Here is the Toshiba thats on this week. Regular is $799

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/produ...c54377c962en02

Iphoto has a couple of features that I really like when compared to elements 7. However Stir Crazy is right as it doesn't have the editing power that elements does.

I run exclusively adobe on my PC, my Dad has iphoto on his mac, he absolutely loves the organizational features and uses that for organization, but has to edit all the photos with Elements on his PC first.

This bamboo pad from London Drugs
http://www.londondrugs.com/Cultures/...6&ProductTab=3

Has Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 bundled with it for $159

And yeah, don't be afraid of the AMD processor, they are quite good. Depending on the year and the chip they swing back and forth with intel for quality but usually win in price.

As far as the warranty goes... I've always thought that if these things are going to have a hardware failure, they'll fail in the first year. I've had failures on Hard Disks and power supplies ranging between the first time power hits them and about 9 or 10 boot ups but I don't think I've ever had a hardware failure after the first year of normal operation. That's just my personal experience though and may not be everyones experience. When I bought my LCD tv EVERY online review site said exactly the same thing. That if it's going to fail it will fail in the first year thus the extended warranties these stores like to push on you are really just cash grabs.

Out of those two I would pick the HP, Two BIG reasons are the ATI graphics, and the pre-loaded Paintshop Pro. I have an old version of PSP, and it is comparable to photoshop.

Interesting that with the bigger screen it still comes in almost a kilo lighter than the toshiba.

When I bought my 15" mackBook Pro nearly 3 years ago I think I paid about $2200 with tax. At the time similarly equipped non-mac machines were nearly as pricey.

I've upgraded the memory and the hard-drive through a mac dealer and I provided them with the parts which I bought at memory express and had them do it all for like $100.

I run Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator and sometimes 3d Studio Max in Bootcamp and this machine still performs today and I can't see myself needing to upgrade anytime soon.

I still don't think people are considering quality of construction when shopping for these things. I took this machine to and from work for 2 years and it still looks, opens and types as if it were new.

I think the gamer argument is a touch silly as most hardcore gamers will be running a desktop rig which they have pimped to the 9s and not a laptop. I'm not a pc gamer anymore but I'd never have run a laptop period for my gaming.

One thing I will say though when it comes to TOTAL cost...you want the Apple Care warranty. Apple has plenty of its own issues (I have escaped all of them luckily) and this is worth it but a bit pricey. After factoring everything in just keep in mind that nearly everyone that's bought one of these machines will or has bought another. I will in a year or so =)

I agree the HP had a seperate vid card which is way better, and the backlit keyboard is nice for surfing canreef at night with no lights on. :mrgreen:
My dad bought a HP pavilion from costco and it is an impressive machine.

as for paint shop pro.. not a big deal, it is good for drawing stuff, not a great photo editor.

don't waist your time with the london drugs craft bundled bamboo, it is version 7 and we are on version 9 now.. lots of differance between 7 and 8, and not much between 8 and 9. you pay 50 bucks for 7 basicly with that bundle.. for 89.00 at costco you can buy v8 or v9 and get the new features. but if v7 has all the features you need then ya 50 bucks isn't a bad price.

Steve

a desktop for gamming is nice, but when you got to sea for up to 6 months at a time its nice to have a laptop that can play them. my old laptop did 8 years of trip around the world shoved into a locker, subjected to constand vibration and jerking from the movment of the ship. plus various brownoiuts and power spikes. only replaced a hard drive in 8 years. I would say that is pretty well built. that was a toshiba. my new Dell is built with a all aluminum one piece frame I have had if for one year now and it still opens and runs like the day I got it. I know one year isn't a long time. I still have my old laptop. it is out in the shop now as I needed a laptop that could handle my referance software, take nots with, do design and run my auto diagnostic program, with out having to pull my new one out to the shop and being paranoid of getting grease or sawdust on the keyboard.

comparing apple vs PC is useless, it is a brand other than thet they are the same thing.. chev vs ford, and all the other brand wars. apple dell, toshiba, ect they are all the same thing and acomplish the same thing although the directions may get there in a different way.

To get a 17" screen size on a mac at London drugs you are spending 2600.00, so I check bestbuy the same thing.. for 800 your getting a 17" HP . I just looked up a comparable mac system to my new laptop. I can get mine for 1000.00 now, the mac book with the same speed processor, same ram, hard drive, ect is 2100.00 so ya. a mac is still double the price, and now that they are using intell chips you have the same problems. I do like the fact they are using the same hardware now, as it is easier to compar them.

Steve

I dont believe the link I posted had a back lit keyboard Steve, unless I missed it.

The Mac Book Pro had. Some of the other more expensive PC makes may have also.

my mistake, it has a LED backlit screen, mised the screen part LOL.

have you looked up dell at all? I got my last desktom from them 3 years ago and my new laptop about a year ago and have been totaly happy with both there systems and there service. I have a studio laptop, but I customized it and ended up spending 1200 on it. but it does everything except take the garbage out :mrgreen:

Steve

Please don't take this post seriously but why are we arguing about this still. If pc laptops were half as sexy as macs we'd see THEM in the movies.

COME ON GUYS!

And to refute the twice as expensive bit...we have to compare sexy to sexy. If i could actually *find* a comparable laptop that looked as good then I could make some comparisons.

I CAN'T =)

Oh and about going to sea...what kind of connection do you have out there? Can we classify you as a gamer WITHOUT high-speed?

Yes, looked at Dell Steve. I have a bunch of gift certificates for FS, so the first thought was them, not that I could not use them for other stuff.

I dont game and not going to sea, so those things not a consideration for me at least. :lol: :lol:

Actually Brett the HP I listed looks a lot nicer than the Mac Books. Of course dont mean they work better. IMO, the iMac is the nicest one I seen for looks at the store, overall.

Wish to say again, how much I appreciate the time you guys are taking to add input here. I know its not buying a car or anything but when one does not have a great knowledge on something its nice to have others in the know offer advice.

Thank-you. :D