How exactly is apple "overpriced junk?"

[slackerinabox]

Anyone think it's funny that the op tried pulling the "you hate Macs because your to poor to afford one" line when he was just looking for an entry level iT job?

I was being snarky, my point being that cheap does not necessarily equal value. And I happily got a job better than entry level. I don't mean to make fun of poor people. I have quite a bit of respect for the people struggling, often without any fault. I just find the mocking and judgements thrown toward apple fans goofy and tinged with subversive jealousy - it's strange to me that we, as nerds, don't appreciate that AN AMERICAN COMPANY is making tech cool, accessible, sexy, and fun. As far as being overpriced? I'm proud that we have a free market and that Apple can charge what people are willing to pay.

 

[slackerinabox]

Can we all just agree that his wife is nerd/geek and you're just an asshole?

I don't like man card talk... I used to get a lot of that being a city boy from my midwestern/southern in-laws. You know, "real men" who drive trucks, play sports, and beat their wives. And I'm an asshole, sure.

 

[Anonemous]

Is this the same guy in the who made those threads in the Notebooks forum touting his new mac book air and how he wanted to lick it?

 

[OverVolt]

Poor people own apple products, truth.

Its about 80% broke Gen X and Gen Y, then 20% moderately wealthy older Gen X.

Most people who are marginally poor are worried about "looking poor" and they actually make themselves poor buying useless shit like Ipads.

 

[reallyscrued]

Laptops are always an iffy subject area. Each generation of processor/integrated chipsets hold their own to which manufacturer makes the most appealing laptop (in my opinion) as far as aesthetics, performance, reliability, etc.

Currently, Apple is doing really well in comparison to other laptop brands who have their heads up their asses and won't combine a lot of what make their business line laptops great and their personal laptops suck ass.

 

[slackerinabox]

Is this the same guy in the who made those threads in the Notebooks forum touting his new mac book air and how he wanted to lick it?

Yep, but that's taboo yet we can all talk about the next stupidly named android release being so delicious without ridicule.

 

[cheezy321]

You can get a $500 Windows laptop that is faster than a $1200 Mac laptop.

The cheapest Apple laptop, a $1000 MacBook Air, comes with 2 GB of non-upgradable RAM. Increasing it to 4 GB from the factory (since there is no upgrade slot) costs $100, which is approximately 10x what it costs to actually buy an extra 2 GB of RAM from NewEgg or something.

Anyone who tries to say Apple computers aren't overpriced is deluded.

I won't say that they have bad build quality, because they don't. They're very well made, I'll give them that. But if you take good care of your computer and don't toss it around all the time, that shouldn't be an issue. Then again if you look around, 90% or more of people treat everything they own like shit. Nearly every other person's laptop I've used has a disgusting messy screen, dents/scratches everywhere, broken keys, etc. To these careless people, Macs are super great because it means they can continue to be lazy slobs and their computer won't break.

Ok, game on. This is how these topics always go.

Find me an ultrabook that is comparable to the $1200 macbook air in looks, specs, battery life and size. According to your own rules, it would need to be < $500.

Ok GO!

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I was being snarky, my point being that cheap does not necessarily equal value. And I happily got a job better than entry level. I don't mean to make fun of poor people. I have quite a bit of respect for the people struggling, often without any fault. I just find the mocking and judgements thrown toward apple fans goofy and tinged with subversive jealousy - it's strange to me that we, as nerds, don't appreciate that AN AMERICAN COMPANY is making tech cool, accessible, sexy, and fun. As far as being overpriced? I'm proud that we have a free market and that Apple can charge what people are willing to pay.

It wasn't funny, it just makes you look bitter. And no offense but I'd bet a decent number of people on this forum make more than you do.

There is nothing sexy about a laptop, it's just a tool that should be as functional as possible. I don't go to the hardware store and look for a sexy chain saw that has a matching man purse I go and get the one that's the best at cutting wood. Laptops are no different which is why I only use Thinkpads, cheaper and better than anything Apple offers.

 

[slackerinabox]

Poor people own apple products, truth.

Its about 80% broke Gen X and Gen Y, then 20% moderately wealthy older Gen X.

Most people who are marginally poor are worried about "looking poor" and they actually make themselves poor buying useless shit like Ipads.

Actually, every wealthy person I'm related to or know use apple products, unless it's a work issued thinkpad. Blackberry used to be the phone of choice but that's slipping these days. According to a useless wikipedia blurb - "Market research indicates that Apple draws its customer base from a higher-income demographic than the mainstream personal computer market.[140]"

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Ok, game on. This is how these topics always go.

Find me an ultrabook that is comparable to the $1200 macbook air in looks, specs, battery life and size. According to your own rules, it would need to be < $500.

Ok GO!

Look at the x220 vs MBP 13 comparison I posted a few pages ago and the op ignored. Granted the x220 was not half the price but it certainty offers more bang for your buck than the MBP.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I don't know a single wealthy person who uses a Mac hwoever I do know plenty of baristas and college kinds spending Mommy and Daddys money who have them.

 

[OverVolt]

Actually, every wealthy person I'm related to or know use apple products, unless it's a work issued thinkpad. Blackberry used to be the phone of choice but that's slipping these days. According to a useless wikipedia blurb - "Market research indicates that Apple draws its customer base from a higher-income demographic than the mainstream personal computer market.[140]"

Probably all the broke Gen Y buying apple products under their parents names.

 

[OverVolt]

I don't know a single wealthy person who uses a Mac hwoever I do know plenty of baristas and college kinds spending Mommy and Daddys money who have them.

Ditto. Its more like a ratio, I know 1-2 wealthy and like 100 poor baristas.

 

[slackerinabox]

It wasn't funny, it just makes you look bitter. And no offense but I'd bet a decent number of people on this forum make more than you do.

There is nothing sexy about a laptop, it's just a tool that should be as functional as possible. I don't go to the hardware store and look for a sexy chain saw that has a matching man purse I go and get the one that's the best at cutting wood. Laptops are no different which is why I only use Thinkpads, cheaper and better than anything Apple offers.

Where do these rules for laptop use come from? I would argue that macs are the perfect blending of form and function, but what is wrong with preferring to use a tool with great fit/finish/design/and overall aesthetics? My father, a mechanical engineer, marveled at my air for being outstanding industrial design - "people don't value that anymore..It's a shame.." I agree!

 

[JSt0rm]

I believe you end up paying 25% more for the Mac product on a component level. Well worth it.

 

[vi edit]

I don't know a single wealthy person who uses a Mac hwoever I do know plenty of baristas and college kinds spending Mommy and Daddys money who have them.

Nearly every physician and pharmacist I work with has an iPhone, an iPad and a macbook of some sort. Poor group of baristas there.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Is great design the reason Apple's laptops have historically suffered from cooling problems and tend to be rather fragile?

 

[slackerinabox]

Probably all the broke Gen Y buying apple products under their parents names.

http://news.cnet.com/2100-1040-943519.html

(I know that's from 2002 but was the first google hit)

 

[SP33Demon]

..it's strange to me that we, as nerds, don't appreciate that AN AMERICAN COMPANY is making tech cool, accessible, sexy, and fun. As far as being overpriced? I'm proud that we have a free market and that Apple can charge what people are willing to pay.

Quick question, why do gamers make fun of people who buy Alienware? Hell, at least with Alienware you get vastly superior stats, still way overpriced though.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Nearly every physician and pharmacist I work with has an iPhone, an iPad and a macbook of some sort. Poor group of baristas there.

Fair enough but I bet they don't spend their time talking about how poor anyone who doesn't have one must be.

 

[OverVolt]

http://news.cnet.com/2100-1040-943519.html

(I know that's from 2002 but was the first google hit)

They're older Gen X and that was true in 2002.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

You need to upgrade your shoes. It's hard to get anything good for less than 300. I'm talking sartorially and quality. A lot of people recommend Allen Edmonds, which are damn comfortable and can be repaired as they wear down. Some of their designs look outdated though IMHO. Another thing you should be upgrading are your dress shirts. If you don't get MTM you should be getting something decent off the rack like Thomas pink and get that thing tailored.

Do that and then you'll be living the dream.

 

[slackerinabox]

They're older Gen X and that was true in 2002.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/05/mac-users-are-richer-cool_n_310332.html

 

[sigurros81]

Where do these rules for laptop use come from? I would argue that macs are the perfect blending of form and function, but what is wrong with preferring to use a tool with great fit/finish/design/and overall aesthetics? My father, a mechanical engineer, marveled at my air for being outstanding industrial design - "people don't value that anymore..It's a shame.." I agree!

The rules are made up by all these so-called internet pros because everything in their world is either black or white, none of that rational in-betweens.

I will agree Apple does have beautiful industrial design, but I think they take it a tad too far with the "form over function" mantra. When the iPad came out, I thought it was a great tablet, but too pricey for what it was at the time. Now that the 3rd generation is coming out, I finally think that the features is worthy of the price tag, that's why I'm getting one.

As for the person's comment that the only people they know that uses apple products are Barristas and college kids--that's purely anecdotal, and a shitty one at that. There's an industry of artists, photographers, designers, movie makers that use Apple, mainly because they're not very tech savvy and Apple caters to those who are not too entuned with technology.

 

[slackerinabox]

You need to upgrade your shoes. It's hard to get anything good for less than 300. I'm talking sartorially and quality. A lot of people recommend Allen Edmonds, which are damn comfortable and can be repaired as they wear down. Some of their designs look outdated though IMHO. Another thing you should be upgrading are your dress shirts. If you don't get MTM you should be getting something decent off the rack like Thomas pink and get that thing tailored.

Do that and then you'll be living the dream.

I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic since I've never heard of these brands I'm not a poseur in that I don't know anything about fashion, but I do get why banana republic costs more than old navy. To be clear, I'm not saying I'm a better person because I own a mac, I'm just saying it's not wrong to value different things. Heck, my dad wears payless shoes and is an outstanding fellow while my uncle wears armani this, gucci that and is a complete prick.