Mac's - are they overpriced?

[Richard Hammond]

It can?

[Ci7]

What do you mean? A legal hackintosh system should be able to update it through software update.

but there arent legal hackintosh to begin with hence the name

[Richard Hammond]

but there arent legal hackintosh to begin with hence the name

There are, its not illegal to install OSX on a non apple machine its just against the Eula, the worst that will happen is that Apple will offer you no support.

[giga Veteran]

It can?

Yes, it's called a vanilla install.

[Erland]

I view Apple products in the same light as Bose or B&O. You can get other brands that do the same tasks, but you are paying a premium over these others for the asthetics. If you enjoy whatever product you've bought and at that price then it's not overpriced. You can't really put a price on that factor, because I get just as much out of my ?600 PC than I probably would out of a ?1,300 Macintosh.

[Phantom Limb]

The only thing I've really seen defend the price on this thread is OS and the software. I'd make the argument that free programs such as Paint.NET fills in the gaps for programs.

But an extra $1000 for an OS? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a Mac. I do like OSX and I do like the look and feel, but do I like it enough to pay $1000+ over Windows laptop? No.

[CelticWhisper]

Well, as a user of some pre-built x86 boxes, some homemade x86 boxes, and 2 Power Mac towers (i.e. not the "fashion statement" Macs as some refer to the iMac, etc.), here's my take on the issue:

There is no debating that Macs are more expensive than their x86 (I use PPC Macs, so I never quite shook that dichotomy)/non-Apple counterparts. This is an objective fact; prices can be researched and will show this.

Overpriced, however, is a subjective condition. It comes down to an issue of value, and value varies from user to user. I'm not talking about the "entire package" fuzzy-logic that some Mac-heads use. I'm talking about the process of assessing the worth of a purchase and comparing it to the monetary outlay involved. To me, the value I receive from my Macs in terms of functionality, speed, versatility, etc. is sufficient to justify the expenditure of $2300 and $3400 for my G4 and G5, respectively. Not everyone will find this to be true. Certainly a user who wants to send and receive E-mail, browse the Web, and watch some movies will not see the same value in dropping 3 and a half grand on twin dual-core PPC970s. However, a Mac Mini may be quite reasonable for them due to its extremely low space requirement and quiet operation. They certainly would not see it as "overpriced," whereas I see $600 as a bit steep for what it offers. Not prohibitively steep if I have the cash on hand, but I'd sooner save up for something else (like a nice Subaru Legacy before they may-or-may-not implement that hideous 2010 box-car redesign).

So it comes down to value. "Expensive" is a matter of numbers. "Overpriced" is a matter of numbers versus value received. I think, to a lot of hardware geeks, Macs are overpriced due to their specializations being geared toward certain software applications and the relative lesser ability to tinker with their innards. This is reasonable - people who like to mess with computer hardware, to tweak and overclock and optimize and upgrade, should go for those systems which fully enable them to do what they like most. To me, the value I get out of my Macs in video editing, UNIX tools, and other such fun things justifies the monetary expenditure and thus renders them "not overpriced."

In a nutshell, YMMV.

[Brian M. Veteran]

IMO, you're not just buying a computer - you're buying the whole Apple experience. And IMO they're not *that* expensive for what you get - I just came from an Apple store with this:

Macbook- ?816 (student discount)

iPod Nano- Free after rebate

Printer- Free after rebate

And let's face it, you'll struggle to get a Dell with similar specs and build quality (i.e. DDR3, plus other stuff like the multitouch trackpad which others don't actually use), an 8GB MP3/4 player, and a printer for just over ?800.

And as for Apple's service - I just brought my Macbook home and it has a very faint manufacturing mark on the lid (about 3 cm in size, looks like a scratch without being a scratch). I phoned them up, and within 2 minutes they told me to return it to the store and they'll swap it out - I'd like to see another company that would do that for a cosmetic issue.

[PyX]

@ bmaher : How did you get that free iPod nano?

I see no such thing in the UK store. (apple.com/uk ...) And maybe I could get it in Canada :p

Edit : Finally found http://www.apple.com/ca/promo/ and it only applies to Europe, we've had these during the summer. That would have been an awesome deal for me otherwise, to just buy a MB and sell my free nano.

The only thing I've really seen defend the price on this thread is OS and the software.

You skipped a couple of messages then... right? Including mine...

[Richard Hammond]

Tired of hearing about "the apple experience" and "it just works", quantify it.

[Cadium]

IMO, you're not just buying a computer - you're buying the whole Apple experience. And IMO they're not *that* expensive for what you get - I just came from an Apple store with this:

Macbook- ?816 (student discount)

iPod Nano- Free after rebate

Printer- Free after rebate

And let's face it, you'll struggle to get a Dell with similar specs and build quality (i.e. DDR3, plus other stuff like the multitouch trackpad which others don't actually use), an 8GB MP3/4 player, and a printer for just over ?800.

And as for Apple's service - I just brought my Macbook home and it has a very faint manufacturing mark on the lid (about 3 cm in size, looks like a scratch without being a scratch). I phoned them up, and within 2 minutes they told me to return it to the store and they'll swap it out - I'd like to see another company that would do that for a cosmetic issue.

Yes, but what do you get in terms of warranty? A standard one year hardware warranty, or AppleCare with 2 extra years of hardware warranty. In Canada (and primarily Nova Scotia), there's no sort of mail-in service without having to drive 2 1/2 hours into the city to visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider and I have found that AppleCare technical support in Canada to be mostly useless.

Dell offers CompleteCare accidental damage up to 4 years with on-site next business day service, so if you were to accidentally knock a cup of coffee on your laptop, you're covered. Not sure how the Apple service is in the UK or the USA but here in Canada I find it lacking.

[shakey_snake]

Macs are not overpriced as much as they are overvalued.

Apple Marketing does a great job of convincing people that they need a bunch of features they will probably never use.

Who is seriously ever going to need to use use 4 figure gestures? Who trips over their power cord enough to justify the extra expense of the "mag safe" power cord. What happens if you trip over the ethernet cord instead. :p

Who really need to have their screen flush with the bezel? Who drops their laptop enough to need a body constructed from a solid block of aluminum and some extra accelerometers?

They pass this off as either "style" or "innovation" or "the apple experience".

Apple computers are a luxury item. It's really not any difference than any other luxury market sector.

Look at cars. Cars devalue as soon as you drive them off the lot. Computers devalue as soon as you buy them.

Cars continue to devalue the longer you have them. Computers devalue the longer you have them, and probably even faster.

Is there really any point in spending twice as much for a European import as there is for paying for a comparable asian import? Is there really any point in paying the "mac tax" when you could by a comparable computer for much less?

My guess it that no matter who you are, the answer to both of those questions are going to be the same.

It's a matter of mentality.

[Cadium]

Who drops their laptop enough to need a body constructed from a solid block of aluminum and some extra accelerometers?

The MacBook Pro (previous generation) dents quite easily if dropped or banged up against a hard object.

[shakey_snake]

All the more reason to use plastics then. :p

[crazzyyfool]

Plastics crack, shatter and colour fade.

[Cadium]

Plastics crack, shatter and colour fade.

And aluminum pits and dents. Can't win. :p

[Ci7]

Who is seriously ever going to need to use use 4 figure gestures? Who trips over their power cord enough to justify the extra expense of the "mag safe" power cord. What happens if you trip over the ethernet cord instead. :p

well , they will just make ethersafe and charge 1000$ for being innovate ,and making something that nobody will need :p

[acido00]

[-Hiroshi-]

Yes, Macs are overpriced, but feature a better OS, better tech support at a cost, but outlasts most extended warranties. I'm not a fan of Apple's business prac..ok I'm not a fan of Apple in general, but their OS is top-notch.

[shakey_snake]

And aluminum pits and dents. Can't win. :p

.

:p

[PyX]

Tired of hearing about "the apple experience" and "it just works", quantify it.

An Apple Experience is 2.34x better than a PC Experience.

It "just works" 4.93x more than a PC.

Here, I quantified everything you asked for. :rolleyes:

...

How do you think we can quantify something like that... lol

[Richard Hammond]

Well until you Mac owners can, stop using it as an answer to everything. "the apple experience" and "it just works" arent worth $1000 more.

[Ci7]

Yes, Macs are overpriced, but feature a better OS, better tech support at a cost, but outlasts most extended warranties. I'm not a fan of Apple's business prac..ok I'm not a fan of Apple in general, but their OS is top-notch.

cause nobody gonna sue them , they have tiny marketshare

everyone is after windows any new feature in windows = monopoly = easy money to get / sue them = MS get charged some billion dollar by DOJ/EU/china/etc

[BinaryFragger]

If I was in the market for a new laptop, I would consider buying from Apple, as their build quality is superior.

But for desktops, I find I get more bang-for-the-buck with a custom PC. My new system (E8400, 3GB RAM, 1TB HD103UJ) barely cost more than a Mac Mini. Its plain black case is lacking in aesthetics, but I was going for a good performance/dollar ratio.

[-Hiroshi-]

cause nobody gonna sue them , they have tiny marketshare

everyone is after windows any new feature in windows = monopoly = easy money to get / sue them = MS get charged some billion dollar by DOJ/EU/china/etc

Pretty much.