Comments on: Ludicrously priced laptops: Apple, HP, Sony

Some laptops, especially ultraportables, brazenly push the envelope on pricing.

[xcopy]

"Finally, I must mention the Apple MacBook Air (I know I'll get slammed for this)."

Sad isn't it? If you even hint at the truth, there are iSheep everywhere, ready to take offense at anything and defend the untenable to the death. Usually the death of the perp as the herd swarms and then attacks...

I took one 30 second look at the Air when it was released.. What a freakin joke that thing is, but there are iSheep willing to buy it. Just curious, is there something like agent orange that can be used on iSheep to cull the herd? A 90-95% reduction sounds about right and we could carry spray bottles to ward them off when confronted... Just a thought...

[MafiaPenguin]

My God people, do we really need to know how much you love Apple, or are you just trying to make the longest reply chain you can have!?
I posted this comment a few weeks ago (on a post about the Mac trojan w/ pirated iLife):
-----------------------
OK, I run Windows. There. I said it.
I run the least-secure still-kept-up version: XP.
HOWEVER: I have free Antivirus w/ almost NO Ram usage, several (awesome) windows only apps, and lots of themes.
I've used all 3 major OSs:
A few flavors of Linux (Ubuntu, SUSE, Fedora, Mandriva),
Windows 95 (ollld), Windows 98 (olld), Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7,
and I use Mac OSX 10.3+10.4 at school.
Not ONCE have I had a trojan/virus/malware BECAUSE I didn't surf the web stupidly.

I find the stability on the Macs at school awesome (even though the person sitting 2 seats down from me had her computer freeze up 3 times),

I love the great software compatibility on Windows to be the best on any OS (remember that viruses are still software though),

Running Wine on Linux makes for the most user-friendly experience of all:
-Easily customizable,
-Can run Windows apps,
-Nice + secure (but not as secure as a Mac), etc.

However I will still sit at my Windows computer because Wine runs 70, not 100, percent of Windows apps, and Macs are a lost cause for running many apps...

Plus I can't afford a new computer, so my OS would need to be allowed to run on 1gb ram + 1.8gHz processor, and must be cheap (below $US 200), and run on my existing hardware.

Linux- Can run on that.
Windows- All versions (Vista pending) can run on that.
Mac- Oops, Apple is trying to catch me for installing OSX on a PC! Oh Noes!

If you want a Mac, then GET A MAC.
If you want Windows, then GET WINDOWS.
if you want Linux, then GET IT FOR FREE.


My point is that everyone- including Windows fanboys and Mac fanboys and Linux fanboys- need to STOP FIGHTING and look at the advantages + disadvantages of each OS.

I like Windows at home, but I wouldn't like it at school because the people there *just sometimes don't know what safe surfing is!*.
OK?
Stop fighting like 2yr olds. It's getting old. If you like an OS, then you like it, END OF STORY.
No need to say, "Ooh! Looky! Macs have a trojan!!!".
We JUST READ that article, and WE KNOW.

[holzfaller]

The fact is that things are only worth what people will pay for them, whether the item is new or used. If someone pays the price for an expensive laptop, it must be worth it to them. Perceived value is in the mind of the beholder. As for quality levels of products, if you really want to see a demonstration of that, go to eBay and see what used computers are selling for. Apple is always at the higher end of the scale. So whether you agree with the perceived value of a Mac or not, the fact is that if you buy one, the resale value is a lot higher than most computers of the same vintage, therefore one must consider this when considering cost of ownership.

[ikramerica--2008]

All (most) of these machines are fashion statements. There have always been overpriced products that don't warrant the price even if they are high quality. Bang and Olufsen for example (sp?).

[bakedpatato]

where's the MBP 15inch? geebus for $2000 you get a 9600M,an ok 2.4GHz C2D,an embarrassing 2gb of ram and no Blu-Ray...I've seen SLi(9800M GTS),3 gigs of ram and Blu-Ray at $2000...and a 17 inch screen. Sager's 15 inchers put the MBP to shame...$1400 for a 9800M GTS and 4 gigs of ram, who cares about the tacky iSight camera or a keyboard that lights up(BTW you're not a real geek if you can't touch type :)..i'm joking)
don't get me started about the 17inch.

[FroZone]

i love the comments about the macbook air not being portable lol.

[PolarExplorer]

I love reading this columns because its funny how its seems the majority of the people on here have no idea what they are talking or are so tied to one product that they are biased regardless of what anybody says (apple fan's and linux fans seem to be the worse).

I would agree that most laptops are outdated after a year or two along with most desktops. The simple reason is that most people are cheap in that they buy low end systems. When you buy the cheapest models, you are buying last years model. As a result, they are already a year old.

Most of the desktops you buy from HP, Dell, Apple, Sony, etc... are overpriced for what you are getting. I found this outrecently when I went to buy a Desktop and almost bought a Dell XPS.

After hearing about avadirect, I went to their website and was able to build a higher performance desktop with higher end components. You actually get to speak to someone who knows hardware and can give you sound advice unlike the people working in Apple Stores and Best Buy.

Laptops are the same, there are overpriced systems. Sony and Apple tend to be too expensive for what you get. They cater to that crowd. Apple is able to charge the high prices because people are willing to pay the high prices for a MAC laptop/computer. It is a monopoloy in the sense that you have to buy a MAC computer from Apple. You don't have a choice, so there is no competitions resulting in higher prices.

[gary85739]

Madison Ave LUVS YA BABY...

[gary85739]

next time you need a computer, try buying a REFURB and save mucho dinero...

[pellets007]

Considering that the MacBook Air is number 4 on Apple's top sellers, others do not think so.

[reflector76]

How do you expect Apple to keep spending all their money on commercials about Microsoft spending all their money on commercials if they don't charge too much?