Mac v Microsoft

Help!
However much I read up I'm still confused about wireless! Please bear with me...

We're planning a RTW trip with our 2 children leaving in September, and top of the equipment list is a decent laptop.
Requirements are:
- good battery life - 4/5 hrs+
- wireless connectivity for internet (built in bluetooth would be good too)
- editing suite for photos,videos etc
- web cam, ideally built in
- capability for homeschooling software.

The Mac book has all the above and weighs only 2.something kilos and so looks like the perfect bit of kit.

So, countries on the route are: India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, OZ, NZ, US, Mexico and Belize.
My question is, will it be compatible around the world? Is internet connectivity specific to one system or the other? If I want to upload stuff to a blog site, is this likely to be a problem? Is there any reasoning for taking a Microsoft PC rather than a Mac?

Thanks in advance for any help!

tm

The Homeschooling software will make the decision for you, unless it is available in both Mac and PC flavours. The wireless access is the same for both and most laptops have wireless built in today unless they are off brands and very cheap.

If the kids are very young get something rugged, not one of the super light weight systems or the first time it gets knocked around you won’t have anything.

If looking at PC look at the little Panasonic Toughbook it is the exception to the rule that small and light is not very tough. The new MacBooks look pretty good and Apple computers are pretty reliable.

OP, the Internet is cross-platform. For basic access, it doesn't matter whether you use Windows or Mac OS X. The difference lies in ease of use and Internet security, that is, freedom from viruses and relative protection against hacks. For that security built in, you need a Mac. MacBooks are said to be more rugged, although not as powerful than MacBook Pros. Al Mac laptops now have built in web cams, and, I think, Bluetooth. (Why do you need Bluetooth? Just curious.)
iMovie for editing movies (I don't need it, so I deleted mine.); iPhoto for editing photos (nice, but for various reasons, I prefer GraphicConverter, $35 from LemkeSoft.com)
By the way, the Apple Safari Browser does not support the full set of features of Blogger for Blogspot.com, so I use FireFox (Mac) to do that. It's free.

I do not get anywhere near 4 hours of battery life from my 2004-era Mac PowerBook. In fact, it's more like 1.5 hrs at best. You need a power adaptor cord (comes included) and need to use it.

All true, so choose on price/features. My wife works running computer systems in a law firm. FWIW-on the PC side-IBM (now Lenovo) has significantly lower repair rates than anything else.

Ed

Dont follow the Apple hype. Get a computer that any kid in Pakistan can repair.

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<hr>The Mac book has all the above and weighs only 2.something kilos and so looks like the perfect bit of kit.<hr></blockquote>

Macs are in any way superior to PC's, but it is a hassle attempting to connect a Mac to a PC-network.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>All true, so choose on price/features.<hr></blockquote>

Whichever you choose, don't forget that it is important to get accustomed with your computer (Mac or PC) before you embark on your world trip.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Don't follow the Apple hype. Get a computer that any kid in Pakistan can repair.<hr></blockquote>

All Windows-platforms are inherently unstable. Chances are Windows will let you down sooner than Mac. Buy a proper bag to carry your laptop in. Since you're going to the tropics, you may want to consider sticking your laptop in a waterproof bag. Just in case.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>it is a hassle attempting to connect a Mac to a PC-network.<hr></blockquote>
Pretty easy these days unless the network configuration is quite strange.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Get a computer that any kid in Pakistan can repair.<hr></blockquote>
That kid will leave you with a Windows PC full of viruses and spyware. Better to get a computer that doesn't need to be repaired in the first place.

Do you want something smaller/lighter than a Macbook? In which case, you need a PC. There are PC's under half the size/weight out there.

I suggest you try the Mac before you buy, and remember - if you want to use Windows because you can't find an Mac compatible product, you'll end up paying for that as well - the price of Windows is (obviously) included with a Windows laptop, but not with Apple.

A properly set-up Windows machine is stable and reliable - and I've never had a virus attack in the nearly 15 years I've been using Windows either. YMMV.

Most surveys seem to imply that the Apple laptops have a lower hardware reliability than PC on average - this is from a staunchly pro-Apple site, and they think that a rather alarming 41% of all Apple laptops have needed repair.

Despite what the zealots tell you, Apple isn't without problems. Good luck, whatever you choose!

Agree with Lan, and I own two macs and three pcs.
I laugh when Apple fans tell stories about how great the equipment is.
Their expensive two year warranty covered replacing the hard drive three times and "Apple took care of it!"
Designed in Sunnyvale, built in Shanghai.
iPaidmore

On the 30 macs in our company, the most frequent failures were

1. hard disk failure (we did not ever have hard disk failures on any of the 200 PCs despite the larger number)
2. users opening a corrupt document, and messing up all the fonts
3. users "accidentally" deleting important work without having moved it to a network folder where it would have been backed up

BTW I was always amazed at how fast the graphics programs would run on the macs... you can't beat specialized hardware... but for general use, I would go for PC based because of the lower price, more software and greater flexibility.