Are MACS just really overpriced PCs?

[Merovingian]

Originally posted by: LaminatorI'd have to disagree slightly with that statement. I wouldn't call their design "superior". It seems like they take sacrifices to provide the form factor. The underclocked Mobility X1600 in the MacBook Pro is one example. Also, the iMac uses mobile parts. Not a big deal in terms of real-world performance, but just because something is thin and light doesn't mean that Apple has some special design magic to make all the components fit into the nice-looking case. They're subject to the same engineering constrictions as everyone else, and they don't actually build their own hardware. What you do get is the refinement, the OS, and the proprietary style.

OK, I'm willing to iron out our differences. You may be right on some accounts but apple does have design magic. Silly to say they don't build their own hardware, who does? It's not about which sweat shop makes it, it's about who designs the process. Unlike many other companies, execs do not make make many engineering decisions at apple, engineers do. Apple engineers are responsible for making sure that the final product is produced to spec, deal and choose which vendor is worked with. iphone, imac, ipod, imake your stock options jump every macworld, it's no wonder why they attract excellent engineers, the stock options are owning. If you have a hard time understanding why apple dominates it's because you apparently are not thinking "differently". Wrap your brain around apples flagship hardware products, then please explain to the market what they are doing wrong, I'm sure they are waiting to hear.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: Aluvus

Originally posted by: drag
The industrial design of Macs tend to be very good and they tend to be quiet computers, which may not matter a whole lot to some people, but it matters to a lot of people.

I hate to be "that guy", but FWIW my roommate's Macbook Pro is far louder than his Lenovo Thinkpad (why he has both, I couldn't tell you). That is mainly a factor of its significant thermal management problems, which lead to the fan running all the time.

I said 'tend to be quiet', not 'always quieter'.

There have been quite a few turkeys that Apple has produced. The Macbook Pro was a nice example of a big overpriced, overhyped, POS. Especially when compared to the Centrino boxes. Probably a major factor why they moved to x86.

You can tell good industrial design when the morons.. er top notch Apple Engineers decide that it's a good idea to encase the wireless antenna in metal behind the LCD in a laptop.. which is also backed by metal.

Another one was the infamous 'Wind Tunnel' PowerMacs.. The ones with the shiny front.

But if you look at the Imacs.. The 'lampshade' one with the movable LCD on the stand.. and the more recent version that is basicly a core duo machine built into the back of a LCD display.. those are pretty quiet. I've used the Imac lcd-on-a-stalk and those are dead quiet. Same thing with the Emac models.. very quiet.

I have a Ibook, installed Debian on it. Whoever designed the power plug for those G4 ibooks should be dragged out into the street and beaten. 'oh, look.. a nice little laptop. And isn't that nice! the power plug glows!!'

(and sticks out 2 inches, and falls out if you accidently breath on it. Oh.. Did I tell you it's easy damaged.. and propriatory? ... and you have to buy the entire 75 dollar power plug rather then just replace the end... and the power plug falls out of the wall when big trucks drive past??)

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

Yeah, Macs are really overpriced. You're basically paying a $400 premium for an OS and a shiny white case.