Thank you very much for this!
This should cure my temporary insanity and my dad's hostility towards Apple.
Keep in mind, that was all marketing fluff from Apple. Not a real and unbiased opinion of the system. I'll have the pleasure of debunking all of that information in a second here
I know people have mentioned Mac OS X advantage and iLife etc. but their monetary value would equal to only about $200 so accounting this its $600 difference.
XPS uses CCFL so being generous say slash $100 which brings down difference to $500.
The only advantage LED gives you is longer estimated life. Apple's own words state that users should not notice any difference in image quality between a LED and CCFL screen.
Apple's build quality has gotten terrible. MacBooks have issues with cracking from heat, discoloration, case separation, uneven backlight (I've had almost all of those issues on 2 MacBooks!). MacBook Pros have issues with screen lighting, warping due to heat, denting, scratching, etc.
Software functionality premium?
OS X doesn't do anything that Windows Vista doesn't do out of the box, or with a couple of pieces of freeware that are every bit as good as what is built in to OS X. Realistically, the only iLife app besides iTunes you will regularly use is iPhoto. Vista's built-in software and Picassa are every bit as good. Many feel Picassa is even better.
Vista Ultimate(so at least it is some way in line with Leopard),
Vista Home Premium is just fine. The only thing that OS X offers over Vista Home Premium is a built-in encryption utility. But TrueCrypt takes care of that and offers FULL DISK encryption rather than "Home Folder" encryption. I'm using TrueCrypt's full disk encryption on my HP right now and it works beautifully. It also goes above and beyond FileVault in OS X. FileVault uses 128-bit AES to encrypt your Home Folder and Disk Utility can create AES-256 disk images. TrueCrypt can use a combination of AES256, Twofish, and Serpent encryption all at once, all 256-bit algorithms, and SHA-512 hashmarks.. essentially, every human alive today would be dead several times over by the time your system encryption could be hacked.
Plus Vista Home Premium comes with Media Center which mops the floor with Front Row in terms of looks and capabilities.
One important thing, if you want to play DVDs, blu-ray, HD DVD, or even just H.264, divx, or xvid videos.. Windows (XP and Vista) have system wide hardware acceleration. With that GeForce, you will get FULL hardware support for all of those and the image quality will make you wonder how Apple can get away with pushing DVD Player as one of Leopards 300 improvements over Tiger. The image quality is just that much better in Windows.
Also, save some money and upgrade the memory yourself. You can get 4GB of RAM for less than what Dell charges for a 2GB upgrade.
Don't forget that Fingerprint Reader as well. That is EXTREMELY cool. Instead of typing your password to log in to Windows or your favorite websites, you just swipe your finger and it does the rest.
1. A Mac is the perfect computer for life on campus.
With a Mac, students have a competitive edge in college. Thats because they are more productive, more creative, and more connected to their academic and extracurricular life. With a bulletproof operating system, the ability to integrate effortlessly with Windows PCs, and preloaded digital media software, a Mac is also available to every college student at a special education discount. What more could you ask for?
Bulletproof operating system? Hardly. I've had OS X crash more times in the last year than I've ever had Windows crash. I've also been through 4 Leopard reinstalls due to general instability.
2. Microsoft Office runs on a Mac.
A Mac can run everything a student needs to be productive: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Entourage. In fact, Microsoft has put additional features in the Mac versions that dont exist on Windows. For more information on Microsofts products check out
www.mactopia.com.
That was in the past. Not the case now. The Windows version is ahead of the OS X version at this point.
3. Learning on a Mac prepares students for the real world.
A Mac can help a student thrive in any major. Mac OS X is based on industry standards, which means students learn skills that can be used on any operating system. More important, the Mac provides the freedom to innovate. Instead of worrying about fitting in, students can choose the platform that allows the greatest professional and personal expression, flexibility, and growth. And if you need special help, Mac OS X offers innovative solutions for those with vision, hearing, or other disabilities, ensuring that everyone can have a customized computing experience.
Windows does all of the same things.. Buying a Windows PC isn't about "fitting in", its about getting hardware that fits your needs.
4. Apple offers industry-leading support.
Every Mac comes with 90 days of toll-free phone support and a one-year limited warranty. In 2006, Apples warranty was rated number one for the fifth year running. And Apple is the only company that can provide hardware, software, and operating system support in one phone call. Students can even extend the toll-free phone support for up to three years with the AppleCare Protection Plan. Many campuses also have knowledgeable Mac service centers.
90 days of toll-free phone support thats closed on the weekends and closes every night at 6PM Pacific. Dell offers on-site support for the first year of warranty as well as 24/7 phone support. HP offers 24/7 phone support and their turn around time for mailing systems in is MUCH faster than Apple. Plus you have to worry about your Apple system being sent to Flextronics for repair. If it gets sent out to Flextronics, you'll likely be without your system for WEEKS while you send it back and forth trying to get Flextronics to repair the damage they caused the previous times!
5. Students save cash on every Apple product.
Students enrolled in or accepted to U.S. higher education institutions are eligible for substantial discounts on Apple hardware and software. For details on discounts extended to students, visit the Apple Store for Education, and be sure to check with the local campus computer store. And if youre looking for financing, were committed to making purchasing options as flexible as possible.
oooh a $100 discount. Other manufacturers offer this too.
6. A Mac is loaded with everything you need.
When comparing prices with our competitors, make sure the Windows machine youre pricing has the same features. Take a look at the extensive list of software and hardware included on a Mac before drawing any conclusions. iLife, Apples award-winning suite of digital media applications including iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand, and iWeb,1 is preloaded on every Mac. For similar applications on a PC, youd have to spend hundreds of dollars.
VirtualDub is freeware video editing that is much more powerful than iMovie. Vista has built-in DVD making software that is onpar with iDVD but it doesn't have the fancy "themes". GarageBand is just like any freeware music application on Windows, just with a better interface. Same goes for iWeb. Picassa, in some peoples opinion, is better than iPhoto and Vista's built-in software is every bit as good as iPhoto.
7. iPod is a learning device.
iPod is more than just a music player. Students can use iPod and Griffins iTalk voice recorder to record class lectures, keep track of their appointments with a built-in calendar, and back up papers and class projects on gigabytes of hard drive space. Plus iTunes2 is more than just music. In addition to having instant access to countless songs, iTunes users can search for the best podcasts on the planet. And now, with iTunes U, universities across the country are beginning to use iTunes to distribute digital content to their students.
Many other MP3 players can do this without an additional accessory.
8. The Mac now has Intel inside.
Faster processing speeds, longer battery life, better compatibility. All of this is made possible by Apples partnership with Intel, announced in 2005. Every MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini ships with an Intel chip inside, delivering high performance and exceptional value.
"And because of our improper cooling systems causing the MacBook and MacBook Pro to get extremely hot during regular use, you don't have to worry about those drunken frat parties resulting in any unplanned children thanks to the heat from your Mac making you sterile!"
9. Apple notebooks are the best way to connect.
Mobility, particularly in the age of wireless connectivity, is central to campus computing lifestyles. And while a desktop system will certainly do the trick, most students find that the freedom and flexibility of a notebook computer serves them better through their years at college. A quick glance at the competition reveals that MacBook and MacBook Pro are the best wireless notebooks in the industry.
My HP with an Intel Pro Wireless card (the whole Centrino Duo thing) has no problem connecting to and getting the same signal strength as my MacBook.
They also offer their extended warranty (as does Dell) which, for AppleCare lasts three years (and extends full phone support to three years as well).
But AppleCare still closes at 6PM every night and on the weekends. While Dell's extended warranties offer next day on-site repair, accidental damage coverage, even theft recovery.
I am getting a Mac because I am so fed up with PC's its beyond belief. I have owned Gateway, Dell, HP, Compaq, and currently a VAIO. Every single one of them has become useless around the 2-3 year mark despite what should be usable specs. I don't know what it is they just start to slow down so much I need to buy another (planned obsolescence anyone?). Viruses and spyware are everywhere constantly despite my numerous anti-virus programs (not cheap). Whats almost worse are the residual files, folders, and constant pop ups/update screens for anti virus software I have tried to delete. This happens with non anti virus software as well though. I am so fed up with warnings from programs I deleted a year ago or more. Some of them won't even let me delete them ( they say I am not authorized). When my computer is telling me I can't do something it pisses me off. Then there is the whole "restart your computer now or I will restart on my own in 3 minutes" message. WTF is that?? I should be able to restart whenever I damn well please.
I've been using Windows for 17 years, started when I was 9 years old, and I have never had a virus. Not one. Nor have I ever had spyware.
It sounds to me like you are not running Windows Update regularly and that you are clicking on every single banner ad on websites and installing everything that websites want you to install. And you are visiting shady sites that normal people would NOT visit.
Or you're just lying.
By the way, there is freeware anti-virus and anti-spyware software out there that works just as well as the paid stuff. But you really only need those two if you are visiting suspicious sites and taking part in "shady" activities.
If you didn't know, OS X has problems with residual files and folders too. Even if you use AppDelete or AppZapper, files and folders still get left behind from uninstalling software.
Everything you've described in your post basically wouldn't happen as long as you A) ran the uninstaller to get rid of software you no longer wanted and B) didn't take part in shady activities or visit sites that are suspicious.
Anyway the point is I don't know if Mac has these problems or not, but I KNOW PC's do after all these years so I am taking the chance that Mac will not suck as bad as PC's seem to.
I have both. Macs have their own set of problems. However, again, the problems you described with your PC wouldn't happen as long as you used uninstallers and kept away from suspicious sites and activities.
I've used PCs for years, and I think every one has failed at some point due to some hardware issues I believe.
I've used a Mac for years and already had multiple hardware failures
For me, OS X means simplicity. Sure my WinXP box operates fine, but that's because I run regular maintenance -- defrags, spyware check, adware check, *virus check*, occasional reinstallation of the OS itself (which includes backups, reinstalling favourite apps), etc. This adds up to a huge amount of my time that has been sunk into keeping my PC operating at a good performance level for my needs.
The beauty of OS X is that I don't need to waste my time doing any of this, especially defragging, virus checking, and wiping the drive and reinstalling the OS. It's just not necessary on a Mac. The system takes care of most of this, and a virus program is virtually pointless.
You haven't had a Mac for long, have you? I've had to reinstall Leopard 4 times just because of instability issues. OS X also requires occasional reinstalls because of files and folders left behind by software being installed and uninstalled.
Defragging the hard drive can be done automatically when you're not using the system. Spyware and virus checks are only needed if you say YES to installing everything and anything websites want you to install. Stay away from that and you'll be fine. Or just run Firefox.
Only the MBP will offer you the ability to access the entire Windows software catalog (natively or through emulation) as well as offering OSX related software.
OS X software, in most cases, still isn't up to snuff with what you can get on Windows. Toast compared to Nero.. well, Nero mops the floor with it. DVD Player lags behind everything on Windows, even Vista's built-in decoder because it takes full advantage of hardware GPU features for video. DVD Player does not.
The OS isn't the only difference between PCs and Macs. Macs just have more expensive parts in them than Walmart specials. iSuppli did a tear-down of iMac, and the cost of parts was near $900. That doesn't include cost of assembly, packaging, shipping, advertising, nor R&D.
Then why is it that the MacBooks and MacBook Pros have so many build quality issues? You don't see a $500 Wal-Mart special falling apart the same way a $1400 MacBook does.
