Why does anyone like OWC?

[spyguy10709]

I just don't get it.

They sell the same parts other people do at crazy markups. Their service and shipping isn't that great from the 2 experiences I've had. Their "custom" products are literally the exact same ones (looking at you, data doubler) that you can get on Amazon for 10 bucks.


Someone, convince me why these people are worthy of the godlike status they seem to have in the mac community.

 

[GGJstudios]

Why does anyone like OWC?

I dunno. Maybe because they've been providing quality products to Mac users for over 20 years, they stand behind their products and they do business the right way?

Like millions of others, I've done business with them for many years and I've never been disappointed. They are a trustworthy company. If you don't like their products or their prices, shop elsewhere.

 

[Shrink]

I dunno. Maybe because they've been providing quality products to Mac users for over 20 years, they stand behind their products and they do business the right way?

Like millions of others, I've done business with them for many years and I've never been disappointed. They are a trustworthy company.

Pretty feeble reasoning, if you ask me.

But...some people are so easily satisfied!

 

[GGJstudios]

Pretty feeble reasoning, if you ask me.
But...some people are so easily satisfied!

Yeah, everyone knows I'm a pushover!

 

[Cubytus]

Maybe because they actually test their parts for functionality, unlike many other sellers and even manufacturers?

As an example I never had any of their firewire enclosure fail to restart the disk after prolonged standby, while I get constant issues with the G-Drive unit in regards to standby. Some of their products are worth it (enclosures, RAM), some others, not so much (Data Doubler is one of those rare examples, but also hard drives).

Sure they have a bit of a markup, but they're available for service practically round-the-clock, actually know what they're selling, and if you're kind will do some nice gesture toward customers. I lost a rubber feet on one of my enclosures, they kindly sent a 4-set, free of any charge.

 

[sliceoftoast]

I like em, Never had a problem with any of the items i have purchased.

- Opti bay for the iMac
- Data Doubler for the Mac Mini
- Tool Kits

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Cheap products get you cheap service.

 

[tdiaz]

Good ol' LRO..

What a ball of fun they were in the Apple II era. ;-)

 

[Oudinot]

The products are good, prices are good, shipping is good, warranty is good. What's not to like?

 

[wtzouris]

They are knowledgable. They try hard, and they have unique products that are excellent values. Like their OWC Express USB 3.0 enclosure, it's so light and simple but has a super fast reliable USB 3 chipset. And three colors!
And their OWC Mercury
On-The-Go® Pro
480GB SSD
USB 3.0 & 2.0 Storage Solution for $399 is a great value, just shop around for an SSD with an enclosure and an on/off switch for that price and you see there are great values to be had on that website. The 240 GB model is $219.
There is something to be said about a company that stands behind their products and is willing to talk with you on the phone and spend time helping you figure out what is best for your needs.

 

[ratsg]

I have had the same question for many years.

I will tell you its a love/hate relationship. I have never visited with anyone, either in person or online, that didn't fall into one of those two camps.

I have my own personal opinion I have formed after hearing feedback from others.

And I have archived multiple "slugfests" concerning OWC from the OSXList mailing list. "Slugfest" being defined by me as not flame wars, but very heated discussions.

 

[Cassady]

I just don't get it.



...Their "custom" products are literally the exact same ones (looking at you, data doubler) that you can get on Amazon for 10 bucks....

So an exact replica/clone of the Data Doubler is available on Amazon, for $10?? Care to share that link?

All I've ever seen are a host of generic, plastic/thin as tin-can generics that do offer the same functionality, if you're lucky enough to pick the right one.

The DD is decidedly more expensive. But it is very solidly made. Unlike the generic I bought first, the DD never gave me the impression it needed to be treated with the utmost care, or risk having it bend/warp upon inserting immediately prior to realizing the screw-holes don't align with the non-existent screws that were not sent along with the "packaging".

DD included a set of screws, a toolset of 4 screwdrivers and a plastic-lifter that are all I will ever need for the purposes of upgrading my MBP, together with a comprehensive manual with step by step instructions.

Each to their own - but do I regret buying a cheap generic first? You bet. Do I regret paying a "crazy" price for a quality product that actually did what the generic didn't really want to? Uhm... nope.

 

[thats all folks]

The OP may be over-simplifying the situation but he is not wrong. Their prices are somewhat to dramatically higher on things that are not merely similar, but exactly what others are selling. Things like bare hard drives and graphics cards for example.

Their RAM, probably the reason most of us found them in the first place, I'm done with it. The idea is a great one, RAM specially selected and tested to work with Apple products. The reality, for me I realize, regular troubles out of the box. At some point, no matter how good the service and return policy is, paying extra for RAM that doesn't work, gets old fast. Switched RAM vendors less than two years ago, many thousands of dollars of purchases later, not a single bad stick. And for less than OWC charges.

They do some interesting and even nice custom pieces and they do some mediocre or unimpressive pieces as well. I'll continue to be glad they exist as an option but I'll never go back to them being a primary vendor on anything.

 

[321estrellas]

I shopped there for their excellent external hard drive enclosures. Yes, I can buy an enclosure for much less at Amazon, Newegg, NCIX, or other computer stores, but owning a few from OWC has gained my trust. I've had a few that were crap and failed on me (Vantec I think was one of the brands). I've gotten RAM there too for my 2008 Mac Pro (because it was one of the very few places that sold those RAM).

It's like why people go to G-Tech for hard drives. Their prices are through the roof, but people are willing to pay more or a brand and product they trust.

...kinda like people buying Macs over PC's Okay not really, but OS aside, get a cheaper laptop with similar specs and you will miss the quality you had with a Macbook.

 

[wtzouris]

What RAM vendor did you switch to? I'm upgrading a 2010 MacBook Pro.

 

[thats all folks]

It's like why people go to G-Tech for hard drives. Their prices are through the roof, but people are willing to pay more or a brand and product they trust.

People go with G-Tech because they've been led to think that it is a good drive. And they do give the appearance of that. It may be better than some but it is no where near what it's price would suggest. Mostly what they are selling is commodity parts wrapped in a whole lot of metal.

The best portable and desktop drives by a long shot, Glyph Technologies.
glyphtech.com
Internal power supplies on the desktop models. Everything else is just swimming in the kiddie pool.

 

[MrX8503]

You can get authentic lightning cables from OWC for $10-$12 a piece.

 

[HereBeMonsters]

The SSD I bought from them is BLUE.

Bright BLUE, I tell you!

 

[Silencio]

I'm still a big fan of OWC, but I have had to switch to other vendors for a few things:

1. I've had poor experiences with their portable Firewire hard drives. They've been good about replacing them under warranty, but I have had to switch to other brands that have proven more reliable in the long run.

2. SSDs. I still like their lineup, but I've found the Sandforce controllers are slower when used with FileVault 2 encryption. I've been getting more bang for the buck with Samsung 840 Pros for workstations and Intel SSDs for servers.

3. RAM. Generally still good, but I've had a few more reliability problems than I'd like to see — and we do buy a lot of RAM here. I feel like we've been getting a better quality product from TransIntl lately.

 

[kaltsasa]

I dunno. Maybe because they've been providing quality products to Mac users for over 20 years, they stand behind their products and they do business the right way?

Like millions of others, I've done business with them for many years and I've never been disappointed. They are a trustworthy company. If you don't like their products or their prices, shop elsewhere.

This, from Drives to RAM to Keyboards to Media its always good products at reasonable enough prices. From people who are knowledgeable about what they sell and have always quickly answered any questions I have. In the couple rare cases I needed support it was quick and painless as well.

That said, the SSDs need an update. I've got a couple OWC SSDs at home and a few at work and they were good, and reasonably priced for the time the new Crucial M series drives seem to knock it out of the park. It's not that the OWC ones are bad, and for several years were the best on the market, it's just that the next generation of SSDs are here and hopefully the Mercury line sees an update.

 

[MattG]

I won't buy from them again after two bad experiences, which I won't get into right now (got lambasted on these forums last time I did).

 

[n8mac]

I have been going to OWC for RAM for a few years now after I was tired of paying the Crucial premiums. No problems so far however some ppls comments are worrying me. Anyone have a ram vendor that is cheaper than Crucial but have quality ram with good Mac support?

 

[alphaod]

They have easy to deal with support. That's really what matters to me.

Try dealing with Amazon or NewEgg when your SSD or RAM dies in 6 months down the line. They'll tell you to talk to the manufacturer. Then you send stuff in, wait a week for them to process it, then like another two weeks to get the replacement back. Yes I saved money, but I sure didn't enjoy waiting for the replacement!

I had an SSD I bought from OWC fail. I call them and within a week I had a replacement in hands ready to go. Same with some other stuff.

 

[HereBeMonsters]

I have been going to OWC for RAM for a few years now after I was tired of paying the Crucial premiums. No problems so far however some ppls comments are worrying me. Anyone have a ram vendor that is cheaper than Crucial but have quality ram with good Mac support?

I've always found Crucial to be very competitively priced, at least when buying "current" types of memory, at least in the UK.

They compare favourably to all the decent online stores I know of - eBuyer, Dabs, Aria, Misco...

 

[driveparty]

Not quite right, IMO

I just don't get it.
Their "custom" products are literally the exact same ones (looking at you, data doubler) that you can get on Amazon for 10 bucks.

I've bought their Mac mini data doubler kit a year ago, haven't found any cheaper alternatives. There were only iFixit kit for some $20 more.
The same is true for their SSD drives for MBA / rMBP: no one offers such a products so far.
However, regarding generally available hardware, i haven't ever chosen either OWC memory modules, or SSD (2.5") drives because there always were something better on the market for comparable, or even fewer money (Corsair memory modules, Samsung / Plextor / OCZ / Intel SSDs and etc.)