How well do Apple computers hold their value?

[remagavon]

Originally posted by: swatX

Originally posted by: CitizenDoug
So as I'm sure you have all figured out by the gazillion questions I've asked around here I am starting a computer business.

One thing unique about it is that I am determined to run every creative aspect of it myself.

So I've already composed a lot of the music (hope to get it onto the computer with iGarage) and am in the process of getting a high def. video recorder to start making some commercials..

So do you guys think a G5 would be a good investment? Do Apple computers hold their value well? I know IPods do so I would imagine these would too.. I just don't want to buy a $200 computer and have it tank in value in no time flat like an expensive PC would..

g5 wont hold any value after 1-2 years of use. if you are spending 2000$, why not just build a mid-high end PC. you might save few $$ that u can use for other equipment

This Mac, was launched on August 13, 2002. It only has upgraded memory from what I can tell.

This was also launched in mid/late 2002, and retailed for $3,000.

 

[PingSpike]

You're not going to make any money off either of them. Computers make new car purchases look like a sound investment by comparison.

 

[0roo0roo]

yup their value is their productivity/ease of use/reliability while you are using them. nothing more. maybe if you save it for a few decades in pristine condition. the cult of mac will make ebay an option i guess. heck the boxes for the first macs cost more then the macs themselves lol.. its cuz people never thought to save em

 

[0roo0roo]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1886411832/qid=1127582574/

 

[eflat]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
You're not going to make any money off either of them. Computers make new car purchases look like a sound investment by comparison.

I'm not looking to make a good investment. Just a better investment than a PC

But I do think a MAC that I get at a $300 discount will hold it's value for a couple of years -- which a PC would never do. That is to say if I pay $1800, in two years I think it is still going to be worth about $900.

That same PC would be worth $100.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
no computers hold value
they are commodities

keep it , use it , throw it away when it gets old

:thumbsup:

 

[remagavon]

Originally posted by: CitizenDoug

Originally posted by: PingSpike
You're not going to make any money off either of them. Computers make new car purchases look like a sound investment by comparison.

I'm not looking to make a good investment. Just a better investment than a PC

But I do think a MAC that I get at a $300 discount will hold it's value for a couple of years -- which a PC would never do. That is to say if I pay $1800, in two years I think it is still going to be worth about $900.

That same PC would be worth $100.

See my previous post; the systems I mentioned were literally launched at the same time (months if that apart). It's a good inidication.

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: mchammer

Originally posted by: randumb
they hold value very well compared to PCs. it astounds me the prices that retarded people are willing to pay for old macs.

fixed

And QFT!!!


Ok op, While I think its stupid to purchase a mac period, if your GOING to purchase one, pick an intel mac because the current ones will be useless once they make software for the intel architecture and not for the older one.

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: jspeicher
boil 'em mash 'em stick 'em in a stew

PO TATOES PO TATOES!

 

[manly]

Power Macs will drop in value once dual-core, dual-processor models are released.

 

[alkemyst]

hold their value?

about as well as a used tampax, worthless to most, but some idiot out there may pay top dollar for one.

 

[JinLien]

Originally posted by: HomerSapien

Originally posted by: CitizenDoug

Just can't decide if I should spend the extra $200 for the "Applecare" 3 year protection plan. Any thoughts? It would really be worth it if I get a display but I don't think I'm going to. Would you guys pay $200 to extend the warranty and get free tech support? Anyone know if they have good tech support? (they better!)

Get it. I didnt use mine, but my friend had world of warcraft kill two laptops and apple replaced each one. Yeah, you could say he was addicted to the game. He had a 15" powerbook with basic options (512MBram or 60GB harddrive) and they sent him a brand new one with upgrades (backlit keyboard, processor speed increase, 1gb ram, 80 gb hdd). He just sent it in for the second repair. The first case, it was bad ram which led to the hard drive dying. The second time, the hard drive kept overheating. He did not have it on a stand while he played.

You mean your friend paid for repair on defective products?

 

[alkemyst]

how does software kill hardware?

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: CitizenDoug

Originally posted by: PingSpike
You're not going to make any money off either of them. Computers make new car purchases look like a sound investment by comparison.

I'm not looking to make a good investment. Just a better investment than a PC

But I do think a MAC that I get at a $300 discount will hold it's value for a couple of years -- which a PC would never do. That is to say if I pay $1800, in two years I think it is still going to be worth about $900.

That same PC would be worth $100.

I've purchased a powerbook, an ibook, and and am now upgrading that ibook to a new ibook and I have lost a minimum for each. I lost about $50 on the powerbook over 14 months, and planning on losing about $200 on the ibook after 18 months and three revisions. Not too bad, IMHO.

 

[alm4rr]

depreciable asset

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: CitizenDoug

You know why artists love Macs? It's not because they look pretty -- it's because a severely retarded person (like myself) could sit down at one and be making professional quality music and video productions in 5 minutes. There is like NO learning curve.

I'm big on simplicity and to me OS X is pure genious. As is Steve Jobs I guess.

Artists love Macs because artists are emotional, not logical. They're easily fooled by creative marketing aimed squarely at their over-emotional "thought" process.

Mac owners think OSX and Steve Jobs are pure genius because of the reason you mention above- make a computer that even severely retarded people can use, and only severely retarded people will use it.

 

[thirdlegstump]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
how does software kill hardware?

It's possible. Viruses do this all the time.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: deathkoba

Originally posted by: alkemyst
how does software kill hardware?

It's possible. Viruses do this all the time.

Do you have an example? I hear people say this all the time but when I examine their computer, it turns out that the virus didn't kill it at all.

 

[Sonikku]

Originally posted by: HomerSapien
I bought a g4 667 mhz tibook 4 years ago for $3000. ($350 went to sevice plan i never used)

Last month i saw a tibook g4 450 model for for $700 on ebay and a tibook 667 with upgraded hard drive and ram go for $1000. I am not sure how that compares to pc laptops built at the same time.

$3000 4 years ago? Ouch...

I got my G4 2 years ago with a 1.25 ghz cpu for $1100... One year ago you could get the same specs for $499, in a much smaller unit too.

 

[alm4rr]

Originally posted by: deathkoba

Originally posted by: alkemyst
how does software kill hardware?

It's possible. Viruses do this all the time.

over voltage?

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: deathkoba

Originally posted by: alkemyst
how does software kill hardware?

It's possible. Viruses do this all the time.

Do you have an example? I hear people say this all the time but when I examine their computer, it turns out that the virus didn't kill it at all.

He is trolling, same way you are bashing OSX without probably even really using it ever.

OSX is a great OS for the consumer. You do realize it's truly *nix based.

My brother gave up Windows in 91, he was all of about 18 years old. Free BSD on an Amiga 3000T started him....guy has major certs and connections in the cyber world: CCIE he did in a year, CCISP, did MCSE in about 2 months....he is running a G4 or 5 something with the big screen. Makes more than I do a year in just quarterly bonuses and I am not doing so bad.

He uses a thinkpad for his windows needs.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Sonikku

$3000 4 years ago? Ouch...

Don't look at an IBM PS/2 Model 80 (386/20) back in 1987 then....$25,000 and you got a snazzy 14" XGA monitor, and I believe 4MB RAM, 320MB EDSI drive.

Imagine buying a car for $25k in 1987 and within 5 years you were lucky if you didn't have to pay someone to pick it up in mint condition.

My Apple //e was about $3000 in the mid 80's...by 90 something a few hundred bucks.

 

[OdiN]

Apple computers do hold more value compared to PC's. The reason is that Apple severely overprices any upgrades and Mac users end up thinking hardware is worth a lot more than it really is. PC users know more about the value of hardware IMO...at least compared to the average Joe Mac user.

My friend bought a PowerMac G4 when they first came out...they were like what? $2500 or something? Anyway...at this price...it DID NOT include a keyboard or mouse. You had to purchase those seperately...WTF is up with that?

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Originally posted by: CitizenDoug

Originally posted by: CitizenDoug

Originally posted by: deathkoba
They definitely hold value very well as already been mentioned that new software often run perfectly fine even on 5 year old machines without stuttering. That $3000 G5 will sell for $1500 3 years down the line. You can't even get $200 for a similarly priced PC.

Yeah that is what I figured. I am so ordering a dual processor G5 on Monday..

The school is actually saving me $300 on it too. wOOt

Just can't decide if I should spend the extra $200 for the "Applecare" 3 year protection plan. Any thoughts? It would really be worth it if I get a display but I don't think I'm going to. Would you guys pay $200 to extend the warranty and get free tech support? Anyone know if they have good tech support? (they better!)

As many problems as Ive seen with various macs throughout the years I feel that applecare is a good investment

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: CitizenDoug

Originally posted by: Sureshot324
They do hold their value better than pcs, but you are getting so much less computer for the money a pc is still a better investment unless you really like OS X.

I absolutely love OS X. I'm enamored by it.

iPhoto is terrific. iMovie is terrific. iGarage is wonderful.

All three of those programs are worth $2000 to me because there are none that are more simple and better suited to my style.

You know why artists love Macs? It's not because they look pretty -- it's because a severely retarded person (like myself) could sit down at one and be making professional quality music and video productions in 5 minutes. There is like NO learning curve.

I'm big on simplicity and to me OS X is pure genious. As is Steve Jobs I guess.

bring iGarage into any professional audio recording situation and you will be laughed the fvck out of the building. Apple now also owns Logic, which is widely considered to be one of the most difficult to use audio recording applications in the world.

Digidesign, the company that makes Pro Tools, the industry standard audio recording app (really the ONLY option for most studios), and the one that made Apple's rep as "the audio computer," has been rumored to be pulling out of the Mac business entirely, to focus solely on their Windows versions. Since Digidesign is the audio arm of Avid, the number one Hollywood movie editing software, Apple can pretty kiss its ass goodbye for everyone except black-rimmed-glasses graphic design fvcktards. And even Adobe isn't on very good terms with Apple these days, so that may change, too. And why not, when every professional application that an artist would want to use is available on PC, where it will run faster and cheaper, and have exactly the same layout, toolbars, etc, so there's no learning curve.

And any Mac made today is going to be worthless next year when Apple switches to Intel, anyway.

so much for being the arty computer or the better investment.

Apple's are pretty paperweights and rapidly vanishing dinosaurs banished to stubborn graphics design departments. Everyone else is moving to PC, artists or not.