The Apple Mac Cost Misconception

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$34.99 - AMD LE-1600 2.2GHz 1MB L2 Cache AM2 45W
$46.98 - PC CHIPS A15G
$31.98 - G.SKILL 1GB DDR2 800
$39.99 - Antec EA380 380W
$79.99 - Seagate 250GB/32/7200
$21.99 - Sony AD-7200A-0B
$255.92 - No screen/case

149.43 - KDS K-6mwb 16.7 8MS

Total: $405.35

...and you get much better warranties from individual components then prebuilt systems that you have to pay extra for.

Maybe it's not toe to toe for the power but it's AFFORDABLE and adding a case and a screen keep the costs well under $500 for the average computer user.

Then swap out the single core CPU with a dual core, add another GB of RAM, and add a cheap 256-bit memory interface DX10 card and you've got a system that should handle *MOST* games reasonably well provided you don't dump Vista on the box. You're looking at maybe $600~$700 range at that point?

The main point is not to BURN money uselessly...but to achieve your goals. I don't need 120FPS...I'd plumb happy if the games I *actually* play get around 40+ FPS.

...and XP trumps both OS X and Vista hands down. Provided of course the user is competent enough to tweak everything and clear out any existing junk. You also can't disable the page file on OS X which reduces the hard drive's lifespan and Vista's caching system treats physical memory like it's a frigin RAM-drive.

Also what noob buys a DELL? Seriously...
 
When I read this article, I died a little bit inside. I'll just have to take comfort in the fact that my $1100 PC outperforms this POS $2000 mac.
 
A lot of things have been said regarding this article already that disprove greatly the misinformation included within. While I agree some people arguing against it are being narrow-minded or are in fact wrong, I have to say that the author of the article, Tuan Ngyuen has been everything but professional when dealing with the comments made on his article. I am disappointed to know that there is staff at Tom's with such little knowledge of proper decourm.
 
What's with the $550 worth of case and PSU in the comparison? Seriously? You could get by with a case that costs $50 and a power supply that costs half as much and will have the same reliability rating.

Apple cases are nowhere near the quality of Lian-Li.


 
A few months ago I tried to price out an equivalent MAC portable vs. Dell portable and found the price difference was within 5% of each other. I did the same with a macmini and the low end dell desktop. Admittedly, this was when the new system upgrades had just come out for equivalent price. It will be different when it is just before the hardware upgrades come out.

However to fairly compare the two you have to include nearly identical hardware. The macmini has a lot of builtin stuff that the dell did not (add to be tacked on in the options). I also did not include a lot of options which are simply overpriced anyway. The base system is good though and a lot of "proprietary hardware" isn't.

Apple separates itself from companies like Dell and HP by its OS and customer support. Otherwise you are just competing purely on price. Even so the price is usually within 5-10% either way depending on what you want.
 
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't all the stuff you're talking about done with third party software (which would make your point somewhat moot, since there's probably something almost identical for Windows, which you've never used)?"...I'm correcting u because u r wrong-kinda.
U r right that it's third party, but u r ABSOLUTELY wrong supposing there is anything REMOTELY as good as it available for PC. I know this for certain because I built my own PC and the turned it in a HTPC...
THEN months later I saw my freind using eyeTV and I flipped. YES it is that much better. really. Not just all the features and functions but right down to the way it feels to navigate it and the recordings. I do hope it comes out for PC, something I doubt. I would get it if it did.
So yeah Im not totally raving about MAC, although eyeTV is deeply and well integrated with MAC software/mobile stuff. I'm mostly raving about eyeTV.
 
I OWN a MacBook Pro, and I can tell you right now this article is false. The PC's used are not representative of PC's overall. Also, Apple tried to charge me $150 for a $20 dollar (on NewEgg) 1 gig stick of notebook RAM, I don't really see how you can argue that they aren't more expensive.
 
[citation][nom]compy386[/nom]If you're stupid enough to pay retail for a Dell, then Apple just might be the computer for you.[/citation]

For real. 2 years ago I had a 750 off of 2000 that i used. I have never seen anything like that for apples.
 
oh tuan.. why are you doing this to yourself? people who read toms knows hardware.. they know of something called the scientific method.. they dont buy testimonials or picked examples.. it just doesnt work that way here

1. several users have posted examples with references of laptops and desktops that have better hardware than the macs in your article but cost several hundrd dollars less (that is way way less btw). you even seem to accept this fact but some how still insist that mac are not much more expensive (you back don from claiming that they are equally priced) again dispite sever exampls that macs are in fact way way more expensive than better performing pcs..

there are also several statemensts in the comments that are just.. not thought thrugh...

"you can always build something cheaper, a pc, a mac a car a house[..]"

well.. No infact you CAN NOT build a mac cheaper.. or more expensive. you cant build a mac at all, only apple can build macs. thats the whole point.

"you cant compare a macbook to a cheaper acer"

err... im just stunned by this... you have written an article that aims to compare the price of macs to the price of equvalent pcs and you say this??
why exactly cant you compare a macbook to a cheaper acer(or any other brand) because it would disprove your point, thats why.. of course you reach the conclusion that macbooks are priced the same as equvalent pc IF YOU DONT COUNT THE EQUIVALENT PCS THAT COSTS LESS

i have no beef with macs (i do haves some beefs with apple beeing so extremly hypocritical whenthe call microsoft anti competitive) and i would love to see more objective comparisons between apple pcs (thats what they are you know) and other pcs..

this artice is not a discrace because its about macs, its a discrace because of the many blatant fact errors and dishonesties, the unverified claims about perf (where, oh where are the benchmarks???)and the highly obective and selective choice of pc systems to compare against (what makes a li-an case equvalent to a mac case? thats just the authors subjective oppinion, why only dell pcs? why not even the same size??)

ive been reading toms for a long long time (10+ years, from when the site was mostly in german) and this is a new low im sad to say.. what i find scary is that the editors either ignore or dont realise how low quality and unscientific this article is.. makes me worry about the futuer of toms, a site that ive always loved and respected (so far)
 
the 2 got lost somewhere in there.. im sure many a mac fanboi will use this to mock and dismiss my post, but i hope the edtitors and decition makers at toms get the point anyway..
 
i can get a working new pc laptop for $600 that works fine. i could never get a new mac laptop for that price.
 
Ok mac fanboy we've all heard enough, uve been turned into a mac loving fool and just like the rest of them demand that everyone else see your 'sense' 2 mac articles in 2 weeks is overkill for a site such as this, 95% of the people here do not give a crap, we want to hear the latest hardware news that we can use and input into our monster gaming rigs. We are people who know what we're talking about when it comes to computers, macs are for people with no understanding of them and just want one that will basically do whatever it likes while they get little things done.

enoughs enough, if u keep campaigning about your love for the mac, the people who own this site should really pull the plug on you. I use macs everyday at school, and plan to get it installed as a quad boot on my c ustom pc, but thats only for bragging rights, as an OS it is too restricting and doesnt offer any flexibility that people like me demand with our computer experience, theres no compensating, you cant find the sae thing on mac, we want the tools we've found and customised.

Now go home you mac fanboy, youve lost all respect as a journalist by taking ur opinions and shoving it down our throats, just like most other mac fanboys who know nothing of computers, the ones that do dont give a shit, just like us.
 
Yeah, I did a comparison as well: http://www.dawningvalley.com/2008/08/how-dell-and-system76s-ubuntu-machines-stack-up-to-their-mac-counterparts/

The difference here was that I compared all the Mac models. In some cases, the Mac actually was cheaper (for the specs). For the most part though, the Mac was way overpriced. In fact, in one case, the Dell was almost half as much.
 
MAC Fanboys fall in 2 categories. Eccentric and Gay. Everyone else has enough sense not to be different for the sake of being different. OS X blue screens and Apple sensors you if you ask for help in their forums. At least microsoft admits and patches their mistakes, eventually. And my PC doesn't take pictures of me on it's own.
 
"The article is talking about whether you can build the same thing as Apple for less"

..and there are numerous examples withreferences to diffrent sites in the comments that beyond doubt proves that you can infact get a pc with equivalent or better hardware for serveral hundred dollars less..

"dont want to muck around with your computer yourself, go to the apple store, its pretty crowded"

um.. is this supposed to be a selling argument? that the apple store is crowded with people who needs support for their macs? not so much..
 
Apple used to be proprietary hardware and software. With the move to BSD and Linux low level compatibility, and x86-64 based hardware - software companies have ported their programs from RISC to x86 processors, and with a small step Windows programs to Apple OS. Apple's business plan involves making sure that the Apple store gets lots of business for accessories, repairs, and upgrades. Virtual majority of Windows PC Repair centers will not touch a mac which drives up the profits for Apple. Thats just good business for them. Combine that with a great advertising campaign and we have the buzz in the back of our heads about Macs. This leads to the 2 articles that we have seen written - and flamed.

We all hate and support Windows because it is what we know, and what we are used to. Has anyone done a comparison of equivalent included software packages between the Mac and Dell or whatever? or priced out individually what the value of each program is? See if that either balances out the price tag or makes it worse (without flame - and i have no idea what comes on a mac)

Valid Points so far:
Hardware costs are too high for upgrades
Servicing requires travel to apple store
Software package included is sufficient, but its not Windows
Performance is sufficient for hardware used, but low for the price
Retail is more expensive than building something yourself.
Software library available nowhere near the Windows PC.

Little less flame, little more productivity.
 
For people who are technically savvy, Macs current OS is just a bloated Linux Kernel. Also the parts you chose and the manufacturers are known to be overpriced.
 
Personally I am a desktop and notebook reseller and I custom build notebooks. I can build a comparable Compal with 15.4" screen same resolution, 512MB 8600 DEDICATED video, 2GB RAM, 200GB 7200 Momentus HDD,
and all the rest of the toys that Mac has with XP Pro for 1500.00...and that is making a few hundred dollars on the deal. I read Toms all the time and agree with most of what you guys say, but I do have to disagree with this specific post. I wish you would have chosen a more comparable model if you are going to compare apples with apples. Sorry if someone has already stated all this but I just read it and couldnt believe the comparison chart. Have a nice day and please for all of us do try to do your homework first before making a claim like that. By the way I do like macs and use them not quite as much as PC because I am primarily a gamer but I am not a Mac Basher. You pay for the Mac quality and you get what you pay for. As long as you use it for what MAC intended it to be used for.
 


Lets see now, Windows Media center does ALL of the recording and tracking of new episodes and lets your chose how many you want to keep.
Hauppauge gives a editor to cut commercials without recoding. Nanocomsos or something like that.
DivX Author for $10 will do all the recoding/commercial cutting for other devices that support DivX.

Or if you want you can just get TMPGenc Express to do all the other formats used.
 
HTPC's do not require a whole hell of alot in terms of hardware. 1080p blu-ray will play perfectly fine on a 780G board with 2 gigs of ram and a single core 1.8ghz semperon....and nothing else. An ati all in wonder HD 650 costs around $100 if you need a tuner/pvr card, and i'm not bothering with a blu-ray drive until the price of the burners come down under $200.

The majority of people that are at the point of building an HTPC usually have an old case, around so i just tallyed up the base componets, which really is all you need. HTPC cases are usually horrible for HD bays, as well as being to small to deal with the added heat so i have a file server set up consisting of

16x74G 16mb cache 15krpm SCSI HD in raid 6, on a Compaq SmartArray 5300
4x500 SATA II drives in raid 10 running off a Rocketraid 2220
The scsi drives were Ebay buys ($12-$28 apiece, god i love ebay)new they still cost $250-$300 i belive, 3 years ago they were $2500. they are split into 2x8 disk compaq hot swap rack mounts that are from the RL1850R compaq server days so the things are built like a tank, empty the racks weight 50 something ponuds. At any rate, those are part of a server 2003 rig, and all my files are downloaded, recorded and backed-up there. Though with the 750gig disks at under $100 i'll be swapping 8 of the scsi out for 8 of those.

my desktop consists of

an old 300gig ATA 133 drive,
2x500gig sata II and
3x250gig SATA II.

Now, sadly i still need more space, two terabytes of server storage, 2 terabyte of desktop storage and i still need more storage. I could have listed off all that, but i know there is a much shorter list of people in the market for that kind of disk space then those who could get by with a HTPC hardware base costing $160
 
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