Mac's - are they overpriced?

[BoJo]

Here are two simple & great looking laptops not from Apple:

Sony Vaio FW

Dell XPS m1530

It's good to see other companies besides Apple giving some attention to the looks.

I laughed when people were going "OMG Sony copied Apple's keyboard!" when it was the other way around!

Apple's design is nice as well :)

Well... It's good that windows manufacturers are trying to put some effort in, but I think it's more than just a curved screen. It's about the quality (and no, I can't quantify this, because it's a qualitative measurement...) of MacBook when you've got it in your hands. It's also about the little things that they've thought of, etc.

Flame on...

[Cormier6083]

dismantle an apple then dismantle a PC... compare...? same parts? yep so why is the apple 2000 and the equal pc 500?

I'd like to see a $500 dollar PC that equate to a $2,000 Mac.

:shiftyninja:

Challenge!

Edited October 18, 2008 by Cormier6083

[BoJo]

This was what I was referring to above...

Just spec'd it up. If it has the blu-ray and the 1920 screen then it works out at ~$2000. This also comes with DDR2-800 memory (the MBP has DDR3-1066) and a 256Mb ATI 3450 (the MBP has a 9600M with 512Mb). The MBP also has an 85WHr battery. So the specs aren't the same and the price difference isn't as much as you said it was. Hmmm...

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[Tech Star]

innovation my a$$, over priced.

Even with the "high grade manufacturing process and parts" apple still makes a hefty profit on each unit. That's the only way they can get away with selling these things for 2k imo.

The Apple even has some more features than that.

Who's is really cheaper? $1000 more arse, lets say almost $300 more for less ram, no DDR3, etc.

[1759]

The Apple even has some more features than that.

Who's is really cheaper? $1000 more arse, lets say almost $300 more for less ram, no DDR3, etc.

But the Dell also has Office 2007, Adobe Acrobat (somewhat reduced as you can print many things in OSX to a PDF, but if you want to edit a PDF...) a much higher res screen (1920x1200 vs 1440x900), a faster 7200 RPM HD, a 512 MB Quadro workstation gfx card, and an extended 3yr warranty.

Neither laptop will do games all that well, so that's largely a wash.

When you add iWork 08 and APP, it's brings that MPB upto $2,927. But iWork 08 still doesn't match Office in most features, but the version of Office for the Mac sucks to begin with, but Pages isn't too bad.

[Cormier6083]

People also forget longevity. I still have an iMac G3 Bondi Blue that still fairly functions. I never had a computer that lasted more than four years. And my iMac must be at least 11 years old.

[LTD]

Funny that when I bought my iMac, I did no dollar for dollar parts comparisons with PCs. At all.

Most Mac users don't, or if they do, it seems to be far more cursory compared to the average tech consumer.

I think we regard "computing" from a somewhat different perspective.

[Tech Star]

But the Dell also has Office 2007, Adobe Acrobat (somewhat reduced as you can print many things in OSX to a PDF, but if you want to edit a PDF...) a much higher res screen (1920x1200 vs 1440x900), a faster 7200 RPM HD, a 512 MB Quadro workstation gfx card, and an extended 3yr warranty.

Neither laptop will do games all that well, so that's largely a wash.

When you add iWork 08 and APP, it's brings that MPB upto $2,927. But iWork 08 still doesn't match Office in most features, but the version of Office for the Mac sucks to begin with, but Pages isn't too bad.

It comes with iLife. The Mac comes with 4GB DDR3 memory, the Dell comes with 2GB DDR2, etc.

[kyro]

ok, i wanted to tell you all a little secret. Apple OSX is the "Perfect Linux Desktop" everyone is looking for in linuxland :D .

I can do all fun linux admin things , enjoy bash perl awk command line activity in terminals :)

Its fun!

[WigglesTheFish]

I personally think Mac is worth every penny I paid for it. I traded my custom built desktop (which was a gaming powerhouse) for this little Macbook, I am so totally pleased with my decision. (For comparison sake, they both were about the same price).

[se7en.hu]

dont you mean, perfect UNIX desktop :)

[kyro]

@Se7en.hu

hehe ya. lets say OSX is the Perfect *Nix Desktop :D

[spenser.d]

Yes, they are overpriced.

I look at it like this. 90% of the people in the market for computers are going to use their computer for only a few things. Internet, Word Processing, and maybe a few other things, possibly business related or gaming or whatnot. You can do all of these things on a PC at least as efficiently, if not more efficiently, for much much less money.

But people don't think of it that way. They think Mac's are the cool thing and so they pay a lot more when it's not really worth it.

And I'd just like to mention that I say all this not as a mac-hater. If Mac's were cheaper, I'd probably have one. That's just not the case though.

-Spenser

[Quillz]

dont you mean, perfect UNIX desktop :)

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.

[se7en.hu]

hehe, well nothings perfect off course :p

But this is pretty perfect, is it not? Feels like it was hand-coded by God. :p

They do have a-lot under control. Everything seems very modular and well implemented in the OS. Like Growl notifications for example, one app for all notifications. The system-wide spell-checker, and many other useful things etc. which is part of Cocoa API, the file system having on-the-fly defragmentation.

it just seems, comparing to Windows for example - every app would need its own module to check spelling etc. I have no problems with Windows, Vista seems great for the short time I've used it, but in no way does it seem as clean, well implemented and perfect as OSX.

[sn00pie]

Speaking of Growl, is there a way that Adium can work closely with my Hotmail inbox? Like notify me when I get mail, and tell me how many new messages I have at login, sort of like Messenger for Mac?

[se7en.hu]

Not that I know of, not with Adium... Something may exist for Growl, but I don't know where it is. You could use Mail and Hotmail, that can notify via Growl, or in the menubar with MailUnreadMenu, and it badges the dock icon.

[1759]

It comes with iLife. The Mac comes with 4GB DDR3 memory, the Dell comes with 2GB DDR2, etc.

So? iLife isn't the end all be all - it's an $80 suite, and I barely use it on my Mac, good for lightweight uses, but it's not a dealbreaker - it's just a stepping stone to better apps like Aperture. As for as DDR3 vs. DDR2, there are PC laptops that have DDR3, and I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make in real world applications, maybe a few percentage points ATM, and with that fast of a CPU, I don't know if most people would notice between opening apps, it would all seem really fast at 2.5 GHz.

The reason I wanted a Mac was to run OSX, the aluminum shells are just eye candy, they're OK, but not the most important thing for me, it's the OS and UI, the goofy built up to how Apple does this and that to create the unibody shell is useless to me, when Apple then also decides that people just don't need FW or ExpressCard slots on a $1300 laptop anymore, but then don't offer any viable replacements in the meantime.

Same goes with my iPod Touch, love the OS, but having to jailbreak it because Apple wants a closed system, and for what, as there are plenty of crummy apps at the App Store, the apps are still buggy (moreso than the Symbian and WinMob apps I have), they don't allow certain applications because they compete with their own. But even though it crashes randomly, mobile Safari is slick. It's just annoying at times that OSX can be so awesome, but Apple can be no better than Microsoft most of the time IMO, when it comes to the features they allow in their computer configurations (they believe that consumers don't want a decent desktop, that's not an AIO or a workstation) and how they want to control everything through iTunes (no BR for anyone, even if you wanted it for backing up your HD - I have TM, but don't trust HDs that much).

[tsupersonic]

The Apple even has some more features than that.

Who's is really cheaper? $1000 more arse, lets say almost $300 more for less ram, no DDR3, etc.

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." <snipped>

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.

Edited October 18, 2008 by Triliaeris

[se7en.hu]

I will tell you one thing Mac users fail at. It's for shopping around for the best price.

Its not that we fail at it, its just that we dont care. For us its more then worth it.

[I am Reid]

Its not that we fail at it, its just that we dont care. For us its more then worth it.

Then why try to make an argument for it or defend the price? Why not just say "yes, and we like it like that"?

[se7en.hu]

The only argument I made regarding the price was that OSX makes it worth it, which it does. Thats the only reason people use Mac's. Thats all there is to it.

So I don't think its overpriced. Off course in a direct comparison of hardware only, the Mac looks expensive, but.. for something I am going to use everyday for three years, I can easily justify spending AU$2000~. I don't care that my graphics card cant play games, and that I could have gotten a 2.6GHz C2D Dell system for cheaper because I wouldn't be able to do anything with it.

If I were able to build myself a computer and run OSX on it as well as it runs on Apple hardware, id be ordering parts in a heartbeat.

Edited October 18, 2008 by se7en.hu

[kyro]

lets end it this way, Mac is Overpriced cause the majority are not able to pay for it with proper justification :D

now lets peace.

@Se7en , You already can do that, didnt you hear about PyStar offering Custom desktops with OSX? you can google for OSx86 , i am using OSx86 legal copy on my HP laptop :D

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

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

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.

Mac fanboys have gotten used to getting ripped off on Apple products

I've never felt ripped off by a Mac product. In fact I don't think I've ever felt as much satisfaction or as much value for money as I ever have from what i've spent on my iMac, or my iPhone. The products always deliver exactly what I expect of them. If they didn't, I'd get rid of them and search for an alternative.

It's a price they're willing to pay to stay "trendy." If only they would stop sucking Job's dick...

Steve Jobs must get around the world like SANTA if everyone is taking a chug on his dick then cause otherwise I just don't see how he'd fit it all in. Look - I'm all for a bit of intelligent debate on this, but if you're going to resort to low-brow crap like you might as well find yourself another thread.

You know "trendyness" must be everything whether you're a Windows fanboy (which I guess you must be if I'm an Apple fanboy) or a Mac fanboy. People who clamor after the very latest MacBook, or the latest iMac are no different to those who continually upgrade their Windows PC's to even faster CPU's or stick shed loads of RAM in, or who change graphics cards frequently. In reality the gains are minimal and ultimately most people do it for bragging rights, or to have the latest and greatest. In the case of the Mac, because it is generally a sealed unit, you have no choice but ship out the whole thing to get the latest and greatest. But who cares? If they can afford to do it, then it's their money and to hell with it.

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.

i am using OSx86 legal copy on my HP laptop

Legal in the sense that you bought Leopard, but still not legal as the EULA demands that the product is run on Apple hardware. I'm not having a pop because I'm quite keen to try OSX86 too (and have done in the past) but be under no illusion, it aint legal. Though if you've actually bought a copy of Leopard, I doubt Apple will be busting your door down just yet :)

[kalam_]

Legal in the sense that you bought Leopard, but still not legal as the EULA demands that the product is run on Apple hardware. I'm not having a pop because I'm quite keen to try OSX86 too (and have done in the past) but be under no illusion, it aint legal. Though if you've actually bought a copy of Leopard, I doubt Apple will be busting your door down just yet :)

Oh sweet Jesus... For the last time, EULA =! Legality of a product. It is perfectly LEGAL to run OSX on non-apple certified hardware, Apple will just choose to not offer you support as you are breaking the agreement set forth by said EULA.