I have been using PC for a while and I was thinking of buying a macbook but there are a few things holding me back. Number one is the price for what it has inside. I configured an xps laptop with 4gb ram, 250gb hard drive and core 2 duo 2.1ghz, bluetooth, wireless, fingerprint reader all the stuff for around 1200 dollars. I get a federal government discount, thats why. But the quote expired and now the same Pc is 1500 dollars.

I am an IT major and i do programing, C++ and C#, web design and SQL too but Macs don't use visual studio. I hear you can run XP on them but with 2gb of ram and all other apps running would that be enough. I figure I would buy from Best buy as I need the laptop soon. But with the 350 dollar BB protection plan, a black macbook comes out to $1992.78. Do you guys thing Im better of with a pc laptop or a mac. I've always liked OSX and macbooks just could not really afford it.

Get a PC. 1992USD is too much for a blackbook- I got my 4th Gen Macbook Pro for 1800-ish on Amazon. That's with their rebate and free-shipping.

Shop around for a better deal- Try online retailers, even if you need it soon. I got mine the next business day after I ordered it (ordered from Amazon on Saturday, got it on Monday.).

I will call the same dell representative and ask if she can give me the same price again. I should have ordered it right then. I like mac because I have younger siblings and they like to use laptops but with OSX there is not much they can screw up. If the macs had more memory for the same price, say 3gb or 4 and less expensive I would definatley not worry about buying one. But if you customize a mac with 4gb or ram and a 250gb hard drive the price goes from 1k-1800. That really is a lot when all you are using it is for school/business.

suggestions -- don't buy RAM from Apple, and get the white macbook and not the black one (Apple charges like $100 for black plastic, and they way over-charge for RAM.) A 2.1GHz dual core macbook (white) with 1G ram, and 250G Hard Drive starts at $1250. You can go online and get 4GB (2x2) SODIMMs for $77 (before $25 rebate):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16820227247

Add $250 for Apple Care (since you seemed to want it), and you have a grand total of $1577, which is in the same ballpark as the $1500 PC.

-Josh

That is prolly what I am doing I'm going to go over to best buy and get the white macbook with 2gb ram, and 160gb hard drive I think. With their protection plan. Since I get XP for free from school I wil load that on there soon. As for programing, I will use the xp side of it.

Wait till 9. September!

Why september 9? It turns out the lady at dell was able to give the same price for the xps laptop and I ended up ordering that one. I will see how I like it and if not, i will either give it to my father or siblings and get a mac maybe.

Apple Event September 9th?
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=550945

Resellers Getting Signals for a Wide Range of Apple Updates?
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=551145