why should i NOT buy a MacBook - Page 2

Not true, Wooster, and, being a MB owner, neither do I. What he did NOT say, was that for most of us (ok, read: me ), the fact is that we've had outstanding service, and great relief in knowing that our machines are solid and reliable. On the rare occasions that something in it needs to be repaired or to be replaced, Apple has been superb in taking care of us. Not to say that Asus or any other company has problems with service, but in my own experience, Apple's service has been worth whatever small premium I may have paid for my Macs (yes, I know that what may seem like a small amount to me may not seem to be so for other folks, especially abf). As people so often say: you get what you pay for. For me, that means a nice-looking machine, reliabliity, enough power and great CS - an excellent ownership experience. If the above aren't reasons enough for some folks to buy Macs, then I'd say they're lucky there are so many other builders of laptops from which to choose.

So by that logic the 20GB PS3 is just as good as the 60GB PS3 (not taking the price difference into account), right?

Interestingly enough, my sister bought a Macbook to take to college and had the thing die in less than a week. She also was not pleased with their customer service when she tried to get a new one.

Not sure what you used to come to that conclusion, Wooster, but it wasn't logic and had nothing to do with anything I said. Too bad about your sister and her machine. I had a PowerBook which died after less than a week of ownership last year (I posted in the RET about the experience the afternoon it happened); it was replaced in less than a half hour when I returned it to the Apple Store. As I said, most of us have had excellent service - I did NOT say that every customer with whom Apple has ever dealt has been as satisfied as I. My sister would tell you that the builder of her own machine certainly has not pleased all of it's (IBM) customers. That doesn't mean IBM/Lenovo doesn't make excellent machines or please the vast majority of folks who buy its products. @abf: machines with specs similar to IBM machines can be had for less money but I doubt many owners would want anything else. Other things such as included software, reliability and CS are what make the difference to its customers. Oh, yeah, you don't want to discuss software . . .

You should, the X1600 in MBP is underclocked (because of the design) and doesnt match other X1600s in market.

No, it has to do with what kakaze said, and since you agreed with him I assumed that you also followed his logic. Claiming that the Macbook is just as good as a PC laptop because not everyone needs a good GPU is like claiming that the 20GB PS3 is just as good as the 60GB PS3. Sure, some people may not need the extra features on the 60GB version, but does that mean the 20GB one is just as good?

(the answer is no)


The lack of advanced GPUs in Macbooks is a definite downside to Macbooks. Whether this applies to the OP is an entirely different matter (seeing that he hasn't said what his intended uses are).

In all fairness, ABF hasnt flamed macs once in this thread. Kakaze and bmwrob jumped on him out of nowhere. That doesnt make you guys look too good.

But to be truely fair, he does have a reputation for doing so.

Oh, I know, Hense the disclaimer "In this thread"

Really the major difference here that just can't be justified IMO is the cost. You can get a comporable (or more powerful) pc laptop for hundreds less from Dell, Gateway, Hp, etc. Because of this, you get a lot more CHOICE with a pc laptop. First and foremost, you can shop and look around to find the pc that suites your tastes and interests the most. Yes, the macbooks are stylish and look nice, but other brands make laptops just as stylish (for less), but the style is of course different.

When it comes to software, yes, the mac may give you a more polished looking OS, but vista "looks" more polished now than Xp. Some obviously like some of the tight integration of software on a mac, but again, you lose choice! On the pc you get tons of choices of anti-virus, anti-spyware, office apps, photo apps, movie making apps, games, etc. With the mac, you get one or two choices for each category. Now they may be a good choice, but not always.

To other things bother me with the mac. One is that they are NO better at photo or video editing than a pc. This is LIE that apple fanatics have spouted for years and now that they use essentially the same hardware as a pc, it's been proven they aren't faster at those tasks when using the SAME programs. Also, Microsoft isn't the world's best company, but so many apple fans (not all, just most that I have spoken to) are hypocrits because they bash Microsoft for bundling products with its OS but gives Apple a free ride and praise them when they do the exact same thing!

Reason TO buy a macbook: Very high quality, well built computer. People here can argue all they want, but the fact of the matter is that macbooks have an incredibly high build quality. I won't argue that you pay a premium, but after skipping out on a mac twice for a "better deal" and having my computers crash and burn, i must admit that I'm starting to see the Mac premium as worth it. (Did I mention Apple has a great service rating?)

Reasons not to buy:

It is more expensive. Not the fastest video card and Mac OS doesn't have many games.

Coincidence? I think not...

I'm not sure what's totally going on in that ad (I don't have sound at my workplace), but it looks like apple was saying IBM pc users were like drones. Well that how apple seems to get people supporting them and that's by making them apple drones.

As for choice again, isn't it apple who advertises "think different"? But then again to be an apple user, doesn't everyone have to "think the same"? With choices, you can think different, without choices it sure is a lot harder.

Here's another thing that bugs me with the mac. At the grad school I go to, there are several professors and students who like to do their powerpoint or presentation converted to pdf on a mac. Every single time they have to fight with the projector to make things look ok, and even then they are never able to make the presentation an overlay or fullscreen. With the pc users who use pdf and especially powerpoint, they just click whatever mode they need to to send their image to the projector and choose "full screen" in their program. That's it, it works like a charm compared to the mac. The lesson: if you want to use your laptop to give presentations on, please look eslewhere.

The thing is that in 1984 through the early 2000s, Apple's "think different" strategy was based on the fact that their hardware, as well as software, was different. Now, at least in notebooks, it's more similar than ever before so the biggest difference between a Mac and a "PC", as I see it, has really come down to software and the "Apple look". Apple's service and build quality tend to both get fairly consistent high ratings, but so do the service and build quality of other computer companies. And Apple's notebooks are typically have a stylish design, but so do computers made by other companies. As has been referenced earlier in the thread, the added cost or premium for having a Mac is very comparable with the added cost or premium of having a Thinkpad. So Macs are no longer really that "different" from any other computers out there, except in the same way different brands of the same type of product differ.

@bmwrob- yes, I'm still keeping an eye on the thread. So far, it has stayed civil and people have presented good arguments on both sides.

Hey Ethan, welcome aboard.

As someone who only recently started learning how to use a mac, I can sympathize. Understand that the mac can be very different from windows. It took me several months to get used to the way macs did things. From a hardware/software standpoint, I really see no reason not to consider a mac unless you've:
a. got a set price you can afford that none of the macs will fill, or
b. there is a certain combination of things you have to have that none of the mac models can fulfill (ie: 'I need an nvidia 7600 go in the 13" macbook')

PC laptops offer more choices as far as price flexibility and hardware combinations are concernced. Macs however have a more even level of quality control and styling.

"If you're not a gamer, and style is your thing, you can't beat the mac for it's bling"

Uh, no.

I had actually posted in this thread BEFORE abf did. My post got eaten by the forum.

And I did not jump on anyone.

*steps into mod shoes*

Wooster, we don't need to go down that road. I would really like it if this thread can continue without flames.

@ jmanjohns... has it ever occured to you that your crashing and burning is a direct result of oyu buying an HP/Compaq ? There are better built brands out there (MSI, Twinhead, ASUS)

@rob ... i do own an IBM.... probably wouldn't buy another one right now though

@vampire... thank you for noticing

apple's quality and tech support is really up in the air and highly debatable, but then again it is with all other brands (yes, even IBM). Some of the people have horrible experiences with macbooks (whining fans, blown hdd, turning orange) while others have no complaints, and then when something does come up, some get it replaced/fixed @ the apple store or via RMA reasonably painlessly, others suffer. However, what we must consider in apple's case is that there is but a fraction of macbooks out there compared to HP and Dell systems, so even with the same failiure rate, you would hear of a broken apple less often than a broken dell or hp.

*can't resist chiming in*

To the OP's question, I can only think of one major reason NOT to buy a MacBook...and that's already been said. You do pay a premium for the Apple "style" for lack of a better word. That appeals to some, not to to others.

Now, if we assuming you're talking about a MacBook, and not a MacBook Pro, then I'm also going to assume a dedicated graphics card is not important to you. So here are a few reasons why you might want to buy a MacBook:

1) You like the looks...the size...the portability (I like the clean lines and book-like appearance)

2) You want to try something new...a different OS for one

3) You may enjoy the ease of use and functionality you get with the included iLife Suite. Is it perfect?....No, but it is easy to use and may get you experimenting with things you never thought you'd use (iMovie, iWeb, and so on)

4) You like the ease with which it interfaces with iTunes/iPods...again, pretty easy to do in a Windows notebook, but I do find it smoother with my MacBook.

5) While no system is completely clear of problems, I do find maintenance/virus checking/anti-spyware easier to deal with on the Mac (but I wouldn't buy it just for this, given the availability of a number of free and easy-to-use Windows apps)

That's my 5 cents on the subject - doesn't mean it's the right choice for you.

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Notebook Specs: Currently using a MacBook for internet surfing/email/photos/iTunes. Also using an Alienware for gaming, and a Dell 420 at work...(posted only to give the OP some idea of my usage, and for no other reason)

tarchy...thats the kind of flaming garbage we can deal without. as much as i sorta agree with you on the purpose of get a quality pc (say Asus W3v or A8j if the OP is looking for a 14" incher, or a G1 if a 15.4") and as shazza said "try something new (like a different os)" which can be achieved by simply installing linux (and not having to pay for OSX).. although probably NOT gentoo since he'll be a linux noob (i asume)