MAC OR NOT

Pound Coin said:
Just had a quick look on eBay. Most seem to be going for £700 - £800

Also, why would you go refurb if, as you say, the keyboard has problems. There’d be the same problems in the keyboard.

Why not let people who want to buy Apple buy Apple. If you don’t like, no need to hate. Go and enjoy whatever it was that you bought.
Click to expand...

Who's hating? It was an impartial comment, no need to get defensive... Resale value was pointed out in a previous comment, I was simply stating that's not necessarily the case

And I also checked eBay and found the £700 - £800 ones were marked as brand-new

Anyway, let's leave it at that, this thread is drastically going downhill and doesn't need to turn nasty :)
 
Pound Coin said:
Tribal threads like this are rather tedious.

My money, my choice.
Click to expand...

Yes it is your money and choice but everyone is entitled to an opinion.
I don't favour the same choice as you and I'm not going to tell you what to do.
Just like I won't tell you which canera system system to buy into.
 
wave01 said:
Think I have said this before. I was a 30 year windows user and took a leap of faith. I got a Mac. That was 2010. Still going strong.
Click to expand...

I'll come back in 22 years and see what you're using :)
 
Pound Coin said:
Sorry, but "what makes people go for a mac over a normal laptop?" is not a legitimate question.

How about "what makes people go for a mac over a Windows or Linux laptop?"

Tribal from the start.
Click to expand...

You’re starting to sound like a fanboi which is why threads like this go downhill fast. If you can’t have an adult, civil discussion can I suggest you visit the birders section.
 
Last edited:
Went from a PC to a mac Mini 2012 from refurb shop. i7 processor, 32gb ram and fusion drive. Massive difference over PC not least the small size of the mac. Like the integration with the ipad and iphone- I wouldn’t go back to windows (having been a windows user since 1998)
 
hashcake said:
Because people are gullible and get sucked in.
Click to expand...

As has been noted, the thread went a bit downhill.

My advice is to look at what you want, what you value, look into what is available, and then make your choice. Buy something that does what you want. Let others do the same and live happily side by side ever after.
 
I had an iMac for 6+ years. Generally good and reliable, good quality and worked well. However, it no longer had enough oomph to drive Adobe CC, so longevity became irrelevant.

Went to replace it and found the price was double what I could pay for a much much better spec'd Windows 10 laptop. Windows 10 has been much better than I expected.

I had an iPhone (2 over 7 years or so). Generally good and reliable, good quality and worked well.

Went to replace it and found the iPhone X double the price of the Samsung S8 (before S9 came out). Android + Samsung is every bit as good as iOS and works well with my Microsoft ecosystem.

So, have been in both camps. For me, personal reason for moving away is that the Apple products are now shockingly overpriced / not worth the price tag. The competition has better products for significantly less money.
 
I would like to add to my post my iMac. Being it’s a 2010 model I up graded the ram so it still happily runs photoshop and Lightroom. That’s the subscription versions.
 
Same goes for my i5-2500k PC (2011), upgraded the graphics card too to a 1050 but only as I wanted to play a few games (Tomb Raider)
 
It’s the same advice we regularly dish out for cameras. Try them, buy the one that works for you. There isn’t a right answer that’s the same for everyone, and absolutely no need to start making disparaging remarks just because someone prefers Canon to Sony etc.

I like Macs, I like Fuji, but clearly other perfectly valid options available.
The OP asked why people went for a Mac, some people shared their reasons - no one is saying that makes them universal truths!
 
Stephen L said:
Thank you. That’s exactly what I mean. The “guy next door” stands little chance.

A large problem with Windows machine are due to people messing about under the hood, whereas the Mac operating system largely disables this possibility.
Click to expand...
Which is one of my biggest problems with the A.pple philosophy of treating us all like idiots. Which in turn is why I ditched the Mac Mini and iphone 3G that I used to own.

wave01 said:
Think I have said this before. I was a 30 year windows user and took a leap of faith. I got a Mac. That was 2010. Still going strong.
Click to expand...

And it's as untrue today as every other time you've said it. In 2010 it was 25 years since Windows 1.0 became available.

ecoleman said:
I’ve never had to reinstall the OS just because it’s starting to get sluggish.
Click to expand...
And I've been using Windows since v3.0 in 1991 and I've never had to reinstall the OS due to it getting sluggish either.

I built this PC over the Christmas / New Year 2010-2011 and aside from a better graphics card to allow three monitors including one at 4K, I've done nothing to it apart from accept the upgrade for W7 to W10. Everyone's computer that I've worked on that's got sluggish has been down to the user installing bazzilions of pieces of "free" software that come with even more crapware, browser helper objects and other stuff that all wants its share of the resources. It's just as easy to make something running OSX go sluggish if you adopt a similar approach. We develop for Windows, Linux and OSX and keep Macs running all versions of OSX from 10.5 on at work for compatibility testing and I've seen my fair share of OS update problems, switching it on and being told it NEEDS to update before you can do things, stuff randomly falling over, hardware failures etc. , all the stuff that apparently doesn't happen on them. I've seen similar on PCs running Windows (though way, way less now than in the days of XP which so many were so loath to give up) and Linux as well.


Basically use the one that works for you. They each have their pluses and minuses, but so much stuff that's written about Windows does seem to apply to versions from more than 15 years ago.
 
I have been looking at the IMAC theres plenty for sale for around £400/£500 some 27" and some 21" - example...

"2013 version which was purchased in Summer of 2015 of Apple’s iconic 21” iMac with upgraded 16GB RAM and 2.7GhZ i5 processor and 1TB HD" - one of these for sale for £450 ono, figured as a machine to just run LR/PS and the odd browsing it would be nice to have.
 
onomatopoeia said:
Which is one of my biggest problems with the A.pple philosophy of treating us all like idiots. Which in turn is why I ditched the Mac Mini and iphone 3G that I used
Click to expand...

It was Steve Jobs attitude that put me off, "you either do it my way or no way.
I remember drooing over the original Mac adverts as well.
 
iamneallyons said:
I have been looking at the IMAC theres plenty for sale for around £400/£500 some 27" and some 21" - example...

"2013 version which was purchased in Summer of 2015 of Apple’s iconic 21” iMac with upgraded 16GB RAM and 2.7GhZ i5 processor and 1TB HD" - one of these for sale for £450 ono, figured as a machine to just run LR/PS and the odd browsing it would be nice to have.
Click to expand...

It'll work pretty well but personally, I really look for an SSD nowadays. I bought a 2012 imac some time ago and replaced the internall HDD with an SSD and then removed the optical drive to make room for another HDD. And stuck a load of ram in at the same time. It's still working really nicely to this day and is very fast and stable but I do get a bit jealous whenever I see a more recent retina display.
 
My main reason for sticking with Apple is the after sales. Especially with phones and my Mac. As an example, my iPhone had a wifi issue. I took it to the store yesterday and walked out with a new phone in under 10 minutes. You just can't get that with other providers. My iMac was replaced 3 times due to a memory issue. And the new one was always sent first and I was given a week to notify them to send a courier to collect the old one, giving me ample time to switch over. Ironically, I bought a Samsung S9 on a contract 3 weeks ago as I needed a phone whilst on holiday and the iPhone went connecting, and I absolutely love it! But I just can't get over the idea of not having a phone if the Samsung goes tits up. If the various Android manufacturers could address this issue, I'd jump ship where my phone is concerned
 
neil_g said:
Address what issue?

Incidentally you can get fantastic after sales from the likes of dell and HP if you pay for it (like you would with apple care). Dell on site next day service for example is brilliant.
Click to expand...

Address the issue of having to send off the phone for repairs rather than having a store where you can go, have it checked and replaced if needed
 
NickTB said:
Address the issue of having to send off the phone for repairs rather than having a store where you can go, have it checked and replaced if needed
Click to expand...
Despite being an Apple convert, I have to admit that Apple stores are thin on the ground. Our nearest is over an hours railway trip away. But their telephone support, available even without Apple care, is excellent. And they are prepared to extend the warranty at the slightest excuse.
 
NickTB said:
Address the issue of having to send off the phone for repairs rather than having a store where you can go, have it checked and replaced if needed
Click to expand...
I see. Trouble is no other manufacturer really has a high street presence.

My old oneplus 3 went to Czeck Republic and back in a week for an rma warranty repair. Which was pretty impressive to be fair. I just borrowed an old iPhone for a few days which was the worst bit.
 
I had a Google Nexus 5, raised a fault with Google online, new phone arrived next-day and I had 14 days to return the old one.

Considering the nearest Apple store is 140 miles round-trip, it doesn't help me as other vendors can achieve a high standard of support without the travel.

I must add though, my experience of Apple support for non-iOS devices has been shocking, this has mainly been to do with OSX, it would appear their support with hardware is A+, but software support gets an F from me!
 
NickTB said:
My main reason for sticking with Apple is the after sales. Especially with phones and my Mac. As an example, my iPhone had a wifi issue. I took it to the store yesterday and walked out with a new phone in under 10 minutes. You just can't get that with other providers. My iMac was replaced 3 times due to a memory issue. And the new one was always sent first and I was given a week to notify them to send a courier to collect the old one, giving me ample time to switch over.
Click to expand...

Doesn't say much for Apple product quality though... ;)
 
neil_g said:
Address what issue?

Incidentally you can get fantastic after sales from the likes of dell and HP if you pay for it (like you would with apple care). Dell on site next day service for example is brilliant.
Click to expand...
Had next business day on a s/h Precision M3400 laptop which conked out. Notified them online one day, bod turns up next morning at work and replaces the screen and motherboard, no questions. Problem was almost certainly the previous owner dismantling it and leaving a screw loose floating around inside the case when he put it back together, but apart from pointing it out to me the technician just carried on working and did the job. Have to say I was impressed.
 
The pc has been around since around 1980. For those who remember the bios was all ways 1980. It pre dates Windows and ran on DOS.
 
Well I have bitten the bullet and have got myself a used 2015 13" Macbook Pro in immaculate condition and battery hasn't used that many cycles. I have also ordered myself a 12.9" Ipad pro on contract, as I want something with a stylus / pencil. In the coming months I will be looking to get a 2012 / 2013 iMac which had a SSD installed. That way I won't have to rely on using the Macbook Pro as my main computer.

As an added bonus, Adobe are releasing Photoshop CC on the iPad this year, which will help my workflow and with Creative Cloud, I will be able to sync my work across the devices.
 
I use both - Mac at work and Windows at home. I prefer the Mac OS, it's mature, stable and easy to use, it doesn't get in your way and force you to install updates at inconvenient times.

Windows 10 is also very stable but suffers from the dual interface introduced in Windows 8 - two Control Panels etc, legacy and touch interfaces. If you use a non-touchscreen PC with a mouse the touch interfaces shouldn't be there in my opinion. Also the fact Microsoft force updates on you is exceptionally irritating and they can take a long time to install, often at the most inconvenient times.

Having said that, Windows 10 is generally decent and I wouldn't buy a Mac for home as I like to do a bit of sim racing - games aren't a Mac strong point and a decent PC is a lot cheaper than an equivalent Mac.
 
iamneallyons said:
This is a fair and good evaluation - that is something i do consistently see from mac users AKA the stability of the platform and the fact the hardware seems to last for years on end.

I have been tempted by an IMAC as a desktop style pc because of the screen size and its form factor AKA no big massive tower unit to hide.. my only issue is that im not invested in the eco system, i dont have an iphone or ipads - everything is android.
Click to expand...

I have only used macs since 1996, I have android phone and tablet. I like the android mobile system and the mac os for computers, works ok for me!
 
neil_g said:
Address what issue?

Incidentally you can get fantastic after sales from the likes of dell and HP if you pay for it (like you would with apple care). Dell on site next day service for example is brilliant.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up on Dell - I never considered them but have a good look on their site. My 7yo Mac Pro tower is nearer the end of its life than the start so getting ready to look at new computers. The Dell options look great, more choice than Apple. At the end of the day I will use it to run Capture One Pro and price wise there is a fair bit in it in Dells favour. I do like OS X but Windows Ten isn't a deal breaker either.
 
I dual boot my 27" mac. Not sure why though.
 
SFTPhotography said:
Thanks for the heads up on Dell - I never considered them but have a good look on their site. My 7yo Mac Pro tower is nearer the end of its life than the start so getting ready to look at new computers. The Dell options look great, more choice than Apple. At the end of the day I will use it to run Capture One Pro and price wise there is a fair bit in it in Dells favour. I do like OS X but Windows Ten isn't a deal breaker either.
Click to expand...

Have a look at the Dell Outlet store. Their refurbs usually come with just windows installed - no cruft, advertising, special offers or malware.

When I had my Macbook Applecare was a drag because it required I RTB the hardware. Dell next business day warranty was a little cheaper and was really next business day, onsite and useful.
 
ancient_mariner said:
Have a look at the Dell Outlet store. Their refurbs usually come with just windows installed - no cruft, advertising, special offers or malware.

When I had my Macbook Applecare was a drag because it required I RTB the hardware. Dell next business day warranty was a little cheaper and was really next business day, onsite and useful.
Click to expand...

I am very keen to go down the Dell route next time. In the same way my next phone won't be an apple one after nearly a decade of buying them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top