Macbook pro - cost vs spec

QwaF said:
I held off on Macs for the longest time due to hardware specs vs price. After actually owning an OS X machine, the new i7 15" macbook pro is the best laptop i have owned, and due to how absolutely brilliant OS X is, i have not even thought about what if i bought another machine.

OS X is years ahead of windows, and i'm saying that is a large portion of the cost. Because for me, there is no competition - Windows is terrible, old and outdated in comparison.

Such a shame.. i'd love to use a Mac of as my main desktop - but as a PC gamer and someone who has to run their own hardware for a desktop, can't. An iMac as a secondary desktop is an option though... :p
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The problem is I don't use Windows, I use Linux. And for me I don't care if a new laptop has OSX or Windows 7 they're both pointless for me. I'm just looking for the best laptop. With that in mind, the Mac Pro's look very expensive, so I was lucking for a sensible explanation of the cost difference. Like I say this is NOT anti-mac, just a common sense approach I think..
 
Well then, i'd say the price difference comes with the operating system. There isn't really any point in buying a Mac if you're not getting it for OS X.
 
dangerstat said:
Could be mate, popped into "western" which like out local Apple shop, cheapest 15" was 1200 IIRC.
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I didn't think about resellers, I just had a quick scout on the site because it seemed on the cheap side of what I recalled. :o

For what it's worth, I don't think it's brilliant value for money either. I bought my 13" MBP for £880 ish which I thought was a good deal at the time on balance. If you're going to run Linux on it I'd go with the Sony.
 
theheyes said:
I didn't think about resellers, I just had a quick scout on the site because it seemed on the cheap side of what I recalled. :o

For what it's worth, I don't think it's brilliant value for money either. I bought my 13" MBP for £880 ish which I thought was a good deal at the time on balance. If you're going to run Linux on it I'd go with the Sony.
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But that doest ask the question about OSX. Is it worth £400? In the couple of years I have owned one, I cannot officially even download bootcamp now :eek: It seems like Mac owners, and mac lovers like myself are being shafted. I like the Sony but I'm willing to buy a Mac for a little extra. It seems strange to push the likes to me out, for well, no reason? It's just strange, why can;t I get a mac without paying an extra £400?
 
Feek said:
I don't think that an Apple laptop is for you.
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Well I think Dell, Lenovo, Sony etc would say the same. None of them provide a laptop to meet my aims. I did and more do love my Macbook, not because it has OSX but because it was good value and well built. Do Apple not offer that anymore?
 
I'd say the unibody aluminium shell adds a fair amount to the mac. If you are that bothered by the price difference then a MBP doesn't sound like it's for you. The 13 inch models (white and unibody) are well specced and a lot cheaper than the 15 inch models (if the extra 2 inches aren't that important)

Edit: Also if OSX doesn't play a major part in your decision process then there is no real reason to get a mac.
 
Theirs to many small things to list, but the two BIG things for me were these.

The trackpad, and simply, gestures, I cannot fathom now how I could use ANYTHING like a trackpad without gestures, the excruciating thought of having to move the mouse back and forth to simply click back a page, and the wonderful Expose gesture are real world life savers...as is how easy and accurate scrolling over pages are.

I have owned a Sony Vaio in the past, I dont care what OS you get with it, I like Win7, tho I still dont see it even close to OSX after using Ultimate for about 8 months now, BUT, Sony will stuff all their usual propriety software onto it, and then, welcome to bugged down crappy lagging slow ass boot up heaven.

Its always the same with Sony, great hardware, completely awful own software.
 
These things come and go, few years ago you could buy dual CPU, octo core 08 Mac Pro for £1300, and C2D Mac Mini for £329. Apple had some catching up to do on the workstation market and so they worked very efficiently on long term deals with Intel to gain solid position among other players. At the time, nothing, and I mean not a thing on the market could come close to those prices for the spec. Once Apple felt solid ground under their feet they did what all big companies do, they rolled out new models and robbed, pillaged and raped their customer base blind. In the same time, the previous Dick Turpins of the technological highway turned good guys and began selling their products at below Apple prices to regain position lost to Macs in recent years. £450-600 Vaio for example is anomaly previously unheard of. Very aggressively priced. But that's how it works. Time will come tables will turn again.
 
The main things for me that make a MacBook Pro worth the extra cost for me are:

1. The trackpad. I don't think this can be stressed enough. I have never encountered another laptop with anything close. I can use the trackpad as a total mouse replacement. Any PC laptop just doesn't come close. I don't know why they aren't researching like mad to give a comparable trackpad for pc users.

2. Resale value. At the end of a windows laptops life it is pretty much worthless, whereas a mac retains a lot of value (which you can put towards another new one :) )

3. OSX. I really love the OS. Unlike windows MacBook Pros do not slow down over time. I don't know why it happens with windows laptops but they always seem to grind to a halt after a year or so.
 
IMO, Apple laptops have two unique selling points: the design/build quality and OS X. If neither of those grab you then the price premium probably isn't worth it.
 
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