MacBook Pro Alternatives?

Aap Ke Papa on 01/11/2016 - 11:26
Last edited 01/11/2016 - 11:41

So the only laptop I have ever owned is Macbook Pro which is now 5 years old. After much disappointment at the pricing of the new macbook line which costs a Kidney and and eye.
I am now looking into Windows based laptops.

My use is

  • Use MS Office
  • Watch Youtube/other video sharing links
  • Torrenting/online streaming
  • Kodi
  • Multitab browsing
  • 15 inch
  • Trackpad that matches Apple Trackpad
  • Lightweight but power packed
  • Budget ($1500 - $1700)
  • Dont Care about the on board storage

I require things to open instantly rather than keeping me waiting to open. Even though my uses are high end I am pretty tech savy, can handle Windows OS very well and I want my laptop to handle anything thrown at it occasional Adobe product I might throw at it or a software installation and basically future proof.

I also want my new laptop to be durable, solid and long lasting just like macbooks are.

I dont want this topic to be a Mac vs Windows battleground.

I have decided to move on from Apple as I cant be throwing ridiculous amount of money at them anymore.

People talk about Dell XPS, Zenbook 3, HP Spectre, Razer Blade

Anyone wanting to follow the discussions on New Macbook Pro can Click Here

Computing

Comments

  • QW3RTY on 01/11/2016 - 11:40

    Literally anything with a 15 inch screen and a SSD from the last 24 months would surpass almost all your needs.

    • Aap Ke Papa on 01/11/2016 - 12:37
      +1

      Thats the thing, with so much variety, I am rather confused as to what is classified as a good product.

  • railspider on 01/11/2016 - 11:49

    Take a look at Xiaomi Mi Notebook range - they're cheaper Apple imitations that'll meet all your needs.

    If you don't care about the Apple look, you can seek out any sort of Dell or Lenovo ultrabook that'll fit your needs in that price range.

    • scotty on 01/11/2016 - 12:02
      +1

      Only 12" & 13", and they aren't that cheap either. At least for 13" not cheap enough to have it delivered here without paying GST + duty.

    • Aap Ke Papa on 01/11/2016 - 12:36
      +1

      I didnt know Xiaomi had a notebook Range. Geez, they are literally making everything one can think off.

  • scotty on 01/11/2016 - 12:07
    +2

    I think Dell XPS 15 would be comparable to MacBook Pro 15" but it's not cheap either. You can get the base model for ~$2000 delivered from Dell eBay at the moment, which is a bit over your budget.

    • Aap Ke Papa on 01/11/2016 - 12:35

      Thanks. I am not in a rush and can wait for an appropriate deal. How solid and durable is the XPS in comparison to Mac

      • niner on 01/11/2016 - 12:48

        Carbon-fibre and aluminium versus the Macbook's aluminium alloy.

        The XPS has excellent build quality. The Latitude is even better imo.
        Carbon fibre is stronger than metal, but the Macbook is more singular in its design. There aren't a lot of components, because it's milled as opposed to pieced together.

  • niner on 01/11/2016 - 12:21
    -1

    Lenovo T560?

    Hp ELitebook 1040 (14" laptoP)

    Dell Latitude 15 5000 (or the 14" 7000 series)

    Your uses are not high end. You used a macbook for crying out loud. lol

  • markb28 on 01/11/2016 - 12:44

    I'm using a $650 (brought from a listing here) Dell Inspiron 7000 2 in 1. I came from a 2012 Macbook Pro. My usage is about the same as yours. Runs all the above really well and is the base i3 model with 4GB ram, 128GB SSD 1080, touchscreen, stylus etc.

    Was also considering paying about $1500 but really didn't need to.

    The touchpad is OK, but then Apple excels in this area - most will not be as good as the Macs. For your needs, I don't think you would need to spend much more than I did.

    The models mentioned by others are nicer and more premium. Win 10 runs well on this base config, but maybe a i5/8gb/256Gb would be a bit more future proofed.

  • scrimshaw on 01/11/2016 - 12:53

    Another vote for the Dell XPS, for having an awesome glass trackpad that rivals macbook pros.

    And don't buy a Elitebook folio 1040. The touchpad is crap and there is no tactile response, it's a pressure sensitive pad made by Synaptics. It tends to be buggy at times and there's absolutely no need for it to be pressure sensitive either…over-engineered.

    I much preferred the clicky touchpad of the Macbook Pro 2012, it's one of the better ones I've used so far.

  • Ryanek on 01/11/2016 - 13:01

    Check the range at http://www.metabox.com.au/ and configure to your needs.

    • Aap Ke Papa on 01/11/2016 - 21:41

      Never heard about metabox.any feedback?

      • scotty on 01/11/2016 - 23:26

        Check out deals from Kong Computers — they are Metabox resellers and have offered specials on OzBargain previously. They are mostly heavy gaming notebooks. They have good customisation, expandability and performance, but build quality is so-so.

      • Ryanek on 02/11/2016 - 07:37

        We are a software house and we all use them here at work. Comparable systems from branded manufactures will cost considerably more. I am pretty happy with mine.

  • klaw81 on 01/11/2016 - 13:03

    Let me get this straight - you want Apple build quality and longevity, for around one third of the price of a 15" MacBook? Your expectations are pretty high for a mid-range budget.

    A Dell XPS 15 would be my recommendation - it's a similar size and weight to the MacBook Pro, but substantially more powerful. But it's beyond your requested price range at $1999, even with eBay 20% off sale.

    For a lot cheaper, the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 is reasonably thin and light, would easily handle your relatively non-demanding tasks, get very decent battery life and has pretty nice build quality for the price. Pricing is around $1300.

    • niner on 01/11/2016 - 13:50
      +2

      Let me get this straight - you want Apple build quality and longevity, for around one third of the price of a 15" MacBook?

      This is the APple user's mentality. Hate on Windows laptops after buying a budget windows laptop (<$1000), then buy a macbook for 3 times the price and praise it on how reliable and fast they are.
      So silly.

      • resisting the urge on 02/11/2016 - 19:03

        Not really… problem was solved. After all, it might have cost that person more than their sanity was worth trying to make that $1000 machine work against Windows' best intentions.

        It's all a matter of perspective. Many of us have spent years working with Windows and for the relatively small upfront cost, have been able to free ourselves from the a lot of pain and constant upgrade/software/add-on costs/nags and demands for data et al, ever since.

        But it depends what you want- there are plenty of people who just need a machine to do C# development or something, so find they can do pretty well on anything from from a standard Dell slab to a Surface Pro*.

        It just depends one what you do.

        That said, some of the best windows devs I know use a MacBook Pro (running windows in one way or another), and were not in any way unhappy with the purchase price.

    • scrimshaw on 01/11/2016 - 14:38

      Dell Inspiron series are not like macbooks… the 7000 series are what I would consider a premium laptop (also some might consider it an entry gaming laptop) but not business grade or even meeting MIL-STD 810G standards.

      • klaw81 on 01/11/2016 - 16:12

        That's not the model I was referring to; I meant the 7558 2-in-1 model which is much closer to the MacBook Pro form factor. This one: http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/inspiron-15-75…

        (Understandable confusion, since they have 2 very similarly named models which are otherwise quite different)

        I don't think any of Dell's consumer models meet MIL-STD standards, but I don't see that as being an issue in this discussion….neither do any of the MacBooks.

  • pantsparty on 01/11/2016 - 14:11

    I can vouch that the Lenovo X1 carbon is high quality and sturdy. Take a look at the Lenovo website, they often have specials and you can somewhat customise the components of the laptop.

  • rbrb on 01/11/2016 - 21:28

    What model MacBook Pro do you have? You can probably throw a couple of hundred $ at it and get another 5 years out of it. I regularly fit an SSD and max out the RAM on older MacBooks and they are like new after that.

    • Aap Ke Papa on 01/11/2016 - 21:33

      SSD already done. Bought a new charger. Battery sucks on it. Its a 2010 model. Has taken a fair beating and is prerty bruised. Its trackpad doesn't work anymore.

      • rbrb on 03/11/2016 - 09:45
        +1

        If your battery is bad and your trackpad is not working then the battery has most likely swollen, very common for these MacBook Pros. Replacing the battery will resolve both of those issue and can be purchased for around $50. My wife still uses a 2009 MacBook pro with 8GB RAM and an SSD and it runs Photoshop and other apps with ease. Worth considering even if just for the sake of having a spare laptop.

  • tinoproductions on 02/11/2016 - 08:33

    For under 2k, you can probably get a 2nd gen retina MBP (used).
    I am still rocking a Dec 2013 rMBP, and it's still as fast as day one.
    I am guessing it would fetch under 2k if I sold it now.

    I guess much of the pain has been caused by the Australian Peso dropping a 1/3 in the past few years vs the USD.

    Still doesn't help you as we earn and spend in AUD.

    Are you considering 2nd hand?!

    Best of luck with your search.

  • [Deactivated] on 02/11/2016 - 09:20

    I don't think you'll find a Windows laptop with a comparable touch pad

  • greyeye on 02/11/2016 - 09:49
    -1

    Your Macbook lasted 5 yrs, its unlikely your windows notebook will last that long.
    my 2012 macbook pro still runs fine, and battery is still going strong.
    OS to hardware integration is nothing like windows detached world. You worry 0 about hardware compatibility or drivers, how many times do you hear the word 'update your driver' in Apple world?
    I wasted so many hrs on drivers hardwares, etc, etc on windows but I spend 0 such time on my macbooks.

    and free OS update thats hassle free and usually no issues to older Macbooks. Try that to windows upgrade, many will simply say get new drive and install fresh. (but you need OEM copy of windows, license keys etc etc)

    I personally fall in love with touch pad on macbook, never need to have a mouse around and perfectly happy with it.
    Touch pad/Track pad on other notebook and its Windows integration is… just moving mouse and basic gesture, thats about it.

  • evp on 02/11/2016 - 11:51

    My 5 yo Samsung ultra book is a dream, still runs strong and fast

  • h1s0k4 on 02/11/2016 - 23:00
    +1

    XPS 15

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