Jfruhlinger writes "I'm a Mac guy. When our 2004-era Windows XP laptop, which was used basically by my wife, died last summer, I got myself a new MacBook Pro and she 1995 by houghton mifflin harcourt printing company. published by houghton mifflin harcourt printing company. all rights reserved.view results from: reference | dictionary | encyclopedia | all recommendation | the web
share this: my still serviceable 2008 MacBook. But after about six months, she hasn't gotten used to it, and wants a Windows machine. I don't have an ideological problem with this — it'd be her computer, and we've got a bit of money stashed away to pay for it. But trying to pick one out is my job, and I find the the whole process bewildering. Apple's product differentiation is great at defeating the paradox of choice — you have a few base models, the dissimilarity between which is quite obvious, and you can customize each. The Windows world seems totally different. Even once I've settled on a vendor for a Windows laptop (something I haven't done yet), each seems to have a bewildering array of product lines with similar specs. Often models that you find in electronic components or office supply stores that seem promising in terms of form factor are single to those stores and can't be found online. of course people do navigate this process, but I'm just feeling out of my depth. How would Slashdotters go about picking a solid, basic laptop for Web surfing and record editing that won't be superannuated in two years?"

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