Having just purchased a new MacBook, Joe Wilcox’s article on why people are willing to pay twice as much as for a Mac than a Windows PC caught my attention.
He makes some great points in doing some apples to oranges comparisons between a MacBook and an HP laptop, and an iMac and a Dell Inspiron 518. When you look at the machines side by side, you pay a lot for more a Mac but get less.
Why is that? How can Apple demand and get premium prices while PC makers battle it out with prices as one of their biggest weapons?
Wilcox provides fiver reasons but I think it comes down to Apple’s ultra-strong brand and the perception it makes high-quality machines. Putting aside the aura that surrounds Apple’s approach to design, where Apple thrives is its marketing/advertising.
There are few companies in the world that do a better job of convincing consumers that if you buy their product, you’ll be smarter, hipper, cooler, more productive and part of the “in” crowd. When you buy a MacBook, an iPod or an iPhone, you’re not just buying consumer electronics; you’re buying a lifestyle and making a personal statement.
When it comes to the MacBook, there’s no doubt the Mac OS is user-friendly with all that drag and drop magic. But truth be told, Windows isn’t that far behind, although I’m still not convinced about Vista.
From a hardware perspective, MacBooks are far from perfect despite their beautiful design. And while Apple has good customer service, quality control may be its Achilles Heel. Of course, Mac users don’t complain too loudly when their beloved machines stop working because, after all, Apple is good and cool. And you don’t hear much kvetching about the high cost of buying Mac accessories such as power connecters.
That’s the dividend Apple gets from doing such a good job on marketing. They’ve convinced everyone their products are so cool and good, no one wants to point out that sometimes the emperor has no clothes.
Links: Technovia wonders whether Macs are really over-priced and whether tougher economic times will hurt sales. “Even though I can’t imagine buying another Windows PC (except in markets where this is no Mac, like ultraportables or tablets), I would be reluctant to buy an Apple at the moment, as the hardware you get for the money just isn’t that great.” Zoli makes a great point that TOS (total cost of ownership) needs to be taken into account when considering Mac vs. Windows.
8 Comments
I switched to a Mac from the PC world and will never voluntarily go back. From a user perspective, Mac is more than marketing. It is easier, more intuitive, and runs more efficiently. Never had an issue with my Mac, especially with the networking functionality. The hair around the base of my computer is evidence of the intense frustration and associated “pulling my hair out” experience of networking PCs.
I have to agree with E Guy. I use both a Windows machine (work) and a Mac (home) equally: I love to using the Mac and frankly despise the Windows machine. If you’re into any sort of design or programming Mac is the way to go. However, I don’t use the Mac for creating documents or spreadsheets. If you’re a business person then Windows still tops the Mac in the office because of the available s/w and compatibility (and besides it’s the only thing the IT dept supports).
Cost: For me the extra few hundred dollars is well worth it when you think how much time you waste on a Windows machine waiting for it to boot up, constantly loading software patches, charging it up and keeping it running smoothly.
As much as I used to be skeptical about all of the “get a mac and shrink your IT support costs to nothing” claims, I’ve found that they are true. And they’re particularly true in offices with a small number of non-tech savvy staff. A two-year-old Windows machine that hasn’t had regular TLC from someone who knows what he’s doing is almost always virtually crippled and unusable. The result is that small businesses waste thousands annually on low-end IT support just to make their computers function semi-normally.
So yes, I think macs are overpriced and I have had to deal with hardware issues that mean getting the expensive Apple Care support package is essential. But the alternative ends up being more painful and more expensive in the long run.
There is any easy explanation to this – its the same as why i bought and wore Doc Martins in High School. Peer pressure.
It’s about $500 more in money, but on a money-value of time perspective, my hunch is a low-end MacBook is a breakeven relative to a low-end Vista notebook in about 4 months…
The resale value of a Mac is much higher than that of a similar PC. I sold my top-of-the-line 3 year old 12″ PowerBook for CHF 970 a few months ago.
One simple reason: ever since my daughter and son each bought a MacBook two years ago, I get no tech support inquiries or requests. As with the iPhone, the UI design and almost total transparency of many of the more technical aspects (such as setting up WiFi access points or installing and configuring upgrades) make it a winner for the non-tech crowd.
I’ve been a PC owner my entire life, but I have also used Macs for years at school and done programming on both. I have never spent a cent on tech support for my PC’s (desktop or laptop) and simply don’t see where the pro-Mac argument comes from that PC’s are inherently plagued and will end up costing more due to functionality problems. I’ve never had a problem with viruses or sluggish performance that Mac users claim PC users are doomed to. Also, I don’t see how the argument that OS X is any more accessible than Vista could be supported. If you’ve had a problem with your PC, it’s your fault. I’ll save the extra money.
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