My MBP Arrived and I changed my mind!

[Norco]

I have to agree even though I've been a Mac user since 1994. I'm not the type of person who really wants to pay premium for form. I don't care how heavy my laptop is or how sleek it looks out in public. What I would rather have is a fast laptop that offers current technology at a reasonable price. It's a bonus if it runs OS X too! We Mac users have to pay quite a bit extra to have something that looks cool even if it's outdated or missing features found on average PC laptops that cost a lot less.

I also think it's funny how people are suggesting that the OP just buy an Apple laptop that costs less. The price ratio of what you're buying doesn't jive with the cost. Why should they settle for less computer just because Apple over-charges compared to what the market offers? If it weren't for OS X, I'd probably bail too. Windows 7 is looking good, so who knows? I'd like to see some competition that would cause Apple to compete.

I think you're overlooking the whole software + hardware combo. You mention that you stick around simply for the fact that you like using OS X. But part of that charm of using this operating system is the fact that there are no drivers to install, because its a package deal with the reliable hardware. I looked into using a PC laptop and using hackintosh software, to save myself money. But when it came down to it I didn't want to deal with that, I wanted reliability and ease of use. So I bought another Apple machine.

Competition is indeed good for Apple, and I do agree their prices are a little ridiculous, but guess what? People keep paying it. Apple makes no mistake about it, with the way their bank accounts & quarterly's look, they are in no rush to chase the low end. Instead of Apple users being portrayed as geeky and far outnumbered, today they are trendy/hip/creative. This almost gives them more power to remain at the high end since it's seen as some sort of status symbol in the computer world that you use a Mac.

I've installed Windows 7 on an old desktop to check it out, but like honestly it took MS that long to come up with something that reliable? I mean honestly, it seriously shouldn't take that long to copy Apple. The programs docking at the bottom of the screen, wonder where they came up with that. Also in Vista their "gadgets." I wanted to die laughing, they've slipped into the following, not leading position.

 

[daneoni]

$2700 for a laptop with a mid-level GPU, 14x9 screen and no Bluray is somewhat daylight robbery and the ONLY reason to get it is if you really love OSX. In this case the OP can get by with windows hence no point in plonking down that amount of money

 

[Pika]

I mean honestly, it seriously shouldn't take that long to copy Apple. The programs docking at the bottom of the screen, wonder where they came up with that. Also in Vista their "gadgets." I wanted to die laughing, they've slipped into the following, not leading position.

[Linux KDE 3.5 + Mac OS X 10.0] - UNIX = Windows 7

 

[kastenbrust]

As much as I hate to say this, youre wrong.

Dell offers their Studio XPS lineup for several hundred dollars less.

1249$ gets you about equal to the 2.4 MBP. If you spend another 500$ on the dell, it can have blueray, a faster processor, and a HD display.

Not to mention 4GB stock, and 7200rpm HD, all stock.

see pic, YIKE. And vista is just not as bad as everyone complains about it to be. However, OSX is just hands down nicer.

I gave that laptop serious thought before I bought the MBP 2.4

That laptop doesnt even come close to the MBP in terms of specs, maybe number for number it does, but theres more than that, and its not even that much cheaper. Haha some people make me laugh.

 

[ictiosapiens]

[Linux KDE 3.5 + Mac OS X 10.0] - Unix = Windows 7

Linux KDE 3.5 + Mac OS X 10.0] - Unix + Registry= Windows 7

The registry bit is what will keep me away from Windows 7 no matter how pretty and solid it is... The gradual deterioration of windows as time passes is what really puts me off...

 

[kastenbrust]

Linux KDE 3.5 + Mac OS X 10.0] - Unix + Registry= Windows 7

The registry bit is what will keep me away from Windows 7 no matter how pretty and solid it is... The gradual deterioration of windows as time passes is what really puts me off...

Whats wrong with a registry?
Having a registry gives Windows OS's some advantages over OS X and other UNIX based OS's.

 

[ictiosapiens]

Whats wrong with a registry?

It just keeps growing larger and accumulating rubbish as time passes and you install and uninstall apps, slowing down your computer... At least that has been my experience.

 

[tMac85]

i think he is gone guys.... we didnt convert him well enough. how did we let this happen?

oh well... more macs for me.

 

[macrem]

Whoah, that's way more self-control than I could ever dream of exercising. Not opening a brand spanking new MacBook Pro after it arrived and its just sitting there...no freaking way! Do you also shove bamboo slivers under your nails?

 

[macrem]

Whats wrong with a registry?
Having a registry gives Windows OS's some advantages over OS X and other UNIX based OS's.

What are the advantages over OS X/UNIX?

 

[CD3660]

Do you also shove bamboo slivers under your nails?

.......or probe your nasal passages with an ice pick (as I saw a guy do in a bar in Monterrey a very long time ago (1978)!

 

[smokedog]

Good shout on the Windows 7, I'm very impressed with it. I had doubts about my MBP but I got it for a ok'ish price (Still about £300 more than an equivalent Windows laptop). But I never owned a OSX system so had to least give it a go.

Overall I like it but knowing how much I paid still stings a bit. I'll probably replace it with a Sony Vaio once Windows 7 is released.

 

[Patriks7]

Good shout on the Windows 7, I'm very impressed with it. I had doubts about my MBP but I got it for a ok'ish price (Still about £300 more than an equivalent Windows laptop). But I never owned a OSX system so had to least give it a go.

Overall I like it but knowing how much I paid still stings a bit. I'll probably replace it with a Sony Vaio once Windows 7 is released.

Wait. So you don't really like the price you paid for a MacBook Pro, yet you will replace it within a year for an almost similarly overpriced Vaio? Kinda pointless to buy a MacBook Pro if it's your first OS X machine. That's exactly the reason for the low end MacBook.

 

[Pika]

I think he's just trolling around just to give Windows 7 & PC some attention.

 

[smokedog]

Wait. So you don't really like the price you paid for a MacBook Pro, yet you will replace it within a year for an almost similarly overpriced Vaio? Kinda pointless to buy a MacBook Pro if it's your first OS X machine. That's exactly the reason for the low end MacBook.

I need a powerful machine for the graphical work I do.

Also Vaio I was looking at is the VGN-FW21Z which is about £1100 and pretty similar spec to the MBP 2.53Mhz £1700. So that's a big price difference.

 

[cerealj]

That laptop doesnt even come close to the MBP in terms of specs, maybe number for number it does, but theres more than that, and its not even that much cheaper. Haha some people make me laugh.

What else is there? There's nothing magical about Mac hardware, it's the exact same stuff that other companies put in their machines. Personally, my Mac is a Intel C2D on a Foxconn motherboard with a ATI 2600. Nothing more and nothing less than is found in a high-quality PC. (eg, something that uses Asus or Gigabyte instead of Biostar)

I think he's just trolling around just to give Windows 7 & PC some attention.

Haha maybe. It's a good thing that around here most people are pretty relaxed.

 

[trekster]

Man I feel a bit bad spending all kinds of money for my 17inch MBP.
$3600 for the MBP with Office and the Insurance.
$170 for the AEBS
$165 Timbuk2 Messenger Bag
$50 for the VX Revolution
$100 for 1tb external Harddrive
$50-60 for the new Speck Hardcase once its out

I spent over $4 K. I know it seems like alot of money. But all the things that I'm buying i'm going to need for the MBP setup at home or when I travel. I know what you mean.

 

[RodinFL]

Hey all

I wrote a detailed response only to have the login timeout on me and lose it all.

Needless to say, if you really compare the components to Dell offerings you will find a $300 difference or so. Part of my job is to buy computer equipment.

The Apple is using a P8700 intel 2.53 1066 bus 320 4gb ram

The closer comparison in the dell line is the XPS M1530

when configured as the Apple 2.53 with both the extra warranty and the phone help (the equiv to Applecare) the price shipped is $2381 with a $300 discount already included. When you start to pay for annual anti-virus and quality software to replicate some of iLife, Adobe elements, etc.m the price equals out. Considering that the case is aluminum and glass, I would say that the price is competitive for what you get. Can you get cheaper, yes but not built the same or with the same configuration and capabilities-OSX, Windows, Linux, etc.

 

[Sauron's Master]

As long as Apple is competitive with its prices, the end difference is easily justifiable by status. Who wants to look like a pleb?

 

[sehnsucht77]

First of all, I want to thank all of you for the assistance I have received regarding my research about Apple products. I have spent a year reviewing the product line and I ordered my MBP 15.4 2.53GHz and it arrived on Thursday. Well, it is still in the box unopened and I decided to return this gorgeous piece of work .

Apple was incredible and with my student discount and Apple Care I paid 2700.00. However, I cannot justify the price in my mind. It is something I can afford and I know the quality is there but it just doesn't seem right. I love OSX but I guess not that much and I have never had the buggy problems with Vista that so many others have had. So, I am going to buy a Windows 7 based notebook - I know, there is a vast contrast in quality - but at the end of the day - my needs will be met.

Apple was great about the return with absolutely no hassle! They are a great company!

Thanks again to all of you! Perhaps one day I will take the plunge. Thanks! Jenny

as a graduate student, i can relate. i waited for a price on my MBP as well (1300 out the door) at my local student coop and had it not been for the sale price and my discount there was no way I was going to spend more than my limit to purchase a computer - any computer - which would basically allow me to accomplish the same results for my work on either Windows or OSX. fact of the matter is, Apple products are not the cheapest computers out there so you should be comfortable and happy with your purchase. watch out for those deals - you don't need to plunk down 2700 for a laptop and i am sure you will have cheaper prices coming your way soon.

some of the prices i am seeing here spend on MBP prices and accessories are boggling...4K on gear for a MBP? crikey. hey, it is your cash but i could never get myself to spend money on something like a laptop. my work is the same regardless of whether i work on my Quad core machine (built for less than 800 bucks total) or my MBP...work is work and results are results.

 

[Norco]

as a graduate student, i can relate. i waited for a price on my MBP as well (1300 out the door) at my local student coop and had it not been for the sale price and my discount there was no way I was going to spend more than my limit to purchase a computer - any computer - which would basically allow me to accomplish the same results for my work on either Windows or OSX. fact of the matter is, Apple products are not the cheapest computers out there so you should be comfortable and happy with your purchase. watch out for those deals - you don't need to plunk down 2700 for a laptop and i am sure you will have cheaper prices coming your way soon.

some of the prices i am seeing here spend on MBP prices and accessories are boggling...4K on gear for a MBP? crikey. hey, it is your cash but i could never get myself to spend money on something like a laptop. my work is the same regardless of whether i work on my Quad core machine (built for less than 800 bucks total) or my MBP...work is work and results are results.

You know that 4k includes the MBP right?

 

[MidwestStuck]

It's really a matter or priorities. If I wanted a laptop to carry around, surf the web, and edit documents, I probably would get a netbook. If I wanted a laptop that can handle the latest 3D games, I probably would get one of those Alienware bricks. I'm kind of in the middle, so I got the MBP. I don't regret it one bit... not only do I like OSX, but I appreciate the availability of customer service. If I have a minor problem that doesn't necessitate sending my MBP in, I can just drop by the Apple Store 15 minutes away and have it fixed. Sure, Macs may be pricier than Dells, HPs, or what have you... but the premium's worth it in my case. If you are out in the cornfields, than your situation would be different from mine.

 

[sehnsucht77]

You know that 4k includes the MBP right?

of course. i was merely addressing the MBP as an entity to include the machine itself and all the accessories people have discussed having purchased for their mbps. the prices range from the low 1K to the low 3K figures just from doing a quick and dirty search on the forums on how much people have spent on just the laptop. throw on applecare and whatever else you feel you "need" for the laptop, the figures all add up pretty close to 4K, and in some cases, actually go over 4K. impressive cheddar spending for sure.

come to think of it, 4K without the mbp would be odd unless you went all out for a sterling silver custom finish on the mbp before buying the laptop itself or bought a ton of precious gems to pimp out your laptop like any one of the rapper's "grills" (teeth accessories to the uninformed) these days. i am sure someone has thought about unique custom-finishes already but, hey, like i said...you're cash is your own so everyone is free to knock themselves out however they wish.

Gina T (Lifehacker) had a nice laser etching finish done on her MBP as did the guys from O-Reilly and Digg. Those etches were pretty nice.

 

[Patriks7]

Hey all

I wrote a detailed response only to have the login timeout on me and lose it all.

Needless to say, if you really compare the components to Dell offerings you will find a $300 difference or so. Part of my job is to buy computer equipment.

The Apple is using a P8700 intel 2.53 1066 bus 320 4gb ram

The closer comparison in the dell line is the XPS M1530

when configured as the Apple 2.53 with both the extra warranty and the phone help (the equiv to Applecare) the price shipped is $2381 with a $300 discount already included. When you start to pay for annual anti-virus and quality software to replicate some of iLife, Adobe elements, etc.m the price equals out. Considering that the case is aluminum and glass, I would say that the price is competitive for what you get. Can you get cheaper, yes but not built the same or with the same configuration and capabilities-OSX, Windows, Linux, etc.

Yes! Finally someone who knows what he's talking about! Sure Apple's prices might seem expensive, but they are fairly high end computers (read: not for your average Joe* who buys Dells or Acers). Plus, IMO, it's already worth it to just pay for the OS

*sorry if I offended any Joe around here

 

[sehnsucht77]

Yes! Finally someone who knows what he's talking about! Sure Apple's prices might seem expensive, but they are fairly high end computers (read: not for your average Joe* who buys Dells or Acers). Plus, IMO, it's already worth it to just pay for the OS

*sorry if I offended any Joe around here

that is an expensive OS.

if it is indeed true that Apple isn't for the average joe, i wonder if Apple wants to keep that image as part of a long-term business model. if your goal as a company is to grow and capture a bigger part of the consumer pie, wouldn't you want to have more appeal, more competitive prices and more access? adopting an elitist image that prevents more purchasers from accessing your products is not only, well, counterproductive but odd for anyone who knows their economics. i dunno about you but i'd chuck the elitist image and pursue the task of improving my current ~4% slice of the computer market doing so with a set of unique designs that maintain my company's image.