Apple is giving the Mac mini for free compared to a MS setup

[grandM]

Ok you're baffled or even in shock now but let me explain.
We're 2021 now and I bought my mini in 2013. That's 8 years.

Say I buy a MS setup. How much would I have paid for the OS and MS its Office suite?
Office 365 sets you about 70 USD a year back:8 x 70 = 560 USD.
In 8 years I'd have 'bought' at least 2 MS Windows OEM licenses as MS devices slow down rapidly: 2 x 139 = 278 USD.
In total: 560 USD + 278 USD = 838 USD.
For this 838 USD I got no hardware at all.

The cheapest mini comes at 699 USD.
The cheapest MacBook Air a bargain at 999 USD.
Both come with a free OS and a free Office suite.
In fact if that functionality suffices the
cheapest Mac mini cost me 699 USD - 838 USD = -139 USD as I saved 838 USD not having to pay for MsWindows or MsOffice over 8 years.

ps (added edit): I am assuming the customer bought devices with a legal MS Windows installed. He/she subscribed to Office 365 and doesn't use LibreOffice nor Google's suite. I am targeting users for which iOffice deals with their needs. According to thexyz.com 258m people were subscribed to Office 365 in April 2020. I agree this number includes company users. If you say you'd replace both the Mac and MS setup after 5 years the hardware of the mini cost you (in USD) if your alternative had been staying hooked to Office 365:
699 - (139 + 5 * 70) = 699 - 489 = 210 USD.

What is the actual cost of the mini if you only use LibreOffice on a MS Windows device and no other software (in USD) but open source software? 699 - 139 = 560 USD (I'd actually have to charge the time to install but I don't to keep it simple). Did you buy a device with Linux and LibreOffice installed? 699 USD. Did you buy a pure hardware config with no OS and you install Linux/LibreOffice yourself? 699 - (money you could have made in that time).

And yes in every case you'd have to pay 699 USD in total checking out.

 

[ecatomb]

What are you trying to said ? I don't understand anything ?

 

[uller6]

So you're comparing the cost of computer hardware to the cost of using a piece of computer software for the same lifetime of that computer? This isn't really a fair comparison.

 

[grandM]

What are you trying to said ? I don't understand anything ?

If you calculate how much the OS and Office costs on a Windows powered device and you don't need some specific features of MsOffice the hardware of the Mac mini didn't cost a penny. Granted you could use LibreOffice on the MS powered device

 

[grandM]

So you're comparing the cost of computer hardware to the cost of using a piece of computer software for the same lifetime of that computer? This isn't really a fair comparison.

The mini comes with a free OS and Office suite. If the functionality is enough my reasoning adds up. And I didn't even add other free Mac software to the calculation!

 

[GrumpyCoder]

I’m lost. If you don’t want to use office and pay for it, then don’t. And what two MS devices for $139 each?!?

 

[grandM]

I’m lost. If you don’t want to use office and pay for it, then don’t. And what two MS devices for $139 each?!?

If you buy a new MS device an official Windows license is paid for. The average life span of a MS device is much shorter than that of a Mac. I reckon a lot of people are paying for Office 365 for Office tasks which could have been done with iOffice.

 

[GrumpyCoder]

If you buy a new MS device an official Windows license is paid for. The average life span of a MS device is much shorter than that of a Mac. I reckon a lot of people are paying for Office 365.

You are aware that Windows is free too if you don’t mind a small reminder, right? https://www.howtogeek.com/244678/you-dont-need-a-product-key-to-install-and-use-windows-10/

People are paying for Office because it has a much larger feature set than any other office software out there. If you need that or not is up to you.

You can make a similar argument against the Mac Mini, why buy the expensive mini when all you do requires a Raspberry Pi starting at $35 with a free OS and free Office apps? https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/

 

[grandM]

You are aware that Windows is free too if you don’t mind a small reminder, right? https://www.howtogeek.com/244678/you-dont-need-a-product-key-to-install-and-use-windows-10/

People are paying for Office because it has a much larger feature set than any other office software out there. If you need that or not is up to you.

You can make a similar argument against the Mac Mini, why buy the expensive mini when all you do requires a Raspberry Pi starting at $35 with a free OS and free Office apps? https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/

Pretty sure the OEM on eg a dell is paid for. I was comparing a Mac to MS setup. Linux and open source software is cheaper.

 

[Boyd01]

Sorry, this makes no sense to me either. If somebody wants MS Office, the cost is the same regardless of the operating system. For that matter, you can share the family version of Office 365 ($100/yr) with 5 other people, each of which can install it on 5 different devices and they all get 1tb of cloud storage. That's certainly much better than anything Apple offers... it costs $36/year just to get 200gb of iCloud storage for one person.

Anyway, I just don't see the point. Choose the operating system you want, buy the computer and software you need. There's no such thing as a free lunch or a free Mini.

 

[EmlynDewar]

Nonsense topic...

The cost of Office meaning a Mac Mini is free? Extreme mental gymnastics.
Perhaps the reason your theoretical Windows devices slow so much, is because you spend so little on them?
My second PC is base hardware from 2012, has seen several major Windows updates and runs libreoffice just fine.

We're in the Mac Mini section on MacRumors forum. The Apple shaft stroking really isn't necessary.

 

[theluggage]

The mini comes with a free OS and Office suite. If the functionality is enough my reasoning adds up. And I didn't even add other free Mac software to the calculation!

The price of the OS is included in the Mini, just as the price of Windows is included in most retail PCs (Some sellers offer PCs with Windows as an optional extra, but that's the exception rather than the rule)... and there's always Linux (which usually bundles OpenOffice/LibreOffice and a bunch of other apps), Android or ChromeOS.

There are free office suites for Windows (and Mac FWIW) - such as OpenOffice/LibreOffice which come closer to MS Office in functionality than Pages/Numbers - not to mention Google Docs, which is enough for many.

If you need to exchange WP documents and spreadsheets with others without the formatting continually getting messed up then, even on a Mac, you'll likely end up needing to get MS Office anyway.

...and you can get a perfectly usable PC for a lot less than a Mac Mini. Not saying it would be as good as a Mac Mini, but if your yardstick is "good enough for light productivity work" (i.e. Pages/Numbers) it will get the job done.

I'm not saying "PC, Yay! Mac, Boo!" here, but there are better reasons for preferring Mac over PC.

 

[Freeangel1]

Windows runs on anything. Minimal Ram and processor requirements. Especially Windows 10.
Therefore Windows users keep and use their PC's for 5 years and longer.

Apple and the Mac keep making things incompatible as you go along. You need Big Sur or A newer faster Mac to run your new upgraded software. So Mac users are always upgrading and buying a new Mac.


Therefore it is cheaper to own a Windows PC.

Most Windows PC's are totally upgradable by their users.

Not So with Mac. everything is soldered in. to force you to buy new instead of upgrading your components.

PS. Microsoft Office for Mac costs the same as Office for PC. APPLES office is lacking features and not a fair comparison.

Plus Office by MS is what is widely used in the business world.

 

[Pakaku]

By your numbers, I'm still seeing cash being spent. You may have saved money in one aspect, but still paid several hundred. That is not what "giving away for free" means at all. You are also leaving out obvious parts, like how the Mini is not an all-in-one, so you need the peripherals to use it, which could add a cost of any range. Or how you may need less or more than 8 years of MSOffice. Or the fact that free open-source alternatives exist. In other words, this comparison is quite the stretch...

 

[salamanderjuice]

You can get completely free and even open source office suites for Windows too. LibreOffice for example. Not a perfect 1:1 MS Office replacement but neither is iWorks. If you need MS Office you have to pay on either platform for the same price.

The assumption that you'll need to buy two PCs because "they slow down" is laughable too. Absolute worst case you just reinstall Windows which is incredibly easy to do these days as MS makes it quite easy to get a Windows ISO for free and keys are built into the motherboard and automatically read on OEM systems during install (which has been true since Win 8). Plus a standard PC desktop is far easier to upgrade and keep up to date than a mini, easier to open usually has 4 RAM slots, space for extra drives and the option to upgrade the GPU.

 

[ecatomb]

If you calculate how much the OS and Office costs on a Windows powered device and you don't need some specific features of MsOffice the hardware of the Mac mini didn't cost a penny. Granted you could use LibreOffice on the MS powered device

I understand now...

If we don't use Microsoft Office (so don't have to pay for the Office 365) and use Apple apps instead (Numbers, Pages, ...) we will save money. With this money, we can buy a mac mini ?

Still have to use MS Office, but was wondering if I could do the same thing with Apple apps. Excel have some option that Numbers haven't, but I don't really need it so could stop using Office someday.

 

[grandM]

As said in the title I was comparing a MS setup to a Mac.
Linux isn't MS Windows.
I have recommended several persons LibreOffice. However there are many Office 365 customers only needing basic functionality. I explicitly said in this thread that I was talking about customers for who iOffice functionality is sufficient.
Most users won't open up their PC nor laptop. A lot of laptops can't be as easily upgraded.
Reinstalling the OS? Many require help.

I stand by my viewpoint that a lot of subscribers to Office 365 are better off buying a cheap Mac unless they install open source software as LibreOffice. If I recall correctly cloud functionality for LibreOffice is not free.

 

[triptolemus]

Numbers is a joke compared to Excel. When you *need* MS Office, you need MS Office. Apple's cute little Pages and Numbers programs are no substitute for someone with established MS Office workflows.

Even Libre Office is better than Pages and Numbers.

 

[grandM]

Numbers is a joke compared to Excel. When you *need* MS Office, you need MS Office. Apple's cute little Pages and Numbers programs are no substitute for someone with established MS Office workflows.

Even Libre Office is better than Pages and Numbers.

As long as you don't use excel as a DBMS which some are doing

 

[AZhappyjack]

Ok you're baffled or even in shock now but let me explain.
We're 2021 now and I bought my mini in 2013. That's 8 years.
Office 365 sets you about 70 USD a year back:8 x 70 = 560 USD.
In 8 years I'd have bought at least 2 MS devices as they slow down rapidly: 2 x 139 = 278 USD.
In total: 560 USD + 278 USD = 838 USD.

The cheapest mini comes at 699 USD.
The cheapest MacBook Air a bargain at 999 USD.
Both come with a free OS and a free Office suite.
In fact if that functionality suffices the
cheapest Mac mini cost me 699 USD - 838 USD = -139 USD as I saved 838 USD not having to pay for MsWindows or MsOffice over 8 years.

my head hurts...

 

[PandaPunch]

I think I sorta understand your point OP. Assuming you have basic needs for an office suite, you might not need the industry standard that is MS Office. That's 100% fair and to be honest, I fit that description too.

The average user goes to Walmart or their local electronics store for their computers rather get it customized at the OEM website or build their own. That lower pricing usually means you have to buy Office if no one tells you about LibreOffice or Google Docs but in your case, you did get Office 365.

The Mac comes with it's own office suite. Not sure I would call the Mac free unless you somehow got a full refund for your computers and software from 8 years ago. If you are going all in with an ecosystem and use the first party software, then I can say the Mac is cheaper over time because the Mac will maintain it's resell value for longer, you don't have to pay a subscription for Office, and you don't have to deal with doing a fresh install of Windows to remove bloatware. So it's a small win, I suppose. Otherwise, you can go way cheaper on the Windows side.

 

[trevpimp]

That's one step for user and one even bigger step for Apple, haha you do gotta think of it this way Apple has always been nice when it comes to giving their customers the actual foundation out of their products you just gotta pay for the "extra" presentation of sorts

 

[coffee06]

And with MS Office you’re also getting 1 TB of online storage, not just some office apps...at least that’s how my Office works. So, somewhat comparing “apples” and oranges a bit. Disagree hugely with the need to buy a new PC so often. I’m on a year 8 on an Dell XPS that’s still very, very functional. Will have to upgrade to get Win 11 but that’s a pretty good stretch of time. That said, I’ll upgrade to the next Apple Mini instead. For me time to try a Mac, but not because of $$ saved. But it’s an interesting look at costs.