paradoxical
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- May 5, 2013
- Messages
- 308
Now let’s talk about the $1400 dollar Apple laptops with 8gb ram that hit EOL after 4 years. They serve a similar purpose to those shitty, parts bin Acer laptops you mentioned.
Not really. Apple doesn't make products that are comparable to the shitty parts bin laptops, at any price point. You can look at just the memory spec and try to compare 8GB vs 8GB, but there is more to a computer than that.
At $1400, you get an Air with the following specs:
8 core CPU, 10-core GPU
16GB unified memory
512GB SSD
2 Thunderbolt 4 ports
Insane battery life
Excellent microphone
By far the best trackpad in the industry
Aluminum case
A high-quality screen that is calibrated from the factory (whenever I measure them I barely have to correct them)
Same-day service at Apple Stores in virtually any major metro area in the USA
When you look at the models that Apple ships with 8GB, the value proposition gets even stronger. At $999, you're getting all of the above except an 8 core processor, 8GB ram, and a 256GB SSD. Would I buy that machine? No. But is it still a fantastic value for the money relative to a PC $1000 machine? Well, it actually is depending on what you're looking for. I spent a little time looking at comparable Dell XPS options, and I'm not sure there really is one at that price point. They make cheaper ones, but the CPU is not even remotely close to the M2 and the screen is 1920x1200 which is a joke.
Even the $1399 XPS 13 Plus (which has a processor much more competitive against Apple) still has that crappy screen. Adding on a comparable screen is another $300, which brings it to $1699 - but at $1799 you can get:
M3 Macbook Pro 14
16GB ram
512gb SSD
3x Thunderbolt ports
all the other benefits listed above
I totally agree with what you're saying about hardware enthusiasts existing on any budget and how hardware enthusiasts should have a passion for all things electronic. I just enjoy playing up the price aspect because it's the one thing that anti-apple fanboys cling so passionately to and it riles them up so easily.
The people I'm making fun of are those who have a passion for all things electronic - except Apple, because it hurts their feels for some reason despite the company objectively being a hardware engineering powerhouse. I am a multi-platform user - I just get what's best, regardless of brand - and I love them all.