Musicians (I think that video cameras tend to transfer over firewire these days as well), for one. And as arts-specific people (in both the audio and visual world) have often been the market for Apple (maybe it’s not so any more), lack of a firewire port is a poor poor choice, IMHO.
I’ve been contemplating moving to a mac for audio work, and I still may (hello MacBook), but as has already been said, this machine really offers nothing that a cheaper product put out by Apple already has. It’s nice to see some new technologies make their way into the world, but this machine is way too crippled to be more than an expensive toy.
Uhh… we Mac repair techs? anyone who wants to make digital video movies on the go (I have yet to see a digicamcorder that uses USB 2.0 for transfer, they’re all FireWire/IEEE-1384), anyone who wants GUARANTEED bandwidth with no USB-Drag?, USB slows down when more devices are connected, FW devices don’t
Agreed, Steve seems to be testing the limits of his RDF, I’m not saying the BulliMac won’t sell, it will, but probably not as well as it could, the comparison to the Cube is very apropriate
Yes, it’s called “always”, form should always be last, function is of prime importance
I don’t have any particular dog in the perennial PC vs Mac debate, but recently a close friend in Spain replaced her underpowered PowerMac G4 with a new Macbook, at a cost of €2000. She already has a G5 and an iPod, and is an unashamed devotee of Mac styling. Her background is in the arts, and she has a fine eye for objets d’art, but knows very little indeed about computer hardware.
I said to her that she could get a more powerful and all-round better PC-based laptop for little more than half the cost (if that), but she was determined to get the Macbook, simply because of its looks. She freely admitted that she placed higher value on form than on functionality. I don’t understand that mindset, but it’s not my position to say she was wrong as such - it’s her money.
I seem to walk into discussions like this all the time. If she spent $2000, it better have been a Macbook Pro, because the most expensive Macbook stateside is <1500 dollars (I believe). Also, go spec out a PC laptop with the included software (and webcam), and various other hardware, and you’ll find only a modest price difference. Unless she just got completely ripped off for a Macbook.
Also, the idea that aesthetics doesn’t add value, or isn’t something desirable is absurd. It may be subjective and unquantifiable, but Apple’s products have this in spades. And on top of that, they deliver innovative, well built, and IMHO superior machines.
In this corner, we have a sleek, white MacBook (the one in the middle)
She’s got:
2.2Ghz Intel Core Duo.
120 GB HD
1 GB Memory
DVD/CD
Built in iSight camera
WiFi (802.11n)
Bluetooth
Gigabit Ethernet
MagSafe Power Cord
13.3" Screen (1280 x 800)
4-6 hrs of Battery life
And, of course, bundled with Apple’s iLife Suite, Mac OSX Leopard, and some other 3rd party games and stuff.
COST: $1,299
In this corner, we have a Dell XPS M1530 (Better version)
This beauty come with:
2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo
3GB of memory
120 GB HD
DVD/CD Burner
Webcam
WiFi (802.11n)
No Bluetooth
15" Screen (1280 x 800)
Not sure on battery life? Anti-Virus software!
Photoshop Elements
And of course, Windows Vista, Home Ed.
COST: $1,698 ($1,249 if you take advantage of a deal that ends Jan 31st).
Since you can’t buy the exact same spec machines in both flavors, it’s impossible to compare directly.
But the fact is, the cheapest Apple laptop is $1099, and the cheapest desktop is $599 without display. The cheapest Dell laptop is $499, and desktop without display is $349. All of these are sufficient for basic PC use (web surfing, word processing, etc).
If they could get this new laptop to be 2 pounds I think they’d really have something. Even with the no-replaceable-battery and other limitations.
I’d love to get a Mac laptop for myself but I just have too much software that I’d have to completely replace, far beyond the cost of just buying the computer. A 2-pound *full-sized * model that I could use for traveling though would be great, but it would also have to be a lot cheaper to justify the limitations.
Comparing Apple’s bottom of the line Mac to Dell’s is folly. Surely, you must see why? I compared two similarly featured laptops, and feel that’s a fair way to compare. There are some differences, but with some quick mental adjustments, you can see that the myth is just that.
ETA: Under the MacBook specs, it should read:
DVD/CD Burner
Apple Remote (for FrontRow, Apple’s MediaCenter)
At which point there will no doubt be another deal (unlike Apple). If you want to really compare apples with apples (snerk), should you be comparing against a MacBook Pro? And the Dell includes a 2-year warranty.
Just to be totally up-front, I’m not a Mac hater. To the contrary, I really want one. But I can’t justify the price difference on the software alone.
Perhaps. Even so, there’s only a $50 difference. Argue all you want how PCs are cheaper. I’ll be over here, enjoying the product I feel is the better value taking into account what I feel is superior quality and a better computing experience.
And no… the MacBook Pro is far better than that Dell. Sorry I can’t comparison shop all day, you’ll have to take me at my word.
My point is that for a lot of people, buying an Apple is a waste of money. So Apple’s price may be OK for those specs, but that doesn’t help you if you don’t need those specs.
Even for high-end systems, Apples can be more expensive if they don’t offer exactly what I need. For example, a high-resolution screen is very important to me because I like to display a lot of information. (And being nearsighted, I have no trouble reading really small characters.) The low-end Apple laptops have 1280x800 screens which just aren’t acceptable to me. The only way to get a 1440x900 screen is to opt for a MacBook Pro at $1999. Or I can choose one of many Windows laptops with SXGA+ (1400x1050) displays for much less (e.g. base spec Lenovo T61 at $964).
Not bad, it’s about as small as the Vaio PCG-X505/SP that Sony released in 2003, and only twice as heavy. “ultra unlike anything else” indeed. Truly, Apple is on the cutting edge.
