College Computer Help

[:MoD:Shade]

Hey guys, I have a few questions.

This comming fall I'll be off to colllege and I know for a fact that I'll be getting a Mac Book Pro.  Alongside that though I'm selling the old iMac G4 as well as all my Gamecube stuff and hopefully I'll get around $800 or so for both combined.

I am trying to think of what is best to do with the excess money, wether I should just be happy with my one computer or if I should take that money and get a sub $1000 gaming PC and keep that at college with me.  Or get another mac which I see as somewhat pointless considering I would have no use for both macs really.

Any suggestions?


I can sit here and look up "custom gaming PC's" on ebay all day long and not have a clue what I'm looking at, is it hard to build a PC?

[BTs_Mysterio]

Why buy a gaming computer that a Boot Camped MacBook Pro would slap around?

As I stressed in the other thread, wait for Merom Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros. By then you will likely see a ATI X1900 or a NVIDIA 7900 (or hypothetical 8000 series) and a chip that makes AMD 64s look like G3s. There is no other need for a "Gaming Computer". By the time the thing needs to be heavily upgraded you would already be dishing out far more to update the PC. There really is no such thing as a thrilling sub $1000 gaming PC.

What should you do with the $1000? That's easy; you want gaming, invest in a PS3. Not only will it have bluetooth (Keyboard + Mouse connectivity ready), it may very well include a Linux based OS (recent rumors) or easily allow one to be installed thereafter. When you are a sub - $1000 buyer, consoles are the way to go... and by consoles I mean PS3s.

Hell, if you already have that budgeted in, why not just buy a nice monitor to play those Windows Games on your MacBook Pro.

[|MP|Nomad]

I agree, I would either buy a 20" Apple Display or I would buy some Apple stock

[:MoD:Shade]

I don't have much time to wait for the MBP's, I have to get one by August or September maybe, I'm not sure when they'll be getting the speed boosts.  Besides, a MBP cannot possibly perform just as good as a tower.

Why buy a $700 Apple 20" display when I get can a 24" Dell display for cheaper . . besides the fact that it's got a disgusting Dell logo on the front.

edit - nvm just read the other thread

Hopefully your right Myst

[BFG]

If you can wait til august mate, then  wait till august.

[BTs_Mysterio]

Intel will ship the Core 2 Duo (Merom Mobile version) in August. Apple has jumped at every chip to hit the market so far; there will be no question about something giving so much of a boost. Remember, Dell, Gateway, HP, etc are all going to jump on it instantly.

If you don't believe me on performance, maybe you should go test some games on a current MBP. I assure you; for $1000 you would be buying shit compared to what the MBP could do. These aren't yesterdays chips scaled down for a laptop, these are tomorrow's chips designed for a laptop while blowing away AMD 64s.

[Blitz]

I agree with Myst. I'm looking to purchase a new computer, I won't go as high as a MacBook Pro or MacBook, but I'll go for a Mac Mini (plus a monitor) or iMac. Since I'm saving up, I was going to purchase something at the end of July, but I realized that the WWDC is suppose to release a lot of updates on hardware, so I'm going to have to wait to...

On that note, what would be a better buy? iMac or Mac Mini with a monitor?

Blitz^tm

[Mr. Lothario]

     iMac == entirely decent Windows gaming rig. Mac Mini == don't even think about playing Windows games, unless it's Minesweeper.

[BTs_Mysterio]

iMac EDU version has no place in this world.