I've got two macs, one at home and one at work, and two PC's, again one at home and one at work.
I'm pretty rare in that I don't generally have issues with any of them. I prefer the MacBook primarily for the multitouch trackpad that just blows away anything else I've ever used.
In the end the difference between any of them tends to be pretty negligible as far as I'm concerned. I would like the Macboys to shut the hell up though. It's a damn computer, who cares!
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Who is in charge of this product and why haven't they been fired yet?
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this is dumb. Apple buys their parts from the same manufacturers that PC makers do, the fact that they're on Intel architecture now further exemplifies this. the only reason Apple products are more expensive is because of the name brand, not becuase of any higher quality checks
the reason that Macs are easier to setup for some and are regarded as being more stable is because Apple has total control of everything. they design their OS specifically for the hardware they use, so compatibility issues are a moot point. much like game consoles, Mac's are a closed environment. Microsoft however has to design their OS with an infinite number of hardware configurations in mind, and seeing how many devices that Vista and Windows 7 automatically recognizes and installs drivers for is astounding
No... no it is not dumb. You just completely misunderstood what I said.
Here, I'll rephrase: Macs are made from higher quality parts then the average PC product.
The average PC product costs somewhere between 600-900$ (laptop market especially). A Mac costs $1200.
Go ahead and price out a PC laptop with equivalent parts to the lowest end Macbook and you'll see what I mean.
A Mac is a HIGH END PRODUCT. Most PC's are budget oriented. You can't buy an Apple product made with cheap parts because it doesn't exist. I've stated this so many times on this board it's getting annoying.
And yeah, a Mac is easier to setup because they do control the hardware ecosystem. This doesn't change the fact that they are indeed, easier to setup and configure. What's your point? For a laptop, this type of control is a decided advantage over the Microsoft ecosystem - especially for the home user.
You can't just compare one Mac and one PC together and assuming everything else is equal. Apple designs it's products to fit a specific market, and in that market it succeeds remarkably well. The software and hardware combination is one of the best a home user can buy - personal preference notwithstanding.
"we have been led to believe Mac's are infallible"...
You can't possibly tell me that wasn't a leading statement.
The commercials are setup that way. It leads the viewer to believe that Macs don't have any problems but Windows does. The mac fan boy who pushed to have macs in our workplace let us believe that Macs don't have problems. He's not the only mac fan to do so.
No... no it is not dumb. You just completely misunderstood what I said.
Here, I'll rephrase: Macs are made from higher quality parts then the average PC product.
The average PC product costs somewhere between 600-900$ (laptop market especially). A Mac costs $1200.
Go ahead and price out a PC laptop with equivalent parts to the lowest end Macbook and you'll see what I mean.
A Mac is a HIGH END PRODUCT. Most PC's are budget oriented. You can't buy an Apple product made with cheap parts because it doesn't exist. I've stated this so many times on this board it's getting annoying.
And yeah, a Mac is easier to setup because they do control the hardware ecosystem. This doesn't change the fact that they are indeed, easier to setup and configure. What's your point? For a laptop, this type of control is a decided advantage over the Microsoft ecosystem - especially for the home user.
You can't just compare one Mac and one PC together and assuming everything else is equal. Apple designs it's products to fit a specific market, and in that market it succeeds remarkably well. The software and hardware combination is one of the best a home user can buy - personal preference notwithstanding.
I have a question, and this isn't meant to bring down your argument. Why doesn't Apple make a decent mouse? They do such a good job on everything else, but their mice fail in comparison to the rest of their products.
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The commercials are setup that way. It leads the viewer to believe that Macs don't have any problems but Windows does. The mac fan boy who pushed to have macs in our workplace let us believe that Macs don't have problems. He's not the only mac fan to do so.
I don't disagree. Like I said, anyone who thinks any computer is without problems is being naive.
I use both Vista and OS X on a daily basis. People like to make blind accusations about product over the other. My only goal is the find the middle ground between the two so that people can make an informed decision.
I have a question, and this isn't meant to bring down your argument. Why doesn't Apple make a decent mouse? They do such a good job on everything else, but their mice fail in comparison to the rest of their products.
I use a Microsoft Mouse on my Macbook out of spite for the creation of the "Mighty Mouse".
Guess I should further qualify my statement to exclude external devices with the Apple name (though their keyboards totally whip the llama's a$$).
Oh, and just to add in, I still HATE the Apple mouse acceleration algorithm. For recent switchers who are finding their wrists torn to shreds, look up a program called USB Overdrive. Some colleagues swear I'm going insane because they don't notice the difference... But it's there, and Apple had their heads up their rears when they switched the curve.
No... no it is not dumb. You just completely misunderstood what I said.
Here, I'll rephrase: Macs are made from higher quality parts then the average PC product.
The average PC product costs somewhere between 600-900$ (laptop market especially). A Mac costs $1200.
Go ahead and price out a PC laptop with equivalent parts to the lowest end Macbook and you'll see what I mean.
A Mac is a HIGH END PRODUCT. Most PC's are budget oriented. You can't buy an Apple product made with cheap parts because it doesn't exist. I've stated this so many times on this board it's getting annoying.
Macs cost more because it is a premium product often with more built in features and unique design choices and proprietary software, not because they are made of "higher quality parts" than the average PC laptop. It does not mean that the underlying hardware is any higher quality in and off itself. Macbooks are manufactured by Quanta and ASUS in China in the same fabs in which make 90% of the PC notebooks in the world as well including Dells (you can throw Compal in the mix as well). It's like a car manufacturer that builds a luxury car ontop of the same platform and parts that they use to also build a budget car. You pay the premium for the brand and the luxury appointments (aluminum housing, multitouch trackpad, magnetic power connector, etc.). What Apple sells their product for is up to them, but the premium is something that you pay and it is not intrinsic to the product's actual hardware aside from cosmestic appointments and what you are paying to use Apple's software. In terms of processor, memory, harddrive, etc. These are all off-the-shelf components available to any manufacturer made by the same factories in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, etc. and used in many PCs.
Macs are positioned as a higher end good in the computer catagory, when talking about hardware, it's all the same inside as your budget PC. There are only about 4 companies in the world that make 90% of all notebooks in the world. It's all the same technology. You are paying the premium for the Apple name/look, the Apple design, and the Apple software. If you want the equivalent in the PC market, you can look to Sony Vaio's which exist at the same price point and offer the same types of premium notebook features like metal housing, the cool chiclet keys I love so much, etc. Admittedly, Sony has been copying Apple for awhile. The premium PC manufacturers have their own varieties thin/light/high-tech/cool/new blah blah blah gadgetry as well when you are as the same price point as macs. Of course the average PC will be cheaper and have more pedestrian features or just be plain overall.
I'm sitting at a Windows PC right now with a Shuttle computer, an HP monitor (with a Samsung panel), and I'm using an Apple aluminum keyboard. I love this keyboard. It's better than anything I can get for the PC and it is cheap too. I like Apple because they make some good design choices and their hardware does have a premium feel to it and they have many unique products. Many of which I can use on my PC. I don't however, like Macbooks, Ipods, Ipones, etc. overall because I feel like I am conforming to the "Apple" look which I pretty much detest. It's marketed as "hip" and "cool" when I see it for what it is - just more unifed corporate branding which doesn't make you any more unique for owning one of their products because everyone from your girlfriend to your grandmother likely owns one these days.
Macs cost more because it is a premium product often with more built in features and unique design choices and proprietary software, not because they are made of "higher quality parts" than the average PC laptop. It does not mean that the underlying hardware is any higher quality in and off itself. Macbooks are manufactured by Quanta and ASUS in China in the same fabs in which make 90% of the PC notebooks in the world as well including Dells (you can throw Compal in the mix as well). It's like a car manufacturer that builds a luxury car ontop of the same platform and parts that they use to also build a budget car. You pay the premium for the brand and the luxury appointments (aluminum housing, multitouch trackpad, magnetic power connector, etc.). What Apple sells their product for is up to them, but the premium is something that you pay and it is not intrinsic to the product's actual hardware aside from cosmestic appointments and what you are paying to use Apple's software. In terms of processor, memory, harddrive, etc. These are all off-the-shelf components available to any manufacturer made by the same factories in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, etc. and used in many PCs.
This can't be true for the simple reason that Apple, along with Lenovo, are consistently outperforming the rest of the market in terms of reliability scores based on warranty work. Those are cold hard numbers - Apple and Lenovo products go back for hardware service less often. Apple laptops are better built, just compare the build quality and how sturdy a unibody Macbook is compared to a Dell or an Acer. It's night and day.
Second, Apple machines very often DO have higher quality or less commodity components. A good example is the Macbook Air, which has a Core2 processor built on a custom die specifically to meet Apple's specs. Another good example is the SSD Apple ships in their machines - it doesn't exhibit the controller stall and lockup issues that have plagued almost all the other first gen devices.
The multitouch trackpad technology is another example. You call it a luxury item, but conveniently ignore the fact that Apple is leading the pack with this technology - which other notebooks support 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger gestures?
Same goes for Magsafe. You call it a luxury item, but the AC adapter and the plug on the laptop are the number one failure point on laptops at every single client I look after. The magsafe connector saves an incredible amount of wear and tear on the laptop (the AC brick itself, the cord goes like on any other laptop, mind you)
How about the new battery charging technology on the 17" Macbook? Finally, a computer manufacturer is bringing some proper cell balancing technology to handling battery packs, a technology that is long overdue (and has, oddly enough, been available in the model airplane world for a long time)
Apple also touts that they have significantly reduced the amount of toxic chemicals and metals used in their laptops - I don't know how they compare to the competition in this regard, but Apple is the kind of company that will source out new kinds of glass to eliminate Arsenic in their production. I doubt a cheaper brand can afford the hit to the margin they charge.
A lot of what goes into personal computers today is commodity, and yeah, it all comes out of the same four factories, but to say that there are no tangible differences in the quality and technology levels is not true. High end PC stuff is comparable to Apple stuff, no question, there is parity available, but there is a TON of crap PC gear out there. Tons.
Macs cost more because it is a premium product often with more built in features and unique design choices and proprietary software, not because they are made of "higher quality parts" than the average PC laptop.
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Last time I checked, a Dell equivalent to a middle of the pack Macbook cost $100 more. I don't know how the unique design and Apple brand some how added cost to the package in this situation.
Otherwise, you made my point for me with the rest of your post. Mac's feature high end components compared to the average $600-800 PC.
The only time I've seen a mark up on an Apple product is the Macbook Air -- that thing is ludicrously expensive.
I've just had really good luck with Apple products, I guess. My iPod is into its 4th year. It's fallen multiple times, yet it still works like a charm. I've also had a 2nd generation Macbook for about 2 and a half years. Besides some minor slowing down, it still works great and I've never had any problems. Brand fanboy-ness aside, I'll keep sticking with Apple products for the future.
That said, the earbuds and Mighty Mouse are absolute garbage. I quickly replaced both products with a Logitech mouse and some Sennheisser earbuds.
How does that take anything to a new level? It's just like all the other ads.
It's one thing to mock a product that actually sucks, it's another to attack a product that's 141 years away. The funny though is PC should really just go back to XP.
The most annoying thing for me about the "mighty" (crappy) mouse is that it really is the most ergonomically comfortable mouse I've ever found. Every other mouse I've ever tried is either too light, too heavy, too large (most of them), or just doesn't fit my hand right. But the functionality is abysmal. Leaps all over the place, had to disable all of the extra buttons because they'd click all the time with no pressure at all, just plain sucks. The last generation mouse that Apple made before the "mighty" was absolutely perfect, and my old one crapped out (hosed the cord) a few months ago and I made the mistake of thinking this one would be the replacement.
Maybe I should look on e-bay for a mint-in-box old Apple mouse... In my 25 years (yep, that's right, ask me about Logo) of using Apple products, this mouse is one of the very few times they've taken a step back in their product design.
