Comments on: A Laptop Price Comparison for the Mac Haters

By: Andrieu Travail

Andrieu Travail — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:32:00 +0000

“In my experience, you get what you pay for.” =>that’s why people prefer Mac than Windows PC and no linux/BSD-based system!
if pay was still a mark of quality, it is not. If you compare with MSI, equivalent equipment to the price difference is monstrous …

By: M Power

M Power — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:19:00 +0000

Hi, I’m a Mac User (Mac Book Pro i7 quad 2.2GHz). I use the same argument with wintel people when they start comparing apples to lemons. However your blog entry doesn’t really argue the point very well.

You state:

“I could sit here and explain why the HP is so much less expensive than
the Apple and Dell products, or how the Dell does X, Y or Z better or
why I prefer the Apple MacBook Pro 15” but I refuse to do so – the
haters consciously choose to block logic from such comparisons so there
is no reason to inject it at this juncture.”

Isn’t that want you blog entry is about. Stating differences in price due to specific configuration options which, when compared to other systems, show that the Macbook is properly priced, with a minimal difference in the end price point?

In the end you really didn’t prove anything other than there is a wintel system out there that may be $1000 cheaper and comparable to the MacBook Pro (MacBook Pro’s don’t even ship with a 7200 RPM HD – that’s extra).

Again I agree with your premise, but your blog entry fell short of addressing the comparison argument. And actually hurts the premise quite a bit.

By: Chris Eiffel

Chris Eiffel — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 01:18:00 +0000

As a programmer I find it very hard to use the MAC. Apple seems to want to monetize my every click (They charge you to develop for them and the take a 30% cut on iPhone apps and threaten to take them out of their store if they don’t like you). I dislike their aggressive business tactics especially on the software side. I think on the question of price you can buy something with twice the hardware for half the price. But you’re right I’m not comparing apples to apples. MAC is more light weight and doesn’t need as much horse power (except for games). MAC devices are also very well engineered and simple. Backlight keyboards good lifespan. Sometimes they are too simple. I find that every time I use a MAC I miss the extra keyboard keys. The apple dock is the main source of innovation, but compared to cairo-dock and GNOME’s awesome customization I find the MAC insipid (yes I am a linux guy). Many of my programs are a pain to get running in a MAC. I feel like MAC is a good competitor that keeps windows on its toes, but is no better than Microsoft. It all boils down to what my preferences are.

By: Dell XPS M1210

Dell XPS M1210 — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 14:05:41 +0000

Awesome post.this was a really good article.thanks for sharing.

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By: Captain Obvious

Captain Obvious — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:36:15 +0000

“heard” no first hand experience? thought so.

By: Captain Obvious

Captain Obvious — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:35:29 +0000

as stated previously: ipods are tanks in my experience. Have 3 never had the first problem. You sound like someone who has never owned one. Just a mac hater im afraid.

By: Captain Obvious

Captain Obvious — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:32:03 +0000

I have had my 1st generation ipod since it cam out and it still works fine. The battery doesn't hold a charge for more than three hours but this thing is a tank. All of my other MAC products still function fine.

By: Channon

Channon — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:10:21 +0000

I *AM* an Apple hater. But, not because of the price point. I am an Apple hater because of my new MacBook Pro 13.3" laptop. I hate the hyper-glossy display that acts as a mirror, I hate the oversized trackpad that is SO LARGE it is constantly be bumped as I type, I hate Snow Leopard that has caused an endless number of printing problems, I hate that iCal's alarms no longer function in Snow Leopard, and I hate that my "7-hour" polymer batter only lasts for 2.5 hours on a charge. I have bought Macs since my first Mac Classic in 1995, and also use PCs at the office.

Apple has sacrificed too much functionality for design aesthetics with regard to their hardware, and should never have released Snow Leopard when the did. As of today, December 9, 2009, Snow Leopard is not ready for prime time.

Time is money, and that's why I have always bought Macs for personal use. My next laptop will run Windows.

By: Peter Taylor

Peter Taylor — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:31:45 +0000

I went Mac back in Uni when I needed a go between for my heavily based Unix based degree. I didn't want to dual boot a Windows laptop as, well I was lazy and didn't want to set it up. Two people on my course had G4 Macs and were happily coding away, it was perfect. I budgeted and then bought a G4 Mac and I haven't looked back since. That G4 I only replaced this time last year when I bought an EOL MacBook which goes with me almost everywhere trip wise.

At work I use a Windows machine and happily switch between the two. My wife however does not like using my Mac as to her it's wierd and everything is wrong. From co-workers who know I use Macs I get stick about paying over the odds for something I could get cheaper however it's at this point where I make them aware of the fact that in the time I've owned two Mac based laptops (I'm excluding my iMac) my wife has had 3 laptops of varying makes all of which expired to hardware issues. That, for me, says it all. I'd rather pay that bit more for something I'm confident will last. I mean that G4 was only replaced because I wanted something new not because it was broken and is currently still used by the friend who bought it from me.

By: Lint22

Lint22 — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:32:31 +0000

Good article. It's all a matter of preference. Something a lot of people seem to forget. In the end all these products are simply laptops, they all do verily the same thing, and aren't that drastic in difference of price like some point out.

I have nothing against Macs, I'm just not a Mac user. In elementary school all there was, was Macs and used them growing up. Then in high school we had Dell desktops. In the end I went PC because I learned how to operate them in my Commtech class and can get the most out of a PC personally. I know how to modify my PC to a tee now and it works for me... in University they have the newest slickest iMacs you could ever imagine.

I'm in an fine arts program and see them regularly... when I use them though I always end up frustrated now. Yet still I equate it to being say right handed and then trying to write with your left hand (or vice versa if you'd like).

What does bother me in the Mac/PC debate though is how everyone thinks that by having a Mac you instantly become artsy or more creative. Despite the fact that what those people in my program don't seem to realize being able to do more creative things with a computer comes down with one's knowledge and experience with the appropriate programs (such as Macromedia Flash or Photoshop).

Either way though I think people just need to educate themselves and learn that both PC's and Macs can co-exist. They are both computers in the end after all.

By: Mom/Lorri M.

Mom/Lorri M. — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:27:42 +0000

Thanks for your input, Mitch.

By: Mitch Malone

Mitch Malone — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:18:48 +0000

I would think that a good option would be to buy a MacBook/MacBook Pro and an accompanying stand/keyboard/mouse. This way you have the best of both worlds if you need it.

By: Mom/Lorri M.

Mom/Lorri M. — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:06:25 +0000

Yes, I am, it's just a matter of what one. I'm torn between laptop and desktop. The keyboard and ease of use with my hand situation concerns me.

By: Scott Jarkoff

Scott Jarkoff — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:46:29 +0000

We've spoken about this – get your ass over to Yokota and pick up the MacBook Pro 15" they have sitting on the shelf. It's a sexy piece of hardware I tell you!

Methinks I might visit the Apple Store in Dallas this week and upgrade my HDD as we discussed. Still torn between a 500GB 5400RPM vs. 320GB 7200RPM.

By: Rich Chuckrey

Rich Chuckrey — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:39:04 +0000

Almost there! Keep talking….. I'm listening!

By: Scott Jarkoff

Scott Jarkoff — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:29:10 +0000

So you ready to go Mac yet? :D

By: Scott Jarkoff

Scott Jarkoff — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:28:56 +0000

I kinda feel similar although on OSX it is arguably a lot more palatable than on Windows. I think the way Fusion functions compared to VMware Workstation is substantially different, making the idea of VM's a lot easier to swallow.

By: Scott Jarkoff

Scott Jarkoff — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:22:42 +0000

That is definitely a good point – without raw numbers then management will merely dismiss the thought outright.

The problem is not solely with management. Users would potentially require some additional training and the support staff would need to be able to properly troubleshoot Mac issues. The cost is not so simple to calculate.

But yeah, coming up with numbers is a great idea. Maybe we can work that in to a future article.

By: Mitch Malone

Mitch Malone — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:47:59 +0000

Yeah there is. I'm not sure why, but it totally won't load in anything except IE6/IE7 under Windows. It's a really weird setup.