¶ … Personal Computers: iMac, Inspiron (Dell), and Samsung Refurbished Notebook

What is the best deal on the market for a laptop computer?

A company wishes to purchase laptops for its employees and so research is needed in order to locate a good, proven laptop that can perform all the functions that users need and prefer. When looking at the available selections in the market, a researcher can become confused with the myriad applications, software, styles, amount of memory, and other features. If money is not object, then the iMac might well be the most appropriate laptop, but if this is to be a choice that is based on economy, the iMac won't be the right choice.

The market for laptop computers is exploding with choices and prices. There are more styles and models on the market than ever before. As to which one of the available computers that are being researched -- an Apple brand iMac, a Dell Inspiron, or a Samsung refurbished Notebook -- this paper will present the details for each computer and use a compare and contrast strategy to come up with the best possible technology for the company's employees. Thesis: If it is true that you get what you pay for, and the company is on a tight budget, the DELL in this review would be the best investment because the Samsung is cheap and the iMac -- albeit it is an extraordinarily advanced and worth every dime -- it costs nearly twice what the DELL costs.

Prior to delving into the three computer models that are part of this research, it is interesting and helpful to read reviews from publications like Consumer Reports and PC Magazine -- respected technology experts -- that rate laptops. PC Magazine presents its top ten laptops (the top 3 will be presented here): a) Dell XPS 13; b) Sony VAIO VPC-SE23FX/S; c) Acer Aspire...

Consumer Reports rates the Apple iMac (MC813LL/A) the best for "all-in-one" abilities; the MSI AE2420 was ranked second for "all-in-one" performance; and the Apple iMac (MC510LL/A) was ranked 3rd by Consumer Reports. The next four (4, 5, 6) are all iMacs as well. In the Compact category Gateway was top-ranked, HP Pavilion Slimline was 2nd and the HP Pavilion was third. In the laptop / net book category, Consumer Reports ranks the Asus Exec PC first; the Acer Aspire 2nd and the Toshiba Mini third (these are small laptops intended for DVDs, videos, and speed).
The technology publication C-NET ranked the Apple MacBook Pro-as the top laptop for all around performance; number 2 was the MacBook Air and number 3 was HP Folio 13. The computer review publication, TopTenReviews lists the HP Pavilion dm4x as number one; the Dell XPS 15z as number two; and the Apple MacBook Air as the third best computer on the market for all-around multiple usage.

Samsung, iMac, and DELL

The Samsung is the lowest priced of the three reviewed in this paper; at $399.99, it is a bargain, albeit this is a "refurbished" product. Tiger Direct sells many refurbished products and backs them up with a warrantee for 3 months (parts and labor). The Samsung RV520-W01US has an Intel Core ( i3, 2.1 GHz), 4GB (DDR3) and its hard drive has 320 GB available. It has a 15.6" display, has Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit operating system installed. It has 3 USB ports, 1 LAN port, an "out" jack for headphones and a microphone jack. The computer weighs 5.29 pounds. The battery has an estimated 1-3 hours of use once the machine is unplugged (Tiger Direct). It is a workable, adequate machine for basic computer use, research, email, videos, etc.

Compared with the Apple iMac, the Samsung is left behind in the dust. Of course the iBook is far more expensive ($1,199) but it is clearly worth the extra money if the user wants to avoid the viruses that plague PCs. Windows-based computers are susceptible to viruses, and Macs are not. The iMac has 4 USB ports, it links to iCloud (storage for all files), it features Intel Core i5 (the Samsung has i3) and Turbo Boost amps up the speed automatically when applications need it. The iMac screen is 21.5 inches with 4GB…