I'm looking at getting a new lap top and can't see why a Mac is so expensive? When another laptop with the same spec is alot cheaper?

Just buy one and your question will be answered.

Mac lap tops are like Saab cars, ooo look at me i'm so hip and avante garde. But in the end no one really cares.(except the owners who constantly try and tell you how awesome they are). There is a reason WIndows based systems dominate the market. Better support,more software, better software, better games. Macs are for Ad excecs and Art students. People who buy mac's are the same smug bastards that buy a prius and try to convince them selves they aren't gay. For the same money they could have bought something awesome but instead like to look down on us as "polluters" and "environmental terrorists". In Australia for the cost of a prius you can buy a fully loaded SS Commodore, 6 litre V-8, six speed manual or auto, 19 inch rims, looks and goes like a beast. Mac Users kinda remind me of people against tattoos, they like to judge those who like to have a little ink. Where as people with tattoos don't care if you have a tattoo or not. /rant

you may have guessed i'm a bit anti mac. And yes i have an iphone I am not against Apple all together, just wish they would give up the trying to compete with windows and all their little fanboy and girls accept that windows is better and crushes them in market dominance for a reason. To those who have Macs already feel free to tell me how awesome they are I am really listening (starts picking nose) sorry what was that? were you saying something? oh having compatability issues again.....thats a shame

P.S. I hear you can buy the saab company for about $200 at the moment (are they even still in business?)

Keep in mind this is sort of in jest dont hunt me down (although if you own a mac and/or a prius you are probably also a vegan and your pale spindly anemic ass would prolly fizzle in the sun trying to pursue me. And you couldn't catch a cold pursueing someone in a prius)

What's Steve Jobs' favorite flavour of ice cream?




















He doesn't have one he's dead.........................too soon?

Use both, but I prefer the workflow on the Mac. A computer is a tool for me; both platforms get the job done. But Macs are a little easier to maintain IMO and tend to last me longer than an equivalent PC, albeit at a slightly higher cost.

i've been looking about and i think the mac is just a lot of money for what i'll use a laptop for.

i'm only using it for sufing internet, editing photos, iTunes and a bit of word for work.

Well, I switched to a Mac about 4 years ago because I was spending 4 hours a day trying to keep my Dell connected to the internet. The damn thing would drop connection and lock up. I'd lose all my work, reboot and do it all over again. Since time = money, and I was losing beaucoup time, I had to do something. A client actually bought me my first MAC and it cured all those problems for me. While, YMMV, that's why I switched. Eventually, I found the MAC platform to be so bulletproof and eventually shifted my whole office.

As for the laptops, the same applies. The MAC is bulletproof. The only issue I ever have is when I try to open messages in Hotmail. The hotmail messenger system has to connect before clicking on a message or the message won't open and I have to reload the page. This is a recent issue, so I'm not sure if its hotmail (which was recently revamped) or something to do with Safari. Otherwise, its bulletproof. No crashes. No viruses. Set up is simple (read: idiot proof). No BS. And that's the bottom line. The damn thing works - aways. No histrionics.

Some MAC applications suck. Quickbooks for the Mac sucks. There is basically no difference in the Mac Office programs - except that they rarely crash on the MAC. I've fooled with Parallels, but not enough to pass judgment on it. And no, I don't own a Prius, but enjoy the mileage and performance of my little diesel.

Benefits of the Mac:

It has a Unix based OS, so you're almost guaranteed to not have viruses. It has very little to do with market share, I think there are something like 30 million Mac users now. It's because OSX is just a rock solid OS. So you will never convince me that Windows is more secure, more stable, or less-virus prone than OSX.

When speccing out a PC against a Mac a lot of people only look at the very general stuff like "oh it has a faster processor therefor this is the faster computer". This is not always true. Do a start-up race with a Macbook Pro and a PC with a similar/even slightly faster processor. 9 times out of 10 the PC will lose simply because your hardware is only as good as your software allows it to be.

I hate to say it, but there is such thing as "Apple magic". Steve Jobs went about creating his products in an amazing way in that he started with the customer experience and then used technology to get it. Whereas Microsoft/Google start with technology and then try to make a good customer experience. When using a Windows machine and a Mac side by side you can tell who put the experience first and who put the faster processor first on their priority list. Ever heard of "you can't drive a spec sheet"?

I wouldn't say Apple is over-priced, they just don't build machines in that "bargain basement" category. They only build high-spec machines and then people make the mistake of comparing a $400 plastic PC with hardly any software installed on it and an average life expectancy of 2 years and think its the same as a MacBook. It's not. I think it's Dell who has an obvious copy of a MacBook Pro for sale (right down to the shell of the laptop) and it actually costs more. Alienware laptops usually cost more than Macs as well.

That being said, if you're not in the market for a high end laptop and just want something to surf the web/watch movies on, then a PC will do fine. Personally though I'll stick to my 3 year old MacBook Pro that has been crash free and virus free since I bought it and still holds a battery charge for 6 hours.

You've answered you're own question! "hype", that's what it's about. Wanting to be seen in Starbucks with a macbook rather than a cheapo dell. Believe the "I'm a mac, I'm cool" advertising, and spending so much money you'll want to find reasons to make you feel better about it, hence believe what the mac addicts say about it being "better".

Don't get me wrong, they're good quality and beautifully designed machines, but they use identical components to other (non-mac) high end machines.
It wasn't always like that. I stopped bothering with Macs when they stopped bothering with superior hardware (when the powerpc chips were worth the money and all macs had SCSI as standard).

Personally, I've always hated the OS, but that's a subjective opinion.

i purchased my first macbook pro that i am using right now to type this message and i have to tell you, its the best computer i have ever owned. i have had this mac for about 2 years now and it works just as good as the day i bought it. it runs cool, its fast, so easy to use and i have never had a problem with viruses. this thing also runs forever on the battery. my father just bought a new HP that has greater numbers then my macbook but i can do all the same tasks faster and easier while being 2 years older. there is a slight learning curve when you get started but is easily over came because tasks end up being too easy then you are used too when compared to windows.
my whole world has changed to mac under the simple philosophy that it just works. my ipad 2, iphone 4, apple tv all just works. i plan on never buying a windows computer ever again.

Typing this on a MacBook Pro.

I hate computers, I'm not a geek. I just need stuff that you plug in and it works.

The Mac sorts this perfectly. Cameras, Camcorders, Printers etc etc just plug in and work. No ridiculous driver installations. No anti-virus software to continually update. It boots up from "off" to "use it" in 12 secs. Everything makes sense and doesn't make a pc phobic idiot like me frustrated and annoyed.

Simple, straightforward, works.

I don't understand the "Apple haters". I suspect its just jealousy.

If you can afford one, do it. I suspect most Apple haters can't afford one.

Don't post in the middle of the night after one too many beers.

The main difference between Mac and pc is customization and freedom of choice. Think of Mac as a sandbox a safe and controlled environment. Apple has far stricter controls on how it's products are set up and the way in which they can be used. If you are happy with the options available to you within that structure then they work well. The problem with macs becomes apparent when you wish to step out side the box. Windows (and Linux) can be configured to run an infinite variety of configurations of hardware and software choices are far more flexible. think of pc's as the rest of the playground , more choices but with that extra freedom of choice come inherent dangers

Why don't you get an iPad? It will do everything you say you are after in a laptop and it is cheaper, faster and more mobile?

Well after a bit more research I think I'll save up the extra for a MacBook pro, just got to decide if it's a 13" or 15"? And will want one with an HDMI output for connecting to my tv.

With out going into specifics I run my own company. Have about 50 employees and we moved to exclusively macs in the office. I was able to get rid of a full time IT guy by doing that and life is just simpler and joy of ownership actually exists with Macs. They work, period. PCs are a fookin' pain in the ass and need constant attention. The argument over market dominance is a lame one. It's simply because they moved earlier and ever since, macs have been gaining market share.

Yes, macs are more expensive but they do everything you need them to do, inane easier more enjoyable way. And they look sweet too

this price comparison is whacky too. man, we ride SDs here. we all could have bought cookie cutter bikes for far less but we didnt, we bought one of the best bikes around.
you wont be at all disappointed with a Mac. i have a 7 yr old G5 that works like a clock. Dana in the next room has a PC 3yrs old. its nothing but trouble, can stay on line, always locking up, takes forever to boot up let alone shut down!
the best part is the company i work for is shipping me a brand new Powermac to replace this one which ill use as a server, and it should be here any day now, cannot wait!

macs are good.

but this is my current work horse as it can run auto cad quite well while being slim and easy to take to uni and has a docking station for my 24" screen and keyboard/mouse (which has more than one button!!!). Great machine and does not miss a beat.
http://www.sony.com.au/productcategory/it-pc-series-z

I had (and still have) my 4 year old TZ17 with solid state memory (100Gb with 4 gig of ram and an seperate 256mb radeon graphics card) vaio (this ones old predecessor) as my spare. Ok each cost close to 4 grand a piece (making a mac book look cheap) but have been great machines and work flawlessly (and do exactly what i want it to do and how I do it)... and never had an issue with viruses due to sony's clever software adages (read no norton give me a virus )

"you may have guessed i'm a bit anti mac. And yes i have an iphone I am not against Apple all together, just wish they would give up the trying to compete with windows and all their little fanboy and girls accept that windows is better and crushes them in market dominance for a reason. To those who have Macs already feel free to tell me how awesome they are I am really listening (starts picking nose) sorry what was that? were you saying something? oh having compatability issues again.....thats a shame"


Well Honda Civics crush the Ferrari 458 in market share so I guess the 458 is garbage as well. No compatibility issues here, since Macs are the only computer that can run OSX, Linux, and Windows all on the same hard drive. What was that? Were you saying something? Oh having another crash with Windows? Thats too bad...

Hype is the correct word. I do ot know where or when you were inundated with the hype you witnessed but it is safe to say that it was not on a SuperDuke website. the last object of extravagant or intensive publicity came in the form of a bar bell that greatly increased the performance of the SD.
I think that SD's are the bestest and I like my Apples on my kitchen table.

Well at least my drunken rant fired up a few mac users.

And who ever said Mac users were a teeny bit defensive about their babies.......

Mick75 you are my new best friend.
My dislove for macs is known to this forum so it is nice to see a kindred spirit.
Razy if you are just looking at porn, posting on this site and doing emails there are plenty of PC's on the market at a fraction of the cost of a mac and if you need to update in 3-5 years time just buy another one and still have change left in your pocket.
is only ever used for macs...................................why??????

Yes... Anti mac here too.. Maybe its just over in AUS where mac users are self righteous wankers who like hybrids

well i just went and had a play on a MacBook Pro 15 and its bloody amazing!

time to save some pennys.

Mac v s PC

Beatles vs Elvis

KTM vs Aprilia

Red vs white wine



Same old same old.

Quality is important... Not many quality items left. But the Mac is a quality computer.

In a moment they start talking about Iphones and apps etc

To stop all this shit just give me a paper and pencil please eheeh

HA! it's a spiderman costume!, shows what you know
And we don't really have basements in Australia, Man-Children tend to live in sheds or their childhood room

"Honda CIvics and 458's do not compete for the same market share, other than both being cars.
One costs 20k the other 700k, a ferrari is supposed to be exclusive and rare so that logic is a little flawed"

You mentioned that the Mac had very little market share when compared to Windows machines...my point is how many of those Windows machines are equal/better specs than Apple computers and how many of them are $300 plastic junk that were only bought to watch movies on. Like I said, Apple only builds high spec computers. If you were to compare the market share of direct competitors of a MacBook Pro, things would probably be different. That was relating to my Honda/Ferrari reference. Apple only builds machines for a fairly small market, while Windows is installed on all kinds of machines from $200 to over $2000.

Windows does have its pros but for me personally I'll never go back. The original poster asked for advice regarding Macs. I can honestly recommend a Mac. I cannot honestly recommend a PC unless it was under a very small list of circumstances that I already listed. To each his own.

There is a very simple reason Windows has a massive market share. All those years ago Steve Jobs made a decision that he only wanted a Mac OS to run on his hardware, whereas Bill Gates would license his to run on anyones. Steve's idea was that to keep things simple for the end user it was necessary to keep control. One Mac even had special screws to try and stop people getting at the internals and trying mod it. Back then it might have seemed a mistake as Microsoft dominated. In the last few years however it has allowed Apple to become (for one month recently anyway) the most valuable company on the planet. They still keep that basic idea going and that is why Apple products run so well. Yes it may seem controlling that you can only use iTunes for your devices but it pretty much guarantees that these devices work and work well. The reason the ipod slaughtered everything else out there is not because it looked nice, although that helped but because it worked and was so easy to use. If there had been endless apps that allowed you to control your ipod this would not have happened. By keeping control of it Apple insured their device worked and worked seamlessly. The PC approach would have been to let anyone write software for it as with the Microsoft Zune and Sony's X series Walkman. While this might drive innovation in software options it also meant there was no quality control on whether it actually worked well with both the device and computer OS. All that leads to for the average user is a nightmare of things not working properly, Googling for a fix/answer and downloading some "fix" software that then installs some nice virus/malware on your computer so that not only does your device not work properly but now your computer doesn't either. Perhaps you might not do that but 90% of computer users out there are numpties who will click on and install anything that says it will work.

Whether you love or hate Apple/Steve Jobs, you can't argue that he managed to revolutionise 6 industries in his time. Personal computing with first home PC and later the iMac ect. Animated movies with his creation of Pixar. Music with the ipod and iTunes. Phones with the iPhone. Tablets with the iPad and finally digital publishing with App Store. This is the reason he is compared with giants like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.

Well put Klink.

Actually I bought an IPod that I use to 5% of it's capacity because I hate itunes LOL

If I could do things my way I would use it and recomend it a lot more...

The most boring discussions on internet forums........
The most boring people on internet forums.............

Apple/Mac fanboys

even worse than Rossi fanboys.

Okay that's it.
My first computer was a Mac 2SI in eightyseven. A smooth progreeions of events and up grades have taken our household to this point with out the use or shall I say, a PC Windows machine in our household. My wife works in the printing departmaent of a local hospital and is the only person using a Mac at that establishment. She also needs and uses PC's for all the printshop devices and the print center works on the PC's.
She has been at her trade since typesetting was just leaving and has followed the evolution for enough tyme to know tgat hype does not get literature to the client, effeciant work conditions and less down time does.
There are many applications that are only made for PC's and if a person cannot live without their use, PC is the choice. My first Laptop was a 520C, I think that was Apple's first color, first built in modem. It still works.
I use Ipod Ipad Imac Iphoto Iphone and have been pleased as punch with my purchases from day one.
I am even old enough to have purchased a few shares of Apple Stock when it was at Fourteen dollars a share. It has split three times since and Saved my out of work carpenters ass when noone wanted or needed a carpenter in Ca. I took a chance on Apple when their chios were down and the rewarded me with a year of free income and one hundred more shares. If that is hype I take two please.

I rest my case

The fact that some of you hate Macs and their users reveals immaturity of an epic scale, why on Earth would you care about someones personal preference. Now the fact that windows works better on my Mac than it ever did on my Dell speaks volumes, it doesn't crash, no malware and it works for what I want it for, music, photos and making videos. The fact that it can annoy utter dickheads with nothing better to do than bitch about someones personal computer choice is, quite frankly, a bonus..

^^fanboi^^

^^fanboi^^

hell im a fanboy of both Rossi and macs, best of the best!!............................. !

Does that mean that Macs are going to start crashing a lot now?

with winter setting in and a spot of battlefield 3 looking promising this weekend , the folks in the shop may very well piss their pants laughing when you ask for a copy for your MAC

Will my Atari console be OK in winter?

I have all the latest games, Asteroids and pacman are my favourites.

You will be fine Pete. Can see that easily keeping you going through the long winter evenings

Great news, I've heard Missile command will be out soon!

missile command
now theres a feckin game ,god knows how much time i wasted playing that

Now has the new MacBook Pro 15 plus apple TV and 3 years full cover happy boy.