Let me preface this by saying I’ve used Macs and PCs for a long time, I know both systems very well, this is my advice on things to consider when spending your hard earned money on a new computer.
I assume you’ve seen the commercials (I’ve included one below) that Microsoft has released in response to the successful “I’m a Mac” ads… They’re not bad, attempting to counter the impact that Apple has had with their spots. The thing is though, they’re misleading people into thinking that setteling on a low price PC laptop is a good value. It’s not. A cheap PC is just that, cheap, and you get what you pay for. The hardware used in the inside is different across PCs, and can be made of inferior, older or slower parts in order to lower the price.
Look at more than price and a number when you buy a new computer, components and capability are just as important. Things to take into consideration along with the boldly advertised ram size and processor speed are graphics card and video performance, processor level, and security (antivirus software is not security, an operating system based on Unix that doesn’t need antivirus software is security.)
Then there’s build quality. Macs have higher resale values than their counterparts, they’re well engineered and made to last. Take a look at this; apple laptop survives plane crash. The body of the new Macbooks are carved out of a single piece of aluminum, making them lighter, stronger and sleeker. PC laptops are made from many, mostly plastic, parts. Macs include slot loading DVD drives, compare that to the flimsy DVD trays on the average PC laptop. Apple is innovative in their approach and meticulous in their detail, making their products a pleasure to own.
Consider software. iLife alone, included free, adds hundreds of dollars worth of functionality to your investment. Do the math on comparable software for a PC, it’s a lot money and it’s no where near as well made or as nicely integrated. On a Mac you get software to edit movies, create DVDs, manage photos and music, a complete music creation suite, and a website creator. On a PC you get chintzy manufacturer supplied software and worthless demo software or bloatware.
Finally, there’s the operating system, personally for me there’s no comparison OSX is better than Windows Vista or XP, here’s a pretty detailed comparison by InformationWeek (it’s very techie but if you really want to get a deeper understanding give it a read, otherwise just take my word for it.)
My suggestion: Get a Mac.
This is one of the Microsoft commercials currently running.
Below is a pretty funny “alternate”‘ version released online.
“Alternate” version
Update
Advertising Age reports that Microsoft has quietly altered at least one of its “Laptop Hunters” television commercials to remove reference to the price of a MacBook Pro after recent price cuts to Apple’s notebook line rendered the reference inaccurate. The move comes just a week after Microsoft’s Chief Operating Officer seemingly gloated over Apple’s lawyers having contacted Microsoft to request that the company address the inaccuracy.
In the 60-second spot, called “Lauren and Sue,” we watch as law student Lauren shops around with the help of her Mom in the hopes of finding a computer under $1,700.
In the original version, Lauren at one point comes upon an Apple computer and declares: “This Mac is $2,000, and that’s before adding anything.”
“Why would you pay twice the price?” asks Lauren’s mom. “I wouldn’t,” says Lauren, who ends up leaving with a $972 Dell laptop.
In the latest version of the ad, that portion has been edited out. The original ad has been removed from YouTube and other sites by Microsoft, and replaced with a version in which Lauren doesn’t talk about how much the Mac costs, but she does say: “It seems like you’re paying a lot for the brand.”
Microsoft is quick to point out that the focus of the ad remains unchanged.
“We slightly adjusted the ads to reflect the updated pricing of the Mac laptop shown in the TV advertisement,” a Microsoft spokeswoman said in a statement. “This does not change the focus of the campaign, which is to showcase the value and choice of the PC.”
April 17th, 2009 10:57 am
So you didn’t get to the sneakiness of these commercials till the end of your post. The genius of them is that it’s a commercial for windows that pits other companies machines against apple’s. There’s no conversation about the OS or the quality of the experience, instead it’s HP vs. Apple, sponsored by microsoft. Then when people try to point out the quality differences between them the only one who takes a hit is HP. The customer is left thinking, maybe i’ll buy a sony or dell instead, then no issue, right?
Pretty clever really.
April 17th, 2009 2:22 pm
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