Macbook pro prices

foobar

Hi All,
I would love to get a 15 inch mac laptop .... which means a MBP. But 1900 is really high price for what looks like ok specs .If compared to Dell high range XPS laptops XPS M1530 , the MBP is over 400 more but its a lower spec machine than the Dell. Any body else think the MBP is over priced or am i missing something?

Cabaal

Its expensive but its a damn nice laptop and I'd still buy it over a Dell any day of the week

Your paying for quality at the end of the day,

cornbb

Cabaal wrote: »

Your paying for quality at the end of the day,

I'm going to be controversial and say you are paying for a badge.

That doesn't mean they aren't great machines though. The price allows you to use the OS, a magnificent piece of kit, there's no way I'd pay that much for a PC with the same hardware. This is why Apple get away with charging the prices they do.

leeroybrown

The MacBook Pro is due a spec increment at some stage soon which should equalise the prices somewhat. At the time of the last Apple spec increment the prices would have been very similar but Apples pricing policies do leave them in a position where they are considerably dearer from time to time.

whiterebel

Same processor, RAM etc. More Video RAM and bigger HD on the Dell, Dual Layer Superdrive on the MBP. Weight and dims for the Dell? The are usually very thick and heavy, which might make a difference to you.

If you want a machine that you'll still be using in 3/4/5 years, there's only one choice, for me anyway.

BanzaiBk

It boils down to one thing really, you either want a mac or you don't. I've tried advising people for years about the pros/cons etc but if you really want one you'll buy one anyway.

foobar

BanzaiBk wrote: »

It boils down to one thing really, you either want a mac or you don't. I've tried advising people for years about the pros/cons etc but if you really want one you'll buy one anyway.

I guess what i really want is black 15 inch macbook for around 1500 euros .

Ham'nd'egger

foobar wrote: »

Hi All,
I would love to get a 15 inch mac laptop .... which means a MBP. But 1900 is really high price for what looks like ok specs .If compared to Dell high range XPS laptops XPS M1530 , the MBP is over 400 more but its a lower spec machine than the Dell. Any body else think the MBP is over priced or am i missing something?

It's marginally lower specced, yes. But, the differences are in the operating system, the overall durability of a Mac, the build of one (Both the sexy look of any Mac and the amazing beating that a Mac can take, you will be literally shocked.), how long a life one gets out of a Mac and even the second hand value of the machine. I have a 4 1/2 year old Powerbook at home and it is able to run Leopard; how many 4 year old PC notebooks can run Vista comfortably? Certainly, it cost over over €2k when I got it, but if I had have bought a notebook at the time, I'd be 2 or 3 units gone by and it's still a great worker.

Add on 2-3 years of anti virus software and your €450 difference is being eaten into, and you get so much more on a Mac that you may end up out of pocket when you get in the PC add ons. One can also boot multiple OS on a Mac, which is a no-no with a PC. So in short, you get a lot more bang for your buck.

Incidentally, the 2.4Ghz MBP is cheaper than a similarly specced Dell rival.

tk123

If its your first mac have you thought of getting a second hand one - to see if you like it etc?

BostonB

I like Mac's used them for years OS X is great and all, but you've got to love what people come out with.

Hamndegger wrote: »

It's marginally lower specced, yes. But, the differences are in the operating system, the overall durability of a Mac, the build of one (Both the sexy look of any Mac and the amazing beating that a Mac can take, you will be literally shocked.),

I used to do support on Macs and amazingly Macs also break. Mac users used to be a little more careful than PC users but at the end of the day the components are the same, only the chassis and case are different.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055211284

Hamndegger wrote: »

how long a life one gets out of a Mac and even the second hand value of the machine. I have a 4 1/2 year old Powerbook at home and it is able to run Leopard; how many 4 year old PC notebooks can run Vista comfortably? Certainly, it cost over over €2k when I got it, but if I had have bought a notebook at the time, I'd be 2 or 3 units gone by and it's still a great worker.

The reason 2nd hand value is high, is because they are more expensive to being with, and its a smaller market so theres fewer of them around. Though thats changing and its noticeable that 2nd hand macs are a lot cheaper now. Moving to Intel has really dropped the price of the older G3, G4, G5's. Theres been loads of Mac's for sale on adverts and some of them have taken a long time to shift. You don't a computer and look at resale value.

Hamndegger wrote: »

Add on 2-3 years of anti virus software and your €450 difference is being eaten into, and you get so much more on a Mac that you may end up out of pocket when you get in the PC add ons. One can also boot multiple OS on a Mac, which is a no-no with a PC. So in short, you get a lot more bang for your buck.

I don't get this. Why pay for AV software when theres excellent free AV out there. What PC addon's are you talking about?

You can boot multiple OS on the PC, you've always been able to do this. It was designed to do this from the start. Its an open system. Even OS X has been hacked to run on a PC. All Macs are PC's now anyway. Thats why you can run Windows on them.

Hamndegger wrote: »

Incidentally, the 2.4Ghz MBP is cheaper than a similarly specced Dell rival.

This one you are probably right. Apple stuck a deal with Intel to give them latest chips first. When I've checked at the higher end, Mac's do ok pricewise.

PeakOutput

i agree with boston i love my new macbook but im under no illusion that it wont break just as easily a a pc lappy. the difference is definitely the front end of the os first of all and the style of the laptop in general secondly. i uarantee you if as much people used macs as do pc's there would be an equal amount of virus's designed for each but luckily for us there is not

BostonB

In fairness OS X is Unix .Unix its far better designed than Windows in terms of security and viruses. So if the user base of OS X increases (its the most popular unix AFAIK) there may be some viruses but its unlikely they'll ever have the impact that a Windows Virus has. OS X is lovely OS. Somethings I like better in XP and Vista. Vista though is poor IMO and needs a lot of work. Then its only just out, OS X and XP have been around for ages.

But I'm with BanzaiBk

BanzaiBk wrote: »

It boils down to one thing really, you either want a mac or you don't. I've tried advising people for years about the pros/cons etc but if you really want one you'll buy one anyway.

If you want one just get one.

conor2007

i wouldnt wholly agree with the security

sudo is way to easy to cause damage - altho still no viruses

durability - osx - just ledgend

unclebill98

My 1st mac was a G4 Powerbook(Two tone grey plastic), with 677mhz 15", cost 3,700euro. So there not as over priced now as they where back a bout 4 years ago! That was just before the brought in the 17" model.

Yes its a name but i do think there better priced now and well worth the money. Stable as **** too. That alone makes them worth every penny.

Ham'nd'egger

Boston, I am talking from personal experience in regards to durability; my PB has taken a few bangs that would write off a Sherman tank and it's no bother to her at all. I wouldn't wager my MB being as hardy as a Powerbook or MBP but for such a small machine, it has a more solid feel than other models on the road; especially for the size of it. And when you take into account of the longevity of a Mac, they do last longer, by and large. I am sure we have some users here on Lombard's and that. I never said they don't fail; my point actually was that they keep going in spite of ass whupping. Of course they can and do fail; it's the fact that they keep on running is what gives you a little more confidence and piece of mind.

On second hand units, it goes without saying that prices main dictator will always be demand, no matter what commodity it is. People sell old Macs as they feel that they are worth something and purchasers want them. Certainly, the high price to begin helps this but if the quality wasn't there to begin with, they would end up in skips or being carted off to jumble sales. I agree though, the newer machines that come out push the older models further off the spectrum.

In regard to software, I agree with you, there is free anti virus but most Window users pay for their protection systems. I have loaded up Grisoft to some friends who use XP as it's better and free than Norton etc. I saved them all renewal fees, it's what, €80 for Norton etc? On the software, I'm thinking of Graphic Converter, Garageband, iMovie and iDVD; I am sure people can add to the list of additional things that we get

On OS, let us not get into techie "You can hack this if you do that" or "I use Linux/Unix". It isn't sensible to get into what you can do IF you have the IT skills as most of us don't know or can't do it; we are not that skilled. Some may, most plebs don't so consider like with like. You refer to booting OS X on a PC. It may be possible, but it's illegal. My car can do 200KM but it's also illegal. It's fairly handy to boot up XP or Vista on a Mac on the legit, and it is handier since many components found on PC's are used on Apple units.

But as banzai says, if you want it, get it!

Now, lets be friends again!

foobar

BostonB wrote: »

This one you are probably right. Apple stuck a deal with Intel to give them latest chips first. When I've checked at the higher end, Mac's do ok pricewise.

I think you missed Ham'nd'egger smiley face at the end of his commment . Apples 2.4Ghz MBP model is 2400 euros :eek: , while the dell model with the same specs is 1620 euros!! Nearly 800 euros in the difference. OS X must be something special .And these are Dells upmarket machines (not the pig ugly inspirion 1520 etc ).

foobar

tk123 wrote: »

If its your first mac have you thought of getting a second hand one - to see if you like it etc?

Might be a good idea. With the MBP updates out by the end of the month the prices of the second hand MBP should drop a bit as well.

ircoha

Have u considerd an iMac, I have the 22" with //'s for running XP and the set up is brill.

It is portable in the sense it it just the screen and the keyboard and wireless mouse , I agree, not as portable as a laptop but it is a super setup

the one downside for me is that my printers dont have mac drivers but I can print for XP, as for watching DVD's with the remote control, what can i say?
I also have 98 on it for some of the older pc games, the bullets go quicker with the dual processor:)

BostonB

foobar wrote: »

I think you missed Ham'nd'egger smiley face at the end of his commment . Apples 2.4Ghz MBP model is 2400 euros :eek: , while the dell model with the same specs is 1620 euros!! Nearly 800 euros in the difference. OS X must be something special .And these are Dells upmarket machines (not the pig ugly inspirion 1520 etc ).

Last time I checked the top end CPU's MBP was in 15" and 17". There was no 15" XPS so you had to compare with the XPS M1710 or the Latitude and Precision ranges. All of which were pretty much on a par when you matched spec. The recently released XPS M1530 seems to offer better value than Dell did previously. But I've not done a direct comparision.

Maybe you could clarify which model you are talking about.

Where Dell beats Apple is in their special offers, and on the outlet, where you can sometimes (not always) beat the Apple spec for a lot less. The offers vary as does the outlet, so you just have to keep an eye out for the offers.

BostonB

Hamndegger wrote: »

Boston, I am talking from personal experience in regards to durability; ...

Apple is on a par with the PC premium brands in terms of durability. Surveys and Stats back this up. If you believe such things. Resale is also on a par IMO with a premium PC laptop. :cool:

Hamndegger wrote: »

In regard to software, I agree with you, there is free anti virus but most Window users pay for their protection systems. I have loaded up Grisoft to some friends who use XP as it's better and free than Norton etc. I saved them all renewal fees, it's what, €80 for Norton etc? On the software, I'm thinking of Graphic Converter, Garageband, iMovie and iDVD; I am sure people can add to the list of additional things that we get

Theres pretty much a free version of everything if you want to look around many of which are better than the Mac apps but not as pretty, or as simplified. If your point is that most people don't shop around I can't comment because I've no stats to back that up, do you? Most people have Norton because it comes free on their computer. Not because they need to pay for software on a PC. Re: OSX hacking and techies stuff etc. I think you are missing the point a little. I'm correcting your untrue comment.

Hamndegger wrote: »

...One can also boot multiple OS on a Mac, which is a no-no with a PC. So in short, you get a lot more bang for your buck....

This is plain wrong. You could multiple OS boot on a PC long before you could on a Mac. But you see a modern Mac is a PC. So theres no difference. You can't run OS X out of the box on PC. Because Apple has worked hard to deliberately cripple it so that it won't. If this is undone it works on a PC. If you need to run windows, and it such a big thing. Then perhaps all that free Apple software you mentioned earlier, isn't quite enough? Most people who run Windows get it free with their PC. I wonder how many buy a retail copy of €100+ so they can run it on their Mac. Its interesting to note that you include the optional costs on one side of your argument, but not on the other. Friends is fine by me. I like Apple and OS X, great products, very well marketed. Buts lets have a reality check eh?

Type 17

The reason people will choose a Mac over a PC of similar spec is the reason that people buy an Alfa Romeo over a Ford - nothing wrong with a Ford, they sell loads of them (many more than Alfa's), they go well for a reasonable period (again, probably a bit longer on average than an Alfa), and they cost a lot less than an Alfa of similar size/spec.

So why do Alfa Romeo sell any cars at all - they aren't as good as Fords in a lot of respects? Ask one of the "Alfisti" (note that there is no equivalent word for a Ford owner) why they have one, and you may understand why people buy them. And if you appreciate the difference in things that you use, and you can afford one, you'll buy a Mac. But if not, buy a PC (and a Ford) and feel good about it - those are fine products too, and what most people buy.

PS: I love Macs and am a Mac user since 1990, and although I love the idea of an Alfa, they are too badly built for me - I drive an early 90's Audi 80 - the last of the good VAG cars, before they went all plastic and unreliable...

BostonB

I don't think thats a good analogy. Apple is more like Audi vs BMW, IBM, Dell Latitude, XPS, Sony. Dell Insprion is more like Ford. Advent, Packard Bell, Gateway is like Fiat. Even thats a bad analogy as really it depends on the specific model, as there are good budget models and bad premium models.

Just do your homework on the specific model you like before buying.

Type 17

People have hugely different opinions on various models of cars, but the point is that just because an item is cheaper than another one that has a similar spec on paper, doesn't mean that it is a better item, or the right choice for everyone.

The OP was complaining that the MBP was a lot more than a similarly specced Dell. Well, that is the case, but if you feel that the MBP is worth the difference and you have the money, then get it, but many people will feel that it isn't and buy the Dell.

The key message for the OP is that, despite these price differences, a significant minority of people still buy a MBP, so there must be a good reason - a suggestion would be to:

1. If you can, test-drive a Mac for a couple of weeks
2. Buy a cheaper Mac to see if you like it (MacBook or iMac, or even a second-hand Mac).

Then, you might decide to upgrade to the MBP, or keep the Mac you have, or even sell it and buy the Dell.

Whatever you do will be the right decision for you: Other people did other things in this scenario, they were probably the right thing for them too...