Apple may have shipped 2.5 million Macs in spring thanks to Vista

[Phixion]

Hopefully they will take a hint and lower the price of their stuff.

It's stupidly overpriced at it's current price. They are essentially selling a mid-range spec for a high-range price.

[Cara Veteran]

I love gaming (practically Apple's kryptonite).

I had a funny image of Steve Jobs looking horrified with a glowing green box with some Game on it, looked like Kryptonite...will have to find that now. ;)

Gaming has been Apple's bane for years, hopefully that is going to start turning around, won't happen overnight but we can all hope to see some games coming soon for the Mac platform...and not years old rehashed PC ported crap, we're talking new cutting edge games at the same time as the Consoles/PC. :)

[tsupersonic]

I kind of find it funny, how a Windows user can make fun of a Mac, (s)he gets called a troll. But if a Mac person makes fun of Windows, it's like if nothing happened.

Anyways, good news for Apple, I guess.

[techbeck]

Ok, its true that Apple has components in their PCs that work great with one another. This is because in order to get a Mac, you have ti buy one from Apple (or other reseller) and cannot build one like you can a PC. So components and systems will be more expensive.

As for the cost of building a PC, I built the following system for under 1k

AMD Phenom 9500 Quad Core processor

4gb Corsair RAM

80gb HD (primary)

250gb HD (secondary)

PNY Nvidia Geforce 8800gt

Windows Vista Ultimate

DVD Burner

New case (over $100)

Soundblaster Fatality Xtreme Gamer Pro

1000w Antec PSU

These are the main components and I can always do more and make it better if I want. (sli, bigger HDs, more ram, other components). The thing with building a PC that screws over a lot of people is buying parts that are cheap and not name brand. You pretty much get what you pay for.

The system I had before the one I built was an AMD 3000 64bit and it still works great. I have had this PC for about 4 years with no problems at all. I know what I am doing when I build a PC so I build them to last.

[Martog]

I had a funny image of Steve Jobs looking horrified with a glowing green box with some Game on it, looked like Kryptonite...will have to find that now. ;)

Gaming has been Apple's bane for years, hopefully that is going to start turning around, won't happen overnight but we can all hope to see some games coming soon for the Mac platform...and not years old rehashed PC ported crap, we're talking new cutting edge games at the same time as the Consoles/PC. :)

That's why we have a developer like Blizzard who will hopefully help push that some more, WoW already, SC2 and D3 in the future and will be for Mac as that's how Blizz rolls, needs to be more game developers like them that support more than one OS. They're not the only ones I know, but probably the largest that does aside from id Software which throws in Linux support as well.

[Hurmoth]

Hopefully they will take a hint and lower the price of their stuff.

It's stupidly overpriced at it's current price. They are essentially selling a mid-range spec for a high-range price.

Why change though when they're still outselling themselves? Each quarter we hear that Apple has sold more than projected and their stock only keeps going up. So why change their current pricing model when it works for them?

[Cara Veteran]

Ok, its true that Apple has components in their PCs that work great with one another. This is because in order to get a Mac, you have ti buy one from Apple (or other reseller) and cannot build one like you can a PC. So components and systems will be more expensive.

As for the cost of building a PC, I built the following system for under 1k

AMD Phenom 9500 Quad Core processor

4gb Corsair RAM

80gb HD (primary)

250gb HD (secondary)

PNY Nvidia Geforce 8800gt

Windows Vista Ultimate

DVD Burner

New case (over $100)

Soundblaster Fatality Xtreme Gamer Pro

1000w Antec PSU

These are the main components and I can always do more and make it better if I want. (sli, bigger HDs, more ram, other components). The thing with building a PC that screws over a lot of people is buying parts that are cheap and not name brand. You pretty much get what you pay for.

The system I had before the one I built was an AMD 3000 64bit and it still works great. I have had this PC for about 4 years with no problems at all. I know what I am doing when I build a PC so I build them to last.

First off, you started with AMD which, I'm sorry to say, is not on the same line as Intel... Try rebuilding this configuration again using Intel parts. :)

Additionally, what is it with PC Builders and these power supplies...seriously... Ever heard of being slightly Green? :p

[tsupersonic]

I had a funny image of Steve Jobs looking horrified with a glowing green box with some Game on it, looked like Kryptonite...will have to find that now. ;)

Gaming has been Apple's bane for years, hopefully that is going to start turning around, won't happen overnight but we can all hope to see some games coming soon for the Mac platform...and not years old rehashed PC ported crap, we're talking new cutting edge games at the same time as the Consoles/PC. :)

I can tell you it's not going to be a good gaming platform. You see gamers like to build their own computers, and customize their own parts. Apple locks down their hardware and OS, so it automatically disqualifies for many people as a choice. Also, game developers don't have to make a Mac version of the game. When Mac has like a 7% market share, it's pretty much invisible to gaming developers. Maybe if the Mac OS had a stronger market share, then game developers would make games for Mac.

First off, you started with AMD which, I'm sorry to say, is not on the same line as Intel... Try rebuilding this configuration again using Intel parts. :)

Additionally, what is it with PC Builders and these power supplies...seriously... Ever heard of being slightly Green? :p

What difference does it make? You can make a great Core 2 build for less than a $1000 easily.

You want a PSU that provides enough juice for your computer. You don't need a kilowatt power supply, but you do need an efficient power supply. You can't just look over PSU's. They are very important.

[Cara Veteran]

I can tell you it's not going to be a good gaming platform. You see gamers like to build their own computers, and customize their own parts. Apple locks down their hardware and OS, so it automatically disqualifies for many people as a choice. Also, game developers don't have to make a Mac version of the game. When Mac has like a 7% market share, it's pretty much invisible to gaming developers. Maybe if the Mac OS had a stronger market share, then game developers would make games for Mac.

What difference does it make? You can make a great Core 2 build for less than a $1000 easily.

Didn't realize Blizzard's support for OS X hinted to invisibility... hrm.

As for the AMD/Intel thing, if you are going to compare to an Apple machine you need to use the same quality of components and that means Intel, not AMD. :)

[techbeck]

First off, you started with AMD which, I'm sorry to say, is not on the same line as Intel... Try rebuilding this configuration again using Intel parts. :)

Additionally, what is it with PC Builders and these power supplies...seriously... Ever heard of being slightly Green? :p

Naw, I like AMD and never had a problem with AMD. My AMD runs better than a quad core intel system my work bought from dell with the same specs. But I am not going to get in to a convo of which is better, Intel or AMD. Everyone has their preference

[tsupersonic]

Didn't realize Blizzard's support for OS X hinted to invisibility... hrm.

As for the AMD/Intel thing, if you are going to compare to an Apple machine you need to use the same quality of components and that means Intel, not AMD. :)

That's one game developer. The fact is Windows is the dominant platform for gaming. You can't argue this. Maybe in the future things may change.

Ok, like I said, you can use Intel parts and still build a machine that is cheaper compared to a Mac.

See, this is one thing I hate about Apple. The users get so blind about computers, entirely.

[Hurmoth]

Naw, I like AMD and never had a problem with AMD. My AMD runs better than a quad core intel system my work bought from dell with the same specs. But I am not going to get in to a convo of which is better, Intel or AMD. Everyone has their preference

That isn't the point though. The point Cara is trying to make is the difference between apples and oranges. You cannot buy an Apple system with an AMD processor, but you can an Intel processor. So to accurately compare the two, you need to use Intel.

[Martog]

Naw, I like AMD and never had a problem with AMD. My AMD runs better than a quad core intel system my work bought from dell with the same specs. But I am not going to get in to a convo of which is better, Intel or AMD. Everyone has their preference

And there could be your problem, a prebuilt computer with who knows whats inside in terms of components other than its just a Quad Core, it could be a low end Intel chipset, slower hard drive (I know pc manufactures were still putting 5400RPM drives in for the longest time even though 7200RPM was mainstream). Can't really compare your AMD to a prebuilt from Dell unless everything except the motherboard and processor are the same (and the CPU and motherboard have to be on par with each other, not like using a low end chipset on Intel comparing to high end AMD one). Pretty sure my Intel Q's will be basically the same as your AMD, then again I didn't skimp on components.

[techbeck]

Didn't realize Blizzard's support for OS X hinted to invisibility... hrm.

As for the AMD/Intel thing, if you are going to compare to an Apple machine you need to use the same quality of components and that means Intel, not AMD. :)

AMD is quality...I have had less issues with AMD than I have had with Intel. But again, this isnt a intel/amd debate...:) I can go on and on abut ATI/NVidia...FF/IE....but I wont

[Cara Veteran]

That's one game developer. The fact is Windows is the dominant platform for gaming. You can't argue this. Maybe in the future things may change.

Ok, like I said, you can use Intel parts and still build a machine that is cheaper compared to a Mac.

See, this is one thing I hate about Apple. The users get so blind about computers, entirely.

Without a Doubt, next to consoles traditional PC's are the more popular gaming choice. :)

As for building a cheaper Mac, when comparing against the iMac people tend to forget to include the LCD Screen. ;) Regarding the need for a headless Mac to balance the price argument? AGREE!

Last line...hardly blindly, I think Apple users simply tend to understand the value of their machines. (Sidenote, look at the resale value on Apple equipment versus traditional PC. :))

[Martog]

That's one game developer. The fact is Windows is the dominant platform for gaming. You can't argue this. Maybe in the future things may change.

Ok, like I said, you can use Intel parts and still build a machine that is cheaper compared to a Mac.

See, this is one thing I hate about Apple. The users get so blind about computers, entirely.

And only a developer with the largest MMO subscription based, not to mention how many people will be playing D3 and SC2 when they come out in addition to playing WoW or just playing either or both of those. Blizzard maybe just one developer but they are surely not a small one that a lot of people do not know about.

[techbeck]

And there could be your problem, a prebuilt computer with who knows whats inside in terms of components other than its just a Quad Core, it could be a low end Intel chipset, slower hard drive (I know pc manufactures were still putting 5400RPM drives in for the longest time even though 7200RPM was mainstream). Can't really compare your AMD to a prebuilt from Dell unless everything except the motherboard and processor are the same (and the CPU and motherboard have to be on par with each other, not like using a low end chipset on Intel comparing to high end AMD one). Pretty sure my Intel Q's will be basically the same as your AMD, then again I didn't skimp on components.

Ok, first off I bought the work computer...i speced it out so I know for sure the components are really really really close to my AMD and more works Intel. And speaking of comparing apples to oranges, my intel quad system at work is faster than the new intel g5s we bought.

And I didnt skimp on components. Just because Intel is more expensive than AMD, doesnt make it better.

Hows that? :)

[PGHammer]

No, it's not. OpenOffice, while a good free product, has not put a dent into Office's market share. Go to any large corporation (exception of Apple, of course), nobody uses OpenOffice, nor iWork, nor Word Perfect, etc. Office reigns supreme amongst businesses, and will remain so in the forseeable future.

Why are my ideas twisted? I work for a large coporation, and I know how the management works. MS Office is the king. If they are using it on PC's, and there is a mac verison, of course they are going to use it on their macs. That's common sense. It doesn't matter if there is an alternative. If there is even an inkling of a compatibility mismatch problem, they will avoid using the alternative product at all costs.

Wrong. The "analyst" in this article cannot prove why mac sales are strong this spring. He is going off of the anti-Vista sentiment that is very affluent in the electronic media. That is not scientific. Also, how many of these new mac users are running Vista either fully or partially on these macs? Again, this "analyst"'s claims are just bull****, and he is riding the anti-Vista pony to guarantee himself high ratings.

As good as OO is (I have it installed on both my Linux and Vista partitions), I use OO as a conversion tool (from Word) because I write fanfiction for the Web (and beta and proof more that others write), and several of these sites explicitly support OO, as opposed to Word. So, while I have OO, I still mostly use Word (for all of my own writing, and all of my beta/proofing work). Also, OO has no e-mail component; Office *does* (Entourage for the Mac, and Outlook for Windows). I don't need Exchange support; I do, however, need support for anti-spam filters for POP *and* I need support for GMail/GoogleMail. As good as Evolution is, you can't run Evolution on Windows yet (advantage: Outlook) or the Mac (advantage: Entourage). I didn't even start off as a captured Word user: I started off with Multimate, followed by WordPerfect, and would not even *consider* Word until 1995! (Like a lot of WordPerfect users, I got many a chuckle out of a major bug that plagued Word 5.x for DOS in the early 1990s; however, the laugh was on us when an even nastier bug plagued WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows. Even the 6.0a version was not enough to placate most of us, especially with WinWord having licked most of the earlier compatibility issues with WordPerfect documents; I would, in fact, switch to WinWord 6 in 1995.)

Also, a lot of the uptick in Mac sales can indeed be attributed to *street cred*. Macs often get purchased because they are NOT like everybody else's *PC* (in all too many minds, being different from everybody else is enough), especially in a non-office environment.

[Cara Veteran]

Ok, first off I bought the work computer...i speced it out so I know for sure the components are really really really close to my AMD and more works Intel. And speaking of comparing apples to oranges, my intel quad system at work is faster than the new intel g5s we bought.

Hows that? :)

There is no such thing as an Intel G5.

If you are trying to say your AMD is faster than a Mac Pro (Xeon) system... Um, I doubt that. Xeon is used for Workstations and Servers for a reason, they outclass desktop processor performance.

[Hurmoth]

That's one game developer. The fact is Windows is the dominant platform for gaming. You can't argue this. Maybe in the future things may change.

Ok, like I said, you can use Intel parts and still build a machine that is cheaper compared to a Mac.

See, this is one thing I hate about Apple. The users get so blind about computers, entirely.

This is going a little far out there though. Of course you can make a system cheaper than you can buy a Mac for, you can do that cheaper than Dell. And you can probably buy a cheaper Dell than Mac hardware, but what you can't do is install Mac OS X and it work 100% on that machine. That's the difference here.

If people don't want to use Windows, they have to buy a Mac and there are huge advantages to buying Mac hardware and running OS X on that hardware = it just simply works.

[Martog]

Ok, first off I bought the work computer...i speced it out so I know for sure the components are really really really close to my AMD and more works Intel. And speaking of comparing apples to oranges, my intel quad system at work is faster than the new intel g5s we bought.

Hows that? :)

Does Dell give you a choice of chipset? Last time I checked they did not and were pre-selected for you. Maybe if you bought a prebuilt like an Alienware to where you can spec it out exactly how you want it. Again, you can't really say to dell "I want this specific RAM with this speed and timings, I want this specific chipset, etc etc" you just can't do that with them. It is all pre-selected for you, can choose stuff like amount of RAM, the processor itself, video card, etc, but there are just some things you can't tell them what you want.

And Intel G5, oh you mean a Mac Pro? That's not an Intel G5 btw, don't confuse people who might not know any better because iMac's had G5's as well. And again with Apple, your chipset and RAM is pre-selected for you, though I have to wonder what OS you were testing on, hopefully both were the same Windows as OS X itself is in a different league and my C2D laptop on OS X boots faster than my new C2Q desktop does with Vista. Can't compare my other C2Q because that runs a Server OS which has stuff like SQL and IIS running so its bootup is a bit slower. :)

[techbeck]

There is no such thing as an Intel G5.

If you are trying to say your AMD is faster than a Mac Pro (Xeon) system... Um, I doubt that. Xeon is used for Workstations and Servers for a reason, they outclass desktop processor performance.

My mistake...they used to be called g5s but I get all mixed up some times with all the model names out there these days...

And you cannot really compare a PC/Mac regardless if it is Intel or AMD. You cannot have the exact same hardware in a PC or Mac for comparisons...or software for that matter. Plus how people use the system determines the comparison as well.

[bjoswald]

I don't think it's as black and white as these pundits are making it out to be. It's not just because Vista "sucks." I think people are just finally feeling free enough to look around at the alternatives.

Apple has been around for as long as Microsoft, and despite the familiarity of Windows, people are ready to try something new. We already use our beloved iPod, so why not spend a little extra and try out the whole shebang? I obviously can't speak for everyone, but I've used Windows ever since my first PC, and I, too, get sick of it every now and then. Society is changing, time is precious, and connectivity is more important than ever. Until we no longer have a choice, I think people will always be curious about the "next big thing."

[Cara Veteran]

I don't think it's as black and white as these pundits are making it out to be. It's not just because Vista "sucks." I think people are just finally feeling free enough to look around at the alternatives.

Apple has been around for as long as Microsoft, and despite the familiarity of Windows, people are ready to try something new. We already use our beloved iPod, so why not spend a little extra and try out the whole shebang? I obviously can't speak for everyone, but I've used Windows ever since my first PC, and I, too, get sick of it every now and then. Society is changing, time is precious, and connectivity is more important than ever. Until we no longer have a choice, I think people will always be curious about the "next big thing."

Very good post. (Y) :)

[techbeck]

Does Dell give you a choice of chipset? Last time I checked they did not and were pre-selected for you. Maybe if you bought a prebuilt like an Alienware to where you can spec it out exactly how you want it. Again, you can't really say to dell "I want this specific RAM with this speed and timings, I want this specific chipset, etc etc" you just can't do that with them. It is all pre-selected for you, can choose stuff like amount of RAM, the processor itself, video card, etc, but there are just some things you can't tell them what you want.

And Intel G5, oh you mean a Mac Pro? That's not an Intel G5 btw, don't confuse people who might not know any better because iMac's had G5's as well. And again with Apple, your chipset and RAM is pre-selected for you, though I have to wonder what OS you were testing on, hopefully both were the same Windows as OS X itself is in a different league and my C2D laptop on OS X boots faster than my new C2Q desktop does with Vista. Can't compare my other C2Q because that runs a Server OS which has stuff like SQL and IIS running so its bootup is a bit slower. :)

I got a CORP account with Dell and I can pretty much order whatever I want in a system...including chipset. We by so many Dell systems that we get special treatment.

And I get model numbers mixed up all the time....just like I cannot remember what hte name of the current OSX is..Lyger?...j/k