Windows 9 upgrade either free or $20, Enterprise has no Metro interface

[Nineshadow]

That's not even a complete sentence. What's your point? Euros are not a 1:1 exchange with USD.

 

Here's the laptop at a store that sells to the US: http://www.adorama.com/ASUX31XH51T.html?cvosrc=cse.google.ASUX31XH51T&cvo_cid=38589028051&gclid=CP_6wp7dtMACFZTm7AodCWwAkg

Yeah they somehow are(annoyingly).

You just don't understand price conversion.You're too blind to understand it.You don't want to.

 

Ok whatever,even then,it would cost $1200,which is as much as a 13" MBA with a 256GB SSD.And the Asus still has better specs.

[Builder]

Yeah they somehow are(annoyingly).

You just don't understand price conversion.You're too blind to understand it.You don't want to.

 

Ok whatever,even then,it would cost $1200,which is as much as a 13" MBA with a 256GB SSD.And the Asus still has better specs.

Dude, I just told you to compare it to a MacBook Pro at that price. You're willfully ignoring me now. I do understand price conversion, I EVEN GAVE YOU A LINK TO THE LAPTOP WITH A PRICE IN USD. HOW FUCKING DENSE ARE YOU?

 

"1 Euro equals 1.32 US Dollar"

[Nineshadow]

Dude, I just told you to compare it to a MacBook Pro at that price. You're willfully ignoring me now. I do understand price conversion, I EVEN GAVE YOU A LINK TO THE LAPTOP WITH A PRICE IN USD. HOW FUCKING DENSE ARE YOU?

 

"1 Euro equals 1.32 US Dollar"

We pay VAT here.

It's 20-25%.

In the end,after all taxes, 1 EUR pretty much becomes 1 dollar.

That's what I'm talking about.

[Builder]

We pay VAT here.

It's 20-25%.

In the end,after all taxes, 1 EUR pretty much becomes 1 dollar.

That's what I'm talking about.

*facepalm*

 

You can't tell me that a laptop is better priced in euros because I can't buy it here, the exchange rate makes it a bad deal, and the price in USD is not worth it either.

[Nineshadow]

*facepalm*

 

You can't tell me that a laptop is better priced in euros because I can't buy it here, the exchange rate makes it a bad deal, and the price in USD is not worth it either.

You know what,just buy Apple and whatever else you want.I told you that, at least where I live, Apple is quite far from a good deal.

I showed you an ultrabook,that costs around $1200 and which has better specs than the 13" MBA that costs $1200. (except the battery maybe)

And still...you're saying it's not good because you could almost buy a 13" Retina MB,which only has a better screen in addition,but lacks dedicated graphics.(Really,an 840M is miles away from Iris Pro)Depending on what you do on it,you might chose either.

That's in the US.

 

Where I live,the winner is obvious.MBA starts at $1500,and 13" MBP starts at $2000.Compared to 900EUR(1200USD).

 

Then comes their phone territory,which doesn't come up with the best deal either.

 

But then,at the end,there is the Mac Pro,which finally brings something great to the table.

[Misanthrope]

"Apple" and "good value" don't belong together. 

 

Now you know why Builder is on my ignore list. Please don't make comments like that. Most of us actually know what you say is fair enough and true but don't bring Apple fanboy trolls into the news section, let's try to contain them to the lesser sections like General.

[Builder]

You know what,just buy Apple and whatever else you want.I told you that, at least where I live, Apple is quite far from a good deal.

I showed you an ultrabook,that costs around $1200 and which has better specs than the 13" MBA that costs $1200. (except the battery maybe)

And still...you're saying it's not good because you could almost buy a 13" Retina MB,which only has a better screen in addition,but lacks dedicated graphics.(Really,an 840M is miles away from Iris Pro)Depending on what you do on it,you might chose either.

That's in the US.

 

Where I live,the winner is obvious.MBA starts at $1500,and 13" MBP starts at $2000.Compared to 900EUR(1200USD).

 

Then comes their phone territory,which doesn't come up with the best deal either.

 

But then,at the end,there is the Mac Pro,which finally brings something great to the table.

Except for most people battery life is way more important than graphics power. The screen is also better on the MBPR, as are the SSD, keyboard, and trackpad.

 

Say what you like, you still haven't succeeded.

[mr moose]

What he means is you buying a mac pays for the OS. 

exactly.

 

Yeah but all of the OSes are free. You don't even have to own a Mac, like I said, it's DRM free.

 

And even if it were true, what's his point? You get a good value when you buy a Mac, hardware wise and especially software wise, so who cares if the OS is included in that price?

 

my point is that nothing is free.  If anyone thinks anything is free they are not aware of marketing and business tactics.  No one makes money giving stuff away for free. Anything advertised as free or included free is paid for by markups elsewhere.

[Builder]

my point is that nothing is free.  If anyone thinks anything is free they are not aware of marketing and business tactics.  No one makes money giving stuff away for free. Anything advertised as free or included free is paid for by markups elsewhere.

Apple doesn't need to make money off the software because they subsidize it with their stellar hardware sales. If you can show me a markup on an Apple laptop that would ostensibly pay for the OS, fine. 

 

Linux is free, that's demonstrably true. OS X is very close to Linux in some respects at this point, it takes strong advantage of community supported development and is now completely and utterly free, and DRM-free. The next step is being able to compile from source, and I bet you it'll happen before 2020.

 

How do you account for the copies of OS X that people can distribute to their friends to make Hackintoshes or upgrade older systems with poor internet? How are those paid for? How are all of the copies you'll use in the future paid for? That's a lot of cash, even at $125 (the price of full Windows) after three years of usage you'd have to find a $375 markup on Apple desktops, which you won't.

 

As I said before, they completely eliminated DRM. It's literally free. There's nothing they can do to control the distribution anymore, though it's not as if they want to. There are a lot of good reasons for making OS upgrades free, not least of which is you get more upgrades to the latest version and thus a more secure system overall.

[mr moose]

Apple doesn't need to make money off the software because they subsidize it with their stellar hardware sales. If you can show me a markup on an Apple laptop that would ostensibly pay for the OS, fine. 

 

Linux is free, that's demonstrably true. OS X is very close to Linux in some respects at this point, it takes strong advantage of community supported development and is now completely and utterly free, and DRM-free. The next step is being able to compile from source, and I bet you it'll happen before 2020.

 

How do you account for the copies of OS X that people can distribute to their friends to make Hackintoshes or upgrade older systems with poor internet? How are those paid for? How are all of the copies you'll use in the future paid for? That's a lot of cash, even at $125 (the price of full Windows) after three years of usage you'd have to find a $375 markup on Apple desktops, which you won't.

 

As I said before, they completely eliminated DRM. It's literally free. There's nothing they can do to control the distribution anymore, though it's not as if they want to. There are a lot of good reasons for making OS upgrades free, not least of which is you get more upgrades to the latest version and thus a more secure system overall.

Source: http://images.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/OSX109.pdf

the grants set forth in this License do not permit you to, and you

agree not to, install, use or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-branded computer, or to

enable others to do so.

 

 

It is against the Terms and conditions of download to use OSX on any non apple branded hardware.  Given that at worst case scenario apple costs the same as any other comparative product that includes windows in the purchase price, it is not unreasonable to assume that osx costs at least that much.  And given that here in Australia Apple has on average a $300 premium over nearly all comparative pcs   it is easy to see how they can afford to offer osx as a free download.

 

The existence of DRM or lack thereof does not change the fact that the OS is paid for with a mark up in the sales of their hardware.  Linux is free, except if you consider that there are many link backs and deals with companies like google who pay for their search engine to be the default, just like FF.  

 

Do you really think people or companies give you something for nothing?  every thing has a cost and that cost is paid or the product does not exist.

[Ashaira]

Arrrrg maties. I'll be wanting one of them there free upgrades.

[ShadowCaptain]

Really,an 840M is miles away from Iris Pro

 

Actually they are almost the same, the iris pro is a pretty kick ass iGPU

 

Watch Dogs Low 768p - Iris Pro - 33.1 FPS, 840m, 36.7 

Titanfall Low 768p  - Iris Pro 57.1 FPS 840m 52.1fps

 

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Iris-Pro-Graphics-5200.90965.0.html

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-840M.105681.0.html

[Guest]

This is the listed price and spec of a 13" MacBook Air on the Danish site:

 

13-inch : 256GB

Specifications

1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor

Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz

Intel HD Graphics 5000

4GB memory

256GB PCIe-based flash storage1

Dispatched:

Within 24 hours

Free Delivery

9.299.00 kr. 

 

And I paid 10,000kr for this 17.3" 2.7GHz 12Gb monster with an 860M in it:

http://www.msi.com/product/nb/GS70-STEALTH.html#hero-overview

 

 

So yes Apple products are a colossal rip off.

 

With regards to the Windows 9 upgrade - I wonder how this will work out for folks who are already using the Windows 8 upgrade.  I picked up the Win 8 Pro disc to upgrade my Win 7 64 Ultimate in a deal for about £25 but I still don't "own" Windows 8, just the upgrade (ie. when reformatting I must install 7 and then use the 8 update disc).

[Builder]

Source: http://images.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/OSX109.pdf

 

It is against the Terms and conditions of download to use OSX on any non apple branded hardware.  Given that at worst case scenario apple costs the same as any other comparative product that includes windows in the purchase price, it is not unreasonable to assume that osx costs at least that much.  And given that here in Australia Apple has on average a $300 premium over nearly all comparative pcs   it is easy to see how they can afford to offer osx as a free download.

 

Well in Australia, the case may be different. In the US they're very competitive price wise. As always, I urge you to prove they aren't.

 

The existence of DRM or lack thereof does not change the fact that the OS is paid for with a mark up in the sales of their hardware.  Linux is free, except if you consider that there are many link backs and deals with companies like google who pay for their search engine to be the default, just like FF.  

 

You've moved the goalposts. First it was whether the end user pays anything for it, now it's if the software is subsidized? Open source software doesn't just fall from the sky, it's a full time business for several companies and people still need to get paid. Take Canonical for example.

 

Do you really think people or companies give you something for nothing?  every thing has a cost and that cost is paid or the product does not exist.

 

Again with moving the goalposts. "Anything advertised as free or included free is paid for by markups elsewhere." That was your original statement. I've now disproved it with two cases, your turn. 

 

I don't deny that everything has a cost, or that that cost is paid for. I'm pointing out that with OS X at least in the USA their hardware sales subsidize the creation of their software. What matters about the DRM is that they've now made their OS have literally no monetary value. There's no way they can control its abundance or what happens with it, because they truly don't care anymore. I'm not saying OS X doesn't have a cost nor am I saying that its cost is not paid for, I'm saying for the end user that it's free by any definition of the term.

 

It's still a ToS violation to Hackintosh, but they're not going to break down your door over it and now you don't have to pay for it anymore.

[Trik'Stari]

What about us windows 7 users? I'll upgrade if its cheap.

[coen113]

well... maybe il get enterprise. i just dont like metro UI

[gastew15]

I like how they they figured out that a lot of people hate Modern UI so much that they are willing to pay extra for it like it's no big deal.    GG Microsoft

[Techhog]

well... maybe il get enterprise. i just dont like metro UI

From the sounds of things, you won't have to ever use it if you don't want to anyway.  If you can really get it for free, it seems a hell of a lot easier than the "other" free way of getting it.

[TAK]

.

[aom]

@Builder

 

Lenovo Y40, at least in US right now, $849

 

4th Generation Intel Core i7-4510U Processor (2.00GHz 1600 MHz 4MB

 

14.0" FHD LED AntiGlare Backlight (1920x1080)

 

AMD Radeon R9 M275 2GB

 

8.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600 MHz

 

256GB SSD

Better than the base model of the MacBook Air in every single way. for $150 less

[mr moose]

 

Source: http://images.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/OSX109.pdf

 

It is against the Terms and conditions of download to use OSX on any non apple branded hardware.  Given that at worst case scenario apple costs the same as any other comparative product that includes windows in the purchase price, it is not unreasonable to assume that osx costs at least that much.  And given that here in Australia Apple has on average a $300 premium over nearly all comparative pcs   it is easy to see how they can afford to offer osx as a free download.

 

Well in Australia, the case may be different. In the US they're very competitive price wise. As always, I urge you to prove they aren't.

 

The existence of DRM or lack thereof does not change the fact that the OS is paid for with a mark up in the sales of their hardware.  Linux is free, except if you consider that there are many link backs and deals with companies like google who pay for their search engine to be the default, just like FF.  

 

You've moved the goalposts. First it was whether the end user pays anything for it, now it's if the software is subsidized? Open source software doesn't just fall from the sky, it's a full time business for several companies and people still need to get paid. Take Canonical for example.

 

Do you really think people or companies give you something for nothing?  every thing has a cost and that cost is paid or the product does not exist.

 

Again with moving the goalposts. "Anything advertised as free or included free is paid for by markups elsewhere." That was your original statement. I've now disproved it with two cases, your turn. 

 

I don't deny that everything has a cost, or that that cost is paid for. I'm pointing out that with OS X at least in the USA their hardware sales subsidize the creation of their software. What matters about the DRM is that they've now made their OS have literally no monetary value. There's no way they can control its abundance or what happens with it, because they truly don't care anymore. I'm not saying OS X doesn't have a cost nor am I saying that its cost is not paid for, I'm saying for the end user that it's free by any definition of the term.

 

It's still a ToS violation to Hackintosh, but they're not going to break down your door over it and now you don't have to pay for it anymore.

 

Not moving the goal posts at all,  where do you think google get their money from?  everyone gets their money from the consumer, you are either bombarded with ads, have your details sold to marketers, have to sign up for certain services, etc etc etc.  Nothing is free and nothing will be because free is a flawed business model, business that doesn't aim to make profit doesn't aim to stay in business.

 

You said OS X is free,  but it's not, if you want it you either have to download it illegally or have an apple branded pc.  You can claim lack of  DRM until the cows come home but at the end of the day you must buy an apple branded pc to use it legally.  Most people can find ample examples of there being a premium on apple products, Even Brinith found one in the US:

 

@Builder

 

Lenovo Y40, at least in US right now, $849

 

4th Generation Intel Core i7-4510U Processor (2.00GHz 1600 MHz 4MB

 

14.0" FHD LED AntiGlare Backlight (1920x1080)

 

AMD Radeon R9 M275 2GB

 

8.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600 MHz

 

256GB SSD

Better than the base model of the MacBook Air in every single way. for $150 less

[solosdk]

I still find it amusing that people think OSX is free.  Nothing is free, If you think your getting something for free you aren't looking at the bigger picture.

 

And yes, this means I highly doubt windows will be free,  it might look that way but in the end it will cost, they all do.

 

But OSX is free though? Macs from 2009 onwards I believe are getting the latest Yosemite update completely free, no strings attached.

[cesrai]

Actually they are almost the same, the iris pro is a pretty kick ass iGPU

 

Watch Dogs Low 768p - Iris Pro - 33.1 FPS, 840m, 36.7 

Titanfall Low 768p  - Iris Pro 57.1 FPS 840m 52.1fps

 

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Iris-Pro-Graphics-5200.90965.0.html

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-840M.105681.0.html

really only two games that is what you got no Battlefield no Tomb Raider no Crysis 3 and you only choose the crappy console ports.

[Builder]

Better than the base model of the MacBook Air in every single way. for $150 less

If you're gaming, then yes. For everything else, no. That thing is enormous and I bet it doesn't get great battery life either. 

 

I'll admit, you beat me on performance. But you didn't get the form factor or the battery, which are both important features of the MacBook Air.

 

Not moving the goal posts at all,  where do you think google get their money from?  everyone gets their money from the consumer, you are either bombarded with ads, have your details sold to marketers, have to sign up for certain services, etc etc etc.  Nothing is free and nothing will be because free is a flawed business model, business that doesn't aim to make profit doesn't aim to stay in business.

 

You said OS X is free,  but it's not, if you want it you either have to download it illegally or have an apple branded pc.  You can claim lack of  DRM until the cows come home but at the end of the day you must buy an apple branded pc to use it legally.  Most people can find ample examples of there being a premium on apple products, Even Brinith found one in the US:

You don't have to buy an Apple branded PC, you can download it onto a USB stick in an Apple store. You really don't understand what DRM is, do you? Your friends can even give you a copy. There's no license key, no DRM whatsoever. ToS does not equal DRM.

 

You're putting all these words in my mouth. I'm not saying Apple doesn't make profit, I've said several times now that ​their hardware subsidizes their software. What can't you understand about that?

 

And for what Brinith found, that $150 isn't just empty cash, you get a MUCH slimmer profile, it's much lighter and has longer battery life. For the average user, that's much more important. Specs includes battery life and form factor, which I still maintain can't be matched for the price of a MacBook Air.

 

Read The Wirecutters exhaustive roundup of laptops here: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-laptop/

[mr moose]

But OSX is free though? Macs from 2009 onwards I believe are getting the latest Yosemite update completely free, no strings attached.

Yep, if you own a mac you get to update to yosemite without having to pay further.  the question is how much did the mac cost compared to an equivalent windows pc and how many new operating systems does the difference buy?  from most reports and comparisons it buys a few.  In Australia it buys 6 vendor licenses or 3 oem licenses. So that's 9 years of the latest windows if you build yourself, or the equivalent of 18 years of fee OS upgrades if you buy prebuilt. I don't know how long you keep your pcs for but I upgrade mine every 7 years so I always have the option of the latest windows and still be paying less than if i bought an apple.

 

 

If you're gaming, then yes. For everything else, no. That thing is enormous and I bet it doesn't get great battery life either. 

 

I'll admit, you beat me on performance. But you didn't get the form factor or the battery, which are both important features of the MacBook Air.

 

You don't have to buy an Apple branded PC, you can download it onto a USB stick in an Apple store. You really don't understand what DRM is, do you? Your friends can even give you a copy. There's no license key, no DRM whatsoever. ToS does not equal DRM.

 

You're putting all these words in my mouth. I'm not saying Apple doesn't make profit, I've said several times now that ​their hardware subsidizes their software. What can't you understand about that?

 

And for what Brinith found, that $150 isn't just empty cash, you get a MUCH slimmer profile, it's much lighter and has longer battery life. For the average user, that's much more important. Specs includes battery life and form factor, which I still maintain can't be matched for the price of a MacBook Air.

 

Read The Wirecutters exhaustive roundup of laptops here: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-laptop/

 

well done.  you are now saying what I said at first.  Nothing is free, you pay for it through markups elsewhere.

 

why do you think DRM has anything to do with this? Go to pirate bay and get a DRM free copy of windows, it's just as legit as using OS X on a non apple branded pc.

whether or not apple want to install DRM software on their OS is irrelevant.