<p>In response to the OP:
Absolutely yes. It is not “exorbitant”.</p>
<p>yes</p>
<p>Superior durability + aesthetics + usability. The build quality is just plain higher. Plus, the OSX operating system is many times superior to that of Windows. It’s based on unix (a superior standard) and is virtually virus free.</p>
<p>What you lose in cash from buying a mac gets made up in peace of mind and usability.</p>
<p>At work one guy I know just made the switch and two others are considering buying three Macs. One is considering a $4,000 MacBook Pro 17 inch Unibody and a new MacBook for his wife. He’s coming from an old 17 inch PowerBook. The other guy is looking at a new MacBook for his wife.</p>
<p>I gave my wife my Vista laptop (Dell XPS M1330) for a few days and she basically had a lot of questions for me and the kids on how to do this or that. Maybe I should get her a MacBook too.</p>
<p>it really comes down to what you’re more comfortable with. personally i find that those who don’t know much about computers are better off with macs. the way i see it, since it’s harder to get infected with viruses they won’t have many problems on it which means i won’t get bugged about it as much either. that’s not to say os x is virus free, but it’s harder to get infected. now those who are comfortable with using computers will generally get a pc (windows or linux), and they generally won’t be asking for recommendations anyways.</p>
<p>I got tired of scrolling through all the contentious postings here, so I don’t know if it was clearly said that the most important thing to do is find what is supported and what is commonly used at the college you are entering. Some schools don’t do a good job supporting Macs, so if you are going to one of those schools, your choice is clear. Some schools have a high proportion of Macs and do a good job supporting them. If so, then you might want to go that way.</p>
<p>I was also struck by the original post that implied that buying a Mac laptop would cost $1500 more than a PC. That might be true if you purchased the ‘Pro’ model, but most college students buy the plain MacBook, which starts at $1000. A good configuration for a college student would run no more than $1300, which is not appreciably higher more than a similar PC. You can argue the pros and cons of Windows vs. OSX vs. Linux, but the cost argument is largely moot. Sure, you can get by with a $500 PC laptop, but a good-quality well-configured Windows machine is going to cost you more like $1000.</p>
<p>No. Happy?</p>
<p>I have a MacBook Aluminum and I love it as a soon-to-be computer engineering/business double major.
You can use both Leopard and Vista/XP on it, but I haven’t needed it. I’ve been using iWork also and have never had an issue as a student.</p>
<p>Macs just feel better and work much more smoothly.
I spent 15 years with Dells and such, and I’ll never go back if I have anything to say about it.</p>
<p>Well as long as everybody has one I might as well get a MAC…</p>
<p>Honestly it would be one thing if people got MAC’s for some hardware reason but they don’t. Most people I know who get Mac’s get them because they are more visually pleasing then a PC and they feel good that they can afford an expensive computer. I would like people to stop saying that they are just so much better without giving a reason for it. I don’t hate Mac’s, I just dislike all those people who say that Mac’s are better when they can’t even give a reason for why they are better. </p>
<p>None of this is meant to attack you Carterm but you were the first post I saw.</p>
<p>Mac fanboys tend to be very condescending…The honest truth is that Mac (and Apple as a brand name, for that matter) is just a fad. People are jumping on the bandwagon and few even bother to stop and consider whether or not it’s worth it. The bottom-line is that for the same money blown on a Mac, one could get a much better PC. Even Mac users can’t deny that. So, what the Macboys are really paying for is the OS (and those who claim it’s oh-so-much-better than Windows really don’t know what they’re talking about or can’t fully comprehend the operation of a computer) and the aesthetically appealing design. Seeing as neither of these features is particularly useful, I will be buying the more powerful PC.</p>
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<p>Really? Really?</p>
<p>You’re going to try to make the argument that many, many intelligent people (including most MIT computer science students) are being hoodwinked into paying more for an inferior product? </p>
<p>It’s not a fad, it’s a superior product. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Frankly, you’re drinking the MS kool-aid – Apple is about so much more than the brand name.</p>
<p>I would love my computer just as much if it functioned in exactly the same way, had the same OS, etc. but had a Dell logo.</p>
<p>I have an MSCS so yes, I did take a graduate course in operating systems. In my group we have 3 Phds in CS. Two out of three use Macs. You’re what, a premed student? Are you an expert in operating systems? Do you have 25 years of experience as a professional software engineer? Ever read through the source code of an operating system? It appears that you are the pot calling the kettle black.</p>
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<p>You’re one to talk about condescending. Your whole post is basically an attack on the common sense of mac users!</p>
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<p>No you can’t, and yes I can. If you compare feature for feature, the price gap shrinks a lot. The reason why there is such a gap is that apple does not manufacture budget laptops. If you were to take that $700 budget PC laptop and add all the features you’re missing from a $1000 macbook, the cost of the PC would approach the Mac.</p>
<p>You still end up paying a slight premium (that grows somewhat as you buy the more expensive macbook pros) but it is small enough to be insignificant compared to the whole price of the laptop.</p>
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<p>I understand the operation of a computer very well, thank you very much. It doesn’t enhance your argument any to put down people who disagree with you.</p>
<p>Re #92</p>
<p>Based on my experience, the price gap does shrink “if you compare feature for feature.”</p>
<p>However, what if I really don’t need those extra features? Then, I’m paying extra for stuff I’m not interested in and may not use. This is where HP, Dell, Lenovo, and so forth do a better job. They have more options than Apple. If the only thing I cared about was a 15" screen, then I’m out of luck if I want a Mac. The least expensive laptop with my requirement is the MacBook Pro, which is $2000. Does it have more features than that $500 Toshiba Satellite? Of course - I am not contesting that. But, as I said, if I don’t need or even want those features, then I’m just paying extra for stuff that’s not useful.</p>
<p>If you want to pay less, go for HP, Dell, Lenovo, etc. Apple doesn’t sell to those markets.</p>
<p>Apple also provides quite a high level of service in their Apple Stores. Those support costs are bundled into the hardware purchase price.</p>
<p>fabrizio: You are 100% correct in that Apple is <em>not</em> the best computer for /everyone/. There are features which you might not need, and you don’t need to pay for them.</p>
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<p>Please be sure to say it’s “not useful” <em>for you</em>. For me, these extra features are extremely useful.</p>
<p>The fact is, the same computer isn’t perfect for everyone. But don’t disparage mac users just because we buy expensive computers — you don’t know our needs and you don’t know if the fit is good for us.</p>
<p>On another note, this is a little like choosing a college: the same college isn’t perfect for everyone, so don’t disparage others for choosing a college that doesn’t fit you.</p>
<p>This is the beauty of the free market and competition. You don’t have to buy a mac. If a mac doesn’t work for your purposes, by all means, get something else that does :)</p>
<p>Re #95</p>
<p>Well, I think there’s an understood “for me” after the sentence, But, as I said, if I don’t need or even want those features, then I’m just paying extra for stuff that’s not useful. Point taken nevertheless.</p>
<p>The way I see it, for the most part, Macs are competitively priced when a redesign or significant refresh is introduced. I compared a T-series ThinkPad with DDR3 RAM and an LED-backlit screen to the unibody MacBook last November, and the ThinkPad was barely less expensive. In their 2006 review of the Mac Pro, Anandtech noted that it really wasn’t any more expensive than comparable workstations from Dell.</p>
<p>The whole “overpriced” thing becomes more valid the longer a Mac’s lifecycle-before-refresh is. For example, the Mac Pro was ridiculously overpriced for some time before it was refreshed last month. For $2800, you were getting a 320GB hard drive and 2GB of ECC DDR2 RAM. The machine is great, but for that kind of money, there should have been a much bigger hard drive, among other things. After the update, you were getting a faster processor, a 640GB hard drive, and 3GB of ECC DDR3 RAM – all for $300 less. Mac Pro isn’t overpriced anymore.</p>
<p>That’s certainly a valid point… which is why I try to sync my buying with their refresh times.</p>
<p>Of course, this really applies to any computer. The difference is that for Windows you have a multitude of systems, at least some of which will satisfy the value equation at any given time.</p>
<p>For OSX, all you have is what Apple makes, so you’re waiting upon the progress of a single company. Furthermore, Apple tends to focus on a limited number of models, which gives dividends in design but hurts the choice options.</p>
<p>They are absolutely worth the price. They don’t get viruses, you can get them fixed by a genius in two seconds flat, they are awesome.</p>
<p>Had a REALLY long response. Clicked backspace and went back a page instead of a letter. Deleted about 500 words.</p>
<p>I liked Mac better. Want one. PC’s don’t last long. On second PC in 5 years.</p>
<p>There. End of story. God, I’m seriously…MGNSDGGADFGHH! -throws computer against wall- Wrote all that for nothing…</p>