I have owned Dell laptops before. They fell apart, literally. I like HP way better. Next time I buy a PC though I plan on giving a Lenovo a shot.
One advantage that MACs have over Windows-based PCs is that they don't worry about legacy hardware/software very much. It is relatively easy to design a stable OS when you control the hardware that it runs on. With a MAC you can't choose the OS and hardware separately. They experimented with that for a while but gave that up. Windows, on the other hand, generally HAS to be backwards compatible and HAS to run on an infinite variety of hardware. I'm actually surprised that Windows works as well as it does given the amount of code that third-party vendors are allowed to install into Kernal Mode (i.e. drivers). If MACs had to be backwards compatible with most every piece of Apple-based software ever written and they allowed you to install the OS on any hardware you wanted (thus having to allow third-party drivers), MACs would be just as "iffy" as PCs are. Vista was a MS attempt to break away from legacy stuff to get real advancements in security and stability and look at how many people complained that their old stuff didn't work? Or that they couldn't get drivers for some random, third-party piece of hardware? Granted Vista had other issues as well but when you control EVERYTHING (i.e. OS, hardware and most of the software) you will end up with a very stable system. But you won't have much choice. You just have to like what they give you.
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/apple_unveils_new_product Apple Unveils New Product-Unveiling Product March 6, 2007 | Issue 43•10 SAN FRANCISCO—At a highly anticipated media event Tuesday at San Francisco's Moscone Center, Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs introduced a new Apple product he said would "revolutionize" the process of unveiling new products throughout the world. "In 1984, Apple introduced the Mac," Jobs said to an overflowing crowd as an image of the first Macintosh computer was displayed on a giant screen behind him. "We changed the face of the music industry with the first iPod in 2001. And in January, we showed off the revolutionary new iPhone. Today, Apple is releasing a piece of innovative new technology that will forever change the way innovative new technology is released." The iLaunch, as the new product is called, was then raised up from below the stage, prompting the audience of technology journalists, developers, and self-professed "Apple fanatics" to burst into a five-minute standing ovation. "Get ready for the future of product introduction," said Jobs, looking resplendent in a black turtleneck and faded jeans. "The iLaunch will be able to make announcements from this, or any other stage, making human participation in generating consumer awareness almost entirely unnecessary." The iLaunch runs Keynote-formatted presentations in high definition through a built-in projector while displaying a 3-D rotating image of the product. Voice-recognition software, Apple's most advanced to date, can recite a speech highlighting the features of the device while injecting several clever digs at competitors. Should a product demonstration experience a glitch or malfunction, the iLaunch boasts a complex algorithm that can automatically produce humorous and distracting quips. Described in its patent filing as a "hype-generating mechanism with fully integrated Mac compatibility," the iLaunch is powered by Intel dual-core processors optimized to calculate a product's gravitas. Apple claims the iLaunch can garner the same amount of press attention as a major scientific discovery, high court ruling, celebrity meltdown, or natural disaster at 200 times the speed of a traditional media-fostered launch. "If you want to condition the public to liken your product to the telephone and the internal combustion engine in importance, that's now possible with iLaunch," Jobs said. "And it's so easy, even an intern can use it." According to Jobs, the innovative iLaunch not only makes product launching infinitely easier, it could forever change corporate structure itself. "For too long, hands-on, maverick CEOs have devoted their valuable time to strutting around on stage and breathlessly describing the features of their new products, in the process encouraging cults of personality that could have a detrimental long-term effect on their companies," Jobs said. "Apple's goal within the next 12 months is to make me totally obsolete." This comment earned the Apple CEO another, slightly longer, standing ovation. As his presentation wound down, Jobs said there was "one more thing" he wanted to mention: The iLaunch automatically saves a significant, salient product feature for the end of a presentation, to surprise and delight audiences. "Do you want to know what the surprise of this unveiling is?" said Jobs to the eagerly nodding crowd. "The iLaunch itself generated this entire presentation, as well as this very surprise." Even amid fevered speculation, Apple was typically mum before the launch product's launch, and Mac rumor websites failed to predict any major details about the new offering, other than the fact that it was going to "change everything" and "be huge." Post-launch reaction has been even more ecstatic. "Before today, I couldn't imagine paying $12,000 for a product-unveiling product," CNET editor Jasmine France said after the presentation. "Now I can't imagine living without it." Shortly after Jobs' address, Microsoft announced that they are working on a similar product, the Launch-O, due to debut in 2009.
I've been a professional IT tech for ten years, and a closet geek before that, so I've worked on every make out there. You just cited the two worst makers of laptops out there in HP and Lenovo. Dells were pieces until about three years ago. Now they are the best thing out there for the money. The XPS M1330 is my favorite laptop of all time, and you can get it for under a grand and load XP on it. As for Macs- I can't deny that they're slick, but I think you pay for that premium branding- the uber-cool stores and advertising, the pretentious 'geniuses' at the stores, etc.
I won't argue with you about design. HP Computers are very sleek and look nice. However, every person I know with an HP has had their computer crap out on them numerous times and would never recommend to anyone else to buy a HP computer. Maybe I just have a weird sample size, but that has been my experience.
I've used both and used to be a pretty anti-mac person. Personally, I now prefer using OSX to Vista/XP/7 but don't believe one sucks and the other is god's gift to computing. One thing I'd like to point out to a lot of people comparing specs is that you don't need as much to run OSX as you'd need on Vista/7. 2GB on OSX is pretty much all you'd ever need unless you need to have 150 programs open at once.
Mac owners will pay twice the retail for online p*rn and thus are entitled to a safe p*rn browsing experience.
I am willing to believe that. The Dell laptop I had I bought in 2002. It was clunky and really compartmentalized... and those compartments started falling out of the computer after about a year and a half, such as the floppy drive and battery. Granted, computers don't come with floppy drives anymore. I would be willing to believe though that their newer designs are better. I am kind of surprised to hear your comments on Lenovo, mainly due to the fact that everyone I know that has them love them. Maybe I just don't know enough people that have them.
I would suggest that there are HP "pro" laptops and HP "consumer" laptops. The HP consumer laptops aren't that great, IMO, however, I really like the "pro" models. Very solid and no-nonsense. Not very sexy (like a Mac) but they work.
the bmw vs Kia analogy is flawed. a more accurate analogy is you both buy the same exact car (the hardware) but the Mac one costs $800 more because it has leather seats and power windows.
I will expand on this: they're both almost exact mid sized SUV's.. the mac costs twice as much as a "PC" because it has badass shiny paint and pimped out rims (and it's easier to drive), but the "PC" is 4 wheel drive with a bigger engine and despite not looking as great as the mac, the PC is more customizable, more reliable, and has better gas mileage .. as for the HP comments earlier, I definitely agree that the new line they came up with isn't as high of a quality as the old ones (as a matter of fact, the absolute BEST brand of laptops was Compaq, but then HP bought it and it shot to hell).. I'm currently typing from a 5 year old "Compaq HP" nx7010 (it's in the "business laptops" line) and it works better than 90% of the new laptops out there (this could be a result of me being ultra careful with it).. this computer has given me minor troubles throughout the time I've owned it (just recently, I started getting a red line down my screen that would go away when I move it, turns out it's a result of the screen being bent because of the movement in my backpack) but I've been looking at a lot of laptops recently, and quite franky, I'm not impressed by the Dells at all.. they're material just seems so freaking cheap; the keyboard feels like it's cracking under your fingers, and it looks like they made the case of the laptop out of crude plastic.. I hate the ultra shiny HPs because you can never get rid of the finger marks on it, and it looks quite hideous.. Lenovo and other 2nd tier brand just don't do it for me, but one brand that has really impressed me is Gateway.. I really like the direction they're heading and they're by far the least expensive of them all..
To address the original point, and not the ridiculous bashing and propping on both sides, the ad is their best effort yet to combat the "I'm a Mac" ads that people love/hate. How effective? Well, debatable, and probably only noticeably effective with those that might have been considering jumping the windows ship. Still, a good jab at the [perceived] competition without getting very smarmy. It's the usual skewed perspective of indirect competition between a company that makes an OS, and a company that makes their own hardware AND the OS that goes on it (not that you can't run Windows on a Mac if you wanted to). M$ isn't making hardware, they have to pay her to find another brand of computer that runs their software and put that in the ad. I get it, but it's always a bit skewed in my mind. Bottom line, interesting that they finally feel the need to start addressing Apple at all, as they basically ignored them for a long time due to their market share dominance (the proliferation of which was their real coup, long ago). What I find funny about the responses here is how the crowd that calls mac users uninformed and pretentious has its most vocal and deliberate proponents demonstrating those very traits.... more and more. I'm a macpc, or a pcmac, depends where I'm at and what I need to do. Anyone who thinks a mac is only good at wikiwikiwiki (whatever that is) and browsing probably has never used one in any knowledgeable or task driven capacity... just like anyone who thinks a PC sucks has probably never worked on a good one or in a knowledgeable or task driven capacity. There are lots of reasons why macs have few/no viruses, and there are lots of reasons PCs are used more in enterprise and have more hardware/software available. It's called Market Share, and furthered by focusing on client base by both M$ and Apple, as well as third party vendors. People with their sensibilities hurt by a preference to either platform in others, or worried about fluctuations in market share driven by the computer choices of others need to get out of sheeple mode and quit hating just because. Or don't... whatever. Oddly, people seem to care.
I've had both Lenovo's and Dell and haven't had any problems with either one and I abuse the crap out of them.
Mac's are great for the people Apple market them for... the people who use them while sipping a latte at their local cafe while updating 'i'm drinking a latte, next im going shopping' on their facebook status so their other Mac friends can keep up to date with all their movements and feelings. But seriously they're ok... I have always found them overpriced for what you get...stay clear from Vista and there are little problems with PC. I prefer the fact that I have the ability to throw a pretty good setup together for what I need it for (Gaming, Design, Video editing) for about $1000, where as a similar spec setup even as a PC in a store will be $2000+ and Mac you're looking at the top end to match it. The getting what you pay for saying doesn't work in this situation because if you spend $3000 to setup a PC its going own anything for that price on Mac. It's like a lot of people here have said, if its just for net surfing or design purposes then use the Mac for its ease of use. My gf only uses a computer for the net and when she said she wanted something that would be hassle free and last a while I suggested the Mac. That my opinion anyways.
I really enjoy the mac system when i'm working with programs like adobe illustrator, photoshop, and all these art programs. But for other purposes like gaming and stuff, I enjoy the PC much more.
In case anyone was interested in further analysis: http://www.slate.com/id/2215267/ http://technologizer.com/2008/10/19/is-the-new-macbook-expensive/3/ http://technologizer.com/2009/03/31/hey-lauren-is-apples-17-inch-macbook-pro-expensive/
