Mac Tax, Dell Tax, HP Tax

Harry writes "Microsoft's new Windows ad, with shopper Lauren buying a cheap 17-inch HP laptop instead of a $2,800 MacBook Pro, has unleashed the whole 'Are Macs Expensive?' debate again. I'm diving in with a pretty exhaustive comparison of the MacBook Pro against machines from Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Sony that were as comparably configured as I could manage. The conclusion: High-end laptops tend to carry high-end prices, whether their operating system hails from Cupertino or Redmond. And the MacBook Pro wasn't the priciest of the systems I compared." We looked at this question, not in as much depth, a couple of years back.

Comments

Re:The question isn't just "are Macs expensive"

[geekoid]

How well is OSX running on your 1350 dollar Dell?

Re:The question isn't just "are Macs expensive"

[captainjaroslav]

Yes, and my $999 MacBook does everything I need it to do. Yes, the lowest-end MacBooks are not as cheap as the lowest-end Dells (nor as underpowered), but neither is the $2800 the only price point for a Mac laptop, as your post implies.

Re:Fanboy reacts to negative Apple publicity...

[iluvcapra]

Also, the entire basis for this comparison is wrong... as the ad shows, it has nothing to do with the "exact" features. Consumers look for a couple key features and operate "within a market." If you want the real take-away here it's that Apple either a) doesn't understand the market they're targeting with the 13" macbook or b) is purposely trying to drive people to the more expensive machine.

That's one way to interpret it... On the other hand, the message of the ad is basically:

There's Macs and there's PCs. They are basically comparable on price to features, but we aren't going to talk about that. We're going to show you some high price tags and then send you a bunch of psychological messaging about how the price of a particular company's computer is elitist, and how they look down their nose at honest folk like you. A 13 inch MacBook isn't a product being sold in the market, it's merely a gesture by San Francisco segue-rider types to condescend and insult you. Consider buying our product, which we can concede is inferior, but at least isn't made by a buncha dirty hippies who don't understand the value of a dollar.

That's basically the subtext of the ad.

Re:mod parent up!

[99BottlesOfBeerInMyF]

To me on the the biggest issues with Apple is that they don't really offer a full range of configurations. So if for instance somebody wants a mid-range tower they are out of luck. Or a consumer notebook with a big screen. What they do make I think is competitive in those markets. But an expanded lineup would really help.

Apple will never have as wide a selection of different computers as all other computer manufacturers combined. It is unlikely this problem will ever go away. That said, the more models they offer, the less this is an issue. Apple already offers significantly more models than some computer makers with a larger market share than they have (like Asus). It is a balance between having enough models to fit as many people's needs as possible and not having so many that they are overextended for engineering and production and lose economies of scale.

Re:Upgrading

[Ex-MislTech]

#1 - Do not use IE, if the site must have .asp then
use it for just those sites and possibly setup
the browser so it only "trusts" those sites and
blocks all others, use Firefox and certain plug-ins.

#2 - Do not go on the web with an account with
Administrative privileges, use a limited user account.

#3 - Use Adblock plus plug-in for Firefox

#4 - Use Noscript lug-in for Firefox

#5 - Use the custom hosts file that redirects all known bad sites
to 127.0.0.1

#6 - Use the top rated Virii scanners.

#7 - Install Spybot: Search & Destroy with Tea Timer enabled

#8 - Use the free checkpoint firewall Zone Alarm or something better.

#9 - Have all of this installed and setup before you even
connect to the internet for the first time.

#10 - Make a image of your basic OS install plus potection
and split partition your drive for rapid OS re-image if
none of the above does the trick.

Of course some ppl just run linux/unix on their el-cheapo
hardware from the OEMs.