have bitten the bullet and purchased a new Mac Mini as my G4 is getting a bit long in the tooth-9 years old- and I can't access a lot of new stuff as it runs on IBM PC chips rather than Intel.
Have to say it is very fast and even easier to use with the latest version of OS X despite being ony 200mm square and 30mm deep it packs wifi, bluetooth and a 500gb disc. Lots of new stuff to explore and the interface is even better than ever. The only bad thing was the price - 620€ - the equivalent of and extra hundred smackers. I bought it online with D'Arty and it was available for pickup in 2 days rather than throgh Amazon as it was 30@ cheaper plus I have a local shop to return it too if it fails. My previous G$ was 11 years old and we also had an original iMac in blue which lasted 12 years and a IIci which still works even after 16 years so I'm not too worried about reliability. People always say Apple products are too expensive but on my experience they are rather cheap-Sandy bought an HP laptop and within 3 months the motherboard had to be replaced, then the screen went and finally the battery expired all within the first year. They refused to replace it as it was not fit for purpose but with an inside contact at HP (brother in law is a senior person there) it was replaced but the new one often plays up.
I recall that only until recently adobe CS suite was always more expensive on PC than Mac.
As for popularity and price. Look at all the IOS apps,that will soon be on the Mac platform. MOH is part of the Apple world wide developer scheme and he gets all the beta stuff. Mac OS 11 is so IOS.
80% of the world kids are now Apple fans and that’s why in the last 5 years, Macs have out sold pc’s at quite a rate. Corporates are having more and more Macs brought in by contract workers and IT departments are recognising how powerful the Mac is.
You have to have a PC for work but prefer Mac at home, Buy a Mac and get both in one box. There are no other legitimate dual platform, operating both systems concurrently, that I know of other than by buying a Mac. So now which us the best value for money?
Free operating system upgrades. €20 for a unlimited seat server. And you complain about the cost of other upgrades?
Forgive me but how many ways up do you want it?
You sound as though you have some technical knowledge. In my experience most older users just can’t get to grips with the technology outside of email and web surfing.
So. No having to buy subscription to anti virus, malware or spyware.
Hmmm. Cost of PC, plus cost of windows operating system, plus subscription to anti virus, all adds up. Looks like more than the cost of the Mac.
Oh and of course. Mac is still the preferred tool of graphic designers, musicians, film and video production.
My other half seems to remember you responding to an offer to look at iWeb. If it was you why not email him. Martinpittaway@mac.com
I'm not image conscious! It just happened that when I started to use one way back they were the standard for graphic designers as Windows machines wouldn't run decent page makeup software and as I have had a reliable experience with them, have carried on using them. My wife bought an HP laptop 3 years ago which has been nothing but a load of trouble. Endless crashes, replacements, viruses and the horrible Windows interface. Free software? Mainly rubbish but that's what you get for paying nothing. The main switch by Apple to Intel chips from IBM Powerpc meant that a lot of software was redundant overnight for new machines, but I've bitten the bullet, technology changes so fast you have to keep up when you're a professional and using the computer for work.
Well any PPC Mac will not run the latest version of Chrome. This affects me as a CMS user. I have 3 PPC macs now effectively redundant. They won't run Skype either, in fact the list of things they wont run is a long one. My old windows boxes have survived for years with each OS release and now run win7 which gives me access to every modern browser and application. So £ for £ they have been better investments (and of course they cost a lot less in the first place, too)
I cannot imagine what someone would want a Mac IIcx etc for, the things are dinosaurs and have no practical use anymore unless they are part of some IT museum?
I like macs as much as anyone else and happy to use one. My intel iMac 2006 is still going strong although it is locked down now at OSX 10.6.8 as nothing more recent will work. For the moment it is still capable of running most of the software I need, but not always the latest versions
But for most users I'd recommend PCs now. The software available is larger, often available free (nudge nudge, wink wink) and the cost is so very much lower. Which is, I think, the deciding factor for most people. Macs are pretty but like a pretty car, you are paying a premium for the image you want to project.
MOH has been employed by Apple and has been in and around the Apple industry now for some 29 years. He tells me that you have been unlucky with your experiences. 99/100 Macs just keep on going.
MOH owns a support company in the UK and he tells me they still have Mac Iicx and Iici under contract. These are machines that were built and introduced back in 1989/1990 respectively. How many PC users can say that?
And of course now, if you have a 2007 iMac or newer, all the OS upgrades are free and what about server costs?
My employer has just installed a new Exchange server with licenses for 10 users. Cost €13500. MOH was trying to persuade him top take a Mac. Alternative cost €1350. The cost of the Mac server software just €20. Exchange server 10 licenses.........
Yes. I am as addicted to Mac as much as my husband.
Im a big Apple fan since 1985 but I do get a bit fed up when every OS update seems to break something or require other software updates, sometimes ones you have to pay for.
Ive not had a lot of luck with iMacs. Video cards failing or power supplies, normally uneconomically repairable.
On the other hand my old windows box has gone from XP to Win 7 ( actually a very good OS now) without complaint and when the power supply did fail, at 7 years old, I whipped it out and put in a new one for E30 and ten minutes work with a screwdriver!
The Minis did have a tendency to overheat, at least the PPC ones did.
Hi, I'm not bothered about 'preaching' as I'm not an Apple salesman! However I have suggested to several people that that they buy their computers even if they do cost 'more'. We live in a throw away society - my Pentax digital SLR has topped working but it costs too much to fix so I have had to buy a new one - and people may decide to go for a cheaper computer as it will become obsolete very quickly. My answer is that for something you use everyday, usage should be the deciding factor and the enjoyment you get from Apple's operating system and graphical interface gives a better experience (I believe) that any other.
Hi.
In the UK I was employed by Apple as a Mac genius.
I can tell you that Apple offer resellers just 3.5% gross margin.
I would like to confirm Nicks statement. Apple product is so over engineered it's why they last so long making them such good value for money.
I have a 2007 iMac, the first of the Intel chipped units. Cost me €400 off of eBay and I've just upgraded to Mac OS 10.9.2 free of charge. and all the new APPS free of charge.
As I expected it's given it a complete new lease of life.
Sad thing here is that 'we' are preaching to the converted rather to those who need converting.
When you realise that a retailer gets 50% of the price on the ticket (not with Apple) there ain't much left for the actual machine.
I bought two Mac Minis back in 2011 to use with my digital TV's. They work perfectly for what I want them for, and could no doubt do a whole lot more should I wish. I truly hope I can get the longevity that you got out of them Neil, as that would make them a very inexpensive purchase over that time period. Taken over 10 years - makes it 60 euros per year -which is a very good return on your investment.
I agree, people see a cheap device for £350 - and think they are getting bargain until it goes wrong. I have Dell & Lenovo laptops that serve me well with Linux, but they were all about as expensive as the Apple device when fully specified.
I have owned all sorts of equipment, and the Apple equipment does do well, my next purchase when my trusty Lenovo dies will be an Apple Mac Book Air to run Linux on. I have done extensive research , and they offer the best value in that category without a doubt.
Also when people swap to OSX or Linux they have less problems than with Windows, and that is worth a lot of money in wasted time,effort and real ongoing costs.
Oooh! I'm jealous! I started on a Mac over 20 years ago as they were the de facto computer in the graphic design industry and I've continued but as I'm semi-retired (just doing the odd wine label, brochures and logos) I can't justify the cost, especially the new Mac Pro which looks amazing. But the best thing is OS X which keeps getting better.
i'm waiting for my imac (desktop) to be delivered. I bought it directly from Apple, over the phone cos OH wanted the insides altered a bit so weren't able to buy it directly from Apple store in Bdx. He added a fusion drive. It also meant we were able to choose the mouse & the keyboard we wanted all included in the price. Spoke to a very nice man for the order who gave us a discount because we we'd bought a mac before. Macs are expensive but they are just so much quicker to use. Our "old" one is 7 yeras old & is going to be passed on to n°2 son to save him fron the realms of Windows & PC's