apple vs. (the rest, like dell) on hardware, end product, customer service, etc.

[greendragon]

first, i'm a waiting to buy mac newbie, so, i don't know much. i've been following the intel transition, especially mb/mbpro, and all the known issues. and was wondering how apple stacks up against the others? os systems excluded, windows does suck. are their any articles breaking down macbooks and dell laptops and comparing hardware? it seems all computers are made overseas, as is hardware. and, what about quality control? and, customer service? how does apple rank? can apple skimp on quality hardware/end system/customer service just because of a superior os?

thanks

 

[WildCowboy]

Consumer Reports magazine routinely rates Apple at or near the top in all customer satisfaction categories.

 

[iW00t]

Sadly their build quality isn't that great.

Out of the last 5 macs I've owned 3 had to pay homage to a service centre at some point within the first 3 months, and even the most recent one I've got comes with a craptastic display that looks somewhat like my old T41 from almost 3 years ago.

Apple's software is good, but for the hardware you are definitely only paying for the design and the engineering to cram stuff into such compact form factors. Examples like the Airport Express will also show you that even cramming stuff into "oh so tiny" packages comes with a drawback, which in the case of the AE resulted in poor ventilation and premature failure.

Pretty. Yes.

Practical? No.

And remember to buy extended warranty for your Macs. You will definitely need it.

 

[scott523]

Imo, it's the fact that Apple makes it's own OS and computers that makes it a good company. Unlike other companies (Dell, Sony) you'd have to go to two different places to get your problem solved. If it's software support, you have to go Microsoft, but they don't have a so-called Genius bar for Windows so your options are limited. Then you have to go to the company of where you bought your computer if it's a hardware issue. Stack them up, it's a pain in the rear.

 

[iW00t]

Imo, it's the fact that Apple makes it's own OS and computers that makes it a good company. Unlike other companies (Dell, Sony) you'd have to go to two different places to get your problem solved. If it's software support, you have to go Microsoft, but they don't have a so-called Genius bar for Windows so your options are limited. Then you have to go to the company of where you bought your computer if it's a hardware issue. Stack them up, it's a pain in the rear.

This point isn't really true. Truth is Apple is a tiny company in comparison and if you are not in the states, chances are your AppleCentres could all very well be third party resalers. Apple only sells out the AppleCentre name as some sort of franchise in many countries where they otherwise have no retail and support presence, and I have had atrocious encounters in some countries to say the least.

Similarly, when things don't work, Apple is likewise just as happy to blame everything and anything that you used with your Mac that is not Apple branded. Just because they produce the hardware and software does not make them immune to this.

I once had the experience of troubleshooting a Macbook Pro that has eratic connections to a wireless router, which Applecare and the local service centre are so happy to blame on the router, nevermind that MY own Macbook Pro doesn't exhibit the same symptom with the same router. It took many phone calls, trips down to the service centre, and finally an email to Steve before the issue finally got addressed. I certainly don't put it beyond Apple's support personnel to act like turds no better than the likes of Dell.

The bulk of the IT ecosphere is sadly, still pretty much a Microsoft Windows domain.

 

[Benjamindaines]

Sadly their build quality isn't that great.

Out of the last 5 macs I've owned 3 had to pay homage to a service centre at some point within the first 3 months, and even the most recent one I've got comes with a craptastic display that looks somewhat like my old T41 from almost 3 years ago.

Apple's software is good, but for the hardware you are definitely only paying for the design and the engineering to cram stuff into such compact form factors. Examples like the Airport Express will also show you that even cramming stuff into "oh so tiny" packages comes with a drawback, which in the case of the AE resulted in poor ventilation and premature failure.

Pretty. Yes.

Practical? No.

And remember to buy extended warranty for your Macs. You will definitely need it.

Perhaps I have had great luck, perhaps you have had bad luck. But out of all the many Apple products I have had none ever encountered any problems apart from the CD drive on my iMac. Over all I think the build quality is pretty good, compared to other companies' of course nothing is perfect.

 

[Carguy172]

If dell is so bad then why do so many people use them, Think about that.

 

[dejo]

If dell is so bad then why do so many people use them, Think about that.

Because "the average consumer is an idiot"? It's an axiom of mine.

 

[pianoman]

If dell is so bad then why do so many people use them, Think about that.

because they're inexpensive.

this thread invites people with negative things to say about Apple and Apple service. i have nothing but good things to say because i've never had a problem. but you rarely hear from people who've not had problems.

 

[Benjamindaines]

Dell is cheap, the average person doesn't know piss about computers so they can't compare brands very well. They only see price so Dell it is.

I was in Starbucks the other day and these women were talking, the one had gotten a new computer, of course she had no idea how to set it up so he paid a few hundred dollars for GeekSquad to come set it up. Then she continued to say that Windows was "stuck" in what she called "metric mode" obviously she didn't know anything about computers because she would know that it's a simple change in the Control Panel.

 

[phungy]

Every single one of my friends who have owned Dells have had problems. Funny thing is they all switched to Macs, no complaints so far. Dell is cheap, that is why many people continue to buy them. Not all Macs break down and not all Dells break down.

 

[AppleIntelRock]

Sadly their build quality isn't that great.

Out of the last 5 macs I've owned 3 had to pay homage to a service centre at some point within the first 3 months, and even the most recent one I've got comes with a craptastic display that looks somewhat like my old T41 from almost 3 years ago.

Apple's software is good, but for the hardware you are definitely only paying for the design and the engineering to cram stuff into such compact form factors. Examples like the Airport Express will also show you that even cramming stuff into "oh so tiny" packages comes with a drawback, which in the case of the AE resulted in poor ventilation and premature failure.

Pretty. Yes.

Practical? No.

And remember to buy extended warranty for your Macs. You will definitely need it.

Go to another fourm w/ your anit-apple nonsense. Apple makes the best stuff in the biz and don't attempt to tell me the only thing they've got going for them is good looks.

 

[iW00t]

Go to another fourm w/ your anit-apple nonsense. Apple makes the best stuff in the biz and don't attempt to tell me the only thing they've got going for them is good looks.

This is my opinion.

You are entitled to yours.

In my opinion, macs only have OSX and the nice looks, but I am not delusional and I am happy to admit that these are what I am paying for. If anything I am more well adjusted than you are. So stop telling me what to believe and what to do.

Best hardware in the biz? TN monitors on their top of the line laptops compared to MVA panels used by "Dulls", get bent.

 

[AppleIntelRock]

This is my opinion.

You are entitled to yours.

In my opinion, macs only have OSX and the nice looks, but I am not delusional and I am happy to admit that these are what I am paying for. If anything I am more well adjusted than you are. So stop telling me what to believe and what to do.

Best hardware in the biz? TN monitors on their top of the line laptops compared to MVA panels used by "Dulls", get bent.

Macs ONLY have OSX. OSX is everything! Microsoft spent years and millinos of dollars to copy OSX- hint hint

 

[MUCKYFINGERS]

Go to another fourm w/ your anit-apple nonsense. Apple makes the best stuff in the biz and don't attempt to tell me the only thing they've got going for them is good looks.

Looks is a HUGE thing for them. Obviously though, this lends itself to better UI and overall better computing experience for many (but not all things).

Many Apple users are narrow minded as well. If you are critical about Apple products in any way, they will shoot you down like a pack of rabid dogs.

 

[AppleIntelRock]

Looks is a HUGE thing for them. Obviously though, this lends itself to better UI and overall better computing experience for many (but not all things).

Many Apple users are narrow minded as well. If you are critical about Apple products in any way, they will shoot you down like a pack of rabid dogs.

We've earned that right. "Microsoft has NO taste... I don't mean that in small way, I mean that in a big way" - SJ

 

[phungy]

Macs ONLY have OSX. OSX is everything! Microsoft spent years and millinos of dollars to copy OSX- hint hint

I totally agree with you on this.

 

[aristobrat]

and was wondering how apple stacks up against the others? os systems excluded, windows does suck. are their any articles breaking down macbooks and dell laptops and comparing hardware?

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2006499,00.asp

This time around, readers rated over 6,500 notebooks and tablets, enough for us to report on nine vendors, including all the big names as well as smaller companies Acer, Averatec, and Fujitsu. Other than Readers' Choices Apple and Lenovo, the highest-rated company is Fujitsu

Once again, Apple is at the top. Its overall score, 9.1, is significantly better than the average for Windows notebooks—and a full seven-tenths of a point better than Lenovo's overall score, 8.4. Its scores for reliability (9.2), tech support (8.5), and likelihood of recommending (9.4) are also significantly better than average. Yes, its score on percentage needing repair is merely average, but at 16 percent, it's the lowest of the survey (alongside Sony's 16 percent).

 

[BenHoleton]

Because "the average consumer is an idiot"? It's an axiom of mine.

I used to sell Dell computers (I REALLY needed the money...I fought the "law" by reading MacAddict and Macworld at work). Almost 80% of Dells come in within the first year for some sort of service. It's what happens when you build computers as cheap as possible. But any computer is just a machine, and if you're going to spend more than $1000 on a computer, no Matter who it is, buy an extended warranty.

 

[aristobrat]

poof, as if Dr. Q was here. but he wasn't.

 

[Benjamindaines]

Oh god... Here we go again with another Window / Mac OS fight. I smell a wasteland

 

[dejo]

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2006499,00.asp

Consumer Reports has similar data:

 

[greendragon]

this wasn't a os question... it was a hardware/end product/tech etc. question.

has the apple macbooks/pro's hardware ever been compared to other laptops?

 

[SkyBell]

this wasn't a os question... it was a hardware/end product/tech etc. question.

has the apple macbooks/pro's hardware ever been compared to other laptops?

Well, you can't really compare them. You compare things with similarites. Apple and Dell, complete oppisates.

The OS is good, thats all I gotta say about that.

Bottom line, Apple is pretty good quality. But even Apple has some problems to sort out.

 

[aristobrat]

has the apple macbooks/pro's hardware ever been compared to other laptops?

I guess if you look at the PERCENTAGE NEEDING REPAIRS column, you can see Apple hardware (specifically notebooks) compared to other manufacturers hardware (again, specifically notebooks). Is that what you're looking for?