64 mb video card from like 4 years ago, and i was able to play counter strike, and counterstrike condition zero, but not source
If you want a nice portable and you like to game every now and again, go with the MacBook Pro.
I guess it comes down to priorities. OS X is a much better platform, however there are more games available for the PC and there's DirectX 10 in Vista.
I guess it all comes down to your priorities and what tool you want for the job.
However, I am unsure if Alienware is coming out with 8700M, but that's just a overclocked 8600M, and it would probably be beaten by the high-end 7-series anyhow.
Vista for games isn't too bad anymore either - with the latest Nvidia drivers (166.xx), I can get most of my games running fine on my 6800. As far as viruses, it's very difficult to get one, unless you're totally reckless online, and probably avoid IE unless you are running Vista, as it runs in protected mode on that. Opera FTW.
Alienware laptops are a beast though; there really are desktop replacements, I've seen one model that tips the scales at 12 lbs.
the macs video card will be enough to play most games. i have a dell default 64 mb video card from like 4 years ago, and i was able to play counter strike, and counterstrike condition zero, but not source
What's that have to do with anything? I remember my pal played CS with an AMD K6 box. I played with an original Radeon SDR with 32MB. This game is ancient.
What's that have to do with anything? I remember my pal played CS with an AMD K6 box. I played with an original Radeon SDR with 32MB. This game is ancient.
it means that if you can play a game like that with a terrible graphics card, then you can defininitly play higher end games with the 128 or 256 vid cards offered by apple.
it means that if you can play a game like that with a terrible graphics card, then you can defininitly play higher end games with the 128 or 256 vid cards offered by apple.
I agree with the conclusion, as seen from my first post on this thread, but I think the reasoning you're using is surreal.