Are Mac's worth the price premium?

[splproductions]

OK - so if nobody liked my emotion-invoking life story of my transition to Macs...

Let's look at it this way. Between school, studying, shopping (all done online), reading (e-books or news), and hobbies (audio, photography, web design, etc), I spend at least 50% of my waking hours during the week with some sort of screen in front of me. That's a lot of time. I might as well spend that time with products that I think are innovative, sleek, and sexy (Macbook, iPad, and iPhone).

If I had a job where I drove all day long for work, would I want a minivan, or would I want a Lexus with wood grain, navigation system, sunroof, and an awesome sound system?

So yes. I'm paying for a name. I'm also paying for better screen resolution than any other tablet (iPad). I'm also paying for incredible integration between devices (iCloud with Lion, iOS5). I'm also paying extra for a solid aluminum body laptop case and a beautiful screen. I'm paying for a platform (iOS) that has better options for apps.

To each his own. From my experience of all things Windows (whether my experience is flawed or not), those products feel like the minivan. Apple's products feel like a Lexus to me. If your Windows machine feels like that Lexus to you, then that's awesome, and you should definitely stick with it. (No sarcasm here - I'm not trying to be a snob or anything).

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Mac's are only for those who refuse to purchase "second best products"

Interesting, it wasn't really that funny or clever on page 4 or 5 either.

Let's both go get a computer on a $1,500 budget. You get a Mac, I'll get a PC. I'm happy, you're happy.

You're happy because, according to you, a Mac is automatically better than everything out there. I'm happy to know that I bought twice the computer you did on the same budget.

I'm not a budget person, I'll pay a premium to not have second best. Honestly I own both high end Mac and Windows machines. The Mac is a pleasure and Windows is just....Windows.

Take equal amounts of money and find me a Mac that is more powerful than the equivalent PC. A high-end Windows desktop will annihilate any Mac in terms of hardware. You're paying for a brand name and nothing more.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Beleive that with all your heart. Well, true, Windows is MUCH cheaper. Then again so is Wal-Mart, but I shop at Target for the same reasons I don't hardly fire up my high end windows machines anymore

 

[Josh220]

high end windows

Lies! Oxymoron!

 

[2WheelPhoto]

high end windows

Lies! Oxymoron!

haha

True, let me rephrase- expensive decent hardware running CRAPPY windows OS =)

 

[Brandman]

Mac's are only for those who refuse to purchase "second best products"

Interesting, it wasn't really that funny or clever on page 4 or 5 either.

Let's both go get a computer on a $1,500 budget. You get a Mac, I'll get a PC. I'm happy, you're happy.

You're happy because, according to you, a Mac is automatically better than everything out there. I'm happy to know that I bought twice the computer you did on the same budget.

I'm not a budget person, I'll pay a premium to not have second best. Honestly I own both high end Mac and Windows machines. The Mac is a pleasure and Windows is just....Windows.

Take equal amounts of money and find me a Mac that is more powerful than the equivalent PC. A high-end Windows desktop will annihilate any Mac in terms of hardware. You're paying for a brand name and nothing more.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Yes you can find a windows machine with better hardware but your always going to be stuck with an unintuitive clunky operating system. It's like having a v12 engine connected to a transmission made for a 4 cylinder. The fact of the matter is macs use what they got way more efficiently than any windows machine which in the end provides a much more user friendly and powerful experience

 

[Canuk]

Mac's are only for those who refuse to purchase "second best products"

Interesting, it wasn't really that funny or clever on page 4 or 5 either.

Let's both go get a computer on a $1,500 budget. You get a Mac, I'll get a PC. I'm happy, you're happy.

You're happy because, according to you, a Mac is automatically better than everything out there. I'm happy to know that I bought twice the computer you did on the same budget.

I'm not a budget person, I'll pay a premium to not have second best. Honestly I own both high end Mac and Windows machines. The Mac is a pleasure and Windows is just....Windows.

Take equal amounts of money and find me a Mac that is more powerful than the equivalent PC. A high-end Windows desktop will annihilate any Mac in terms of hardware. You're paying for a brand name and nothing more.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

This has been dealt w/ on about page 4 or so. I have owned several of the high end PC gaming laptops $4000+ machines. All of them way overspec'd my Macbook. Plain and simple my Macbook runs faster cooler and with less problems. My Macbook Pro was under $3k. PC's coupled w/ windows os will always be clunky, slow and full of problems.

 

[usayit]

When we talk photographic equipment things are so clear to people. They see the benefit that comes to spending the extra bucks for the for even a small amount of quality. No one questions people's personal choices. When it comes to computers (or anything else for that matter) its a foreign concept that cannot be comprehended. Even worse they find ridiculous excuses to ridicule. Let's take Derrel's response for example... who cares if some won't find his system useful.... it works for him... and his response should not be degraded.


Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 or Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 VS Canon 24-70 f/2.8L or Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8

OR

Consumer body VS prosumer/professional body (even equipped with similar spec'd sensors)

OR

Knock off tripod VS Gitzo/Manfrotto etc.

All of the above fall along the same lines.


IMO, there is even a bigger and immediately realized benefit for the premium of Mac OS X over a Window build versus the premium of shooting a Canon or Nikkor over a third party lens manufacturer. Its amazing how short sighted people can be.

 

[cgipson1]

Funny.. I have NONE of the windows OS problems so many are whining about.....

It is all a matter of opinion.. and this is a totally stupid question and thread anyway... since it really is all based on opinion.

 

[usayit]

Funny... you calling the rest of us liars?

I used to work IT support. The LAST thing you are suppose to say is "It works for me....". Ultimately, others don't care if it works for you.

 

[cgipson1]

Funny... you calling the rest of us liars?

I used to work IT support. The LAST thing you are suppose to say is "It works for me....". Ultimately, others don't care if it works for you.

No.. not calling anyone liars.. just wondering why you had problems? I still work in IT support.. because I am good at it!

I get tired of all the the STUPID Windows vs MAC nonsense.... it is a waste of time. I get tired of all the silly FanBoi statements (Windows OR Mac) without any proof to back them up.. only Opinions! (and Opinions are like........... ?)

 

[usayit]

Ok.... so what has been said..

Mac users: I like it. Style. Good build. Good filesystem. Worth the money. Good longevity. Good usability. (mine was "Linux like" therefore comfortable) I didn't like windows. Windows had problems.

Windows users: FanBoi responses and "you Mac users are terrible shoppers to spend too much". Oh and you response... Windows works for me you whiners.


Most if not all Mac users are/were Windows users. Not all Windows users ever gave Mac OS X a good try (pretty obvious there are at least two here... one didn't even know that Mac have mouses with more than 1 button for years)

Hmm....... a little short sighted aren't we?


I sure hope your response was not an indication of your support tactic..... It ranks in the top ten things you should not say.

 

[cgipson1]

Ok.... so what has been said..

Mac users: I like it. Style. Good build. Good filesystem. Worth the money. Good longevity. Good usability. (mine was "Linux like" therefore comfortable) I didn't like windows. Windows had problems.

Windows users: FanBoi responses and "you Mac users are terrible shoppers to spend too much". Oh and you response... Windows works for me you whiners.


Most if not all Mac users are/were Windows users. Not all Windows users ever gave Mac OS X a good try (pretty obvious there are at least two here... one didn't even know that Mac have mouses with more than 1 button for years)

Hmm....... a little short sighted aren't we?

I support Macs as well as Windows machines.. and I will say the stupid people are less likely to break a Mac than a Windows machine, so I guess they have their uses! And since I don't support anyone on this forum.. I am free to say what I choose! Been at IT for over 22 years... so yea, I know the ropes!

 

[manaheim]

I support Macs as well as Windows machines.. and I will say the stupid people are less likely to break a Mac than a Windows machine, so I guess they have their uses! And since I don't support anyone on this forum.. I am free to say what I choose! Been at IT for over 22 years... so yea, I know the ropes!

This.

 

[usayit]

I support Macs as well as Windows machines.. and I will say the stupid people are less likely to break a Mac than a Windows machine, so I guess they have their uses!

There we go!!! Probably the most contributing answer from a Windows user in this entire thread... better than "Fanboi" and "over-priced" statements that have been recited over and over again.

I am now a software engineer working on Unix, Windows, and Linux platforms. I do play a role in the design sessions. If your product is easy enough to operate by all people of all sorts of skill levels (yes even stupid people), then you have achieved one of the principle goals of a good design.

One of the architects in our group likes to quote this:

Utilitas, firmitas, venustas.

 

[gerardo2068]

:lmao:

Apple built their entire Mac empire on the fact that people are too incompetent to do simple things. Is everyone that uses a Mac incompetent? No. But there is no argument that the incompetent user is a segment Apple has ALWAYS targeted.

You are wrong. I have built windows computer before. I don't want to do that any more. Incompetent peoria are everywhere including windows owners. Like the one that take the pc to geek squad.