Mac sucks (hardware wise)

[kheller2]

MS makes money from licensing everything.. OS, Office etc.. It, like Apple, would not make enough money by just selling new versions of the OS to users on a store shelf.

For the folks who say Apple would do better by opening up the OS to generic PCs .. I completely disagree:

1) It was tried before in a limited fashion with mac clones and hurt
2) When was the last time you actually went and purchased a copy of a MS os to run on your existing system? Most people don't; they just buy a new box that comes with the OS.
3) You would have nothing but complaints from everyone because their particular device didn't have drivers. (Remember Vista an video card drivers at launch?)

What grey box Mac OS people really are saying is this: "I want to run that OS on my [insert adjective: faster, bigger, cheaper, self built] box. Why do I have to by a [insert negative adjective] Mac to run it?"

Sure, there are some nice, cost effective quad core HP boxes that kick an iMac spec wise. It would be great to run X on it. I'd save money, and get a faster box perhaps. Then again, people seem to miss what a Mac is about.

 

[macenforcer]

Leopard is so much faster and better than 10.4, the software guys are really on their game. But hardware?

- The iMac is full of bugs and has a screen glare problem.
- The tower is well out of date
- The Macbook Pro is the same old tired design
- The viewing angle on the Macbook screen is pathetic

Where has the industrial design gone?

I totally agree. Plus apple charges twice as much for them. Something needs to change.

 

[i make movies]

Apple's quality control has been pish posh for years. Earlier today, I was playing Orgeon Trail on my IIc and it froze when I was crossing the river...and it was only getting about 2 frames a second at best. But the viewing angle was AMAZING!! You can see it from anywhere, blazing with it's 16 colors!


Good grief.

 

[Digital Skunk]

The iMac had it's design peak with the floating-screen model. And the bubble one before was iconic and people still remember it. The most memorable iBook was the plastic rounded ones in 5 colors.

The best you can say about the newer, plainer cases is that they are cheaper to manufacture. Apple took all the fun out of the Mac hardware to keep the price down. As a Mac fan I would rather they hadn't done that.

But I am sure plenty of new Mac fans are glad that they did. If Apple can cut costs and get the price down to the price of any comparable machine then get's a good thing. Apple already has the bad myth about price floating around the web, if they made the MacBooks and iMacs with different colors and charged $200 more for every choice then there'd be more users complaining about price.

I totally agree. Plus apple charges twice as much for them. Something needs to change.

I don't think Apple charges twice as much for any machine in their lineup except for the Mini, which is an abomination, and the MacPro which is far behind the times. Apple has their slight premium, but once you take into account the superior software it's well worth it. And in many cases, PC equivalents cost more.

 

[JAT]

As for the audio, the same thing applies with every machine you'd buy. You want good audio, get 5.1 speakers. If you want perfect audio get a pair of professional studio monitors and a subwoofer. I would never use the stock speakers on any machine PC or MAC for watching movies or playing games, they all suck. You can get a great pair of BOSE speakers for $100 or $150 with the sub and there are even better options out their besides BOSE.

Christ! You were doing so well with this post, then you claim Bose is good. The iMac's speakers are better than Bose, buddy. And Bose makes nothing at that price, although they are worth less.

 

[JAT]

I totally agree. Plus apple charges twice as much for them. Something needs to change.

Twice as much compared to what?

The iMac was unique for ages, so it couldn't even be compared until this year. And the Gateways and Sonys that are mimicking it cost more than it does.

The Mac Pro is a very high end box, AFAIK only Dell (among major PC mfgrs) makes anything similar. And they cost more than the MP.

The laptops are now firmly in the middle of all laptops in price. Dell does cost less for comparable specs, but Sony costs more, sometimes a LOT more.


Do you people actually look anything up before stating "facts"?

 

[xodonniedarko]

I just think they could take over the PC world even faster if they had exiting case designs like they used to.

Don't be so full of ignorance.

We do not want Apple to take over the PC world, because if they did, we'd have all the same problems as the PC world. While Mac OS will always be better than Windows, if Apple over-populated PC, we'd have viruses and crazy things happening, for sure.


We do not want to be over popular.

Exiting cases? The cases aren't exiting anything.
They're staying right where they are.
;]

(...now that I'm done with my short-term mockery...)
I think the new Apple products are all extremely sharp looking, except the new ipod nanos. I don't favor those at ALL.

 

[xodonniedarko]

Twice as much compared to what?

The iMac was unique for ages, so it couldn't even be compared until this year. And the Gateways and Sonys that are mimicking it cost more than it does.

The Mac Pro is a very high end box, AFAIK only Dell (among major PC mfgrs) makes anything similar. And they cost more than the MP.

The laptops are now firmly in the middle of all laptops in price. Dell does cost less for comparable specs, but Sony costs more, sometimes a LOT more.

I think that new Sony computer is ugly.
I mean, have you SEEN it?
The design is awful, they way they have the glass go out PAST the actual computer. It's ridiculous.

 

[JAT]

I think that new Sony computer is ugly.
I mean, have you SEEN it?
The design is awful, they way they have the glass go out PAST the actual computer. It's ridiculous.

Well, I don't think it's quite that bad. I've only seen pics, I think the glass might make a certain statement that wouldn't be horrible. But I certainly ain't in the market for one.

 

[xodonniedarko]

Well, I don't think it's quite that bad. I've only seen pics, I think the glass might make a certain statement that wouldn't be horrible. But I certainly ain't in the market for one.

Other than the ugly exterior, they still run Windows.
:]

 

[JAT]

Exactly. And I assume only offer iLink, not Firewire. And cost more. And have an ugly keyboard.

Although it's better than the Gateway.

 

[atl27426]

Twice as much compared to what?

The iMac was unique for ages, so it couldn't even be compared until this year. And the Gateways and Sonys that are mimicking it cost more than it does.

The Mac Pro is a very high end box, AFAIK only Dell (among major PC mfgrs) makes anything similar. And they cost more than the MP.

The laptops are now firmly in the middle of all laptops in price. Dell does cost less for comparable specs, but Sony costs more, sometimes a LOT more.


Do you people actually look anything up before stating "facts"?

I would agree with most of that, iMac is priced far better than Gateway/Sony AIO with more to offer. I disagree with laptop prices, the 17" macbook pro is way out of line with most others. HP and Dell both specs the same are close to 1000.00 cheaper. I was using the Dell 1720 and HP DV9500t series as examples. I feel the Macbook Pro is better quality but I don't believe 1000.00 worth.

I just checked the websites got 2200.00 for DV9500t HP and 3298.00 Macbook Pro same specs three year warranty. Dell 1720 about the same price difference. Thats alot.

 

[CalBoy]

I would agree with most of that, iMac is priced far better than Gateway/Sony AIO with more to offer. I disagree with laptop prices, the 17" macbook pro is way out of line with most others. HP and Dell both specs the same are close to 1000.00 cheaper. I was using the Dell 1720 and HP DV9500t series as examples. I feel the Macbook Pro is better quality but I don't believe 1000.00 worth.

I just checked the websites got 2200.00 for DV9500t HP and 3298.00 Macbook Pro same specs three year warranty. Dell 1720 about the same price difference. Thats alot.

Yes, but how thick were they and how much did they weigh?

 

[saltyzoo]

Yes, but how thick were they and how much did they weigh?

I like to walk through the laptop section at BestBuy just to laugh my butt off. People actually put those monstrosities on their laps?

 

[Cloudane]

Leopard is so much faster and better than 10.4, the software guys are really on their game. But hardware?

- The iMac is full of bugs and has a screen glare problem.
- The tower is well out of date
- The Macbook Pro is the same old tired design
- The viewing angle on the Macbook screen is pathetic

Where has the industrial design gone?

Don't worry, I'm sure the Macbook Pro will be getting cheap and nasty screens soon to go with the rest of the range (or at least the iPod Touch, later iPhone models, iMac and Macbook)

FWIW I think everything else about them is made of pure win. It's just screens that Apple can't seem to get their heads around at the moment.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Christ! You were doing so well with this post, then you claim Bose is good. The iMac's speakers are better than Bose, buddy. And Bose makes nothing at that price, although they are worth less.

Sorry, I am no audiophile so I can't really tell the difference. I don't think BOSE are that great though -- at least the speakers I have -- and I am sure that I can get better quality out of the Sennheisers I want as my next monitors.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Yes, but how thick were they and how much did they weigh?

Great point! I know for a fact that I could never get a 15" Dell or HP and a bag for it, then move up to a 17" and use the same bag. I had a lot of gear for my current 15" and one of the biggest obstacles getting in the way of me getting a new 17" MBP was the bags. Spending another $100+ on a new bag and one that I may not like wasn't looking good to me.

A friend of mine brought over his 17" MBP and even with the neoprene sleeve everything fit well with room to spare in my bags that were made for 15" PC laptops, every single one of them. So my new 17" MBP coming out in January will fit in my current bags.

 

[Pressure]

So how a product looks has something to do with the hardware inside?

That's just plain stupid...

 

[CalBoy]

I like to walk through the laptop section at BestBuy just to laugh my butt off. People actually put those monstrosities on their laps?

It's hilarious isn't it? The only companies that come close to matching Apple's size and weight constraints are Sony and IBM (Lenovo). Other than that, you're dealing with a brick.

Great point! I know for a fact that I could never get a 15" Dell or HP and a bag for it, then move up to a 17" and use the same bag. I had a lot of gear for my current 15" and one of the biggest obstacles getting in the way of me getting a new 17" MBP was the bags. Spending another $100+ on a new bag and one that I may not like wasn't looking good to me.

A friend of mine brought over his 17" MBP and even with the neoprene sleeve everything fit well with room to spare in my bags that were made for 15" PC laptops, every single one of them. So my new 17" MBP coming out in January will fit in my current bags.

Yet another example of how design is important.

So how a product looks has something to do with the hardware inside?

That's just plain stupid...

It isn't all about looks. Weight and size are very important for notebooks. You can't expect to travel around with a 10lb, 3" thick laptop. On the other hand, a mbp (15") is only an inch thick and weighs a little over 5lbs. Big difference.

 

[Digital Skunk]

It isn't all about looks. Weight and size are very important for notebooks. You can't expect to travel around with a 10lb, 3" thick laptop. On the other hand, a mbp (15") is only an inch thick and weighs a little over 5lbs. Big difference.

Exactly... and the 17" adds about an inch to the diameter and a pound to the weight. It's still the lightest 17" notebook around, and it's made out of aluminum, not plastic. I am still in awe at the newer laptops coming out from Dell and other companies. They have some great designs on their hands, like the Dell M1330, but they don't follow through and carry those designs to their other models. Everything else is just a brick and pretty much an eye sore.