The only argument left for buying a MacBook

[gametime10]

It runs OSX.

That's it.

Everything else, innovation (ex: Razer Core, Surface Studio), power (Kaby Lake, nVidia Pascal graphics), design & build quality (XPS, Razer, even Xiaomi!), flexibility (2-in-1's, touchscreens, MS Surface Book), price, etc., can be matched or surpassed in the PC world. And considering you are saving hundreds for similar or more powerful specs, it makes switching to Windows 10 a compelling case.

 

[gooseta]

Totally agree, it's simply based on what value you assign OS X. Imo it's not worth the £500+ difference between a maxed out Surface book and a mid-level 15 inch rMBP for me. Windows annoys the **** out of me but the value for money is ridiculously higher on windows machines

 

[Gregintosh]

Here's a good argument: I like it.

If it makes you happy in life, then its already worth it.

It's like asking what argument you have for staying with your spouse? There's always going to be someone who cooks better, cleans better, makes more money, and even performs their spousal duties better. But you like yours and yours makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. So stick with them. ;-)

 

[gooseta]

Here's a good argument: I like it.

If it makes you happy in life, then its already worth it.

It's like asking what argument you have for staying with your spouse? There's always going to be someone who cooks better, cleans better, makes more money, and even performs their spousal duties better. But you like yours and yours makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. So stick with them. ;-)

Well it's not as easy to get a new partner than walk to an Apple store.

 

[Pootmatoot]

To be honest, OSX has been pretty stale the last few cycles too...

 

[gametime10]

Here's a good argument: I like it.

If it makes you happy in life, then its already worth it.

It's like asking what argument you have for staying with your spouse? There's always going to be someone who cooks better, cleans better, makes more money, and even performs their spousal duties better. But you like yours and yours makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. So stick with them. ;-)

People can be "married" to their technology, that's true... but there is such a thing as an unhealthy, one-sided relationship =)

 

[td2243]

I still love Logic X Pro. I'm just going to buy the current MBA used. No way I can drop $2500 on the new Pro.

 

[Gregintosh]

Well it's not as easy to get a new partner than walk to an Apple store.

Haha that depends how attractive you are.

To be honest, OSX has been pretty stale the last few cycles too...

Stale? I initially read your statement as Stable. I'm glad not to be dealing with weird pop up dialogs, complex updates, anti-virus software, and other issues that come up on Windows machines (I absolutely HATE using my Lenovo which I sometimes used for business and will be getting rid of it).

People can be "married" to their technology, that's true... but there is such a thing as an unhealthy, one-sided relationship =)

Very true... but as long as my technology does what I want and looks good while doing it, then it's fulfilling its end of the bargain.

 

[Pootmatoot]

Stale? I initially read your statement as Stable. I'm glad not to be dealing with weird pop up dialogs, complex updates, anti-virus software, and other issues that come up on Windows machines (I absolutely HATE using my Lenovo which I sometimes used for business and will be getting rid of it).

I dual-OS for work. Literally none of that has ever happened to me on Windows 10. Anti-virus is built in.

 

[gooseta]

I dual-OS for work. Literally none of that has ever happened to me on Windows 10. Anti-virus is built in.

I don't like a lot of things about Win10 but anti-virus has never been an issue, unless you buy a £300 shitbook which comes with a Norton trial.

 

[Deanster]

It runs OSX.

That's it.

Everything else, innovation (ex: Razer Core, Surface Studio), power (Kaby Lake, nVidia Pascal graphics), design & build quality (XPS, Razer, even Xiaomi!), flexibility (2-in-1's, touchscreens, MS Surface Book), price, etc., can be matched or surpassed in the PC world. And considering you are saving hundreds for similar or more powerful specs, it makes switching to Windows 10 a compelling case.

Couldn't disagree more. Each of those laptops you name has some individual attractive features, which may well be better than a MacBook.

But you can't buy one or two features from the Windows laptops. You have to buy just ONE and live with it for as long as you own the laptop.

This is where Apple wins out - not on a feature by feature comparison, but in having a laptop that's very good across MANY categories, and that will get better as you own it, as TB3 and USB-C really become widespread.

Five years from now, the MacBook Pro is still going to be a very good computer, and it'll have something like 40-50% of its original purchase value.

Five years from now, an XPS or Razer is going to be a just-OK machine at best, and it'll have effectively zero residual value if you put it up on craigslist or eBay. Doubt me? Go see what the very best 2011 Dell laptop is going for on eBay right now.

 

[cmaier]

It runs OSX.

That's it.

Everything else, innovation (ex: Razer Core, Surface Studio), power (Kaby Lake, nVidia Pascal graphics), design & build quality (XPS, Razer, even Xiaomi!), flexibility (2-in-1's, touchscreens, MS Surface Book), price, etc., can be matched or surpassed in the PC world. And considering you are saving hundreds for similar or more powerful specs, it makes switching to Windows 10 a compelling case.

Lol. Someone posts this exact same rant every time Apple updates a model. (Only the parenthetical change).

 

[gooseta]

Couldn't disagree more. Each of those laptops you name has some individual attractive features, which may well be better than a MacBook.

But you can't buy one or two features from the Windows laptops. You have to buy just ONE and live with it for as long as you own the laptop.

This is where Apple wins out - not on a feature by feature comparison, but in having a laptop that's very good across MANY categories, and that will get better as you own it, as TB3 and USB-C really become widespread.

Five years from now, the MacBook Pro is still going to be a very good computer, and it'll have something like 40-50% of its original purchase value.

Five years from now, an XPS or Razer is going to be a just-OK machine at best, and it'll have effectively zero residual value if you put it up on craigslist or eBay. Doubt me? Go see what the very best 2011 Dell laptop is going for on eBay right now.

How do you know TB3 will become widespread? In addition to knowing only 1/2 people who even know what TB is, very few people take advantage of running 4k/5k displays or daisy chaining multiple external ssds etc. I don't know a single person who uses an external monitor with their laptop, let alone one which is 4k/5k and thunderbolt ready.

And let's be honest, 99% of consumers don't consider resale value when buying a laptop. It's not a car.

I'm an apple fan and love their laptops, but the price hike is ridiculous considering that the base and mid tier MBPs have been quite competitively priced for the last 3-4 years.

 

[tubeexperience]

Yes.

These days, Apple is all about making the most money. Innovation went out the door.

Macs have always been expensive, but the hardware were ahead of their time. (ie. first ultrabook, first laptop with Retina display)

 

[Altis]

To be honest, OSX has been pretty stale the last few cycles too...

Both MacOS and Windows 10 have their ups and downs.

Windows adopted a really annoying arm-twist update scheme (that they probably took from Apple) that drives me mental, and the scaling can flakey. Mouse acceleration is much better for those who use a mouse.

MacOS doesn't have nearly as good window management IMO (snapping, minimizing, etc), though at least they gave Finder some much needed love (folders at the top). Trackpad is much better for those who use a trackpad.

At the end of the day, the OS isn't supposed to be the star of the show. It's just a platform upon which to use applications to do things. I've often heard that the best OS are the ones that you don't notice because they don't interfere with what you're trying to do.

Of course, this makes me prone to being flamed by all sides of the OS battlefronts.

 

[Abazigal]

It runs OSX.

That's it.

Everything else, innovation (ex: Razer Core, Surface Studio), power (Kaby Lake, nVidia Pascal graphics), design & build quality (XPS, Razer, even Xiaomi!), flexibility (2-in-1's, touchscreens, MS Surface Book), price, etc., can be matched or surpassed in the PC world. And considering you are saving hundreds for similar or more powerful specs, it makes switching to Windows 10 a compelling case.

Sure, if all you care about are specs in a vacuum.

The razor stealth core has kaby lake, but is clocked lower and has worse integrated graphics. Having a touchscreen boils down to whether you think you will need one or not. Paying a few hundred dollars less for a Windows laptop isn't exactly a deal breaker. The core and surface studio are niche products with small user bases.

I suppose if you have some specialized workflow that can be met by a certain Windows PC, then go for it by all means. I don't need any of them, so the MacBook Pro remains a solid laptop option for many people.

 

[gametime10]

Couldn't disagree more. Each of those laptops you name has some individual attractive features, which may well be better than a MacBook.

But you can't buy one or two features from the Windows laptops. You have to buy just ONE and live with it for as long as you own the laptop.

This is where Apple wins out - not on a feature by feature comparison, but in having a laptop that's very good across MANY categories, and that will get better as you own it, as TB3 and USB-C really become widespread.

Five years from now, the MacBook Pro is still going to be a very good computer, and it'll have something like 40-50% of its original purchase value.

Five years from now, an XPS or Razer is going to be a just-OK machine at best, and it'll have effectively zero residual value if you put it up on craigslist or eBay. Doubt me? Go see what the very best 2011 Dell laptop is going for on eBay right now.

Residual value? If you wisely invest the money you saved from NOT buying a MacBook, you're definitely going to come out on top in 5-6 years.

 

[ryannel2003]

I don't like Windows. At all. Don't care how well 10 runs. I don't like Windows.
I love Mac. Love. Never had a hardware issue. Very few software issues.

Then again I don't go out and look for problems and issues with my hardware and software like some on this forum do.

 

[Macalway]

Let's face it. These are the Mercedes and Porches of the computer world, and those cars can get rather pricey. All the people who buy the iPhones and iPads are going to have a tough time with this. The people who have been buying the expensive laptops over the years, less so.

 

[eroslws]

How do you know TB3 will become widespread? In addition to knowing only 1/2 people who even know what TB is, very few people take advantage of running 4k/5k displays or daisy chaining multiple external ssds etc. I don't know a single person who uses an external monitor with their laptop, let alone one which is 4k/5k and thunderbolt ready.

And let's be honest, 99% of consumers don't consider resale value when buying a laptop. It's not a car.

I'm an apple fan and love their laptops, but the price hike is ridiculous considering that the base and mid tier MBPs have been quite competitively priced for the last 3-4 years.

Not necessarily TB3, but definitely USB-C. There is industry consensus; it's not proprietary and we'll probably see complete conversion within a few years.
[doublepost=1477889075][/doublepost]

Let's face it. These are the Mercedes and Porches of the computer world, and those cars can get rather pricey. All the people who buy the iPhones and iPads are going to have a tough time with this. The people who have been buying the expensive laptops over the years, less so.

This is exactly what I said in another thread. The market share for Macs is the same for luxury cars, because they are both luxury brands. A Prius and a Mercedes are going to get you to work at the same speed; it's just a matter of preference.

 

[gooseta]

Not necessarily TB3, but definitely USB-C. There is industry consensus; it's not proprietary and we'll probably see complete conversion within a few years.
[doublepost=1477889075][/doublepost]
This is exactly what I said in another thread. The market share for Macs is the same for luxury cars, because they are both luxury brands. A Prius and a Mercedes are going to get you to work at the same speed; it's just a matter of preference.

There is no evidence to suggest that all consumer devices will be using usb-c in the next 3-4 years, which is how long most people will own their next laptop.

I would have agreed with the point about luxury 2-3 years ago but most windows laptops (especially the surface book) have upped the quality of their materials and build.

 

[gametime10]

Let's face it. These are the Mercedes and Porches of the computer world, and those cars can get rather pricey. All the people who buy the iPhones and iPads are going to have a tough time with this. The people who have been buying the expensive laptops over the years, less so.

I think the luxury argument is a more honest argument for the MacBook. To try to make the case (as a previous poster did) that they are more economical because of residual value is silly. However, the case for MacBooks as luxury items is increasingly a subjective matter and other laptops are increasingly just as, if not more, well-designed, innovative, premium, etc...

 

[NickPhamUK]

To be fair, no laptop comes close to Macs when it comes to aesthetics. Not even HP Spectre 13t (those are sexy too, but nowhere near Macs).

My ideal combo is a MacBook Pro for day-to-day usage and a desktop PC for heavy raw power at home. Easy to upgrade components too.

 

[gooseta]

To be fair, no laptop comes close to Macs when it comes to aesthetics. Not even HP Spectre 13t (those are sexy too, but nowhere near Macs).

My ideal combo is a MacBook Pro for day-to-day usage and a desktop PC for heavy raw power at home. Easy to upgrade components too.

The razer blade is pretty good looking, but it has so many issues it's comical

 

[dotnet]

To try to make the case (as a previous poster did) that they are more economical because of residual value is silly.

It's not silly at all. Resale value has a large impact on TCO.