dufference between mac and microsoft.

mrochester

GunJack wrote: »

£100 to change an optical drive ????? !!!!!! ????

This is part of the reason apple, whilst a big company, still only has a single-digit market share in computing. To do the same job on a "normal" laptop I can do for around a tenner (including buying the drive).

As for what they look like, who gives a t0ss ??? I'd rather have a decent-spec Windows lappy that I can make last for 5,7 or more years at a fraction of the cost of anything apple.

Oh, and I hate apple software with a passion....... iTunes? pah !!

I'd suggest that taking a MBP to an independent computer shop would result in a much cheaper quote for the cost of the work. Its usually the case that the cost of repairs\upgrades\service is more when you go to the manufacturer. You'd be able to replace the optical drive in a MBP for a similar cost as any other laptop.

GunJack

mrochester wrote: »

I'd suggest that taking a MBP to an independent computer shop would result in a much cheaper quote for the cost of the work. Its usually the case that the cost of repairs\upgrades\service is more when you go to the manufacturer. You'd be able to replace the optical drive in a MBP for a similar cost as any other laptop.

if you DIY, probably....still doesn't explain the overall cost of macs + support + everything else (iTunes etc) being so extortionate :mad:

netdumdum

Lucero wrote: »

This isn't the case at all and is a common misconception. Macs are essentially glorified PCs that use different software. In fact, it is entirely easy to install Mac on a PC and Windows on a Mac, although against EULA.

Hardware wise, it's possible to build a laptop or PC that has far better spec than a Mac for far less money. Thing is, Macs look great, and aesthetically, this is perhaps what people prefer. I own a macbook air for example, because there is nothing to market that comes close to the performance offered in such a small well built package.

There is virtually nothing software wise that a Mac can do that a PC can't

I wouldnt say it was "easy" to install Windows on a Mac or Mac on a PC - quite the opposite in fact, ever tried installing Windows on a Mac???

Plus Macs are a lot more than "glorified PCs"!!!

mrochester

GunJack wrote: »

if you DIY, probably....still doesn't explain the overall cost of macs + support + everything else (iTunes etc) being so extortionate :mad:

It's really no different to any other manufacturer I'd say.

I wouldnt say it was "easy" to install Windows on a Mac or Mac on a PC - quite the opposite in fact, ever tried installing Windows on a Mac???

Installing Windows on a Mac is very easy. In OSX, load up Boot Camp. Follow the onscreen instructions. Done.

Installing OSX on anything other than a Mac is a chore; it usually requires special boot disks or a modified OSX installation DVD (all highly questionable in terms of their legality).

shopbot

I switched from Windows to Mac.

For me it's hard to make a comparison on performance as I switched from an older lower spec machine with XP to a higher spec Mac with a new OS. It goes without saying there was a performance increase. There would have been too if I'd upgraded to a higher spec new OS Windows model.

For me what distinguishes the two systems is the user experience. Apple do that very well. For example there were tablets around for years before the iPad. What Apple did was make a tablet that better to use.

The same with phones. Apple weren't first to market without a lot of Smartphone features (Cut and Paste, Folders, Voice Control) but when they did it they did it really well.

On desktop/laptops installing a programme is so simple compared with how Windows did it. I've had no issues with system updates where as a Windows update broke my PC.

Maybe a telling thing is that when I was on a PC I spent a lot of time on the MSE Techie board reading up about better antiviruses, best malware scanners, firewalls, ways to tune Windows. Now I visit much less often.

As for the question about whether it's worth paying a premium for Apple products....no-one can answer that for you. It's down to you and your personal circumstances.

grayme-m

GunJack wrote: »

£100 to change an optical drive ????? !!!!!! ????

This is part of the reason apple, whilst a big company, still only has a single-digit market share in computing. To do the same job on a "normal" laptop I can do for around a tenner (including buying the drive).

As for what they look like, who gives a t0ss ??? I'd rather have a decent-spec Windows lappy that I can make last for 5,7 or more years at a fraction of the cost of anything apple.

Oh, and I hate apple software with a passion....... iTunes? pah !!

£80 odd for the drive, about £25 to fit it.

I asked if I couldn't just do it myself, he said I could try, but I would not be able to source a drive myself (best not tell eBay that) and could very easily break something else.

Still, I bravely risked it and now write on the laptop without the drive in it that seems to be still working.

Ebay has quite a few replacement drives available starting around £30, but as the nice people at Apple seem to have created a Lion recovery partion on my machine, I don't think I need to replace it.

Work is apparently about to replace XP with Windows 7, can't say I am looking forward to that, why bother?