The difference is that Dell throw in any old junk component that falls off the production line into their piece of crap PCs. Apple hand pick every component to make sure that you get the very best. I read somewhere that out of every 1,000 CPUs that Intel send to Apple, only 20-30 are chosen to go into Macs. The rest that fail the quality test go into your shitbox Windoze PC.
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iMac why bother
- Thread starter idontseeit
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The dell is a recently updated tower.
The iMac was updated last year. It is an all in one which includes the display built into the computer.
The iMac is actually overdue for its update. It is rumored to be updated next week at WWDC. Macs are always the best value (when paying retail price) when they are updated, since Apple doesn't drop the price over the lifetime of the product.
RAM upgrades from Apple are very expensive and will distort the comparison. You could save a lot of money by ordering the iMac with the standard RAM and upgrade it yourself for much cheaper.
The Mac Pro is not a valid comparison either. It is a professional workstation with server-class Xeon processors.
I don't see why you ended up with such a high price for the iMac. When I configure a 21.5" iMac with the highest available processor (2.8Ghz) and the base RAM, it comes up to only $1699.
The 27" iMac (the 27" 2560x1440 display is something dell sells separately for $900) with a 2.7Ghz processor is also $1699. This seems like a pretty decent value to me, especially since it's due for an update.
Also you mention the Thunderbolt ports and that they aren't backwards compatible with USB 2.0. I don't see why that really matters since the iMac also includes separate USB 2.0 ports.
The rumored update next week should include the 3rd-gen Core i7 processors and USB 3.0. Then it will have both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt.
The iMac was updated last year. It is an all in one which includes the display built into the computer.
The iMac is actually overdue for its update. It is rumored to be updated next week at WWDC. Macs are always the best value (when paying retail price) when they are updated, since Apple doesn't drop the price over the lifetime of the product.
RAM upgrades from Apple are very expensive and will distort the comparison. You could save a lot of money by ordering the iMac with the standard RAM and upgrade it yourself for much cheaper.
The Mac Pro is not a valid comparison either. It is a professional workstation with server-class Xeon processors.
I don't see why you ended up with such a high price for the iMac. When I configure a 21.5" iMac with the highest available processor (2.8Ghz) and the base RAM, it comes up to only $1699.
The 27" iMac (the 27" 2560x1440 display is something dell sells separately for $900) with a 2.7Ghz processor is also $1699. This seems like a pretty decent value to me, especially since it's due for an update.
Also you mention the Thunderbolt ports and that they aren't backwards compatible with USB 2.0. I don't see why that really matters since the iMac also includes separate USB 2.0 ports.
The rumored update next week should include the 3rd-gen Core i7 processors and USB 3.0. Then it will have both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt.
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Why? OS.
I bought Samsung 14" UltraBook, for whatever reason I want Windows in the house. It could just be me but it took 2-3 days for me do use it, what a PITA.
Updates, Drivers, Uninstalling, Reinstalling.
iTunes didn't work, I spent time on my iMac Googling it and how to improve Windows 7 overall.
I don't think I can spend that much money on Windows desktop, I made that mistake back in the day when I bought a Dell 8100.
I bought Samsung 14" UltraBook, for whatever reason I want Windows in the house. It could just be me but it took 2-3 days for me do use it, what a PITA.
Updates, Drivers, Uninstalling, Reinstalling.
iTunes didn't work, I spent time on my iMac Googling it and how to improve Windows 7 overall.
I don't think I can spend that much money on Windows desktop, I made that mistake back in the day when I bought a Dell 8100.
I am currently using a 2009 macbook pro which cost me new £1400 , and I am also currently using a 2008 dell Inspiron 531 which cost me new £299.
The Dell serves me well for it's purposes, for what is now a 4 year old machine running an AMD processor. and with gentle upgrades along the way ( ram / ssd / windows 7 ) it has never let me down.
I am currently in the market for a new desktop machine. Am I going to buy another DELL ( or any other PC for that matter ) for £299 ?? Am I hell !!! I am in the market for a new iMac.
The user experience is simply second to none, and the way OS X handles my music production / dj'ing work on my macbook pro makes me yearn to see just how well it performs in a desktop environment.
To coin a phrase about OS X "it just works" .....
If I want to do some menial tasks in MS Office then I sit through the boot up of my my Dell ... If I want to be immersed in my work I lift the lid on my MBP.
Similarly, in my household we have a small 5 year old Audi and a new BMW 5 series... Both have their merits, but only one of them stands out every time I use it. Is that worth the cash premium ? Too damned right it is !!
The Dell serves me well for it's purposes, for what is now a 4 year old machine running an AMD processor. and with gentle upgrades along the way ( ram / ssd / windows 7 ) it has never let me down.
I am currently in the market for a new desktop machine. Am I going to buy another DELL ( or any other PC for that matter ) for £299 ?? Am I hell !!! I am in the market for a new iMac.
The user experience is simply second to none, and the way OS X handles my music production / dj'ing work on my macbook pro makes me yearn to see just how well it performs in a desktop environment.
To coin a phrase about OS X "it just works" .....
If I want to do some menial tasks in MS Office then I sit through the boot up of my my Dell ... If I want to be immersed in my work I lift the lid on my MBP.
Similarly, in my household we have a small 5 year old Audi and a new BMW 5 series... Both have their merits, but only one of them stands out every time I use it. Is that worth the cash premium ? Too damned right it is !!
Please find that information if you can. Sounds very interesting, if highly unlikely.
Wow, imagine that you registered just to tell people in a mac-centric website that everyone should buy a Dell computer. Yea, good luck with that Dell. It sure is a superior computer and it come with the superior MS Windows OS :roll eyes:
I honestly don't know why Macs are priced so high. I like Macs and I like PC's and despite Biased ones who'll say 'Macs are always better' I know they are not. Technically and in reality, Macs are actually on par with PC computers. It's really a matter of personal taste. I've used both and I will have my own PowerMac G4 very soon. It may be Apple uses higher quality parts than most other companies. I know MDG, a PC manufacturer uses parts that are as high quality as what Apple uses (and are very much similar, MDG uses the latest Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 and latest other hardware) and they're not as overpriced as Apple computers but they're close. Acer generally uses low quality parts. But Apple does have strong control over their pricing techniques and also, people generally are willing to pay the price. So as long as this way is true, the price will stay the same, also meaning that authorized Apple retailers will have to charge the same as what Apple charges. I found that an HP Touchsmart computer (Which utilizes Windows' multi-touchscreen capabilities in a 21.5" or 24" touchscreen) with equal specs and a graphics card with 1.5GB of Video Memory plus a TV Tuner Card has a similar price tag to the iMac.
And you were comparing a Dell Tower to an Apple All-in-one. You should've compared the Dell Inspiron All-in-one. Or an HP Touchsmart. Form-factor usually also contributes to dictating the price of the computer. All-in-ones generally cost more than a tower. The Dell Inspiron is a good example.
Well ... people don't have to like this thread, especially on this kind of forum.
But let's face it, it's just another sad truth about how pathetic Apple desktop machines are.
Mac Minis are underpowered pseudo-desktop, pretty much only useful for server/home media, or school kids home machines, iMacs are great desktop with some performance limitation due to form factor, MacPro? .. nothing's wrong with it except it's being abandoned and just as expensive for the last 2 years. Bleh.
Awkward choices, each with their own limitations instead of benefits? Next time I buy a computer from Apple, it would be their notebooks and only notebooks. Their desktop is pretty much ... bunch of weirdos.
But let's face it, it's just another sad truth about how pathetic Apple desktop machines are.
Mac Minis are underpowered pseudo-desktop, pretty much only useful for server/home media, or school kids home machines, iMacs are great desktop with some performance limitation due to form factor, MacPro? .. nothing's wrong with it except it's being abandoned and just as expensive for the last 2 years. Bleh.
Awkward choices, each with their own limitations instead of benefits? Next time I buy a computer from Apple, it would be their notebooks and only notebooks. Their desktop is pretty much ... bunch of weirdos.
And what exactly is wrong with Windows? As far as I'm concerned you can't have a touchscreen on OS X (A shame) or have Blu-Ray, though Blu-Ray may have changed. But I also like Macs too. Why else would I have joined?
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Apple uses the latest Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 CPU's and you can find the identical CPU's (Just not formatted for Macs, which is the ONLY difference) in most PC systems. You can also find cheaper Intel Xeon PC machines that have identical quality to that of the Mac Pro. You'd better source your info before posting.
Wow .. wait! You can!
Not exactly the greatest or sleek-looking solution, and it's kinda wobbly product. But you can
I agree with OP it is way over priced. But I hate windows BSOD (blue screen of death). And viruses like the desert isle of any grocery store. Too many and to hard to ignore.
Like a car. It is expensive. But a lemon would need a ton of brakes oil and filters, etc. And being stranded in the middle of nowhere is not fun nor safe these days. So saving the money is not always wise.
Mac = "Money and Cash" for apple. But peace of mind for us. Apple would go bankrupt if they sold everything at dell prices.
Like a car. It is expensive. But a lemon would need a ton of brakes oil and filters, etc. And being stranded in the middle of nowhere is not fun nor safe these days. So saving the money is not always wise.
Mac = "Money and Cash" for apple. But peace of mind for us. Apple would go bankrupt if they sold everything at dell prices.
Except Mac ain't Bentley .. Bentley not made in China and keep up with mfg cheap budget. Mac does.
Just sayin'
And how exactly am I supposed to operate in Photoshop, Lightroom, Ableton Live or Logic Pro with a damn touch screen?
If you wanna swipe screens get a tablet already.
Apple doesn't produce the cheapest computers; they produce the best computers.
And while you could build a PC with everything wireless, you'll likely spend more time hunting the right drivers to make it work than you will actually using the damn thing.
OP: Honestly man, get this, and be happy.... http://goo.gl/9OM9t
And while you could build a PC with everything wireless, you'll likely spend more time hunting the right drivers to make it work than you will actually using the damn thing.
OP: Honestly man, get this, and be happy.... http://goo.gl/9OM9t
I have no choice but to use Windows at work (when it doesn't crash), why would I pay anything to have to use it at home?
To me the Dell has a value of 0 because of the OS. Paying $1500 for something not worth anything to you is not a deal. If the value of your user experience and your lost time due to crashes over the next few years is worth a $1000 or less maybe it is a good deal. Or, if your career allows you time to play video games than admittedly, Apple does not live in the space of dedicated gaming systems the way Dell does.
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To me the Dell has a value of 0 because of the OS. Paying $1500 for something not worth anything to you is not a deal. If the value of your user experience and your lost time due to crashes over the next few years is worth a $1000 or less maybe it is a good deal. Or, if your career allows you time to play video games than admittedly, Apple does not live in the space of dedicated gaming systems the way Dell does.
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Yes, because selling OSs is such a great business model to be in these days.
That's not how Apple came to be the most highly valued company in the world. They did it by designing and building superior products with market-leading integration.----------
Maintaining a sane profit margin ensures that your business is future forward. It allows Apple to spend billions of dollars on R&D, something that most companies don't do -- particularly when they can simply copy the fruits of Apple's efforts.
When is the last time you've seen something innovative from Dell, for example. They sell parts.
Ditto! I go back to the Commodore 64 days, Amiga, Amstrad etc, and have built many rigs over many, many years. Maybe I am just getting too old now to continue building. In the past I probably have been your relatively typical PC person, Apple products had no appeal to me at all. Then I bought an iPad, then an iPhone, then AppleTV and now an iMac. Initially when I got the iMac I was constantly going back to my Bootcamp partition to run my Windows programs that I didn't think had an equivalent in the Mac world. I eventually found most of those program equivalents and now rarely go to Windows. I have Parallels and rarely use that now. I just love the integration with my other Apple devices. Honestly, I can live without Windows and really love my iMac!
