Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Just so you're clear, a Mac IS a PC - PC stands for Personal Computer, and a Mac falls within that category.
And for the comparison:
Most of Apple's products are overpriced, Macs included. You could buy a mac with the exact same hardware specs for several hundred more than a standard PC that you could buy from a different manufacturer/build yourself. This is because Apple gears their products at computer illiterates, and they know that computer illiterates will shell out tons for something with the information that Apple is deluding them with.
I'm not saying all Mac owners are like this, but most of the community tends to comprise of fanboys. If you hang around the tech section of a gaming forum such as Facepunch like I do, this is pretty obvious - these people will usually ignore any reason while trying to pump their own garbage that other fanboys have brainwashed them with/came up with themselves into your head. These people tend to be computer illiterate as well, if you're pretty decent with computer knowledge you can easily identify an illiterate Mac fanboy..
Apple isn't very developer friendly, either - from what I've heard, OSX 10.6 broke a lot of programs, and made it impossible for a lot of them to run. This is probably unrelated but the software assortment is far less than you will see for Windows.
Basically: Windows for gaming, Linux for everything else, Macs for the complete newcomers to computers.
Sayantsi---Thanks for that suggestion; buying a Mac-Mini, an I-Pad, a monitor (or an HDTV) & a printer from that list makes plenty of sense.
Is there a particular reason why there are no printers from other companies such as Canon or Brother on that list?
Also, is there any discernible difference the quality of the images from any Apple computer vs. an HDTV? I wasn't sure if I should buy a large 27" monitor as opposed to an HDTV
The Mac mini has an HDMI out, so you will get clear images provided your monitor supports HDMI. I don't know about other printer companies but my guess is that Apple worked with HP to introduce the technology, and others will follow.
Fwiw I have a 32" Samsung HDTV that works as my monitor.
Just so you're clear, a Mac IS a PC - PC stands for Personal Computer, and a Mac falls within that category.
And for the comparison:
Most of Apple's products are overpriced, Macs included. You could buy a mac with the exact same hardware specs for several hundred more than a standard PC that you could buy from a different manufacturer/build yourself. This is because Apple gears their products at computer illiterates, and they know that computer illiterates will shell out tons for something with the information that Apple is deluding them with.
I'm not saying all Mac owners are like this, but most of the community tends to comprise of fanboys. If you hang around the tech section of a gaming forum such as Facepunch like I do, this is pretty obvious - these people will usually ignore any reason while trying to pump their own garbage that other fanboys have brainwashed them with/came up with themselves into your head. These people tend to be computer illiterate as well, if you're pretty decent with computer knowledge you can easily identify an illiterate Mac fanboy..
Apple isn't very developer friendly, either - from what I've heard, OSX 10.6 broke a lot of programs, and made it impossible for a lot of them to run. This is probably unrelated but the software assortment is far less than you will see for Windows.
Basically: Windows for gaming, Linux for everything else, Macs for the complete newcomers to computers.
You are making the same mistaken assumption many people do - you jump right to hardware when looking for value. (normal) People don't buy components, they buy a computer system, and that is much more than hardware. You compound this with spouting here-say.
Anyone who buys components and breaks down a computer as nothing more than a bunch of hardware screwed together is missing the value of a computer. Also, just because you are the type of person that builds a computer, don't assume everyone else should, wants to, or can. People spend billions of dollars yearly on systems off the shelf or with factory customization - that is the mainstream and who you should address.
Bull. I've been using personal computers since 1988. Learned computing on IBM'S OLD OS/2.
Give me a mac any day.
But that's because you're a graphic designer. Most graphic designers are Applebots because that's what they cut their teeth on back when Apples truly made better products for that niche with their Truecolor. These days, that advantage is gone, but Applebots such as yourself still insist it's real.
For the record, I just today ordered the parts to build a machine for my girlfriend that specwise and functionality-wise blows any offering Apple makes out of the water, and it cost me a whopping 1600 bucks. The Apple that comes closest to what this machine will be is over 4 grand.
Most tech-savvy people don't have a problem with people who like Apples. It's the whole "A fool and his money are soon parted" thing. The problem is with the ones (such as yourself) who insist against all fact, reason, logic, and reality that you've actually gotten something extra for your money or that your purchase is somehow justified. You're the same types of people who buy Tuscan milk off Amazon (look it up).
$1600 dollars on parts, lets say a week to get them all in, 4-8 hours to assemble everything, and assuming no DOA parts, get the OS loaded, drivers loaded, and finally, software loaded. I guess if your time is free, and you have all the tools handy already, oh and you have the technical knowledge and don't make any mistakes or have to learn anything, you can save money, but for most people, it is not worth the hassle.
There's a reason 99% of people buy computers vs make them. It makes no sense to compare buying an Apple computer to building a computer from parts when most people are buying retail PCs, not building them. Again, it all focuses on cost for hardware parts, which itself is not the correct thing to focus on.
Beyond that $1600, how much for the OS? How much for the applications? What would you ballpark 4 hours of your work is worth? Many people forget about that value when they look at the bottom line.
Anyone asking for computer advice needs to also ask who is giving that advice. PC Gamers and IT tech-heads are typically over-represented imo.
$1600 dollars on parts, lets say a week to get them all in, 4-8 hours to assemble everything, and assuming no DOA parts, get the OS loaded, drivers loaded, and finally, software loaded. I guess if your time is free, and you have all the tools handy already, oh and you have the technical knowledge and don't make any mistakes or have to learn anything, you can save money, but for most people, it is not worth the hassle.
2 days to get my parts (faster than it would take Apple to send me a machine). 30 minutes to assemble everything(I suppose if I had Parkinson's or had no arms, it might take 4 hours). Use an unattended install file to load up my OS and everything else I want on the machine from an image (which I can start up and then go to dinner). It's not rocket science.
The reason 99% of people buy computers as opposed to building them is because they don't realize how simple it is. Or can't be trusted with a piece of technology that doesn't have training wheels. Which is what Apple caters to - people who don't have a clue and will pay anything to avoid having to actually learn some basic functionality. PT Barnum was a visionary.
2 days to get my parts (faster than it would take Apple to send me a machine). 30 minutes to assemble everything(I suppose if I had Parkinson's or had no arms, it might take 4 hours). Use an unattended install file to load up my OS and everything else I want on the machine from an image (which I can start up and then go to dinner). It's not rocket science.
The reason 99% of people buy computers as opposed to building them is because they don't realize how simple it is. Or can't be trusted with a piece of technology that doesn't have training wheels. Which is what Apple caters to - people who don't have a clue and will pay anything to avoid having to actually learn some basic functionality. PT Barnum was a visionary.
Sorry but the average person isn't putting a computer together in 30 minutes, paying premium shipping to get parts in 2 days, and grabbing a presorted image to load up. The fact that you think that way, and discount people's abilities with such wording ("can't be trusted", "don't have a clue") in the rest of your post shows how out of touch you are with "normal people". You are a super user, an elite, who expects everyone to be able to do things because they are simple to you.
These people don't just buy Apples, they buy Dells, HPs, Acers, etc. Apple is a company that caters to design and spends a lot of money on user experience design as part of that. You might as well rail that people that buy Dells are dumb for paying retail, the reasons are the same.
Sorry but the average person isn't putting a computer together in 30 minutes, paying premium shipping to get parts in 2 days, and grabbing a presorted image to load up. The fact that you think that way, and discount people's abilities with such wording ("can't be trusted", "don't have a clue") in the rest of your post shows how out of touch you are with "normal people". You are a super user, an elite, who expects everyone to be able to do things because they are simple to you.
These people don't just buy Apples, they buy Dells, HPs, Acers, etc. Apple is a company that caters to design and spends a lot of money on user experience design as part of that. You might as well rail that people that buy Dells are dumb for paying retail, the reasons are the same.
The only thing I do unusually over what the average person can do is the unattended install from a network share. That's an advanced thing that most people can't do. HOWEVER, the average person should have no problem using a trial version of Acronis to back up all their data and then push it to the new machine, leaving their only real responsibility the installation of the OS, which is so simple these days a drunken monkey could do it. And the average person should be able to assemble a machine in less than an hour. There's nothing difficult about it. It's plugging devices into slots, rubbing some thermal compound on a CPU and putting a fan on top of it, and screwing in approximately 14 screws. Only a union worker could stretch that into 4 hours. For the average person:
-Unboxing everything: 10 minutes
-Screwing motherboard into case: 5 minutes
-Adding RAM to slots: 1 minute
-Assembling CPU and fan, slotting into chipset on motherboard: 10 minutes
-Adding video card: 1 minute (30 seconds of which to open a wedge in the back of the case)
-Adding hard drive: 2 minutes
-Adding optical drives: 5 minutes
-Adding power supply: 2 minutes
-Running cables from PSU to devices, fans and board: 10 minutes
-Plugging in externals ie power cord, monitor, keyboard/mouse, etc.: 5 minutes
I don't rail against people who buy Dell's, because people who buy Dell's are actually getting value for their purchase: They're getting a cheap machine that has reasonable if unspectacular specs. It's a nice strike point for a product that fits the needs of your basic user. Sure, the machine isn't the most reliable on the planet, but your 700 dollar Dell has similar specs to your $2500 Apple. The machines are essentially disposable. They'll last you a couple of years and then you buy another one. Meanwhile, you've got to try and nurse your Apple for 7 years to achieve the same value.
People who buy Apples are paying a premium for an expensive machine that has reasonable if unspectacular specs. You're essentially paying for a Bugatti, and getting a Honda.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
