Cheap Apple Mac Notebooks

asininity

PROLIANT wrote: »

Is that why Dell, HP, IBM give you a choice of OS Bundle/Pre-Load - Windows or Linux.

Did I not say 99%? Its probably more like 99.9%. Why is XP still around?? Because vista doesn't work on netbooks, arguably neither does xp very well once all the security is install but hey

Its good to see the choice now but it wasn't that long ago we didn't have it.

JOel_2

Look at it the other way. Apple make sure their OS runs rocks solid on a small subset of hardware, so they can almost guarantee the performance and stability.

Windows and Linux have to be able to work with millions of bits of hardware, and they are more reliant on the hardware vendors to bother to write decent drivers (Windows), and Linux has to a) be able to get enough information from the vendor, and b) have to assume someone can be bothered to write a decent driver.

Apple are being quite sensible not selling OSX on the general market, a) they get people to buy their hardware, b) they don't need to employ millions of developers to cope with the millions of hardware combinations that the PC hardware market can throw at it.

Apple kit is generally of a higher build standard than most PC's on the highstreet, so will last a lot longer. Provided they manage to release something that doesnt crack, scratch or spontainously combusting.

Joel

cmatt

JOel wrote: »

spontainously combusting.

Joel

and that often depends on who makes the battery cells :rotfl:

asininity

JOel wrote: »

Look at it the other way. Apple make sure their OS runs rocks solid on a small subset of hardware, so they can almost guarantee the performance and stability.

Windows and Linux have to be able to work with millions of bits of hardware, and they are more reliant on the hardware vendors to bother to write decent drivers (Windows), and Linux has to a) be able to get enough information from the vendor, and b) have to assume someone can be bothered to write a decent driver.

Apple are being quite sensible not selling OSX on the general market, a) they get people to buy their hardware, b) they don't need to employ millions of developers to cope with the millions of hardware combinations that the PC hardware market can throw at it.

Apple kit is generally of a higher build standard than most PC's on the highstreet, so will last a lot longer. Provided they manage to release something that doesnt crack, scratch or spontainously combusting.

Joel

I'd disagree, while I can understand what you say, if apple released OSX to the PC market people would take it up immediately. Who would pay M$ money when there was a well known alternative that really didn't security?

Apple seem to get away with things M$ get crucified for.

Depends how much you spend on a PC. If we're talking apple prices you get just as good build quality.

JOel_2

asininity wrote: »

I'd disagree, while I can understand what you say, if apple released OSX to the PC market people would take it up immediately. Who would pay M$ money when there was a well known alternative that really didn't security?

Apple seem to get away with things M$ get crucified for.

Depends how much you spend on a PC. If we're talking apple prices you get just as good build quality.

They probably would, but it would probably cost Apple more in development time to build a driver framework and system that can couple with the millions of different pieces of hardware, plus they would have to increase their support systems. And they would loose the unique selling point of their hardware.

For them, its probably not a good business direction to release OSX to the masses.

Joel

Marty_J

PROLIANT wrote: »

Ask Marty J, he is selling one of his for £20 +VAT.

lol...I'm afraid the due to the unfavourable exchange rates, I'm going to have to increase my prices.

asininity wrote: »

I'd argue you'd get a better PC for the money you'd pay for a Mac. Or the same spec PC for half the price.

All the laptops I've ever seen with the same build quality as a MacBook Pro are for sale in the Apple Store.

cmatt wrote: »

depends on what you use it for - I would never recommend a mac for casual usage tbh..

Their ease of use, long life span, excellent customer service, high resale value and distinctly smaller amount of nasty malware make them ideal for casual usage.

PROLIANT wrote: »

....Wrong again, if it was crap, why is the most sucessfull and widespread used O/S on the planet?

That argument assumes that if something is the most popular, it's also the best, which is demonstrably not true.

Is McDonalds the best restaurant in the world?

Personally, I think their food is crap.

asininity wrote: »

Apple were imho very stupid not to market OSX separately its unlike them to miss an obvious way of making money. They could make a killing.

They already are making a killing. They also make much more profit selling hardware than they do selling software, so it doesn't really make much sense devaluing their brand, cutting off their main source of profit, and not to mention making their OS more unreliable. Recently, when it was suggest that Apple should introduce a cheaper model of the iPhone, they responded that they don't want to make a cheap phone, they just wanted to make the best. I imagine the same holds true of other aspects of their business too.

asininity wrote: »

I'd disagree, while I can understand what you say, if apple released OSX to the PC market people would take it up immediately.

People already do take it up. 50% of all purchases in Apple retail stores are people switching from Windows, and once they've switched, they have a higher customer retention rate than any other computer manufacturer.

I don't think they really need to worry.

bitsandpieces

jshea1571 wrote: »

I have got to buy my son a laptop for uni and I can get it from the apple site a little cheaper because I work in education. 1900 pound 17" pro comes down to 1650 pounds.
However, the pain of paying hard cash straight to Apple makes me baulk. Isn't there some place else I can get Apple notebooks cheaper? Is there any deal one can do?

Does he need such a high spec machine? He may have specific needs, but if it's just for essays, web etc then (even given apple pricing) you could get a laptop for about £1k that's more than adequate...

Also, 17" can be a bit large for carrying round. Quite doable - but might be worth thinking about a smaller laptop and a separate monitor for use at home, assuming a large screen won't be needed when out and about (likely to be cheaper, too).

jshea1571

Wow, a quick debate. Thought it would be good to chip in at this point.

Son is in 2nd year of uni doing Media and Photography and already has a decent PC. However, and I agree with him, he tends to do his general media stuff on that, whereas the Mac will be for doing the dedicated heavy duty photography and image/video related stuff. At the same time he'll be developing his Mac skills which will be vital for future employability.
I love Macs when I'm doing 'Maccy-stuff' and I prefer PCs for my mainstream stuff. Bit like having a decent BMW for general commute and shopping, but having a MG roadster in the garage for top-down weekend driving and great holidays in the Lake Disrict.

I am, however, keen on getting bang for my buck and so am guiilty of identifying an item in the shop, camera-photo-ing the leaflet and then going home to locate the cheapest price online. Thus, when I see Apple selling their lappies I immediately think 'There must a be a cheaper way of doing this.' Grey market goods, 10% when you spend, join something and get a discount, pay with paypal - part of me thinks there must be at least another 10% to be squeezed out of this purchase.

They did offer my son the right to pay over 3 years at 15.7% APR. Rolled up, sliced and diced represented a whopping 753 pounds of interest charges hidden beneath a user friendly '£65 per month'. Or an end purchase price of £2353 pounds. Even with the discount, Apple are quids in.

I can get the discount as I am a Lecturer and I'm getting sod all on some of my savings so it makes sense for me to be the lender rather than Apple. However, it did tick me off that they were ready to hook him in with a three year plan on his paltry income at that massive payoff so I'm now extra keen to get it even cheaper for him.

As a Victorian father (he pays his own way but comes to me when he needs bail-outs), it is important to me to show him that a little leg work can save an absolute fortune. Ergo, the better the deal I get the less likely little junior is to sign up to stupid 'pay forever' schemes in the future.

So, in helping me find a cheaper deal you'll be educating the youth of today against the wanton and reckless easy credit consumer spending habits that led to the mess we're in today.

M4RKM

PROLIANT wrote: »

Ah now come on, you get what you pay for now don't you, not everybody can afford MAC stuff.

my 8 year old iBook, bought for £197 8 years ago!

i'm sorry.. that is cheap!

PROLIANT

markymoo wrote: »

my 8 year old iBook, bought for £197 8 years ago!

i'm sorry.. that is cheap!

Yea, secondhand though.