Laptop Hunters $1500 - Giampaolo gets an HP HDX

I'll give you an example.
The HP DV6t Q.
quad core i7 CPU 1.6GHz 1333MHz FSB
4 GB DDR3 1333MHz
320GB HDD 7200rpm
1GB GT230m
same networking, slightly lower res LED display
$999

MBP 15"
core2duo 2.53GHz 1066MHz FSB
4GB DDR3 1066MHz
250GB HDD 5400rpm
integrated 9400M GPU with shared VRAM
$1699

@arthmus01 And the software? BTW saying "slightly low res" is actually a pretty big thing. Some companies (like dell) charge like $199 to upgrade a 15" laptop from 1280 x 800 (a 13.3" resolution) to 1440 x 900 (a decent 15" res).

I didn't know Dell did 15" laptops in those resolutions. Dell use the HD standard now on most of their laptops (720p hd, 900p hd+, 1080p fhd) and to go from a 720p to a 900p (1600x900) on say an inspiron cost $75, i don't know where you get your information from.

As for software you get a 15 month antivirus subscription and Microsoft Works. But with $700 saving you can buy whatever software you want. You could get an equivalent to the iLife suite for about $100, still $600 cheaper.

@arthmus01 Have you ever used MS works? it is the single worst office suite i know of. openoffice is better!

Works isn't meant to be an office suite. While it has a word processor, spreadsheet, database and powerpoint viewer, Microsoft deliberately made it focus on home productivity rather than office use (making Brochures and cards, budget management, making shopping lists etc.) so that it's not seen as a cheaper MS Office. While I agree open office is better as an office suite, works is far more useful for home productivity.

But since you mention it, Open office is free anyway.

@arthmus01 But i never said open office was good. Lol i was using it as a measure of works' fail. I i'm ok with open office, but it's dictionary and grammar check sucks ass.

Well it is an open source product. you don't like the dictionary and grammar check functions, install another, there are tons of open office extension. It's no MS Office, but then neither is iWork, which is why MS office is the biggest selling office product on OSX and Windows.

$680 for an equivalent app to iwork? it costs $80, besides iworks doesn't come with a Mac you have to buy it, and for that price you can get MS Office. You can get a good antivirus for free, or pay $80 for 3 year subscription. Windows 7 comes with a decent DVD maker, photo organiser and audio/video editors but if they're not good enough there's tones of free or low price apps out there. And again iLife is an $80 piece of software, hardly justifies the $900 price difference.

@arthmus01 Windows come with a decent video editor? windows movie maker! LOL! "$680 for an equivalent app to iwork?" YEAH. OS X + iWork has a: word processor (and also works as a "publisher" like program" , spreadsheet program, presentation program, POP/IMAP e-mail client, calendar and address book (with ms exchange support that even MS doesn't ship with windows), a powerful chat client and more other boring and less important stuff

Word processor, desktop publisher, spreadsheets, presentation, all part of MS office, which doesn't cost $680.
POP/IMAP client, Calendar, address book with ms exchange support, chat client etc, all part of windows live, which comes free with Windows 7.

And no, WMM doesn't come with Windows anymore, Live movie maker is part of Windows Live. Anyway what's wrong with movie maker? it's very basic, but then so is iMovie. they're both designed for simplicity.