[Illuyankas]

Wow, we haven't even mentioned those appalling 'I'm a Mac and I'm a PC' adverts yet!

[Obdigore]

Illuyankas, on 26 February 2010 - 04:24 PM, said:

Wow, we haven't even mentioned those appalling 'I'm a Mac and I'm a PC' adverts yet!

Lets keep not mentioning those, please.

[alt146]

As Cougar says - it's not about spending thousands of dollars on something just for the image. It's about spending two or three hundred dollars more. Case in point the iPhone vs a lot of other high end smartphones. Let me make it clear, I am not in any way knocking the iPhone. It's a great device, caused a mini revoltion in the smartphone industry and has continued to set the bar for all phones following it for years, which in phone terms may as well be decades.

In South Africa, an iPhone has a base cost of about R6500. Now I gather our phone contract system works a little differently to the American model, but on a contract that is affordable for an average consumer, that works out to a pay-in of about R3500. Phones with a similar spec, like the HTC Hero, BlackBerry Storm, Nokia N97 etc all have a base cost of about R5000 and a pay-in of R2000 on the same contract. So to own an iPhone costs about R1500 more. It's not a huge amount of money, but it's not small change either. All the other phones have comparable features and performance. Some are even better if you're looking for something specific, the same way the iPhone wins undeniably at certain things. Now someone like Tehol will pay that little bit extra because the things that it is significantly better at matter to her. That's not a problem. What is a problem (or at least the point of the story) is how many people bought it because it's an iPhone. A good deal of what makes an iPhone killer dont really work here, or at least dont work as well as they should. Some of the people I've spoken didn't even know about those features. They bought it because of the hype surrounding it. And very often, it's exactly those people who will bad-mouth anything not Mac.

tl;dr, some people will spend extra on something just for the cool factor.

[Use Of Weapons]

There is a subtle (well, perhaps not so subtle, but I only just noticed it) false dichotomy appearing in this thread between Apple as a maker of quality products and Apple as a brand. Hands up, I am a self-confessed Mac hater. But even I have to admire the quality of the iPod and iPhone UX design, and IMO one of the major contributing factors to Apple's coolness as a brand is the way these two products work extremely smoothly. I detest iTunes, and continually lament the fact that I can't use another music player with my iPhone, but that is inconsequential beside the sheer joy of using the device.

I am extremely unlikely to ever buy a Mac (and in fact, I intend to build my next PC from the base up: recommend http://www.custompc.co.uk/ magazine for component reviews and how-to guides). If the features of the iPod/iPhone ever appear on a similar smartphone, I will seriously consider switching when I come to upgrade. But for now, for me, Apple's coolness is inextricably linked with their design and UX division, which are a major contributary factor to their brand identity.

[Obdigore]

Have you checked out the Droid Line?

This is what I am looking at:
http://phones.verizo...la/droid/#/home

[Use Of Weapons]

Of course: several colleagues are serial phone upgraders, and I always lag a few months behind them, so I get lots of opportunity to compare and contrast. I have a feeling I'll go Google next time (unless they become evil in the meantime).

[Obdigore]

jitsukerr, on 26 February 2010 - 04:57 PM, said:

Of course: several colleagues are serial phone upgraders, and I always lag a few months behind them, so I get lots of opportunity to compare and contrast. I have a feeling I'll go Google next time (unless they become evil in the meantime).

Google is evil. Just as Microsoft, Apple, Toyota, and Starbucks are evil. They are corporations, and they want to MAKE MONEY! Can you believe it?

Ahem. I had a nice PM conversation with Tehol, and we have agreed that I am right in all things. Anything else she says that goes against my opinion is just to hide that she agrees with me unilaterally.

Spoiler

That thing about Tehol is a joke, for those of you who cannot figure it out. Also, the evil corporation thing sarcasm. Whatever you do, don't think of Brood snuggling up to Cougars Chest Minge.

[teholbeddict]

jitsukerr, on 26 February 2010 - 04:50 PM, said:

There is a subtle (well, perhaps not so subtle, but I only just noticed it) false dichotomy appearing in this thread between Apple as a maker of quality products and Apple as a brand. Hands up, I am a self-confessed Mac hater. But even I have to admire the quality of the iPod and iPhone UX design, and IMO one of the major contributing factors to Apple's coolness as a brand is the way these two products work extremely smoothly. I detest iTunes, and continually lament the fact that I can't use another music player with my iPhone, but that is inconsequential beside the sheer joy of using the device.

Thank you! This is part of what I've been trying to say. I mean there have been comments in this thread about Apple being light years behind PC, and I really don't think that's the case. Yes their products look good, but they are also high quality and work well. The products do work seamlessly together and that is a huge factor for me. Not to mention I don't think Microsoft would have borrowed from OS X for Windows 7 if there were nothing of value there.


If you don't like the marketing aspect or the brand name that's one thing, but knocking them all entirely is not really fair.

[teholbeddict]

Obdigore, on 26 February 2010 - 05:00 PM, said:

jitsukerr, on 26 February 2010 - 04:57 PM, said:

Of course: several colleagues are serial phone upgraders, and I always lag a few months behind them, so I get lots of opportunity to compare and contrast. I have a feeling I'll go Google next time (unless they become evil in the meantime).

Google is evil. Just as Microsoft, Apple, Toyota, and Starbucks are evil. They are corporations, and they want to MAKE MONEY! Can you believe it?

Ahem. I had a nice PM conversation with Tehol, and we have agreed that I am right in all things. Anything else she says that goes against my opinion is just to hide that she agrees with me unilaterally.

Spoiler

That thing about Tehol is a joke, for those of you who cannot figure it out. Also, the evil corporation thing sarcasm. Whatever you do, don't think of Brood snuggling up to Cougars Chest Minge.

Mac makes a nice computer, and Starbucks makes a damn good cup of coffee or I wouldn't be forking over the $5.57 every morning for my venti cinnamon dolce latte! They are there to make money, but I wouldn't pay for more for a bad Mac product anymore than I would pay that much for a bad cup of coffee.

Please ignore Obdi! I just let him think he's right to shut him up! It's a thing we females do, when faced with the irrational opposite sex! (also a joke) Obdi and I are cool.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

To be fair Tehol, you ARE paying that much for a bad cup of coffee. Starbucks is not good coffee. Since I live in Seattle the birthplace of Starbucks, my opinion in this matter can now be accepted as fact.

[teholbeddict]

Raymond Luxury Yacht, on 26 February 2010 - 05:33 PM, said:

To be fair Tehol, you ARE paying that much for a bad cup of coffee. Starbucks is not good coffee. Since I live in Seattle the birthplace of Starbucks, my opinion in this matter can now be accepted as fact.

Well it's better than Tim Hortons or Second Cup which are the only alternatives available here in Canadaland. Find me somewhere else that serves a good cinnamon dolce latte and I'll gladly take my Mac and my $5.57 there every morning!

This post has been edited by teholbeddict: 26 February 2010 - 05:39 PM

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Ah yes, you do hav3e the disadvantage of living in the frozen north. I'm sure coffee is hard to come by in canadaland, you must have to wait until the next party of fur trappers comes through to trade. If all they have is Staerbucks, I guess that's where you'll be spending your beaver pelts.

[Obdigore]

Tehol - Do you have Caribou Coffee or Dunken Donuts up there in canadia?

Ahem, back on topic, PC's, yay!

[teholbeddict]

Raymond Luxury Yacht, on 26 February 2010 - 05:56 PM, said:

Ah yes, you do hav3e the disadvantage of living in the frozen north. I'm sure coffee is hard to come by in canadaland, you must have to wait until the next party of fur trappers comes through to trade. If all they have is Staerbucks, I guess that's where you'll be spending your beaver pelts.

Well there is a beaver on our nickel, so should I decide to count my $5.57 a coin at a time, pissing off the rest of the cranky people in line, yes I would be spending my beaver pelts at Starbucks. Fortunately I'm one of the trendy canadians who used debit, or credit! That's right I don't just stop at Mac, I'm ultra cool!

@Obdi, We don't have Caribou Coffee here, no Dunken Doughnuts either. We do have small specialty cafes and what not but they aren't on my way to work.

And yes back on topic! Go Mac!

This post has been edited by teholbeddict: 26 February 2010 - 06:26 PM

[Mezla PigDog]

I have only used a Mac once and don't care enough about computers to have an opinion so long as I can get my shit done. I do have an iPod but it was a gift. I find Apple terrifying. I don't generally succumb to advertising or trends but there is something about the way Apple products look that makes me really want them. Their design team must be raking it in!

[alt146]

teholbeddict, on 26 February 2010 - 05:18 PM, said:

Obdigore, on 26 February 2010 - 05:00 PM, said:

jitsukerr, on 26 February 2010 - 04:57 PM, said:

Of course: several colleagues are serial phone upgraders, and I always lag a few months behind them, so I get lots of opportunity to compare and contrast. I have a feeling I'll go Google next time (unless they become evil in the meantime).

Google is evil. Just as Microsoft, Apple, Toyota, and Starbucks are evil. They are corporations, and they want to MAKE MONEY! Can you believe it?

Ahem. I had a nice PM conversation with Tehol, and we have agreed that I am right in all things. Anything else she says that goes against my opinion is just to hide that she agrees with me unilaterally.

Spoiler

That thing about Tehol is a joke, for those of you who cannot figure it out. Also, the evil corporation thing sarcasm. Whatever you do, don't think of Brood snuggling up to Cougars Chest Minge.

Mac makes a nice computer, and Starbucks makes a damn good cup of coffee or I wouldn't be forking over the $5.57 every morning for my venti cinnamon dolce latte! They are there to make money, but I wouldn't pay for more for a bad Mac product anymore than I would pay that much for a bad cup of coffee.

Please ignore Obdi! I just let him think he's right to shut him up! It's a thing we females do, when faced with the irrational opposite sex! (also a joke) Obdi and I are cool.

Wow I am glad I live in the thrid world - your one cup of coffee costs about what I spend a month... Granted it's plain filter with a touch of vanilla flavoured filter, but still.

Uhm, I dont have anything more to add the topic under discussion, except I'll hopefully be getting an android phone in about two weeks, they look awesome

[dktorode]

alt146, on 26 February 2010 - 06:40 AM, said:

If I feel my PC could do with a slight power boost and I have a couple of bucks spare, I can slot in better RAM modules or another harddrive myself. Granted that's more difficult with a laptop, but at least when you want to buy one you will find a configuration that works for you.

Most people aren't bothered by stuff like that, but for me it's a big deal.

you can do that with a mac too.