built in bluetooth 2.0? Gigabit ethernet? Built in A/B/G wireless? Built in FireWire 800? Most PCs probably don't have that standard. Well, maybe the gigabit ethernet, that is pretty much standard these days.

Don't forget that they also allow you to open up N wireless built in as well.

AG

When you fix a Mac, it *stays* fixed.

:D

I could argue that is not always the case......but in my experience getting apple replacement parts is very quick, so repair time is typically quick.

Having to support lots of machines from lots of brands and lots of price ranges...I've learned first-hand that the Apple machines are better quality than most except the high-end business-class machines. And then the price is the same. You can't compare a Dell in just raw quality to the MBP. There's no spec to account for this. Go compare a Kia to a Honda, and see if the specs are the same (they are), yet we KNOW which one is better quality, right?

Then there's the matter of support--Dell sucks.

I think you need to look more closely at the specs. I know when I looked at the Dell web site a while back it wasn't totally clear that the processor that came by default wasn't the latest one from Intel.
Most people who have done careful inspection of what you are getting seem to agree that the MacBook Pros are only slightly more expensive than comparable Dell's. And the MacBooks (non-Pro) are cheaper than comparable Dell's. Of course you need to add in all the things that come with the Apple machines - some of which you might not actually need.

You are totally right. I has built my Dell using a core duo processor and apparently core 2 duo is a lot more expensive than core duo. What a stupid marketing idea to have something called "duo" and then something else called "2 duo".

This way the price difference is only a few hundreds and that's easily covered by the additionnal features of the Mac such as keyboard,camera and bluetooth.

The Dell is nice because you can configure it in a lot more different ways but if the Apple specs fit you then it's a really good deal.

Now the only thing remaining is the fear that 1 week after I buy the macbook pro they'll release a new version of the pro or the rumored subnotebook that should fit between the macbook and macbook pro in the lineup.

I currently own a couple Macs and an HP laptop - which spends 3 weeks per month in their repair lab - hence the controversial "macs stay fixed statement" :D

I've found that the total cost of ownership of macs is much lower than that of PCs.

I usually spend 1 hour / month doing preventive maintenance on each mac. That is 12 hours / year / machine. The PC requires at least 2 hours / week - just to run a virus scan - plus 1 hour / month to defrag the hard disk. That's over 100 hours / year!

Since I do this in my *free* time (Saturday morning...), I have to give up on some recreation time.

Can you put a price on free time? $10/hour? $50? $100?

I had this same fear as I am about to buy myself a new MBP as well and so I asked a question that reflects your worries. Photek said it best though.

When I am ready to buy and I can find no evidence of an announcement for a newline within the week, I am going to buy. When I do even if there is a suprise announcement, I will know that with Apple it really doesn't matter since I have read stories about people with 6 year old Macs that run the current OS and survive just fine.

So my advice. Just don't worry about it. If you buy a MBP and three days later they release a new one. Take it back and buy the new one, otherwise know that your model is going to be just as reliable and long lived as that new model that just came out.

AG

Reliability is very high typically on a Mac, but in my experience (been supporting macs since about 1999) there have been several models of Macs that are just problem childs. I will say a Mac is kind of like a BMW. In the sense that when it runs, it runs well, but if you need it serviced it will cost you an arm and a leg.

However, that is not really my main point here about using or owning a Mac. What really matters is how productive you are with it, and what you use it for. If Time = Money, and you are more productive on a Mac platform computer, then using a Mac = making more money (I think that is transitive theorem hahaha). Therefore the initial cost of a Mac is kind of a moot point.

Now the real problem is, what if you do not need all the bells and whistles of a Macbook or Macbook Pro, well you are out of luck there. I do wish Apple had more customizable options. I would easily drop FW 2 for several more USB ports if I could because I do not use FW2 at all. There is no middle of the line with apple, there is basic or their entry level, and then there is their high end. Which is one reason I will probably never go out and buy an Apple desktop, I will however (if I can always afford to) never buy a PC laptop again because the Apple ones are for lack of a better term, "kick ass!"

Intel made a strong marketing push to get Core Duo replaced with Core 2 Duo. To do this, they made the prices prices identical to the previous generation chip. I think, but can't be certain without research, that that there was even a .16GHz clock speed increase between the CD and C2D for the same price.

Now, if Dell was selling you older Core Duo chips when Core 2 Duo was readily available, this would create a cheaper machine.

But i digress, try building a Latitude 620--the 610 isn't available anymore-with identical parts to the MBP you are looking at and you'll clearly see that Apple has the upper hand in price and is clearly the value.

I speak as I find.

I have a Dell laptop, in fact personally I have two, my son also has a Dell, desk based model. I bought one 4 years ago (with 3yrs next day on site warranty) for my business, then 3 years ago I bought a new one - Dell D820 Latitude - and it is awesome I must admit. It has superb on-board graphics at 1600*1200 built in - the display is brilliant. I used the warranty on my previous Dell in the 35th month - it is still working like a workhorse now. I use my new one regularly.

I decided I wanted a new toy a few weeks ago after working on some songs with a mate who brought his Macbook over to connect Reason to my synth/mixer setup. I have Reason, but on my Dell. To say the least, I was very impressed with his Macbook - so impressed that selfishly I said... "I want one of those" - hey presto!! I now have one...:)

I have had brilliant experience with Dells, and so far I absolutely lurve my Macbook too.

How's that for an impartial viewpoint.

PS: posting this on my Mac though ;) hehehehe

I'll never understand why people just look at the cost of the box.

I had a co-worker over yesterday who needed a spreadsheet from my computer, but didn't have any Office-like applications on her Dell. I set her up on my network and downloaded Open Office, then gave her the spreadsheet she needed. What struck me is that she kept commenting on how I was able to do things "so quickly" with her computer. I was surprised because the entire time I felt like I was wading through a vat of molasses! Virtually every little thing seemed to take two or three more steps on the PC than when I did them on my Mac. Sure, I could do them faster than she could, but there's no way I could ever do them as fast as I could on a Mac. If time is money, then a free Windows PC is far too expensive.

I recently spent some phone time with my brother when he wanted to set up a new disk drive on his Dell to have a particular alphabetic designation required by some software he was using -- much digging down through panes with names that didn't make sense to him to get there, delete an obsolete stored assignment and point to his new drive instead. On a Mac that's not necessary. Plug in a new drive and bingo, it's there. Just one example of why I'd go for the Mac.

lol, similiar story:

I remember when I first met my girlfriend, she was really anti mac/apple, most people who have never used a mac are. She did not like my G5, the OS or one button mouse (understandable). Now after 3 yrs of using it, she loves it! Actually, a few weeks ago, she was helping her sister install a downloaded program on her Dell notebook and she was getting pretty frustrated....I was in the next room and I over heard her say "ug, this is why I like Macs".

;)

I hope that happens with me too. I instantly loved my mac mini and os x. But I really really hate the one button mouse(not really one button since there's the small thing that brings up the dashboard) and having the top menu bar on top of the screen instead of on top of the window.

Do the new Macs come with a single button mouse or the mighty mouse? If they come with the mighty mouse, you can set that up as a two button mouse in mouse preferences in the System Preferences. the cable on my G5's single button mouse broke just after the warranty expired, so I grabbed a cheap Radio Shack two button mouse. I've actually come to like it, but I still think that two buttons confuse novice users.

Without wishing to divert the thread, I actually find that sensor a Royal Pain. I find it unreliable and inaccurate, particularly in lowlight conditions. Low light: Keyboard lights up....hand hangs over the left side of the kb/mic and the kb dims! I have had this on every model since the feature was introduced.

G.

Keyboard light sensor
 

Since I installed Lab Tick to crol keyboard light it works better. Keys hard to see in low light environment. Now it is much better.

Just d/l Lab Tick and it's very useful. Thanks for the pointer.
G.