Re: Too expensive
@anon,
While Apple vs. Microsoft conversations often incite kneejerk fanboyism, I think there's more value to Apple than mere rhetoric. Admittedly, it's not all easy to quantify. But Apple's usually the top seller of $1000+ PCs (which sometimes surprises people—but it makes sense if you think about it, given that virtually all Macs are more than $1000). Granted, Apple's popularity among affluent people doesn't dismiss the possibility that some people with too much money buy Apple products just to be fashionable. Nevertheless, this popularity indicates that people with enough money to be discerning choose Apple at a much higher rate. One assumes that some of these people perceive real value, rather the trendies, given the large numbers we're talking about.
Additionally, even though Apple machines use the same components as cheaper Windows machines, for certain kinds of performance, Apple machines perform better, thanks to Apple's tight control of both hardware and software. Moreover, while the internal components might be comparable to those in cheaper Windows devices, the external components are a different issue. I know design don't matter to everyone, especially if you're particularly utilitarian, but it matters to others—and if you make people comfortable, they'll be more productive. I think you can also make some arguments in favor of OS X, maybe not on the IT side, but for users, it's clearly a different aesthetic than Windows, and features such as Spaces are pretty great. Does that mean everyone would buy a MacBook Pro if money were no object? No, of course not. As you point out, gamers have better options, and if you're running a business and need to be frugal, you can get the job done with Windows machines while spending half as much. And even though I like OS X, I wouldn't fault somehow who subjectively just doesn't like it. But the point is—Macs provide some empirical value, and even if some of Apple's benefits aren't as tangible as specs, I think it offers more than rhetoric.
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6/28/2014 | 8:45:50 AM