Why do people wait for a new OS to buy a new system?

[DVNIEL]

I was hoping if someone can shed some light on this topic for me please? I would understand that if the OS was supposed to be released in the next couple of weeks, but we've seeing "waiting for leopard before I buy" for months and months before. Is there any other benefit for waiting? I would think that you can just buy the system and shell out another $129 for the OS. If you're willing to spend $2500 for a laptop or $3000 for a tower, you would think $129 is pocket change.

But please excuse my ignorance, how else do you benefit from waiting?

 

[mantic]

I was hoping if someone can shed some light on this topic for me please? I would understand that if the OS was supposed to be released in the next couple of weeks, but we've seeing "waiting for leopard before I buy" for months and months before. Is there any other benefit for waiting? I would think that you can just buy the system and shell out another $129 for the OS. If you're willing to spend $2500 for a laptop or $3000 for a tower, you would think $129 is pocket change.

But please excuse my ignorance, how else do you benefit from waiting?

The people who really need a computer are going to buy.. The ones who can get by with their current system might as well stick it out and save a little money.

 

[psycoswimmer]

OP: You said this in your post, but it is the shelling out another $129 after you buy. Also, it could be something like the OS is released a week after you buy, and that frustrates people.

 

[igucl]

Yes, and if it were coming out soon, as was previously thought, it would seem like a waste to not wait a little while. Now, with the longer delay, it does look more reasonable to go ahead and buy.

 

[SpaceJello]

I was hoping if someone can shed some light on this topic for me please? I would understand that if the OS was supposed to be released in the next couple of weeks, but we've seeing "waiting for leopard before I buy" for months and months before. Is there any other benefit for waiting? I would think that you can just buy the system and shell out another $129 for the OS. If you're willing to spend $2500 for a laptop or $3000 for a tower, you would think $129 is pocket change.

But please excuse my ignorance, how else do you benefit from waiting?

I think its cause a) you save just enough for a new computer and want to spend as little extra as possible since the OS comes with the computer and b) there are usually accompany hardware upgrades when Apple comes out with a new OS.

 

[Film Divine]

The reason I was waiting is because I have a history with Apple's laptops not being compatible with certain new OS features. For example, my iBook G3 couldn't do the Fast User Switching desktop switch effect with Panther. My iBook G4 couldnt do the ripple effect with Tiger, etc. However, since I'm leaving to study abroad in August, I might as well get a PC laptop with similar features to a Macbook. I can't wait for Apple to correct it's mistakes.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

If you're willing to spend $2500 for a laptop or $3000 for a tower, you would think $129 is pocket change.

Um, no.

To someone who spends $100,000 on a car, $3.00 a gallon gas vs. $2.00 a gallon gas may be pocket change. But I had to consider long and hard before spending $2599 on a laptop last year. If, at purchase time, I had known that Leopard was coming a few months later, I would have waited. $2599 was my budget limit. Not $2728. (Even $2599 was slightly more than I was willing to pay, but I knew I needed more memory.)

That's a 5% increase in cost for an OS upgrade, that if I wait a couple months, I will get for free. And, in all likelihood, if someone now waits until October, they'll get a hardware upgrade in the mean time, too.

Just because something isn't bargain basement cheap, doesn't mean the purchasers are willing to waste money. (Same with my car. I wanted fancy features, but $2000 for an integrated navigation system was ridiculous. Just because I'm willing to spend $30,000 on the car doesn't mean I'm willing to throw away an extra $2000.)

 

[TheAnswer]

It's not the people who need to upgrade, but the people who are thinking about upgrading that wait for the new OS to come out. This happens because people are looking to upgrade sometime soon and think about pushing back until the OS comes out to save a little money to spend on RAM or other features. Waiting also happens with people who are just beginning to look at upgrading their systems and they look as a new OS as one reason to justify the upgrade.

I'm in one of these two camps...but I'm not sure which yet.

 

[savar]

I was hoping if someone can shed some light on this topic for me please? I would understand that if the OS was supposed to be released in the next couple of weeks, but we've seeing "waiting for leopard before I buy" for months and months before. Is there any other benefit for waiting? I would think that you can just buy the system and shell out another $129 for the OS. If you're willing to spend $2500 for a laptop or $3000 for a tower, you would think $129 is pocket change.

But please excuse my ignorance, how else do you benefit from waiting?

If you buy a $1300 macbook (for example) then $130 is another 10% to pay on top of that.

 

[Jookbox]

Yes, and if it were coming out soon, as was previously thought, it would seem like a waste to not wait a little while. Now, with the longer delay, it does look more reasonable to go ahead and buy.

exactly what i just did just ordered my first mac (for home use) an hour ago (macbook pro)