Why A PC Diehard Bought A (Used) MacBook Pro (Op Ed)

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Lenovo Y50 is better in every way except battery life [mostly because of the more powerful processor and GPU] yet clocks in at 1600 MSRP and 1310 new without rebates on Newegg. Other than SSD and battery, with faster CPU/GPU, it matches the $2500 MBP.

On the 13 inch side of things, the Yoga 2 Pro has an i7 option at 1400 MSRP, on newegg for 1169. the 13 inch MBP doesn't even have a pre-configured i7 and gets to up to 1800.

Also, I'd argue sales are prevalent and nearly permanent fixtures on Windows PC's, so refusing to accept sales prices is refusing to accept the price people will actually buy these at. Apple never has sales, so people always pay full price or get a refurb. As such, a fair comparison would actually include sales prices.

Lastly, battery location isn't really a fair design comparison, most Windows PC's are forced to put it in the back where it's removable. The Yoga 2 Pro has an internal battery like the MBP, so it has the same layout, it's not an innovative thing to do, it's expected. I also feel compelled to mention the Macbook issue where batteries were catching fire, not exactly an outcome likely of expert engineering.

I'll give Apple their trackpads and their chargers, PC's are just now catching up to the magsafe [though it's definitely had its own issues, like premature fraying and shorting], and STILL very few Windows PC's have decent trackpads.
 
I got the exact same feeling when I got my first mac book 6 month ago. And it also was a used one from 2011. But now that the first impression blurred I think a well made windows machine will be way more productive and usefull.
 


Any Apple articles period draw haters like flies to a bug zapper, and people are definitely missing the point of this article entirely.
 

The default screen on the Y50 sucks. But it's trivial to replace it with a new screen for $80.

The top-end 15" MBP is horribly overpriced right now due to it using the ancient 750m, while Apple has not cut its price any. Pretty much any $1000-$1500 PC laptop with a dGPU is a better deal.

Lastly, battery location isn't really a fair design comparison, most Windows PC's are forced to put it in the back where it's removable. The Yoga 2 Pro has an internal battery like the MBP, so it has the same layout, it's not an innovative thing to do, it's expected. I also feel compelled to mention the Macbook issue where batteries were catching fire, not exactly an outcome likely of expert engineering.
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Heat isn't really what kills battery endurance. And even if it were, most of the heat comes from charging the battery, not nearby components. From a heat standpoint, the Macbooks are actually worse. Their all-metal case conducts heat from the hotter components to the battery. The plastic cases on PC laptops help insulate the battery from CPU/GPU heat.

What kills battery endurance is full charge/discharge cycles. Pretty much all laptops today take steps to limit how fully you can charge or discharge the batteries.
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

I'll give Apple their trackpads and their chargers, PC's are just now catching up to the magsafe [though it's definitely had its own issues, like premature fraying and shorting], and STILL very few Windows PC's have decent trackpads.
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Apple's trackpoint is due to better software. And that's one area where Apple definitely has an edge on the rest of the industry - UI software.

Apple has a probably-invalid patent on the magsafe power cord - magnetic power cords were used on deep fryers for decades before Apple put it on a laptop. It's just that nobody in the industry thinks it's worth the tens or hundreds of millions it would cost for a protracted battle to invalidate the patent. This is really more a sign of the flawed U.S. patent system, than any superiority on the part of Apple. Apple has a propensity to try to patent stuff nobody else would try because it's so obvious, they figure there's no way the USPTO would grant it. Except the USPTO does grant it, only to invalidate it after a decade of legal battles.
 
If you're going to get the MacBook Pro, you just go all in with Apple and add the IPhone andIPad.
I, on the other hand, went all in with Google. Android phone and tablet, as well as a Chromebook.
 
Windows RT's struggles are well documented but I bought one anyway and hated it. This single terrible decision on my part led me to buy a MacBook Pro. I really love it because its special and cannot explain why.

Thank you for reading the most vague article to ever appear on Tom's Hardware.
 
Why didn't you just buy a "Windows" laptop and install Linux? Or maybe a Chromebook if your needs aren't too high for portable use?
 
I agree with the author. I won a macbook pro (13'') at my 2011 prom. It is undoubtably the best laptop I have ever used. Every windows laptop I used have had something wrong with them, usually the inconsistent trackpad. But not the MAC. Best trackpad on a laptop, period. And i love the multi touch gestures. in windows 8 i always accidentally switch apps (Spotify, desktop, etc). I sure hope windows 10 will catch up in that department.
 

please stop referring to issues with laptops as a "windows laptop" issue, be specific on the manufacturer if it is a hardware problem. It was probably an acer or hp which i have had the pleasure of replacing many a trackpad. I have had no issues with trackpads in the past on any dell or toshiba laptops that i've used. If you dont like the the way a pad moves you can change the trackpad settings. I have actually used a 2013 macbook and i found the trackpad to be sluggish and you had to press down quite hard on the pad for it to register, but that could have been the settings and the fact that im not used to it. How do you always accidentally switch apps? i dont seem to have that issue.
 
there is no such thing as a mac any more. it's just an OS, like Linux. apple lost the war and turned to the power pc side when they ditched ibm and went with intel.

any pc can now run OS X. if there is no apple driver support, well, now they know how windows users feel every time a new windows OS comes out.... the down side is for OS X they will still have no more driver support that the release date even 10 years later. OS X obsolete before it's even released!
do they even have usb 3.0 support for OSX yet? how about mSATA? i know OS X won't play CRYSIS 1 2 or 3.
Seth Colaner next time, just buy a laptop, and install OS X off it from all the people on craigslist getting rid of their macs because they want to play BF3 & 4
 
Turn around to me ladies and gentlemen, you are in the luck to witness the birth of an Apple fanboyling, right here at Ignorance Zoo! Please take your time and observe his renewed admiration for Macbooks. Look how he's lick polishing the chassis! D'aww isn't that cute?

Give him a month, maybe two, and he'll grow iPhone, iPads, iPods, Macs and Apple Watches for his own amusement, for sure Tim Cook would be proud. Please be gentle on the glass and keep quiet - We wouldn't want to hurt his sensitive feels. Take some photos, have some fun - Thanks again for visiting us!
 
I rarely comment on anything, with that said, I feel their is enough people in the world to have plenty of computer users (Windows, Linux, Macintosh, even those weird hybrid users). I believe Mac's ARE an experience, one that prevents you from seeing all the capabilities of your machine. I also believe that Windows IS work, you have to ensure everything is correct time and time again otherwise you could have issues (I give a vague description because windows problems are often vague). Honestly people that are unwilling to put in the effort to learn how to maintain a computer SHOULD buy a Mac, I will say that time and time again. However those that are willing to put in the effort to have a computer that can run basically anything and understand how to keep it free of spyware and malware and viruses will probably be happier with a PC . On the other hand if your crazy about computers (not saying your insane just that you cannot get enough of them) you should look into Linux (maybe ease your way in with ubuntu.) Everyone is their own person with how they want to live their life and has a style of technology they like, why should we even bother with these lame articles that prove nothing and only give an individuals point of view?
 
I have been using PC forever but I gave in and bought a Mac Pro too. I bought it used on Apple's web site since it offers warranty just as if it was a new Mac Pro.
I love it! I had several PC notebook before and Mac Pro is just stunning. The retina display is very charming. Now we have PC notebook with even more resolution, but Mac just does it better. The colors correction is so good and Mac OS support high res much better than Windows.
I miss screening docking. I hope Apple will add it to their next OS. OS X is very polished, unlike Windows 8. I hate Windows 8 so much I sold my PC notebook. The tiles make no sense to me. I am using my notebook to work, not for Facebook.
I am considering an iPhone or an iWatch. Oh, it is a love-hate relationship. I hate to love Apple!
 
I have to agree with many people here, the article doesn't come across too well. However, i must say i agree with the writer of the article I have had the exact same experience.

After several years of using top line £600-800 laptops for all my needs including gaming and finding that these laptops only lasted at best 2 years before they were out of date and running sluggishly, only meaning i will have to buy another £600-800 laptop I decided enough is enough. I began looking at proper desktop PC's and built a custom desktop.

It was one of the best buys i had ever made at the time and over next three years i upgraded the PC in a variety of ways. Put at this point i found that though i liked my desktop i still required a laptop of some sorts for university or just general use about the house so i wouldn't have to sit by the computer.

My mother and father had both had the run of the mill windows netbooks one being an Acer and one being an Asus. Not completely sure of the models but both were priced around the £300 mark. Both were ridiculously slow and sluggish after 18months of very low use. My mother and father barely used it and as for software and pushing the system to the edge the most power hungry software would of been word for them. Clearly this wasn't a good sign.

I also knew several mac users who had macs which were 4 or 5 years old, i even demo'd them and they ran pretty smooth and functioned really well for a 4-5 year old laptop.

So at this point i started running the numbers. I could get a windows laptop which would be running slowly and annoy me relentlessly after 18months and only need to buy a new laptop. Therefore for the cost of having 5 years use of a laptop going down the windows route it would probably cost me around £800-900 over the five years with the use of three laptops, a lot of messing about transferring files and just general problems.

Or i could get a Macbook Air for £750 or in my case pay a 10% deposit and spend £67.50 a month over ten months. As i was a student this was also very appealing. After a month of indecision about what to get, watching several youtube reviews and going to the apple store myself testing the laptop out i finally decided to bite the bullet a purchased my Macbook Air. My reasons for this are as follows.

1. it weighed very little. I barely feel it in my bag on my way into university making it very user friendly.
2. The build quality was substantially better then that of any other low price windows laptops.
3. I didn't need much power at all. I am not a lit student who just needs writing programs like some people have mentioned in the comments. In fact i am an engineering student who uses programs like CFD, CAD which are fact power hungry programs. But for a very low £5 price (if i remember rightly) you can buy Splashtop. And i remotely access my computer and therefore run this programs through that. Pretty much anywhere where you will sit and use your laptops have wifi and therefore i have had no problems accessing my computer from away from home.

Overall i have had the laptop for 6 months now and i have to admit i love it. It is overpriced in terms of right now. However, from my research you very much have to see them as an investment. I plan to be using this still in 4 years time, and if that is the case and it is running well it is fully worth the price paid for it. I am not a mac fan boy and never have been. I have always frowned upon the prices for the spec you get. I for the majority of people i would never recommend one. Just recently i told my brother don't get a mac. He wanted one after seeing mine, however i knew he wanted to game and use software and i pushed him away from them as they as massively over priced for the system you get.

With everything you have to access the price and what you need and weigh up the good and bad. For me the mac book air just made sense and hasn't disappointed. What i will say is that i will never just dismiss Apple products at the first instance but instead assess everything when looking to buy a new product.

Elliott
 
Did you seriously compare a cheap tablet that practically no one in their right mind would buy against a Macbook Pro laptop? Seriously ? And you wrote and article about it?.. Good job.
 
Does this guy really not understand why his Surface RT can't compare to a laptop? Just a random guy buying a used Macbook and praising it. How is this a story?
 
That's exactly my story. I own a 2.5K Desktop and owned a Asus ROG 17" laptop plus an android phone. Since i finished to study and started to work it's only Apple for me (except for my uber Desktop PC that allows steam streaming games on my Macbook pro retina 😛)
 
What, is the author fresh out of high school, still works at mcdonalds?? This entire article is roughly the same quality as something i would hand into my high school english teacher. It has very little to no substance, no research, no data to back anything up. Sure it's an opinionated piece, i get that, but at least do a little research, take a poll or something. I wasted 5 minutes of my life reading this.
 
Are Macbook's solid hardware? Sure -- they're okay considering the price.

I'm not sure how comparing a Surface RT ( a failed product ) to a Macbook Pro is really of interest though. I've used Macbooks plenty in my life, but I tend to prefer high-end Lenovo Thinkpads at the end of the day. I can't live without the ThinkPoint, I like matte displays, and I enjoy the familiarity of an IBM keyboard layout to that of a Mac's.

I won't compare OS's, although I know a lot of people who choose to run Windows on their Macs, and I know a lot of people who prefer Linux.

Considering how the Mac vs PC debate has been around since the days of typewriters, and has been written about before on Toms, I feel like I'm being trolled. I should point out though that for a hardware PC user who went with an AMD CPU, typical of the underdog loving fanboy, it didn't take much for you to join team Intel and the rest of the dark side.
 


considering he was, until recently, a PC fanboi, i'd say that the probability of this is quite high.
 
I also impulse buy, but my impulse buy was not: used, over priced, without reason, unimpressive, nor did I compare it to a rock after a week of usage. Thank you NVidia for creating the GTX 970. (even after the "new specs" I'm still somewhat pleased)

But what does this have to do with your article? Nothing. And even though my comment really has no meaning or comparison here, it somehow relates to this article.
 
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