The Macbook Pro is actually NOT overpriced (With Ultrabook/Notebook Comparison Chart)

[Builder]

-snip-

I love how you cherry pick the oldest possible model in Apple's entire lineup, (yes, their entire lineup) and use it as evidence to defeat Apple as a brand. You put words in their mouthIf you add $200 to that price you get a machine that kicks the ass of every PC offering at the same price, even specs wise.

 

But perhaps there is something more to a computer than specs, hm? Perhaps specs aren't what define a good and bad machine?

 

At the end of the day, if it works for you then it works for you. Great. Have a nice fucking time with it. I'm glad your happy. This thread was not intended to make you unhappy, it was correcting a very common misconception on these forums. You have done nothing to change that, you have simply found an example under which a certain assertion not maintained by the OP was true. I'm sorry not absolutely everything Apple makes beats PCs into pulp with price to performance. Would you hold Alienware or Dell or Razer or Asus to the same standard? No, of course not, because your hatred for Apple is reinforced by double standards.

 

Apparently Apple holds your hand all the time. Evidently OS X is just for idiots who can't use computers and not for programmers and people who are fucking sick of the shit that Microsoft and all the bullshit carbon copy OEMs pull every single fucking year. I wonder why there is a 1600 page book on the internal workings of OS X? Because grandparents and stupid teenagers are interested in it? No, because there is a very fucking large community of Mac users that know what exactly they're talking about when it comes to hardware and software, moreso than you do if I do say so myself. I'm one of them, and you've just met me.

[Ursad0n]

I may or may not have just bought one

[Builder]

I may or may not have just bought one

You're just going to get flamed now.

[Ursad0n]

You're just going to get flamed now.

Bring it on I don't care about what anyone here thinks

[Builder]

Bring it on I don't care about what anyone here thinks

That's the spirit!

[SuperfastJellyfish]

Apple is overpriced, over-stylized, over-engineered, and not very compatible with other things. It's junk.

 

Name one thing, just one thing, that apple can do that any other system cannot do.

 

In fact name something that any OS can do, that Linux can't.

 

Granted, I am on a windows 7 pc right now. Only because that's just what I've just been raised on, If I had more knowledge, I'd be on linux like probably a lot of you are.

 

Edit: and then their is also the innate shame of being associated with typical mac users.

 

You could have made a post that simply said, 'I've never used a Mac before and have no fucking idea what I'm talking about', and it would have had the same value/effect. Good one.

[KemoKa]

All i'll say is Enjoy!   ~旦_(^-^ )

[FranBunnyFFXII]

lol.......................

[KemoKa]

Apple is overpriced, over-stylized, over-engineered, and not very compatible with other things. It's junk.

 

Name one thing, just one thing, that apple can do that any other system cannot do.

 

In fact name something that any OS can do, that Linux can't.

 

Granted, I am on a windows 7 pc right now. Only because that's just what I've just been raised on, If I had more knowledge, I'd be on linux like probably a lot of you are.

 

Edit: and then their is also the innate shame of being associated with typical mac users.

I'd love to see u compare SIMILAR SPEC (not a god dam chrome book, that's just sad, even for a fanboy) Windows machine with a rMBP and show me that and prove to me that the rMBP is overpriced

 In light of my last rant, which was a little extreme, challenge heartily accepted. Let's see here...

How would you like this done? Because I got yelled at for comparing the lowest macbook pro possible. I think I will go with the other extreme this time, and I will do it by the book using just specs, facts and figures instead of hilarious japery.

The highest Macbook Pro money can buy right now, has

a 2.8GHz dual-core core i7 whose name I cannot for the life of me find,

16GB of DDR3L RAM,

1TB of quad-link PCIe-based SSD storage space (which has been reported by 9to5mac.com to be able to achieve speeds of up to 1187MB/s read and 1142MB/s write.)

Here's the article: http://9to5mac.com/2013/11/04/latest-macbook-pro-15-gets-blazing-ssd-performance-thanks-to-4-channel-pcie/

This I will concede is very very impressive stuff indeed.

a 2880x1800 IPS display,

2 x thunderbolt,

2x USB 3.0

HDMI,

SDXC reader, and a

GT 750M...

All this will set you back $3199. I think we can do better than that.

 

Meanwhile we have the MSI GT72-007, which was just released last month. It sports a

Core i7-4710HQ, 6MB cache, Quad-core processor @ 2.5GHz,

32GB of DDR3L RAM,

4x 128GB M.2 PCIe-based SSDs in RAID 0. This gives it read/write speeds of up to 1600MB/s;

1TB HDD,

a 17.3-inch 1080p screen,

Optical drive,

6x USB 3.0

2x MiniDisplayport,

HDMI,

Gigabit Ethernet,

SDXC reader,

Wireless ac and a

GTX 880M, 8GB DDR5.

This laptop, with a 50% increase in storage space, 30-40% increase in SSD read/write speeds, near doubling of multi-threaded performance and a 3-4x increase in GPU performance, 3x the number of USB 3.0 ports, and a doubling of RAM capacity comes down to $2999. $200 less for a (strictly theoretical) 200-300% overall performance increase.

 

If you want the GPU benchmarks, you shall have them: http://gpuboss.com/gpus/GeForce-GTX-880M-vs-GeForce-GT-750M

 

so, yes, in terms of what you can get for money, yes. PCs can be more cost effective than Macs performance-wise, by quite a wide margin, but that is because there are literally so many PC vendors that there are bound to be some that are cheaper, whilst others will be much more expensive than even the most pricey Mac.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, I seriously doubt that most of us here are going to be willing to spend three thousand dollars on a laptop too soon.

Certainly, both options are extremely high-quality and powerful computers with outstanding performance, especially in SSDs, it's just that if you want an absolutely no-compromises system, you will not get the best of the best from a Mac. Aesthetics and build quality, that's a different and highly debatable subject which is totally dependent on the person, so I'm not gonna go down that road.

Furthermore I apologise if anything I said here annoys people. I'm good at annoying people. That's what I tried to do last time and I succeeded in that beautifully. However, that's not what I'm trying to do this time. I am simply comparing facts and figures, and I think those figures speak for themselves. If anyone thinks the test was unfair because it was pitting the best of the best against each other, I found the GT72 in less than three minutes. it would not have been any different with any other model of macbook.

So here is what it really boils down to: the question of this thread is or should have been "Are the Macbook Pro Retinas overpriced?" to which most people here at least will claim "Yes, they are overpriced, by like a thousand miles" but that's not the right answer, and neither is "Ahw, no they're not overpriced, they're like the best bang for the buck ever, Macs are so pretty and awesome and slick..." not by any stretch of the imagination is any answer necessarily the right answer.

 

Some people like Macs, others like PCs. There are dozens upon dozens of valid reasons for liking either. This whole question of macs vs PCs is entirely subjective and has no real purpose whatsoever other than to make the fanboys rage, which it has done. I prefer PCs, and under normal circumstances I would heartily side with PCs as previously demonstrated, but I'm in an impartial mood right now. Others will disagree with my preferences and prefer Macs, which is fine. If you like macs and want to use them then I'm not going to stop you. Macs do have their place in the market. They provide competition for Microsoft and OSX is the standard by which Linux will eventually utterly tear Microsoft's throat out (though that's more a result of Darwin and BSD). At least we have a choice, right? All I am saying is that making a topic about this subject was a stupid idea and no one should have started it. Fanboying doesn't help, tremendous fun though it may be to participate in.

Make up your own minds.

[STRMfrmXMN]

I'd add to this conversation but everything I would say has been said a million times by now. Apple isn't overpriced if you like the product and use it effectively. If all you do is browse the web however, I do become frustrated because you could've just bought a cheap Windows laptop or a Chromebook for a 5th of the price. If you video edit or do some sort of creative stuff, more power to ya. iMacs are the best AIO PC's, and you cannot argue otherwise. Macbooks, love them, just wouldn't buy the tiniest Air, you can get better 11 inch laptops for the money (you aren't gonna be browsing the web faster just because it's a Mac) but would like the 13 inch Air or 15 inch Pro. The Mac Pro, kinda cool if you want the most powerfullest of the Macs and need those 64 GB of RAM. The Mac Mini is just OK by me. I don't buy into tablets so the iPad is a no go for me (I actually prefer Android over iOS anyway) and the iPhone is, again, not an Android phone so again, nothing for me here.

 

I do have to say, I miss my 2010, 27 inch, Core i5, 8GB RAM, whatever GPU,  iMac that was all blacked out and had W7, OSX Mavs and Mint on it. Had to give it up cuz of financial reasons. It's been missed. I love Windows and all but there's something about a really sexy blacked out iMac that you spent $3000 on in software, Windows licenses and custom coloring on not to mention the hefty sticker price.

[Sharp_3yE]

One thing about the "Apple is overpriced" stuff is that they don't put out cheaper products. Only the more high end products that are going to last about the same as someone who bought a cheaper PC since things break and/or wear.

[marioo1182]

People always forget about how valuable the software is that comes with OSX

[Valentyn]

Just let people buy what they want. One person's overpriced, is another's cheap.

[Mooshi]

The overall package is great for what it is when you factor its purpose and things such as batt life and screen quality. Power is only 1 spec. There are members here who have badass rigs paired with a shitty tn monitor because it said "gamer" on the packaging. If you are such a member, you have no right to bash.

[Henry]

 In light of my last rant, which was a little extreme, challenge heartily accepted. Let's see here...

How would you like this done? Because I got yelled at for comparing the lowest macbook pro possible. I think I will go with the other extreme this time, and I will do it by the book using just specs, facts and figures instead of hilarious japery.

The highest Macbook Pro money can buy right now, has

a 2.8GHz dual-core core i7 whose name I cannot for the life of me find,

16GB of DDR3L RAM,

1TB of quad-link PCIe-based SSD storage space (which has been reported by 9to5mac.com to be able to achieve speeds of up to 1187MB/s read and 1142MB/s write.)

Here's the article: http://9to5mac.com/2013/11/04/latest-macbook-pro-15-gets-blazing-ssd-performance-thanks-to-4-channel-pcie/

This I will concede is very very impressive stuff indeed.

a 2880x1800 IPS display,

2 x thunderbolt,

2x USB 3.0

HDMI,

SDXC reader, and a

GT 750M...

All this will set you back $3199. I think we can do better than that.

 

Meanwhile we have the MSI GT72-007, which was just released last month. It sports a

Core i7-4710HQ, 6MB cache, Quad-core processor @ 2.5GHz,

32GB of DDR3L RAM,

4x 128GB M.2 PCIe-based SSDs in RAID 0. This gives it read/write speeds of up to 1600MB/s;

1TB HDD,

a 17.3-inch 1080p screen,

Optical drive,

6x USB 3.0

2x MiniDisplayport,

HDMI,

Gigabit Ethernet,

SDXC reader,

Wireless ac and a

GTX 880M, 8GB DDR5.

This laptop, with a 50% increase in storage space, 30-40% increase in SSD read/write speeds, near doubling of multi-threaded performance and a 3-4x increase in GPU performance, 3x the number of USB 3.0 ports, and a doubling of RAM capacity comes down to $2999. $200 less for a (strictly theoretical) 200-300% overall performance increase.

 

If you want the GPU benchmarks, you shall have them: http://gpuboss.com/gpus/GeForce-GTX-880M-vs-GeForce-GT-750M

 

so, yes, in terms of what you can get for money, yes. PCs can be more cost effective than Macs performance-wise, by quite a wide margin, but that is because there are literally so many PC vendors that there are bound to be some that are cheaper, whilst others will be much more expensive than even the most pricey Mac.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, I seriously doubt that most of us here are going to be willing to spend three thousand dollars on a laptop too soon.

Certainly, both options are extremely high-quality and powerful computers with outstanding performance, especially in SSDs, it's just that if you want an absolutely no-compromises system, you will not get the best of the best from a Mac. Aesthetics and build quality, that's a different and highly debatable subject which is totally dependent on the person, so I'm not gonna go down that road.

Furthermore I apologise if anything I said here annoys people. I'm good at annoying people. That's what I tried to do last time and I succeeded in that beautifully. However, that's not what I'm trying to do this time. I am simply comparing facts and figures, and I think those figures speak for themselves. If anyone thinks the test was unfair because it was pitting the best of the best against each other, I found the GT72 in less than three minutes. it would not have been any different with any other model of macbook.

So here is what it really boils down to: the question of this thread is or should have been "Are the Macbook Pro Retinas overpriced?" to which most people here at least will claim "Yes, they are overpriced, by like a thousand miles" but that's not the right answer, and neither is "Ahw, no they're not overpriced, they're like the best bang for the buck ever, Macs are so pretty and awesome and slick..." not by any stretch of the imagination is any answer necessarily the right answer.

 

Some people like Macs, others like PCs. There are dozens upon dozens of valid reasons for liking either. This whole question of macs vs PCs is entirely subjective and has no real purpose whatsoever other than to make the fanboys rage, which it has done. I prefer PCs, and under normal circumstances I would heartily side with PCs as previously demonstrated, but I'm in an impartial mood right now. Others will disagree with my preferences and prefer Macs, which is fine. If you like macs and want to use them then I'm not going to stop you. Macs do have their place in the market. They provide competition for Microsoft and OSX is the standard by which Linux will eventually utterly tear Microsoft's throat out (though that's more a result of Darwin and BSD). At least we have a choice, right? All I am saying is that making a topic about this subject was a stupid idea and no one should have started it. Fanboying doesn't help, tremendous fun though it may be to participate in.

Make up your own minds.

I believe I said somewhere in the pile of posts that the upgrades are sadly overpriced. (or at least, alot of the upgrades)

[Guest]

My case amounts to soft silicone with the consistency of rubber, and doesn't protect or cover the screen at all.

My biggest problem with Apple, is stuff like this, WARNING, OFFENSIVE CONTENT:

http://thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=apple_store_ban

His website is highly offensive, but he makes A LOT of good points that are hard to argue with.

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=iphone

An old but good breakdown of the Iphone..

That second article is from when the iPhone first released

 

The iPhone has an X under 'can record video'

[Tiby]

It depends on the region mostly. Where I live Macs are overpriced mainly because the distributor only gets a couple of them and the demand is high. This also applies for higher end models (such as the Thinkpad Carbon). It's usually cheaper to get them off ebay with the taxes and all.

Now regarding the price you should take into account:

- the general looks of the device

- fanless design with no restriction on the CPU hardware

- available software right out of the package

- new OS releases are free of charge (not sure if it will remain this way but most probably will since most $$ are made from mobile department)

- access to a market that has money to pay for your apps

[mr moose]

why is thread even still going? 

 

 

EDIT: it has almost slipped of the 1st page,  lets see if it gets bumped again.

[cubercaleb]

9 hour battery is haswell.

 

Yes, but keep in mind the MBP uses laptop CPU's, and is as thin as an ultrabook. Other ultrabooks use ultrabook series CPU's which are far slower

 

Most competitors have now beaten the screen resolution.

 

​True, but resolution scaling in Windows sucks ass, plus all the different panels aren't as color accurate as Apple's

 

Mac's are stable because apple restricts hardware and only develops and optimises OSX for certain platforms, which screams of laziness to me.

 

Might be lazy, but ti works.

 

Workstation grade hardware is on the Mac Pro, be careful not to mix them up.

 

Agreed

 

You are paying for aluminium, the kind you get from a can of coke

 

No, its completely fucking different. the Aluminium in soda cans is thin, cheap, light and designed to be sold cheaply. The Aluminium in Macbooks Is much more durable. Just like a Caselabs Case.

 

, and the same portability and style a chromebook can give you.

 

But ChromeBooks use Atom processors and suck ass. Don't think you can use Photoshop on a Chromebook. 

 

It's absolutely amazing for an OSX experience,

 

Which other than having little gaming support, is perfectly fine. It's not like Linux where you have absolutely zero software support.

[cubercaleb]

Bill Nye vs Ken Ham 

             =

Windows vs Apple

 

That's not a fair comparison. Ken Ham and his supporters are stupid. The universe has been proven to be at least 13.7 billion light years, not 6k.

[Victorious Secret]

All I know is when my 17" unceremoniously died I had to make the choice of what to switch for.

Apples bulletproof reliability (4 years and the only thing that went wrong was me torpedoing my own screen) and the fact that they have a customer service and repair Center literally 5 minutes away helps a lot when I do put my equipment through the cleaners. A lot. Maybe I'm too harsh, but for what I pay these machines damn well better last.

I had at least settled on overpowered laptops once again, but every single thing in the 17" segment looks kinda shite. Call me vain, looks actually do matter in a purchase for some.

RMBP 15 felt like settling. I want a 17" MacBook again, but who knows when or if that'll ever come back. Now that I have a PC at home the need for a large laptop is gone.

This 15" seems pretty damn competitively priced with everything else out there, it's thing as all hell, has a battery life that every other OEM should learn from, and in general feels like something I paid over 2k for.

Does everyone need this kind of kit? God no. But those that do, we aren't exactly being hustled by Apple anymore.

Their CPU upgrade prices are stupid (you shouldn't even upgrade a CPU cause the differences are laughable for laptop chips) but now they give you 16GB of ram standard so yay? The PCIe SSDs are expensive full stop, so Apple isn't screwing anyone over with how they price them (for now). The fact that you need to go balls out just to get the Iris Pro + 750M seems weak. I would've liked to see a 740M or something in lower spec models.

The lack of matte finish display also irks me a little, but my 17" had one and after 4 years that thing was hella filthy (matte have no glass panel to protect) and in general it was always a fragile display.

Really, I'm happy with my purchase. This'll last another 4 or more if I'm not stupid. 400-500 a year over the term of its life is a price I can accept, and I wish people would realize that some people can accept those costs quite easily, others can't.

I have a very powerful dual booting laptop, two for the price of one. And Windows always runs very nicely through Bootcamp so I give props to Apple for even letting it be such a seamless option.

[crain300]

apple laptops are good /so are pc

applecare doesn't cover accidental damage drops liquid spills

loveno and hp sell warranties that do 

thats one thing apple should consider selling

[Builder]

-snip-

Yes but you can fit two MBPR into the chassis of that MSI and I strongly doubt it gets eight hours of battery life.

[JDS]

I like how we are arguing over something that is completely subjective. 

[79wjd]

I like how we are arguing over something that is completely subjective. 

Oh, hi, you must be new here. Over here we have ---> google.com ; and over here we have----> Linustechtips.com 

 

/welcome to the internet 

 

P.s. give me that H440 of yours :unsure: