why are macs so ****ing expensive

bpb101

im a linux user , but i come accross window every day , and mac the odd time
but me question is why are the mac's soooo ****ing expensive


example:
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/specs.html

mac air 11inch

there lightweight and they have that thunderbolt port , that nothing uses

but there nothing there that a €300 linux netbook (windows formated) would'nt have ... so why would you spend

3 times the amount , is it the OS?
or what the story

Freddie59

bpb101 wrote: »

im a linux user , but i come accross window every day , and mac the odd time
but me question is why are the mac's soooo ****ing expensive


example:
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/specs.html

mac air 11inch

there lightweight and they have that thunderbolt port , that nothing uses

but there nothing there that a €300 linux netbook (windows formated) would'nt have ... so why would you spend

3 times the amount , is it the OS?
or what the story

-Faster OS.

-More reliable (i've used several laptops).

-Far sturdier construction. Longer lasting.

-Does what it says on the tin.

SteelyDanJalapeno

I've a Macbook with 3 years this xmas,

In that time its never once failed me! not even on the simplest things.

Reliability alone is worth the money

bpb101

Freddie59 wrote: »

-Faster OS.

-More reliable (i've used several laptops).

-Far sturdier construction. Longer lasting.

-Does what it says on the tin.

"longer lasting" would a mac last 3x the amount of a windows €300 cheap.
they look nice but too dear

bpb101

TiltedBrain wrote: »

I've a Macbook with 3 years this xmas,

In that time its never once failed me! not even on the simplest things.

Reliability alone is worth the money

ive got a asus eee pc 900 3 years ago for c. 300 euros and nothing much has broke on it.
and it got abused!!!

Zapp Brannigan

Isn't the battery really expensive in the Airs?

whydoibother?

Do macs maintain their speed after a few years? My 4 year old windows is extremely slow to boot up. If I upgrade in a few months and spend the money on a mac, will I avoid this problem in the future?

Hank_Jones

Why do Nike runners cost more than others?

Branding.

Obviously people are going to buy stuff that they think is better,
Ipod, Iphones etc are fairly bad in comparison to other similar products,
people still buy them because of the place apple has in these markets.

Idleater

Macs are about style and image. Unfortunately that's something you pay for. Why buy any car when a Yugo would get you to the shops?
At least compare an air to some other unibody aluminum chassis ~1cm thick.

bpb101

Idleater wrote: »

Macs are about style and image. Unfortunately that's something you pay for. Why buy any car when a Yugo would get you to the shops?
At least compare an air to some other unibody aluminum chassis ~1cm thick.

my point is that if a car get you from point a to point b it works

simulary if a linux laptop get you to send and email and a mac get u to send an email , what the different

if your thinking about buying a car id go with the yugo.:L

bpb101

Idleater wrote: »

Macs are about style and image. Unfortunately that's something you pay for. Why buy any car when a Yugo would get you to the shops?
At least compare an air to some other unibody aluminum chassis ~1cm thick.

i can see there nice style and image but is that style worth 600 euros?

Johnmb

bpb101 wrote: »

im a linux user , but i come accross window every day , and mac the odd time
but me question is why are the mac's soooo ****ing expensive


example:
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/specs.html

mac air 11inch

there lightweight and they have that thunderbolt port , that nothing uses

but there nothing there that a €300 linux netbook (windows formated) would'nt have ... so why would you spend

3 times the amount , is it the OS?
or what the story

Compare like with like, and there's not much difference in the price. A €300 linux netbook doesn't even compare to a high end linux/windows netbook, let alone a MacBook Air.

PseudoFamous

Freddie59 wrote: »

-Faster OS.

Linux and windows can be just as fast if a sensible person is using the computer, and not wreaking havoc by installing untrustworthy software daily.

Freddie59 wrote: »

-More reliable (i've used several laptops).

I have used many, many laptops, and none are what I would call "unreliable", or even "less reliable", unless the owner has been doing something stupid with it. I've come across a fair few macbooks laden with viruses, and when I point out that they need sorting ASAP, the owner tends to squeal "But macs don't get viruses!". Get real, lads, you still need an antivirus.

Freddie59 wrote: »

-Far sturdier construction. Longer lasting.

Than what? I've come across far sturdier PCs (which can often cost less) than macbooks, and you can easily get 5+ years out of a PC if you don't hurl it down stairs and visit questionable sites unprotected regularly.

Freddie59 wrote: »

-Does what it says on the tin.

What does it say on the tin?

While I'm arguing these points against macs, they still are decent kit, but definitely not worth the cash in my opinion.

cornbb

Simplest economics: because there are so many people who like them enough to pay that high price. Why would Apple charge less? Sales are strong. They are not involved in the race to the bottom that other PC manufacturers are as they are not competing directly. Mac vs PC is not comparable to Windows PC vs Windows PC.

So why are people willing to pay that high price? Probably a combination of things that people here have mentioned. High build quality, longevity, good looks, the badge, love of the OS etc. People who don't own a Mac tend to use specs as the only baseline for comparison but there's a lot more to it than that.

Dont be at yourself

bpb101 wrote: »

im a linux user , but i come accross window every day , and mac the odd time
but me question is why are the mac's soooo ****ing expensive


example:
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/specs.html

mac air 11inch

there lightweight and they have that thunderbolt port , that nothing uses

but there nothing there that a €300 linux netbook (windows formated) would'nt have ... so why would you spend

3 times the amount , is it the OS?
or what the story

I'd love a link to a €300 laptop comparable to the MacBook Air.

Johnmb

PseudoFamous wrote: »

I've come across a fair few macbooks laden with viruses, and when I point out that they need sorting ASAP, the owner tends to squeal "But macs don't get viruses!". Get real, lads, you still need an antivirus.

No, actually we don't. There are currently no, zero, nada viruses in the wild for a Mac. Antivirus software only protects against Windows viruses, which can't do a thing to the Mac OS for obvious reasons.

cornbb

PseudoFamous wrote: »

. I've come across a fair few macbooks laden with viruses, and when I point out that they need sorting ASAP, the owner tends to squeal "But macs don't get viruses!". Get real, lads, you still need an antivirus.

Nonsense. There isn't a single virus for the Mac in the wild. Get your facts straight.

SteelyDanJalapeno

Johnmb wrote: »

No, actually we don't. There are currently no, zero, nada viruses in the wild for a Mac. Antivirus software only protects against Windows viruses, which can't do a thing to the Mac OS for obvious reasons.

cornbb wrote: »

Nonsense. There isn't a single virus for the Mac in the wild. Get your facts straight.

Wowzers, you both used the term "in the wild" at the same time.

Spooky!

bpb101

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

I'd love a link to a €300 laptop comparable to the MacBook Air.

yea sure here u go
here one with a bigger hdd and better battery for
€235
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/10463093/art/asus/eeepc-1011px-black.html

payable by laser , and all major credit cards

Zimmerframe

bpb101 wrote: »

yea sure here u go
here one with a bigger hdd and better battery for
€235
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/10463093/art/asus/eeepc-1011px-black.html

payable by laser , and all major credit cards

Why don't you read the specs of the macbook air, and then see if you come up with a comparable product.

For starters

Does a macbook air have a 10.1" screen ?
Does a macbook air have a hdd ?
Does a macbook Air have an Atom cpu

Sad Professor

PseudoFamous wrote: »

I've come across a fair few macbooks laden with viruses, and when I point out that they need sorting ASAP, the owner tends to squeal "But macs don't get viruses!". Get real, lads, you still need an antivirus.

Ah, another Mac vs PC thread and as usual the PC users are making sh*t up. Seriously, lads, pretending you know about Macs when you clearly don't makes you look like a far bigger fanboy that any of us. This is what annoys me most about these threads: we have to go around correcting all the rubbish about Macs that people come up with.

In any case, it’s funny that the OP should use the Macbook Air as an example considering that PC manufacturers are currently struggling to match the price of it. You need to compare like with like. Design and build quality cost money. Apple aren’t the only high-end computer manufacturer.

If people don’t want to spend more than €400 on a laptop, then fine. But don’t go comparing a Macbook Air to netbook with a piece of sh*t Atom and suggest that the reason the Mac costs more is because of branding because you are just showing your own ignorance.

cornbb

It doesn't have an SSD, it has a processor that isn't capable of running it's OS properly, it's double the thickness of the Air and 50% heavier and I'm betting it has the build quality of Lego. If you want to do a fair comparison let's compare like with like, not with the cheapest thing you can find.

bpb101

Zimmerframe wrote: »

Why don't you read the specs of the macbook air, and then see if you come up with a comparable product.

For starters

Does a macbook air have a 10.1" screen ?
Does a macbook air have a hdd ?
Does a macbook Air have an Atom cpu

slightly smiller screnn
hdd is better than ssd , can be replaced easier
i never said it did , i said this is a good pc, and will work as quick as a mac and it much cheaper and better

bpb101

cornbb wrote: »

It doesn't have an SSD, it has a processor that isn't capable of running it's OS properly, it's double the thickness of the Air and 50% heavier and I'm betting it has the build quality of Lego. If you want to do a fair comparison let's compare like with like, not with the cheapest thing you can find.

30% heavier
i use asus and i find it great nnot lego

weeder

i run osx on a pc, dont see the big woop with apple hardware to be honest( have owned macs before) that said i am looking for a used mac atm but its not really nessesary, would love to see apple offer a pc version of x at a higher price

also, to those arguing the price, i give you this.
http://lifehacker.com/5351485/how-to-build-a-hackintosh-with-snow-leopard-start-to-finish?skyline=true&s=i

bpb101

Sad Professor wrote: »

Ah, another Mac vs PC thread and as usual the PC users are making sh*t up. Seriously, lads, pretending you know about Macs when you clearly don't makes you look like a far bigger fanboy that any of us. This is what annoys me most about these threads: we have to go around correcting all the rubbish about Macs that people come up with.

In any case, it’s funny that the OP should use the Macbook Air as an example considering that PC manufacturers are currently struggling to match the price of it. You need to compare like with like. Design and build quality cost money. Apple aren’t the only high-end computer manufacturer.

If people don’t want to spend more than €400 on a laptop, then fine. But don’t go comparing a Macbook Air to netbook with a piece of sh*t Atom and suggest that the reason the Mac costs more is because of branding because you are just showing your own ignorance.

this didnt start out as a mac v pc thread , i wanted to know why macs are so dear....

Tea_Bag

this thread is new.

As much as I hate macs OP you're not going to win this argument. the air is currently in a class of its own (pretty much but not for long)


Anyway, this fanboi stuff over OSs is pretty pointless by this stage. we do everything through a browser nowadays anyway so it makes no difference.

bpb101

Tea_Bag wrote: »

this thread is new.

As much as I hate macs OP you're not going to win this argument. the air is currently in a class of its own (pretty much but not for long)


Anyway, this fanboi stuff over OSs is pretty pointless by this stage. we do everything through a browser nowadays anyway so it makes no difference.

i havent used macs ,and i was wornder why people were paying so much for desgin or was it the os ,.

Wolflikeme

Freddie59 wrote: »

-Faster OS.

-More reliable (i've used several laptops).

-Far sturdier construction. Longer lasting.

-Does what it says on the tin.

Boll0cks. Complete b0llocks.

I've had a good few of both (I'm loyal to neither PC's nor Mac) and my current Windows laptop (Vaio) is an absolute beast. And it's super fast. All for a much much lower price than a Mac equivalent would cost me.

Windows can be tweaked for optimal performance too and overclocking etc. if that's your bag.

johnners2981

Freddie59 wrote: »

-Faster OS.

-More reliable (i've used several laptops).

-Far sturdier construction. Longer lasting.

-Does what it says on the tin.

Don't believe anything he says clearly doesn't know what he's talking about.

The reason you pay far more for macs is because of the apple brand.

The hardware is always worse than the competitors for the price, it's not longer lasting or more reliable and every other laptop does what it says on the tin

Zimmerframe

bpb101 wrote: »

will work as quick as a mac and it much cheaper and better

you got one bit right, it's cheaper, the rest is nonsense.

Chris Hansen

Are macs dearer so **** can brag about them being dearer?

marco_polo

bpb101 wrote: »

yea sure here u go
here one with a bigger hdd and better battery for
€235
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/10463093/art/asus/eeepc-1011px-black.html

payable by laser , and all major credit cards

Im a PC man, and that is the most silly comparison I have ever seen.

Taking a 13" mac book pro as an example, in fairness a comparable 13" notebook that is robust, light, ultra thin, long battery life, and roughly same RAM/processor specs) carry a fairly hefty price premium over a regular 13" notebook and would probably set you a minimum of around 800 quid or so (Look at the MSI or Asus ultra slim ranges for examples).

So while macs definately carry a large price premium over a bog standard laptop with similar basic specs, a large a portion of that is that portability factor which could equally be applied to other notebooks.

I would personally hold the opinion that Mac books are over priced by a few hundred, but nothing like to the degree you are claiming.

MartMax

if you don't have a MacBook Air, well, you don't have a MacBook Air.

kowloon

Macs were always more expensive, long before they became fashionable. I used to have an all in one black and white job in the 80s. my first computer. The OS was better than Windows versions 10 years later (or more).
I miss my LC Color (Colour).

Can't say I have any use for one now, my PC is better spec for less money and all the software I use is Win 7 compatible. I know a guy with a studio and he only uses Mac, as do many in his line of work.

The branding definitely bloats the price and with the same architecture I can't see them getting away with it forever. You don't need a mac to run the OS, but it's something most mac users either don't know about or could be bothered with and something the vast majority of PC users don't seem to care about.

If I needed to run apple software I'd go hackintosh. Apple are always on the defensive about this, they know if everyone catches on their profits will plummet.

I was disappointed to hear that the new update does away with support for older applications, want to get my mac version of syndicate running , a prime example of something that was just better on a mac.

All said and done, I think the Mac vs. PC rivalry is good for everyone. Competition is always good for the consumer.

Trevor451

Apple sticker

johnners2981

11-inch MacBook Air $999
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook_air/select?mco=MjMzOTQxMjE

Alienware M11x $999
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dkcwcr1&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&model_id=alienware-m11x-r3

Main differences:
Mac: 64gb flash storage vs Dell: 320Gb 7200 hdd
Mac: 2gb ram vs Dell: 4GB ram
Mac: i5-2467M vs Dell: i5-2537M
Mac: Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 256mb vs Dell: NVIDIA GT540M graphics with 1GB

There ya go, think what you will

kowloon

johnners2981 wrote: »

11-inch MacBook Air $999
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook_air/select?mco=MjMzOTQxMjE

Alienware M11x $999
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dkcwcr1&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&model_id=alienware-m11x-r3

Main differences:
Mac: 64gb flash storage vs Dell: 320Gb 7200 hdd
Mac: 2gb ram vs Dell: 4GB ram
Mac: i5-2467M vs Dell: i5-2537M
Mac: Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 256mb vs Dell: NVIDIA GT540M graphics with 1GB

There ya go, think what you will

Alienware are a bit of a rip off too, their desktops are just as overpriced.
Nicely finished and all, but I have my art hung on my wall, I see computers as purely functional objects. I think that's where the divide starts for a lot of people, they're willing to pay more for design and 'prestige' branding.

papu

kowloon wrote: »

Alienware are a bit of a rip off too, their desktops are just as overpriced.
Nicely finished and all, but I have my art hung on my wall, I see computers as purely functional objects. I think that's where the divide starts for a lot of people, they're willing to pay more for design and 'prestige' branding.

Gonna chuck this into the Pot

Inspiron Duo
Now , I'm only making an educated guess here , but If apple had launched something like this first , I'm sure They'd get six one coverage and everyone would be telling steve he's done it again and Changed the world blah blah... just like all they're other Hyped launches..

549$ for a tablet AND a PC?! thats like a third of a Ipad+macbook air

Are Macs worth the Crazy money they Charge? no
Isnt gonna stop people buying them and justifying them.

ethernet

Price: it's about image, mark-up and pretty decent support.

Viruses and general malware: they do exist on Mac OS but not to the same level as Windows. Macs do seem to be getting more attention (read: being targeted) of late in this regard.

Finally, can't we all just get along? http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/08/users-treat-criticism-of-favorite-brands-as-threat-to-self-image.ars

ZENER

Here we go again ! Horses for courses is the way I see it. A reliable robust OS that doesn't get bloated after a few months use or where every application you install wants to install something in the startup sequence which ultimately slows the machine down after a while.

Macs have the ability to run all three of the OSs mentioned so far - OS X, Linux and (God forbid) Windows natively or through Virtual machines. Show me a laptop or PC that comes with this fully supported by the maker where drivers are supplied ?

Before you all start shouting about installing OS X on a standard PC remember that for the normal untechy a hackintosh is simply not an option. I have one here but go through hoops every time there's an update to get everything working again. Plus this option is not condoned nor supported by Apple nor any PC manufacturer - try ringing Dell and ask them for support for OS X on an Inspiron !!! Hacks also need specific hardware to run even moderately reliably. This is only an option for people with a good level of technical knowledge.

As for comparing a MacBook Air with it's core i3 (or i5) CPU and ultra reliable SSD and high quality LED screen to a plastic netbook with a puny Atom processor . . . Try running Photoshop CS5 on the netbook . . . 'nuff said !

Apples customer care is second to none too.

As for Linux, another techy OS requiring a high level of technical know how not posessed by your normal everyday computer user. No Photoshop, no Quark express, no Office. Hit and miss as to whether it will work when you turn it on and you need different packages depending on which flavour of Linux you use. Linux isn't now nor ever will be a mainstream OS for the normal computer user who wouldn't know a repository from a command shell. I've played with Linux - Mandriva and Ubuntu and Many other flavours, excellent as servers and for playing about with Apache, SQL, PHP and so on but useless (to me) for graphics, music and general everyday computing.

Ken

Liameter

whydoibother? wrote: »

Do macs maintain their speed after a few years? My 4 year old windows is extremely slow to boot up. If I upgrade in a few months and spend the money on a mac, will I avoid this problem in the future?

My 2000 Mac is just as fast as it was when I bought it. Likewise my 2008 Mac Mini and my 2009 MacBook.

Of course MacOSX will slow down if you do something stupid, such as loading the "desktop" with hundreds of files, or running an application from within its installer disc image (instead of actually installing it - I've seen this!)

And, if you fill up the boot drive, you'll experience a slowing down.

However, if you keep your files "tidy" and don't do anything daft, there's no reason why OSX would slow down.

Note: I have seen some Macs that were slow from the day of purchase, simply because they had insufficient memory fitted.

jester77

I don't get all this a is better than b, or b is better than c crap.

Right tool for the right job, and every OS does a better job at different things. I manage a host of VMs with different variations of windows, linux and mac OS's. Some OS's are a nightmare (I'm looking at you Vista :mad:), some are a pleasure (XP, snow leopard).

I use ubunutu at work as it's the best tool for what I do. Colleagues in accounting use windows as it's the best tool for their job. Admin guys use linux as it's the best tool for their job. Graphics guys use mac as it's the best tool for their job. Ruby developers use mac as it's the best tool for their job.... and I could go on.

I use mac at home as it's the best fit for managing my media collection and much easier to use than windows or linux. Why do people have to get so worked up over something?

Idleater

jester77 wrote: »

Why do people have to get so worked up over something?

I agree. In fact, I wonder why the OP even posted in the first place as the question posed does not make sense given the limited information in the post.
Is (s)he in the market for a mac air and doesn't want to pay the price, is (s)he in the market for something else and decided (un)knowingly to select the air as a viable candidate or is (s)he not in the market at all and is making a judgement on a small segment of computer buying public?

Kinetic^

Why do people get so wound up about this?

melekalikimaka

bpb101 wrote: »

slightly smiller screnn
hdd is better than ssd , can be replaced easier
i never said it did , i said this is a good pc, and will work as quick as a mac and it much cheaper and better

hdd better than ssd? :rolleyes:

work as quick and better? :rolleyes:

we have netbooks in my house... they are evil creatures, spawns of satan

Dont be at yourself

bpb101 wrote: »

yea sure here u go
here one with a bigger hdd and better battery for
€235
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/10463093/art/asus/eeepc-1011px-black.html

payable by laser , and all major credit cards

Amazing. It's almost identical to the Air, for a fraction of the price!

Processor: Sure an Intel i5 is basically the same as an Atom, right?
RAM: 2GB is really overkill these days. You won't notice the drop down to 1GB.
Screen: 1024x600 has only half the pixels of the Air, is smaller, has a worse viewing angle and worse colour reproduction. But that doesn't matter.
Storage: You don't need that SDD with crazy fast read/write times, which boots in literally seconds. Less likely to break if it receives a bump too? What use is that on a laptop?
Ports: Thunderbolt? What do you want that for? To connect to super-fast external drives, or drive a second display, simultaneously? USB2.0 and VGA is where it's at, fellas.
Speakers: Some people like that tinny laptop speaker sound, you know.
Keyboard: Comfortable, backlit and with an array of buttons tailored specific to the hardware and OS combination. Don't need that.
Trackpad: Large, multi-touch, capable of tracking up to 4 finger gestures. Sounds rubbish.
Size: Even taking the maximum height, width and depth of the Air, it's still almost half the overall volume of the Asus. Too small, really.
Weight: The Asus is more than a third heavier. A very reassuring weight.
Bundled software: You can keep your OSX, iLife and App Store. Windows 7 Starter is all I need.

And then there's the other hundreds of little intangibles. The brushed alluminum finish. The magsafe adapter which won't throw your laptop across the floor if you trip on the cable. The free walk-in tech support at Apple Stores. None of which is worth anything.

Jofspring

From a point of view of a regular computer user that wouldn't know much about specifics or technical side of things.

I have had a few PC's and so has pretty much everyone I know but I never had a more reliable laptop/computer than the Macbook I currently have. Yes it is expensive but the speed has stayed the exact same for the last few years and any problem I have had no matter how big or small I have found it very easy to get a solution to. With the PC's I have always found it way harder to solve problems in them if one arose as I am not that technically minded. Even with antivirus software I still found the computer getting affected or slowing down, especially when a scan was running but have never had this problem with my Macbook as I haven't had to run antivirus scans.

I find with similar spec (possibly cheaper) PC's that you have to be more technically minded to be able to run them which is great for people seriously into computers but not for the general user. With the Mac I find it way more user friendly and straight forward.

Also it takes no time to boot up, no time to shut down and when it comes out of sleep it is instantly ready to be used. I have never had this with a PC, I have always had to wait a while for it to shut down, startup and when it comes out of sleep I could be waiting a few minutes just for the thing to be useable. I have yet to find compatibility issues with software I have downloaded also and everything feels ready to go as soon as I have downloaded it.

The girlfriend also has a brand new vaio that she had to get because the college she is attending would not allow her use a mac and it just feels so plastic and cheap compared to the mac even though it wasn't that cheap of a computer.

Its the little things I like also. The trackpad is excellent it it really makes you feel in total control of the screen. The magnetic charger which has saved my ass once or twice after standing on the cable by accident.

air

I bought a 27in iMac about a year and a half ago.
I always had pcs and was in the market for a new one but wanted a large high res screen.
At the time, the cheapest I could buy a 27in screen to match the iMac's one was about 1000 euro.
I got the iMac for under 1300 from the refurb store so I was basically getting the computer part for 300 euro, a total no brainer.
So for me, I went to Mac because:

1. It was cheaper than the PC equivalent
2. The all in one form factor of the iMac saves space

I agree that on notebooks they are quite expensive but the build quality is excellent, it's up to the consumer whether that is worth it to them or not. Personally I recently bought an Asus netbook despite my positive Apple experiences.

Kavrocks

bpb101 wrote: »

but there nothing there that a €300 linux netbook (windows formated) would'nt have ... so why would you spend

Prove there is a cheaper option than the Macbook Air which offers the same specs. I have asked many people who say the exact same as you to prove their ramblings and nobody has even though I wanted them to.

nesf

johnners2981 wrote: »

11-inch MacBook Air $999
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook_air/select?mco=MjMzOTQxMjE

Alienware M11x $999
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dkcwcr1&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&model_id=alienware-m11x-r3

Main differences:
Mac: 64gb flash storage vs Dell: 320Gb 7200 hdd
Mac: 2gb ram vs Dell: 4GB ram
Mac: i5-2467M vs Dell: i5-2537M
Mac: Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 256mb vs Dell: NVIDIA GT540M graphics with 1GB

There ya go, think what you will

Different beasts altogether. One is an ultra-portable, one is a gaming laptop. Both are expensive for different reasons.