Comments on: Researcher: Macs not as expensive as thought

A comparably equipped Windows-based computer is only about 13 percent less expensive than a Mac, says analyst.

[lefty.crupps]

so, how expensive is thought?

Come on, CNet, use some grammar.

Why don't we see articles named "Cheap Windows boxes not as inexpensive as advertized" or "GNU/Linux boxes worth more than hardware"? Because anyone who knows computers knows these to be true.

[PCCRomeo]

Dell NEVER has a sale...

Buy a $1,000 notebook from them and put it on a Dell Preferred Account...

For the first couple of months they won't send you a bill, yet you're expected to pay anyway. Before you know it you owe them $1,250. You keep paying and paying and Dell keeps slapping on that 30% interest and it takes you 6 years to pay off a notebook you purchased and then 2 weeks later it dies...

[chuck_whealton]

They love to make you work for rebates (Dell)

I ordered a laptop from Dell for my Sister in Law. Just like I knew would happen, I ended up having to call them asking for her rebate. They said she didn't send in the order# or some similar piece of information.

The real kicker was that I looked on their rebate form. It had NOTHING WHATSOEVER about the piece of information they said we needed to have.

Luckily, she saved her shipping label that had it on there and ironically, once I gave it to the "Dell Rebate Guy", he said he was able to find it and it would be sent - which it was. How convenient they couldn't send it until I surprised him with that number.

By contract, when I ordered my PowerBook from the MacMall, it had a boatload of rebates, mainly from the MacMall with another one from Epson.

Not a single problem there. I got every last one of 'em.

Same deal when I ordered my Wife and iPod from the MacMall for Easter. Sent the two rebates in and got the check back ASAP.

But this article was on how Macs aren't REALLY more expensive than Intel based boxes.

I don't necessarily agree with that, considering the $399 laptop I got from Dell (once they finally sent the rebate!) doesn't SEEM to be a half bad piece. Do I like my PowerBook better? Sure, no question I do, considering I paid somewhere over $1,000 for it.

At least it runs a decent OS...

Charles R. Whealton
Chuck Whealton @ don'tspam.net

[PCCRomeo]

Dell NEVER has a sale...

Buy a $1,000 notebook from them and put it on a Dell Preferred Account...

For the first couple of months they won't send you a bill, yet you're expected to pay anyway. Before you know it you owe them $1,250. You keep paying and paying and Dell keeps slapping on that 30% interest and it takes you 6 years to pay off a notebook you purchased and then 2 weeks later it dies...

[chuck_whealton]

They love to make you work for rebates (Dell)

I ordered a laptop from Dell for my Sister in Law. Just like I knew would happen, I ended up having to call them asking for her rebate. They said she didn't send in the order# or some similar piece of information.

The real kicker was that I looked on their rebate form. It had NOTHING WHATSOEVER about the piece of information they said we needed to have.

Luckily, she saved her shipping label that had it on there and ironically, once I gave it to the "Dell Rebate Guy", he said he was able to find it and it would be sent - which it was. How convenient they couldn't send it until I surprised him with that number.

By contract, when I ordered my PowerBook from the MacMall, it had a boatload of rebates, mainly from the MacMall with another one from Epson.

Not a single problem there. I got every last one of 'em.

Same deal when I ordered my Wife and iPod from the MacMall for Easter. Sent the two rebates in and got the check back ASAP.

But this article was on how Macs aren't REALLY more expensive than Intel based boxes.

I don't necessarily agree with that, considering the $399 laptop I got from Dell (once they finally sent the rebate!) doesn't SEEM to be a half bad piece. Do I like my PowerBook better? Sure, no question I do, considering I paid somewhere over $1,000 for it.

At least it runs a decent OS...

Charles R. Whealton
Chuck Whealton @ don'tspam.net

[i,Jimbot]

Truth be told, people are sheep

The truth is, most people are sheep and won't buy Macs even at
the same price, because they won't take the time to research
what is best. Why do you use a Windows based PC? "Because 90%
of others do." "Because my office does.", etc. Most PC users have
never stopped by an Apple Store & even taken a serious look at
what is available. If people actually took the time to give it
serious thought, you'd have more Mac users because they'd see
what all they get for the price.

Don't believe me? Are you a Windows user? I wonder if you've
looked a Mac system recently, and seriously considered the
benefits of switching. Have you tried iLife? Have you lived
without viruses and adware and spyware? Probably not. You've
probably never considered it because you don't want to take the
time or effort.

Of course, you always have the gamers that won't look at a Mac
because the best games are not on the Mac yet. They are the
same way, and won't consider booting into Windows on a Mac as
an alternative. Of course, these are guys that pay thousands to
play video games, when a console does a better job. Oh well...

[just_some_guy]

That's just silly.

The real truth is that normal people don't have an irrational bias towards a technology company.

People that live and breathe computers may think that only the Mac can serve the needs of everyone, or only Windows, or only Linux. That's just weird to normal people. The topic of personal computers is not important enough to even argue about, nor should it be. It doesn't rank up there with topics like family, careers, education, and the like.

I own a Mac, a Linux PC, and several Windows PCs. I like them all, because I am competent with them all. I use Windows most often, not because I am unaware of the Mac, but because Windows does serve my needs. I never get viruses or spyware (since I don't frequent pirate warez sites or kiddie porn sites).

Of course, the crazy Mac folks think that's impossible and illogical and that everyone should think like them.

[Gromit801]

Yep

Absolutely correct!

[alek_nedic]

Apple Store

http://www.analogstereo.com/mercedes_ml_class_owners_manual.htm

[i,Jimbot]

Truth be told, people are sheep

The truth is, most people are sheep and won't buy Macs even at
the same price, because they won't take the time to research
what is best. Why do you use a Windows based PC? "Because 90%
of others do." "Because my office does.", etc. Most PC users have
never stopped by an Apple Store & even taken a serious look at
what is available. If people actually took the time to give it
serious thought, you'd have more Mac users because they'd see
what all they get for the price.

Don't believe me? Are you a Windows user? I wonder if you've
looked a Mac system recently, and seriously considered the
benefits of switching. Have you tried iLife? Have you lived
without viruses and adware and spyware? Probably not. You've
probably never considered it because you don't want to take the
time or effort.

Of course, you always have the gamers that won't look at a Mac
because the best games are not on the Mac yet. They are the
same way, and won't consider booting into Windows on a Mac as
an alternative. Of course, these are guys that pay thousands to
play video games, when a console does a better job. Oh well...

[just_some_guy]

That's just silly.

The real truth is that normal people don't have an irrational bias towards a technology company.

People that live and breathe computers may think that only the Mac can serve the needs of everyone, or only Windows, or only Linux. That's just weird to normal people. The topic of personal computers is not important enough to even argue about, nor should it be. It doesn't rank up there with topics like family, careers, education, and the like.

I own a Mac, a Linux PC, and several Windows PCs. I like them all, because I am competent with them all. I use Windows most often, not because I am unaware of the Mac, but because Windows does serve my needs. I never get viruses or spyware (since I don't frequent pirate warez sites or kiddie porn sites).

Of course, the crazy Mac folks think that's impossible and illogical and that everyone should think like them.

[Gromit801]

Yep

Absolutely correct!

[alek_nedic]

Apple Store

http://www.analogstereo.com/mercedes_ml_class_owners_manual.htm

[RBNY]

Mr. Munster misses the point.

Macs are more expensive than PC's! Mr. Muster misses the point, however. The expense isn't in the computer; it's in the software. To load a Mac with the software that comes with a PC or simply isn't required in a PC (like a font manager) will cost you a bundle.

Add to that the cost of updating all of your apps, some of them very expensive, every time Apple releases a new OS and it costs a fortune.

I'd like to update my OS 9 to 10, but the cost in apps is close to $3,000. I have no such problem with my Gateway PC.

RBNY

[RBNY]

Mr. Munster misses the point.

Macs are more expensive than PC's! Mr. Muster misses the point, however. The expense isn't in the computer; it's in the software. To load a Mac with the software that comes with a PC or simply isn't required in a PC (like a font manager) will cost you a bundle.

Add to that the cost of updating all of your apps, some of them very expensive, every time Apple releases a new OS and it costs a fortune.

I'd like to update my OS 9 to 10, but the cost in apps is close to $3,000. I have no such problem with my Gateway PC.

RBNY

[JohnBByrne]

Vista is going to have issues...

If the majority of people are buying computers that can't really run
this OS....

Looks like XP is going to be around for years and years and years...

JB

[JohnBByrne]

Vista is going to have issues...

If the majority of people are buying computers that can't really run
this OS....

Looks like XP is going to be around for years and years and years...

JB

[redison]

Unbeatable Integrated Software and Time is Money!

I would buy a Mac solely for the operating system 10.4 Tiger and
iLife:

Got an iPod ... Itunes is the best jukebox out there ( can you
stream music to your stereo with Airtunes, using others?)

Got a Digital Camera (who hasn't) ...... iPhoto is the best
consumer photo app on the planet !! just try making a
slideshow with music integrated from iTunes in adobe album or
Photocasting or creating a DVD slide show with iDVD.

Got a Video Camera ...... welcome to iMovie, the worlds easiest
app to edit and make home movies, you can even bring in
photos from iPhoto and music from iTunes seamlessly.

Wanna make a webpage ...... use iWeb which seamlessly
integrates all the above to create rich multimedia pages.

Just try that on you $500 Dell ! (or even your $5000 Dell!)


Now about you $500 Dell, Time is money, let see ...... :-)

Bootup.......oops virus defs need updating [ 2 min] ...now needs
reboot .....oops spyware needs updating [3 min] ...now needs
reboot [ 2 min] ..... OK .... oops windows needs security patch
and
update [2 min] ...... now needs reboot [2 min]...... OK, finally i
can use my PC
............ Oh No ..... Horrors ..... blue screen of
death .... windows won't reboot .... try this ..... try that [30min]
..... ok have to reinstall windows ......... 30 min .....OK
computer boots up fine ....... ooooooppppppss have to reinstall
the spyware antivirus firewall progs ......and have to run ALL the
updates again [1 hr] ....... now where is my printer driver ? .....
etc .......

and best of all i will probably end up doing this all
over again in 6 months. I know because I have been using
windows since 3.1


So how much is you time worth to you?


I switched to Macs in 2002 and never looked back !!!!!

If peee ceee users want to flame me thats fine along as you are
knowledgeable about Apple Software.. Believe me we Mac
enthusiasts will know the difference

Robert

PM Quad, 150 Raptor, GeForce 7800, 30" Display, 10.4.6,
running Aperture

[redison]

Unbeatable Integrated Software and Time is Money!

I would buy a Mac solely for the operating system 10.4 Tiger and
iLife:

Got an iPod ... Itunes is the best jukebox out there ( can you
stream music to your stereo with Airtunes, using others?)

Got a Digital Camera (who hasn't) ...... iPhoto is the best
consumer photo app on the planet !! just try making a
slideshow with music integrated from iTunes in adobe album or
Photocasting or creating a DVD slide show with iDVD.

Got a Video Camera ...... welcome to iMovie, the worlds easiest
app to edit and make home movies, you can even bring in
photos from iPhoto and music from iTunes seamlessly.

Wanna make a webpage ...... use iWeb which seamlessly
integrates all the above to create rich multimedia pages.

Just try that on you $500 Dell ! (or even your $5000 Dell!)


Now about you $500 Dell, Time is money, let see ...... :-)

Bootup.......oops virus defs need updating [ 2 min] ...now needs
reboot .....oops spyware needs updating [3 min] ...now needs
reboot [ 2 min] ..... OK .... oops windows needs security patch
and
update [2 min] ...... now needs reboot [2 min]...... OK, finally i
can use my PC
............ Oh No ..... Horrors ..... blue screen of
death .... windows won't reboot .... try this ..... try that [30min]
..... ok have to reinstall windows ......... 30 min .....OK
computer boots up fine ....... ooooooppppppss have to reinstall
the spyware antivirus firewall progs ......and have to run ALL the
updates again [1 hr] ....... now where is my printer driver ? .....
etc .......

and best of all i will probably end up doing this all
over again in 6 months. I know because I have been using
windows since 3.1


So how much is you time worth to you?


I switched to Macs in 2002 and never looked back !!!!!

If peee ceee users want to flame me thats fine along as you are
knowledgeable about Apple Software.. Believe me we Mac
enthusiasts will know the difference

Robert

PM Quad, 150 Raptor, GeForce 7800, 30" Display, 10.4.6,
running Aperture

[crash900s]

Random

Who is this directed at? The article clearly states that Apple
products are 10% to 13% more expensive than comparable
products. Didn't you read that article? You know the one this
thread originates from. That part about valuing time and PC?s
being more trouble doesn?t even seem to be connected to
anyone?s previous comment from what I can tell. Before you
start telling people they are wrong you have to do better than
site a random story about the time you won a computer and
then claim that Apples are cheaper than PC?s.

[crash900s]

Random

Who is this directed at? The article clearly states that Apple
products are 10% to 13% more expensive than comparable
products. Didn't you read that article? You know the one this
thread originates from. That part about valuing time and PC?s
being more trouble doesn?t even seem to be connected to
anyone?s previous comment from what I can tell. Before you
start telling people they are wrong you have to do better than
site a random story about the time you won a computer and
then claim that Apples are cheaper than PC?s.

[rmiecznik]

Macs are great, even if more mula $$$

I've been using PCs since 1990, the Win OS and even tho the Mac does cost more, the software that is available and the stability more then makes up for the headaches and viruses and reformats and re-installs and the headaches and nightmares that come with Windows. For Music, Video, Photo production, Macs are pretty much the king, discounting special mainframe used to render SGI movies.

I just bought the G5 2Ghz model and I love it, I would never trade it in for no PC. I must admit to liking Excel/Access and VBA programming that comes with it. But for pretty much all else, I now use a mac and never been happier.

So take dat!!!