It’s a bad time to buy a Windows PC amid the utter confusion coming from Microsoft as to what the final Windows 11 system requirements will be means that it’s hard to plan a safe upgrade path, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes writes for ZDNet.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes for ZDNet:
I’m used to aggressive upgrade cycles and short shelf-to-scrapheap lifecycles, but this level of uncertainty from a company as big and influential as Microsoft is unnerving.
Bottom line: It’s a bad time to buy a Windows PC.
But it’s a great time to buy a Mac.
Apple is building certainty into the ecosystem… Remember, Microsoft and the OEMs are in the business of selling you a new PC, not keeping your old one going for years. Apple, on the other hand, wants to sell you digital content and services.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s never been a good time to buy Windows PC. And, even in the darkest days, it’s always a great time to buy a Mac!
See also: The debate is over: IBM confirms that Apple Macs are $535 less expensive than Windows PCs – October 20, 2016
Windows 11 requires a computer with TPM 2.0 enabled. No Intel Mac meets that requirement, so Microsoft has, at one stroke, eliminated the “I can’t buy an Apple Silicon Mac because it won’t run Windows” argument. There may be workarounds, but there will be workarounds for Parallels and Apple Silicon, too.
It sure is nice to see Microsoft and Intel teetering on the edge of self-immolation. Maybe they will reverse course before it’s too late.
There WILL be a better time to buy a mac: When we can add ram and have better graphics power again. The strongest argument against Macs right now is Apple’s way of trying to attract market segments, and then losing interest after a while and leaving everyone who bought into them hanging.
Pro macs and blade servers are the best examples of this. Last year you had people making Hacintoshes for $1200 that were faster than anything Apple made.
You are dead right. I’m in the market for a new desktop Mac, but I won’t buy one while we’re held to ransom over Apple ram/SSD ridiculous prices. Apple know where they can shove it!
deanbar you perfectly described why the Apple tax and ridiculously high prices for decades are holding Apple back from major gains increasing PC market share. Particularly the obscene prices of SSDs and RAM.
For personal computers running superior hardware and software should be an easy no brainer, but consistently stalled by high pricing and closed boxes.
For example, a few years ago put together a MacPRO proposal for the IT manager of our company. His glib response he is not going to spend twice as much for a closed box you can’t work on, ports missing and overall upgradability deficit.
Right or wrong this is the baked in thinking of the majority of IT people I have encountered over the years from at various companies.
If Apple charged 10-20% more comparably spec for spec for the Apple superiority mystique brand more IT professionals would pay attention. They already know how long Macs last under heavy use than PCs.
IT knows all the scores of both platforms, performance vs. price, many may jump onboard in greater numbers by simply lowering prices and opening Macs for internal upgrades…
MAGA: Made Apple Greatest Again
I’ve been an Apple users for decades but I’m over it. I’m not buying another Mac because of:
Outrageous prices
Underpowered graphics that date in about five seconds
Operating systems that are released before they should be; leading to “fixes” via updates rather than improving the release with more features via the same updates.
There is no excuse for a company like Apple for all of this to happen. Apple pre-plans over these policies and I’m sick and tired of being treated like a milch cow. This is a very good example of Apple’s arrogance towards consumers.
Just for the record I recently upgraded my Mac’s innards with a four terabyte OWC SSD so I can basically repeat that I’m over it. Windows No! Apple…not any more
There is an argument also from the Chromebook camp that it is a better purchase than a new PC or Mac for the reasons of cost and that the huge majority of people ‘live’ in the browser anyway regardless of the host platform. Microsoft Excel for Web also closing the parity gap from the desktop client versions (Mac/PC) by now implementing Macros and Pivot Tables will also make Chromebooks a bit more attractive to business bottom lines.
Compelling argument and would have to agree. We shall see…
Where is the new Macbook Pro 16″ ? Until it appears it is not that good time to buy a new Mac for many waiting for this upgrade.
He’s right, but has some details backwards. Yes, Apple obviously wants to sell digital content and services, but derives far more profit from selling hardware devices. Apple’s well-integrated software and services ensure its hardware customers enjoy superior experience compared to the Windows/Android competition. They’re the value-added benefit of buying Apple hardware, NOT the reason Apple sells hardware. Long-term support is a key part of that experience, compelling customers to buy more Apple hardware in the future.
Apple hardware stays relevant and useful longer. Through current transition to Apple Silicon, Intel Mac owners see long-term support. Even at the lower end of the Mac spectrum, upcoming MacOS Monterey will support Mac mini back to 2014 and MacBook Air back to 2015. That’s 7-8 years (or more) of support plus continuing updates for older MacOS releases (mostly security-related) even longer. Certainty brings customers back for more certainty.
“Apple’s way; (of) trying to attract market segments, and then losing interest after a while and leaving everyone who bought into them hanging.”
Yes. So many examples. It seems like the tech left behind leans towards “Pro” or the more specific user.
Emoji, subscriptions, generic and pop…different story.
What works well with Windows is having the menu on each window. When working on OS X with a large monitor, it is awkward to have to move the cursor all the way to the top left to reach the menubar.
Hey. There’s an app for that. It it, secondbar I think
Mac apps have moved toward having software controls on the windows. The menu bar is far less important for performing low-level actions, such as editing images and videos. You can even hide the menu bar (like hiding Dock), or use a window full screen with no menu bar visible. Having a menu bar on every window just wastes screen space, and it’s visually distracting.