Worth going all Apple?
- Thread starter Gabe_sl
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BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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If a Mercedes had the exact same internals as the Mini but a fancier body it would be a decent analogy.
Except there's more to a laptop than just the CPU and the GPU.
The trackpad, the build quality, the keyboard, the screen, the weight, the battery life, the warranty, the operating system etc. etc.
Those things may not matter to you but they matter to me, and that's why I happily pay the premium for those features.
Shonuff
Mr. Poopybutthole
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I have an ipod/iphone/ipad, but I don't see how I could call myself a gamer with any sort of Mac PC.
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See, but you're wrong. That computer compared tothis Apple(the one priced $1699) is not even close. The Apple has a retina screen (twice the resolution), a SSD, gigabit ethernet, dual Thunderbolt ports, magsafe, it has more ram, a much, much better web cam (720p), bluetooth, and a multitouch trackpad. And that Lenovo has a weird, off-centered track pad. And that's not even mentioning all the good Apple pre-installed software. The macbook is just leagues ahead of that Lenovo. And we haven't even taken into account build quality and esthetics.
To say that these two computers are equivalent is completely dishonest, and is like comparing a Diahatsu to a Corvette.
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You have to remember that it's near the end of the current Macbook lifecycle, too. According to the Macrumors buyers guide, it's been 217 days since the MBPs were last updated. They update, on average, every 267 days. Since Apple don't drop the price of their laptops, they become worse and worse value over time. The value of a new Macbook is at its highest in the weeks immediately following an update.
It's also important to note that Macs also hold their resale value like no other. I bought my current MBP 13" for $1,000. I can resell it tomorrow for $600. Not bad for a 3 year old laptop.
Price aside, I use my wife's macbook on occasion and I fucking hate it. Maybe it's just a result of my PC upbringing, but OSX kills me. It's counter-intuitive to the point where I can see very little increase in functionality in comparison to say... a tablet. It's also riddled with buggy little idiosyncrasies that I can't stand. Like having to disable/enable the network card every time I reopen it before it will connect, or its default setting that I discovered playing Starcraft 2 in which moving the cursor to the edge of the screen minimizes everything. Or having to scroll through a page of irrelevant files before my search of "Utorrent" comes up with the correct application. Or having to get a software update consisting of at least 4 different TOS agreements so that my newly-purchased power cord will actually charge the battery. Or that the 2-year old version of OSX isn't supported by programs that support OSX.
Tarrant
<Prior Amod>
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So not to talk trash about MAcs or whatever but I have an honest question. Sometimes my wifes Macbook and even my iPad will be connected through Wifi and it will all the sudden be super slow while the rest of my stuff that's connected never suffers. It's super annoying.
Frenzied Wombat
Potato del Grande
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LoL! Nice Try. So I compare a mac and a PC that have very similar specs in order to make the price difference relevant, then you go and grab a totally DIFFERENT model of MacBook and begin to compare apples and oranges. There's a reason why the Mac I chose is $100 more expensive than the one that you say is superior, and it's is because it has a larger screen and an I7 CPU. More costly than a 128GB SSD and $40 for 4GB of ram. The one you chose isn't "better", it's just for different market segments, namely people who want fast boot speed over storage capacity, and don't mind the slower proc.
If you want to compare something similar to what you just chose, take a look at Samsung Series 5 or Series 9. Or though I hate them on principal, you can configure a Dell that has the exact same stats for $1100.00
If you want to compare something similar to what you just chose, take a look at Samsung Series 5 or Series 9. Or though I hate them on principal, you can configure a Dell that has the exact same stats for $1100.00
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I... can't agree with you. They are comparable on many fronts.
The items you listed may not match off tit-for-tat, but a lot of what you mentioned also falls into the category of "most people don't care":
- Retina screen. Most people are fine with 1366 x 768.
- SSDs are great and all, but they (generally) provide less storage space. Depending on who you are, this isn't a good thing.
- Dual Thunderbolt ports are nice and all, but again, this isn't something most people would jump up and down about.
- Better webcam? Seriously? This is a big line item? For who?
- MagSafe isn't something I would pay an order of magnitude more for. I don't see why people can't just be careful with their electronics. That might just be me.
Things that I agree are big talking points:
- GbE - Yes, this is a big plus.
- Bluetooth. Seriously, a modern laptop without bluetooth?
- Multitouch trackpad. These are awesome, or so I think -- but then again, I should probably take this off the list, because this is as much a personal choice as your disdain for the Lenovo trackpad. It's great that you don't like it. That's your opinion. Some people prefer the way Lenovo does things (although I wouldn't actually admit to knowing any, if I did).
In short, I disagree that these two laptops aren't comparable. They are very comparable, and yes, the Mac does have features that the Lenovo doesn't, even though it's due for a refresh. Even so, that's still $1100 in price difference, and for $1100, I can buy you one hell of a Bluetooth dongle. With that kind of delta in price, I would be absolutely shocked if there wasn't a feature or two that the Mac was the clear winner on. The point here is that it shouldn't even be a contest. Comparing those two laptops should be like comparing a bunch of stones to a pocket calculator.
ITT, neither side seems willing to see the other's points. How surprising!
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Sorry, you're right. I did compare it to the wrong model. I didn't see the 2.3ghz for $1799 when I went and looked. But you're going to have to try again. You're comparing a quad core Macbook to a dual core Lenovo.Apple doesn't seem to makea dual core 15 inch laptop without a Retina display. So do you want to try again? If you compare it to the 13 inch 2.9Ghz, which is $1499, it has a better hard drive, more ram, better display, gigabit ethernet, dual thunderbolt ports, magsafe, 720p webcam, bluetooth, multitouch trackpad, infinitely better build quality and look and feel, pre-installed software, etc. It's just leagues and leagues ahead. So you did *not* find a laptop that is equivalent to the MacBook for cheaper. I'm genuinely interested if you can find a equivalent non-Apple laptop for cheaper.
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lol. That's fine if you don't like or need the hardware, but you can't put up a shitty $500 laptop and say it's equivalent when it's not. The fact is that Mac I linked, and the other Mac I just discussed up above are in fact very superior in terms of hardware. What is not a fact is whether or not the individual feels that the hardware upgrades are worth the extra money. Ie, you can't just write off all the deluxe hardware as nonsense and then say they are comparable.
Oh, that Mercedes, I don't care that it has leather seats, or that it can prevent you from falling asleep and drifting into another lane, that doesn't matter to me. And I don't care that it's very reliable, or that it rides very smooth and is very safe. And I don't care that it has bluetooth streaming to my phone. So obviously my Diahatsu is just as good. And way cheaper.
Frenzied Wombat
Potato del Grande
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Actually this is a big fallacy perpetrated by computer manufacturers. The fact is that in a consumer/home environment unless you are constantly copying large files across a wired gigabit switch--maybe from your NAS if you have one, a gigabit NIC offers no performance advantage over a 100mb one. Most standard network traffic isn't large or persistent enough to take advantage of gigabit. At the office the only people who get gigabit switch ports are IT and the few people who open massive CAD files. It's like saying a 100mb nic is a drain pipe that is 1 foot wide, while the gigabit nic is 10 feet wide. Now pour a glass of water down each, which will drain the water quicker? They'll both drain at the same rate.
I lost a laptop because someone tripped over my power cable and sent it flying. The magsafe is worth it for me.
The power adapters are pretty shoddy, though. I've been through 4 of them because the cables keep fraying and breaking down. Not good.
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Fair enough. That's my own preference and situation talking. I use GbE at home, but most people probably don't care about that either.
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Yeah, I mean, that was kinda a tongue-in-cheek statement from me in the first place. I've never lost a laptop that way, but the second I do, you can bet I'll be heaping praise on MagSafe as well.I lost a laptop because someone tripped over my power cable and sent it flying. The magsafe is worth it for me.
The power adapters are pretty shoddy, though. I've been through 4 of them because the cables keep fraying and breaking down. Not good.
Frenzied Wombat
Potato del Grande
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Dude, you want to argue that your MacBook is better than any PC, I can accept that because it is at least somewhat objective. But to seriously argue that you can get a Mac for the same or less than an equivalent PC is sheer lunacy.
Go onto Dell's site and configure yourself one that is VERY close.. I did and it came out to $1150.00
Go onto Dell's site and configure yourself one that is VERY close.. I did and it came out to $1150.00