Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: mac, pro, imac | Themes: Business, Desktop Computers, Laptops and Notebooks
9. Where Apple Shines
For whatever faults it may have, there are areas where Apple shines. Perhaps the most fundamental of these is the operating system. I won’t turn this into a Mac versus Windows debate, since that’s entirely subjective, and both operating systems have their advantages and disadvantages.
The bottom line is, whichever operating system you prefer, OS X is an excellent system. It’s built on the long-standing stability of Unix as its core, plus the ease-of-use and easy-on-the-eyes appeal of the Aqua GUI layer.
Risk taking is another area where Apple has stood out. There are few PC makers that would have taken the risk of the "Fruit Flavored" iMacs or the special-edition "Flower Power iMac. That risk taking has lead to a level of aesthetic beauty that you simply won’t find in other computers. Although some PC makes have tried to make all-in-one computers, there still isn’t a single one that competes with the eye-catching beauty of an iMac.
Now that most of the home computer world has moved to flat-screen displays, there’s a great deal of discussion as to which brand creates the best display. However, it would be difficult to dispute that Apple’s displays are amongst the best in the business.
With the exception of the Mac Minis, all new Apple computers ship with Firewire b (Firewire 800) ports. This is something that really disturbs me with PC motherboard manufacturers: They’ll supply 8 to 12 USB 2 ports, which run at 480 Mb/s, and no Firewire 800 ports, even though they run at 800 Mb/s, and generally do so with much better throughput. Yes, for hard drives, SATA is the new standard, but for devices, like video recorders, Firewire b is still the best way to go. Firewire 800 is something that just about every PC and motherboard manufacturer in the business get wrong, but Apple gets it right.
The built in Airport wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n and built in Bluetooth 2.0 EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) is another nice feature that PC manufacturers should be paying attention to, although only a small handful are doing so. It’s nice to see that Apple has made this a standard for its Mac Minis and iMacs. Apple gives no explanation as to why these technologies are optional in the Mac Pro, but whatever the reason, Airport and Bluetooth belong in the Mac Pro.
Conclusion: Summer Of Disappointment
Has Apple lived up to its standard as the computer graphics giant with this summer’s new lineup? Absolutely not, and it hasn’t even come close.
It’s hard to tell exactly what’s wrong at Apple. Maybe Steve Jobs and the rest of Apple’s business and technical leadership are so obsessed with the success of iPods, iPhones and iTunes that computers no longer are Apple’s flagship product. I’m disappointed enough in this summer’s releases to believe just that.
How much will this hurt Apple? It depends on how you look at it. In terms of losing current Mac customers, it may not hurt them at all. There are a certain amount of Mac fans that are going to buy the next Mac computer to be released, just as there are a certain amount of Windows fans that are going to wait in line outside of computer retailers at midnight to buy the latest version of Windows, regardless of how overpriced or underachieving the computer, or Windows Vista, may be. Nothing is going to change that.
Where will Apple be hurt? I mentioned in the first page of this article that I was considering investing in a high-end Apple desktop. That consideration is now history. I’ll be investing my money in either a retail or home-built Intel quad-core PC. That’s where Apple will be hurt, not in losses of current customers, but in future growth. People like me, who were considering making the switch, now consider that idea unthinkable.
There’s one image that sticks in my mind of just how far downhill Apple has slid when it comes to building graphics computers. It’s a Tom’s Hardware Guide chart showing the Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT with 256 MB of GDDR2 SDRAM (the default graphics card from the Mac Pro) versus other cards in the most-intense 3DMark benchmarking test. As a disclaimer, I have to note that this is not the exact same card as the one in the Mac, since the Mac card would be made by a manufacturer that makes Apple cards, and this chart contains Windows cards. But either way, the card is the Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT with 256 MB of GDDR2 SDRAM. It’s represented below by the blue bar graph:
If there are any remaining questions as to just how far Apple has fallen, I believe the image above has the answers.
- Previous page Analysis Of The 2007 Mac Pro
It is a pro system and as such no mainstream graphics card should do the bussiness.
For 2d graphics a 7300 is no worse than a 8800, and for 3d a 8800 is no better than a quadro FX.
I see your point but try thinking like a pro when you review such a system.
Of course that doesn't change your "over-priced" conclusion.
What really kills me is that when you look at any of these "Mac comparisons" then there is a gigantic hole in the lineup because Apple doesn't make a basic tower system. Some people don't need a $3000 quad core system and don't want an integrated monitor glued on an un-upgradeable system.
I've been in the market for a $1000 "Mac Desktop" for several months but in the end just gave up and reluctantly got a nice cheap Dell. I would have definitely preferred a Mac but if they refuse to make an "ordinary" product for us "ordinary" people then I'll throw my money elsewhere.
BTW, for less than $600 this is what I got from Dell C2D/2GB/250GB/DVDRW/x1300/22"LCD = $600. What's odd is that Apple would easily charge $1100 for these specs so people should really quit making fun of PC's because if Apple ruled the world then we'd all be broke.
I agree with mini-boss totally.I can either build or buy a Dell Desktop for half the price of any Mac that has the same specs.I recently built a PC for under $500 that can play any game out there on the highest settings. I am looking for performance not some externally pretty machine.
miniboss-
While I totally understand your shopping method, I think its important to realize there is more to the computing experience than cheap hardware. I'd gladly pay 1200 for an iMac (2x what your dell costs) just so that I could have the iLife software and OS X. The iLife software is the best software for ordinary folks I've ever seen. Nothing touches it on any platform, including OS X. As for the OS, I guess basic file management can be had on any system, but I love the fact that I don't have to deal with virus/spyware/zombieware on my Mac. That last point alone is worth paying a measly $600. So, maybe Apple does not have the widest selection of hardware at the cheapest prices, but the actual experience of using it is worth far more than the cash you saved.
In my daily work, I use 5 machines, 2 are Macs. My home computer is a Mac.
miniboss-
While I totally understand your shopping method, I think its important to realize there is more to the computing experience than cheap hardware. I'd gladly pay 1200 for an iMac (2x what your dell costs) just so that I could have the iLife software and OS X. The iLife software is the best software for ordinary folks I've ever seen. Nothing touches it on any platform, including OS X. As for the OS, I guess basic file management can be had on any system, but I love the fact that I don't have to deal with virus/spyware/zombieware on my Mac. That last point alone is worth paying a measly $600. So, maybe Apple does not have the widest selection of hardware at the cheapest prices, but the actual experience of using it is worth far more than the cash you saved.
In my daily work, I use 5 machines, 2 are Macs. My home computer is a Mac.
I know.. I accidentally posted twice. shame the system won't allow me to erase the phantom post.
I was investigating the Mac Pro recently but couldn't bring myself to part with $2500. Instead I spent $1100 and built the following:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Processor(2.40GHz, 4x2MB, 1066MHz FSB)
ABIT IP35-E Motherboard (P35 Express, 8GB DDR2, 1333MHz FSB)
G.Skill 4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 DIMM Dual Channel Memory
ASUS GeForce 8500GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
Seagate Barracuda 320GB Hard Drive(Serial ATA-300, 7,200 RPM, 16MB)
Lite-On Dual Layer DVD±RW Writer (8x DVD±R DL)
Antec SOLO Silver/Black Mini Tower (ATX, 8 Bays)
Antec EarthWatts EA-430 430W Power Supply
Acer Black 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor (19", 1440x900, 5ms)
Microsoft Business Keyboard / Mouse Combo
Windows XP Professional x64
And for an extra $200 I am considering another 4Gb of RAM and a second hard disk. All this for less than half the price of the comparable Mac Pro model. My GPU is not spectacular but I'm not a gamer and it is easily upgraded. My next endeavor is to run Leopard on one of this systems' drive partitions. I'm not too crazy about Apple's hardware either. But Tiger running on my 21" iMac G5 2.1Ghz machine has been next to flawless.
I agree with minibus. I just built a system based on the Athlon 6400+ for under $800 (core system). And as far as spending an additional $600-$1,000 for OS X, hey if you have money to burn and love OS X so much, be my guest.
On the matter of the Mac Mini: Not only it uses Intel integrated graphics, it uses *last-generation* Intel integrated graphics! In fact probably the only thing in the current Mac Mini that was changed from the first Intel Mac Mini is the processor!
On the matter of the Mac Pro: Yep, another Mac model that was not updated in any way other the processor for about 15-18 months! Only in Jan 2008 has there been a real update to the Mac Pro.
However, keep in mind that the fact that Apple owns the OS allows Apple to make special releases of Mac OS X for new Macs, and though that it is a good thing Macs don't need separate driver CDs for Mac OS X, it also may mean lag time while Apple write the drivers for the new hardware.