not gonna happen...it's a premium price for a premium product. It always has been, and that's probably not going to change. People have been willing to pay, are willing to pay, and will be willing to pay for superior product design, OS and system integration. It's a niche product for a niche market.
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Long time Mac user switch back to Dell
- Thread starter dwl017
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not gonna happen...it's a premium price for a premium product. It always has been, and that's probably not going to change. People have been willing to pay, are willing to pay, and will be willing to pay for superior product design, OS and system integration. It's a niche product for a niche market.
A Mac Pro Dual Xeon is substantially cheaper than an equivelent Dell machine with the same spec.
I think you have bought a nice system (similar to a one i bought last October), but I'm hoping to do the opposite and move from PC to Mac, i say enjoy what you have chosen and if you find its not what you want then you know what your going to have to save for next time 
/Blue
/Blue
Wrong there buddy... Apple is just right. And about being to expensive... nock off all the programs (a good $500-600) and it would be just as cheap as a hell...er..dell.
Just switched back myself. The main reason being the lack of after sales support, Apple's just doesn't compare to Dell's. Price was also a factor, take a look at this Dell system I ordered for my sister, I challenge anyone to find a comparable Apple machine for the price.
480.86 (including delivery and V.A.T.)
PROCESSOR AMD® Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista Business - English
HARDWARE SUPPORT Collect & Return, 1 Year Service
MONITOR Dell 19" Silver Wide Flat Panel (E198WFP)
MEMORY 2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x1024]
HARD DRIVE 250GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive with 8MB DataBurst cache
GRAPHICS CARD 256MB ATI® Radeon® X1300 Pro PCI Express graphics card edit
OPTICAL DRIVE 16 X DVD +/- RW Drive edit
KEYBOARD Dell Entry Quietkey USB Keyboard - UK/Irish (QWERTY)
SOUND SOFTWARE Integrated 7.1 Channel High Definition Audio
SPEAKERS No Speakers
FLOPPY/MEDIA DRIVES 13-in-1 Media Card Reader
MODEMS No Modem
MICROSOFT SOFTWARE Microsoft® Works 8.0 - English edit
Also included with your system
Gedis Bundle Reference List D07C12a Dimension C521
Dell System Media Kit Dimension Resource DVD for Vista (Diagnostics & Drivers)
Shipping Documents C521 English Documentation with UK Power Cord
Order Information Dimension Order - Ireland
Standard Warranty Collect & Return, 1 Year Service only
480.86 (including delivery and V.A.T.)
PROCESSOR AMD® Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista Business - English
HARDWARE SUPPORT Collect & Return, 1 Year Service
MONITOR Dell 19" Silver Wide Flat Panel (E198WFP)
MEMORY 2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x1024]
HARD DRIVE 250GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive with 8MB DataBurst cache
GRAPHICS CARD 256MB ATI® Radeon® X1300 Pro PCI Express graphics card edit
OPTICAL DRIVE 16 X DVD +/- RW Drive edit
KEYBOARD Dell Entry Quietkey USB Keyboard - UK/Irish (QWERTY)
SOUND SOFTWARE Integrated 7.1 Channel High Definition Audio
SPEAKERS No Speakers
FLOPPY/MEDIA DRIVES 13-in-1 Media Card Reader
MODEMS No Modem
MICROSOFT SOFTWARE Microsoft® Works 8.0 - English edit
Also included with your system
Gedis Bundle Reference List D07C12a Dimension C521
Dell System Media Kit Dimension Resource DVD for Vista (Diagnostics & Drivers)
Shipping Documents C521 English Documentation with UK Power Cord
Order Information Dimension Order - Ireland
Standard Warranty Collect & Return, 1 Year Service only
Well I consider myself a "pro" graphic designer & illustrator, as I earn my money by doing this. And I have no speed problems on my 1,67 ghz pb G4 with 2 gb ram running CS2. In fact I'd take the powerbook over any new up to date windows machine, just so I don't get my productivity slowed down by windows. My time is too precious to make 3 clicks where only 1 is required.
Alright i'll compare it... here is a 20" iMac you silly:
20" iMac $1419
1GB extra ram +$49
take off iLife -$600
THAT EQUALS $868
Thats a way better design, it has speakers, and this is no christmas time special!
$600 for iLife is rather a lot since it retails for $79.
So I wonder why Apple does not patch that hole and offer the public a desktop under the pro and under $2500
Good question and one that many on this board have asked. I think Apple probably feels that is too much PC territory for it to venture into. Personally I don't think they would have to do a lot. Make a mini out of desktop parts (C2D or C2Q CPU) and allow for easily expandable RAM/HD and a PCI-E slotted standard graphics adapter. But I don't run Apple, so there you go.
You have seen iLife there's stuff on there (like iMovie) if you don't think that iMovie and iDVD is worth $600 it's self, I can't help you.
I use a G4 ibook (1.5 gig ram) at home and a 4 and a half year old xp dell P4 desktop with a gig of ram and XP at work. I spend quite a bit of time with antivirus (AVG), spybot, and ccleaner on the Dell and it is pretty zippy. It browses the web faster (with multiple tabs) than the G4. A lot faster. Ccleaner is the key-- it clears all the garbage that accumulates in the registry. I hate the way that windows intrudes into my work-- lots of "you have to deal with me now" focus shifting, and it takes more effort and maintenance, but when it comes to speed, the XP desktop is faster, no question. Overall, I prefer the mac experience, particularly on a laptop (waking from sleep on an XP lappy is lengthy and error ridden), but I can't argue with the OP on raw speed on an XP desktop.
They're worth jack squat if you don't make movies or even own a digital camcorder.
Back when the first slot-loading iMac G3's were released in 1999, Apple banked on people wanting to edit home movies and watch DVDs on their computers -- thus, the iMac line stuck with iMovie and DVD-ROM (read-only) when many computers went CD-RW. After a few revisions, Apple realized the error of its ways and added iTunes and replaced the DVD-ROM with CD-RW.
Maybe iTunes, QuickTime, and Safari are the crucial pieces that make life on a Windows PC bearable -- and thus a Mac not worth the premium? Movie editing isn't that big of a deal -- most of the stuff posted on YouTube looks like it's straight from the camera, or maybe placed through an inferior movie-editing software suite, not iMovie.
(I own a MacBook that was out of commission for almost a whole month on two separate repairs during its first year. I prefer the Mac OS experience, but I'm wondering if Apple's hardware is really of superior quality, and the hardware options on the PC side are far more attractive.)
I personally never even launched iMovie or iDVD past one launch right after purchasing my PB two and a half years ago. Some people do not need/use those programs - I am sure there are a couple of Mac users besides myself that never used those apps and therefore place little value on them.
No doubt about it, dude, by the time you add the price of replacing all of your Mac software with Windows software, that Dell will cost you a lot more than a new or refurb iMac would have cost you, especially when the new ones come out in the next month or so. Hope you don't regret your decision.
Although there are always individual machines that are flawed, all large-scale surveys of computer hardware have repeatedly demonstrated that Apple hardware is more reliable than that of other manufacturers, especially in desktops (although Lenovo notebooks may be superior in quality to MacBooks). Check out Consumer Reports and PC Magazine if you don't believe me.
Well you can't have a choice (wanting iLife and that stuff) there's so few people (like you) apple doesn't give a hoot... so if you want to complain about that, I would understand.
I'm sure you will be happy with your decision for some time. I was but now my PC is becoming slow and I thing a lot of the cause is all the ant-spy ware and upgrades that MS has to keep installing just to keep it going. I am just waiting for the new iMac to come out. Unfortunately will be spending more than you have. It's not as if you can never switch back when your finances improve. Who know what will be available by then. After all these are just computers. Ouch, what was that.
Ouch, what was that.I bought a Dell to i have always been pretty anti Dell but i was seduced by the Dell XPS 1330. Actually i don't mind using Windows.
I don't get viruses either as i am careful about what i download from the internet.
Macs are more secure though and MacOSX is really nice to use but there was no Apple hardware that suited my needs in the current Mac line up. What to do i didn't want to put up with hardware that i wasn't pleased with. I am a person that when they want something they just have to have it
and i wanted my ultraportable with a dedicated GPU so i just had to have it.
If Apple had what i needed of course they would have been my first choice.
The MacBook with its integrated graphics does not interest me and the MacBook Pro is not the right size that i wanted. I owned one before and i do not want one that size again.
Who knows down the line if Apple does bring out something
that does meet my needs.
iLife has never really interested me either it is a good software package though. Front Row is good but i also really like Windows Media Centre as well that comes built in Vista Home Premium.
Apple are losing maybe a small number of their customers by not extending their current line up. They are doing well with notebook sales though so maybe they are not even really bothered.
These are the specs of the Dell 1330 that i bought-
2.2 Santa Rosa, 2GB ram, Backlight screen, 128 8400GS, 160GB HD 5400, Fingerprint reader, Bluetooth, Wireless N, 3 years free antivirus protection, free modem, Microsoft Works, 4 years at home warranty service price £1,195 i got the price down some.
I don't get viruses either as i am careful about what i download from the internet.
Macs are more secure though and MacOSX is really nice to use but there was no Apple hardware that suited my needs in the current Mac line up. What to do i didn't want to put up with hardware that i wasn't pleased with. I am a person that when they want something they just have to have it
and i wanted my ultraportable with a dedicated GPU so i just had to have it.
If Apple had what i needed of course they would have been my first choice.
The MacBook with its integrated graphics does not interest me and the MacBook Pro is not the right size that i wanted. I owned one before and i do not want one that size again.
Who knows down the line if Apple does bring out something
that does meet my needs.
iLife has never really interested me either it is a good software package though. Front Row is good but i also really like Windows Media Centre as well that comes built in Vista Home Premium.
Apple are losing maybe a small number of their customers by not extending their current line up. They are doing well with notebook sales though so maybe they are not even really bothered.
These are the specs of the Dell 1330 that i bought-
2.2 Santa Rosa, 2GB ram, Backlight screen, 128 8400GS, 160GB HD 5400, Fingerprint reader, Bluetooth, Wireless N, 3 years free antivirus protection, free modem, Microsoft Works, 4 years at home warranty service price £1,195 i got the price down some.
I'm not talking about making it free. I'm saying a few hundred bucks. If people are willing to pay that, why did the OP switch???
Just to let you know, Apple does drop its prices over time, and it's about time it does it again.
http://www.macmusic.org/news/view.php/lang/en/id/426/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,111000-page,1/article.html
But I mean if you want to justify its parts (that are the same as dell's) are higher quality because its in a mac, you can keep paying the few hundred extra all you want.
@maccam
Show me how you can save $500-600 bucks on software when you buy a mac. Every mac I've bought only comes with the OS included in the price and that's it.
And it is this same line of elitist thinking which is why Apple will always be a niche market product.
More Mac users = more potential customers for devs = more software for OS X
But geez, I guess some people's lives are too hollow that they need a fruit branded computer to look smug.
you're funny. hehehe
have you noticed that OS X doesn't bundle anything like Minesweeper, Solitaire or Paintbrush?
That alone increases the value of Windows like... US$459.99 !!!! (or US$969.99 if we're talking Solitaire on the Vista Premium edition, because it's... shiny...)
now seriously... iMac is a desktop with laptop components, it's a good value for money but not *that* great.
Dude I'm as happy as a pig in Sh--
Fair enough!
Dude I'm as happy as a pig in Sh--
i dooo
The OP and others bring up a legitimate point that frustrates me.
There is no good mid-range Mac tower. The iMac does not fit between the Mac mini and the Mac Pro. Nowhere was it mentioned Apple needs to lower prices. Apple just needs to create the mini version of the Mac Pro. Smaller case, less powerful components (e.g. the iMac's vs. the Mac Pro's), more upgradability than the mini or the iMac, and priced around where the mini stands now, but below the iMac. No display included, maybe a keyboard and mouse.
Any price drop needs to happen to the mini with the now excessively overpriced and outdated components.
Enough said. A girl can dream.
Also, apps are only worth as much as you value them - iLife sans iTunes is worthless to me, while I'm sure the valuable (to me) Xcode is worthless to a lot of you.
There is no good mid-range Mac tower. The iMac does not fit between the Mac mini and the Mac Pro. Nowhere was it mentioned Apple needs to lower prices. Apple just needs to create the mini version of the Mac Pro. Smaller case, less powerful components (e.g. the iMac's vs. the Mac Pro's), more upgradability than the mini or the iMac, and priced around where the mini stands now, but below the iMac. No display included, maybe a keyboard and mouse.
Any price drop needs to happen to the mini with the now excessively overpriced and outdated components.
Enough said. A girl can dream.
Also, apps are only worth as much as you value them - iLife sans iTunes is worthless to me, while I'm sure the valuable (to me) Xcode is worthless to a lot of you.