The Consumers Apple Computer Buying Guide

Laptops are small sized portable computers that can sit on someone's lap. Since you place the computer on top of your lap, the term laptop has been coined. Often, Apple laptops my go under the name of notebooks due to its size and to a lesser extent its functions. These portable computers serve the same purpose of regular computers but they are convenient to carry around and travel with. In the case of Apple made laptops, they are referred to as iBooks or simply the MacBooks. The Mac is short for Macintosh, which is Apple's brand name for their computers.

Apple computers can vary drastically from other laptops on the market. One of the primary differences is that they come equipped with Apple operating systems instead of Microsoft based operating systems. However, the ability to run other operating systems on Apple laptops can be done. If your laptop comes with Mac OS X Leopard and you are used to using Windows XP, this can require some knowledge of Mac products. This in itself isn't a problem but trying to find computer software that's compatible with Apple may be. Nevertheless, graphic design artist and musicians often prefer Apple based laptops over competitors. This is because Apple clearly has the upper hand in several key points of computer technology. Over the last couple of years, students have left their standard laptop models and have switched to Apple in large numbers. Here are some popular Apple laptops detailing some of there many features.

Apple iBook G3
integrated ethernet/Apple G3 800MHz processor/256 MB of RAM/Mac OS 10 pre-installed/30 GB hard drive/56K modem/airport wireless card/Cdrom drive ready to access media/12.1-inch TFT LCD

Apple Powerbook G4
60GB Ultra ATA 100 hard driveAirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth/DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support/Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive/two USB 2.0 ports and FireWire 400/256MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM

Prices for Apple laptops are consistent with other brands that are out. Prices can range from a little over one thousand dollars all the way up to three thousand dollars for new Apple laptops. It's roughly the same for other models as well. Below are other models out that can be customized to your liking by interchanging parts.

Other Apple laptop models
Apple MacBook Air
Apple MacBook
Apple MacBook Pro
Apple iBook G4

Apple laptops parts
OEM Batteries/Hard Drive Caddies/Internal Drives/CPU's/Circuit Boards/Keyboards/Cooling Fans/Miscellaneous Items/Inverters/OEM AC Adapters/DC Power Jacks/OEM Memory/Cables/Hard Drive Adapters/LCD Displays/Plastic Case

Not all laptop parts will work with Apple computers. Research should be done beforehand to determine if problems that may arise can be fixed in your area. This is because not all computer technicians are familiar with Apple products since Microsoft based computers dominate the market. Finding parts and people to install them may be very limited.

Conclusion
Ultimately what it all comes down to is your own personal taste. All laptops work primarily the same and have the same parts but things such as speed, weight and look are often the main areas laptop buyers look into when trying to decide on a laptop. Price and feature wise, Apple laptops are well worth the price. However, as I mentioned earlier, Microsoft, Windows users will need to prepare to get acquainted with the Apple based applications before they make the switch.