Where to buy reasonably priced Macs

jp_bl_68

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About 5 years ago I switched from Mac to Windows (couldn't afford a Mac laptop). It took me a couple of years to develop a tolerance for Windows and XP. I'm thinking about buying a new computer, almost certainly a laptop but I've not entirely ruled out the possibility of getting a desktop, and I've been put off buying another Windows machine (it took me 3 years to tolerate XP, I'm not going through that again with Vista). Anyway...

Where's best for buying a Mac? I was on the Apple Store last night and it all looked a lot pricier than I was expecting (the best part of £800 for a Mac Book).

Also, would I get more for my money if I bought the Mini and then looked elsewhere for a monitor, key board, mouse, etc. (maybe OverClockers)?
 
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Get one from the refurb store on the Apple site. They actually go through more checks than the newer ones and any dodgy bits are replaced new. Plus you get a one year warranty. You can save loads this way. The one I got from them looks like new, not a mark on it and it works great.
 
I got my 20" iMac in the summer for £600 inc VAT from KRCS Group, as it was an end-of-line model.

MacWarehouse have got a 20" iMac for £735 inc VAT (looks like the white model).
 
The Mac mini's not really good value for money unless you already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
 
Even the refurb store is looking too expensive. I think I'd be better off sticking with Windows for the time being. Thanks for the help.
 
The Mac mini's not really good value for money unless you already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

I was going to get a Mini but then realised that for £300 more, I could get a better graphics card, monitor with built-in web cam, keyboard and bigger hard drive.
 
It may cost a lot of money, but isn't really expensive in comparison....Small but massive distinction...Cost of purchase is only a tiny portion of cost of ownership.....
 
...and when you add the time you save by not having to spend hours a year trying to make Windows work, trying to run new software and hardware without conflictions...that's an expense that's hard to put into numbers.
 
newsflash :

Apple Caught In Over Priced Consumer Electronics Shocker.
 
This forum :smashin:

Just bought myself a mint condition (but nevertheless second hand) iMac 20" base config Nov 2008 rev

Do not mind the spec as it is as powerful as my aluminium Macbook so plenty enough juice for me. Now I can give my HP notebook a break (bad idea to run notebooks as desktops :p)
 
But are they really that much more expensive than a P.C.

When we spec a P.C Laptop for work (after adding on the extras) they seem to come out about the same price as a Macbook able to do the same thing. Of course you can buy cheaper but you can always buy a cheaper product, but as the saying goes buy cheap buy twice.

I don't know what others think but this is cost thing is a perception not always reality.
 
I think they are really expensive. Similar spec'd PC is much cheaper than a mac.
 
But are they really that much more expensive than a P.C.

I think they are really expensive. Similar spec'd PC is much cheaper than a mac.

Yes and no. On a straight hardware comparison they appear expensive but I don't know if you remember the original iMac ad it was basically "this is how you install your iMac and connect to the internet". See below.


iMac


And its still the same today. Compare that with the typical PC setup and all the trailing cables, yes its all built in and there's a premium for that.

But not only is it all built in, but out of the box with every Mac you have a software suite that "just works" and Apple provides the buyer with everything you need, for 95% of typical users - no download and install, etc, before you can use it. You can browse the web, make a website, catalogue your photos, make a movie and burn it to DVD or upload to the web, write a letter, manage your contacts the list goes on and all the elements work wonderfully together. Then there's the OS a far more stable and easy to use product than any competing solution but something you'll only place a value on after months of use. That's where the premium lies.

PC mags and consultancies show that Macs in the workplace incur far less maintenance costs over their lifetime so in that sense they cost less but for the individual, and especially the first time buyer, the initial price is a hurdle, but once over it I think they value their Mac experience.



imac
 
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I'm with you Tenex but from a consumer perspective the hardware is way overpriced.

This is my first Mac and it took me ages to buy one simply because of the price. Luckily I bought a new 'old' one (Early 08 Macbook) cheap.

I would have found it very hard to justify paying £719 for a new white Macbook and even harder to pay £900 for an alu version.

For what is inside that is crazy money irrespective of the software (which is amazing and much better than a windows pc).
 
I can understand both sides of the debate.

Price always seems to prevail, regardless of a company's credentials, software bundles, OS stability etc.

Even in these trying times, Apple prices appear extorshinate on face value but when you talk about what Tenex described above, you can see why the premium is applied on Apple products.

Consumers want a bargain and Apple prices don't appeal to a buyer who knows nothing of computers. If Joe Public notices a computer in PC World for £349 and and Apple iMac for £799 which in effect can do the same job, what one do you think he/she will buy?

I personally love Apple, their OS and their beautiful products. I appreciate the differences between Leopard and Windows hence why I chose Leopard as my main OS at home.

Does Joe Public care about those differences if they have no interest in computers etc? If the answer is no, price will be the deciding factor.
 
Why are MacWarehouse cheaper? The thing with apple is that the pricing is the same or very close so you dont have to shop around so when i see cheaper Macs it makes me think why?
 
Why are MacWarehouse cheaper? The thing with apple is that the pricing is the same or very close so you dont have to shop around so when i see cheaper Macs it makes me think why?

But there's very little in it. Manufacturers always sell at RRP because to undercut suppliers is a sure way to lose those sales channels. The refurb store comes close though.
 
I'm with you Tenex but from a consumer perspective the hardware is way overpriced.
Well yes and no. Processor and the whole of the chipset, ram, hard drive, etc then yes

But then you have the rest of the hardware. My Macbook uses the new aluminium design and the large trackpad is a feature that pays for itself. My new toy the iMac is slimline, does the job and is quiet. Its all relative. My HP notebook is a business line and built like a tank with metal alloy built into the shell. It cost me £800 in 2006. The business Thinkpads aren't exactly cheap - the cheaper ones are consumer line with inferior options and plastic build

Sony Vaio laptops are comparitively expensive. The top of the range 11" business travel notebooks start north of £1500. But some people will pay the premium as Sony give you the tiny airplane friendly size, with much more power than a netbook, a optical drive and insane battery life

And then on the software side, most people are happy and able to use OSX for common tasks. Any business person who needs Windows for their programs won't care as their employers will normally have a corporate program running
 
Mind you jsut seen the basic macbook at £843 on Amazon, £929 from apple!
 
Amazon US are often cheaper less so over here.
 
Apple don't sell cheap machines. When you try to spec a comparable branded PC, you end up with the same price, often a little higher.

For example, you should make sure you price in the following options for your PC purchase:

DVI video out
Optical digital audio I/O
Vista ultimate upgrade
A package to replace iLife
802.11n
crapware removal (PC makers are paid about £25 to put this miserable stuff on, and for the "Intel Inside" and other stickers - whose computer is it anyway?) and device driver update
antivirus subscription

Things you can't get with your PC notebook:
multitouch trackpad
magsafe PSU connection
firewire with power (as per firewire spec)
happiness

Then there's the resale value. I've just sold my Powerbook G4 12 inch for £350. The equivalent PC HP/Compaq 4010 of the same vintage makes £100-£180, despite having cost more originally. The 4010 doesn't even have a CD drive, let alone DVD writer. And it looks like a "piece of junk" in comparison to the powerbook.

You can be sure the latest OS X will work perfectly on your Mac for five to seven years from new. Try putting Vista Ultimate on the 4010!
 
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