Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

San Francisco to Block Most Municipal Mac Purchases Following Apple's EPEAT Withdrawal

thejadedmonkey said:
In a business world, you don't have the luxury of waiting a few days or weeks or possibly months for a fix. nor do you have the luxury of buying someone's used mini off of ebay. We needed something now, and every day lost was money wasted.

I installed Windows on it, and it worked perfectly.

If you look at anything Apple has on the market now, the problems are just as glaring. If your iMac's HDD crahes, you can not swap it out yourself due to the temp sensor, you have to take it to an Apple store. What would normally be an hour of downtime while I run to Best Buy, buy a hard drive, and install the OS, just because a 2.5 hour trip, assuming Apple replaces the hard drive in my mac, on the spot. Which of course they won't. And forget about calling Apple up for a next-business day tech to come out and fix it, that's just laughable in Apple world.

Most businesses pay money for support contracts, so they're never without vital equapment. That's impossible to do when it comes to Apple. Most businesses require certain OS/Apps for compatability. That's impossible when it comes to Apple. Most businsses require support for more than a few years. That's impossible when it comes to Apple.
Click to expand...

This is EXACTLY what I [and many others] have been stating. Businesses that jumped on the iMac bandwagon ~3 years ago and who have run out of AppleCare are especially feeling the pain. As a former Apple tech years ago before the iOS craze, iMac's are a PITA to repair. It wasn't until recently that Apple started using desktop parts in iMac's as they were based around notebook parts to fit the form factor and cooling needs. Even still, taking apart an iMac takes a very long time. Businesses that have iMac's need to have extra systems in case any part fails as the system will need to be benched, diagnosed, repaired, etc and that takes days. Apple does not loan out systems. Apple attempted a business department in their retail stores but it seems they have lost focus on it.

Bottom line: many have been clamoring for a mid-tower between a top iMac and base Mac Pro. One that doesn't break the bank and fits in the former PowerMac price range (was around ~$1500) and allowed for the purchase of one of Apple's 3 displays, all for the price of a decently equipped Mac Pro (and didn't eat into iMac sales, completely different markets). Businesses need a system that can be repaired on-site, with little down time, can be upgraded, and can be used with any display as iMac's only have one variation. It's a shame Apple is neglecting this segment, it may not be the numbers in the consumer market but businesses make up for that fact when spending thousands on system and license upgrades. It's not a "niche" market or a dead one.
 
samcraig said:
Who says they made the call at all. Maybe the reporter called the city (and maybe others) to find out how this would play out with Apple's EPEAT withdrawal and the representative answered the questions asked.

Did it say that the CIO Journal was contacted by the city? I'm pretty sure it didn't.
Click to expand...

Good point.
 
autrefois said:
If they and consumers make it clear that having computers that are both environmentally-friendly and serviceable is more important than gaining a millimeter here or there on Apple's already slender and elegant products, then Apple just might rethink the direction it's going.
Click to expand...

Nah, they don't care. They'd rather sell iPads than Macs, and iPads don't fall under EPEAT rules anyways.

...I suspect I might be downvoted for stating the truth.
 
ugahairydawgs said:
I don't paint her as evil. I think she is just doing her job.

I'm just saying that your assertion that she isn't trying to put pressure on Apple here is just not accurate.
Click to expand...

See Samcraig's post. And I didn't say she wasn't putting pressure on Apple, I'm saying the EPEAT isn't. They establish rules, you follow them if you want to do business with organisations that have EPEAT as a requirement. Apple knew this ahead of time, and made a conscious choice to back out of EPEAT. They know what they are doing.

No one is forcing Apple to adhere to EPEAT regulations is what I'm saying.
 
vampyr said:
Hey WestonHarvey1... I was referring to the $3000+ laptops that Apple sells.

And yes... you can find a $400 dollar PC that has the same features as an iMac.

Don't be a wise ass... it makes us Apple users look bad. :cool:
Click to expand...

Not being a wise ass. You're making the mistake of finding a machine, any machine, that has the same CPU and same RAM/storage capacity and declaring the Mac doesn't have any other features that justify a higher price.
 
joseph2166 said:
Its a case of what are the Romans doing for us? NOTHING.

... The Mac App Store?

What?

The Mac App Store

Well yes obviously the Mac App Store.

... And Mountain Lion.

Well yes, that goes without saying!

... And retina MacBook Pros?

Alright I'll grant you the Mac App Store, Mountain Lion and the retina MacBook Pros. Apart from those. What is Apple doing for the Mac? NOTHING
Click to expand...

Lets be fair here. The retina macbook pro is evolutionary. It makes sense that you'd start adding that to your product line.

Mountain Lion is an incremental update to bring OS X more in line with iOS. This is clearly leading to a universal OS some time in the future.

The Mac App Store is also part of the 'unification' of the two operating systems.

When I say Apple dont care about the Mac any more, I mean more along the lines of Apple want to phase out OS X and just have iOS devices, with an 'expanded iOS' on the laptops and desktops.
 
I do find it funny that if state computers are as old as federal computers then their "latest' office mac's probably could not even run Snow Leopard.
 
WestonHarvey1 said:
Not being a wise ass. You're making the mistake of finding a machine, any machine, that has the same CPU and same RAM/storage capacity and declaring the Mac doesn't have any other features that justify a higher price.
Click to expand...

Yes you are... a quick search on Best Buy proved my point. Heck...one of them even has a touch screen... something an iMac doesnt have and is still 50% less. How bout them Apples? ;)

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+Pavi...?id=pcmprd182900050003&skuId=9999183400050003

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+20...rive/5563098.p?id=1218661382004&skuId=5563098

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Gateway...rive/4388052.p?id=1218476995241&skuId=4388052
 
WestonHarvey1 said:
Not being a wise ass. You're making the mistake of finding a machine, any machine, that has the same CPU and same RAM/storage capacity and declaring the Mac doesn't have any other features that justify a higher price.
Click to expand...

Subjective completely based on what tasks are being done with the computer. It doesn't matter to a government agency if the Mac has iPhoto, iMovie, etc if the standard is Microsoft Office.

I would imagine that unless you're in a creative job in the government (don't laugh) - most of your applications are pretty vanilla and don't require the "features" a Mac has that WOULD justify a higher price. Can you name one or more that would?
 
autrefois said:
Good for San Francisco. I hope more municipalities and businesses make similar announcements.

If they and consumers make it clear that having computers that are both environmentally-friendly and serviceable is more important than gaining a millimeter here or there on Apple's already slender and elegant products, then Apple just might rethink the direction it's going.

I have been buying Macs and other Apple ware for 13+ years, but this recent decision by Apple to go backwards in terms of the environmental impact of their products and actually allowing anyone other than Apple to service the machine should something need repairing (or even if you want something as simple as a RAM upgrade!) gives me serious doubts about future purchases. And based on the comments here in other threads on Macrumors and elsewhere, I'm glad to hear I'm not alone.
Click to expand...

The sad thing is that with planned obsolescence as it is these days, even the most environmental friendly product winds up in a landfill sooner rather than later, which kind of defeats the purpose.
 
thejadedmonkey said:
Back when Leopard came out, there was a bug in how it handled file sharing. This bug would prevent PC's from showing up in the sidebar.

My company needed a computer, and the person requested a mac. So we bought a mac mini. I Set it up, and couldn't see any PC's unless we typed the IP address in manually using.. cmd+K I believe?

I called Apple up. "Yes it's a bug, no there's no known ETA until its fixed. Just install Tiger on the mac until the bug's been fixed."

Only one problem - It came pre-installed with Leopard. I can't install Tiger on it. In the end, a level 2 tech and an engineer agreed that my best course of action was to either a) type the IP address in manually, every time, which would also require re-configuring the Windows PC's to have a static IP address, or b) return the computer and wait an unknown amount of time until the bug was fixed.

In a business world, you don't have the luxury of waiting a few days or weeks or possibly months for a fix. nor do you have the luxury of buying someone's used mini off of ebay. We needed something now, and every day lost was money wasted.

I installed Windows on it, and it worked perfectly.

If you look at anything Apple has on the market now, the problems are just as glaring. If your iMac's HDD crahes, you can not swap it out yourself due to the temp sensor, you have to take it to an Apple store. What would normally be an hour of downtime while I run to Best Buy, buy a hard drive, and install the OS, just because a 2.5 hour trip, assuming Apple replaces the hard drive in my mac, on the spot. Which of course they won't. And forget about calling Apple up for a next-business day tech to come out and fix it, that's just laughable in Apple world.

Most businesses pay money for support contracts, so they're never without vital equapment. That's impossible to do when it comes to Apple. Most businesses require certain OS/Apps for compatability. That's impossible when it comes to Apple. Most businsses require support for more than a few years. That's impossible when it comes to Apple.

What I see a lot of, is people that buy Apple laptops, install VMWare or Parallels, and run Windows on the mac. But for a business, there is no reason to spend $1500 for that when a $500 Dell will work just as well, and doesn't come with the hardware caveats that the mac has.
Click to expand...

Thank you, this is what I was looking for. I was not asking to be a SA... was asking since there are quite a few IT person(s) here.

Thanks
 
vampyr said:
Yes you are... a quick search on Best Buy proved my point. Heck...one of them even has a touch screen... something an iMac doesnt have and is still 50% less. How bout them Apples? ;)

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+Pavi...?id=pcmprd182900050003&skuId=9999183400050003

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+20...rive/5563098.p?id=1218661382004&skuId=5563098

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Gateway...rive/4388052.p?id=1218476995241&skuId=4388052
Click to expand...

You found a mini tower (not an all-in-one), an all-in-one with an AMD E2-1800 and a smaller screen (that didn't quite hit the price point), and a Pentium based all-in-one (that has a bigger screen, but with the same resolution as the iMac 21.5, also over the price point)

And you'd have to give me a DISCOUNT if you wanted me to take a desktop with a touchscreen :)
 
This is not really that big.

Companies/Government won't spend money on new software/technology to switch over platforms. It's going to be very costly. Most likely, a lot of 'waivers' will be signed to keep the 1-2% of Macs.

This is just a scare tactic on Apple. However, Apple knows what they are doing with this. I bet by the end of the year, EPEAT will change its rules.
 
So Apple needs to be stuck in 'design/innovation' from years ago because EPEAT recyclers are having a hard time recycling 'newer' Apple products.

Sounds like EPEAT needs to move into 2010+ and realize things are changing and that they need to upgrade their recyclers.

All Apple needs to do is just say 'Hey, send your machine back to us and we'll recycle it'...
 
WestonHarvey1 said:
Yes, we should be allowed to have products that push the boundaries of design, and not saddle ourselves with stagnant technology because of someone's silly ideas about everything needing to come apart with a screwdriver.
Click to expand...

Please explain the advantages of using torx screws over Phillips heads? Ask yourself why Apple does this.
 
autrefois said:
No, unfortunately they aren't guaranteed that Apple will recycle everything properly because of the way the new retina MBPs are put together. For one thing, the battery is literally glued onto the motherboard and cannot be safely removed. More info at iFixIt and this thread on Macrumors.

It would be annoying and petty if Apple just wanted to keep the recycling and servicing to themselves. Instead, they are making it so that more of the computer can no longer be recycled or serviced safely. But at least they gained a couple millimeters of space so they can brag that it's smaller...
Click to expand...
So iFixit is THE authority on what can/cannot be recycled?
 
rmwebs said:
Given that its very clear that Apple no longer wish to be in the desktop/laptop market I dont see this as a problem for them. All they care about now is iOS and the AppStore. Everything else is secondary.

As far as Apple is concerned, they are only maintaining OS X to allow for development of iOS apps.

Edit Guessing the downvotes are from people who dont want to believe that this is happening. Open your damn eyes... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

In the long term, you may be right. The line between OS X and iOS will continue to blur until there is very little difference. Natural progression of technology as the world moves to mobile (truly "personal" in the sense that it's always with us) computing.

But don't count on that being their motivation for the next 10 years. OS X plays a very important role in Apple's business, and people's lives.
 
Piggie said:
It does sadden me to hear the stereotypical "We're American and rich and should be able to do as we dam well like, and sod the environment" type of comments a few on these forums are saying.
Click to expand...

Please copy one of these, I haven't seen one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back