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The high price of Apple computers

~pcwiz

By ~pcwiz,
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~pcwiz
~pcwiz
Posted
Posted

Hi,

 

I saw a Future Shop Flyer the other day and I compared to laptops, a MacBook and a PC Laptop

 

MacBook

13.3" Screen

2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo Drive

80GB SATA HD

AirPort Express and WiFi 802.11b (I think)

Mac OS X 10.4.10

Intel GMA950 Graphics

Price: $1134

 

PC Laptop (HP/Compaq, Acer, Lenovo, or something. Don't remember)

15.4" Screen

2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

SuperMulti Drive (DVD-RW/DVD+RW)

120GB SATA HD

5 in 1 Card Reader

802.11g (I think)

Windows Vista Home Premium

ATI Mobility Radeon X1600

Price: $899

 

***

 

Compare the specs and the prices. No wonder why people choose PCs over Macs. If Apple were to lower their prices to compete with PCs, then they would be ruling right now.

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unix
unix
Posted
Posted

With all respect, it's hard to take seriously any such claim where specs are reported wrong (wireless) and there is no mention of something basic like RAM.

 

Regardless, there are many budget PCs available that get the job done, and for less than a Mac (or a Vaio) it is certainly true. It's all been said before, so no need for me to go there - it all boils down to stuff that people value differently.

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sarahbau
sarahbau
Posted
Posted
They were not reported wrong as of the day of that writing.

 

If wireless got added, then Dell added it.

I think he's referring to the OP claiming the MacBook has 802.11b, which is just ridiculous since Macs have been using g for over 4 years (at least the PowerBooks - can't remember exactly when the iBooks started).

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Headrush69
Headrush69
Posted
Posted
Compare the specs and the prices. No wonder why people choose PCs over Macs. If Apple were to lower their prices to compete with PCs, then they would be ruling right now.

No they wouldn't.

Sure it might increase sales, but currently Macs and OS X not being the dominant platform has a lot more to do with other factors other than just price.

 

P.S. I'm looking at the latest Future Shop flyer and their web site and don't see that system. Got a link or a scan of the ad?

Sounds like a nice system but if it is no longer available it could have been an inventory close out reduction and in that case the comparison is a little unfair.

 

All the systems I see in that range are slower 1.8Ghz range T5250 and have Intel integrated video acceleration. (Or not Core 2)

 

Edit: This is the closest I see: http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetai...0568&catid=

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~pcwiz
~pcwiz
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Posted

I guess I got mixed up with 802.11g and 802.11b (switch around with the Mac and the PC). I read that post #11 and I see you've included the software costs too. I'm saying this based on hardware...

 

Headrush,

 

That laptop in the link is not the one I saw...The one I saw was glossy black.

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Headrush69
Headrush69
Posted
Posted
Headrush,

 

That laptop in the link is not the one I saw...The one I saw was glossy black.

I know and never suggested it was.

 

I'm asking you for more info on it. My sister is looking for a PC and if those stats are true that is a good deal.

(Like I said I have yet to see one with both a Core 2 Duo and a decent video option for that price.)

 

I'm saying this based on hardware...

When you buy a system you are buying much more than just hardware and I think one of biggest downfalls of how people compare systems these days. A computer is a tool that should last most people many years and price shouldn't be the only consideration.

($300 over 3 years is hardly a remarkable difference)

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justvisiting
justvisiting
Posted
Posted

 

I've seen you refer back to your post a # of times and without wanting to start another long thread: in my opinion, I disagree with some of the factors you've used to make the other computer come out costlier than the mac.

 

looking at the # of people here who ask for help on hackintoshes, an educated guess would be: there is a price factor involved. The time you spent trying to make a hackintosh work is also a reflection on price. I would much rather do something else with my time than try to find OSX images, download and burn them and then the often strenuous exercise of making it work on non-approved hardware. ( jas? uphuck? v1.4? v1.4r1? v1.4r3? )

 

And i even like doing that kind of stuff.

 

For myself, I was able to price out a generic machine that was far cheaper than a mac pro. I would have preferred to by the mac pro.

 

the only way i can support the apple eco system is to buy the software i use. And i try to do so.

 

Thanks.

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zurk
zurk
Posted
Posted

1. macs are much more expensive.

2. apple keeps em that way since they have an image to maintain

3. see my sig for a $500 laptop and $300 desktop better than any apple at twice the price

 

you either by a lexus (apple) with everything working or you buy a toyota (PC) and modify it with leather interior and fancy trim to give you an equivalent to one.

internally they both are the same. the trick is to make one look like the other while avoiding the high sticker price. and no, apple would be really stupid to reduce the price to below $1000-$2000. their image would be lost in a second.

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Headrush69
Headrush69
Posted
Posted
3. see my sig for a $500 laptop and $300 desktop better than any apple at twice the price

Terrible comparison.

Argue all you want that $100-$200 difference for a desktop is overpriced or not, but comparing custom boxes to pre-made systems is wrong.

You could also say Dell, Acer, HP are all over priced too then, which also means your number 2 argument is wrong.

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Headrush69
Headrush69
Posted
Posted
neither box is custom. my shuttle is an xpc barebones from newegg with shuttles recommended ram and cpu and my laptop is off the shelf wednesday special at circuitcity.

That is still considered a custom box. Its not an end-user complete system with an OS. (not talking about the laptop)

 

I'm not one for arguing that you can't find cheaper PC systems, but I absolutely hate these comparisons that are overly misleading.

Just like the Intel E2xxx series processor is not the same as the CPUs in the iMacs.

It is perfectly fine to argue that the 10% drop in performance due to the smaller L2 cache doesn't mean much or matter much to most people, but if the only factor people want to argue is price than you can't compare dissimilar systems.

 

Saying you can get similar functionality cheaper, fine, but at that point its not a true price comparison.

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Headrush69
Headrush69
Posted
Posted
The proof is the specs :)

That sure helps my sister. :)

 

I think the little "computer shop" on the corner is advertising Dual Core, 2GB RAM, 20" LCD, 500GB HD with a Geforce 8800GTX for $399 too. :D

 

 

Just a warning, don't start another thing about Vista being slow as hell..We all know. If you don't like the Vista on the PC Laptop, just install OS X or some other OS on it :D

Huh?

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glassJAw
glassJAw
Posted
Posted
Thats the whole point. Theres 15.4" PC laptop with better specs that is better than the MacBook. The 15.4" costs almost half less than the MacBook with the 13.3 screen.

 

You do realize that smaller PC Laptops cost a lot more then their 15.4 brothers do. Plus the screen on a Macbook is better then what goes on these common laptops. Check out 12/13 inch laptops out there, they cost a boat load more. Your logic is flawed.

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bluedragon1971
bluedragon1971
Posted
Posted
You do realize that smaller PC Laptops cost a lot more then their 15.4 brothers do. Plus the screen on a Macbook is better then what goes on these common laptops. Check out 12/13 inch laptops out there, they cost a boat load more. Your logic is flawed.

 

Good point. The 15.4" display on my HP would seem to some people to be better than the 13.3" display on a MacBook, but in reality both are the same resolution. The 15.4" display just has physically larger pixels. Smaller displays at the same resolution cost more than larger ones.

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consolation
consolation
Posted
Posted

Plus, let's be honest. You pay extra for good design, that's why you don't buy clothes in K-mart...

 

For a simple test, flip your PC laptop over, what do you see? Air vents perchance? Why the $#%^ would you put them there if it's a LAP top? - because it's a hell of a lot cheaper to build them that way, no expensive heatpipes. Unfortunately, it means no lapy on bed, no lapy on your lap etc.... So what is it, a small desktop really? Now flip over any mac laptop from 1998 onwards, not a single vent hole; in fact the new macbooks /pros have the exhaust protected by the hinge mechanism to stop it being obstructed. Hey, GF's macbook can sit on the duvet.

 

Or the magsafe connector, how much will you save when you trip over your cord and have to replace the logicboard because you just ripped out a surface mount connector?

 

Or screens, did you know that most cheap laptop screens can't get 8 bits a channel and use 6 + dither?

 

Or... Or....

 

You pay extra for good design, that's why a SAAB costs more than a Toyota. They both get you from A to B, which one will be more fun to drive?

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zurk
zurk
Posted
Posted

i used to buy toughbooks at $2000 each until i figured out they last the same as dells and ibms and finally i swiched to generic acers.

laptops get abused a lot and i dont see a $2000 apple lasting any longer than a mil spec toughbook (1 year). its cheaper to buy a $500 laptop and destroy it after a year then a $2000 laptop. so thats what im happy with.

:)

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