The Dell XPS line has better components and costs less money then the MBP.
The Dell XPS has some
faster components. Which basically means the GPU*. This doesn't mean that they cost more. In fact, the AMD GPU in the MBP is probably much more expensive since it not only higher binned than the Nvidia card in the Dell, but also undergoes additional costly processing (die thinning) that improve its power-efficiency and footprint.
*Note that I am ignoring the fact that the new XPS with Coffee Lake is out, since its not really relevant to the comparison as the MBP hasn't been updated yet.
So do you mind providing some source material that Apple is using better quality voltage regulators, controller chips and wifi chips?
I admit that I don't have any detailed into on power components/regulators, its just something I've read over the years — many electronics experts taking apart Apple hardware have mentioned that its exceptionally well shielded and uses high-end components. WiFi etc. is easy: Apple uses 3x3 WiFi modules in their laptops thats approx 30% faster than what Dell and others use. They also use full TB3 implementation that allows full bandwidth on all ports, while Dell for example uses lower-tier chips that share bandwidth to the ports. Apple's logic board design is more intricate and complex: for example, as mentioned before, it uses the GPU multiplexer (where the GPU output is switched in hardware) rather then a software solution like other makers (where the dGPU utilises the iGPU to output the video signal). Also, Apple is one of few makers that builds in good surge protection into their ports (
https://www.express.co.uk/life-styl.../USB-killer-2-0-Macbook-Pro-Apple-Macbook-Air). I am sure that if one digs more, one also finds more instances where Apple is not cutting corners where others do.
Apple is a consumer company and their MBP is for consumers, and when you compare the consumer based laptops with other consumer based makers - buyers are incurring an apple tax.
Very much true. However, it is also a fact — as I wrote above — that they are partly using components, manufacturing techniques and safety features which are rather different from other makers. And these simply cost more. In this regards, MBP hardware is much closer to, say, Precision than an XPS (since Precision also uses hardware GPU multiplexer etc.). What I am trying to say is that at least some of Apple's premium is coming from the fact that their laptops are simply more expensive to make. Of course, one can (and should) ask themselves whether its worth the money. Many of the MBP-exclusive features (like faster WiFi or the faster TB3) probably won't mater to most of the customers. So these customers certainly should ask themselves whether they are willing to pay for these features. There are reasons why literally everybody is cutting corners in this area. Not many customers have a fast router and a gigabit connection to go with it, so they won't notice any difference between a 500Mbps and a 1000Mbps wireless anyway. So its a convenient way for Microsoft/Dell and friends to save a few bucks. I mean, if you can offer an "i7" CPU (no mater that its a 15W variant, what customer will know a difference?) and a fast GPU (no matter that you can't really use its full potential since your thermal management doesn't allow it), you can have esteem rather convincing ads. And secondary features like slower WiFi etc. are not noticeable/less relevant. One of the reasons why I buy Apple's hardware is because they absolutely refuse to cut corners in these areas.
Many laptop makers have already rolled out Coffee Lake laptops and so Apple is charging nearly 3k for a quad core, slower GPU machine 16GB max laptop vs a hexcore/faster GPU 32GB laptops. I'd say Apple is at risk at missing the college student buying window if we don't see anything from WWDC. In the past we had to wait until the fall if nothing came out of WWDC
Exactly my point. Its a tough buy if the competition offers CPUs with 30-40% better performance. In fact, if they don't refresh on WWDC, I am in trouble. I need to urgently buy a batch of new company laptops for new employees, and I was waiting fro Coffee Lake Macs, since buying Kaby Lake now simply isn't a good investment.
P.S. This is a good illustration of Apple's attention to detail. Compare a Macbook charger (
http://www.righto.com/2015/11/macbook-charger-teardown-surprising.html) to a unnamed laptop charger of a cheap variety (
https://electrothoughts.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/tech-tear-down-laptop-computer-charger/). Not only the Apple charger uses many more components and also appears to be better shielded (despite its tiny footprint), it actually includes dedicated microprocessors that manage the charging process! Of course, its probably just a cheap charger here, I would be curious to see an XPS or Microsoft charger here, but I couldn't find any teardowns. In general, it would be very interesting to see someone knowledgeable in this area to do a side-by-side comparison of electronic's complexity in laptops of different brands...
