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  1. #1

    Why are macs so expensive?

    I recently compared a baseline Macbook Pro(1200$) to a Lenovo 340E($600)

    The Lenovo weighs .2 more pounds but also has a 1 inch larger screen and a 1 hour longer lasting battery.

    The processors are a 2.5GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 for the Macbook Pro and a Intel Core i3-2350M. I compared them on the Intel site here, http://ark.intel.com/compare/53452,53438, and the Macbook Pro processor seems to be only a very slight advantage over the Lenovo one.

    Both computers have the same ram.

    The hard drive for the Macbook Pro is a 500GB 5400-rpm Hard-drive Vs. Lenovo's hard drive is a 320GB Hard-Drive with a 7200RPM difference. From what I understand, macs is slightly better but it can also be up to personal preference.

    I also brought the Macbook Air in the comparison ($999) and it literally gets blow out of the water in every tech spec, making it weigh so little (~2.2 pounds)

    I did all this to research the computer to get for college, and when I found this out it kind of surprised me, any opinions?



    Quote Originally Posted by noteworthynerd View Post
    I'd like to remind everyone that baseless brand bashing is against the Computer Forum Rules.
    Last edited by Sunshine; 2012-08-01 at 08:58 PM. Reason: added warning

  2. #2
    Deleted
    Because on a Mac you pay a lot for the brand and design. Same with (most) "high-end" clothing brands.

  3. #3
    Brand. Like alienware

  4. #4
    Banned Orlong's Avatar
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    Another reason they cost so much is support. Most manufacturers either charge for tech support or outsource it to India (because too many people are cheapskates and dont want to pay more than $400 for a computer) where you dont get any useful help. The help you get when you call India is worse than just googling your problem and finding an answer. Apple has excellent support and I believe is based in the US where you can understand the people you call and they arent just reading a ascript and not answering your questions. You can also take a faulty Apple product to an Apple store and get it fixed on the spot instead of calling to get a RMA sending it in, and waiting 3 weeks for the repair like you do with many other vendors. Dell for instance offers in home repair but yyou pay a few hundred dollars more if you want that level of support on your new computer.
    Last edited by Orlong; 2012-08-01 at 05:53 PM.

  5. #5
    Macs are an aspirational brand. There are many, many people out there who are happy to pay the massive premium.

    Essentially it's boils down to the fact that they look "nice". Style over substance. Pretentious people don't want to be seen in Starbucks writing their novel on a poor man's Asus, or editing their next film on a Lenovo.

    Then you have the people who like to shout that OSX is a superior operating system, despite the fact that anyone even close to being a power user will end up running Parrallels at some point due to the significantly smaller amount of OSX programs compared with Windows.

  6. #6
    Bloodsail Admiral Blackspur's Avatar
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    Said in the first post, although Mac's are pretty well made and reliable the main reason for the steep price tag is the brand image. Nothing more to it really.

  7. #7
    You pay to be inducted to a cult that won't laugh at you when you break out that laptop at a Starbucks you aspiring poet you.

  8. #8
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    paying allot for just the brand is kinda an understatement the hardware 9/10 is the same or worse compared to what other laptops offer for half of the price often.

    ps ever configured a imac with high end speccs? the price is a joke compared to what you get.

  9. #9
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    Fashion really

  10. #10
    Scarab Lord
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    Then you have the people who like to shout that OSX is a superior operating system, despite the fact that anyone even close to being a power user will end up running Parrallels at some point due to the significantly smaller amount of OSX programs compared with Windows.
    As a power user, I've never had issue finding an OS X equivalent of a Windows program (the exception being games and C# programming). I have parallels installed for two things Visual Studio for C# and some games.
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  11. #11
    Well, going back a few years (like 20), one of the Pros and Cons of some PCs like Mac and Compaq's Deskpro and Server Pro was they tend to be proprietry, but often proved to have better performance and\or stability. One of the big complaints from PC game makers is that they have to account for a billion different hardware configs, where a closed OS\system with limited Hardware guaranteed a easier time with compatibility. Of course, the result of a closed system is you normally paid a premium for the product. Sometimes, it was worth it, sometimes you're paying exclusively for a label.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Orlong View Post
    Another reason they cost so much is support. Most manufacturers either charge for tech support or outsource it to India (because too many people are cheapskates and dont want to pay more than $400 for a computer) where you dont get any useful help. The help you get when you call India is worse than just googling your problem and finding an answer. Apple has excellent support and I believe is based in the US where you can understand the people you call and they arent just reading a ascript and not answering your questions. You can also take a faulty Apple product to an Apple store and get it fixed on the spot instead of calling to get a RMA sending it in, and waiting 3 weeks for the repair like you do with many other vendors. Dell for instance offers in home repair but yyou pay a few hundred dollars more if you want that level of support on your new computer.
    The few times i contacted Apple support for my work, all they got to say was "it's your other peripherals (read: windows) fault; mac is fine".

    Bull****.
    Non ti fidar di me se il cuor ti manca.

  13. #13
    Herald of the Titans Aoyi's Avatar
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    The cost is for status branding. That's it. You pay more for the ability to say you have a Mac. There's really nothing better about having one than an equivalent PC. You just buy it to look cool. I'm not saying that as a dig against Apple. It's just how it is. Look at designer clothing. It's the same idea.

  14. #14
    The Patient
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    Buy a Lenovo freshman year and junior year, or buy one Mac for all 4. I'd bet you a MacBook Pro the Lenovo is missing 3 keys and runs like a 90 year old woman in a pant suit after 2 years.
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  15. #15
    Macs are expensive because people are willing to pay for it. I cant tell you how many people I know that have bought macs only to use them for microsoft office and facebook.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by reohh View Post
    Macs are expensive because people are willing to pay for it. I cant tell you how many people I know that have bought macs only to use them for microsoft office and facebook.
    I can't tell you how many people I know that bought $1200 Dells with Windows Vista that had 0 functionality after 12 months...
    Last edited by lwalker8; 2012-08-01 at 06:07 PM.
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  17. #17
    you pay for the brand and the color. PC's are superior in every way, and cheaper.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Coldkil View Post
    The few times i contacted Apple support for my work, all they got to say was "it's your other peripherals (read: windows) fault; mac is fine".

    Bull****.
    Yeah, the last time I called Apple for support was for an old iPod that stopped working about a year after I got it. Had worse luck getting help from them as I have from any other manufacturer, admittedly I probably got connected with a rep that was having a bad day or something but they're not nearly as amazing as people claim them to be imo.

    Quote Originally Posted by lwalker8 View Post
    I can't tell you how many people I know that bought $1200 Dells with Windows Vista that had 0 functionality after 12 months...
    And I can't tell you how many people I know that buy anything without doing any level of research on their purchase, let alone understand how to maintain the product(which I'm assuming is the case in your scenario). Also my $1200 Vista machine is now 4 years old and still going strong.
    Last edited by Dedweight; 2012-08-01 at 06:15 PM.

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by lwalker8 View Post
    I can't tell you how many people I know that bought $1200 Dells with Windows Vista that had 0 functionality after 12 months...
    Holy shit, apple fan boy much? I wasnt bashing macs at all. I was making fun of the people that buy them for microsoft office and facebook. If you are going to buy a mac for things it is meant to do (like photoshop and final cut pro) then its all good. No need to bash windows for no reason. You obviously have had terrible experiences with shit companies like Dell and Lenovo (el oh fucking el). My HP laptop is 3 years old and runs like new.

    Why you so mad at microsoft? You are just in this thread to bash window PC's, and not to contribute anything even remotely intelligent.


    Opinions are always welcome, taking it to a personal level is not.
    Last edited by Sunshine; 2012-08-01 at 08:56 PM.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by lwalker8 View Post
    Buy a Lenovo freshman year and junior year, or buy one Mac for all 4. I'd bet you a MacBook Pro the Lenovo is missing 3 keys and runs like a 90 year old woman in a pant suit after 2 years.
    Even if this were to be the case (which it probably isn't, my dad has a macbook and it has slowed just as much as a windows would have) but if it were, I would just buy a second computer for 600 bucks 2 years later that would shit on both and in the end I spent the same amount of money.

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