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why should i NOT buy a MacBook

post #1 of 85
12/5/06 at 3:41pm
Thread Starter 
hi every one i was looking around at some notebooks and was wondering what good reasons i should NOT buy a mac i am a long time windows user and know very little about a mac.


thanks for your help

Ethan
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post #2 of 85
12/5/06 at 4:27pm
Because you can get better specs for a PC. You don't have to pay all that money for the logo. If you intend to just run Windows anyway, why go through all the trouble of buying the MacBook, buying a copy of Windows, and then using Boot Camp.
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post #3 of 85
12/5/06 at 4:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by john101
hi every one i was looking around at some notebooks and was wondering what good reasons i should NOT buy a mac i am a long time windows user and know very little about a mac.


thanks for your help

Ethan

Reasons why not to get a Mac: First of all--as you say, you know very little about Macs. Second, Macs are a little more expensive than pcs. Finally, there are many more games for pc than there are for Mac.

Your buying decision will mainly depend on what you need to use it for. If you're going to be doing video or photo editing, your best choice would be a Mac. If you want to play the latest and greatest games, go with the pc.

Please note that you may be able to use bootcamp to boot your Mac into a Windows environment to play games. I'm not very well acquainted with bootcamp, so I can't say for sure whether or not the games will run as good as they would on an equivilant pc. Theoretically, the Intel-based Mac will give you the best of both worlds (Windows and Mac OS X). Someone that knows more about will likely reply in a few minutes.
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post #4 of 85
12/6/06 at 7:31pm
prices are true....you are still paying a premium on a macbook....and comparing it to Sony and ALienware who target a high-end market is rather un fair..

observe...

base 15" macbook pro ($1999)
-- Core Duo 2.16ghz
-- 1 gig ram
-- ati x1600 128mb
-- 120gb 5400rpm hdd
--- 6x superdrive
-- 15" 1440 x 900 widescreen

and Asus G1 ($1798.99) [thats $200 less than the apple]
--- 512mb nvidia 7700 [much faster]
--- 2gb ram [2x as much as the mac]
--- 2.00 ghz core duo [ 160mhz slower than mac]
--- 15.4" widescreen 1680 x 1050 [quite a few more pixels]
--- 8x superdrive [2x faster]

so....in the end you're getting much more system (except for the slightly slower cpu) for much less money. so yes kakaze....the mac price premium is still pretty much true
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post #5 of 85
12/6/06 at 7:35pm
double post
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post #6 of 85
12/7/06 at 12:24am
I thought I posted in this thread but my post is gone.

Either way 200 dollars is NOT a premium. 200 dollars is a fair variance between models. 4-500 dollars or more and then you could say it's a premium but not 200. When you're paying that much for a computer 200 dollars is not much less money.
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post #7 of 85
12/7/06 at 1:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kakaze
Either way 200 dollars is NOT a premium. 200 dollars is a fair variance between models. 4-500 dollars or more and then you could say it's a premium but not 200. When you're paying that much for a computer 200 dollars is not much less money.

well, in this case $200 is 10% which is pretty significant actually. also the $200 itself is really just 1/2 the story, if you notice the specs on the asus are far superior to that of the mac book in every respect (except the cpu).... so you're paying more money, for less laptop... that was my point.
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post #8 of 85
12/7/06 at 2:06am
They're not FAR superior. You're not comparing a PowerBook to the Asus, you're comparing a MacBook Pro. You just love to make it seem like Macs are the worst things on the planet.

Fact is is that either computer will function superlatively for pretty much everyone except those people who just NEED to have the fastest video card and who need to cram as many pixels into 15 inches as possible. Those people are in the minority.

Also, if you add the cost of things such as anti virus and anti spyware, etc, on top of the price of the Asus, things kind of even out as far as price is concerned.

And, while you can legally run Windows on a Mac, you can not legally run OS X on a PC.
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post #9 of 85
12/7/06 at 4:12am
My take is that Macs have a quicker and easier interface on their operating system, and since Apple writes so much of their own software, program functionality is a bit better overall since they don't have to deal with extensive variations between systems. And they don't get as many viruses because virus programmers write code in order to have the greatest effect, and many more computers use Windows than OS X. However, they're also more expensive than many comparable PCs, not compatible with as many programs (especially games), and are harder to tweak or modify.
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post #10 of 85
12/7/06 at 5:07am
the facts simply are that you can get a better PC for less money than a mac.

there is also still the fact that the best GPU available in a macbook pro is the x1600, while there are 7950's in pc based systems, as well as even SLI options.

now you can try and trivialize the above, but the OP asked for reasons he wouldn't want a mac. those are reasons.
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post #11 of 85
12/7/06 at 5:38am
And the money doesn't mean shit when you shop around and look at other brands, also not everyone needs an uber video card in their systems—why does everyone here always just assume that the computer is going to be used for gaming? Also the poster wants a MacBook sans Pro anyway which has integrated graphics—and, again, not everyone needs SLI. And right now SLI is a boutique option and you're gonna be paying a fair amount for it anyway, bringing your price up higher than a Mac.

Price is only an issue when there is a huge disparity between systems, and right now Macs are pretty close to the vast majority of laptops out there right now.
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post #12 of 85
12/7/06 at 5:55am
Just an observation and question...Why is it Mac owners tend to sound like the 'Hi I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC' soundbite? And if specs don't matter, why does the poster above this post have the specs in his sig? Quite similar specs, I might add, to a $900 Gateway.
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post #13 of 85
12/7/06 at 6:21am
for Kakaze.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sykozylot
now you can try and trivialize the above, but the OP asked for reasons he wouldn't want a mac. those are reasons.

<3
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post #14 of 85
12/7/06 at 6:31am
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post #15 of 85
12/7/06 at 6:48am
base 15" macbook pro ($1999)
-- Core Duo 2.16ghz
-- 1 gig ram
-- ati x1600 128mb
-- 120gb 5400rpm hdd
-- 6x superdrive
-- 15" 1440 x 900 widescreen

My dell E1505 cost just under $1150 a month ago.
-- Intel Core 2 Duo processor T7200 (4MB/2.0GHz/667MHz)
-- 15.4 Inch UltraSharp TrueLife Wide-screen WSXGA+
-- 1GB DDR2 533MHz
-- 256MB ATI MOBILITY RADEON X1400
-- 120GB 5400RPM SATA HDD
-- Dell 1390abg
-- 355 Bluetooth

The apple brand is a premium.
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post #16 of 85
12/7/06 at 9:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kakaze

Also, if you add the cost of things such as anti virus and anti spyware, etc, on top of the price of the Asus, things kind of even out as far as price is concerned.

And, while you can legally run Windows on a Mac, you can not legally run OS X on a PC.

here we go...bring out the software arguement....we're comparing hardware here buddy! AV and spyware apps are completely optional (or you can just run linux) and even then there are plenty of GOOD and FREE versions available (avast and spybot). so don't go there and just admit that obviously the macbook is a slower/weaker system which charges a $200 premium.
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post #17 of 85
12/8/06 at 3:26am
I will not admit that the Macbook is a slower/weaker system because it uses the same bloody processors as any other computer out there now and integrated graphics doesn't make it weak unless you need dedicated graphics.

Nor will I admit that the MacBook Pro is slower/weaker because it also uses the same processors as any other computer out there and there are still many computers being sold with the same video solution.

I do admit that you can get other computers for cheaper, some of which are better suited towards 3d work—gaming and visualisation—but the MacBooks and MacBook Pros are damn good computers for their target markets.
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post #18 of 85
12/8/06 at 4:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kakaze
I will not admit that the Macbook is a slower/weaker system because it uses the same bloody processors as any other computer out there now and integrated graphics doesn't make it weak unless you need dedicated graphics.

Nor will I admit that the MacBook Pro is slower/weaker because it also uses the same processors as any other computer out there and there are still many computers being sold with the same video solution.
What's it like living with your eyes closed and your hands over your ears?
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post #19 of 85
12/8/06 at 5:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by abf
here we go...bring out the software arguement....we're comparing hardware here buddy!
You're not - you're simply knocking Apple/Mac, as always.
Quote:
Originally Posted by abf
well, in this case $200 is 10% which is pretty significant actually. also the $200 itself is really just 1/2 the story, if you notice the specs on the asus are far superior to that of the mac book in every respect (except the cpu).... so you're paying more money, for less laptop... that was my point.
Nowhere has anyone mentioned that you have deemed Apple software unworthy of consideration while comparing prices - not that I (or anyone else, for that matter) care what you may or may not deem appropriate. The topic of the thread is: Why the OP should not buy a Mac. Neither hardware nor software is the subject, so by what authority have you deemed that software isn't being compared . . . buddy? @Wooster: come on, that comment to Kakaze wasn't necessary. @D-Rob: Still following this thread?
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post #20 of 85
12/8/06 at 5:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bmwrob
@Wooster: come on, that comment to Kakaze wasn't necessary.
Yes, it was. He simply refuses to accept that a weaker GPU is a strike against the Macbook. Whether or not a hypothetical buyer requires a good GPU is nothing but a straw-man arguement.
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