Apple Macs Are they worth it?

GoldenGirl25

I must admit im seduced by the looks of them. I graduated last summer and my laptop died halfway through my dissertation so haven’t had one since.

Anyhow Ive decided nows the time to get one! I have a budget of around £600.

I will mainly be using it for the internet dvds but also will do letters/reports too.

Ive carried out research and Ive found the Macbook MB881:

£719 Dixons High Street
£719 Apple
£697 Laptops direct
£663 Microwarehouse
£625 Dixons tax free
£618 (Student Discount using my bros)

Ive also found one even cheaper for just under £600 and im tempted to buy now!

So if anyone has any opinions about them much appreciated! Also in regards to warranty that kind of thing what options do you think are and aren’t worth it?

Thanks

Marty_J

Oh God, here we go again....

Apple make beautiful computers that run a beautiful operating system which come with a suite of wonderful applications called iLife.

They have a lot less of a risk of getting infected with malware than a Windows PC, which means you can run less security software, freeing up your computer for doing the things you want to do.

They are very well built and generally last a long time, and have a much higher resale value than PCs. Apple are consistently rated as having the highest customer satisfaction of any computer manufacturer. Their after-sales support is also excellent.

I love my Mac, and wouldn't be without it. I've used every version of Windows from 3.1 to Vista, and none of them compare. I've also used Linux which I prefer over Windows, but I like Mac OS X even better.

If you have any friends who are still students, they can get quite a nice discount from Apple, bringing the price down considerably. Their Applecare extended warranty is very good, though a tad pricey sometimes. Some of our members have reported buying it from eBay for a fraction of the cost without any problems.

ETA: I see you've already discovered the student discount; that's the way I'd go. You can also get discounts on software too.

jestyenot

Some of the applications are quite cheap as well.
However, you may not be able to find applications that match your previous Windows apps, so then you decide to install Windows as a separate operating system, either through the free built-in BootCamp, or by purchasing Parallels or VMware Fusion.

Marty_J

jestyenot wrote: »

Some of the applications are quite cheap as well.
However, you may not be able to find applications that match your previous Windows apps, so then you decide to install Windows as a separate operating system, either through the free built-in BootCamp, or by purchasing Parallels or VMware Fusion.

I've used Macs for years, and don't recall ever not being able to do something that can be done in Windows. In fact, I mostly have the opposite problem. There are a number of Mac-only applications I use all the time, and I really miss them if I have to use someone's Windows PC for whatever reason.

The only reason I'd install Windows would be to run games, and I can run many PC games in OS X anyway.

GoldenGirl25

Lol Thanks Marty from the research Ive done on the internet the past few hours I didnt really know there was a PC vs Mac debate! Nearly every forum there were arguments etc.

I wouldnt say that i was such a tech person. I guess I want something that looks nice and does what I need it too. I like having a laptop as its portable and I really dont have the space in my new flat to be able too set up a desktop as such.


What is the average lifespan of a laptop as such?
My old one died in its fourth year and Im told thats pretty average?

I have indeed discovered the link and the cheapest MacBook is £538 which is really attractive price. I like the idea that you can still get a good resale price and even an empty shell gets some money on ebay.

Thanks

Marty_J

Yep, we've had our fair share of Mac vs PC debates, as has just about every forum on the internet I think.

Macs certainly look nice, and they run very well without any tinkering.

It's hard to say what the average life-span of a laptop is. They do get a lot more abuse than desktops, but Apple computers are very well put together. I have an iMac from 1999 that is still in perfect working order (and I could probably get a few hundred for it on eBay). I have a friend who bought an iBook in 2000, and it was only retired last year after some drunken idiot slammed it shut at a party and smashed the screen. Another friend uses a PowerBook that's about 5 years old and it's still in perfect working order.

Of course, your mileage may vary, but when one buys an expensive computer from any manufacturer, one can reasonably expect it to last longer than a budget computer.

£538 is a great price, and you could certainly expect a decent chunk of that back if you ever decided to sell. I have a 3 year old iMac, and I looked it up on eBay out of interest the other day, and it can sell for up to £500.

Of course, if I ever did decide to sell it, it would only be to buy another Mac.

Slickster

I'm considering a MB and am just looking at options for purchasing. If you don't mind me asking where is the £538 price available from?

Marty_J

Apple offer an educational discount for students.

Pssst

Women tend to buy Macs becuase they look pretty and stylish.
The actual hardware/software end of the operation takes second place.

My personal view is that yes,they do indeed look pretty. My OH has the small ibook G4. It looks pretty,is durable,portable and works well.

Bear in mind that if you have to go buying software for Macs, it may well cost you dear..! Some other stuff is for free like the excellent openoffice suite.

Other than that,i think they are way over priced.

Your money,your choice.

In this household i have my Toshiba lappy running Vista and Ubuntu in a dual boot format and my OH has the little ibook. We are both happy.

GoldenGirl25

Yep I do agree with the functionality taking second place to looks. Thats what makes us girls things like wearing high heels that hurt for the sake of looking good!:rotfl:

But I think everyone has a threshold value of what there willing to pay for a certain item and I would pay the £538 for the laptop but I wouldnt pay the £720 Dixons are charging for exactly the same thing. So I guess its a case of me being kinda thrifty.

Marty if your still around the Applecare is showing £46 for 3 years do you recommend it? My mate who has a mac book i spoke to her today and she said that they came collected and replaced her hard drive and delivered it and its 100% worth it.

Thanks again!

Marty_J

People talk about Macs as though they're somehow deficient in function, but they never go into any detail as to what they're deficient in. The truth is, you'll pay more for any type of computer that someone has gone the extra mile in designing. Pretty Dells cost more than not so pretty Dells. The more aesthetically pleasing something is, the most desirable it is, and the more the manufacturer can charge. It's the same for any type of product. Nice looking furniture costs more than ugly furniture, even though they might cost the same to manufacture.

The only difference between Apple and other computer manufacturers is that Apple don't make not so pretty computers. So all their computers carry the premium you'll pay anywhere for something that is well designed.

£46 for three years AppleCare is a great deal. Apple have excellent customer support, and extending it for as long as possible is a really good idea, as your friend's experience illustrates.