Comments on: Dell vs. Apple: 10 Years Later

By: Greg, Arlington, VA

Greg, Arlington, VA — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:04:01 +0000

Apples are PC, or rather… Macs are PCs.

They run with the same hardware an MS based PC does now.

Go price out all the hardware in a Mac and you will see that Macs aren't overpriced. They just come with higher end hardware than your average PC. The reason? Processing power / quality control. Apple doesn't compete against low end bare-bones machines. it competes against the more powerful niche machines.

Even take the mac mini, in the slim case / low profile enclosure market the mac mini is a very reasonable competitor to products offered by shuttle. Some are better, some are worse, but in that niche market Macs are priced competitively.

The argument of Macs being priced too high is long over, the question is. Do you want / need a machine with a Macs capabilities running that software suit.

If you need a web browsing / word processing machine then you may find Macs to be expensive. If you need a machine for doing graphics, or require a form factor / power combination (retail) Macs are a very economically sound decision.

By: Red, Redmond

Red, Redmond — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:35:57 +0000

apple has a broader range of products, including portable players, phone and software that dell doesn't have. iPod for one is a big profit contributor to apple which dell doesnt compete with. If its a head to head sales and shares on computers/notebooks apple lags a mile behind

By: LAU, Boston, MA

LAU, Boston, MA — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:34:37 +0000

In the great debate for dell vs. apple-I have only a few quick major differences that I'd like to point out and a few rebuttles for what some have said for BOTH: I agree that both companys are profit driven (DUH. 'nough said). But!I don't think this debate should be circumferenced about profits or worth or who is more money hungry. By pole-dell is worth more($) than apple, yes. True. Both companys are so vastly different, however, that judging by this standard alone shows nothing about the companys themselves. Apple is an incredibly innovative company which I do think will only become more so in the future. The incorporation of new creative ideas into apple technology is what makes the "techis" go gaga. Dell, while clearly not as innovative, still does have something to offer in my opinion-which I think most people undermine; better customization when building the actual machine. When taking apart any computer be it a pc or a mac-one will find the same nuts and bolts. What I enjoy about buying a pc, and i only buy dell really, is that I can customize the machine specifically. This is a benefit to the average consumer and business customer. Apple only offers a handful of laptops that are all identical. Dell at least offers a greater selection. With dell, there is a multitude of choices when shopping for laptops-and not to mention dell manufactures the laptops that can withstand the most extreme conditions-just call the to learn more or look on the dell website. For normal activities, apple just seems to be able to harness these nuts and bolts and package everything more intuitively resulting in more fun in store for the consumer. In this respect apple is far better than the average pc. Im thrilled that the ability to make movies and bring projects to life is easier and always available on every mac. A pc would need additional softwares purchased and installed to do the same. Are there softwares that one can buy to do the same thing with the same quality? Well, sure there are; But why buy this seperately for much more when it's built into every apple already? All in all-if you're looking for a computer with more stuff that caters to music movies etc-i think apple trumps all the competition. If you're looking for a standard pc or notebook-go with either. Apples are pricier yes-but thats because they come with all the fun stuff already in it and ready to go. Dell's do not, at all-thats extra-but that's also because that's not what they're designed for! One last point. All of the mac people out there-99% of what you say about Dell and other pc'ers is true-BUT I only agree with it all in terms of dell's CONSUMER products-desktops or notebooks….dells corporate products like the latitude line(a bit more pricey than your standard consumer dell studio line, etc)…are amazing. No computer these days by anyone is made to to last mroe than five years. I have owned two latitudes in a row-my first was a college discounted program buy direct through dell; and it lasted me 5 years without ANY problems EVER-and that had good old windows 2000 professional "GASP!"(NOT either of the first XP OS's-ewwww…)And the second lasted me almost 3.5, but I really didnt keep up with any maintenance at all-whoops! I have also had great service with dell-outsourcing and all…And on one last NOTE-this is important, with dell, for very little-you can buy lots of coverage for accidental damage and you always get defect coverage for 3 years. Apple has nooooo accidental coverage in ANY of the plans. [go ahead mac people you're thinking it "well with apple you dont need the defect coverage these things are solid!"] Not always…I also had one of the first mac books and I had a million system issues and got sooo sick of all the updates and new systems coming out fer cheaper and cheaper-so I got the shaft a few months later and I was pissed. If you need any apple repair or service there's ALWAYS a charge-It's like a pretty BMW along with 99.9% of their owners POV's.."well the machines are superior and never need fixing, they last forever!"…But, when it comes time to fix them…they never mention how expensive it is and thats nothing is ever covered by warrenty! (P.s. I own one, thanks-so pipe dont fellow beemer people) All in all-ur preference comes with your needs and wants. Dell doesnt just mass produce-you can customize them a TON-apple not so much. Apple is more intuitive in a very different and very cool way. Both systems depending on ur dell can do the same depending on what you have on it-if you dont really need the apple apps-then dont buy one its a waste. A computer is also like a car-it will last as long as you need it to or want it to-IF you take care of it:)Like the most recent commercial for the "PC,"…although I love apple and think it is so amazingly creative with its products-"I"…"am a PC"

By: Darrin, Jacksonville FL

Darrin, Jacksonville FL — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:18:39 +0000

I have read most of the comments that people have written and think there are many valid points. Everyone has there opinion and use what they like and are comfortable with. Several of the comments refer to the price of Mac's are over priced, and just so you know I currently own both a mac and a dell.

Just last week I had to call dell to order a few parts for it, well one part was the rubber feet on the bottom so it does not slide, when the lady who barley spoke englished told me the price of 10.50 I was floored by the cost but it was from dell, I only asked one question is it the full set of feet, she put me on hold and a few min later came back and said Yes, ok I will take them I replied. A few days later when I got my order ther was ONE rubber foot in it, so when I called back they said she was mistaken its only for one, that means that to order 5 which is what it takes it would cost over 50 dollars plus shipping..

So to you who are say make is overpriced, would you pay over 10 dollars for one rubber foot? That way overpriced not matter what company it is.

By: Craig McClenahan, Keota, Iowa

Craig McClenahan, Keota, Iowa — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:52:28 +0000

I can't believe the number of people commenting on this. It comes down to the fact that most of the people buying need something user friendly and something reliable. I'm very impressed with how Apple came around in the past 15 years to figure this out. Computers (whether it be a PC, MP3/4 player, or a cell phone) are supposed to make life easier. At work I have been dealing with Dell computers and although they are getting better, nothing compares to the ease and success the common person finds in enjoying an Apple product.

By: kIM, BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

kIM, BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:34:58 +0000

Dell, Mac ????? which one for student. Just saw a few listed in this blog ( electronics345.blogspot.com )

By: fudpucker, St. Louis, MO

fudpucker, St. Louis, MO — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:21:20 +0000

I've just discovered I can buy a Yugo instead of a Ferrari and save tons of money. I'm not going to buy a Mac next time, I've found that I can buy a Vista powered Dell . . . They're cheaper, you see. And I've also decided to eat corn meal mush instead of steak. Take that Mac owners. I showed you!

By: Bennie Vann Huntsville, Texas

Bennie Vann Huntsville, Texas — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:16:05 +0000

I do not appreciate spending almost $4.00 per gallon for gasoline,but I am looking forward to waking up one moring and finding that there is NO gasoline. Exon is selling their stations and from recent history, they will be bought by Foreigners. Do you realize that almost All of the service stations are owned and or operated by Foreigners. Why is it they are the only ones who can make money with service stations?

By: shiv, San Jose, CA

shiv, San Jose, CA — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:39:34 +0000

Recently i have bought XPS m1530. It was either this or the Macbook Pro.

A fully Configured MBP 15.4" was about $3300 w/ 4yr Warranty. Compared to $2000 for XPS m1530 w/ 4yr Warranty through Dell EPP. Now if you want to talk about software, Office 2007 goes for about $100, Media Center is free as it is all built right into Windows Vista. A good AntiVirus software will cost you about $30. Then again you can also get a good Anti Virus software for free such as AVG anti-virus.

I usually go what is better at the market and i value my money. Seeing as how there is a whopping $1200 difference between the two notebooks, i decided to go with the DELL XPS m1530. MAC osx or its "ilife" software does it not worth $1200 in my honest opinion.

If there is anything i recommend, its that you should go with what you want. Do not get pressured into buying a certain notebook because an apple user said so. If you value your money, you will know what to get for yourself.

By: Matthew, Alvarado, Texas

Matthew, Alvarado, Texas — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:50:58 +0000

I've had a Dell for nearly four years now, and honestly? I don't like the fact that my computer can only run up to 512mb of RAM, have a 32gb harddrive, and shut down whenever it feels like it.

My answer?

A fully specced MacBook Pro, which runs (with goodies, as well as a copy of XP so I can run my programs til I'm done migrating to Leopard, as well as an external hard drive to move my st00f) about $2300, with my college student discount (Does dell do that?). A similarly specced Dell, runs nearly $2300 (Check out the Dell XPS M1530), however please realize that all you get is your computer with the same specs as the Apple. I 'customized' the 15.4" M1530 to have the same specs as the Apple, but when I reached the 'software' part, which is already on an Apple, I realized that I would start going into the stratosphere in prices, and decided to stop there. Why, you might ask? This is because Apple makes quality products that THEY tweaked to perfection before sending it to YOU.

I rest my case.