Microsoft amends 'Apple Tax' return slightly
Microsoft and technology analyst Roger Kay have made a couple of changes to their charts outlining the "Apple Tax," but the update does little to address broader critiques of their math.
On Monday, Microsoft noted that it has updated both Kay's white paper and the accompanying blog post and chart to reflect the fact that both failed to take into account Apple's latest hardware specifications. The new paper and chart use slightly different models on the PC side.
However, the main points I (and others) made last week regarding Microsoft's bad math haven't changed. Kay's report (and Microsoft's accompanying tax return) still put charges in the Mac column that they fail to account for on the PC side when it comes to both software and services.
Suggesting that users can just bring their old copy of Office and Quicken--and that they won't need to upgrade over the five-year life of their new PC--assumes a lot. It's particularly laughable as Kay and Microsoft add in a charge for updating iLife on the Mac side.
On the services side, Microsoft had a fair point of AppleCare being more than Dell's basic three-year warranty. But then it threw in all kinds of other services, such as in-store training and the optional MobileMe service to again lose credibility.
I mean, really, one could have added (as several readers suggested) the five-year cost of antivirus software only to the PC side as well as a one-time charge for removing crapware from the PC. Personally, I'd recommend antivirus software for both the Mac and the PC, although clearly Windows users have had greater need of it to date.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
most AV including free version protected against Conrficker
considering that being able to run Windows is a selling point for Macs, you are saying "having to use Windows" is a tax for both sides
-Luis
Conficker can run and be spread on patched machines. I can mass email it out and even on a patched machine it can run. I could install it via shellcode and inject it in another way.
The patch stopped one way to get it on a machine, which does little to stop a well written piece of malware.
The rest is mere speculation on your part. UNIX-based antivirus solutions have existed for as long as any other OS type. See also ClamAV, which does a stellar job of cleaning every virus it finds. Of course, it has to clean out almost all Windows-based one, but the point stands.
While there are options like AVG out there for free, the reality is that many fork out the yearly fee for a McAfee or Norton subscription both out of convenience and, yes, apathy. They may get as much as a year of free service with a new PC, but many of these PCs are in service for at least two or three years. Bump the time up to Microsoft's proposed five years and you're looking at $200 if the subscription has to cover the remaining four years.
Your also forgetting that alot of big box companies like Dell and Hp include several year subscriptions of Norton or McAfee for free.
that may be the case if you have less than 1gb of RAM and a really slow processor
I barely notice my AV even when its scanning, maybe 5 more seconds added to the time it takes for me to finish encoding h.264 or 3 less fps in a game
As for your claimed performance, I'd like to see something a bit more objective in your claims than mere assertion, if you would, especially since disk I/O is strongly affected during a full virus scan.
@applerocks. The cost is making sure your company keeps the computers up to date with the latest patches (ours is done automatically through group policy). With group policy, the IT department can manage thousands of settings on the client computers from a central location. Since you have already shown no knowledge of what it's like to manage hundreds of computers in a business, I'll take your comments as the usual "couch potatoe" response of someone who knows nothing but thinks they're an expert.
And the point is also, that you seem to be missing, is that Macintoshes don't NEED antivirus, but a Windows computer does. In fact, fire up a fresh install of Windows and what's the first thing it asks for (when you finally get completely set up)? It's strongly urges you to buy/download virus protection! First thing, right out of the box.
It's not that Apple doesn't pretend its universe is all sunshine and roses at times, but imagine if Apple did a cost comparison that compared the "Microsoft tax" by saying that a Dell Precision is equivalent to a 24-inch iMac. People would be up in arms.
Both of them spin the truth. Some people are stupid enough to believe the spin.
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That's an awfully level headed and rational statement to make in the middle of a flame war, Seaspray.
;-)
And this is the problem that MS has. They, by definition, can't admit that there is an appreciable difference between OSX and Windows. Yes, sometimes they try to say Windows is just as easy to use, and throw some 5 year old at you who had to be taught a script to easily do what they claim is so easy, but I've yet to see MS ever claim Macs are in any way harder to use than Windows, or less user friendly. So they have to ignore the differences entirely, and basically create these stupid ads or white papers that make it seem like Apple just builds hardware (and it might as well just run Windows).
I'd buy the gaming computer version of the ad if the kid actually BOUGHT one suitable for gaming, but since he doesn't, they blow that one too. I mean, if he bought a $700 desktop for gaming and actually got one, and showed how all Apple has for that price is a mac mini, then that's a valid commercial. But so far, MS has lied in it's ads just like it lies in this white paper. They aren't fooling anyone but the most stupid people in the market, and they weren't going to buy a Mac anyway...
(a) this math is incorrect, as there is no way Apple could possibly gain market share when the average year over year cost for owning a Mac is $800, or
(b) the math is correct, and more and more people find the Windows experience so abhorrent that they are willing to pay $800, YEAR AFTER YEAR, just to not have to deal with Windows.
The answer must be, obviously, (a).
I see this kind of nonsense all the time as an engineer. Somebody wants to tout a tech or business roadmap over any possible competitors, so they throw in data that supports them, and discount data that goes against them. Getting you to argue about detail X vs. Y is EXACTLY what they want you to do because they can then look like credible because they can tout some web site or statistic or market trend that they used to get their data. Sometimes you need to take a step back and say "well, if what you say is true, then X would have to be true" (in the above example, that people are willing to spend $800 more per year, year over year, for Macs, as witnessed by their gain in market share.
When you look at it that way, it is clear the data behind the claim is absolute nonsense (at least, Microsoft had better hope it is nonsense, otherwise they are really screwed).
Quit quibbling over the details. Kays' broader picture is clearly bogus. Go ahead and ask Kay and Microsoft, "well then, how do you account for the rise in Apple market share, if your analysis of this tax is correct? If your data is true, doesn't that point to a bigger problem with MS and PCs? Can you point me to ONE Mac switcher who quickly ditched their Mac because it was costing them house and home?" It should be their responsibility to justify this garbage, not Apple's (or fanboys) to discount it.
Anyway, I have both Macs and PCs. There is, without a doubt, a tax for Apple stuff. I could pretty much be guaranteed that I could buy any schlock piece of hardware for a PC, and it would probably work... most of the time. For Macs, you do have to be more selective, which usually means you will spend more money.
There are Windows taxes, too, like AV (that people seem to want to discount), and, if you were making a pure mac-to-PC comparison, you would have to start shelling out $$$ on the PC for backup solutions, and the time-is-money factor for networking solutions (like Bonjour) that seem to work extremely well for a Mac. But I have no doubt that there is more of an Apple tax than an MS tax.
But again, $800 year over year is just ridiculous. I don't say that as a fanboy. I say that as somebody with basic math skills and powers of deduction that gets annoyed whenever a marketing schlub tries to pass something out and claim it is scientific. It's plain laziness on their part..
Its called marketing and Apple has been doing the same thing for the last couple years. Do Windows machines honestly crash daily monthly or even yearly for some people? Do Windows machines honestly have to be upgraded anymore then Apple machines? If your going to keep the same OS on it then no.
Most average users will never see a blue screen in their whole computer lifetime..
So what is the difference between Apple claiming PC's crash all the time and MS claiming Apple's are overly expensive. All I see here is Mac users who can not take what they dish out.
You're right - Apple does marketing, too. And they hide things about instability, too. (spinning beach ball of death, anyone?). The difference in the example you cite is that Apple makes no claims about the frequency of crashes (something stupid like "PCs crash on average 4.3 times per day" or anything as scientific "sounding"). They make a general claim (PC's crash) using a funny (opinions vary) pair of characters, and produce a zinger. I also don't think MS spends all their money on marketing vs. engineering (as another I'm-a-Mac ad claims) or that PC makers are holding bake sales to raise money to fix Vista. But they are funny ads. (I also don't believe 4 out of 5 dentists recommend dentine gum, either)
The problem with this is two fold, (1) it is NOT an ad, and (2) they are NOT trying to claim they are being "marketing". They are trying to make a scientific cost-analysis statement. Once you do that, you are getting into my (somebody who can do math) wheelhouse.
Again, I'm not a fanboy. Microsoft's ads showing people buying a PC for less than a Mac are pure marketing, but fun (again, opinions vary), and without a doubt, pure marketing. (The Lauren in the ad could have easily said she isn't cool enough to be a Mac person because she couldn't find a Mac in the color she liked, and it would have been equally true).
I guess I just need a really robust OS, and Microsoft couldn't deliver. Microsoft just wants to compare hardware (not even their hardware) and services when talking about Apple Tax. The Mac OS alone is worth the extra at purchase time. Over the long haul the Mac OS has been cheaper. Plus I don't have to worry about various types of Mac OS, just regular or family pack. Have no idea why Microsoft feels the need to sell a tiered OS (basic, office, premium, etc).
Apple isn't looking for 90+% market-share
all they want to do is compete in the high end
you MS Fanboys cant stop taking marketshare can you ?
how bout you go back to listening to your spice girls cds
cause hey they sold well didn't they !
Who the hell mentioned marketshare. LMAO
"Most average users will never see a blue screen in their whole computer lifetime."
And those users are called fairies and elves, because in the real world it happens more often than you realize or are willing to accept. The rest of these comments by some people are simply hilarious!! Thanks again CNET bloggers for the laugh.
Really I don't see how...
I'm a power user and I never see them they happen about as much as a kernel panic in OSX to be honest with you.
And when they are caused its from shoddy drivers.
That's cool.
As for you, well, lame is someone like you that continues to defend $hit.
Big expensive piles of it.
that comment should be taken as seriously as you username
PCs are OK for people who don't mind doing that. But if you want your computer to "just work", hassle-free, get a Mac.
That will be true until Microsoft realizes that it's not just about the price of the laptop but the sum of the whole experience.
And in doing that, you also get a refined product, well designed and of higher quality. You'll actually be able to put your computer to sleep all the time without having to worry that it will get slower over time. In other works, advertised features really work, for a change.
Time 100 Windows computers when they were new and when they are a year old. Then do the same for 100 Macintoshes. You will find, without a doubt, that the Macintoshes are barely slower a year later, but the Windows machines are absolutely crawling in comparison to when they were new.
I'm an average consumer. Will you please stop wasting my time with the apple rhetoric?
What apple doesn't do is make it for $800.
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Did your old computer have a keyboard, mouse and monitor that are still working? Ever heard of the Mac Mini, or is throwing away perfectly good equipment like the keyboard and monitor a part of the winblows experience?
The Mini starts at $600, well below your $800 price point. Is it a computer powerful enough for everyone? No, not by a long shot. But it's plenty for what most people do with their computers. Heck, I have armies of them at work doing specific server tasks (one at each branch serves as a security server controlling/recording the security cameras at the location, one is a mail server, one is a network diagnostic machine, I even do support companywide using one!)
Again, I'm not saying it's the machine for everyone, I'm just saying you can get a Mac brand spanking new for under your $800 price point.
"And in doing that, you also get a refined product, well designed and of higher quality."
I'm not seeing it. The Screen is worse than my Dell, useablity is lessened (Over time I find the Mac Way but some things Just don't seem to exist that made the Job easier on a Windows Machine). The keyboard layout is dysfunctional. The USB ports get in the way of each other. The simple green band for a speaker/headphone port standard is missed. Out of the box usablity needs fine tunding before you can use your Mac as well as a PC.
The Mac does some things better, other things worse. When it comes to the refined and better product I'm just seeing "Same crap differnet PC" That's not litterlay true at least the crap is different, but not that I have to deal with it.
if Apple decides to license OSX to select PC vendors like HP or Lenovo
(no dell - they make crap)?
The last time I checked, Dell, HP, et al actually do control their hardware - they determine what gets installed and how.
Do you mean peripherals, perhaps? Sorry, but that won't fly either, as Macs do deal with peripherals on a daily basis, no?
Besides, as kcotham already mentioned, they tried this path before. I think OS X would afford them better luck then they had back then, but it wasn't exactly a smashing success last time. Apple took a lot of flack for hardware decisions their competitors (uh, I mean "partners", don't I??) had made. Plus, if they were going to go this route again, would they be in court with Psystar?
Oh wait, I've used PCs since 94 and just switched to the Mac this year.
LOL - lots of money and attention on this little company, eh?
I'm back to owning a Dell PC - with Vista 64 bit, no less - and here's why:
1> Odd behavior developed in GarageBand (the Apple forums are full of this reported issue) with no resolution.
2> Complete computer failure 3 months before 3 year extended warranty expired. Repairs were "free" but itemized invoice shows it would've cost me almost $1000! Same repairs on a PC would have been a third of the prices Apple quoted.
3> Proprietary sites expect you to have Windows and/or IE to use them - even after five years of waiting, the web still considers anyone without Windows to be behind the times.
4> Proprietary codecs expect you to have Windows Media Player. I'd receive emails or visit sites with certain video files that not even VLC or Flip4Mac would play.
5> Network print sharing between our Mac and our Windows computer was a hit-and-miss affair. The Mac could share out the printer but it wouldn't always allow printing on it. The Windows computer could do the same but the Mac didn't have the right drivers. Delving through online forums, I discovered how much like Linux the Mac really is (CUPS for printing) and how incompatible with most everything else it turned out to be because of this.
6> Java support - Apple is consistently behind Java updates.
7> Apple lock-in mentality. iTunes wouldn't allow downloaded files to play on anything but an iPod. Apple Mail won't allow Outlook import or export. Apple Address book won't allow contacts to be exported for use anywhere else (without a third party application).
8> The Apple Mighty Mouse - need I say more about this horrible piece of hardware?
9> The latest programs (Google Chrome) or their latest features are still released for Windows first.
10> Permissions hell: Suddenly you find your screensaver (of all things) won't launch using the hot corner you specified. Or sleep settings are not behaving, or iTunes won't let you use it... Sure, repairing permissions is a relatively easy task but why is this even necessary?
11> "It just (doesn't always) works" as I've seen the need to reinstall printer software after the Mac has forgotten it was physically connected to one by USB.
probably the 1st time I've even heard from one !
but having all the problems you had isn't necessarily normal
especially the Driver Problems these are unheard of to me
you're either spreading FUD
or you were just unlucky I guess !
cause my experience and that of several others has been the totally opposite and Apple also consistently leads in customer satisfaction too !
n e way Good luck with yr Dell ! hopefully it's problem free !
2. I am using a Mac for 3 years and everytime I have had any hardware issue the Genius guys replaced it without any charge. I am sure you never had the 3 year Apple Protection Plan.
3. Really do appreciate this observation. I have let such sites know that it is difficult for me to browse their sites because they use ActiveX. Fact is even on windows and using FireFox I cannot use such sites. The problem is not with Macs or Linux or Windows. the problem is using ActiveX which was knowingly developed by MS for IE only. I hope you do not mean that FireFox also sux on Windows or any platform.
4. See above answer.
5. Where do you get them ancient printers for which there are no mac drivers? have you heard of postscript printing? You mentioned CUPs and you do not know beyond that? Not surprising from a Winders person.
6. Really. How many really world apps are developed on cutting edge Java. We do development and use Java. Some of our products are still on JDK 1.5 cause it is costly to upgrade.
7. What do you mean lock-in. Where in the world are you? Have you used iTunes music lately. They are all open. Moreover it was not Apple who wanted the lock-in. It was the Music Companies. Go figure.
8 Who ever told you to buy the mighty mouse and keep it. you could have returned it. I did. I have a much nicer Logitech. Microsoft mouse it good too. Dude ever heard of USB (UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS)?
9. Try Safari - if you are talking about Chrome which is based Web-kit (the web engine from Apple) then dude you are still using Apple Technology. And Safari 4 knocks anything.
10. I can really say that you do not understand computing. Being technically challenged you must agree that by the time you have reached the 10 point you have proven to me that you have no idea about permissions. Well Windows never had it. Moreover it has never happened to me that the screensaver never launched due to permissions error.
11. I have not reinstalled printer software just to make it work. I have been using a Mac since 1994 and it has always "just worked".
1. "Odd behaviour developed in GarageBand"? So, the behaviour wasn't there in the beginning? It must have been something you did then. Ever try to do a clean install of the application? I'm sure it's rectifiable, whatever it is. Was it an old version?
2. Why complain about what didn't cost you anything?
3. And how is that the fault of ANY OS or computer manufacturer? It's shoddy web design, pure and simple. Safari scores higher on rendering tests and standards-compliancy tests all the time. It's the IE-specific code that is the problem. It's non-standard (not W3C compliant) and usually full of bugs and holes. It's no coincidence that half the viruses and malware that winds up on Windows computers got there through some bug in IE. Argument invalid.
4. Once again, you blame Apple for Microsoft's non-standard proprietary code. How is that anyone but Microsoft's (and the moron that used that codec) fault?!
5. What? This doesn't make since at all. You clearly weren't doing something right. Print sharing works well for me, even in a mixed environment. I've yet to encounter a printer (that was made in the last 10 years) that I couldn't just plug into my Macintosh and print. I've never had to download printer drivers. I just plug the printer in, and it's already set up, ready to go.
6. Apple doesn't use the "bleeding edge" versions of Java, true. (The Mac OS version of the run time is not as far behind as you make it out to be either.) The reason is that Apple optimises the code for Mac OS X and does extensive in-house testing before releasing their version. Usually, this means that the Apple Java is extremely stable and secure. I've never in all the years since Java showed up on the scene needed the absolute latest version of Java.
7. *sigh, When you say that iTunes files won't play on anything other than an iPod, are you saying that protected files won't play on anything other than an iPod? Or are you saying that the free files won't? It is true that you need an iPod if you want to use iTunes to sync your music to anything but an iPod (unless you use a third-party hack). And protected filed from any vendor will be that way.
Are you sure about that not importing Outlook thing? I distinctly remember it asking that when I set my new machine up last year. Now, after the machine is setup, that might be a bit more tricky, but I'm sure it can be done. Exporting, no, you're right, not to my knowledge.
An easy way to export Address Book contacts is to just export them as vCards. It's a cross platform, open standard that most address managers can read.
8. I really like my Might Mouse, it's all a matter of tastes. If you didn't like the mouse, get a third party one. I also have a travel Logitech that I really like and is better for playing the occasional game with.
9. Why would you need Chrome? Chrome is based on WebKit, which is also the basis for Safari. You want the latest WebKit version, download the very, very usable Safari 4PB.
10. I agree, that permissions get corrupted way too easily. But the fix is extremely easy. I've NEVER had any of the problems you described because of a corrupted permission. In fact, I'd never know they were corrupted if I didn't run the disk utility every once in a while. I'll take the occasional corrupt permission over a corrupted registry any day though!
11. Your problem there was that you didn't use the built-in drivers. The printer software that most vendors put out is very, very unreliable! There are 3.69GB of printer "drivers" included in Mac OS X on my machine right now! Also, see #5.
All in all, your complaints are for the most part are uncommon and could easily be fixed. That and it appears to me that you were still approached things from a Windows mindset. That mindset probably prompted behaviour that caused most of those "issues". You also make a very common comparison made by Windows fans. You compare something Apple had years ago (October 2004 you said) to something that is new (Vista, you said). Now, if you compare a new copy of Leopard on a new Macintosh against a new copy of Vista on a new PC, then okay, that's a fair comparison. If you want to compare Panther(?) to Windows XP, on 2004 hard ware, then that would be a fair comparison. Why is it that Windows fans can never compare like to like?
Because you can't do the reverse. You can only compare a mac to about 15% of all the makes/models of PC's made. If I asked you to compare a mac to my $800 gateway laptop, you can't. That's the whole point of microsoft's commercials. I'm not trying to down you or your choice of computer, but this is the real world and the average consumer can't afford or is unwilling to spend what it costs to get a mac. The cheapest mac laptop is $1000 and the average laptop price is $800. With netbooks becoming popular, I expect that average price will be dropping.
Will a PC do what consumers need a computer to do? For most, yes it will (it does everything I need). If you like the mac, then fine. I have no problems with that. I'm just not willing to spend the money on one, no matter how much you glorify it (nor do I buy BMW's).
the reason MS is so scared of Apple is that Apple have been gaining huge market share in the laptop market despite being so expensive. This scares MS. As pointed out above by the engineer, to some degree, while Apple doesn't cost $800 a year to own, it does cost more to own, and yet more and more people are willing to spend more money to get the Apple experience. That's why MS has these ads.
That $800 HP laptop doesn't actually fit Lauren's criteria, but she buys it anyway because she doesn't know any better. That's MS's core market, the person who wants something and then buys something else because they don't know any better. It's entirely about market/product confusion, and when a company has to resort to confusion to sell their product, they are desperate...
We are out there though I truly wish we had more honest informationg going in. I'm not alone in the problems I've had (see the above post for a few I've bumped into) but google has helped. Reading Mac reviews goes like this. "Oh MY what have I been missing! I bought my MacBook and it took all of 30 seconds to figure it all out and I'll never go back!" Complete and utter BS if you at all use a computer beyond the level of "Doorstop gismo".
At least on the Windoze side folks understand when you have a problem and actually try to help. In the Mac World it seems like blasphemy to mention it. Thankfully google is out there so we can find solutions that other Mac users say is "spreading FUD".
@seven7dust
We are out there though I truly wish we had more honest informationg going in. I'm not alone in the problems I've had (see the above post for a few I've bumped into) but google has helped. Reading Mac reviews goes like this. "Oh MY what have I been missing! I bought my MacBook and it took all of 30 seconds to figure it all out and I'll never go back!" Complete and utter BS if you at all use a computer beyond the level of "Doorstop gismo".
At least on the Windoze side folks understand when you have a problem and actually try to help. In the Mac World it seems like blasphemy to mention it. Thankfully google is out there so we can find solutions that other Mac users say is "spreading FUD".
Speaking of utter FUD, you say you can't get REAL help on the Mac side. Well then, you haven't tried real hard. There are plenty of discussion and support help sites other than the biggest one (Apple), like iFixit, Macworld, AppleInsider. Please don't contribute to the FUD problem by creating more FUD, because I have found plenty of help and provided plenty of help through these sites.
- I switched several years ago and have not had a single down day from viruses, OS reinstalls, or freeze-ups that plague most Windows users, including myself. Talk all the smack you want, but that is a simple fact of life.
- The sheer simplicity of integration is hard to put into words. Again, all I can say is that when I had a hard drive go down on my MacBook, I was able to replace it in 30 minutes (including the run to the store) and be up and running an hour later after installing from my Time Machine backup. Sure, one can do the same in Windows, but you have to plan out the software, hardware, process, etc to do so - no super-simple yet effective and automatic process really exists on the Windows side. Many readers probably have theirs set up, bit ho many of your friends and family do not? And why not? On my Mac, it was two clicks and done. Period.
If it cost more to do this, I might have less of a smile on my face. The mere fact that it was fall-down simple makes it a better experience. Just like better cars, better meals, better hotels, etc may cost more, they are usually purchased by people who want that level of service.
Face it - Windows may be the "default" for 90%, but it is far from being a great experience. Like a cheap airline flight, I felt that I was always being nickled-and-dimed for extras that should have come with the original purchase - such as security, stability, and integration. When I switched to the Mac, it was like slipping on a tailor-made suit instead of an off-the-rack special - It fits and feels a whole lot better, even if the untrained eye has difficulty telling the difference. Once you have worn one, it is hard to go back.
RAID is really awesome
ordered a new HDD from good ol' Newegg and let it rebuild overnight
(OK, my Leopard machine is a Mini that couldn't fit more than one disk inside it - but I can configure Firewire drives in a RAID configuration, in fact I have done so for my TimeMachine backups, and if I moved to say a Mac Pro it could configure an internal RAID - without any "upgrading" the OS to do it.)
What Time Machine offers is the next best thing for home users. I'm sure MS will include a similar product very soon. Until then, Time Machine wins. :)
Windows backup isnt' as effortless as Time Machine. Even time machine takes some work to get going.
However since I just found that Windows backup that works as good as if not better than time machine (Windwos Home Server) it can't be said it doesn't exist. For the $ Tax you can also use the Media (which I do) server side of this device. Oh and the HP version is Mac Compatible. Some features don't work but the way I set it up I still have access to my media and a place to let Time Machine back up.
Right now, today, while the numbers you all are bickering over continue to undulate, there are 9 PC users for every Mac user. OK, so maybe some of the PC users are drones, but 9 out of 10? Surely being a Mac user cannot make you so highminded as to really believe that so many people are just stupid.
In 18 years of using PCs and occasionally Macs, I have never had even a tenth of the PC problems I hear people claiming, and I don't know of anyone who has. I'm sure they are out there, but they are probably just a very, very vocal minority.
Much of the problem with viruses is not totally the fault of the OS. While I admit that security holes are all too frequqntly found, they do after all get patched. It's not as much work as some of you might like people to believe to keep a PC secure and running smoothly.
Keep in mind, Microsoft is only trying to MAINTAIN their overwhelmingly dominant market share, not gain it. For people who can afford it, I'm sure they will consider that the "investment" in Apple products is worth it (they'd better, or risk having to think themselves fools). No Apple product I know of is worth the money people pay.
Apple had a good thing going with the Mac Guy vs PC/Windows Guy ads (they were not only hilarious but eye-opening); now It's Microsoft's turn. I love it!
Frankly this Kay guys is getting too much press. Why bother. Do something else Ina.Go get a drink. Walk the park. Life is beautiful. Take your eyes away from the MS Kool-Aid.
When has Apple lied? I'm waiting for evidence.
since we are taking about macs
battery life is a topic that PC manufactures lie about not Apple
Apple does too but compared to Dell & Hp etc it's night and day
All Macboks ship with a rated capacity of 5 hrs of battery life
which means in real world use you can get somewhere around 3.5-4 hrs
sometimes on power saving settings I can go up to even 5.5 hrs on my macbook !
compare that to a majority of PC notebooks that only last 1.5-2 hrs
batterylife is a important topic everybody neglects in a Laptop
and Props to Apple for providing wat others should have !
I have no idea how you feel Apple is doing a bad job with it ?
maybe in iPhones ! but the rest is FUD !
But in the real world, my Mac Laptops have usually come quite close to the battery life promised when new. With 45 minutes of 6 hours when advertised as six hours. My MacBook Pro is the only exception, as it was about 1 hour short when new.
Compared to Windows laptops I've seen, that's damn good. Many get 2-3 hours in real world use. MBPs get 4-5, MacBooks 5-6...
As far as Quicken. Quicken 99 would work fine for me, but Intuit stops supporting / changes their download data format every year in order to force people to upgrade. I think I've upgraded twice since '99 so every 5 years sounds about right.
Not sure about iLife, however I would suspect that it work fine w/o an upgrade over a five year period.
It is a bit suspect to upgrade one side but not the other when making cost comparisons.
And the cost to remove Crapware???? Ummm Control panel Add remove programs!?!? Is the Author high on Apple Juice!
I personally always used Sophos on any Windows machine I had control of.
- by tcahill2 April 13, 2009 7:29 PM PDT
- Over the years I have owned Dell, Gateway and WinBook Laptops. I grew to accept that the lifespan of a laptop was two years. I have had screens fail, hard drives fail and batteries fail to hold a charge. So far so good with my December 2006 Macbook. My wife has had to replace the battery on her Dell that she bought after mine. The Macbook battery, while not as long lived as it was when it was new still gives me about an hour and a half before I have to plug it in. I live in a city where there is an Apple store and when I have had a problem it has been easy to go in an ask a question. I still run windows xp for the one program I need and while that adds to the cost of my ownership of a Mac I feel that it is money well spent.
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