cloud1161 said:
I wonder this thing myself. My friend just recently got a $1500 Mac Book Pro for his birthday. Here are the specs: I7 quad core 2.5 GHz Processor, 4 Gig Ram, 500 Gig HD, and it didn't even have a discrete graphics card. Now to me, this is a major rip-off. As people have posted though, you are buying into the Apple family. In my opinion, you are mainly buying the operating system. Sure, Apple does offer way better support, there is no denying that. However, they are charging for fees that come optional for Windows buyers. For example, I recently helped my grandfather buy a new laptop because his computer was ancient (I mean 2001 AMD Athlon 2.5 GHz single core ancient). Now the laptop itself was an HP with a 2.2 AMD Dual-Core processor (forget the model) with 4 Gigs ram and 600 Gig storage and Windows 7 Basic all for $380. Now, there is an optional 200 fee for a 3 year warranty (which he didn't get because the only thing he uses it for is to check e-mail and stocks). This is where Apple sneaks fees on you. They charge you automatically for that warranty, so to people less informed it seems like a great deal. Apple products themselves are better quality, but I don't think the $1100 difference is justifiable, even with the better processor and OS and warranty. Second to last thing I want to say, I read Steve Jobs biography and one of the biggest things he sought that I do not agree with is end-to-end control. He did not want his customers adding or customizing his product. Anyone else who read it knows that his close friend Steve Wozniak was the exact opposite as I am. I believe when you buy a product, you should be able to add/customize whatever you wish to it, I mean after all you bought it. It's similar to buying a car and knowing how to change the tires and have all the right tools to do so, but still being forced to send it to the mechanic to do so. Lastly, I just want to say I am not an Apple hater. Steve Jobs did a great thing with the company. I just disagree with the high prices and the end-to-end control. Now let the fanboys rip me a new one!
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