Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Why I Ain't Buying A Mac

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the not-enough-superfluous-animation dept.

gphat writes "An article at Rush Magazine details why the author isn't buying a Mac. This is in response to Apple wanting our input last week."

3 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Apple's Market by Jess · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The problem is that this guy is not in Apple's market. Apple is not going after people who want to tinker around with hardware and buy componets that have 0.1% markup. They want to sell to computer *users* like schools, small businesses, and the typical home user (like your mother). With that said, I do have to agree with the price issue that he raised. In the end, most people will probably choose a lower price over a cooler computer (iMac, for example). Apple needs a value line that competes with the $800 PC's.

  2. Some problems here... by gfilion · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The author says PowerMac G4 933MHz with a 60Gb hard drive, 256Mb of RAM, and a Super Drive (that's DVD and CD-RW people!). This is going to run me $2,299.00. At Dell's website (Dude, yer getting' a Dell) I can get a 1.8GHz Dimension with an 80Gb drive for $1,497.00. That's $800 dollars less for the same functionality, more hard drive space, twice the clock speed (I won't get into CPU architecture), and your required contribution to the Microsoft Empire in the form of Windows XP and Microsoft Works.

    First, the superdrive is a DVD-R and CD-RW, it burns DVDs and CDs. The Dell doesn't have that, and guess what, it costs about 800$ to get one. The assembled-with-the-cheapest-possible-parts-PC doesn't have a warrantee, so it's not a fair comparaison.

    Also, his whole argument about weither more MHz is better is quite stange. At first he says that only Joe Sixpack thinks that, and people who know computer architecture relalise that the MHz are only a part of a computer speed. Two lines later, he says that the Mac is slower because it has a lower frequency.

    Let me tell you something, if you ever have two computers that have the same performances (time to do a task), always take the one with the lower frequency, you'll have a more stable system, it will produce less heat, etc.

    Overall, it was a pretty crappy article...
    GFK's

  3. Apple == Volkswagon by leifw · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The best analogy I've seen for Apple's place in the computer industry is to that of Volkswagon's in the auto industry, especially VW's marketing of the new Bug. Volkwagon makes a cool looking product and then sell it with all services paid; your oil changes and other routine maintenance plus any unscheduled maintenance in the warranty period are part of the cost of the car. Of course this means the vehicle costs more, but plenty of people see it as worth while. This really appeals to people who just want a cool no-hastle vehicle.

    Apple sells their products similarly; the various Macs since the iMac have been cool looking, easy to use, no hastle computers. Part of buying a Mac is the cool iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, ietc. software that automagically does everything you bought your new PC for, including uploading your stuff to your mac.com website.

    It's all about increasing coolness and decreasing hastle for both VW and Apple.