Apple vs the rest

[stevep]

I've been following a thread or two on another completely unrelated forum about how smug Mac users are about their machines, and it has got quite heated. I have to admit to being a Mac user, so I'm obviously biased, but there was just so much rubbish being posted that I couldn't help myself. So I started a new thread, entitled "Mac Problem". And here it is:

Hi folks, I think I need some help. I've got a 2006 model MacBook Pro which is causing me a bit of worry - it seems to just work. Being so old I was expecting to have had a good share of problems by now, but the only thing that has gone wrong has been the battery failing. And when I took it into the Brighton Apple store they just replaced the battery, ran a diagnostics test and said it was fine. The lazy bast@rds didn't even let me pay for it. Jeez. Surely that's not right?

Should I start taking it apart to see if I can poke something with a screwdriver? I've already disabled the firewall and connected it to the internet, as someone has suggested I should have had a virus or two by now, but it had no effect.

I've just used it to design a web site, and I got NO error message displaying it using IE on a pc, and setting up the email accounts on the new domain only took 5 minutes, so it's obviously something really serious. And only yesterday when I had to print something on a friends printer I was able to do it without loading a driver file. WTF is all that about?

And it seems to run lots of programs at once without complaining - only this morning I noticed I had Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Safari, Firefox, iPhoto, iTunes and Google Sketchup all open with no apparent slowdown, which makes me think that my machine is just not running in 2006 mode.

I think I'll open up a command line window and do some random typing to see if I can prompt it to turn its toes up. Do you think I should get a... No, maybe not yet.

I can't help feeling that I've been a bit childish.....

 

[glocke12]

haha...thats pretty good.

I've been finding that either people like Apple products, or they really, really despise Apple.

Like it or not Apple stuff works and it works well. I recently tried doing what should have been some fairly simple stuff on a friends windows based laptop. All I wanted to do was transfer music from a CD to a flash drive and I had boatloads of trouble with the whole process.

 

[SlovakApple]

I have made the experience that usually the people who despise Apple products are those who cannot afford them.

 

[mrsir2009]

Yup, you either love Apple or hate Apple

 

[SevenInchScrew]

Threads like these are why Mac users are made fun of. Please stop, you're ruining it for the rest of us.

 

[Melrose]

I just talked to a friend today who said, quote, "I'd love to have a Mac but I can't afford one! I can buy a laptop in Walmart for $400-500 and just toss it away in a year when it breaks..."

Which in my mind is utterly ridiculous... So many people think the up front cost is the only expense to consider. I spent a bit over $2,000 for my MBP.. it's lasted five years and has no signs of junking. By that reasoning I've already saved hundreds and have a more high quality machine in the meantime.

 

[Huntn]

I've been following a thread or two on another completely unrelated forum about how smug Mac users are about their machines, and it has got quite heated. I have to admit to being a Mac user, so I'm obviously biased, but there was just so much rubbish being posted that I couldn't help myself. So I started a new thread, entitled "Mac Problem". And here it is:
Quote: See first Post

I can't help feeling that I've been a bit childish.....

That's a great quote!

I just talked to a friend today who said, quote, "I'd love to have a Mac but I can't afford one! I can buy a laptop in Walmart for $400-500 and just toss it away in a year when it breaks..."

Which in my mind is utterly ridiculous... So many people think the up front cost is the only expense to consider. I spent a bit over $2,000 for my MBP.. it's lasted five years and has no signs of junking. By that reasoning I've already saved hundreds and have a more high quality machine in the meantime.

MBPs are very comparably priced with PC counterparts. $400 netbooks are very limited in what they can do. I'd be more tempted to get an iPad. In fact I may have one soon in addition to my MBP.

 

[Ryan1524]

I find the best way to get people to change their mind about something is by NOT actively doing anything to change their mind. Unless they asked you for advice, don't give them.

You're doing the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish.

 

[Melrose]

BPs are very comparably priced with PC counterparts. $400 netbooks are very limited in what they can do.

I realize that. What I was saying is some folks only look at the end dollar amount they pay at the time of purchase, regardless of how long the item in question lasts.

 

[Sydde]

I spent $1800.us on a Cube in '01, right about the time it was discontinued. Felt like a big purchase at the time. Probably spent around $800.us on various upgrades and enhancements over the years. In late November '09, the power brick TUed. Probably just a popped cap, I might be able to fix it. Good solid stable machine, I think I got my money's worth out of it (so far).

But for some people, that first hefty outlay is kind of difficult. We are conditioned to living in a disposable society, so cheap is good because we are gonna replace it soon enough anyway, right?

 

[Huntn]

I realize that. What I was saying is some folks only look at the end dollar amount they pay at the time of purchase, regardless of how long the item in question lasts.

I was agreeing with you.

I spent $1800.us on a Cube in '01, right about the time it was discontinued. Felt like a big purchase at the time.

WoW, that was expensive. Could you play games on that, integrated graphics or did it have a dedicated card?

 

[ucfgrad93]

I can't help feeling that I've been a bit childish.....

Agreed, that was rather childish. Personally, I don't feel the need to defend my choice of electronics. I get what suits my needs, and expect everyone else does the same.

 

[Synchromesh]

If it makes you feel any better I've seen plenty of Macs with problems. From peeling top cases to batteries going fast to failing hard disks and so on. Macs, especially early-design models tend to have all sorts of problems. I'm glad you got lucky in that yours just works but don't speak for everybody.

 

[ucfgrad93]

If it makes you feel any better I've seen plenty of Macs with problems. From peeling top cases to batteries going fast to failing hard disks and so on. Macs, especially early-design models tend to have all sorts of problems. I'm glad you got lucky in that yours just works but don't speak for everybody.

Agreed. On my iMac, I have had a harddrive, logic board, and the SuperDrive all fail and have to be replaced under Apple Care. But on my MBP, I haven't had any problems at all.