My MacBook is almost 6 years old and still works like new. I thought about buying something new but opted to upgrade the MacBook with a cheap SSD instead. Can't justify buying a new portable until this thing is dead given how I use my portable.
SSD is nowadays the best upgrade you can do to any computer! Before SSDs, the biggest bottleneck to a computer was the Hard Disk, thus those expensive, short-usage 10K RPM Disks for Gamers and servers.
doesn't[/B] come bloated with all that crap trial and ad-supported software to subsidize the cost of the OS does cost the same for an equivalently specced machine.
Not many are aware of this so it leads to the perception that Macs are more expensive.
Yep, personally I am a Computing university student, part time photographer and I love games. A power house laptop was the only way for me. After comparing various brands, I came to the conclusion at the time of purchasing (June 2011), Alienware was actually more expensive than Apple and didn't have a SSD option.
HP and Sony were about the same cost with Apple, but I had to deal with Windows, their awful -from experience- service and after my military service as IT manager, I couldn't stand another Windows machine...
To be honest the only non-Apple computer I would had bought was either a Qosmio or a Portege from Toshiba, but to get them up to specs with my MBP I had to pay extra...
I think the main reason behind this is due to non-technology related people acting like they know what they are saying, talking about prices and hardware without understanding performance/value ratios or who needs-what. Macbook Pro line is as the name suggests a Pro line of high-end laptops. If someone needs laser performance he could go for a MBA line laptop -note that similar ultrabooks from other competitors cost the same pretty much with a 11inch MBA. Plus people are generally closed minded, stubborn idiots.
