Apple ranked highest for satisfaction
Apple's customers are the happiest around - but are they being blinded by the company's marketing strategies?
According to the results of a survey carried out by ChangeWave Research – via The Unofficial Apple Weblog – Apple's customers have come out on top in customer satisfaction, beating rivals Asus, Acer, and Sony by a healthy margin.
The survey – which asked purchasers of computers how satisfied with their purchase they were after a period of up to ninety days – showed 81 percent of Apple customers questioned describing themselves as “very satisfied” with the product they had received. This compares with Apple's nearest competitor Asus, which could only muster a far poorer 67 percent.
The figures get more depressing from there, with Acer scraping 61 percent and Sony narrowly pipping Dell to the post with 56 and 55 percent respectively. Hewlett Packard and Toshiba tied with just 52 percent of customers describing themselves as “very satisified with their new hardware, but the booby prize goes to business-oriented Lenovo – manufacturers of the ex-IBM ThinkPad range of notebooks – which barely managed to scrape a 50 percent satisfaction rating from its customers.
Laptops are proving the most popular purchase option across both Apple and PC brands, with the research showing customers likelyhood of purchasing a MacBook or MacBook Pro increasing by 3 percent in the last month. This contrasts with planned desktop purchases, which have decreased by 2 percent.
Perhaps the most interesting thing to come out of the survey – besides the depressing news that consumer electronic spending is at its lowest level since ChangeWave began its research seven years ago – is that many Apple fans consider the iPhone to be a netbook, rather than a smartphone.
If you want to peer at the gory details, ChangeWave has made the full survey results available as a PDF.
Do you believe the build quality of Apple products is what provides for such a high level of customer satisfaction, or are the Mac fans merely blinded by the advertising? Are Lenovo notebooks really that bad? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
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Discuss in the forums Replybut i am 100% not satisfied, a crappy headphone for £20?? all those £5 replacements on ebay are fake, and won't fit in my iphone!
i think this image is perfect:
http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyimages/1170.jpg
Slow Adoption of Hardware?
Which laptop manufacturer has pushed out a dual GPU platform with the 9400M as a general use processing chip in their high end laptops - Apple?
Granted.
But I'm still running a 512MB 8800GT as the top-end GPU in my Mac Pro. That's what I call slow adoption of hardware. That's all we got.
Hmm. I have a Mac and a PC. If I'd have taken part in the survey I would have answered honestly, that Apple are very satisfactory, apart from their damned slow adoption of some hardware.
There are Mac users that aren't automatically fan boys! :D
Apple makes the hardware and the software so they know how it all works, with a windows based system how many variations are there of hardware? Just take the motherboard for example at least 6 manufacturers, move onto the graphics and so forth.
A PC is a PERSONAL COMPUTER it does not mean it is a Windows Computer, it about time people understood this and moved on.
Agreed.
But it's the term that we use at the moment.
Good luck trying to change it!
i wonder why pc companies are lower on the list
No.
The article says 'via' which means they found this information out 'via' TUAW.
hah. you are mistaken, sir. a very small minority of PC users build their own machines.
We recently bought a Sony CS laptop for xmas... and the fan's on it are proving to be a nightmare. Sony know its a manufacturing issue, but have only offered to swap out the fans for the same models.. still faulty despite the problem being solvable by a firmware change (100's of people have this issue by the way with the new CS laptops). Arrogant gits they are. They are probably waiting for the class-action lawsuit before they do anything.
Compare that to how Apple responded with their trackpad issue on the new macbooks... solved and an update issued pretty quickly.
Lesson to be learned for me : Never buy a Sony product ever again. Consider Apple instead.
Already it has cost Sony dearly. My new HDTV .... samsung model just purchased as I informed the sales man at Comet that I will never buy a Sony product ever again.
And I can see why Apple wins this. Their build quality is awesome, it's shiny [means every single woman votes for them] and it works out-the-box. Support is also a great plus and it's not only Apple who make you pay a hefty premium for better/longer support, take a look at Dell for example.
I'd definitely like to get a nice Macbook or a Mac Pro, dual boot Win7 and OSX but it's the price that drives me back to 'normal' PC hardware every time.
This, however, is probably also true.
But with the price premium factored in, I'd rather build my own Win/Linux Laptop or PC and be able to fix it myself when things go wrong, but the majority of Apple consumers just aren't people who are inclined to tinker with and fix the products for themselves.
Apple for fashion enthusiasts, Windows, Linux and self-builds for tech enthusiasts. ;)
Dell for people who don't care either way. :p
That's certainly why I bought my Mac. Not because they're beautifully constructed (internally and externally) and use an operating system that I value.
I find it strange that Sony did so badly, because I think they're the PC equivalent of Mac. Very, very expensive, excellent design. Their problem is pretty much only that they don't control their software and that their quality control is a bit lacking, though they are of course much more cutting edge...
Which is Mac G5 clone. Fanboy!
Basically the survey shows the percentage of idiots in the society.
Lenovo position - easy to understand, too. Nothing but problems with them recently.
Having said that, a lot of companies that make windows machines install so much crud on the machines and don't really give most users any idea of what they need or don't need (without getting advertising and money making involved) so they are shooting themselves in the foot.
I'm suprised no-one made penis joke yet
Lol so its not a fashion accessory you just find it beautiful. I can't fathom how someone could be so entranced with how their computer looks, honestly I think apple computers are pretty lame looking but to each their own. As to this survey, from my personal experience Apple users are satisfied with their machines even if it does not work right.
I think Dell Business offer the best service ever.
1- Even if you have no business, you can get machines from Dell Small Business... no question asked
2- If you call to order you get insane deal and free updates on parts.
3- Everyone except the sale rep is local.. meaning for me everyone is Canadian... well for me. And I NEVER waited more then exactly 2 min on the phone.
4- You don't have to call for tech support, you can chat!
5- No one treat you as an incompetent.
6- Solid machine (metal), awesome keyboard and mouses (point mouse and touchpad), all quiet), powerful machine, great LED display NON-GLOSSY ultra bright (lets say that 100% of brightness from other laptops, is 50% for this one, where even when I use my laptop, I sometime want to reduce the brightness but I can't because it's already on minimum :D), loud speaker, thin optical drive, thin machine, light for what it gives you. Oh and the best: 1 screw full access to the system and easy to change parts even the motherboard (CPU not soldered it, it's replaceable). The CPU, GPU, Northbridge, RAM, power phases, all put on reverse so that the palm rest and keyboard stay cool and backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor. Yep, I have the Latitude E6400. I can go on...
7- Great feature that not even a Mac has: eSATA/USB combo port, smart card reader (with a countless one), SD card reader, descent sound card, DisplayPort with Audio, replaceable battery.
8- Minimum warranty is 3 years with Next Business Day service. You can not go lower than this!
9- When a replacement machine arrives, you get to keep your system until you receive the new one. Yes, Dell allows you to swap the HDD's. Shipping both ways is payed.
10- if a part breaks, Dell will send you a professional technician (yes, I tried it), when you want, at the time you want to replace the part for you, even if its to change the eject-able optical drive. Or if you want, you can do it yourself, again shipping both ways is paid by them.
11- Full service manual is provided, + recover partition + clean, empty, fully updated (from the day you receive it) Vista disk (Dell logo in system properties only) + driver disk + Vista 64-bit option + System comes clean with only: drivers, easy to uninstall PowerDVD (but you won't because Vista Business does not come with a DVD-codec), and Roxio. NOTHING ELSE.
12- Can give you 9 hours battery (pushing it of course) with the 9-cell battery with the Nvidia GPU
Now THAT is what I called satisfaction!
Sorry, but the PC-fanboy-ism is rife here --notably from members with a post count in the single digits. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
Has anyone ever considered that Apple may be on to something? I mean, seriously? I built my own PC and I like to think that I can get my head around Linux. But I also own an iPod, an iPhone, an Airport Express (as a travel wi-fi router) and they are all built to last, rock-solid in operation and easy to use. Their laptops are just the most ergonomically and robustly designed units around. Their designs get copied and emulated time and again.
I bet we're all ever so satisfied with our PC's here --despite the numerous entries in the tech Support forum. Compatibility issues, driver problems, Windows BSOD's. And our entries in the modding forums: if PCs are so great, why do we feel the need to improve on them? The reason Apple Macs don't get modded is because you don't need to.
Wil's MacBook 0 vs. 1 Cup of Coffee, spilt by me
My ThinkPad 5 vs. 0 Cup of Coffee
I've not run into any driver conflicts with Windows 7 thus far on my X60s yet either.
I would strongly disagree with you, modding has nothing to do with PC's being inadequate, but more with people who have a DIY attitude. Some people will ALWAYS value a custom build more than anything prebuilt (no matter how good people claim Apple's build quality to be). These people mod because they want to mod, not because they're forced to in order to make something decent. No one in their right mind would mod a mac, I mean pretty much all of the brand name comes from their cases now since the internals are basically a PC. Basically people buying macs and building PCs come from a totally different mindset, I would think you would understand that since you seem like a really intelligent person who considers that people are actually different.
So you're a happy Dell customer.
When I tried to order a laptop from Dell Germany I had to find out that all their employees in Germany [even the technicians working for their hotline] are from Eastern Europe. "Not a bad thing, it's not like they're any stupider than Germans", I thought. True, but they hardly speak any German.
It took me 10 calls to order a laptop that was on offer after being told on a Friday to call on next Monday as that would be the start of the offer. So I called back on Monday just to hear from someone else that the offer ended on Friday. Ordering online didn't work because the link in their mail lead to 404-land. My first sentence with the sales team became "Hi. Just put me through to your boss, thank you." because there was no way any of the sales people could help me. They hardly knew what I was talking about.
I had to give the person who finally got what I wanted every single piece of hardware with order number so he could enter that as a custom build because he couldn't find the offer anymore.... eeeehhh... okay. So I did that and he said something like "1,900 Euro please", "Hmmm... nope. 1550", was my answer.
In the end I got it but I can't recommend their sales people in Germany to anyone. Ever.
To be fair though their support is awesome. The display showed a line, then another so I tried to call them and got told by the automated voice "Your estimated waiting time is... more than half an hour". So I chatted to a technician instead of talking to a support person first and he set up an exchange within 3 days. Another technician showed up and changed the display in my kitchen.
Best support I've ever seen with any computer related company.
Apple is going to have a better satisfaction rating, the following cartoon applies to their warrantee service as well as upgrading one of their computers.
http://www.funnypictures.net.au/images/pc-vs-mac-upgrade-cartoon-hi-im-a-pc-and-im-a-mac-.jpg
you drop it off, and if anything is wrong with it, they transfer your files over to a "new" one (i.e. a factory refurb) and give it back to you.
also, the build quality on their ipods is getting to be absolute crap. I have had 5 die in under a year (all replaced under the same warranty) and the last one is dieing a very slow death the last 2 months, out of warranty, so I'll be jumping over to something else asap
hum, I modded the only mac I ever owned into something actually useful.... a trash can. And as Vash said, some people actually like to do stuff to make it BETTER. or because we like to work with our hands.
I have built all my desktop pcs apart from two. Why? Because I like to tinker about and have a rough idea on how things are put together. Also, I like to be able to put in what I consider to be best for my use. One size definately does not fit all.
Sunsparc without doubt had the best hardware in terms of build quality, with Mac the worst. The PC, well at least you got what you paid for. IE Cheap = crap, expensive = reliable hardware (there are exceptions to every rule).
I run both Linux and XP on my mac, with the occasional foray into OSX when i have to. They both run on the macbook pro as they do on my M1330. But here is the REALLY big snag for me:-
M1330 = £750
Macbook Pro 17" = £2800
Now, you may assume that apart from screen size, the mac is a much higher spec machine. Nope. Same 4gb, but the processor is a couple of pegs down. It was bought 6 months before the M1330, but a new one of the same spec was the same price at the time I bought the M1330 (I checked, just for a laugh). The M1330 has a DVD drive that reads all the same formats as the mac, but mounts them in under half the time it takes the mac. The M1330 keyboard doesn't randomly decide not to acknowledge the first key typed if you stop typing for more that 20 seconds. The M1330 doesn't toast your epidermis to a crisp after being on for an hour. There is more, but I wouldn't want to bore you too much.
Just one last thing. I have had to use Dell support twice on two different machines. (Both times through my own stupidity). What a fantastic experience. Within 24 hours a courteous AND knowledgeable engineer turned up, changed the part (one had to trouble shoot first). All at a time I had requested at a place I had requested. With apple I have had to package the machine up and deliver it to an 'approved apple service center' or shop. Why? It's always been the apple hardware expiring so why do I have to have the inconvenience? Especially for over twice the price. Surely I can't be paying that much for an OS based on an open source project?
Now, OS:-
Yes, windows is utter crap. It has become so convoluted and stuck together with sticky tape and string that it is never ever going to work properly for what it is meant to do. Lets hope Windows 7 was developed by a TEAM and not a conglomerate of commitees brainstorming and feeding ideas to different departments...... well, you have to have hope.
Linux, such an admirable idea which seems to be finally coming of age. Yes, there are some very ropy bits of software and some seem to be written for use by aliens from another dimension who use logic so different from ours it would take Deep Blue a year to work it out. But, on the whole it does now work and it is stable, really stable. In fact, ubuntu and puppy linux (which I am familiar with) both are more stable that windows AND OSX.
OSX Unstable? Ok, nice mac marketing. Define stable? I personally don't call a greyed up screen with a nice 'your system is unresponsive and needs to restart' indicative of a 'stable' os. At least windows has the honesty to blow up in style and restart for you. It is pretty, granted, and for the complete vacuous simpleton sheep we now seem to breed the one button click and go is great. Being linux based it is probably really good for the complete IT techead who knows his cli inside out and exactly how a linux system is hung together - Hooray. BUT I am neither of those, and it drives me nuts. What if I want to tweak something, I can't. I just don't have the time or knowledge to do it. In windows you can have a good root about and find a file somewhere to change. Not in OSX, not as easily anyway.
These things are all tools to do jobs. They aren't bits of jewlery. My dell is such a good tool. Reliable, responsive, well built, good battery life, portable, adaptable without having to buy contrived adapters as it has standard sockets (display etc). My mac is always the last choice. In fact now I only use it for my consultancy business as that is what the trade I'm in uses.
I always advise people who buy a mac to question what extra or better tools they get for all that extra money if it is for personal use. The ones who still buy are normally the ones wearing £150 trainers.......
A cheap Windows laptop is not similar to a MacBook Pro. A MacBook Pro is thin. It has all sorts of neat features not found in most PC laptops - backlit keyboard, LED display, motion sensors, built in webcam (and decent) not to mention Mac OS X and the array of software you get with it.
Yes, Macs can be perceived to be more expensive. But I don't think it's as simple as saying laptop A is £700, MacBook Pro £2800 = rip off!
Dell Latitude E6400 (14inch) VS MacBook Pro (15inch)
Size: (Dell win)
Lat: 14inch
Mac 15inch
Dimensions: (Dell Win)
Lat:
Mac:Width: 13.1"/335mm
Depth: 9.37"/238mm
Height: 1"/27/31mm
Mac wins on height, but any pressure on the screen will brake it. I can put high pressure on my machine lid close and the keyboard won't touch the screen nor brake. As a student, I see A LOT of Mac broken screen as the pressure is too high in their bag.Height: 0.95 inch (2.41 cm)
Width:14.35 inches (36.4 cm)
Depth:9.82 inches (24.9 cm)
Weight (Dell win)
Lat: Weight: 4.3 lbs/1.95 kg
Mac: Weight: 5.5 pounds (2.49 kg)
System Power:
Same for both systems.
Basic Warranty: (Dell win)
Lat: 3 year warranty with a professional technician that comes to your place when you want
Mac: 1 year... nothing special. Lose laptop when in service.
Features: (Dell win)
Lat: eSATA, standard Display port, VGA, backlit keyboard, ambient light sensor, 2 mouse type (pointer and touchpad), descent webcam, free-fall sensor on HDD.
Mac: mini-Display Port (proprietary (I mean no one uses it other than Apple)), backlit keyboard, only 1 mouse (touchpad), descent webcam, ambient light sensor, motion sensor.
Software: (Dell win)
[b]Lat: Same Mac applications included in Windows already that does the same job, and access to an ultra wide library of open source, freeware software.
Mac: "Mac OS X and the array of software you get with it." as you say, which actually you need to pay (iWord for example).
Crapware:
Same (both none).
Design:
Same (both are in metal)
Screen: (Dell win)
Lat: NON-glossy 1440x900 LED backlit 6-bit panel, ultra bright.
Mac: Glossy 6-bit panel, LED backlit, 1440x900
Battery: (Dell win)
Lat: 9-hours (with 9-cell battery) surfing web. Changeable battery. Support 2 batteries for 19 to 21 hours of battery life.
Mac: 5-hour.
Price: (Dell win)
Lat: 1630$ Canadian
Mac: 2500$ U.S (so more with the exchange rate)
The rest are identical.
Mac did not win at any point.
I DID my research, thank you very much.
The majority of our repairs are removing malware and replacing dying/dead hard drives (sometimes needing to reinstall Windows as a result). Here's the thing: almost no one uses decent internet security, and the same for backups - nobody makes any and panic when they run into a problem. I'll occasionally hear a customer complain about the problem, how "PC's" and Windows suck and how they want to buy a "Mac". But had they had paid for Kaspersky or Norton or whatever for $69 a year (for 3 computers) and paid $100 for a backup hard drive, they wouldn't have either of the problems they were having and would have a familiar UI that works with just about everything and costs less than the Apple.
I've also had a couple of Apples come in - I remember a PB G4 with a bad CD drive (we couldn't replace it), an iMac G4 that needed to be upgraded to Tiger just to use the 3rd gen nano, an iBook G4 that wouldn't boot after a security update (couldn't fix it), and most recently a new MacBook with a broken screen (which the owner told me, and I quote, "the guy [at the Apple Store] told me not to even bother paying for it because they'd charge me up the ass.") Sounds like great service to me; they can't even do a repair on their ridiculously expensive machines for a decent price.
I'm also sick of hearing about how bad Vista is and how great Mac OS is - most people that I talk to haven't used either and have just heard it from the press. Then I tell them that the Mac OS is just different, and that alone doesn't automatically make it better, though it has it's advantages - but so does Vista. I then tell them about all of the little enhancements in Vista that make it a pleasure to use, and that it's the OEM's fault for building low-spec'ed machines with tons of bloatware that make everyone think it's so slow. We used to have a demo Vista Basic box running on an Atom processor with 2GB RAM and AVG Free in the background, and people thought it was great. (sidenote: anyone who thinks a clean install of Vista runs like crap on an Atom processor - I think you're wrong.)
As for me, I really do not see the advantage of running more expensive computers from one brand that has so many snobby followers. The "PC" world (I hate that term considering all computers are personal) may have it's arrogant followers, but they're all online. The Apple owners, on the other hand, are very much present in real life and make a big stink about how they "made the switch", and it's irritating to listen to (plus nobody else really cares that much). I don't think the Apple UI is dramatically better or easier to use, sometimes it's on the contrary. I really enjoy using my Acer One, and Apple has no similar product anyway (the iPhone, a netbook? WTF?). Windows works fine for me, and although it's not perfect, I know taking simple steps and spending a little extra money helps a lot, seeing as those customers outfitted with security software and an external hard drive with SyncBack almost never have to return for service. And most of all, I really don't need to make a fashion statement or show off my little light up logo or make a stupid "bong" sound every time I push the power button. Plus I don't make a stink about my position unless someone asks me, then I give them the facts, which I know unlike most Apple users who get their info from the Get a Mac marketing campaign. So what do you need to know after reading all of that stuff? Windows machines work at a high level of satisfaction for me in many forms (and for most people, when properly equipped)...and Apple machines? As other posters have said, a lot of it is the hype - I set up a customer with an iMac his daughter bought him, and he loves Boot Camp since he can actually use his stuff, and he feels "at home" even after 3 months using Leopard. I'm sure the OEM's bloatware causes most of their problems with overlapping functions, slowdowns and incompatibilities which in turn cause their users to be annoyed (I agree with Lenovo in last place - they have so many "Think" utilities, it's absurd).
God, that was long winded and unorganized! :) But feel free to ask me for any of my other retail observations, you may be surprised.
What are the system specs? CPU, GPU, RAM, Hard Drive. Don't forget that the Mac's screen has a higher resolution and an LED backlit display. Oh yeah and multitouch trackpad.
If you're going to do your "research" you need to present all of it. Not just the parts you like.
And just so we're clear. I use a PC at home that I built myself, but I've also used and owned 3 different Macs which I also loved. My PC is here so I can game.
WOW, you did not even read what I said. All your questions are answered on my post. You have no respect!
Multitouch trackpad is useless for Windows environment, like the motion sensor. But if you must... ok fine, I forgot about it. Still doesn't catchup to make the feature item a winner.
CPU were customized to be same, same for the RAM, GPU, and Harddrive. Do you want need an instructional video or you understand the word "same"?
The only winning point that Mac Book Pro has, is that is can run it's propitiatory OS.
But I still think your comparison isn't 100% correct. At least the screen size might not be a win for everyone. My girlfriend for example wouldn't accept a 14" because she had a 15" before and wanted one again. I couldn't get here to even look at smaller displays.
But I do think you pay a premium for Apple's style, too. I just don't know why nobody managed to copy it properly... yet.
HP had a nice design (I don't like it, but it was popular), for many years HP just tweaked the design and no change it. Now it's special design, turns out to be mundane, as ""everyone"" had it. Same for Apple, since the first aluminum machine they released (which was miles ahead from the FisherPrice toy they had). The design was cool, neat, modern, where even I loved it... but now it's been sooo many years, more than HP design, it's the same freaking deisgn. It's like if they hired a team of designed made a design and fired them immediately after, and perform the tweaks in design them self, where each tweak makes teh machine uglier.than what it was before (like HP... I mean now it's this plastic chrome like color that makes you blind). Al thought, Apple is from being in such situation, it doesn't guve the felling in saying "Oh that was a memorable model", and now the designed is starting to become mundane, especially that Sony uses silver now, and get to the point that ""Everyone" has it... or well "every" Apple user has it". Now Apple tried to mix things up with the black model on the previous generation, but that only delays the process. Same applies to IBM/Lenovo machine... just recently Lenovo designed to mix the design up with a touch of newness.
NOTE: When I say "Everyone".. I don't mean literally, hens the quotes around.
The Dell Latitude (I use that as example as I have in front of me, but I do NOT rule out the other such as Sony just to mention 1 example), looks like a Lenovo machine.. but is it? of course not. The Dell has a nice paint job design on the cover, has a sleek, simple, industrial design (which is way more developed on the coming up Del Adamo), a design where you don't even see the screen hinge for the user. And has this business black partly-reflective color (not glossy nor semi-glossy). It's original. When I use it at university, no one has one like mine.
Like the Mac Book Pro (previous generation.. I did not see the new one to say anything about it) the machine is in metal, and plastic is used at the same area.
But I also love my iPod, I know I could have found something cheaper that does the same thing but I just love it
- Song
- Playlist
- Options
- Settings
- Preferences
Heuuu.... right... And to top it all off, had a micro ultra low screen resolution, where each menu item had to scroll left to right for you to be able to read them.
Apple, really did something here, and made MP3 player a success.
But frankly, after my last iPod (as the newer ones tend to break every year or less, on a daily usage basis, and the several -40 to room temperature environment of Canadian Winter, brake the device. I decided to open it and see what is inside (it was the iPod nano 2nd gen). Poor circuitry! Which explains also why the device is the most unresponsive device when large temperature change occurs. I mean the circuit board is ultra thin, cracked (like micro cracks.. appears whitish, but no split) (it was never dropped or switched) and the screen circuit and scrollwheel is made on a peace of plastic sheet, where room for a real circuit board was clearly there. So, i decided to try something new.. just to try.. I mean, worst come to worst it will brake in a year.
So, I got a different MP3 player, you know... those where stores keeps it turned off, in a corner with no light, full of dust... yea tHOSe players! I got the Zune 120 black (the latest one, with the new Zune software which is apparently awesome and firmware 3.0). And WOW, I am amazed.
Despite being an HDD, I already drop it (it had the Zune official protective case (it was a special at the store, buy a Zune and get that thing for free)). And nothing! the Zune has no scratch nor dent (well it was protected) , but more importantly the HDD is fine. In fact I read it has a free fall sensor (not sure if that was true). The sound card and headphones are better than the iPod, it's cheaper in price, ultra easy navigation with one hand, and eailly allow you to scroll item by item or fast scroll on ultra long lists. Video's and podcast on it is impressive, great view angle. TV output is in 480i, and not the small video like the iPod. Software is really cool, it has this Media center feel to it. And you can make your own Zune games! Oh, and the screen and plastic is apparently scratch resistance. The wireless sync is pretty cool too.
Now it has it's faults for sure. Such as no Game store, no web browser (I mean it has a wireless card, it could be done. I found a game on the Zune with a mouse where you use the navigation scroll thingy like a laptop touch pad), it's fat, and you can't use it as an external HDD. But other than that... if someone wants JUST an MP3 player, this is pretty amazing. Oh and it doesn't have any issues upon temperature changing. Knowing that still old 1st gen Zune which can be updated to the latest for free, and still works. I think I have a good device in hand. But we will see! So far:
iPods are great... but not for Canada climate.
fixed.
the reason PCs get improved all the time is because someone just keeps wanting more and more power, it's simply like when someone gets a fast car, they want it to go faster.
if you want to prove me wrong, show me somewhere where they actually modify the hardware and cases etc.
Once again, you highlight selecting features and forgetting others.
I've never seen a single broken Mac laptop screen and I've been in universities for the past seven years.
VGA? Old. MiniDisplay Port - yes annoying, but you can use an adaptor. Also, Mac screen is bigger. I love you call the non-glossy a feature! Some people would prefer the glossy.
Granted, Dell seems to win on battery life and two batteries. However you miss that the Mac can also change it's battery.
As for software, that's the biggest mistake - Mac is not the same as Windows. The software you get on a Mac - iPhoto, iDVD, GarageBand - is pretty unique. I'm sure you can get Windows alternatives, but they are different apps, suited for different people and different uses. You can also get freeware/open source stuff for a Mac. Most of the OS is built on it, with a few annoying exceptions.
Have you bothered looking at the GPUs in these machines? The MacBook Pro features hybrid SLI and is pretty damned decent. I saw the 9600M run CoD4 at decent framerates at a decent res. Looks like the Dell has Integrated graphics or the NVIDIA 160M.
One mouse yes, but it's multitouch and very handy for scrolling documents, etc.
This thread has already turned into a flamewar. Sadly GoodBytes I don't think you can say so very simply "The Dell is better". I'm not saying the MacBook Pro is better. But you have to weigh up the machines truly and honestly, taking into account user experience, build quality and satisfaction over time. These are things you can't read on paper or over the web, they come from use.
If the Dell suits you, great! I hope you have a happy life together. But you can't simply say it's good for everyone and the Dell wins. Too simplistic.
Right, now to get my breakfast...
is it now like: run in 9400M when not needed, then kick start 9600M when 3D stuff are detected?? i know Windows desktop based Hybrid-SLi can do that.
Bizarrely, this isn't an issue but a decision by Apple.
I was at the press event for the 94/9600M and asked Rene Haas why this was the case...he couldn't say, other than it was a choice by Apple!
Glossy screen is not a feature, it's a downgrade. That is like the LCD manufacture going "Ok, we need a better screen.. one with better view angle and vivid colors, without increasing the cost in anyway. HEY let's use an ultra glossy screen, as the lack of texture on the plastic does exactly what we want... hehe suckers!" All professional LCD screen are non-glossy. It's one of the reason why they are more expensive (as they actually need to make the screen better).
Glossy screen means distraction, means you see yourself, means you see the light and people behind you. Why have a glossy screen, when you can have a a better screen, non-glossy which gives you better or the same result.
- Middle mouse button + tilt the pointer stick mouse in the direction you want.
- or, on the touch pad, slide your finger on the edge like any touchpad, but instead of lifting your finger you slide it to the center and perform a circle, and you continuously scroll in the direction you want. One finger action. Does a great job. And yes you can zoom in/out as well with it. It's very well done I can promise you that, and it doesn't get confused between scrolling/zooming when you use it to move your cursor.
BTW, this is not a flame war, it's a comparison sheet with comments.
Ok, I ahve taken on this on board and physically checked some facts. I hold may hand up, the CPU spec is different in favour of the mac. 2.4 duo to a 2.6 duo, that's about £350 according to Dell upgrade cost.
Absolutely right. A mid or low spec windows based machine with onboard graphics for example is not like a macbook pro. However, a top spec M1330 is not a 'cheap' or low spec laptop, and I would argue that hardware and build quality wise is a very very fair comparison.
Erm, have you seen an M1330? Yes, it's back edge where the hinge is may be slightly higher (about 3mm I think) than a macbook pro, but the front edge is a lot smaller. I own both and the Dell hinge is considerably more robust.
The Dell does not have a backlit keyboard, never noticed as never ever had the occasion to use it (yes I fly a lot, and the cabin light is always sufficient).
M1330 does have an LED display. webcam (decent), not sure about motion sensors but then what's the point? It does have a biometric scanner though which makes logging in more secure than a password, and nice media controls plus media direct so I don't have to boot into windows to watch a movie or play music etc.
OSX, as I mentioned, doesn't really come into the balance. It's just a different tool for the same jobs. What I will say is the amount of stuff you will never ever use is slightly annoying and utterly useless as a whole. It does have an easy backup utility built in though, which is excellent. Shame I have never managed to get it to work properly on rebuild, the intention is something M$ should pick up on IMHO.
I think you will find on checking that it is, and it was £750 versus £2250 adjusting for my CPU error. (also, 8400GS versus 8600M, so a little more give there too). It is a rip off, no other way of putting it really.
Re the screen damage issue. I have to agree. The amount of macbooks I have seen with a nice 'keyboard' grid pattern on the screen is a lot. If your lumping these things about day in day out on the road they get a lot of abuse which macbooks don't quite take as well as a dell.
Back on topic :-)..... People who buy a mac are generally more fashion conscious so buy for a different reason, not a tool to do a job. That has to reduce their objectivity surely. You cannot compare the two in this kind of survey.
Haha! Brilliant. I love competition. It creates cheaper, faster, better products. So, yes, I am incredibly aware there is competition. And I'm all up for choice, why the hell would I ever suggest choice is a negative thing?!
I bought my Mac because it lets me do what I want it to do, usually. I didn't buy it because it was pretty or fashionable.
Exactly: different mindset, different motives, different needs. Apple products are not inherently better or worse than their non-Apple counterparts; they're just different. They're designed with a different philosophy in mind, aimed at a different target group, purchased for different reasons.
All this "Apple products are crap and overpriced" fanboy-ism is getting a bit tired, to be honest. It is much like a bunch of teenagers arguing over X-Boxes vs. PS3's vs. Wii's. None of them are knowledgeable and objective enough to make a valid and balanced comparison, and none can just let the other be happy with their choice. Who are people trying to convince about the inferiority of Apple products here? Those who buy Apple products, or themselves?
Well said.
Celebrate the differences and understand choices and decisions.
One last thing. There is a lot more to a computer than technical specs. It's a good indicator, but it's a 10 point scale, with things rated 10 being the best. There is much more to a machine that what a manufacturer tells you. What quality is the screen, really? How long does the battery really last? What sort of components are used onboard - cheap, expensive, new? Any issues with any of it? Etc, etc.
Huh? You are truly insane.
Everything I mentioned is true and correct. no used part, numbers are correct, nothing is broken, everything is of quality. I checked of course. How? Well I opened it, there is only 1 screw (very well engineered). You remove that screw, and slide the panel and it you have full access to the machine. CPU, RAM, Northbridge, etc.. are all on reverse, so that they point down and keep the palm rest and keyboard from being hot, even if you gave for several hours. The motherboard on this machine is comparable to ASUS brand motherboard. Battery life is correct too. Battery is from Panasonic, same for the optical drive. LCD is the highest-end that LG makes (I checked, the others the specs are not that good). Everything has quality on to it. Nothing cheap or iffy. I know it's hard to imagine this for you, but it is true, JUST LOOK AT REVIEWS!
Baterry life (with 9cell)
- Max battery life that you get out of the machine with the Quadro with new battery: 9 hours and 25min.
- Max battery life with new battery, with Quadro, with wireless ON: 9 hours.
- Non stretching, using computer like a desktop, screen always on, wireless on, surfing the web with ads, having im program, checking e-mail with Thunderbird several times, open/close many programs, have Aero transparency turned on, use flip3D several times: 7 hours and half.
- Same as above with internet radio, 50% speaker volume: 6 hours and half.
- Playing FarCray 2 on battery, wireless on, 50% speakers volume, having some programs open on the back: 4 hours.
If I attach the 12 cell (12 cell + 9 cell), review sites claim ~19 hours of battery life stretching with the Nvidia Quadro. As explained before, this machine can hold 2 batteries at the same time and managed them. I don't have the 12-cell battery.
I don't think I'm insane to say that there is more to computers than technical specs. Often manufacturers quote a certain value, only for it to be lower or higher in reality or some parts can wear out, break or are defective. I'm speaking generally for people who decide to purchase laptop A over laptop B.
In a way, that damages the image of Dell, as a lot of people buy their low end system, and brakes easily (as they are cheaply made to reduce the cost, and put all these "ad" software (trial-version) to cut the cost down at max. But, it is no reason to generalize. Heck I know that ASUS, for example, their motherboard are not super well made as people claim (well in Canada), and their service is abysmal. But, their sound card department is like a hole different company in Canada, this includes great service. It's strange, but it all depends on how a company is structured.
I agree. But I still don't think it would make it worth double the cost. Also, in my (20 year) experience of Apple Macintosh base units, they have mostly used outdated and poor quality components. They were still using 2x CD rom drives in top spec power pc units when you couldn't even buy less than a 12x anywhere. I know, I had to replace one and my boss insisted I used like for like so I had to buy one from Apple at 4x the cost of a 12x drive. Absolutely insane.
They do package it nicely now though, and as they are using 'standard' components like everone else it is just down to the build quality. Which, btw, doesn't mean just the case :-) And as I have already mentioned, they can't take as much abuse/use as the Dells I and colleagues have used.
I'd prefer an Apple over a Dell machine because they look and feel just a little bit better. But as mentioned several times they tend to be more expensive (maybe overpriced) and some parts might be outdated.
It's quite hard to say which one is better as it really depends on what you want to do with it. And of course there's the fanboy factor.
Now just calm down, grab a beer/coke/water/wine and continue browsing using your favourite browser on your favourite machine with your favourite OS without trying to convert anybody. This is not like religion, you know?
I know two guys with high end MacBooks and the most intensive thing they do with them is burn DVDs.
Surveys like this ultimately just say: 'when asked, people claim to be happier than they are, because otherwise they'd feel like a loser'