Mac Prices Steady as PC Prices Fall

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Why are PC prices steadily falling while Apple’s prices stay the same? Apple Watch asks the obvious question “should you pay twice as much for a Mac?”

One of them, a 14-inch model, the HP DV2946NR, sold for $699.99 and packed 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive. Capacity for both features is twice that of the $1,299 MacBook—and shared graphics is 356MB compared with a meager 144MB for the MacBook. I wondered: If Vista notebooks are selling for so little and packing so much, how does this compare with Mac desktops and notebooks?
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it doesn't matter, Mac fans will buy mac regardles of price or performance.

is it worth it? absolutely not... but in the I world logic doesn't really function properly
 
All of my friends starting college in the fall are getting MacBooks, with only one person building a PC (he's a member here). It's that shiny Apple logo, it's like crack on a college campus.
 
Well, I really prefer the PC to Mac, but if I really wanted a Mac I guess I would pay the premium. It's not like there are any alternatives. When purchasing a PC you might have specs your aiming for, and your options, and manufacturers are almost limitless, but with a Mac, your getting a Mac. And paying up the nose for it regardless.
 
alexheinz said:
All of my friends starting college in the fall are getting MacBooks, with only one person building a PC (he's a member here). It's that shiny Apple logo, it's like crack on a college campus.
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alot of colleges require macbooks for the art programs. I have a friend in an art school in dayton, they made her buy a macbook and she hates it. Does all her actual work on a PC and displays it at school on the macbook. or as she calls it the 2000 dollar picture frame :rolleyes:
 
Owned a Mac once. After it nearly caught my couch on fire and Apple refused to do a recall on the power cord that did it, I will not buy one of their products again.
 
I will never understand or care about apple as a computer provider. (laptops/desktops) They are the king of marketing and the sparkle/glitter you get with a system like that. But I hate the OS and don't care of the whole "Mac Culture" at all. Buying an apple notebook doesnt make you better or smarter.

I own an iphone and an ipod - I like them very much but that's where the love ends. The few times I've been to an apple store I always get a weird vibe of "ass-hattery" and snobbery there. If you listen to the way people talk and act in that place you would understand.

We have a few people in the office (women) who picked up a macbook whatever, when i ask them why they like it they cant give specific examples except that "its just better". Well our office is 98% windows... and they bitch and moan when I cant give them support (its not my job anyway).

This whole argument can be akin to people of different religion... use it if you want... but don't try to cram it in my face and tell me how much better you are, or how much better your laptop is because it's shiny/thin, and has a shiny apple logo on it. Steve jobs is laughing all the way to the bank at the people who buy up his stuff without thinking.
 
In my store we sell way more macs than PC's, despite carrying Lenovo, HP, Dell, and Sony. Why drop the price if sales keep growing?
 
Its one of the following(depending on if you are a mac fanboy trying to rationalize high prices or not):
Because PCs have competing hardware vendors?
Or is it because Macs are just way better?
 
RadCliffeX said:
alot of colleges require macbooks for the art programs. I have a friend in an art school in dayton, they made her buy a macbook and she hates it. Does all her actual work on a PC and displays it at school on the macbook. or as she calls it the 2000 dollar picture frame :rolleyes:
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i've heard that before, I almost looked at Dayton to finish my creative degree, i won't touch a mac.

the joke is that pretty much all the things that made mac the artist choice are now either dual platform or have something just as useful on the other platform.

i think what? final cut pro is the only mac only software left? and the latest premiere does all the same stuff.

tell her to get a real laptop, put vista on it, and if they say anything draw the apple on the lid.
 
RadCliffeX said:
alot of colleges require macbooks for the art programs. I have a friend in an art school in dayton, they made her buy a macbook and she hates it. Does all her actual work on a PC and displays it at school on the macbook. or as she calls it the 2000 dollar picture frame :rolleyes:
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At least macs will have better resale value than PCs. I think anyway...
 
heh, you got me there...

perfect example though, apple is entirely marketing. Seriously, there are things that do the job better and cost less...it's completely a status trend thing. bullshit at its finest
 
Ok, one guy at work uses a Mac, and he was telling me that even though it uses an Intel proc now, it handles the FSB differently. Something about the Mac MOBO architecture is different from that of a standard Intel based PC.

Is there any legitimacy to this or is he blowing smoke out his ass?
 
Manaknight said:
heh, you got me there...

perfect example though, apple is entirely marketing. Seriously, there are things that do the job better and cost less...it's completely a status trend thing. bullshit at its finest
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You could say the same thing about most products, but it's not going to change reality. For a apples/oranges example: PC's are to Macs as a...... Chevy Camaro would be to a Porsche 911. You can buy a Camaro that will beat the pants off the Porsche, but we all know people will buy Porsche's "just to drive a Porsche".
 
I just went to the apple.ca store to configure a mac to buy.

It was pretty funny. and extra $500 will get you and extra 2Gigs of memory!!!!
 
More like a harley vs a jap bike ;)

Ok, one guy at work uses a Mac, and he was telling me that even though it uses an Intel proc now, it handles the FSB differently. Something about the Mac MOBO architecture is different from that of a standard Intel based PC.

Is there any legitimacy to this or is he blowing smoke out his ass?
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I really really reall doubt it.
 
Ok, one guy at work uses a Mac, and he was telling me that even though it uses an Intel proc now, it handles the FSB differently. Something about the Mac MOBO architecture is different from that of a standard Intel based PC.

Is there any legitimacy to this or is he blowing smoke out his ass?
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He blowing smoke out his ass and up yers
 
Macs are just so much better, so they are worth it... you guys don't know what you're talking about.

Get a real computer already! Get a Mac! :p
 
Hurdler said:
Ok, one guy at work uses a Mac, and he was telling me that even though it uses an Intel proc now, it handles the FSB differently. Something about the Mac MOBO architecture is different from that of a standard Intel based PC.

Is there any legitimacy to this or is he blowing smoke out his ass?
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I'm not a computerologist or anything but as far as I know as long as you're using a standard socket (like 771 or 775) that the PCs use the processor have to communicate in the same way.
 
pfunkman said:
Oh boy a heavily slanted article from toms of all places. You sure got everyone here.

Try actually comparing the prices for yourself not with the bunk examples from that article and a completey different picture will be painted... :rolleyes:
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Considering that CPU and Mobo alone are over half of the cost, its rediculous.
 
I'm a PC man, but Macbooks are pretty damn sexy. It's only recently that regular notebooks are getting within arm's length of a Macbook's form factor and design.
 
I'm not going to say Macs have no place. They clearly work. But the required iExpensive accessory option tagged on everything they sell also means I pass them up every time. I perfer to use my money for better values.
 
SockMan! said:
At least macs will have better resale value than PCs. I think anyway...
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I havn't even bothered for the last few years in selling computer stuff, it's so cheap now it's not worth it. ;) Does anyone seriously even think of resale anymore?

skadebo said:
I'm a PC man, but Macbooks are pretty damn sexy. It's only recently that regular notebooks are getting within arm's length of a Macbook's form factor and design.
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That's why they're white, so when you masturbate over them for how "sexy" they are, the stain isn't as apparent. :D

And form factor and design? Nah, PC's pioneer that. We had glossy screens and touchpads and what-not before the modern design macbooks even came out.


But as for the original article, when he says, which one to choose, well, based on pure hardware specs, I'd go for the mac. Why? Because it's got the better onboard graphics. I won't touch any laptop that has that intel shit graphics in it. And a quad core in a laptop? Why would you bother? Plus a stick of sodimm 2GB ddr2 is only like $40 from the shop, and HDD's are dirt cheap too.

BUT, in reality I'd be looking at a better specc'd "PC" laptop anyway that already contains a minimum of either a mobile ATI or Nvidia video card, buy the cheapest one, and then go on down to the local computer store and buy a bigger hdd and memory for peanuts. :)
 
skadebo said:
I'm a PC man, but Macbooks are pretty damn sexy. It's only recently that regular notebooks are getting within arm's length of a Macbook's form factor and design.
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Eh. I'd have to disagree there. The MacBooks look like something that was built with image over construction and stability in mind.

It's no wonder that when you have something named "Titanium" that the paint all chips off in time to reveal thin layers of plastic. A lot their white MacBooks ended up turning yellow. By going for the OMG THIN AS POSSIBLE, LOOK SLEEK! ROUNDED CORNERS! Apple ended up sacrificing durability. Even if it means it's a pound heavier and an inch thicker due to the extra plastic and rf shielding inside, I'll take the uglier, heavier, thicker laptop if it means the construction is more solid.

Beyond the logo and appearance, there's nothing unique about any Mac laptops. HP, Dell and Apple get the majority of their parts from the same supplier. Acer and Asus both have built MacBooks and iBooks.

With the Macs being all "off the shelf", in the sense that there's nothing inside unique to the Mac itself anymore (no more ADP, PowerPC, etc) It's a brand name premium for common materials.

No matter how much people want to have a pissing content about "OMG MACS ARE GREAT FOR THE PRICE IF YOU COMPARE IT TO A DELL!"... I've -always- been able to find similar spec laptops and desktops for less. Building it myself? The price difference becomes even more so.

And when you build it yourself, you don't have to worry about Apple shipping you Hynix (utter crap) memory with your system... the same memory they charge $500 for for a 2GB upgrade.
 
So then don't buy a mac. I never understood peoples incessant need to bash a product that they would never consider using in the first place. I don't own macs anymore because they don't offer me anything special that I need. But I don't mind working on them occasionally or if someone else chooses to buy one.

Seriously, Apple fanboys are one level of annoying. But the Apple bashers have somehow found a way to take that annoying to a whole new level.
 
i doubt ill ever buy a mac but from what i can tell their laptops are pretty damn quality.
 
jwhazel said:
Seriously, Apple fanboys are one level of annoying. But the Apple bashers have somehow found a way to take that annoying to a whole new level.
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So, countering mistruths and marketing BS is annoying to a whole new level?

krupted said:
i doubt ill ever buy a mac but from what i can tell their laptops are pretty damn quality.
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Same thing inside Apple laptops as there are inside HPs, Dells, Acer, Asus, Gateways, etc... Nothing inside is special.

You're paying for a logo/design and a brand name premium.
 
jwhazel said:
So then don't buy a mac. I never understood peoples incessant need to bash a product that they would never consider using in the first place. QUOTE]



Why does that bring up in my head an old saying "If you have nothing good to say, don't say anything at all?" ;)
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Mac, Harley Davidson, Jeep, any food product that claims to be "all natural". They are all marketing driven and that works for most of the population. Disposable income breeds idiots.

A couple months ago I helped my cousin pick out a macbook. She is starting college for theatre and that's what she wanted. I had no issue with helping out but I certainly steered her towards the cheapest mac notebook I could find. Most people with macs probably don't care much about performance but more about features.
 
I've used Macs at work for the past couple of years. The Mac OS is at least as good as Win XP/Vista from a user standpoint. It does some things better and some things worse. Programmers tell me it is not as stable as Windows. I do see more crashes on the Mac than on PCs. About 5X more. And there are two real problems with the Mac: many third party applications don't work right, and if you want to go cheap, you can't. It's probably the unstable 3rd party apps that cause most of the crashes.

I have a couple of $399 Compaq notebooks that have been great computers for the last couple of years. In a Mac, $399 will get you a memory upgrade.

You guys are right about the Mac zealots/zombies. They are often a disturbed bunch. I can understand why you would not want to be associated with that kind of cult_ture.

Bottom line: Macs are fine if you don't use a lot of high end applications and you do want a high end computer.
 
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