New Apple hardware

isofa

Medion are a budget brand - so you aren't comparing like with like. (I'm sure they'll be fine budget laptop for anyone wanting one.)

You are ignoring the design features and all important built quality. It's just like comparing a Vauxhall with a Mercedes, a Debenhams suit to a Saville Row... etc. Both are the same, yadda yadda...

Pick a Lenovo laptop (easily the best built PC laptops), and compare with a MacBook, similar quality. Very little difference in price.

To me buying cheap products is a false economy as they need to be replaced several times in the course of the lifetime of a quality product. I appreciate quality and am happy to pay extra for it, because I can see how it makes a difference, others don't.

But to others they like the cheapest item, which is fair enough, we are all different. I'm happy to spend a lot on PCs and Macs and make them last a long time, I don't replace my computers every 3 years, more like every 8-10 years depending on the spec. So they have to be high quality and built to last. I spend probably 4 to 5 times more on a top end colour balanced monitor than a normal monitor, because for my photography work, accuracy is key and a £150 screen from a cheap brand, cannot cut the mustard.

Even when PC only mags like PC Pro do a review of laptops and include a MacBook, they can't help but say how well built it is and how the design is stunning, even if they are buying it to install Windows on - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/laptops/259498/apple-macbook-pro-13

And for fairness, if I was looking for a good PC laptop at the moment this £940 Lenovo would definitely be in the running, gorgeous machine: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/laptops/351460/lenovo-thinkpad-t500

Leopard

To me, the most appealing item of this new range is the conventional, non-server, version of the Mini, which is now offered with a gutsy 2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo, 4 GB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive for £649 with free shipping.

Purchasing it from the Apple Online Store, through Quidco, with the current 3% discount, lowers that to just £632 - provided you buy it before VAT returns to 17.5% in December.

That's a lot more bang-for-buck than the previous 2.0 GHz, 2 GB of RAM, 120 GB hard drive model that Apple sold for £499.

Mind you, if you want to run a 30" monitor off one, Apple stings you another £68 for the Mini Display Port to Dual-Link DVI lead that you'll need to do it.

It's well worth considering, nonetheless. if you want to take some desktop-use load off an earlier generation 15" MacBook Pro and preserve its life, now that Apple has removed the ExpressCard port from the current model and supplies it with but a single Firewire (800) port :mad: .

And, like BikerEd, I'll also be intrigued to check out the new Magic Mouse.

fox2319

Leopard wrote: »

And, like BikerEd, I'll also be intrigued to check out the new Magic Mouse.

Me too, I've already asked someone to get one from the states for me if I don't go over next month.

Leopard

fox2319 wrote: »

Me too, I've already asked someone to get one from the states for me if I don't go over next month.

They're £55 at Apple Retail Stores in Britain; the same, plus £5.18p shipping, from the Apple Online Store. For an additional £3 you can buy them gift-wrapped. I'd imagine a great many will be sold that way and given as Christmas presents. :xmassmile

It would be nice if you could have them engraved, like iPods, so you can tell visibly which one belongs to whom (or is paired with what).

In America, they're $69. In France (and elsewhere in Europe) they're €69: in all three countries the availability is listed currently as 5 to 7 business days.

At today's exchange rates, £55 is €61 or $92. Put another way, $69 is £42 or €46.


While we're comparing prices, incidentally, the U.K.'s £649 Mac Mini (2.53 GHz version) equates to €707 or $1,062. But in America it costs $799(which is £488 or €532) and it costs €749 in Europe (which is £688 or $1,125).

Food for thought, if you travel or have relatives abroad. :cool:

Marty_J

Don't forget about sales tax in the US, which isn't included in advertised prices.

Customs charges could also make a big dent in any savings.

fox2319

Marty_J wrote: »

Don't forget about sales tax in the US, which isn't included in advertised prices.

Customs charges could also make a big dent in any savings.

I didn't think sales tax applied to online sales? Fair enough though, add 10% if buying it in the shop. If it's bought in country and ferried over then customs wouldn't apply as you're allowed up to £300. (I got Rock Band 2 last xmas for the PS3, still can't get them over here )