Mac's - are they overpriced?

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

Alright alright.. my mistake! Calm down!

[se7en.hu]

Well, I know about OSx86. While it works for some people, if it doesn't work for me, I certainly haven't got the time to fool around with it. :/

[LTD]

I will tell you one thing Mac users fail at. It's for shopping around for the best price. Anyone who knows Dell, knows that they are notorious for their coupons. Mac fanboys have gotten used to getting ripped off on Apple products when in reality, there are better products for any equivalent Apple product. It's a price they're willing to pay to stay "trendy." If only they would stop sucking Job's dick...

Are Mac's overpriced? Diehard mac fanboi's will tell you no, but in reality, they are.

Oh, and guess what? Gateway from Bestbuy is much cheaper, and look at the specs on the Gateway... It would rape that MBP because it has a nice processor, same memory, faster hard drive, better graphics card. Most importantly, it's much cheaper, more than a $1k difference, and it's from a retail outlet, Best Buy, which if you shop around, you can probably get the same laptop for less.

I hate when Mac fanboi's compare a Dell laptop but don't use a coupon or shop around for better laptops online.

LOL @ coupons.

When I shop for a Mac, I shop around for the best priced Mac, not a cheaper PC. Please.

You just don't get it . . .

In any case, sure, let's continue to debate this. But let's leave the lowbrow stuff out. No one here is sucking anything, lol.

Some think Macs are overpriced, others don't. Fair enough. Seems we base our decisions on a variety of yardsticks by which we measure value, and sometimes, for some people, they're mutually exclusive.

Apple has their own demographic, their own market segment that keeps it healthy. And it's growing. Trendy or not, this "trend" has been going on for quite some time now, despite other offerings on the market. Make of that what you will.

Edited October 18, 2008 by LTD

[Scirwode]

When I shop for a Mac, I shop around for the best priced Mac, not a cheaper PC. Please.

But that's because you're shopping around for a Mac :p .

As far as coupons go, I think it's a good thing for us as it does give us much more freedom in choosing what we really need. I wish Macs had coupons as well so I get it when they're offering it for a good price :laugh: !

Scirwode

[LTD]

But that's because you're shopping around for a Mac :p .

As far as coupons go, I think it's a good thing for us as it does give us much more freedom in choosing what we really need. I wish Macs had coupons as well so I get it when they're offering it for a good price :laugh: !

Scirwode

There are certain discounts, but I think they're limited to education.

In any case, I'll be saving some money by getting a previous gen (Feb 2008, I think) MBP.

[Scirwode]

There are certain discounts, but I think they're limited to education.

In any case, I'll be saving some money by getting a previous gen (Feb 2008, I think) MBP.

Which is why I'm frustrated with Apple as in Malaysia they do not offer this sort of thing when I was studying :cry: . Now that I am working, what with bills to pay and expenses for travelling and all, it's too much for me just to buy an entry level MacBook. Besides, Apple service here is really bad as my father's Mac Mini took ages to repair and they were really rude when they were dealing with us.

Right now, I'm saving up to get a dv5t, as that is the one notebook that I find very complete, with a good graphic card, a wide range of ports, e-SATA/USB combo port, an ExpressCard 54 and a higher resolution screen. I just wish Apple would put all of those into the new MacBook Pro instead of trying for too much for a minimalistic design. It only has a Express Card 34 slot for goodness sake! HP service here in Malaysia is top notch as when they found I had a problem with previous notebook, they replaced it with a better model so I have no complaints from them.

That said, I do like how Apple is going ahead in developing Environmentally friendly products, but I would have thought using recyclable products would have made it much cheaper instead of the current price. Or maybe they're just being greedy and trying to justify the cost of research that went into the new production method by passing it on to the consumers? Because until the consumers question what Apple is doing right now, they have the upper hand.

Scirwode

[giga Veteran]

Mac OS X is absolutely not a perfect UNIX OS. No OS will ever be perfect, and even Unix has its flaws by design.

I will say this, though... I was considering for the past few months switching back to the PC platform. But then, I found myself running on the Mac platform full-time again, and now I'm back, so to say. In other words, there was too much that I missed on the Mac platform for me to leave it. That's not to say the PC alternatives are bad, they are not bad at all. It's just that again, it's a personal preference. After using Windows for years, I switched to Mac OS X and liked what I saw, at least for a year. Then I tried switching between both equally for the past six months or so but now I'm back full time to using the Mac.

What did you miss?

[Eric Veteran]

It'd be nice if people who simply say that they're overpriced at least justify or explain why they think so..

They are overpriced because they charge more for the same hardware you can get for a Windows PC. That makes them a poor value in my book. I'm not paying twice as much for my hardware just so I can run OSX on it. They use the same hardware I bought, same brands.... Intel, Nvidia, etc... The artifical 'closed loop' business model just doesn't do it for me. If you like Macs and you want to pay what they're charging for them that's fine with me...

[BoJo]

To be honest, I don't think either side is going to "win" this debate...

Look at the figures, make up your own mind about it. I know that I'll still carry on buying apple products, because they are genuinely easier to use, last longer, and, basically, just work (sorry for the clich?:pp).

[TitanTiger]

Regarding comparing Dell's but not using coupons, most Mac users also know how to find great deals on Macs, whether it's paying attention to the Apple Refurb Store, Amazon rebates, specials at MacMall or things you can find on DealMac or even eBay. I got my current iMac, new in the box, on eBay and saved $400. It's not like Mac folks have to pay full price while Dell and others give these awesome discounts. I could get a 24" iMac on Apple.com right now for $1299. That's $500 off the regular price.

[Stetson]

At dell.com I just customized an XPS M1330:

2.0 Ghz Core2Duo (only 800mhz FSB, but close enough)

3GB shared DDR2 667mhz

Vista Home Premium

LED Backlit Display + Webcam

CD/DVD burner

NVidia 8400M GS

Wireless N card

Bluetooth 2.0 EDR

+ the battery option that was required when selecting the NVidia card.

The price? $1,298.

Some Macs may be overpriced (The Mini is for sure), but the Macbook seems to be right on target.

I guess you guys can continue to nitpick about the $1 Apple Tax though :rolleyes:

[Titoist]

Yes macs are overpriced, but they are beautiful, especially the Macbook Pro not so much the iMac. OSX also looks awesome on the Macbook Pro and so does Vista. Also, for some weird reason, the screen on the macs makes it easier for me to read.. like its more crisp and clear. However, I am a price oriented guy who would prefer less money and more power instead of design and looks.

[tsupersonic]

And I hate when self important tech smart-asses think that joe sixpack is going to be out Googling and searching online for discount vouchers when he comes to buy himself a new computer. It's only geeks like us that know about vouchers, discount codes, etc. People like my parents would just turn up at a store and buy something of face value as that's just how their generation works. So we're in the minority and don't represent the majority.

Yet again, you Mac people fail at the internet. Jesus christ, do you people not know there are sites which deals are posted so that you don't have to hunt down coupons? There are sites like slickdeals, fatwallet, etc? You have a browser called Safari, and google, it takes literally less than 5 seconds to find a good deal on a PC. As the economy gets worse and worse, people are trying to get the best out of their money. Sites like Slickdeals, fatwallet and others are getting an increase in traffic, and this includes the average consumer. The point is you can have the PC for less, and that's ultimately the bottom line. If someone just walks into a retail outlet like bestbuy and buys a computer, it's their fault for not doing price shopping.

Ugh - OSX vs Windows (and PS3 vs Xbox) are just worse than politics. Who'd have through people could have such strongly differing opinions on even the smallest things.

:laugh:

[Cormier6083]

If someone just walks into a retail outlet like bestbuy and buys a computer, it's their fault for not doing price shopping.

My aunt bought a very expensive Dell once, but she never complained. I don't see how it's her fault for liking her computer?

[Damian]

At dell.com I just customized an XPS M1330:

2.0 Ghz Core2Duo (only 800mhz FSB, but close enough)

3GB shared DDR2 667mhz

Vista Home Premium

LED Backlit Display + Webcam

CD/DVD burner

NVidia 8400M GS

Wireless N card

Bluetooth 2.0 EDR

+ the battery option that was required when selecting the NVidia card.

The price? $1,298.

Some Macs may be overpriced (The Mini is for sure), but the Macbook seems to be right on target.

I guess you guys can continue to nitpick about the $1 Apple Tax though :rolleyes:

You forgot to add Vista Ultimate :)

total: $1438

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

Yet again, you Mac people fail at the internet. Jesus christ, do you people not know there are sites which deals are posted so that you don't have to hunt down coupons?

Um - I was not referring to myself, nor was I referring to Mac people in general. As I said, I was referring to Joe Schmoe (or to be all current, Joe the Plumber) who just comes in off the street looking for a computer. I know about voucher sites FFS. I'm not some techie newbie - I work in I.T. for christs sake. I was trying to put the discussion in the context of the MAJORITY of people who buy computers - not the nerds.

[Skulltrail-old]

I'm exceptionally suprised that Apple has not even cared about the economic crisis the United States (as well as the rest of the world) by dropping prices. I say this because most people today are looking for the cheapest products. What are they going to choose? A $1K(+) Macbook or a $800(-) Windows Vista-based computer?

That's really the only dilemma with Apple at the moment. If it weren't for the economic crisis, their computers would be priced about right.

^^IMO.

[Stetson]

I'm exceptionally suprised that Apple has not even cared about the economic crisis the United States (as well as the rest of the world) by dropping prices. I say this because most people today are looking for the cheapest products. What are they going to choose? A $1K(+) Macbook or a $800(-) Windows Vista-based computer?

That's really the only dilemma with Apple at the moment. If it weren't for the economic crisis, their computers would be priced about right.

^^IMO.

Well, that's why they kept the last-gen Macbook for $999. I think that really should have been about $799 or even less though.

[DrCheese]

They might not be overpriced in the US, but damn they are here in the UK. ?949($1,641) for the new macbook? Likewise with the macbook pro @ ?1299($2246)

The imac's are the same. ?799($1381) for the cheapest 20inch model, ?1,149($1987) for the cheapest 24inch model.

Don't get me wrong, the machines are lovely but it's a lot to pay for what is really just the design and macosx.

[TitanTiger]

Well, design, OS X and import tariffs. That's a fat part of the price too in the UK.

[sn00pie]

Well, that's why they kept the last-gen Macbook for $999. I think that really should have been about $799 or even less though.

I completely agree with you on that. It's clear that Apple new that the new Macbook was going to be expensive and out of the reach from alot of the market they are going after, so they kept the older model for a reasonable price. Your not going get a Apple quality product for $599, but I still don't think $999 is the right price tag for that notebook.

If Apple did not keep the white plastic model the consumer would have no choice if they wanted a Apple laptop. With the $999 notebook there is an option for someone who wants a Mac but isn't willing to pay the premium $1299 just to get their foot in the door of Apple.

If Apple had priced it around $749 or even $799 the 'new' plastic model would sell like hot-cakes. :)

[kyro]

people need to SHUT THE HELL UP comparing hardware prices now and argue about price differences, there is no point in that, its totally clear hardware wise Mac is priced Higher for same hardware when it comes to PC. so STOP TALKING ABOUT HARDWARE.

go read http://gizmodo.com/5065133/the-truth-about-the-apple-tax if you want more interesting titbits . its as if gizmodo was reading this thread and put up a article.

[Stetson]

Where is it "CLEAR"? I give you that some Apple hardware is somewhat overpriced, but as I showed with my feature for feature comparison some products are spot on with their Dell/HP/X Brand equivalents. I've seen some of Gizmodo's comparisons, and they often conveniently forget to check off options like LED displays. The current Macbooks seem to be pretty well priced, but I think that they do overcharge mostly for the 'Pro' items. These days a quad core desktop with a full size graphics card shouldn't be priced much more than $1000.

[M4nB3arP1g]

For me Mac's are over priced because what I do with a computer Windows suits me fine. I like to mess with hardware and the OS and I also game, so if I used OS X it would actually cause me to lose some of the things I do on my PC (mainly gaming) and I will never understand this so called "Apple experience" being a Windows user all my live. For the price I paid for my Windows computer I never could have got an equal Mac. Really to me it all comes down to what you like, if you like Mac then you wont consider them expensive for what you get and if you don't like them then you probably think they are expensive.

[LTD]

In the article/blog, the author's "evidence" is prefaced by the following:

It's what you really get for what you pay.

Actually, it isn't. It's what you get materially , purely in terms of parts and physical features.

Which tells only half the story.

Like many, he just doesn't get it either.

EDIT ---------

Just noticed this:

http://gizmodo.com/5063492/macbook-and-mac...pro-dual-review

All in all a very positive review, from the same site. Oh well, I guess not everyone is into toeing the line around there. ;)

Edited October 19, 2008 by LTD