MacBook Pro: are they really worth it?

nick_scheu
Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:54:32 +0000

I used to own PCs, and I knew enough to take care of them. I didn’t run an anti-virus, because I didn’t need to. The thing is, I got tired of having to deal with it. I’d rather not have to think about having a stable computer.

As for the artist stuff… That’s a very 90’s mentality. Honestly, these days, I think PC desktops are better choices in many ways for professional creatives–people with the knowledge to maintain them, access to professional IT specialists, etc. All of the high end creative software is available for both PCs and Macs.

The bottom line is that both PCs and Macs can do high end stuff, and both can do low end stuff. With PCs you get more flexible purchasing options at a slightly lower cost in a fair comparison, and a much lower starting price point.

With Macs you get a more stable, better designed system, with fewer worries for average users, at the expense of fewer purchasing options and a slightly higher price. You know when you buy a Mac you’re getting a good machine.

Look at the HP Envy. They’re practically considered MacBook Pro clones, and they cost roughly the same. More in some cases, less in others.

As you say, its all relative. For some people, a ten year old Kia is a luxury. For others, a Mercedes is the low-end.

If you look at the professional reviews for MacBook Pros, and if you look at their sales figures, I think it’s clear that these machines–particularly the 13" model–are squarely in the mainstream. I think it’s objectively fair to call them premium–a higher price for added features like build quality, 10 hour battery life, and Mac OS X–and not luxury.