Mac value for money

Labarum said:
If I want a 15 screen I am in Macbook Pro territory, and they are looking very expensive compared to similar spec PC.
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With similar CPU?

For example, I have looked at laptops with Duo Core 2 1.66 GHz processor, they sell for around £700-£900. Macbook with 2.0 Ghz sells for only £650 after education discount (normally £700). Any similar 13" or 12" PC laptop tends to cost much more than macbook even with inferior CPU. There are plenty of people who want a laptop thats bit smaller than 15".

With Macbook Pro, things are a bit more level. You get 2.2Ghz CPU and 2 GB of ram, powerful 8600M GT graphic, fab screen and with OS X being only one operation system vs few versions of Vista. Add to that, there are some small details making it everyday use even better such as glowing keyboard in the dark, screen dimming as the lighting go lower etc. Remote for fab DVD playback and long battery life. It's basically what you get is what you pay for. :)
 
WotDa said:
My expanding battery tends to disagree, especially when it stops the keyboard and trackpad from working.

Perhaps I need a trip into 'town' to the Apple store...

But yes, Tiger rocks Vista so much imo.

Also, whilst we're on the subject of discounts... Web orders... Could I get onto http://apple.procureweb.ac.uk/ from college (which just so happens to be on superJANET) and blag a HE discount?

If so, I spy a nifty plan to knock the price of the mac pro I want down a bit...
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Alternatively, you could go to a local Uni and ask to use their resources centre (free to use by any student) and order it from there ;)
 
Durzel said:
I have a new MBP - is this expanding battery problem something you can spot quite easily?
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Yeah, would look like this if it's bad.

mbp-battery-bloat02_440.jpg
 
kvfb97 said:
IMO the MB and the iMac are the only reasonably priced Macs at the moment, but consumers will buy Mac Pros etc anyway because their so cool. :)
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Even on this sub-forum there's a single figure amount of Mac Pro owners that I can think of. They tend to stay in the workplace, in my experience.

I still think Apple should include a mid priced desktop mac with no included monitor. I'd dearly like them to, and so would many others. I want to run dual monitors, but I don't have £1600+ to spend on a Mac Pro, and I'd rather not buy a G5 Power Mac on ebay. As it is I use my MB and an external monitor, but I'd rather have a desktop machine and 2 monitors - but I can't :(
 
barnettgs said:
With similar CPU?

For example, I have looked at laptops with Duo Core 2 1.66 GHz processor, they sell for around £700-£900. Macbook with 2.0 Ghz sells for only £650 after education discount (normally £700). Any similar 13" or 12" PC laptop tends to cost much more than macbook even with inferior CPU. There are plenty of people who want a laptop thats bit smaller than 15".
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Dell's 14" Vostros offer comparatively decent value for money; 1.8GHz C2D for £528, and that's with a proper graphics chipset. I do agree that 13" PC notebooks tend to carry a crazy price premium though, although the 13" Sony VAIOs have been getting cheaper more recently. Apple do tend to use quite quick CPUs though, but they're going to have to get into the habit of keeping them updated.
 
Mohinder said:
I want to run dual monitors, but I don't have £1600+ to spend on a Mac Pro, and I'd rather not buy a G5 Power Mac on ebay. As it is I use my MB and an external monitor, but I'd rather have a desktop machine and 2 monitors - but I can't :(
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Do I read this right? A MB has limited control over two monitors? No extended desktop? Even a basic Dell will do that.

I have a firm's Dell 630 connected to a 19" screen in extended mode - mind you I am driving it with an analogue output from the Dell and it's noticeably less sharp than it straight digital mode from my tower PC.

One of the reasons to get a Mac is the digital output and lack of "legacy ports" I don't want to use.
 
No, he means he can't have a MB as well as two monitors as a MB only has 1 DVI output.

And yes, you can use extended desktop on MB's.
 
Labarum said:
Do I read this right? A MB has limited control over two monitors? No extended desktop? Even a basic Dell will do that.

I have a firm's Dell 630 connected to a 19" screen in extended mode - mind you I am driving it with an analogue output from the Dell and it's noticeably less sharp than it straight digital mode from my tower PC.

One of the reasons to get a Mac is the digital output and lack of "legacy ports" I don't want to use.
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It works with two monitors just fine. It's just that one 20" monitor and one 13.3" monitor isn't ideal - I used to use two 17"s on my PCs and found it ideal - these days I'm really after two 20" screens, but I can't do it with a Mac, because I don't have the cash for a Mac Pro.
 
Mohinder said:
It works with two monitors just fine. It's just that one 20" monitor and one 13.3" monitor isn't ideal - I used to use two 17"s on my PCs and found it ideal - these days I'm really after two 20" screens, but I can't do it with a Mac, because I don't have the cash for a Mac Pro.
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20" iMac + 20" TFT?
 
EVH said:
20" iMac + 20" TFT?
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I've considered that route too, especially now the new iMac is a much more 'regular' style. It's not good enough really though, I don't think, for them to have such a massive gaping hole in their range. It's a poor show imo.

I still want a proper midrange desktop mac! And I think a ton of other people do too. Apple obviously don't agree, but I can't help thinking if there was a Mac Mini type machine with a bit more grunt, and a bit more flexibility, it'd sell well.

If you take a look at the amount of threads on Macrumors where people are discussing a 'headless iMac' and so on, it's obvious that people want them, plenty of people. People'd buy them if they were released, and I think Apple's bullish insistence on being a bit oddball doesn't do them any favours on this occasion. They're missing out on sales...
 
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But I think I am right in this: an iMac is a cheap route to a very quiet personal computer for a silent office a in the lounge as a media machine.

There are quiet boxes out there for Windows of Linux, but they are all pretty expensive. Can someone show some that are not?
 
Mohinder said:
I've considered that route too, especially now the new iMac is a much more 'regular' style. It's not good enough really though, I don't think, for them to have such a massive gaping hole in their range. It's a poor show imo.

I still want a proper midrange desktop mac! And I think a ton of other people do too. Apple obviously don't agree, but I can't help thinking if there was a Mac Mini type machine with a bit more grunt, and a bit more flexibility, it'd sell well.

If you take a look at the amount of threads on Macrumors where people are discussing a 'headless iMac' and so on, it's obvious that people want them, plenty of people. People'd buy them if they were released, and I think Apple's bullish insistence on being a bit oddball doesn't do them any favours on this occasion. They're missing out on sales...
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I totally agree with what you're saying; Mac Pro without the XEONs.

Here's my trail of thought (bear with me)

Notebooks
Regular= MacBook
Pro= MacBook Pro

All in One
Regular= iMac

Desktops
Regular= Mac*
Pro= Mac Pro


*The current range is pretty clear cut, adding the word "pro" often is enough; by that logic they could easily offer a "Mac" as a non-pro version of the Mac Pro, categorise the iMac as an "all in one" (Jobs does this all the time), and discontinue the Mini. By offering the same design as the Mac Pro you could limit confusion (than creating a whole new design) then limit it to one single quad core cpu, upgradeable RAM, HDD and all the other stuff that the Mac Pro has and have a wide line of BTO options so everyone can configure their dream Mac.

It would certainly sell well, and boost their OS market share but I can't see it happening until AT LEAST 2008.
 
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Are you guys still using battery that has been expanded? You do know lithium poly batteries can explode into a large fireball? Remove that battery. NOW.
 
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