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Telling Fact From Fantasy In the World of Apple Rumors

Harry writes "In recent years, fact-based reporting about Apple and its products has been almost completely overwhelmed by gossip, predictions, and speculation — an amazing percentage of which is embarrassingly wrong. I've put together a guide to figuring out which scuttlebutt is almost certainly fiction, and which has a shot at jibing with reality."

11 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. Fantasy: Apple computers aren't overpriced by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sorry, couldn't resist. ;-)

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Fantasy: Apple computers aren't overpriced by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I would suggest that you price any other companies computer Spec for Spec It doesn't matter if you think the spec is important to you or not. (including Size, Weight, Dimensions, Video Camera,Keyboard type...), in general try to custom build the Mac Model. You will find the price of the Mac, will be about the same price as the competitors.
      That said. Apple has a limited line and there are a lot of gaps for what people want in a computer, So the Apple may not be the best value for them. But as for its price their prices are competitive. (Don't include home built boxes, as you rarely add your labor to the price, and you pay for just the parts)

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    2. Re:Fantasy: Apple computers aren't overpriced by Lars+T. · · Score: 4, Insightful

      imo there is a certain amount of truth to that but generally only at a products release or update. Apple don't tend to change prices unlike many others (take Dell for example)

      Of course the times Apple has lowered prices, people were in a rage that they did (because they "just" bought one 2 months ago).

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    3. Re:Fantasy: Apple computers aren't overpriced by A+nonymous+Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      I tend to think you tend to overuse "tend", but that's just a human tendency after all, and I myself tend to follow in many human tendencies after all.

      But after all is said and done, I tend to understand you after all.

    4. Re:Fantasy: Apple computers aren't overpriced by vux984 · · Score: 3, Informative

      You will find the price of the Mac, will be about the same price as the competitors.

      Essentially true for the base model, when they are launched. And then it goes down hill, because the Apple specs are practically obsolete before its updated, and then on top of that, they grossly overcharge for upgrades.

      For example, Take a look at the base 24" iMac. It comes with 2GB of RAM... it costs $150 to go to 4GB. You can easily buy 4GB outright for LESS than it costs to get an extra 2GB from Apple.

      Another example... Hard drive... it starts with a 320GB HD. They want $300 to upgrade to a 1TB drive. You can get a 1TB for $100-150 outright. With Apple its $300 and that's on top of whatever they valued the 320GB at.

      Yet another example... $150 to upgrade to a 8800GS? What the fuck? A 9800GT is $130.00 outright for crying out loud, and is a much stronger card. And they want $150 to UPGRADE to an 8800GS?

      Ok... its an all in one... so sure, maybe the video card is a bit trickier... I get why a 9800GT might not be an option. But I shouldn't have to pay $150 to upgrade to an 8800GS. $50 over an HD2600pro, tops.

      Apple gouges on upgrades 'nuff said.

      So how about an actual product comparison:

      Apple 24" 3.06 vs Dell XPS 24"
      bluetooth on both
      gigabit on both
      built in camera - 1.3MP vs 2MP
      built in mic - on both
      wifi - apple gives you b/g, dell b/g/n
      4GB ram on both (apple upgrade / dell default)
      750GB drive on both (apple upgrade / dell default)
      24" screen - lets assume they are equal - who knows
      built in speakers - lets assume they are equal
      optical - dvdrw vs bluray
      cpu - cor2duo in the apple, dell gives you a quad
      video - 8800GS 512MB vs 9600M GT 512MB - i think the dell's is better
      os - osx vs vista ultimate

      Ok... so the dell all-in-one is equal or better in each spec, how about price:

      iMac 2449.00 vs 2199.00 [ dell XPS one 24 (product)red ]

      so its $250 less, comes with a quad core, blu ray, wireless n, better video card, and a better camera.

      Oh, and the dell has a TV tuner too.

      Dell win hands down. Not even a contest. Apple's not in the ballpark.

      Worse if we can drop the 'product (red)' thing, which drops the bluray drive, and gives us vista home premium, the dell is $1899, still markedly better than the Apple, and now $550 less.

      Maybe not all Apple's are overpriced... but this one, at least IS.

    5. Re:Fantasy: Apple computers aren't overpriced by guruevi · · Score: 3, Informative

      Still, I work in research environment and I find it impossible to find an 8-core Xeon on par with the current Mac Pro for less than the Apple price and that thing is almost a year old. Yeah, I can find it in a 4-core or 8-core desktop CPU (ECC is kinda important if you're running large computations over several days) and I can find it in several older CPU's but then they don't support enough PCIe or multiple hard drives. And then there is an extra surcharge for 64-bit Windows.

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
    6. Re:Fantasy: Apple computers aren't overpriced by RedK · · Score: 3, Informative

      The iMac 24" comes with an S-IPS panel screen. Your Dell comes with a cheap TN Film. There's your price differential right there. It's also nice you falsely claimed the Mac didn't have 802.11n and got modded up anyway.

      --
      "Not to mention all the idiots who use words like boxen."
      Anonymous Coward on Monday August 04, @06:49PM
  2. Steve Jobs is Dead! by eldavojohn · · Score: 3, Funny

    After signing a contract with Michael Jackson to put the entire Beatles catalog on iTunes, he picked up his iPhone Nano to call Jay Z and confirm that he would be starting a record label with the rapper. At the same time he was trying to multi-task and he hit "send" on an e-mail firing Justin Lang from the "I'm a Mac" commercials on his $800 MacBook Pro. At that point he accidentally swallowed his iPhone Nano, choked on it and died.

    The scariest part? Watch the stock fluctuate to each of those headlines.

    --
    My work here is dung.
  3. Just compare against this handy list by Xest · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Apple products overview
    =======================
    Pros:
    - It looks cool
    - It sounds cool
    - It probably smells cool
    - It probably even tastes cool

    Cons:
    - It's expensive
    - It lacks features initially

    Any rumour about an Apple product where the details of the rumour fall outside this list is false.

  4. Sometimes the truth sucks by Shivetya · · Score: 4, Interesting

    but Apple's use of Intel chips and similar chip sets validated the comparisons. Outside of OS X what we have is cutting edge cases: packaging. Apple is the mastery of packaging and marketing. Throw in a long standing and in some cases deserved following and the die is set.

    That isn't to say there is some value in packaging. Yet this what happens is that there is this great disconnect. I follow and post to various mac forums (being an owner on an iMac and two iPods does let me get away with it) where the same people who one day berate Alienware (insert name of any PC specialty maker) for charging high prices for essentially fancy cased machines will drag you into the dirt arguing why the case on the new "mac xxx" is so revolutionary that it deserves exception.

    The primary problem is that too many in the Mac community still fail to recognize that Apple isn't just about computers. They go out of their way to ignore the boards on the site dedicated to the iPhone and Touch. Yet from those products one can see why much of the Mac hardware is what it is. Is Apple big enough to create a multitude of products for both the Mac enthusiast and the music/phone consumer? Considering the state of Mac I think they aren't. While I laud them on continued extension of OS X I am really annoyed at the hardware I am forced to run it on. Apple goes to no end to stomp anyone trying to use their hardware or software in ways they don't approve yet at the same time refuse to fill the void that is being called out by these upstarts.

    Apple put themselves into the same position IBM was in, they have a common hardware platform in Mac with the rest of the PC world. Their market is ripe for a competitor. It is only a matter of time before one surfaces who doesn't just back down. Apple's reaction will be interesting once OS X cannot be held to just Apple made computers. Frankly they should license it to very specific ranges on computers to fill the void in their product line they refuse to fill themselves. Create a system of "OX X" certified with real enforcement. Will it happen, no but it is nice to dream.

    Macs are like Harley Davidson, only a fool buys them new. Get them used and save yourself the expense. Exploit the irrational expectations that some of the community have for having to have the newest item, this years new case. You will get a good machine and have the very same experience except you can look at your bank account and feel good about it.

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
  5. This was a whole lot easier by grapeape · · Score: 3, Funny

    This was a whole lot easier before The Woz joined Dancing with the Stars, now it seems the reality line has blurred.