“Judging by the questions I get, many would-be buyers are considering a Macintosh for the first time,” Edward C. Baig reports for USA Today
“Consider this column a primer on switching to the Mac,” Baig reports.
• Why are Macs special? Windows users tolerate their computers to get stuff done. The Mac crowd enjoys its machines… Mac hardware is beautifully designed… The underlying software is polished, robust and secure… Apple’s computers to date have been immune from the scourge of viruses and malware that have long plagued Windows.
• Is there a learning curve? Sure, but it’s not as steep as you might think.
• Aren’t Macs pricier? Well, you won’t find sub-$400 bargains. The cheapest Mac, the 6.5-inch-square Mac Mini starts at $599 — without monitor, keyboard or mouse. Among consumer desktops, the iMac line starts at $1,199 (and goes way up from there). It’s sold with a 20- or 24-inch screen. Apple sells a more expensive Pro line of desktops, but they’re beyond the scope of the typical home user. Among notebooks, entry-level MacBooks have 13.3-inch displays and cost $1,099 on up; they’re terrific consumer or student notebooks. The MacBook Pro comes in 15- and 17-inch versions and starts at $1,999. It has superior graphics, among other enhancements. You get a lot of bang for the buck across all the machines.
Baig reports, “Apple owners heap lavish praise on Macs for good reason. These are solid and elegant computers that are well worth your consideration.”
More in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “citymark” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: Match any WIndows PC box assembler’s product to an Apple Mac as equally as you can and you’ll see that Macs are very competitive on price, often beating OS-limited offerings from HP, Dell, etc. – plus only OS-unlimited Macs can run Mac OS X and Mac-only apps such as those in the iLife suite along with Linux and Windows applications.
We can’t ship junk. There are thresholds we can’t cross because of who we are. The difference is, we don’t offer stripped-down, lousy products. – Apple CEO Steve Jobs, August 7, 2007
Not a bad article
Can’t MDN just accept a good review, without taking a swipe with your MDN take in regards to price. The article is more than fair – and targets average jo-blow consumer.
USA Today is irresponsible and is doing its readers a disservice publishing lies like these. Buying a MAC is is huge mistake. This Baig moron should have dedicated his puff piece on this point alone:
Gamers should note that OS X has far fewer titles than Windows does.
Read it an weep, MAC lemmings. MACs don’t have as many games as Windows, and only a fool would counter that ‘fewer is better’. Magnificent Windows-based machines have more of everything: games, hardware choices and options for customizing the computing experience. You still can’t run Zune Marketplace on an expensive MAC with one of those hideous glossy screens.
Your potential. Our passion.™
Welcome back Zune Tard!
Your Passion. Our Discussion.
Where have you been you old Troll? We missed somebody to pour our vitriol on!!!
Why so cynical,
MDN’s Take is not at all cynical. They are simply pointing out the fact that Macs are not more expensive, Apple just refuses to ship junk like all of the other the PC makers.
@ Zune Tang
“Gamers should note that OS X has far fewer titles than Windows does.”
—
If you sole purpose to buy a computer is playing games then you have wasted your money regardless of whether its windows or Mac OS on it.
You wanna play games THEN BUY A FUCKING GAMES CONSOLE.
Is this Zune Tang V. 2
@ Petey: I was just about to say that. All my gaming is on my nintendo systems. Very rarely on my Mac, though I have some cool games on it as well.
@ Zune Crap: You’ve been living under a rock, haven’t you? The newer Macs can run ALL Mac and Windows software, using BootCamp or Parallels. Even your precious games and zune crapware. Much love to ya, dude!
funny thing about the price of the macbook…
$1099 gets you a 2ghz core2duo, 1gb, 80gb laptop. go to dell’s website, they have a similar machine for $1099 except… lower battery life and 500mhz (!) slower. and sure, they have laptops lower than $1099, but those things are disposable crap.
not to mention, they all have a common flaw… VISTA.
for all people who may be new to this site, zune tang is not being serious. he’s joking. sometimes it’s not all that funny… but when he gets the extremists all excited, then it does get a bit comical. =)
“Judging by the questions I get, many would-be buyers are considering a Macintosh for the first time,” Edward C. Baig reports for USA Today.
Music to my ears. Or, should I say, eyes. Macs are clearly gathering momentum, they appear to be more popular than ever right now. Thank you very much, Vista!
“Can’t MDN just accept a good review, without taking a swipe with your MDN take in regards to price. The article is more than fair – and targets average jo-blow consumer.”
umm, the article agrees, they just said it in different words. they accepted a good review and agreed with it.
why do you see an attack where there is agreement?
i guess we know who has the problem……
Matt: Thanks for that reality check. Mr. Tangy just sounds so darn convincing! It’s like I’m looking into a parallel universe or bizzaroworld!
Not to put a fly in anyone’s ointment, but wasn’t Ed Baig one of the three or four journalists along with Pogue and Ole Walt, who got an iPhone before the public release so that they could publish reviews the Thursday before? In other words, doesn’t he owe Apple a few nice reviews, like for the rest of his LIFE!
Is this Zune Tang V. 2?
Folks, “Zune Tang®” is the real, original item. Also obnoxious, but in a fake, smarmy sort of way. At least with MDN registrations, we know it’s him, and not some of the real obnoxious trolls that usurped his handle.
Think of him as the Stephen Colbert of MDN.
Sheesh, haven’t you folks ever herd of satire?
Zuney – keep up the good work. You’re so often good for a laugh.
> Comment from: Zune Tang®
The Zune: Welcome to Squirting Alone.™
As other people have commented, the Apple machines are price competitive, but Apple charges more for extra memory (though all sellers dramatically overcharge for extra memory).
For a Dell Notebook with two memory slots (667MHz DDR2), going from 2GB to 4GB of memory adds $375. For the high-end iMac, going from 2GB to 4GB (also two slots of 667MHz DDR2) adds $700. You can buy compatible 4GB of memory for either machine from third parties for under $100.
@ qka
It’s okay… ZuneTang’s posts help us identify who is new.
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Am I new? I wonder, sometimes people say that my views are… Are they? When is a view new? or should I re-phrase that question and ask…. When is new view?…..In fact, now come to think of it….When is Tang Zuning? or is She/He just Zuning in order to Tang……. Is Zune Tang Orange Tang?…….Or is He/She Orang OTang!!!! I wonder…… Oh! how I wonder…. But I know that there will be a bright new day!…….
Hello ChrissyOne!
How was that for a Rumble in the net jungle?
@ CMD True genius has no reposte!!!!
Outstanding site:
http://www.systemshootouts.org/index.html
Everyone should read it. Zune Tang® should be required to be able to recite it from rote [look it up Zune, we know you’ll have to!].
@ Zune Tang: Replace “Jane” in this clip with “Tang”:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1513595721
But… but… but… I’m not new. 🙁
Ah well, better to be slightly embarrassed than an all-out fool.
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SJ: Snap!
When an LCD (lowest common denominator) rag like USA Today comes out with such a completely positive recommendation for Macs, it’s a big deal.
Have we seen ANY bad reviews of Macs or Mc OS X lately? Since the Mac Cube, in fact? NO. Yes there are articles that quibble about this or that interface element in Leopard (face it, we ALL have a few), but overall, nearly every Mac review lately has been overwhelmingly positive.
Since Leopard appeared, the pace has quickened and the reviews have gotten better.
When you’re comparing an overwhelmingly pathetic turd like Vista loaded on a Dell to ANY Mac and Mac OS X, what can you say?
Pointing out the dearth of Mac games is just fair reporting. Game consoles are okay, except a computer monitor looks better than any standard TV. Unless you’ve got Full-HD, then it’s up to the console and the amount of horsepower it’s got.
Has Windows finally Jumped the Shark?
It sure looks like it.
@ Crabapple
Yo!