Macbook Air

[andyfraser]

Which is absolutely fine, of course - we all decide where to spend our money. But there's a myth that Macs are much more expensive than Windows machines, which arises because people don't compare like-for-like specs. It's like arguing that a highly-specced bike is over-priced because you can get 'the same thing' in Tesco for £100.

I think it has as much to do with Apple not playing in the low end of the pool. I'd be all over a £500 Air with an i3 and HDD but Apple wouldn't ever do that (and the HDD wouldn't fit). They can become more expensive if you want something other than the base spec.

Also, I'd never consider an Air as a replacement for my main laptop. There isn't enough storage and carrying USB sticks and portable hard drives isn't always the answer (and adds cost if you don't already have them). Now we're in Pro territory and £900 for the base spec.

 

[totallyfixed]

I think your views have reinforced my own, thank you. The Macbook Air is already on order and should arrive at the end of the week, I already have an iphone so looking forward to integrating them, I am assuming that picture transfer becomes that much easier too. Can't wait, will report back sometime over the weekend hopefully.

 

[Massimo]

I have had for 2 years now and never missed a beat...

 

[ufkacbln]

Software is also so much easier.

There is some software I need for a course that runs only on Windows, so I still maintain a Windows Laptop for this.

Recently installed a software program on both

Mac - Drag icon into Applications, answered a confirmation and typed in a security code and in 7 minutes all was done

Windows - had to open a package, confirm a dozen times, and it took over an hour to install

No competition

 

[cookiemonster]

I bought a new Mac Air 8 weeks ago to replace my old, 8 year old MacBook. I got the blue screen of death on it.

Love the MacAir, superb.

 

[Cycleops]

I think your views have reinforced my own, thank you. The Macbook Air is already on order and should arrive at the end of the week, I already have an iphone so looking forward to integrating them, I am assuming that picture transfer becomes that much easier too. Can't wait, will report back sometime over the weekend hopefully.

In fact you don't need to do anything, as @Trikeman said just type in your Apple ID and everything is synced.

 

[KneesUp]

Er, yeah, that would have been in 2009 :-) Things have moved on a little since then ...

When her £1,000 laptop was a mere 3 years old ...

 

[Globalti]

I've tried, dammit, I've tried SO hard to get used to Apple's way of doing things and failed. As someone who grew up with pencil and paper and a slide rule it was enough of a learning curve taking on Windows and to un-learn all that and retrain my brain is asking too much.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Also, I'd never consider an Air as a replacement for my main laptop. There isn't enough storage and carrying USB sticks and portable hard drives isn't always the answer (and adds cost if you don't already have them). Now we're in Pro territory and £900 for the base spec.

Again, though, spec-for-spec they only carry a small premium over a Windows machine. My main machine is a maxed-out MacBook Pro 17, which cost £2100. A Dell with the same spec was £1950.

The other thing you need to factor in is resale value. I typically keep a Mac for 3-4 years, at which time I can comfortably sell it for 40-50% of what I paid, so the true cost of that £750 MacBook Air over four years is £750-350 = £400 / 4 years = £100/year.

 

[CopperBrompton]

[QUOTE 3374078, member: 45"]It's more like deciding that you want a Pinarello to cycle up the road to Sainsburys on, when all you really need is a Carrera Subway as you never cycle any further.[/QUOTE]
Yep, that happens too, which is why I recommend an Air to people unless there's a good reason for them to opt for the Pro.

 

[andyfraser]

Again, though, spec-for-spec they only carry a small premium over a Windows machine. My main machine is a maxed-out MacBook Pro 17, which cost £2100. A Dell with the same spec was £1950.

The other thing you need to factor in is resale value. I typically keep a Mac for 3-4 years, at which time I can comfortably sell it for 40-50% of what I paid, so the true cost of that £750 MacBook Air over four years is £750-350 = £400 / 4 years = £100/year.

This assumes 2 things:

1. That I want a machine of the spec of a MBP or MBA. I may want a lower spec than Apple go down to.
2. That I will be reselling the machine. I never resell old computers. I repurpose them (e.g. give them away to family) or experiment with them or use them for spares (rarer these days).

I am not denying that Apple make fantastic computers. They're just not for me any more.

 

[zizou]

Er, yeah, that would have been in 2009 :-) Things have moved on a little since then ...

Yeah they've got worse! I have a macbook pro (os 10.5) from 2009, the latest versions of itunes wont work (and havent worked since 2012) because they need os 10.6 or above so the functionality with new iphones isnt there because they need the latest versions of itunes to work.

With an old os (whether on pc or mac) i expect support from 3rd party developers to be a bit patchy after a few years (for example skype no longer works on my macbook) but 3 years for apple software and hardware is a joke considering the price of the mbp and iphone and how alot of the justification for the inflated prices is the supposed seemless integration of devices and how things 'just work'.

Im not an apple hater by any means (using an ipad to post this!) but ive had far more difficulties with their products than ive had with a pc running windows 7, which thankfully does support the latest version of itunes.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

[QUOTE 3373666, member: 259"]We're a Mac house too, but the PVR and the NAS are decidedly Linux. Suits me, as I'm a long-time Unix user. Perhaps too long! [/QUOTE]

Mac's are unix based rip-offs anyway

In fact you don't need to do anything, as @Trikeman said just type in your Apple ID and everything is synced.

Yes, but why do they need to have your credit card details to create an Apple ID just so you can download the latest software that you have already bought from them

Alan...

 

[zizou]

[QUOTE 3374460, member: 259"]Why don't you just update the OS?[/QUOTE]

Because after spending £2000+ on laptop and phone i really resented being forced to upgrade and spend more money because of forced obsolescence. Particularly as my old xp laptop, the one the macbook replaced, was still capable of running the latest itunes despite being nowhere near as powerful and over 8 years old!

 

[Deleted member 26715]

[QUOTE 3374515, member: 259"]You don't [/QUOTE]

If I try to do any software updates on my MacBook Pro the first thing it asks for is my Apple ID, I tell it I don't have one, it then asks me to create one, then it will not let me create one without giving my CC details, why should I give them my CC details for a free update?

[QUOTE 3374537, member: 259"]How much money are you being forced to spend?[/QUOTE]

£0.00 but they need CC details for that.

If you know a way to legally create an Apple ID without giving these details then please spread the word.