why the hell are apple macs so expensive

widdyst · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:31

dowie said:
why buy a jaguar s type when you could buy a ford mondeo for much less - it shares the same underlying chassis, lots of the same components etc...

No it doesnt

meghatronic · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:32

I find it funny that all this discussion is going on when the first reply answered the question perfectly:

growse said:
They're expensive because people will pay that much for them.

Rameses · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:35

It's because they are superior to any PC, and only elitists like myself own them.

Marky · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:36

Phate said:
Oh, now you've done it....theres worms everywhere

I know why I bought a Mac Pro, but trying to justify to most of this forum will be impossible

I see what you did there

Macs are just more expensive because they know that people will buy them at the higher price for the brand. To be fair, if you go into an Apple store you can clearly see that the build quality is very good - but they are making a very nice profit on each computer.

Phate · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:37

Amp34 said:
While I agree that they may be very well built you can buy normal cases that do similar things... However they are expensive (£140 for my Lian Li for example and even that's not their top of the range case), and you have to build the machine itself.

As for your maintenence I haven't had to do any at all since transfering my components into my new case about a year ago so that's a non argument really. It's also hitting on one of the standard arguments that mac users use, the whole not needing to touch or upgrade anything "unlike" "PC's" (I think they mean windows machines with their PC rubbish...). That's obviously rubbish as well, you don't "have" to upgrade your PC, most people don't, but there is much more of a culture around upgrading a windows machine than a mac, you can uprade both just as much as the other but one is all about power (usually) and the other more form it seems to me. So what does it matter if it runs a little slow, it looks nice...

But the argument of maintenance could go on ALL DAY. If I had chosen a different graphics card that wouldn't be the case. If my room was less dusty it wouldn't be the case, so ners

Because there is so little software out there for macs?

Buying a Mac has never ever once limited me from doing something that I would've needed Windows to do

- So that isn't a valid point either

- And even if that is the case (which I'm sure there are with some) you can dual boot Windooze anyway!

(for photographers lightroom and Photoshop)...

Easy now fella, I use mine for Photography work and when I'm rendering images over 7000pixels wide I'm quite glad I've got 2 cpus and 9gb of memory bubbling away whilst I browse the net, chat on msn, use iTunes and batch stamping adjustments in Aperture

Tummy · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:38

I just get annoyed with people who seem to think that Macs aren't PCs.

They're just computers with OSX on instead of Windows.

They're still PCs.

Chimerical · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:40

Also I don't get the argument that Mac's can't play games.

90% of PC's can't play games either, well anything that isn't Solitaire anyway.

Tummy said:
I just get annoyed with people who seem to think that Macs aren't PCs.

They're just computers with OSX on instead of Windows.

They're still PCs.

Only because people insist on bringing up how expensive they are.

Sankari · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:40

widdyst said:
As Title why pay so much for an apple mac pro for example ?

The silver paint costs more.

Amp34 · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:43

Moses99p said:
I think it looks relatively nice, it seems to "just work" (as the advertising tells me!), every little feature improves the user experience (the touch pad, for example, is awesome), whilst I can see the sense behind the power connector, and so forth. Merr, the only game I'd play on a laptop or PC would be Football Manager, and so it works fine, and I just see my brothers, with their laptops falling apart after a year of use, and am content with my purchase.

Do "normal" laptops, running Windows, get as good battery life? (I have a 15" Macbook Pro, and the battery lasts forever).

Over three years ago I spent £1096.50 on a rowing machine, but I got a Concept 2, because they're awesome. I could have bought a cheaper alternative, but everything about the Concept 2 suited what I wanted... the cost was pretty high, but I realised I'd be using it for a long time, and it wouldn't have the problems a cheaper one might have. It's still going strong, and I'm still happy with that purchase. Am I mental for paying more for an expensive rowing machine? A cheaper version would have been "sufficient" afterall..

The Black macbook looked pretty nice, and I admit the new silver ones look pretty nice too but the white plastic ones were nasty. They are also too plain. Now I'm not one for those nasty looking "gamer" cases but I like things with a bit of style, and I don't think mot macs have that, they have gone too far and are just plain.

I bought a Dell laptop over a year ago and that "just works" too, same with my parents PC that only after 7ish years has been upgraded to windows 7 and again it still just works. The only computer that didn't always "just work" was my desktop, mainly because I spent so long fiddling with it. Since I stopped fiddling guess what, it "just works". In fact any computer that doesn't just work needs to be sent back to the manufacturer IMO.

Just working isn't something specific to a mac yet a lot of mac owners try to say it is.

As for falling apart after a year, well that's a cost thing. How much was his laptop? My laptop is an XPS and the build quality is as good now as it was when I bought it, pay peanuts and get peanuts as your rightly say, unfortunately most people compare a £1000 macbook against a £500 windows laptop and wonder why macbooks are much better, compare it to a £900-1000 windows laptop however and there is no difference.

Again going from experience my XPS lasts over 7 hours doing basic word processing and I can easily watch 2-3 films in a row without having to plug it in (even 18 months later).

I'm not trying to slight macs just point out when compared with like for like machines there is little difference, pay £1000-£1500 for a laptop and you will get quality whether you get an OSX based one or a Windows based one. Just depends on what OS you like the most. This is where people on both sides seem to stumble, there is nothing wrong with either, yet really nothing better, yes OSX may be a bit better at video editing, but windows is better at games, etc...

As for that stupid image that gets trawled up every time (the one comparing a standard mac to a "standard PC" (with dozens of wires eerywhere)) well, if mac users really think that's what windows machines look like they need their heads examined.

Sharpsilver · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:45

I must be one of those few people who went from a PC, to a Mac, then back to a PC, why?

Because of the lack of customization. With an imac, your buying practically a sealed box from which you cant touch or modify any component apart from the RAM and Hard Drive without voiding the warranty and Applecare. With a PC, if that optical drive dies, you can replace it for a tiny amount by opening up the case and plonking a new one in, with an iMac you'd need to send it off to a official repair centre and if your Applecare is void or out of date, then be prepared to pay £££ to get it replaced, this is time wasting and generally a nuicance.

I've got nothing against them, but I personally think a PC is a lot more futureproof, cheaper to operate and you get more for your moneys worth. True, PC's can't compare to Macs in how the OS utilizes it's power and components, and is a little more efficient and with it's clean GUI, apart from that, I prefer Windows... because I'm a gamer, and a Mac is not designed for it. I bought my iMac for it's as a workstation and to get my coursework over and done with, and now that is done and I'm not needing it for iMovie or several of the other programs it came with, I'm ready to go back a PC.

At the end of the day it comes down to your preference.

clv101 · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:46

Friends often come to be with 2-3 year old Windows laptops and they basically don't work any more. Windows has just twisted itself up into to horrible mess.

MacBooks after 2-3 years regular (non-expert) use still seem to work as well as they did on day one.

Why is Windows so intolerant of regular users compared with OSX?

bigredshark · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:46

The Mac Pro is the worst comparison to ask about unfortunately. A similar Dell Precision workstation or HP z600 workstation costs almost exactly the same.

That aside, there is a slight price premium across the range, which is made worse by Apple's infrequent update cycles (so the current Macbook Pro is £1600 at the top end and it doesn't even have the option of a mobile i7 which is annoying). It's a premium product at the end of the day and Apple have created a formidable brand so it's sustainable.

Amp34 · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:49

Phate said:
But the argument of maintenance could go on ALL DAY. If I had chosen a different graphics card that wouldn't be the case. If my room was less dusty it wouldn't be the case, so ners

You missed my point...

Neither machines really need maintenence, unless you fiddle with your computer constantly, or have a really dusty room...

Phate said:
Buying a Mac has never ever once limited me from doing something that I would've needed Windows to do - So that isn't a valid point either - And even if that is the case (which I'm sure there are with some) you can dual boot Windooze anyway!

Well it probably doesn't have as many random tatty programs written for it, which is where my comment was mainly aimed, but you did stick your foot in it there.

Phate said:
Easy now fella, I use mine for Photography work and when I'm rendering images over 7000pixels wide I'm quite glad I've got 2 cpus and 9gb of memory bubbling away whilst I browse the net, chat on msn, use iTunes and batch stamping adjustments in Aperture

But, but.. my windows PC can do that just as easily.

Chimerical · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:52

clv101 said:
Why is Windows so intolerant of regular users compared with OSX?

Why are Windows users so intolerant of Mac users? When was the last time a thread was brought up by a Mac user complaining about PC's?

dowie · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:53

widdyst said:
No it doesnt

its got a ford mondeo engine and the x-type has a ford mondeo chassis...

point still stands - the apple mac is more than just a few of the components that any idiot can look at and try to make a direct comparison to some other computer sharing some of those components.

Tummy · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:55

Chimerical said:
Why are Windows users so intolerant of Mac users? When was the last time a thread was brought up by a Mac user complaining about PC's?

A MAC IS A PC.

Phate · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:55

Amp34 said:
You missed my point... Neither machines really need maintenence, unless you fiddle with your computer constantly, or have a really dusty room...

Well maybe I clean up once in a while HAPPY NOW?

Well it probably doesn't have as many random tatty programs written for it, which is where my comment was mainly aimed, but you did stick your foot in it there.

Damn, you mean there isn't just random crap I can use, gutted

But, but.. my windows PC can do that just as easily.

Nope because Aperture is Mac only. HA

tbs · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:55

Tummy said:
I just get annoyed with people who seem to think that Macs aren't PCs.

They're just computers with OSX on instead of Windows.

They're still PCs.

but it has a pretty Apple logo on it!*

*typing on a non unibody MBP with a MagicMouse, along side using my iPhone 3Gs

Chimerical · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:57

Tummy said:
A MAC IS A PC.

Actually its not. A Mac Pro is a workstation and an iMac has laptop components.

If you're talking about a standard desktop Quad Core PC there is no Mac equivalent.

Amp34 · 2 Jan 2010 at 13:57

Meh, I only cleaned up the other day after about 6months...

I know! What if you wanted 5 different browser toolbars!

Just use Lightroom then