novice needs help about m6805

if all you are looking for is what you say, most any machine will do you fine. The emachines is truely amazing, especially for the price. Beautiful screen, great graphics, awesome processor, hard drive, etc. And the 64's get much better battery life than p4's. Not quite sure about lightweight though. As for tech support, get a best buy contract, should be your best bet.

And yes, gateway did buy emachines. From what I understand, the president of emachines is taking over for the whole company, which i think is great. Emachines has really become a great company over the past year or so.

the 6805/07 laptop has far and away exceeded my expectations. it is a very serious laptop for a serioulsy low price.

it's a TINY bit heavy, but i don't even think about it because the machine is just solid.

buy it. you won't regret it.

.a.

I have a M6807 and love it so the rest of you guys don't flame me but for light weight and durability I'd say also check out the Apple iBooks - 12 and 14 inch models. These pups are basically indestructable, made for students slamming them into and out of backpacks all day, and the 12 inch is a seriously small laptop - my tired old eyes prefer the 14 inch, however, which is a bit heavier and more costly. Battery life on a 14" G4 iBook is an easy 5 hours, 6 if you turn everything down. Neither will be the gaming machine that an M680* is, but both are very nice notebooks at a real value price, and durable with a capital D.

the m6805 is the best value on the market. It is certainly one of the fastest laptops, and might well be the fastest if you exclude the small boutique laptops. It has very good tech support and is very durable and reliable.
But it might not be the laptop for you. From your description, it sounds as if you would get more utility from a lighter, slower and longer lasting unit.

I must disagree with tallan (1st time, I believe) I do not reccommend any Macintosh. I have owned several of them in my time, and used to do some developement work for them. The bottom line on a Mac (any Mac) is they are more trouble then they're worth. They cost more. They have fewer software titles. Everything about them costs more without additional benifit. They are slower. It is more difficult to get good support for them (they have less then 3% market share and so not as many people know how to use them or support them).

Nothing you do is all the intensive. You would do well to consider laptops with a Centrino technology (also known as Pentium-M and/or Banias) (not Pentium4 which is even less suited to your needs). An alternative which is just as fast and runs around 90% as long on batteries would be a AMD Athlon-XP M (m = mobile), these typically cost 20% less then the similar laptops with Pentium-M cpu's.
There are several decent centrino based laptops that would work well for you. Look at the Compaq x1000, the HP equivalent zt3000, or an entry level system from DELL. These are not super fast or super cool. But super anything costs extra, and it sounds as if you don't need that. And these should all cost less then 1000.00

well i own an m6805 ande a powerbook.. here are my thoughts..

the 6805 is not the right machine for what you want.
if you want to stay with windows or linux , get a t41.. you can configure them pretty cheap these days..

as far as macs go, the above statement is just ignorant. Any title worth having (not games or specialty (medical software, etc) is available on themac.. as are several programs that blast windows programs. I haven't found anything for news reading that beats unisom, final cut proi is fantastic.. the iLife suite is fantastic.

if you want a lightweight computer to do WORK on .... a 12" ibook would be GREAT for you.. they are awesome machines. furthermore... if you want a machine that is a TON less prone to virii, hacking, and more secure by default.. mac is for you.

If you want to play games then get a pc.. but frankly that is the ONLY reason i go to windows at all. When i am surfing more or less i am on mac or linux.. windows is.. at best.. a dying os.. maybenot now, maybe not in 5 years.. but certainly within 10 microsoft is going to have a LOT less marketshare.. and if apple continues to make smart moves.. and linux keeps on the up like it is.. they are in trouble..

after that dissertation i would completely think that an ibook would be perfect for you..

light as heck, really durable.. great customer support (second only to IBM) and a great OS.

get the 12" ibook and ad 512 megs fo ram to it and you will be a happy happy camper.

Hey Hooligan,
a bit off topic but the ONLY threat to Windows is Linux not Mac. Mac's have been losing market share steadily. Despite your best wishes to the contrary they do not have much software. I've been where you are. I loved my trusty old Amiga and was very disappointed when it faded away. I have done work on almost every type of computer out there. I could care less who makes it, just how well it works, how well it's supported and what if any compromises I have to make to use it.

Ok you hate windows, so what? Use a computer as a tool not a philisophical statement. Buy the one that does what you want the best way with the least dollars.
The Mac is a tiny niche computer. Over priced and under supported.
Any open minded look at it would not view it in a favorable light. Not because it's a Mac, but because it's so limited. And it's not just games. It's everything. "If" it is avialable at all on the Mac odds are it is not as up to date as the version on the PC. The will be missing features and options. Even basic tools such as software developement kits are not as robust on the Mac. This is not even touching the subject that if it's on the Mac it costs more. And what limited support there is, is often of an inferior quality. These issues are not the "fault" of the Mac, but rather the result of it having had an insignificant market share for more then 10 yrs now. Once it was over 10% and a viable contender. So were other platforms (like OS2, Amiga, Atari-ST, etc). Now depending on how you measure things (ie:include servers, workstations or laptops?) Macs range from 2.5% (include all computers) to 4% (desktop only). Linux is also irrelevant at 1% market share, but unlike the MAC has potential due to being able to run on the same non-proprietary hardware.
Everyone in the computer business knows that the Mac is nothing but a "could-have-been" and Linux is still the "never-was" (but with potential). Personally I was deeply disappointed when Apple changed their mind on open architecture and made it all proprietary again. The reason the PC won the war (against Mac, Amiga, etc) had nothing to do with who had the best hardware. It had to do with proprietary vs. non-proprietary hardware. The only reason Linux has a chance is because it uses this same hardware... of course at 1% market share, it's not a good idea to jump onboard yet unless you just love to tinker for hours to get things to work right. The "dying OS" (as you inaccurately choose to label Windows) has over 90% market share. This time last year it was around 85% as I recall. It is the standard. It is not a philosophy or life style. You use it to get work done. When the standard changes you use the new one (wether it is Microsoft or some new thing). Who makes it is irrelevant. What matters is how well it works.

Facts are what they are. Wishing won't change a thing. If it could, I'd wish my Amiga back into the limelight.

As to recommending a Mac to someone that has stated they anticipate needing more then the standard level of support, that is not good advice.

I don't want to get into the whole Mac vs. PC debate but Bjorn's comments are let's say... outdated. I've used PCs since my first IBM in 1981 - specified the purchase of hundreds if not thousands - was a PC consultant for a few years - yadda yadda yadda. Tried Macs when they first came out in 84, and again and again in a corporate setting over the years - could never find a reason to switch UNTIL OS X (and even the first couple of versions of that almost made me insane). The Mac of today, just like the eMachines of today, is "not your Father's" product. Macs are sophisticated and able performers which come with a TON of good productivity and "digital hub" software. Anybody who has used the Windows version of iTunes compared to Windows Media or RealPlayer has a hint of just how good the "iLife" suite is - iPhoto is without doubt the best digital "snapshot" photo program extant - and if you're at all musical Garage Band will put a knot in your knickers as well as allow you to do studio-quality work right out of the box.

So please let's let the "Macs suck" talk fade from memory - for what the poster is looking for an iBook would be a cost-effective, reliable, and very attractive solution. Another, but more weighty, solution would be the new eMachines M6410, which I saw today at Office Depot. Not a gamer's PC but hundreds less than the M6805 with many of the same good qualities...

Hi Tallan,
not to restate matters (again). And it's not as if I care a hoot how well Mac's do. In fact as a computer guy, I would rather Mac's do very well since back when I did support, I got paid alot more to work on a Mac then a PC since there were so few guys certified on Mac's. My last Mac certification test was not that distant (1996).
I wish Mac's well. I wish they would stop this nonsense of only Apple is allowed to make 'em and try to get back to 10% market share (which I think was their zenith). Even better would be to take those trivial steps to stop making proprietary hardware. Make their hardware & OS compatible with the other 97.5% of the computers out there. I'd bet they could triple their market in 2 years time doing this. Because Hooligan is not the only person out there that hates Windows/Microsoft. Not that I agree with letting emotions make decisions on what tool to use, I'm just acknowledging that these people are out there.
But I firmly disagree that a Mac, as they exist today, is the best choice for a computer neophyte.

My post above (boy this is getting long-winded) was written before Bjorn's latest rant.

Sticking to facts:

Macs "ill-supported"? Apple consistantly ranks # 1 in customer support and satisfaction.

No software? Office. Adobe Suite. ANYTHING that runs under BSD UNIX, which means most of the high-end scientific and data analysis programs ever written, and if you are a "guru" it's a pretty easy port to get Linux apps to run, also.

The fact is for the average user no additonal software will be necessary; new Macs come "nicely loaded" right out of the box. And Photoshop, for just one example, is a MUCH better program on the Mac than the PC (I use both).

Small market share? There Bjorn is right, Apple does have a small share... sort of like BMW in cars, Rolex in watches, or (gasp!) AMD in CPUs. Big share = better product does not necessarily compute.

Bjorn you need to spend some time with a NEW Mac, play around with Panther, check out the included software (and UNIX) and then, if you get an iBook, BEAT THE SNOT out of it and see what happens (nothing bad). It's a great machine for the poster's needs, even if not for yours.

I swear, this is my last!

There are three eras at Apple: Jobs (and Woz) 1, no Jobs, Jobs 2. The era you cite, Bjorn, was no Jobs, "open" architecture, and the company was a shambles and almost broke by the time they enticed him to come back... remember when Apple had to borrow $100 million from Gates? Now they have over $4 billion in cash, a growing market share, and machines the quality of which is really not disputeable. In this house right now I have an IBM ThinkPad T21, Toshiba P25-S507, eMachines M6807, Alienware Area 51 desktop as well as Apple PowerMac G4, PowerBook 17 inch, iBook G4 14 inch, and Titanium PowerBook 15 inch, and anyone who says the build quality in any case of the Apple machines not being signifcantly better than the PC's is just plain wrong. Sorry.

Get yourself a new Apple, use it for 6 months, and then tell me I'm mistaken.

The END!

few more comments from mr.. first off, your comments are laughable..programs not up to date on the mac.. you are nuts.. most apps worth owning are just as current.. i really don't know what your trip is but you state things that are contrary to market analysis..

macs ARE gaining market share.. osx IS gaining market share.. and a lot of hype (the justifiable kind)

apple's support is only second to IBM's..period.. i don't know what you do for a living, but saying apple has bad support.. well it puts me in the mind that you don't have a lot of experience in maintaining corporate systems.

os x IS more stable then windows
IS more secure then windows
IS smoother then windows
IS better then windows
IS more user friendly then windows
Is more up to date then windows
IS LESS likely to obtain a virus
IS LESS likely to be hacked out of the box
IS LESS likely to give up personal info out of the box
IS BETTER for casual users.

Look I have used both for a LONG LONG LONG time.. I am not some mac zealot.. i am an mcse ccna, not the paper kind either. I was one of the first 2000 windows 2k mcse that existed (long before braindump sites were out) I am also NEW to linux, and I worked for apple back when teh performa series were hot ****.

Additionally

Apple hardware DOES have better resale
Does have a longer lifespan
Is made better then most PC stuff (IBM being an axception to that)

Throw a new user a copy of os X and word and they can do 99.8 % of the stuff they want, easily, out of thebox.

As far as your statement about the AMIGA.. cmon, you MUST be joking..

the AMIGA OS never had 1/10 the major 3rd party support that OS X already has.

Rant? Hardly. Truth hurts when you have your fingers in your ears going LaLaLa as loudly as you can, I guess.

The BMW analogy is a tired one and does not work.
It assumes that Apple is somehow superior, this is a fallacy. It didn't work when Steve Jobs trotted that illusion out last year and doesn't work today. Mac's do not handle like BMW's etc... The BMW is also overpriced, and better looking but that is where the analogy dies. The BMW drives on the same roads, uses the same gasoline, etc.

All the software neccessary is a myth as well. Since you will probably be able to find software to do what you want, but with the exception of Photoshop (which is really about equal on the two platforms the last time I checked)... the fact is on the Mac you will have to make compromises on the software you choose. Go to Fry's and compare the software isles. The PC has many many times more software choices. And these software titles are typically more feature rich and lower in cost. This is normal market dynamics. It is far more costly to develop for a niche market like the Mac. Think about it, sell to ~3% of the market or ~95%, where is the better pay off for the developers. Not the fault of the mac, except to the degree that Apple keeps their systems proprietary.

Ill-supported - true as well. Apple might be ranked #1 or # 1000 it makes no difference. It is not just Apple you need support from. Your printer doesn't work? Call the company and they will not have as many or as well trained a staff to help. The same is true for everything the mac connects to, be it a camera, the internet, or just some software. This is not because anyone hates the Mac, it is because at ~3% it is largely irrelevant to their business.

I have used fairly current Macs. (g4's). They don't suck, but the compromises and the costs of using them does.

And all of this loses sight of a simple fact. The person who poised the question did not ask about Macs. Hooligan misdirected her by suggesting a Mac when she was asking about the m6805.

She has used PC's in the past and is presumably more familar with them. And has probably invested in software for it. So even ignoring your patently bad advise to go Mac in a PC world, you are also ignoring that she never asked about Macs but a PC.

Hooligan.
I'm not going to bother with you on this any more. As I just said to Tallan, this is off topic and ignores the original request for information.
I'll make it short and simple.
Almost all (if not all) of what you just posted on OSx v. Windows is false and demonstratably so. As to your credentials, I'll accept them all at face value and not comment since it has nothing to do with your claims as to OSx. I'm not a MAC guy, but I have worked on them and developed for them. I am just agnostic on the OS and hardware. They are tools, nothing more. I could comment more about the merits of the various OS's, but chose not to.

The Amiga was at one point very close to 10%... And for a while ahead of the Mac. The Amiga began to fade in marketshare when Microsoft decided to drop support for it and support the Mac instead. At which point the Mac climbed to around 10% and most likely a larger share then the Amiga ever enjoyed. All history and all irrelevant.

once again your analogy about software is just wrong.. you are talking form your rectum. period.

studio mx - current on both
photoshop - current on both
office - current on both within a 3 month window.. and many believe the mac version is superior

quicken available on both
quickbooks available on both

mozilla based browsers - available on both
mozilla based email clients eudora mail - current on both

what software are you looking for that is cheaper or not available in current form on the mac?

If you mean there are a lot more titles for windows.. sure.. would i buy more then 1% of them.. unlikely, if even that.

mac hardware is better made.. it is more stable.. she asked about an indestructable notebook that was light and wanted to do basic work with it.. i see no reason to direct her to a 7 lb machine rather then an ibook, which will be easier to use, lighter, better built and more durable.

I am done with this conversation.. you can't argue with the ignorant.

all i can say is my time is divided evenly between os's and in this instance, i think it would be a mistake to get an m6805 and over look a nice ibook.


tallon, you have the right idea... spot on.. and congratsfor being the one to first mention it.. it was a good recommendation.

The bottom line is.. once you take games out of the equation, the mac is a fantastic choice.

To the poster.. do yourself a favour.. hit an apple store or compusa and test drive.. if you have an apple store, sit in on one of their FREE training seminars on OS X. oh yah.. where are the emachines post purchase free classes? i must have missed those when i bought this machine.

Bravo to Tallan for an excellent summation of the whole Mac vs Pc debate. OS X (especially) Panther has to be hands down the best OS I've ever seen. And from a guy who works at a University level, and seen the recent quality of PC laptops(excuse me, notebooks) like Dell, Gateway, etc...you can't compare it to a Ibook, regardless of 12", 14", or 17". The original poster of this topic would more than likely be much better off with an Ibook. Lightweight, durable, and comes out of the box with a kick-butt solution of software.

Don't get me wrong, I'm an AVID M6805 enthusiast, but no one should be flamed for recommending an MAC, especially when it fits the bill the best. Besides, how many of us would have said eMachines suck about 2 months ago? Any rate, off topic yet again...but this debate was killing me (I had a similiar one with someone in the Dept I'm in over MAC/OSX Vs PC/Windows, and then someone else assured me that Internet Explorer was for more Secure than Mozilla Firefox could ever be ...and as much as I wanted to kill that person, blood is such a pain to get out of a carpet)

(Above snipped by tallan.)

Thanks for the kind words. I would never equate quantity with quality in every instance but just for example the software that came with my Apple 14 inch G4 iBook takes up EIGHT restore CDs, plus three more CDs for the OS itself, plus one more for the WorldBook data, compared to the three restore CDs that come with the M680*.

Quantity does NOT equal quality... yet I have never felt the need to "purge" a single stock program from a Mac, whereas MOST of the stuff that came on the eMachine quickly found its way into the Recycle bin.

In a business environment having the iLife suite, for example, would be a big negative - HUGE in fact - as employees would be editing movies, creating songs, sharing photos, and listening to music all the time instead of working. But at home those applications, and their ease of use, are incredibly empowering and useful, not to mention just plain fun.

It's a different world. If I was starting a five-seat business I'd go out and buy 8 HP/Compaq/Dell/whitebox boxes for $499 each - six to use (one would probably be DOA and used for parts) and the other two to replace the machines as they broke from time to time. Home users, students and people interested in the digital lifestyle don't have the same needs... that should be obvious.

Panther is indeed the best OS I've ever seen or used, not incrementally but fundamentally better than the OS X of just 18 months ago, and it's really a shame more people don't give it a serious try.

Well, I guess we've this topic to death . And now it's April 2nd!

Reality check, Macs are too expensive for what you get. Quality? For that much money I better get some serious quality. As for Microsoft dying, uhm, Office is ran on virtually every machine in the entire universe that does business, period. So live in a fantasy world if you want. You guys sound so typical of most Mac enthusiasts. No facts just insults at vastly better, and far more inexpensive PC's. As to which laptop to get, no doubt, the emachines m6805 unless you want to drop an extra $1000.

BTW, I used to like Macs till they went proprietary and eliminated any competition. So did two of my friends. As an opera singer I managed to learn a PC after using a Mac and it is well worth it. Mac will never have my business again, and I know that alot of people agree with me on this who used to be Mac users. Oh and if Microsoft quits supporting the Mac, it will die... As if it weren't dead already...

So keep your classes and Customer Serivce. I'll head over to the Hard Forum or Anandtech, pick up parts and build a machine that will destroy anything a Mac can do in the price range. What can you get for a $1000 for a Mac? Not a whole hell of a lot. Most people don;t want to drop in the neighborhood of $3000 for a computer. And why shouldthey when you can get one that 96% of computer users are using for under $1000?

Bjorn has nailed the head on this one. Too bad bitter Mac enthusiats don't agree. Surprise, surprise...

Also, ironic that Bjorn posts FACTS. And the Mac people post insults calling him ignorant. Bjorn is right. People use PC's. FACT: I owned an Amiga 500 and it was the best machine out there. the first one to multi task too. Where is it now? Gone. Just like Macs will be...

100 more for the mac? the ibook is 200 cheaper , after the emac rebate and bb rebate.. in this instance i really think the original poster would benefit from an ibook..

as far as your saying he is posting facts.. let's start posting sources.. i'll start getting the ones that will prove the mac is gaining marketshare, and remaining profitable with good workable cash.

the mac will not die like the amiga..

the company is run better.. and has much greater 3rd party support

as for your using a mac when they had 3rd party support.. it almost killed the company.. a major part of why the mac is so reliable and good is that they control the hardware and software.. and the integration with both.

That said.. if you are happy with your pc, good for you, I am happy with my 3 pc's and my powerbook.. and my dual 867 mdd

whatever tool can get it done.. but theblind misstatements are what piss me off.