Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Windows Team Blog: 'Avoid the Apple Tax – Cash in on the value of Windows'

clevin

clevin

macrumors G3
Aug 6, 2006
9,095
1
Eidorian said:
My big problem is that within Vista itself you'll have applications with wildly differing layouts and button schemes. I had a picture at one point that pointed out all the different schemes with the bundled applications alone. It seemed like they didn't even try to stick with one predefined usability outline.

Menus or nonexistent menus. Help buttons or accessing help from the menu.
Click to expand...
aha, i recall such a thread when vista was out, a bunch of screenshots made by somebody, posted here at MR.

To be honest, I dont believe that was fair nor was that a big deal, I used many vista machines, so do the friends around me, nobody complain that much about those.

The fundamental question is if that really slow down and/or causes problems for end users, I dont think I saw any such report saying users are unhappy with it. Microsoft conducts user experience research, not like they do things for no reasons.
 
Eidorian

Eidorian

macrumors Penryn
Mar 23, 2005
29,190
386
Indianapolis
clevin said:
aha, i recall such a thread when vista was out, a bunch of screenshots made by somebody, posted here at MR.

To be honest, I dont believe that was fair nor was that a big deal, I used many vista machines, so do the friends around me, nobody complain that much about those.

The fundamental question is if that really slow down and/or causes problems for end users, I dont think I saw any such report saying users are unhappy with it. Microsoft conducts user experience research, not like they do things for no reasons.
Click to expand...
Quite true. Too many users believe that Vista still lacks the polish that it did in the Beta days and pre-SP1. It isn't 2006 anymore.

I need to work on improving my own workflow because I'm still stuck in the XP mindset and I'm repeating certain tasks far too often when I could streamline it.
 
J

Jpoon

macrumors 6502a
Feb 26, 2008
553
38
NT1440 said:
I really doubt a Windows team wants to assert that Windows users pirate more than any other people.
Click to expand...

That goes without saying.

The market majority uses Windows to do everything for their personal computing needs. So naturally, Windows users would hold 1st place for any feat in the personal computing area that decides standing by sheer numbers.
 
NT1440

NT1440

macrumors Pentium
May 18, 2008
15,093
22,159
Jpoon said:
That goes without saying.

The market majority uses Windows to do everything for their personal computing needs. So naturally, Windows users would hold 1st place for any feat in the personal computing area that decides standing by sheer numbers.
Click to expand...
Thats not really a fair statement to make though.
 
costabunny

costabunny

macrumors 68020
May 15, 2008
2,466
71
Weymouth, UK
wow. I am disappointed the writer could not make a fair comparison (like for like H/W and the costs for S/W and support (I note in particular the cost of 5yrs mobile.me, but not equivalent for the PC (as there isn't one)).

such a shame. I am almost tempted to do over his findings....

same old sad, petty pokes from windows @ macs (and likewise Ive seen blogs that poke macs @ windows so we are not squeaky clean)

I think with a fair set of figures it may have made for an interesting read.
 

Attachments

  • screencap.jpg
    screencap.jpg
    173.4 KB · Views: 88
gnasher729

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,566
dvdhsu said:
I've decided.
Is there anybody who can get me a text version of this?
I'm going to go through it, and then write a paper arguing against it.
A five page report!
Click to expand...

It's worth a frontpage headline "Microsoft conjures imaginary Apple tax" to the Register. Here's the article:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/11/microsoft_flames_macs/

chaos86 said:
The only apple tax is on the hardware.
Click to expand...

I hope you realize that the term "Apple Tax" is an invention and production of Microsoft. Nobody used this term until Microsoft started it. So by repeating this term, you just demonstrate that you have fallen for the Microsoft propaganda machine.

A "tax" on a product would be something that you have to pay on top of the normal price without getting anything for it. For example, if you buy a PC with Linux installed, and the manufacturer has to pay money to Microsoft for a Windows license whether a computer ships with it or not, that can be called a tax. If you buy more for a product because it is better designed, better made, or just better marketed, that is not a tax. You pay for what you get. Sure, you can call the more expensive product "more expensive", and then you can check whether it's worth paying the higher price or not, but calling it a "tax" is pure propaganda.

Now calling Microsoft a "convicted monopolist" wouldn't be propaganda, that would be just the truth. For example, Microsoft has just recently been convicted to pay 7 million Euros in Germany for price fixing on educational prices.
 
instaxgirl

instaxgirl

macrumors 65816
Mar 11, 2009
1,438
1
Edinburgh, UK
I skimmed the "Apple Tax" paper. The software iLife/Office etc bit was just misleading but I had to roll my eyes at the Apple Airport Extreme base station costs more than this other router. No one is stopping you from buying the cheaper option . . .
 
NT1440

NT1440

macrumors Pentium
May 18, 2008
15,093
22,159
aaquib said:
It was meant to show a switchers perspective, in which case, if they already had all the software on Windows, they'd have to rebuy the OS X versions.
Click to expand...

It was my understanding that this was supposed to be an honest comparison (a complete joke) of ownership of a Mac vs PC without preconditions, I dont know where you got the idea its supposed to be from a switchers perspective?
 
r.j.s

r.j.s

Moderator emeritus
Mar 7, 2007
15,026
52
Texas
NT1440 said:
It was my understanding that this was supposed to be an honest comparison (a complete joke) of ownership of a Mac vs PC without preconditions, I dont know where you got the idea its supposed to be from a switchers perspective?
Click to expand...

It's in the PDF ...

One cost that people switching from Windows to Mac often forget is the tab for
reacquisition of software. Many of the programs that Windows users either already own or enjoy as
part of the Windows environment cost extra in the Apple world, on occasion a lot extra.
Click to expand...
 
Eraserhead

Eraserhead

macrumors G4
Nov 3, 2005
10,434
12,250
UK
Eidorian said:
My big problem is that within Vista itself you'll have applications with wildly differing layouts and button schemes. I had a picture at one point that pointed out all the different schemes with the bundled applications alone. It seemed like they didn't even try to stick with one predefined usability outline.

Menus or nonexistent menus. Help buttons or accessing help from the menu.
Click to expand...

clevin said:
aha, i recall such a thread when vista was out, a bunch of screenshots made by somebody, posted here at MR.

To be honest, I dont believe that was fair nor was that a big deal, I used many vista machines, so do the friends around me, nobody complain that much about those.

The fundamental question is if that really slow down and/or causes problems for end users, I dont think I saw any such report saying users are unhappy with it. Microsoft conducts user experience research, not like they do things for no reasons.
Click to expand...

I think you're talking about: http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2008/06/microsoft-learn-from-apple-III.ars
 
C

coupdetat

macrumors 6502
Jul 11, 2008
451
0
Meh, Mac users just close their ears and whine whenever something like this comes out. As a longtime Mac user, I can definitely understand that some OSX software is much better than Windows counterparts (Adium, Grapher, Papers, OmniOutliner, and a few others come to mind). However, there are also some GREAT programs on Windows that are unavailable or noticeably inferior on Macs--for example, Office, Winamp, Foobar, and Matlab.

Switching from one OS to another takes some adjustment. There will be some programs that one would find better and some worse, regardless of the direction of the move. After 6 years on Macs, I became very acclimated to OSX. However, I came across this deal a couple months ago:

Vaio TZ
2.8lbs
8hr battery (real world! I'm using it right now)
1.33ghz ULV processor
64gb SSD
250gb HDD
Carbon fiber casing

$1000 shipped, refurbed direct from Sony. How could I justify a MacBook Air when the TZ is so much superior in terms of hardware? I wound up selling my Rev. A MBA and switching back to Windows for my main machine.

Now, moving to Windows did have some inconveniences. Navigating Vista isn't as fluid as OSX for me and the TZ's carbon fiber casing isn't as durable as the MBA's aluminum one, but I have made huge productivity gains because of being untethered to outlets (since I'm a college student) and especially because Office 2003 is just so much better than anything offered on OSX.

Basically what I'm saying is, there are benefits and pitfalls to both operating systems. I think most would agree that OSX is the better OS--even Michael Dell. But sometimes, the Apple Tax is just so steep that people might be willing to endure some quirks and imperfections in order to save tons of money. Not every computer user is a "Graphic Designer".
 
Saladinos

Saladinos

macrumors 68000
Feb 26, 2008
1,845
4
Hmm... one computer costs less and is made from the recycled coke bottles, and the other from machined aluminium and glass and is more expensive.

There's no bloody tax. It's the higher cost of building that means it costs more. It's not some invisible added amount - it pays for something tangible.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom