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My Experience with the "Apple Tax"
- Thread starter SqlMac
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Very funny. Windows 7 is more stable than Vista, but I doubt it's more stable than any version of Mac OS X except perhaps 10.0. "More features" in an OS is generally an undesirable quality. Does Windows include CD burning or DVD playing capabilities out of the box yet? They still don't? Why not?
Just as stable as OSX. I've not incurred one BSOD/crash with win7.
And yes more features, I can easily burn CDs without any software with windows. I have little to no need to burn dvds so I have no idea about that.
Also networking way better in windows 7 then osx.
And yes more features, I can easily burn CDs without any software with windows. I have little to no need to burn dvds so I have no idea about that.
Also networking way better in windows 7 then osx.
since xp, windows has been able to write cds without additional software. dvd playback, im not sure its apart of any OS. google can explain why its not better than i.
I love my Mac and all, but I will say Windows 7 does have one feature I really like (that I keep telling my roommate we should put windows 7 on my old macbook to use), the ability to use your computer like a DVR (The DVR our cable company gave us is the crappiest thing ever, so full of quirks and so very slow).
Of course, not sure how one sets up the computer to use it like that (I assume some how I have to get a connection onto the computer from the Fios but if we could set it up, even every version of WIndows I've used works better than that DVR so I am betting it would be a vast improvement).
Yes, but when you do that apple gets no money for the development of its software. It isn't like Microsoft. They make money for the software when you buy the hardware. Making a Hackintosh ruins that model. Effectively you are stealing.
Because 29.99 definitely pays for the cost of r&d for an operating system
Look at what Microsoft charges.Because 29.99 definitely pays for the cost of r&d for an operating system
Technically it's only 29.99 (for Snow Leopard) if you already bought Leopard which was 150 dollars. It was seen as too small an upgrade for Leopard users to pay full price.
The great thing about this 'Apple Tax' theory is that most people recoup it back in resale easily.
Most Windows laptops drop like a rock in value, and in two years it would be lucky to keep 25% of it.
Last year, we sold our Mid 2007 (two year old laptop!) for $630. WE BOUGHT IT FOR $949 BRAND NEW!. Our cost to own was under $300 for 2 years (we still have the free printer we got with it too!). We sold it on craigslist due to high demand.
My Tecra M5 did not fair as well. It was newer (purchased early 2008) and it cost over $2000 direct from Toshiba (amazing specs at the time). When it came time to sell the laptop at the same time as the MB, I could only manage to sell it for $450 on eBay (plus fees and shipping) because of low demand. Cost to own? Over $1500 for 1.5 years.
So yeah, let the Apple Tax scare them away. The smart ones who take the plunge easily recuperate it through resale.
Most Windows laptops drop like a rock in value, and in two years it would be lucky to keep 25% of it.
Last year, we sold our Mid 2007 (two year old laptop!) for $630. WE BOUGHT IT FOR $949 BRAND NEW!. Our cost to own was under $300 for 2 years (we still have the free printer we got with it too!). We sold it on craigslist due to high demand.
My Tecra M5 did not fair as well. It was newer (purchased early 2008) and it cost over $2000 direct from Toshiba (amazing specs at the time). When it came time to sell the laptop at the same time as the MB, I could only manage to sell it for $450 on eBay (plus fees and shipping) because of low demand. Cost to own? Over $1500 for 1.5 years.
So yeah, let the Apple Tax scare them away. The smart ones who take the plunge easily recuperate it through resale.
Who knew that a little comparison would be so contentious? Although the Lexus/Toyota analogy works better, I'll admit...
They don't use the same components. But that's not the point. The point is that both cars do the exact same thing: they get you from A to B. Just like a cheap computer and a MBP are both equally capable of being used for word processing and spreadsheets. But I'd still rather do that work on the MBP, and I'd rather drive to work in a BMW than a Honda.
(Though having said that, I do drive a Honda, and love it... lol).
And comparing Apple's prices for BTO upgrades to buying off-the-shelf and doing it yourself isn't fair and calling it an "Apple tax" isn't fair. You need to compare what Apple charges for BTO upgrades to what other computer manufacturers charge for BTO upgrades. If Apple charges more for the same upgrade then, for example, Dell, then there might be an Apple tax. But if Apple and Dell both charge about the same for an upgrade, then that's indicative of BTO upgrades being overpriced, not of an Apple tax...
Since when does a Honda Accord use the same identical parts of a BMW
There is definetly a thing called Apple tax. Go buy RAM or HDD/SSD from Apple and compare it to the prices of somewhere else. It's superexpensive what Apple charges. I'll upgrade the RAM and storage myself. Much cheaper and I get longer warranty on my parts
They don't use the same components. But that's not the point. The point is that both cars do the exact same thing: they get you from A to B. Just like a cheap computer and a MBP are both equally capable of being used for word processing and spreadsheets. But I'd still rather do that work on the MBP, and I'd rather drive to work in a BMW than a Honda.
(Though having said that, I do drive a Honda, and love it... lol).
And comparing Apple's prices for BTO upgrades to buying off-the-shelf and doing it yourself isn't fair and calling it an "Apple tax" isn't fair. You need to compare what Apple charges for BTO upgrades to what other computer manufacturers charge for BTO upgrades. If Apple charges more for the same upgrade then, for example, Dell, then there might be an Apple tax. But if Apple and Dell both charge about the same for an upgrade, then that's indicative of BTO upgrades being overpriced, not of an Apple tax...
when looking for a non osx based machine, you have many attractive options at your hands. hell, building one yourself comes into play. ms doesnt care what you install windows on for the most part. yes there are many brands out there and some more reliable than others but that has nothing to do with ms. pcs have less aftermarket value because of the sheer number of options available and the competition which exists. apple does not compete with anyone. if you want osx you have to play by apples rules (assuming you wish to follow the eula).
I thought I appreciated how awesome the feel of my 1 month old MBP was... until I went to pull some stuff off my broken-down Compaq and nearly died of shock. I didn't think the Compaq was too bad, other than the fact it was elderly & on its last legs, but I was shocked by how tiny the trackpad felt, how wobbly the buttons were, how bad the keyboard felt, and how bad the screen was. My MBP is WELL worth the extra money spent, I still can't get over how awesome it feels to hold and type on. I love OSX but the beautiful external design is just the icing on the cake and well worth the extra $$$$. I played with a whole variety of PCs at our local computer store before I decided to go with Mac, mainly because I was so disappointed in the trackpad and keyboard feel and quality of all the newer PCs that I fiddled with, being a typist for my living keyboard feel is hugely important to me, even though this is just a person non-work computer. I thought things would have move on from my 3yo Compaq but it just seemed to be worse I honestly don't think anything can beat a MBPs trackpad.
I honestly don't think anything can beat a MBPs trackpad.I'm glad I listened to the many reviews I read that raved about Macs. I purchased a MBP 13" and couldn't be happier. It's so easy to use and the build quality is fantastic. Sure, I could have spent much less but I'm not sure my experience would have been the same.
I would venture to guess that the majority of "Hackintoshes" are created by using a pirated version of OSX. Even if you do buy a copy of 10.6, installing on non Apple hardware is against the EULA.
Which is why psystar went out of business
Now desktops i guess i can understand. Laptops not so much, apples offerings (besides the graphics) are actually pretty good.Obviously $500 laptops is not going to performs as well as $2000 no matter the vendor. But you are talking about extremes. Apple tax is not that high but it exists. One should take into account that usually you can get significant discount on PC products (just by calling the vendor or waiting for a sale) which is not the case with Apple. For those who prefer quality and are willing to pay for that, PC is actually the only way to go for PC manufacturers offer much better (and costlier) laptops - like Sony VAIO Z or Dell Precision M6500 Covet (starting price $4K). Besides, only PC realm offers the best options like quad core CPUs, decent graphics, RGB LED backlit screens, BluRay, SSD RAID, quality enclosures (carbon fiber or magnesium alloy), built-in GPS, built-in 3G etc.
It might be against EULA but it is definitely not criminal. I can do with my software and hardware whatever I want (similarly to jail-breaking the phones). Apple may refuse any support in this case but that's all they can do.