Current Events > "You know about computers, what laptop should I get?"

(+) Yeah! (+)

Me: Ok, well what do you use a computer for?
Her: Umm, emails, web browsing, youtube, you know
Me: So no video editing, music making, recording, games, stuff like that?
Her: Nope. I watch netflix sometimes, does that count?
Me: No, although do you store your movies on your computer?
Her: Nope, just stream it.
Me: Ok. So basically any laptop will do. I'd say about 600 tops, although you could go a bit cheaper if you want to. Hell I got dad a laptop for 200 that does all that stuff, although the screen could be better. Pick the one you like that has a nice screen, you like the feel of the keyboard, and is about as big/heavy as you'd expect. Here's some I'd recommend.
Her: Ew, gross, no. I want a Macbook.
Me: Ok, fair enough. Well here's some, they're like 1-2 years old but more than capable of what you need it for and will last for a long time.
Her: Why would I want an old one?
Me: Do you want to spend over 1000 to watch netflix?
Her: I was thinking this one. It looks nice.

It's a 2019 macbook pro with 512 storage. Of course it fucking is.

No wonder Apple are doing so well
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i think of apple products like luxury cars. no car mechanic in their right mind would advise someone to get a BMW or a mercedes, etc. they're expensive money pits that break down and are piles of junk.

but people buy them cuz they want one. thats it really.

i have a macbook air. i know its not the best, but i like it. im eyeing the macbook pro in the future. i know i can get something better at the price point

but dammit i want it.
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Lmao. People want that namebrand flashy shit when you can go to Wal-mart and get a $200 one that will suit their needs just fine

_BIueMonk posted...

i think of apple products like luxury cars. no car mechanic in their right mind would advise someone to get a BMW or a mercedes, etc. they're expensive money pits that break down and are piles of junk.

but people buy them cuz they want one. thats it really.

i have a macbook air. i know its not the best, but i like it. im eyeing the macbook pro in the future. i know i can get something better at the price point

but dammit i want it.

You're correct although I will say in Apple's defense, they're way more robust than the average PC, software wise at least.

So it's more like you buy a BMW that doesn't ever have any problems...until it does...and the only solution is a new BMW.
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I wouldn't recommend a newer Apple laptop to anyone right now, with all the keyboard issues they have

That's why you invest in brand name companies. Profit margins up the wazoo
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I bought an Asus gaming laptop in 2009 for $1000, and it was faster than $2500 Macbooks. It took Apple like 4 years to be competitive.

Rexdragon125 posted...

I bought an Asus gaming laptop in 2009 for $1000, and it was faster than $2500 Macbooks. It took Apple like 4 years to be competitive.

I actually didn't make this topic to trash Apple because I think their products are good and serve certain purposes in many ways better than competitors do...just not the netflix purpose, especially not at double or triple the price
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Casuals goin' casuals.

My dude got a wack ass i3 Dell and complains about it being so slow when dude has like 13 spreadsheets and 25 Chrome tab open.
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I spent $325 on a laptop almost 4 years ago and it's perfect for me.

pinky0926 posted...

So it's more like you buy a BMW that doesn't ever have any problems...until it does...and the only solution is a new BMW.

which i dont doubt people do lmao.
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pinky0926 posted...

Her: Umm, emails, web browsing, youtube, you know

When this is their answer, I always tell them to tape a sales paper to the wall, throw a dart at it, and buy whatever the dart hits.

That's as far into the conversation as I go.
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the most clever thing apple ever did was market themselves as a lifestyle brand instead of a tech company. i cant think of a single consumer product with a better overall reputation than just about any apple product, you can basically pick any adjective to describe a well-off person & it applies to the apple consumer image
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Just another example of the adage "A fool and their money are soon parted."
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BlazinBlue88 posted...

pinky0926 posted...

Her: Umm, emails, web browsing, youtube, you know

When this is their answer, I always tell them to tape a sales paper to the wall, throw a dart at it, and buy whatever the dart hits.

That's as far into the conversation as I go.

I honestly think at that level of use the key factors are:

- screen
- keyboard
- weight

Just those three things. Everyone recommended Toshiba to me for a cheap beater, but I honestly can't stand how their keyboards feel. I would have hated using one even just for netflixing.
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pinky0926 posted...

BlazinBlue88 posted...

pinky0926 posted...

Her: Umm, emails, web browsing, youtube, you know

When this is their answer, I always tell them to tape a sales paper to the wall, throw a dart at it, and buy whatever the dart hits.

That's as far into the conversation as I go.

I honestly think at that level of use the key factors are:

- screen
- keyboard
- weight

Just those three things. Everyone recommended Toshiba to me for a cheap beater, but I honestly can't stand how their keyboards feel. I would have hated using one even just for netflixing.

Just because I work in IT, doesn't mean I keep up with consumer laptops.
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Romulox28 posted...

the most clever thing apple ever did was market themselves as a lifestyle brand instead of a tech company. i cant think of a single consumer product with a better overall reputation than just about any apple product, you can basically pick any adjective to describe a well-off person & it applies to the apple consumer image

Exact. Same reason why some ratchet chick with a iPhone 6 with a broken screen thinks shes better off than anyone who doesnt have an iPhone.
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_BIueMonk posted...

i think of apple products like luxury cars. no car mechanic in their right mind would advise someone to get a BMW or a mercedes, etc. they're expensive money pits that break down and are piles of junk.

This is untrue, especially of Mercedes.
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Anyway, women in general are not very tech savvy. Not all women, but the typical woman, so let's say most women.

When looking to buy a laptop, they want it to look cool or be expensive so they can show it off. It doesn't matter if the laptop in question is grossly inappropriate for their needs.
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treewojima posted...

I wouldn't recommend a newer Apple laptop to anyone right now, with all the keyboard issues they have

Plus they get uncomfortably warm if you use them for too long.
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Ilishe posted...

_BIueMonk posted...

i think of apple products like luxury cars. no car mechanic in their right mind would advise someone to get a BMW or a mercedes, etc. they're expensive money pits that break down and are piles of junk.

This is untrue, especially of Mercedes.

Mercedes cars used to be indestructible until their early 90s range. They're trying to regain that kind of reliability tho

TC, give her the old 'Do you hate money?' talk. Should work
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I remember starting college and laughing at people with their Macbook Airs when all they did is Facebook and the occasional document type up

Then I got a 2015 15" MBP with dual graphics cards and an i7 that still runs as fast today as the day I bought it

That being said, I also have a $150 HP laptop for emergencies and it works quite well and has surprisingly good battery life considering its well, an HP
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Ilishe posted...

_BIueMonk posted...

i think of apple products like luxury cars. no car mechanic in their right mind would advise someone to get a BMW or a mercedes, etc. they're expensive money pits that break down and are piles of junk.

This is untrue, especially of Mercedes.

Although what is true is that people buy Mercedes unaware of how expensive they are to repair, and how incredibly overengineered everything is on cars like that nowadays.
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Is there actually any real reason to get a Mac in 2019? Apart from if you want to develop iOS apps or if you are a web developer and need to test on Safari.

There are plenty of great video editing programs for Windows. Photoshop has worked on Windows for decades.
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pinky0926 posted...

Ilishe posted...

_BIueMonk posted...

i think of apple products like luxury cars. no car mechanic in their right mind would advise someone to get a BMW or a mercedes, etc. they're expensive money pits that break down and are piles of junk.

This is untrue, especially of Mercedes.

Although what is true is that people buy Mercedes unaware of how expensive they are to repair, and how incredibly overengineered everything is on cars like that nowadays.

Oh people living beyond their means is nothing new, but anyone who calls Mercedes cars bad has a lot to learn about cars.
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I want the red one!
It's a piece of overpriced trash with only 4gb of ram, 1366x768 resolution, a fucking atom and a 128gb hdd
BUT ITS SO CUTE

okay
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You can do all that shit on like a $150 chromebook lol
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CloneTheHero posted...

Ilishe posted...

Anyway, women in general are not very tech savvy. Not all women, but the typical woman, so let's say most women.

this is certainly sexist and the same applies to your "typical man" tc being a prime example

This is moving away from the point of the topic now but my impression on this is that it's nothing to do with some inherent lack of ability for women to understand tech, but more because historically it hasn't been culturally a women's thing. Like it's been shamed by men and women alike for women to be "geeky" in that way. And tech is a pretty hostile environment for women to get into as well.

Also, what am I a prime example of?
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CloneTheHero posted...

pinky0926 posted...

my impression on this is that it's nothing to do with some inherent ability for women to understand tech, but more because historically it hasn't been culturally a women's thing.

are you like 50? plenty of women in the technology field today more then there ever was.

I work in tech. A few months ago some of the guys in the dev office thought it would be hilarious to put up a sign that said "Gentlemen's club: women by invitation only".

I'm 32 and I still think it's a pretty hostile environment for women moreso than men, because there is still often this fundamental requirement for women to prove that they are not a "typical woman".

More women in tech has improved things, but sexist attitudes are still abundant imo.

pinky0926 posted...

antiquated circular argument. you could make a case for almost any field being "hostile" towards women.

See above, and see this:



I honestly can't imagine a similar reaction happening if that model was a man.

I can think of so many examples from my everyday job. Our clients assuming that my female colleagues answering the phone are receptionists, but never assuming the same as me, would be one.

pinky0926 posted...

a typical non tech savy male. yes they exist... shocker.

I. Work. In. Tech.
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CloneTheHero posted...

lmao you work in tech yet youre on here asking for advice YOU should already know. if you truly worked in the tech field its you who should be handing out advice.

Did you read the topic at all, or did you confuse me for someone else? I was giving the advice here.
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Yep. Some people just want an expert (or someone they view as an expert) to agree with them.

I actually mostly assume this is the case whenever anyone asks me a question, so after I give my answer and they argue with it, I don't pursue it any further.

"What tool should use to fix my doorknob?"
"A screwdriver."
"But hammers are biggerband stronger!"
"Ok, then use a hammer." *shrugs*
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CloneTheHero posted...

this doesnt refute my statement about non techy savy men being just as abundant as non tech savy women. just because your field is comprised of mostly men doesnt negate that.

The existence of tech or non tech savvy people is not actually the real point here. The point is about the perception of whether a man or woman would be qualified, before someone actually even knows.

pinky0926 posted...

lmao youre comparing sleazy online comments made under the cloak of anonymity to what happens irl? people will say some stupid shit online, a large number of women get harassed online. im not saying it cant happen in person but its a lot less likely these sexist pigs would have the courage to repeat that to her face.

I see low key sexism in my tech job every day. It's never as sleazy as this, but it's still there, and it still makes it harder for women than it does for men to do the same things.

This is all anecdotal though of course. Maybe we could point to studies on this? Might be more useful than blanket statements.

pinky0926 posted...

im sure thats pretty common, still doesnt refute my main argument that there are just as many non techy save males as there are women.

As above, that's not really the point. If you meet a non tech savvy man you call him a luddite. If you meet a non-techy savvy woman you call her a "typical woman".

(By "you" I don't mean you specifically, I just mean - that is a very prevalent attitude, because sexism).
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My wife wants one of those just cause. She also wants the new iphone and she's totally into all the new health trends lol (looking at you keto).

What is it with chicks and this shit lol

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CloneTheHero posted...

actually thats the only point. the only point i was trying to make when you decided to try to argue against it.

I wasn't really, i was giving my thoughts as to why I think women are perceived as non-techy savy, such as in Ilishe 's comment.

clearly your coworkers are very stupid men then. ive rarely encountered anything sexist at my place. and youre still trying to avoid my main argument. no ones refuting that women arent targetted by sexist pretty regularly, thats just common knowledge.

Yes, they are very sexist, which is my point: tech can be pretty hostile work environment for women specifically because of ignorant men like this, who are more common than they should be.

uhhh no? id call him a typical male. maybe the typical male doesnt live up to your level and maybe YOU feel the need to call him a "luddite" whatever the fuck that is.

Are we arguing on different levels here, because I was talking about the term being used in an insulting context, i.e. someone using "typical" to mean "stereotypical man/woman things". Not "typical" as in "a statistically average man/woman".
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pinky0926 posted...

It's a 2019 macbook pro with 512 storage. Of course it fucking is.

Soon: "why can I get [popular Windows software] to work?!"

pinky0926 posted...

I honestly can't imagine a similar reaction happening if that model was a man.

Internet shitposters would do the same were a beefy musclehead said to be an IT professional.

CloneTheHero posted...

yes, its called deflection. you were trying to avoid my argument to focus on something as obvious as sexism in the workplace that is all common knowledge. i was never arguing your point. i agree with you lol.

No, that's not quite what happened. I'm happy to discuss that point though, as it's something I don't agree with (and something not reflected in statistics either). I was discussing the reasons why I think women tend to be less tech savvy than men, which obviously assumes I think women are less tech savvy as a demographic.

In short, I think women are less tech savvy for more or less the same reasons I think there are less car savvy women: nothing to do with biology and everything to do with culture, history and education.

pinky0926 posted...

Ydude... we get it. men are sexist? lol. i agreeeee. now stop deflecting and lets get back on track here. there are just as many non techy savy men as there are women. understand?

See above. I don't think women and men are equally tech savvy on average, as reflected by how there are less women in tech.

pinky0926 posted...

idk what youre arguing, its nothing but circular arguments and deflection. clearly you think lowly of non techy savy people judging by your arguments and original post.

so this woman wanted a brand new macbook? if she wants to waste her money let her. no need to hop on here and make a joke out of it lol. this isnt uncommon. non techy savy people do non tech savy shit. when i was 15 i had my parents buy me a very expensive gaming pc and only had about 3 games on it and mostly used it to browse the internet... WE DO STUPID SHIT. some of us can be ignorant and only want what looks cool or sexy or what we perceive to be cool and sexy.

What the fuck are you even talking about, lol

Are you a troll

Obviously she can spend her money how she wants. But she asked for my advice and then proceeded to ignore it because she wanted the shiny thing anyway.

The topic was a gentle rant about how people buy macbooks when they don't need them. Good for you for defending my friend's honour though, I'll be sure to let her know you have her corner.
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CloneTheHero posted...

tech and cars are incomparable. there are way more women in the tech field than in the automotive field these days.

There are also way less women than men in the tech field, and even less women in actual tech roles. Saying they're incomparable isn't really true, especially for the purpose of this comparison.

pinky0926 posted...

this doesnt mean theyre less tech savy it only means theyre not interested in that field in particular. your average non techy savy woman is just as unaware as your typical non tech savy male. unless you can show me proof otherwise i dont buy that argument.

This is a redundant point to make. "Your average bachelor is just as unmarried as your average bachelorette".

As for proof:

https://www.inc.com/laura-garnett/women-in-tech-what-s-the-status.html
Women in Tech: What's the Status?

While women make up 59% of the total workforce, they are averaging only 30% of the workforce across major tech companies.
That 30% includes both tech and non-tech jobs, like marketing and HR. When it comes to representation of women in tech jobs at tech companies, they can't seem to break even 20 percent: women hold only 17 percent of the tech jobs at Google, 15 percent at Facebook, and 10 percent at Twitter.
Women-owned companies in New York City today get just 17 percent of venture funding.
Of the 41 Fortune 500 companies in the technology sector, only five have a female CEO.
Only 14.3 percent of board seats of the top 100 tech companies are held by women.
A 2013 study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that men are two times as likely to be hired for a job in mathematics when the only difference between candidate profiles is gender.
Nearly 40 percent of women with engineering degrees either don't enter the field at all or quit soon after. Women in tech with business degrees also tend to leave the industry before rising in rank.

As a gender, women are less tech savvy. Whether this means they tend to be less interested, or historically have been excluded, or any number of reasons - that is up for discussion.

pinky0926 posted...

Are you a troll
says the smug tech boy handing down judgments from his throne. clearly you have prejudices against non tech savy people. news flash, bucko, most people are not tech savy.

Customer: What brakes do I need to stop my car?
Mechanic: What kind of driving are you doing?
Customer: Just a weekly grocery shop
Mechanic: Ordinary factory brakes will do.
Customer: No I want aftermarket ceramic sports brakes
Mechanic: Well that's a bit silly
You: wow so judgmental get off your high horse mechanic

Really dude? lol

pinky0926 posted...

gentle... riggggght. more like a passive aggressive rant about someone you clearly think is a "luddite" without actually calling her a luddite

Why are you so upset about this, did I hit a nerve or something

Did you buy that macbook yourself under the same circumstances?
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CloneTheHero posted...

theyre not comparable at all. stop it. there will be less women in most professional fields and fields that are overwhelmingly masculine like automotives

It's quite obtuse to act pedantic over the figures (which are still comparable) and miss the point - tech is a male dominated field, and the reason it is male dominated is for many of the same reasons that the automotive industry is male dominated. That is obviously what I was saying.

pinky0926 posted...

you just made my point for me. thank you. this field is totally incomparable to that of the automotive field. 30% of the workforce in the field. wow. thats even higher than i believed it to be.

30% is high to you? That to me indicates a clear and huge slant towards men. Also, that's the industry as a whole. I trust you read a little bit further and discovered that actually, tech women represent a figure <20%.

furthermore this clearly indicates that women are just as capable as men in the field, something you argued against.

No, that is absolutely not what I argued at all (not even close), and you've just demonstrated that you never understood my point to begin with.

pinky0926 posted...

no theyre not. your little link just proved it. 30% tech workforce? id say thats pretty damn capable. if theyre truly not as tech savy shouldnt that number be more lopsided? say 5%? because why have incapable monkeys developing your software?

It indicates that there are less women in tech than men. That means overall as a gender, women are less tech savvy. No one said anything about capability. That is a word you introduced, for some reason.

We're talking about the current state of affairs (less tech women), not what it could potentially be (as many tech women because they are just as capable).

pinky0926 posted...

lmao since when does laughing at you indicate that im upset? clearly ive gotten to you and exposed your prejudices. its ok man. tuck your tail between your legs and take the L. you lost. understand?

you failed to make your point, you threw a few batshit crazy analogies my way, you deflected my arguments for the majority of the debate lmao.

take the L

If you don't know something because you're not knowledgeable about that subject, then of course that's natural. Everyone has knowledge blind spots. For myself, I know absolutely nothing about brain surgery, or the NFL draft, or string theory.

But if you then learn about a subject because you counselled an expert and then proceed to ignore their advice and everything you've learned, then you are an idiot.

Obviously, the question my friend meant to ask wasn't "what laptop do I need", but "can you please tell me that buying a macbook pro is a good idea."

Couldn't be simpler.
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^ How someone who has absolutely nothing of value to say responds
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Buying a laptop in this day and age is a nightmare unless you either know exactly what you want and/or money isn't an issue. There really isn't a basic cheap solution for people who do basic things.

Entry-level laptops are still built like shit and offer specs worse than flagship smartphones, Chromebooks are still limited as to what they can do, cheap tablets don't exist anymore, smartphones are getting more expensive and more complex.
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