Note: This isn’t a guide to evangelize and convert people from Windows to Mac OS X. It’s a guide to give people options. If you’re happy with what you’ve got, great! But if you’re interested in alternatives read on.
After my first article on Macs and OS X, there were several readers who just down right bashed Macs for pricing and OS X without solid reasoning or legitimate hand’s on experience of Macs. So this is a follow-up.
Let’s get straight to the point. Tom’s Hardware isn’t about being a "PC fanboy." It’s about finding the best hardware, revealing up and coming tech and debunking predetermined notions. That begs the question, especially here: what’s so special about a Mac anyway?
Here’s the short answer: nothing really, just some very elegant aluminum chassis designs. The key, is the operating system. Even still, let’s settle this issue about price.
In a recent comment, someone came up with an analogy that a Mac isn’t really a BMW, but rather a Hyundai dressed up in a nice exterior. One problem: Hyundai’s don’t have nice European car exteriors. And to generalize it this way shows the lack of willing to understand the core of the Mac: it’s operating system. Because that’s really what it’s about. But for the sake of these first few pages, let’s leave Mac OS X out of the picture for now. Let’s just see where Apple comes in on hardware.

In terms of hardware, there’s nothing really special about a Mac aside from elegant designs, be it a Mac Pro or MacBook Pro, that makes it incredibly more worthwhile than the PC equivalent. And there’s no doubt that you can get an equally equipped PC, or build one yourself, for less money. In fact, I mentioned this in my previous article, although some people seemed to have completely missed the page where I complained about Apple’s outrageous prices altogether. However, building a PC to do the same isn’t the point, because you can always buy a cheaper car to get you from A to B. Instead, let’s see what you can get for $2000, from Apple and from others. For $2000, do you really get much less?
Let’s take a quick look at some of Apple’s competition and their pricing structure compared to Apple’s:
We went to Dell’s website and picked out what Dell indicated was a serious gaming laptop. We also took the XPS model that was priced the same as the baseline MacBook Pro. Let’s take a look at the results.
| $1999 MacBook Pro | $1999 Dell XPS M1730 |
|---|---|
| 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo | 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo |
| 2 GB of RAM | 2 GB of Shared RAM |
| NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256 MB | NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT with Shared MB |
| 200 GB HDD | 200 GB HDD |
| 15.4-inch LED LCD | 17-inch LCD |
| 1440x900 | 1920x1200 |
| Dual-Layer DVD Burner | Dual-Layer DVD Burner |
| 802.11n Wi-Fi | 802.11g Wi-Fi |
| Bluetooth | |
| Built in Webcam | Built in Webcam |
| Backlit KB with Ambient Sensor | |
| Optical Audio Output/Input | SPDIF through Dongle |
| Dual-Link DVI Output | Dual-Link DVI Output |
| Remote | |
| MagSafe Power | Standard female/male Jack |
| 5.4 lbs | 10.6 lbs |
| 1 inch thick | 2 inch thick |
For the most part, the two systems are comparable, indicating that at least for a laptop, Apple’s pricing fits in line with comparable hardware. Certain things like shared memory for graphics leave some performance desires for the XPS, but the XPS has a strong leg up on the MacBook Pro with the larger screen size.
Apple’s MacBook Pro has several small advantages over the XPS, mainly with the MagSafe connector and it’s nearly take-for-granted use. I have seen several incidences where people have tripped over or through someone else’s MacBook Pro power cord and the MagSafe design literally saved the laptops from flying.
The biggest differences are the screen size, weight, thickness, and shared memory. For absolute performance, the screen size won’t matter here, but the slow shared graphics memory on the XPS will. For a laptop that Dell indicates is a gaming machine, shared memory is a disappointment, as graphics is an important area for 3D gaming.
For another comparison, let’s look at the MacBook Air to VoodooPC’s Envy 133:
| $1799 MacBook Air | $2099 Envy 133 |
|---|---|
| 1.6 GHz Core 2 Duo | 1.6 GHz Core 2 Duo |
| 2 GB of Shared RAM | 2 GB of Shared RAM |
| Intel GMA X3100 Shared RAM | Intel GMA X3100 Shared RAM |
| 80 GB ATA HDD | 80 GB HDD |
| 13.3-inch LED LCD | 13.3-inch LCD |
| 1280x800 | 1280x800 |
| External eSATA Super Multi Drive | |
| 802.11n Wi-Fi | 802.11n Wi-Fi |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth |
| Built in Webcam | Built in Webcam |
| Backlit KB with Ambient Sensor | Backlit KB with Ambient Sensor |
| DVI Output | HDMI |
| MagSafe Power | Standard female/male Jack |
| 3.0 lbs | 3.37 lbs (with SSD) |
| 0.16 to 0.75 inch thick | 0.70 inch thick |
| iLife ’08 Suite | No software package |
At this point, the Envy is $300 more expensive than the MacBook Air. Although the Envy 133 does include an external optical drive, tacking on Apple’s quite expensive $99 MacBook Air SuperDrive to the purchase of the MacBook Air still leaves a $200 gap.
Bottom line: Macs aren’t "way more" expensive than PCs. So where do things get really hairy with Apple? Upgrades. Apple really stabs you in the face when you’re upgrading your Mac. All goes well when you want to buy a base system, but as soon as you want to add options, be prepared to be murdered. I’ll talk about this later.
Let’s take a look at desktops.
- Macs and Their Prices
- We Build a PC to Match a Baseline Mac Pro
- Total Misconceptions and Being Severely Misinformed
- The Truth to Apple's Pricing
- The Advantage: Running Mac OS X and Windows Vista
- OpenGL Interface, Quick View, Dashboard
- Integrated Utilities, and Built-in Options
- Windows is Getting Better Too
- The Never Ending PC and Mac War
For $1549 I purchase an HP laptop w/ 4 GB of RAM, 20.1 inch screen, Blu-Ray, 5 speakers, and an Nvidia 8800 GTS. My system absolutely crushes that $2000 MacBook Pro in every category... and still cost $450 less.
Don't get me wrong... I "get" Apple. They look awesome, are well built, have an awesome retail presence, and they are right for some people... just not for me.
What's the point? You can build a PC with hardware that isn't identical but PERFORMS better for CHEAPER. Picking the same overpriced PC components doesnt prove anything.
My gripe with apple's pricing is that there are no real budget oriented options. The cheapest macbook is 1000$+. The cheapest laptop I can find with Vista is 600 or less at Costco/Sams Club.
Everyone says that OS X is faster and yada yada yada. I know people are going to shoot me for this, but I find all of the fancy desktop effects to be VERY laggy except on laptops with a dedicated video card. The Laptops especially slow to a crawl unless they have >2gb of ram. Like Vista. I work on these every day and if I ever bought one, it'd be for the looks- the OS is nothing special IMO. I'd install Vista on it.
For $1549 I purchase an HP laptop w/ 4 GB of RAM, 20.1 inch screen, Blu-Ray, 5 speakers, and an Nvidia 8800 GTS. My system absolutely crushes that $2000 MacBook Pro in every category... and still cost $450 less.
Don't get me wrong... I "get" Apple. They look awesome, are well built, have an awesome retail presence, and they are right for some people... just not for me.
What's the point? You can build a PC with hardware that isn't identical but PERFORMS better for CHEAPER. Picking the same overpriced PC components doesnt prove anything.
Just to humour you though. The ENVY has a Carbon Fiber Chassis. BAM! There's 300 right there.
BTW i am both a PC and Mac Owner.
Dell sells the XPS M1530 which is a 15.4 inch laptop designed more for multimedia than for gaming (similar to the Mac). The M1530 starts at $1000, and with identical specs to the MacBook Pro (and Vista Ultimate), the price is $1650.
I bought an Acer laptop from Newegg.com 2 weeks ago for $399. It came with a Dual core pentium, 120GB HD, and 1GB ram. What can you get for $399 at the Apple store - a tricked out ipod?
Oh and another thing - if you play games at all, you can forget the Apple. Games just aren't made for it and the ones that are come out 1 year after the PC release.
The author's main point is that Macs are similarly priced to PC's. Then halfway through the article, he states that MAC prices are at a premium because it's from a top-shelf manufacturer and it is sold to cater to a "lifestyle. "
Which one is it you duplicitous fool? Are you actually acknowledging that Macs are severely overpriced vs. PC's?
Sony, with the same processor, better graphics, double the ram, bigger hard drive, and a Blue Ray drive, for $200 less.
http://shop3.frys.com/product/5635641?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
How much does it cost to get 4GB of ram on an Apple, oh yes another $200, so thats a $400 gap, and you still have a smaller screen, no blue ray drive, a smaller harddrive, and half the video memory.
Your Component list, and Laptop comparisons were clearly set up to put the mac at an advantage. Because there are so many many PC vendors, it should not be hard to find one that is screwing its customers like apple and charging too much; but the prices at the store shelf tell the true story.
Furthermore you choose two out of three products that are low volume special use items. The number of people that want a super thin and light notebook, or need a Dual Quad Core Machine, are very few. What program are you running that you need 8 processing cores? High End specialty systems are always going to draw a high price; that is to be expected; that Apple is competitive in the $3000 range does not matter to the vast vast majority of people who spend not even half that.
But when you compare Apple against a Mid range system, which the average buyer will be purchasing, the Mac falls short every time.
How about Mac Monitors?
20" $600 really?
http://store.apple.com/us/product/M9177LL/A?fnode=home/shop_mac/mac_accessories/displays&mco=MTI1NzI
That blazing 16ms response time is insane.
MacBook Pro, 15-inch, 2.4GHz $1,999.00
Part Number: MB133LL/A
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
200GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
SuperDrive 8X DVD+R DL/DVD+RW/CD-RW)
MacBook Pro 15-inch Widescreen Display
Backlit Keyboard
HP Pavilion Entertainment dv5t $1,124.99
* – Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
* – Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.4 GHz)
* – 15.4" diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
* – FREE Upgrade to 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 1GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* – 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
* – FREE Upgrade to 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* – HP Imprint Finish (Mesh) + Microphone + Webcam
* – HP Color Matching Keyboard
* – Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100AGN and Bluetooth(TM)
* – SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* – 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
However I do have solid reasoning. I also have legitimate hand’s on experience of [with] Macs.
I see no point to your obvious Mac-fanboyism, though I'm sure you'd argue there is a point and that you are not a Mac fanboy.
You attempt to argue Mac's are similarly priced to PC's. You then say Mac charges a premium.
BTW a Mac is a PC! PC = Personal Computer.
Mac is a brand name, so is Dell, HP, Alienware, Voodoo... These are all personal computers.
The thing is, with the first article I thought you were just sharing your personal opinion, however, with this article it's clear you're an apple fanboy and will be labeled as such. And yes, I'm being brutally honest here... it's for your own good.
There is yet to be a rational pro-OSX argument aside from the general idea of "usability," which, admittedly, Apple spends a lot of time on and usually gets right. I gotta say though, I was forced to use one of these atrocities at a BestBuy the other day to access internet, and I was quite turned off by several things that appeared to be major annoyances. I am an experienced user, though, and like things to be my way; easily accessible; not screwed up. And I use all 5+ buttons on my mouse and the scroll wheels. The one-button mouse MUST DIE. A painful death.
Out of the box, for a clueless person, Macs are indeed a good (albeit expensive; read the posts above) option. But c'mon, let's hear something actually convincing.
How about this. The next version of Photoshop will only natively support x64 in Windows. This does result in better performance with larger files, and the media-junkies are Apple's historical bread and butter (by the way, write about WYSIWYG, color management, etc. for Apple, which is much better, actually). Whoops.
Anyway. Better luck next time.