Why can't I justify buying a Mac?

[takeshi74]

Why can't I justify buying a Mac?

If you don't know then how would we know? "Justify" is always highly subjective and I had no problems justifying my purchase. Obviously, other Mac users were able to as well.

The only thing stopping me from buying one is that it isn't Windows.

It can be though. I agree with the common sentiment that "my MBP is the best Windows laptop I've owned". That said, I prefer running OS X.

If I bought a Mac to put Windows on it, I'd feel like I've defeated the purpose of buying a Mac.

The purpose of a Mac is to only run OS X despite Boot Camp?

Using an operating system within an operating system or dual booting isn't practical for me. It's kind of an all or nothing deal.

No wonder you're confused. You've painted yourself into a corner. The big con with a Macbook is that "it isn't Windows" though it can run Windows but that's a con as well?

If you don't see the point in running Windows on a Mac then don't. Either you need Boot Camp or a virtual solution and you use it or you don't. It really sounds like you just need to get your own priorities straight first.

Do people that use Macs feel confined in any way?

Subjective but I'd say no.

Sounds like you just need to buy one, try it out and decide if you want to keep it before you return window closes. You can't beat first hand experience for assessing such things. It also sounds like you're relying on stereotypes of the 2 OS's to form your opinion.

Best of both worlds. Apple has strength in mobile computing. Windows has strength in laptop computing. At least that's what I like about both companies.

False dichotomy. Apple certainly has strength in laptop computing. I'm not sure how you can make such a ruling on Macbooks having never really used them. Both platforms have pros and cons. It's really just a matter of what set of pros and cons you're happier with. In the end, they're all just tools.

Again, whether one suits you or not is a matter for you to determine based on first hand experience. It's always difficult to justify that with which you have no experience.

 

[Benbikeman]

Lion is a disaster. Do not get a Mac with Lion if you are going to attempt to do serious work other than word processing. The Lion workflow is designed for people who use an iPad, not professionals, or even students

What utter tosh. My Mac is used for photo-editing, proposals, costings, web development, presentations, book-keeping, etc, etc, etc. It runs Lion. It does everything needed of it for a business, and does it well.

 

[dmccloud]

If I bought a Mac to put Windows on it, I'd feel like I've defeated the purpose of buying a Mac.

I want to enjoy Mac's OS for what it is, polished and sophisticated, there's lots of media design type applications.

Do people that use Macs feel confined in any way?

As others have stated, sometimes you will run Windows on a Mac (either via Boot Camp or an app like Parallels) for specific software. In my case, I basically have Windows installed on my Mac for two programs. If I'm not currently using them, I'm in OS X all the time. Why would Mac users feel confined? If anything, I'd say that using a Mac frees me up to focus more on productivity and actual output, rather than splitting time between getting work done and installing updates/cleaning my browser/system cache/defragging the drive/updating AV software/cleaning the registry/etc.

 

[bill-p]

Using an operating system within an operating system or dual booting isn't practical for me. It's kind of an all or nothing deal.

As I see more and more people using Macs, I can't help but ask myself if I bought a MacBook Pro, it would be strictly for the coolness factor, and not usability.

Best of both worlds. Apple has strength in mobile computing. Windows has strength in laptop computing. At least that's what I like about both companies.

Why put all your eggs in one basket?

There are many more advantages to owning a Mac over a Windows computer. It's not just a compromise that people choose because they think it's cool. Not everyone is a wannabe hipster trying to earn creds with their peers. Some people actually do their works on these computers. To people who need a computer to work on, not having to worry about viruses, defragmentations, drivers, battery life issues, heat, etc... is something you simply can't buy with a Windows laptop no matter how much money you pay.

So why put all of my eggs in one basket? Because I don't want to go look for certain eggs in another basket. If I know where all of my eggs are, I can put that matter aside and concentrate more on my family, my friends, my coworkers, my job, my projects, and other real values. I don't want to have to look after my computer like it's my baby... After all, no matter how you spin it, a computer is merely a tool.

 

[trlyka]

As much as I like Apple, I've never been able to commit. Going all the way and becoming all-Apple.

I like diversity in my technology but I do need a new laptop- and the MacBook Pro appears to be the cutting edge.

From its design to its software, it's all around perfectly manicured. The only thing stopping me from buying one is that it isn't Windows.

I feel like I would be losing a lot and setting myself back if I get a Mac.

They aren't all that different.

I sat and suffered with my old Dell. I kept putting ban aids on it hoping it would some how get better with age

Now mind you it was about 8 years old and it showed. Both my husband and I have iPhones and iPads and love them. We always had Windows based computers, and will probably have them for years to come. My Dell finally crashed for the 3rd time in late 2011 and Santa bought me my Macbook Pro

YES-I am still learning, and liking. My husbands Dell laptop is a year old, weighs a ton and probably has the most annoying Windows version (IMO) to date. To actually have it on my lap with it's extended battery (with a bulge on the bottom) is semi painful. When he tools around on my Mac, I do believe I see a spark of envy in his eyes It happened when I first got the iPhone and he soon wanted one too. Same with the iPad. I can't believe how much power is in this light & good looking machine.

As soon as we get around to it, we will resuscitate my Dell and I will leave it in the office to use when I need a Windows program or IE.

Just a few simple things.....Macs aren't prone to viruses.... I love looking at and editing photos which Mac does really well,....I didn't even know this, but I love it. Safari let's me now I am trying to close a window I just typed my reply in without submitting. Nothing worse then investing time in a reply and accidentally closing the window. Windows doesn't do that

Mac is different, yes, but a better different. It's a learning curve, but if I can do it...... Don't be intimidated. Embrace the change and you'll be ok. You don't have to install Windows on your Mac. Keep your Windows machine as a backup should you need something from it. You likely will (not too often though) until more sites and programs become more Mac friendly.

Do you have an iPhone or iPad?

~Good luck

 

[floobie]

If I bought a Mac to put Windows on it, I'd feel like I've defeated the purpose of buying a Mac.

I want to enjoy Mac's OS for what it is, polished and sophisticated, there's lots of media design type applications.

Do people that use Macs feel confined in any way?

Can't say I do.

I used to have a bootcamp partition, but I ended up barely needing it, so I got rid of it entirely. I used to build my own desktops, but I've found that it just isn't worth the effort for me anymore. It doesn't gain me anything I care about. My Macbook has still been the most reliable, stable, and trouble free computer I've ever owned.

I use my Macbook at home and at work. There's exactly one Windows only application I need at work, but I do have a work computer for that. For everything else, I use OS X, because I do actually work faster with it than with Windows 7.

Whether or not OS X is right for you is something only you can decide. Save for "hardcore" PC gaming, I've never encountered anything my Macbook couldn't do that my old Windows machines could. But, that's just my experience.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

There are many more advantages to owning a Mac over a Windows computer. It's not just a compromise that people choose because they think it's cool. Not everyone is a wannabe hipster trying to earn creds with their peers. Some people actually do their works on these computers. To people who need a computer to work on, not having to worry about viruses, defragmentations, drivers, battery life issues, heat, etc... is something you simply can't buy with a Windows laptop no matter how much money you pay.

So why put all of my eggs in one basket? Because I don't want to go look for certain eggs in another basket. If I know where all of my eggs are, I can put that matter aside and concentrate more on my family, my friends, my coworkers, my job, my projects, and other real values. I don't want to have to look after my computer like it's my baby... After all, no matter how you spin it, a computer is merely a tool.

Well that's a personal opinion if I ever heard one, and certainly not a valid statement of fact.

 

[bill-p]

Well that's a personal opinion if I ever heard one, and certainly not a valid statement of fact.

It is indeed not fact, but if you have something that can shed more light on its validity, I would love to know.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

It is indeed not fact, but if you have something that can shed more light on its validity, I would love to know.

well, first of all. don't use an 8 year old PC and try comparing it to a new MBP, as someone else did. At the very least, compare it to the equivalent 8 year old MBP, which is a G4 1.33ghz PowerBook, running 10.3. It's ancient and doesn't even support the iPhone 4s. It's heavy, slow, can't play youTube or hulu, easily dented, and the screen is horrible by modern standards.

Then, get a PC that you like. If you don't want the battery bulge, get one that's flat. My vostro has a perfectly flat bottom, much like a MBP. Also, make sure you compare it to a similarly spec'd PC. That $250 HP you got on discount on Black Friday isn't going to hold a candle next to a $2000 MBP.

Once you've invested in a good laptop, compare that to a macbook pro. You'll notice they both have roughly the same battery life (or at minimum, upwards of 4 hours). They'll both feel about the same.


I have a vostro 3450. I don't defrag my computer (Windows does it for me, automatically, without prompting me). Likewise, I don't know when the last time I got a virus was. Microsoft Security Essentials does the job, and it does the job well. My laptop doesn't get hot unless I'm playing a video game on it, which I think is reasonable. Actually, that's one better than a MBP, as the similarly sized MBP doesn't have a dedicated graphics card. It came set up, and never gave me a driver problem yet.

I'm aware that this may not be the norm for people, but it is the norm for people who deal with $1000 PC laptops, as opposed to $300 laptops.

Likewise, a mac can be crapped up with so many startup programs and the hard drive can get fragmented enough, that the genius at the apple store will tell you that your hard drive is dying and you need it replaced (it happened. 3 years ago, and I'm still waiting for it to die).

Anyway, I spent $1000 on my laptop, it works the same as my MBP, it's about $1000 less, and it has a 2 year on-site warranty. That means no more trips to the Apple store if something breaks.

Just keep in mind that comparing a new $2000 mac to a 5 year old, $500 PC, isn't a fair comparison. Compare the $2000 mac to a new $1000 PC, and suddenly the mac becomes rather hard to justify.

 

[D.T.]

Using an operating system within an operating system or dual booting isn't practical for me. It's kind of an all or nothing deal.

I guess my question, from your original post, is what are you "losing a lot and setting myself back"?

Are you talking about in terms of have to re-purchase software? Familiarity with the machine and OS?

FWIW, I totally follow you on the idea of not dealing with a VM (I do for some development), but for my other computing chores, I find OSX does everything I need, personally and professionally. Some of the freebies like iMovie are outstanding, the integration with iOS devices (from Airplay to iTunes) is excellent (superior to the Windows experience in my experience). Mail? Calendar? Music? Development? Web? Remote access? All present and very capable in OSX.

I'm also using native Office '11, which I find plenty capable for me (technical documentation, mild worksheet use, some presentation creation).

 

[bill-p]

well, first of all. don't use an 8 year old PC and try comparing it to a new MBP, as someone else did. At the very least, compare it to the equivalent 8 year old MBP, which is a G4 1.33ghz PowerBook, running 10.3. It's ancient and doesn't even support the iPhone 4s. It's heavy, slow, can't play youTube or hulu, easily dented, and the screen is horrible by modern standards.

Then, get a PC that you like. If you don't want the battery bulge, get one that's flat. My vostro has a perfectly flat bottom, much like a MBP. Also, make sure you compare it to a similarly spec'd PC. That $250 HP you got on discount on Black Friday isn't going to hold a candle next to a $2000 MBP.

Once you've invested in a good laptop, compare that to a macbook pro. You'll notice they both have roughly the same battery life (or at minimum, upwards of 4 hours). They'll both feel about the same.


I have a vostro 3450. I don't defrag my computer (Windows does it for me, automatically, without prompting me). Likewise, I don't know when the last time I got a virus was. Microsoft Security Essentials does the job, and it does the job well. My laptop doesn't get hot unless I'm playing a video game on it, which I think is reasonable. Actually, that's one better than a MBP, as the similarly sized MBP doesn't have a dedicated graphics card. It came set up, and never gave me a driver problem yet.

I'm aware that this may not be the norm for people, but it is the norm for people who deal with $1000 PC laptops, as opposed to $300 laptops.

Likewise, a mac can be crapped up with so many startup programs and the hard drive can get fragmented enough, that the genius at the apple store will tell you that your hard drive is dying and you need it replaced (it happened. 3 years ago, and I'm still waiting for it to die).

Anyway, I spent $1000 on my laptop, it works the same as my MBP, it's about $1000 less, and it has a 2 year on-site warranty. That means no more trips to the Apple store if something breaks.

Just keep in mind that comparing a new $2000 mac to a 5 year old, $500 PC, isn't a fair comparison. Compare the $2000 mac to a new $1000 PC, and suddenly the mac becomes rather hard to justify.

I'm not sure your Dell Vostro 3450 should be compared to a $2000 MBP. As far as I can tell, it's more comparable to the 13" MBP, which more or less has its own advantages, and can last up to 8 or 10 hours on battery under OSX depending on what you do with it. I know my 13" MBP from 2010 can last a good 11 hours if I'm just reading a document. If I take my time scour around the web, I can find 13" MBP selling refurbished at less than $1000. If we want to go into the value discussion. Also at $1000+ value for a comparable Windows laptop, I might well just get another MBP 15", even at a $500 premium over the Windows laptop because I can dual-boot both Mac and Windows.

And not to turn this into a Windows vs OSX argument, but sincerely, I have had to defragment the Windows partition on my MBP many times, but I haven't needed to do any maintenance to the OSX partition.

And please don't get me wrong. I have nothing against Windows personally. I prefer Windows to OSX for a lot of things. Just like I prefer OSX to Windows for a lot of things. I simply disagree with the sentiment that OSX is less value compared to Windows.

 

[motoleo]

It's always been this.

But the truth is, I'm in between the two. I'm not completely casual or completely business.

I guess my question, from your original post, is what are you "losing a lot and setting myself back"?

Are you talking about in terms of have to re-purchase software? Familiarity with the machine and OS?

FWIW, I totally follow you on the idea of not dealing with a VM (I do for some development), but for my other computing chores, I find OSX does everything I need, personally and professionally. Some of the freebies like iMovie are outstanding, the integration with iOS devices (from Airplay to iTunes) is excellent (superior to the Windows experience in my experience). Mail? Calendar? Music? Development? Web? Remote access? All present and very capable in OSX.

I'm also using native Office '11, which I find plenty capable for me (technical documentation, mild worksheet use, some presentation creation).

It almost seems like there's there's many things, "unlike Windows" instead of "better than Windows".

Do people that make the switch over to the Mac- are they looking for something different? Do they "secede" from Windows?

One reason I don't want to go all Apple, is you miss out on half... I wouldn't want to be all Windows, but I wouldn't want to be all Mac either.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I'm not sure your Dell Vostro 3450 should be compared to a $2000 MBP. As far as I can tell, it's more comparable to the 13" MBP, which more or less has its own advantages, and can last up to 8 or 10 hours on battery under OSX depending on what you do with it. I know my 13" MBP from 2010 can last a good 11 hours if I'm just reading a document. If I take my time scour around the web, I can find 13" MBP selling refurbished at less than $1000. If we want to go into the value discussion. Also at $1000+ value for a comparable Windows laptop, I might well just get another MBP 15", even at a $500 premium over the Windows laptop because I can dual-boot both Mac and Windows.

And not to turn this into a Windows vs OSX argument, but sincerely, I have had to defragment the Windows partition on my MBP many times, but I haven't needed to do any maintenance to the OSX partition.

And please don't get me wrong. I have nothing against Windows personally. I prefer Windows to OSX for a lot of things. Just like I prefer OSX to Windows for a lot of things. I simply disagree with the sentiment that OSX is less value compared to Windows.

I'm not sure why you wouldn't compare it with a 15" MBP. The 13" MBP doesn't have a dedicated graphics card, and it's missing about a billion ports that the Dell has, including HDMI, USB 3.0, eSata, mic input, vga output, and an expresscard slot.

As a main OS, Windows works for me. And it works quite well. And since I'm specifically talking about justification for buying a mac, I can't find a single reason. My PC works great, and it's $1000 cheaper. There's nothing that a mac can do that a PC can't, and I just don't see the "lickability" of Aqua UI being worth $1000.

 

[trlyka]

well, first of all. don't use an 8 year old PC and try comparing it to a new MBP, as someone else did. At the very least, compare it to the equivalent 8 year old MBP, which is a G4 1.33ghz PowerBook, running 10.3. It's ancient and doesn't even support the iPhone 4s. It's heavy, slow, can't play youTube or hulu, easily dented, and the screen is horrible by modern standards.

Then, get a PC that you like. If you don't want the battery bulge, get one that's flat. My vostro has a perfectly flat bottom, much like a MBP. Also, make sure you compare it to a similarly spec'd PC. That $250 HP you got on discount on Black Friday isn't going to hold a candle next to a $2000 MBP.

Once you've invested in a good laptop, compare that to a macbook pro. You'll notice they both have roughly the same battery life (or at minimum, upwards of 4 hours). They'll both feel about the same.


I have a vostro 3450. I don't defrag my computer (Windows does it for me, automatically, without prompting me). Likewise, I don't know when the last time I got a virus was. Microsoft Security Essentials does the job, and it does the job well. My laptop doesn't get hot unless I'm playing a video game on it, which I think is reasonable. Actually, that's one better than a MBP, as the similarly sized MBP doesn't have a dedicated graphics card. It came set up, and never gave me a driver problem yet.

I'm aware that this may not be the norm for people, but it is the norm for people who deal with $1000 PC laptops, as opposed to $300 laptops.

Likewise, a mac can be crapped up with so many startup programs and the hard drive can get fragmented enough, that the genius at the apple store will tell you that your hard drive is dying and you need it replaced (it happened. 3 years ago, and I'm still waiting for it to die).

Anyway, I spent $1000 on my laptop, it works the same as my MBP, it's about $1000 less, and it has a 2 year on-site warranty. That means no more trips to the Apple store if something breaks.

Just keep in mind that comparing a new $2000 mac to a 5 year old, $500 PC, isn't a fair comparison. Compare the $2000 mac to a new $1000 PC, and suddenly the mac becomes rather hard to justify.

I wasn't comparing. I was just pointing out that my laptop was old and I was happy to get the Macbook to replace it. And I was refering to the other Dell with the bigger battery because the Macbook is so much nicer on my lap....Sheesh

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I wasn't comparing. I was just pointing out that my laptop was old and I was happy to get the Macbook to replace it. And I was refering to the other Dell with the bigger battery because the Macbook is so much nicer on my lap....Sheesh

Apologies, I skimmed the thread, and just popped in to say that bill-p's statement should not be taken as fact, and it somehow turned into... this

I meant no offense, the current line of MacBook's is good, just not my cup of tea, and not justifiable compared to other computers, IMO.

 

[Mojo1]

One reason I don't want to go all Apple, is you miss out on half... I wouldn't want to be all Windows, but I wouldn't want to be all Mac either.

I think that you are making it more difficult than it has to be...

If there are aspects of the Mac experience that you want to see for yourself and yet there are things about Windows that you also want, then get a Mac and use both operating systems.

In the process you will either "get" what the whole Apple experience is about... or you won't. Then you can simply run Windows on the Mac or sell it and stick with a PC.

All the opinions in this thread are not going to be able to answer your question nor offer you the first-hand experience that is necessary for you to see for yourself why we choose Macs over PCs.

 

[trlyka]

Apologies, I skimmed the thread, and just popped in to say that bill-p's statement should not be taken as fact, and it somehow turned into... this

I meant no offense, the current line of MacBook's is good, just not my cup of tea, and not justifiable compared to other computers, IMO.

No harm. I like telling people about my Mac. I'm proud to have it

 

[motoleo]

I would love to just hop out of my seat, run down to the Best Buy and purchase a MacBook Pro flat out.

But its just something- like a sixth sense that just says, "Uh uh! Hold on there cowboy!"

You know, I just don't think that Mac meets my needs at this point in time.

It make take a while, but I suppose I'll eventually make the move to Mac. I'm going to try Windows 8 before I do it though.

 

[calderone]

I would love to just hop out of my seat, run down to the Best Buy and purchase a MacBook Pro flat out.

But its just something- like a sixth sense that just says, "Uh uh! Hold on there cowboy!"

You know, I just don't think that Mac meets my needs at this point in time.

It make take a while, but I suppose I'll eventually make the move to Mac. I'm going to try Windows 8 before I do it though.

Maybe I missed it, but what exactly are you needs? You speak about being limited, but in what potential ways?

 

[trlyka]

I would love to just hop out of my seat, run down to the Best Buy and purchase a MacBook Pro flat out.

But its just something- like a sixth sense that just says, "Uh uh! Hold on there cowboy!"

You know, I just don't think that Mac meets my needs at this point in time.

It make take a while, but I suppose I'll eventually make the move to Mac. I'm going to try Windows 8 before I do it though.

Have you gone to an Apple store to try one out? Or know a friend who has one that you can check out?

Like others have said, you can have the best of both worlds by simply installing Windows on your Mac.

 

[bill-p]

I'm not sure why you wouldn't compare it with a 15" MBP. The 13" MBP doesn't have a dedicated graphics card, and it's missing about a billion ports that the Dell has, including HDMI, USB 3.0, eSata, mic input, vga output, and an expresscard slot.

I'm not sure what your point is... Dell doesn't have a Thunderbolt port, it doesn't have the same Thunderbolt port doubling as a Mini DisplayPort, and the headphone output port on the Dell can't take a pair of headphones that include remote and mic as well.

Also the headphone output port on the 13" MBP doubles as a mic input and also can be used as an optical out. I don't think there is an optical out on the Dell.

In the case of Thunderbolt, it can be used to connect to external workstation solutions that allow high-definition movie decode and encode in real time at up to 4K resolution, or it can be used for an external graphics card when the solution comes. Considering that, the 13" MBP still has its own advantages.

If you want to compare that Dell Vostro to a 15" MBP, please know that you are giving up the glass screen, the unibody construct, a larger trackpad that supports multitouch gestures, Bluetooth 3.0, Thunderbolt, Firewire, optical audio built-in, an HD webcam, a quad-core CPU, and a much faster GPU.

As a main OS, Windows works for me. And it works quite well. And since I'm specifically talking about justification for buying a mac, I can't find a single reason. My PC works great, and it's $1000 cheaper. There's nothing that a mac can do that a PC can't, and I just don't see the "lickability" of Aqua UI being worth $1000.

There are actually a lot of things a Mac can do that a PC can't. Take iOS programming for one thing. You can't do iOS programming on a PC due to many of the authorization steps involving integral parts of OSX.

There are also the global multitouch gestures in Mac that aren't supported in Windows.

While I agree that if you were to compare 2008 MacBooks and prior, they are not really that different from Windows laptops, I don't think you can quite say the same about unibody MacBooks. A lot of things have changed after the redesign.

If you don't find the new MacBooks worth $1000+, then good for you. I can state as a fact that many more people find MacBooks worth the $1000+ Apple is asking for them.

 

[riveting]

I never had a Mac for myself because everytime I could not justify the cost. But my wife is on their second MBA. I don't have problem with windows slow down, virus or needing any maintainence, windows 7 has been working great for me.

However, there is one thing I really like MaC OS, it is so much easier to back up and restore using time machine. It is just a pain for windows whenever I upgrade my old laptop to a new one, I had to reinstall every software, back up outlook, emails, my bookmarks etc. On Mac OSX, I can easily copy an application to a new Mac, while on windows you have to reinstall if you change your computer, reinstall OS, or even change HD to a SSD.

 

[Maven1975]

Heres something else to consider..

That premium you pay also gives you premium tech service.

If have a local Apple store and had issues with your Mac, you ususlly get your laptop back within 72 hours.

Good luck getting that type of service from PC manufacturer.

 

[pizzafootbal]

There are several ways to run Windows on a Mac. I switched, and have NEVER needed Windows.

 

[Mojo1]

It make take a while, but I suppose I'll eventually make the move to Mac. I'm going to try Windows 8 before I do it though.

Well, this thread has my nomination for being the biggest waste of time to date on the Macrumors forums.