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What's the deal with MBP hardware?

Shackler

Shackler

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 3, 2007
617
0
behind you!
Taking away vista and OSX why is Apple products so much more money. a BETTER configured Dell XPS is cheaper than a MBP. What else im i getting that makes it cost so much. and design to me is irrelevent because its a stupid excuse.

I was so sure i wanted a MBP but now im doubting its worth the high price tag, can someone help he out?
 
Shackler said:
Taking away vista and OSX
Click to expand...

that helps explain some of the difference as many people are willing to pay more simply because of the os they are receiving with the hardware (and having hardware that can legally run os x if that is their preference)
 
That's because it's worth it to some people.

It's like someone saying, a painting by Monet (or your favorite artist) is just canvas and oil; oh, my retarded cousin can put oil on canvas, thus a Monet painting must worth the same...
 
If you could link this magnificent laptop then please do. I've had several problems with all of my pcs and will happily pay the extra pennies to avoid the wonderful trips to the local nerd store for repairs. (I don't even know where you get pcs repaired). My previous dell computer did not have wifi or blue tooth nor a dvd drive. In the higher end models that compare to the MBP hardware wise you are getting more bang for your buck. But NO consumer level operating system can compare to the ease of use, compatibility and over all functionality of a mac.
 
You're really paying for OS X... That is why Apple can get away with charging more for their hardware. You really have to decide if it is worth it or not, I guess.
 
Aperture said:
You're really paying for OS X... That is why Apple can get away with charging more for their hardware. You really have to decide if it is worth it or not, I guess.
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agreed. You are paying for OS X and hardware design. More importantly, it is a price that Apple chooses more on market than on actual costs IMO. Dell is primarily a component assembler. Apple is a hardware and software designer.
 
That computer custom configured to essentially equivalent is only $200 cheaper (after some sort of web discounts) than the MacBook Pro, with the exception of the HD (the smallest is by default a bit larger). It's a tiny bit heavier (5.78lbs vs 5.4lbs, could be a bit of an issue for some, but not likely), nearly an inch deeper (could be a big issue) and a bit over a quarter of an inch thicker (wedge design, goes to slightly thinner, but only by .06 inches). That, combined with Apple's build quality which is consistently the best in the industry by a wide margin, is more than worth the $200 to many, before you even calculate in the advantages in the software.

jW
 
Mal said:
That computer custom configured to essentially equivalent is only $200 cheaper (after some sort of web discounts) than the MacBook Pro, with the exception of the HD (the smallest is by default a bit larger). It's a tiny bit heavier (5.78lbs vs 5.4lbs, could be a bit of an issue for some, but not likely), nearly an inch deeper (could be a big issue) and a bit over a quarter of an inch thicker (wedge design, goes to slightly thinner, but only by .06 inches). That, combined with Apple's build quality which is consistently the best in the industry by a wide margin, is more than worth the $200 to many, before you even calculate in the advantages in the software.

jW
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thats good point. thanks. to me $200 is worth the design and OSX. all that extra HDD is something ill never use.
guess ill stick to MBP and wait til new ones come out so the refurb. prices go down some more and close the gap even more.
 
Also, just to point it out, the Dell only has a glossy screen. As well, I didn't see any slot loading drive, FireWire 800, backlit keyboard, nice sized trackpad, aluminum case, IR sensor, magsafe power adapter, OSX, an attractive machine, brilliant packaging, or a glowing Apple.

PS, I don't really care what it is, I didn't even look at Dell or anyone else, I knew I wanted a Mac and the experience that went along side it to replace my thick randomly shutting down slow unproductive dell with a short battery life and a graphics card worse than the GMA950.
 
iToaster said:
Also, just to point it out, the Dell only has a glossy screen. As well, I didn't see any slot loading drive, FireWire 800, backlit keyboard, nice sized trackpad, aluminum case, IR sensor, magsafe power adapter, OSX, an attractive machine, brilliant packaging, or a glowing Apple.

PS, I don't really care what it is, I didn't even look at Dell or anyone else, I knew I wanted a Mac and the experience that went along side it to replace my thick randomly shutting down slow unproductive dell with a short battery life and a graphics card worse than the GMA950.
Click to expand...

Actually, the Dell XPS1530 does in fact have all of those...

It has a slot-loading DVD drive, FireWire port (not sure if it's 400 or 800, but I know there is one there :p ), decently sized mousepad for it's size (all subjective, of course), aluminum case, IR port (for the included remote, that fits in the ExpressCard slot), and very nice packaging, as Dell does for all of it's XPS line. It's also regarded as the best design out of Dell, and arguably the best design of any mainstream notebook available.
 
The MBA is an example of paying for Apple. Innovation (thinnest lappy), hardware (Apple met with Intel and personally designed the logic board), build quality (higher quality LCD/LED from reputable panel manufacturers), ability to walk into a store and get your problems (however infrequent they may be) resolved.

A HUGE one for those like myself; resale value! Heck Apple will even buyback your computer towards a new model.
 
It's not as small and light as the MBP, and it doesn't have the one item that makes a Mac a Mac.....namely OS X. But hey, if you take what makes an Apple computer an Apple computer (OS X), then yes, it's a touch more expensive.

But since I hate Windows, paying the extra $200 to "upgrade" to something better seems worth it. Over 2 or 3 years, that extra cost is nothing. It does so much for me that the extra cost is insignficant. The alternative is to use something I hate for the next 3 years.
 
blurb23 said:
Actually, the Dell XPS1530 does in fact have all of those...

It has a slot-loading DVD drive, FireWire port (not sure if it's 400 or 800, but I know there is one there :p ), decently sized mousepad for it's size (all subjective, of course), aluminum case, IR port (for the included remote, that fits in the ExpressCard slot), and very nice packaging, as Dell does for all of it's XPS line. It's also regarded as the best design out of Dell, and arguably the best design of any mainstream notebook available.
Click to expand...

It's only got FireWire 400, and I didn't see, but most PC laptops only have a 4-pin connector instead of the full-size 6-pin, which reduces it's effectiveness because it makes it harder or impossible to use bus-powered drives. It also doesn't have the MagSafe as mentioned, which is of immeasurable benefit.

jW
 
Mal said:
It's only got FireWire 400, and I didn't see, but most PC laptops only have a 4-pin connector instead of the full-size 6-pin, which reduces it's effectiveness because it makes it harder or impossible to use bus-powered drives. It also doesn't have the MagSafe as mentioned, which is of immeasurable benefit.

jW
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Right, but most of the things that iToaster said that weren't there, are in fact, there.

Granted, it's not everything but the majority of what he said is missing isn't.
 
Abstract said:
It's not as small and light as the MBP, and it doesn't have the one item that makes a Mac a Mac.....namely OS X. But hey, if you take what makes an Apple computer an Apple computer (OS X), then yes, it's a touch more expensive.

But since I hate Windows, paying the extra $200 to "upgrade" to something better seems worth it. Over 2 or 3 years, that extra cost is nothing. It does so much for me that the extra cost is insignficant. The alternative is to use something I hate for the next 3 years.
Click to expand...

There you go. I actually use my MBP more because I like it.
 
Well, the current line of Macbook Pro's are at the end of their life-cycle. They will be getting an upgrade sometime in the near future. That being said, you're still going to pay more money for a similarly powerful Mac than you will for a PC, it's OSX and marketing/aesthetics.

If the aesthetics are insignificant to you, you'll have to ask yourself if OSX is worth the extra money... if your application is gaming (typically attracts people looking for powerful machines - I'm just guessing here), probably not.
 
Long term, I've found that cost of ownership has been a LOT lower with my Macs than with other platforms. I generally get 4-5 years good use out of a Mac before I replace it - anything else is lucky to last two years - partly because of build quality, but also because Windows updates invariably make the hardware run more slowly - that is not the case with Apple.
 
macjay said:
As others have said, you are paying for OSX.

Apple has a monopoly on it.
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Apple does not have a "monopoly" on OS X. Apple owns OS X, having written the non-open source components of the OS. Saying Apple has an OS X monopoly is like saying Sony has a PS3 monopoly or Nintendo has a Wii monopoly ....
 
maybe you should stick to pc's if you think it's a better value. I have both, you dont have to be a fanboy of either
 
TechHistorian said:
Apple does not have a "monopoly" on OS X. Apple owns OS X, having written the non-open source components of the OS. Saying Apple has an OS X monopoly is like saying Sony has a PS3 monopoly or Nintendo has a Wii monopoly ....
Click to expand...

Sure they do. Sony also has a PS3 monopoly, Nintendo has a Wii monopoly, and Microsoft has an Xbox monopoly. The word doesn't necessarily indicate wrongdoing; it's just another way of illustrating how one company controls the production and distribution of a particular product. And to the OP, if OS X is worth the price difference to you, get the MBP. If it isn't (to me, it isn't), get the XPS.
 
If it is not worth it then grab the cheaper one. I have to defend this argument so much more than I like to on a day to day basis whenever a coworker sees my computer.

Each purchaser (hopefully) has their own reasons for choosing what they do. I came from a long line of very nice (and crazy expensive) Vaios for personal use, and thinkpads for business use, and my MBP, which I have abused beyond description, has taken it all in stride.

I have some small scratches on my 15th month of administering daily beatdowns to my MBP. I have replaced almost everything, but never because of need or even worry. Around this time in the computer lifecycle, my thinkpads would be getting ready to skid back into IT working fine but looking like hell (not overly inspiring), and my Vaios would turn on to a puff of smoke or have a structural part fall off.

Finding a cheaper (comparable) computer is not a feat, they are out there all over the place. Finding one that beats a computer like the MBP in real world use and satisfaction is a little harder. The damn thing won a contest for best computer to run VISTA on. Might at least get you thinking.

Rant over, there are lots of reasons why PCs are superior, and there are so many specialized laptops for PCs for many different things. If you do something requiring one of those specializations, then you do not want a Mac. If you want a Mac, Apple has a monopoly on OS X (good or bad, but for the sake of this argument true). Get something that you will enjoy and be productive with!
 
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