Build a pc

So it all depends. You have to remember- Apple isn’t aiming a $50k+ machine to gamers and pirates and people browsing amazon. Compare it to workhorse, enterprise workstations like the Thinkstations or IBM’s offerings and you loose performance and or gain price. If you are doing lots of graphics work, video, running multiple threads at once- Mac Pro is a solid machine. Is it the best machine? No. Is it the best value? No. Yes. Maybe. That depends.

For decades it’s been possible to maybe not get all the “polish” of a Mac Pro- or EXACT performance- but build a machine that either replicated it closely- or did for the user they could barely care about the difference if they noticed at all- or in many cases- if you’re building a machine to do exactly what you want it to do- it will be better for YOU since Apple designed the off the shelf pro to do some GENERAL things well- but suit lots of needs. And you can get that likely cheaper building your own machine too- especially if you eschew fancy cases and OCD worthy component configuration and layout.

Now- have someone build them all- all 50 or500 hand selected components and specs, and you’re putting it on that guy that they all work. They don’t overheat, all the parts are compatible. There aren’t vulnerabilities or failure points built in to the design package. They’re all hand assembled and your QC is as good as it is going to be for whoever you tap to build them (spoiler- most companies do not have staff who’s speciality and trade is PC assembly.)

You now have to also procure the basic software package. Get licenses and keep those organized and on file. You’re going to need to create your own image from scratch, and probably put that through QA unless your company motto is “meh. It probably works.”

And when it is all said and done- you’ll need to keep track of which component went into every single machine- keep the paperwork and do any registration to have a warranty if something fails in the parts- and when that happens, you will have to tear down that machine and the warranty won’t cover down town or labor- just a new part. And you are on your own. If the combination of software you chose doesn’t work- driver issues- blah blah- your IT has to figure it out. You won’t get much support. It’s a nightmare.

So just since it comes up a lot- if you look at other machines built for enterprise or professional use they tend to be expensive. The apples DO carry a premium for brand and for the “polish” they give their machines. But that’s almost always the case- an ikea $50 dining room table isn’t so functionally different from an IKEA $200 table- which isn’t so different functionally from a $2,000 table from Livingspaves or Wayfairer or whatever. Some folks just ware willing to pay a little more for some polish. Buy a new can and steel wheels come on it or for $100 more you get plastic wheel covers and for $1,000 you get aluminum wheels. The covers don’t upgrade performance or anything- but for $100 some people are willing to pay to not have to look at bare wheels- and for $1000 most folks are paying for the look of the aluminum wheel and often don’t even realize it probably offers at least a slight advantage in performance. It’s just how much you’re willing to pay for the look you want.

Building a computer CAN be a great way to learn about computers and will often give you more computer for your money- but if you don’t have the time, the tools or budget for tools, and/or know yourself well enough to know that you aren’t ready for that- it’s not an option. It is relatively “easy” but it’s also a lot to bite off and requires you to either blindly follow someone else’s selection of parts that work, or do a lot of research. Home brew also doesn’t have the warranties and service of an off the rack machine. So let’s skip that even if it’s likely at least someone will try to convince you that’s the option to take.

You’re looking at a laptop (or tablet... we will get there..) or a “desktop.” A desktop will almost always provide more performance and features for less money, and be more able to be updated as time goes by- the downside or they are not really portable.

A laptop is going to be very portable- a tablet likely even more so. If you have no desk or limited space, if you move around a lot during the day and need a computer that you can carry place to place- a laptop or tablet works well.

As a student- usually a laptop or tablet fits best- but again- depends on you and what you want to mostly use it for or where you spend most of your time. If you want to play games- a desktop is almost always going to beat a similar price laptop for more modern games.

If you mostly want to surf the web, take notes, things like that- tablets like the chrome book can offer performance that feels like that of a much higher priced laptop, are more portable, and are very affordable. These machines have very limited capabilities for games or other third party software etc- and you can pretty much forget about expanding or upgrading- when old they just get replaced. A chrome book or similar also requires a constant internet connection and has little or NO local storage- meaning that everything you do is saved remotely “on the cloud” and if you do t have internet or have problems logging in- you can’t get your data. It also means usually that if you store more than your initial allowance- you’ll need to pay some sort of recurring subscription for more storage.

So think about your needs and what you want- where and how you’d use the computer, if you have access to a data plan that supports computing on the move- or if you have regular and reliable WiFi access through most of your day (pre/post quarantine I mean...) figure out your budget so you know what a general range of options you can afford looks like- and based on your life or what machines you can afford you will know “laptop” or “desktop.”

The next choice is OS. there are lots. Let’s ignore them all except windows and Mac. Most new or used computers will have one of those (except tablets which may have android etc.) and those two are the most supported and easiest to learn and use for most people die to how common they are. If you die hard love/hate one or the other- there you. If you aren’t sure (or maybe even if you are) consider again- your life.

Windows is by far the most common desktop OS. It’s easier to interface (like exchanging files or networking) other machines with the same OS. It’s easier/cheaper in general to fond software for windows as well as compatible accessories like keyboards, joysticks, blah blah. If you are familiar with it get familiar with windows- you will have a better chance being familiar with any other computers you use- and most companies will use windows on their work machines.

Mac OS is a little less common. But that also can be a good thing. It’s a simpler world. There are less combinations of software and hardware- less possible places for problems- meaning better odds that if you have a question you can find an answer from someone who is running near identical configurations. You have less choices in what monitors or USB sticks or whatever, as well as software- but what is out there and certified to work- works. Usually costs more too- and for pirates- Mac life isn’t hell- but it’s not windows with all its easily pirated selections. Cost tend to be more in Mac- but value is a question related and independent to cost. It gets individual to where the best value for you is.

All that said- if you’ve chosen between Desktop, laptop, and tablet for a basic configuration- if you know what OS “sphere” you want to play in- and you’ve determined what you want to use the computer for and how much you have to spend- not only is it much easier for people to answer what might be a good buy for you- but for you it becomes very easy to search what models are available within your price range, in the configuration you want, with the OS you want, and then compare the reviews to find the one you think is best for you. Happy hunting.

Or... lazy answer- buy any laptop that costs between $700-1200 if you aren’t going to play games. Easier still if it says “Lenovo” or “apple” on it. It’s 2020 so they are all pretty decent and will more or less surf the web and take notes and watch movies the same. Make sure it has a plug for whatever you want to plug into it (phone, sd card- whatever) and enough for all your crap- or buy it with a hub. It’s all the same crap unless you game or draw or 3D render or blah blah. Find the one with the most cores and most ram and most processor speed you can afford- google reviews- if they say good things buy it. That’s the half ass lazy general answer. We could .6 ass it to add- find one with a good screen of you care- and remember that you can often sacrifice screen size to get more power for less money- or sacrifice power if you want a bigger screen for the same money.