Macs are too expensive? Make them cheaper more people will Switch

[macanal]

Let me get this correct. You state that:

Both systems use "near exact hardware"
Both systems are around the same price

So then, why do you consider the MacBookPro to be a rip off against an almost identially priced and almost identically hardware-based system?

Er is the screen hardware?
17" inch vs 15.4"
expect the 17" macbook pro to cost at least $1000 more, maybe try to read my post!?

As i have said many time to people when they say that macs cost alot more, i tell them think in 3 years time when you sell it, it will still have value compared to a PC.
I expect this trend to continue with the Mac book pro, but Apples entry level 15.4" mac book pro being around the same price as Dells top of the line 17" Intel duo is to much for me to swallow.
I guess if you want mac OSX you have no choice but if i could run Mac OSX on the Dell i would not buy the Apple.

 

[baggss]

If all you are worried about is the resale value, why bother? I rarely if ever get rid of my computers unless they are seriously broken. If the price of the MacBook Pro vs a POS Dell bothers you, then don't buy one, it's your money.

You can't run OSX on your Dell, well, not the real version at least. In my mind that by itself makes the hardware worth the price.

 

[macanal]

yes if you want the Mac osx you have no choice in the end!!

I think thats why Apple wont release Mac OSX on the PC.
Because even hardcore Mac users are not gonna pay a Extra $2000 for a 17" mac book Pro when they can Run Mac OSX on a PC with the same hardware for a lot less

 

[herkalees]

Got a mac mini (switched from pc about 2 weeks ago), has the 1.42 G4, with 512mb of Ram. I run Photoshop and Dreamweaver, Adium, as well as a couple browsers at the same time and it's fine. It's not amazing, I will be soon bumping to 1gb, but it truly is fine. It's a tad slower than my desktop, but that was a full size tower with 1gb of ram and it plain sucked.

 

[dan828]

If all you are worried about is the resale value, why bother? I rarely if ever get rid of my computers unless they are seriously broken. If the price of the MacBook Pro vs a POS Dell bothers you, then don't buy one, it's your money.

You can't run OSX on your Dell, well, not the real version at least. In my mind that by itself makes the hardware worth the price.

I don't get why exactly you consider the Dell to be a POS. Last I heard, Dell and Apple were getting their laptops manufactured by the same company. Hardware wise there just is not much difference. Pretty much all laptops are made by just a couple of Chinese corporations. Obviously the big difference is the OS they run, but being able to pick up a Dell for $500 less with the bigger screen (Dell is running a special right now, as always) makes you wonder what you are getting for your money. Is having OS X really worth $500 or more dollars?

 

[deus_ex_machina]

I don't get why exactly you consider the Dell to be a POS. Last I heard, Dell and Apple were getting their laptops manufactured by the same company. Hardware wise there just is not much difference. Pretty much all laptops are made by just a couple of Chinese corporations. Obviously the big difference is the OS they run, but being able to pick up a Dell for $500 less with the bigger screen (Dell is running a special right now, as always) makes you wonder what you are getting for your money. Is having OS X really worth $500 or more dollars?

I figure you get what you pay for, and after using both operating systems, I prefer OSX. It seems the hassle you avoid is well worth the $500 or so extra you might pay initially. I've been ecstatic about my Mac since Feb 2003, approaching its THIRD year of pristine operation, which is far from any Wintel I've encountered. I actually own and use two 17" LCD Dell monitors that have worked just fine. Look pretty decent too. It's Windows I have qualms with.

 

[Batgirl]

I'm pretty new to Macs (purchased a Mac mini 9 months ago and have just sold that and ordered the new iMac), but I definately wouldn't go back. Before I had a Sony VAIO laptop, biggest piece of rubbish ever, it was so slow and forever crashing. In the 9 months i've had the mini i don't think it's crashed once and even with the same ram as the VAIO it is so much faster.

Price wise i'm a student so I get a discount, but even so Macs are more expensive. However I reckon i'd much rather be stuck in this call centre till midnight tonight to pay for the Mac than to go back to a PC.

 

[technologist]

I don't get why exactly you consider the Dell to be a POS. Last I heard, Dell and Apple were getting their laptops manufactured by the same company. Hardware wise there just is not much difference. Pretty much all laptops are made by just a couple of Chinese corporations. Obviously the big difference is the OS they run, but being able to pick up a Dell for $500 less with the bigger screen (Dell is running a special right now, as always) makes you wonder what you are getting for your money. Is having OS X really worth $500 or more dollars?

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1851297,00.asp

With notebooks, the bigger problem seems to be reliability. According to readers, 23 percent of Dell notebooks required repair within the past year, a score that's worse than average. Still, it's worth noting that apart from this, Dell's notebook numbers aren't bad; they simply aren't comparable to those of Lenovo/IBM.

Contrast with:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1851295,00.asp

Just 17 percent of Apple notebooks needed repair—second to Averatec's 14 percent—but this is still amazingly low considering that no one else is under 20 percent.

Though it should be noted that those numbers are for PowerPC machines, and results may be different for the new Intel notebooks.

Reading though the survey, I'd say that makes a pretty good case for Apple's pricing, regardless of operating system.

 

[thelox714]

Is having OS X really worth $500 or more dollars?

yes... NO spywawe.. NO viruses.. NONE of that junk..

dont need to spend money on getting all that protection..

 

[Amen-Moses]

From the Dell website I selected an exact spec version of their laptop as the Apple $1779 Macbook Pro (i.e 1Gb 667 RAM, 100Gb HD, 256Mb Gfx) and it comes out at $1934.

Given that my "17 Inch" Apple display is the same size as my "19 Inch" Compaq display I wouldn't mind betting that the "15.4 Inch" Apple Laptop Display is pretty darn near the same size as the "17 Inch" Dell one I reckon that the Apple Macbook Pro is pretty good value.

Amen-Moses

 

[macanal]

From the Dell website I selected an exact spec version of their laptop as the Apple $1779 Macbook Pro (i.e 1Gb 667 RAM, 100Gb HD, 256Mb Gfx) and it comes out at $1934.

Given that my "17 Inch" Apple display is the same size as my "19 Inch" Compaq display I wouldn't mind betting that the "15.4 Inch" Apple Laptop Display is pretty darn near the same size as the "17 Inch" Dell one I reckon that the Apple Macbook Pro is pretty good value.

Amen-Moses

I think you were comparing the 2.1Ghz Intel Duo Dell to the Apple 1.8Ghz because the price looks wrong!!

What is with that anyway!! why cant you get a 2.1Ghz Mac book Pro?(or can you)
Do Apple give you the choice of the 2.0Ghz and the 2.1Ghz?

Anyhow the prices here is Aus. are as follows

Entry level 1.6Ghz models exact spec!! exect 15.4 apple screen Vs 17" Dell Screen
(although Apple uses ATI graphics and Dell use Nvidia otherwise the same)

Dell 17" inspiron 9400 $2636 AUD
Apple 15.4" Macbook pro $3199 AUD

High end 1.8Ghz models exact spec!! exect 15.4 apple screen Vs 17" Dell Screen
(although Apple uses ATI graphics and Dell use Nvidia otherwise the same)

Dell 17" inspiron 9400 $3421 AUD
Apple 15.4" Macbook pro $3999 AUD

Thats a huge differance for machines that are almost exactly the same!!( and just remember the Dell is a 17")
and when you compare the price to what ever the 17" intel mac book will be the differance just gets alot worse im actually scared to know what the differance will be it could be nearly $2000 AUD and i would say at least over $1000 US more!! crazy!

The Dell screen is a true 17" and can have resolutions of upto 1920x1200!! thats insane!! thats the same resolution as the 23" Cinema display

 

[admiralpye]

I'm pretty new to Macs (purchased a Mac mini 9 months ago and have just sold that and ordered the new iMac), but I definately wouldn't go back. Before I had a Sony VAIO laptop, biggest piece of rubbish ever, it was so slow and forever crashing. In the 9 months i've had the mini i don't think it's crashed once and even with the same ram as the VAIO it is so much faster.

Price wise i'm a student so I get a discount, but even so Macs are more expensive. However I reckon i'd much rather be stuck in this call centre till midnight tonight to pay for the Mac than to go back to a PC.

Well, I had a Sony VAIO right before I switched to mac. And I only had to reformat once in, what, 3 years. BUT I had a **** of a time keeping viruses, spyware and bugs at bay. And you're right, even with the same RAM the Powerbook I have seems more efficient. These are the major factors that drove me into switching. And also because with the VAIO I always has to deal with hanging or slower performance if I left it on all night while I slept. This is not a problem for macs.

Another thing is the software. I have plenty of options with the lovely freeware. And I have options to use stuff other than Microsoft Office. For example, I use Ulysses instead of Word, NVU instead of Dreamweaver, etc. and my productivity just skyrocketed because they were no-frills and easier to use.

But of course, this doesn't mean all PCs are inferior to mac. If I were a gamer I sure wouldn't consider the mac. And in terms of putting up a business, unless it were a design company or the like, I'd invest in PCs rather than macs simply because I'd need to keep my overhead low.

It depends on who is going to use it and how it's going to be used. Since I'm mainly in the creative writing field and planning to take up photography as a hobby in the future, the mac certainly suits my needs. I need heavy duty word processing that can be sustained until kingdom come and reliable photo editing and storage. So definitely the choice for me had to be mac.

 

[mynameis]

'Expensive' is relative based on what you see as valuable. Don't bother arguing over whose opinion is better, because it never goes anywhere.

 

[baggss]

I don't get why exactly you consider the Dell to be a POS. Last I heard, Dell and Apple were getting their laptops manufactured by the same company. Hardware wise there just is not much difference. Pretty much all laptops are made by just a couple of Chinese corporations. Obviously the big difference is the OS they run, but being able to pick up a Dell for $500 less with the bigger screen (Dell is running a special right now, as always) makes you wonder what you are getting for your money. Is having OS X really worth $500 or more dollars?

Sorry, I have a 3 year old Dell laptop for work and the only original part left is the case. Everything else has been replaced at least once, some items twice. My iBook is just shy of 2 years old and I have had exactly one problem with it, when it was new. My work uses Dells for everything, and both the laptops and desktops SUCK. I take my iBook on travel for work along with the Dell and use it more yet it has broken less. Lets face it, you get what you pay for.

I think thats why Apple wont release Mac OSX on the PC.
Because even hardcore Mac users are not gonna pay a Extra $2000 for a 17" mac book Pro when they can Run Mac OSX on a PC with the same hardware for a lot less

Well, ya. Don't forget, Apple is both a hardware AND a software company. They don't want to screw their hardware side, which does make a good chunk of change for them.

 

[admiralpye]

'Expensive' is relative based on what you see as valuable. Don't bother arguing over whose opinion is better, because it never goes anywhere.

I totally agree.

 

[Amen-Moses]

I think you were comparing the 2.1Ghz Intel Duo Dell to the Apple 1.8Ghz because the price looks wrong!!

Nope, both specs were identical.

Every time the subject of prices comes up I do the same thing, I bring up the Apple store in one window and the Dell store in the other and makes sure both machines have identical specifications. Then I click on the "update price" buttons and write down the figures. Every time someone tells me I must be wrong.

In this case I didn't even select the better display option for the Dell machine (one of the Apple selling points is the better displays) but left it stock.

Amen-Moses

 

[blackmagicxx]

More Expensive yes, but you see where the $ went when you get your new computer..
At least i did.

 

[maz94protege]

Really, compared to PC's and their performance, MACS are where its at. No where you can but a loaded machine with software ready to go outta the box for $500 US...and still live to brag about it. Yea everyone complains bout the Mac Mini not having a keyboard or mouse, but thats cause People have the choice of using APPLE Products or other aftermarket non Apple Products. Its like Build Your Own System comes into play.

Personally i love my mac mini. 1.42ghz and 512 ram. runs wayy better then my toshiba satellte XP running laptop. Nothing out there more intelligent and more complex and user friendly at the same time then MAC and OS X .... Id say quit the complaining and get one, use it and/or goto apple and play around with all of them. Really not expensive at all....And you do GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Lata

-J

 

[macanal]

Really, compared to PC's and their performance, MACS are where its at. No where you can but a loaded machine with software ready to go outta the box for $500 US...and still live to brag about it. Yea everyone complains bout the Mac Mini not having a keyboard or mouse, but thats cause People have the choice of using APPLE Products or other aftermarket non Apple Products. Its like Build Your Own System comes into play.

Personally i love my mac mini. 1.42ghz and 512 ram. runs wayy better then my toshiba satellte XP running laptop. Nothing out there more intelligent and more complex and user friendly at the same time then MAC and OS X .... Id say quit the complaining and get one, use it and/or goto apple and play around with all of them. Really not expensive at all....And you do GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Lata

-J

I think the Mac mini is over priced for what it is when you add monitor and keyboard.
I mean G4 is very old technology wasn’t the G4 around when the Pentium III was out?
You can get a much faster better spec PC for cheaper, tsk tsk I digress.

My main point is being "you get what you pay for" well in the case of the Mac book pro you don’t because you can buy a same spec Dell Laptop (or higher speed) for less then the price of a almost identical hardware Mac book pro, so your paying more for the same thing.
So in this case "you get what you pay for" don’t wash

 

[deus_ex_machina]

its pretty darn close, from the estimates I tried at dell.com and apple.com between the Dell Inspiron E1705 and the MacBook Pro 1.83
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=E1705S4&s=dhs#logicerror
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/whatsinside.html
funny thing is when I tried to add the remote control on the Dell to counter the Mac's remote, it wouldn't allow me to keep XP Professional AND have a remote at the same time, something about being a Media Center Edition.
Dell=$2245 with Media Center Ed to get remote; $2335USD for XP Pro, starting at 7.65 lbs. and 1.6" thin
MacBook Pro=same specs (virtually) $2499, 5.6lbs, and 1" thin
I don't see where there was a $500 difference I guess what you'd pay for AV software and updates would even the price more. Any thoughts?