Where is the competition?

[TFMTASAD]

(I'm from Quebec, Canada) I did some shopping today and to most computer stores in my area (ex : Best Buy, FutureShop etc etc etc etc) and checked out all of their laptops. I compared all of the specs I saw with the new MBP and none of them came close. They all had very old processor, very few had the a centrino 2 of any kind. Most of them had no graphic chip, when they did it was almost always bad. (The best graphic chip I saw was a 8600m GT 256mb. I saw a handful of LED screen.

So when I got home I checked on the internet to see if I could find something specs similarly to the new MBP (DDR3 Ram, same FSB speed, same kind of processor etc.) and quite frankly I couldn't find one. Do you guys know a competitive laptop specced at least as good as the MBP? I didn't manage to find anything that used the same "modern" hardware and that was priced properly. I just want to compare the hardware side of the equation, not the OS, not the styling.

 

[Red-red]

At the minute I don't think you can get a laptop at the same spec, size and quality for a better price. Obviously that will change with new ranges coming out but none will come close in build quality. The ones that get within seeing distance, still won't have OSX so for the time being they are a pretty good buy.

 

[cube]

You have to look online, not at the store. There're so many models of electronics stuff that you need a good site which categorizes the products and allows you to search for features, not only price and polluting the listings with dubious sites and ebay auctions. I don't know if anything like that is available in your country.

A partial solution is to use the power search of newegg.com just for research, but you are limiting yourself to the stuff they carry (which is not that bad).

 

[Beric]

Looking for a PC that kills a MBP for 66% of the cost? BTO this HP.

dv5t series
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.4 GHz)
15.4" diagonal WSXGA+ High-Definition Widescreen Display (1680 x 1050)
3GB RAM
250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
Wireless N + Bluetooth.

All for $1328.99

 

[cube]

I'll give you European MacBook competition:

HP Compaq 6735b (KU214EA):

- Turion X2 Ultra ZM-82 / 2.2 GHz
- 2GB RAM
- 250GB HD
- DVD±RW DL LightScribe
- ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200
- 15.4" WSXGA+ (1680x1050)
- VGA
- TV-Out
- Gigabit ethernet
- Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
- 802.11 a/b/g/n (draft)
- FireWire 400
- ExpressCard
- Windows Vista Business

865 EUR including 19% VAT

 

[Michael CM1]

I find it funny that the two "competitors" listed compared to the MacBook Pro are HP and Compaq (same company). If you have ever owned one of them, you know it's like comparing a Lexus and Yugo because they both have doors.

Among other things people forget, you might as well add $80 or so to the price of any PC because of the anti-virus/firewall/spyware/yada yada yada that you'll need. Then you can knock some of those specs down a bit because all that above stuff will run in the background and suck up resources. Then you can have fun using Windows. Vista isn't the complete worst OS ever made (here's looking at you, Me). But it looks like they tried to make a copy of OS X without making a copy of OS X. Microsoft should just stop messing around and put a "pier" at the bottom of the screen where you can load applications from.

 

[Hydroxs]

I find it funny that the two "competitors" listed compared to the MacBook Pro are HP and Compaq (same company). If you have ever owned one of them, you know it's like comparing a Lexus and Yugo because they both have doors.

Among other things people forget, you might as well add $80 or so to the price of any PC because of the anti-virus/firewall/spyware/yada yada yada that you'll need. Then you can knock some of those specs down a bit because all that above stuff will run in the background and suck up resources. Then you can have fun using Windows. Vista isn't the complete worst OS ever made (here's looking at you, Me). But it looks like they tried to make a copy of OS X without making a copy of OS X. Microsoft should just stop messing around and put a "pier" at the bottom of the screen where you can load applications from.

The op wanted compare the hardware side of it, not bashing how bad pc are. As for the anti-virus and firewall software, you can get good ones for free. I have used a pc for years and never received at virus during that time. Though os x is more user friendly, windows can be a great os if you know how to use it.

 

[alphaod]

You can get a W500 Thinkpad for more than the MBP.

 

[Kadman]

The op wanted compare the hardware side of it, not bashing how bad pc are. As for the anti-virus and firewall software, you can get good ones for free. I have used a pc for years and never received at virus during that time. Though os x is more user friendly, windows can be a great os if you know how to use it.

Here, Here. Although it seems to be rare, it's good to see common sense exists around here. Some claim comparable hardware doesn't exist from competitors and others resort to the tired old bashing that's largely irrelavent these days. We have a mix of XP, OS X, Vista, and Fedora. Although Fedora can be painful from time to time (finding drivers, etc) You can succeed with any of these solutions.

Now, back to the core topic, yes there are comparable hardware solutions out there and often at significantly lower prices. In fact, from a flexibility standpoint there are "better" solutions in that some others (most notably Dell) offer more cutsomizable options for displays, optical drives, etc. But flexibility has never been Apple's strong suit. They typically find what they feel will be the stongest needs and ask that you adjust up or down from your needs into one of their available solutions. But that said, if you prefer the OS or have a specific software need for OS X, then there is zero competition other than previous generations or different models from Apple. Just keep in mind that it's hard to compare since they take quite a different means (esthetics, form over function, etc.) that makes it hard to compare.

 

[TFMTASAD]

I just found this. For 2200$, sounds like a good deal to me.

Sager NP8660 (Built on Clevo M860TU)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® T9400 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.53GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 35 watt
- 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 9800M GTS DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
- ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- 4GB Intel® Robson Turbo Memory II
- Standard Finish
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 200GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Carying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- ~Windows Vista Ultimate 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Based Toll Free Telephone Tech Support
(Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)

 

[sk47]

all those "competitor" models posted can't compete with mbp... way too ugly to be compared in the same league haha

 

[synth3tik]

I enjoy my pre Oct.14th MBP, but when thinking of a different laptop for work I was looking into the Lenovo W series of ThinkPads. These puppies are top -o-da line and so so so slick. Not comparable in every respect, but by far the best PC laptops I have seen. The W series even has a Wacom pen tablet for the right palm rest, how gimmicy, yet really slick is that?

 

[CrownSeven]

all those "competitor" models posted can't compete with mbp... way too ugly to be compared in the same league haha

Haha, yeah, those competitors are all idiots.

*sigh*

As someone who's looking to purchase their first Macbook, it certainly turns me off when I see this mindless fan-boyism reading posts like this.

 

[TFMTASAD]

all those "competitor" models posted can't compete with mbp... way too ugly to be compared in the same league haha

You obviously didn't read anything. We are not comparing LOOKS or OS. JUST hardware.

This Sager NP8660 is the only one I found that could compete spec-wise and price-wise.

 

[damax452]

Just configured this one on Dell's web site. I am looking more into the reg Mac Book, came out close in price and specs:

SYSTEM COLOR Tuxedo Black edit
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache) edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1 edit
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 2Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis edit
LCD AND CAMERA Slim and Light LED Display with VGA Webcam edit
MEMORY 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz edit
HARD DRIVE Size: 320GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM) edit
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW Drive) edit
VIDEO CARD 128MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8400M GS edit
WIRELESS CARDS Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g Mini Card edit
MOBILE BROADBAND Verizon Wireless built-in cellular mobile broadband (EVDO Rev A) edit
BLUETOOTH AND WIRELESS USB Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR) edit
BATTERY OPTIONS 56Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell) edit
SOUND OPTIONS High Definition Audio 2.0 edit
FINGERPRINT SCANNER Biometric Fingerprint Reader edit

Price was $1574

 

[Chappers]

Well on just hardware - yes PC's will be cheaper. End of thread.

Does the story end there - erm no.

The OS, ease of use, lack of nasty little malicious software packages (still), build quality, customer service and good looks do make a difference.

Customers with Apple Macs are far more satisfied than with any of the competition and by some margin too.

Comparing only hardware is just the beginning of the story and rather pointless.

 

[Mackan]

Haha, yeah, those competitors are all idiots.

*sigh*

As someone who's looking to purchase their first Macbook, it certainly turns me off when I see this mindless fan-boyism reading posts like this.

Same here. There seems to be few reasonable people that understand that a company (like Apple) has both good and bad sides, and that not all their products are perfect. Very few people who can argument in a logical way, accept and understand other's points.

 

[snowmoon]

I just got a work issued laptop that ran almost $1800 from dell the E6500 decked out. It's hardware specs are all head and shoulders higher than my early 2007 MBP.

The Dell can't compute it's way out of a paper bag. It spends the better portion of 5 minutes grinding the HD, the finger print reader takes forever just to "boot up" I'm better off just using my password, the WiFi tends to disappear on occasion, the slim-line power adapter they sold with it causes BIOS and windows error messages complaining about the wattage, and I feel like I'm going to crush the thing as the case warps from even casual picking up. Sure you can't get a 9 cell battery or 5 years of support from Apple, but it won't matter that much since I don't want to use the damn thing.

Just a friendly reminder that pure specs can be very deceiving.

 

[Chappers]

Of course not all Macs are perfect there have been various ones I didn't much like. I was quite happy to see the back of my original iMacs for example.

However - overall the Mac experience proves it's about more than just bang for buck.

 

[jaytv111]

I just got a work issued laptop that ran almost $1800 from dell the E6500 decked out. It's hardware specs are all head and shoulders higher than my early 2007 MBP.

The Dell can't compute it's way out of a paper bag. It spends the better portion of 5 minutes grinding the HD, the finger print reader takes forever just to "boot up" I'm better off just using my password, the WiFi tends to disappear on occasion, the slim-line power adapter they sold with it causes BIOS and windows error messages complaining about the wattage, and I feel like I'm going to crush the thing as the case warps from even casual picking up. Sure you can't get a 9 cell battery or 5 years of support from Apple, but it won't matter that much since I don't want to use the damn thing.

Just a friendly reminder that pure specs can be very deceiving.

sounds like a dud to me. I've read elsewhere that they're pretty solid, but I haven't seen any comparisons with the current MBP and Dell Latitude E6400 or 6500. I believe the two are pretty close with specs, form factor, and build quality. The main differences are: features (the Dell wins hands down), and OS (MBP wins hands down). So I suppose it's a trade off as usual with going with one or the other.

 

[cube]

You obviously didn't read anything. We are not comparing LOOKS or OS. JUST hardware.

This Sager NP8660 is the only one I found that could compete spec-wise and price-wise.

I said the Compaq I showed was an *MB* competitor, not MBP, approaching the MBP (and exceeding in resolution) at a MB or lower price.

I could have easily have found out hardware with features that kick the MBP's but at a lower price, except the built-in FW800, which you can add via card (and many laptops have 2 card slots).

 

[Red-red]

You have to take into account the build quality and looks though. It's like making a thread comparing Mac's to PC's but only taking into account looks.

 

[snowmoon]

sounds like a dud to me. I've read elsewhere that they're pretty solid, but I haven't seen any comparisons with the current MBP and Dell Latitude E6400 or 6500. I believe the two are pretty close with specs, form factor, and build quality. The main differences are: features (the Dell wins hands down), and OS (MBP wins hands down). So I suppose it's a trade off as usual with going with one or the other.

We are a small office and we just got 3, all 3 have had varying levels of problems ( software and hardware ). One is dead in the shop with no ETA for parts, mine is functional when the wifi doesn't die, and the third works, but only for the primary user because of some quirk with the finger print software has put on a BIOS lock so we need her fingerpring to even start the system.

The power supply is like using a 65W adapter on the MBP, yes it will work, but it runs at a reduced speed and will not charge the battery as fast. The fact that this was an "upgrade" without a warning as to the drawbacks is ludicrous.

The bluetooth travel mouse is nice, but it tends to stutter when there is flash playback or heavy network activity.

If we wanted to talk software that a whole new world of hurt.

As another reminder that specs and price are not everything, the Dell Mini 9 is a solid device that is much faster than I expected and can be decked out for less than $800.

 

[cube]

You have to take into account the build quality and looks though. It's like making a thread comparing Mac's to PC's but only taking into account looks.

Looks is the root cause for many people finding Apple hardware lacking.

 

[TFMTASAD]

The point of this thread is just to show that currently the MBP is one of the cheapest MONTEVINA based laptop. There is very few other computers offering the same kind of technology (montevina, DDR3 ram, graphic chip etc). Obviously PCs are going to widen the gap eventually but right now the MBP is (I never thought I could say such a thing) relatively cheap.

I don't want to compare looks, build quality or OS because just comparing the hardware is enough to see that the MBP is a very good deal.

I managed to find a couple of close match spec wise but most of them used older processors, DDR2 ram and graphic chip.