All this iPhone vs Android stuff is really old, don't you think, guys? I mean, everyone here knows that each has pros and cons, and if you're on this site it's likely because the Android Pro's:Con's ratio is MUCH more in favor of Pro's than is the iPhones... for YOU.
Don't get me wrong, I can't stand using an iPhone; it feels like I'm playing with a toy, not a smartphone, and with tech stuff (computers, phones, TV's, home theaters; even my car!) I HATE having the same exact thing as everyone else with nothing I can do about it; I am a big-time "tinkerer" by nature, and a non-rooted Android Phone offers more customization and a "tailored-to-your-needs" user experience that even "jail-broken" iPhones can't come close to.
I am not so much an Android fanboy, I just really dislike Apple. I think they offer mediocre-quality products at a ultra-premium price, and manage to sell MILLIONS of each product by constantly talking about its "exclusivity"... *scratches head*
I also am not being unfair here. I gave Apple a chance just 2-3 months ago (-ish) when I decided I wanted a new laptop, and honestly the MacBook Pro's (17") look so darn nice with their uni-body "made from one solid piece of aluminum" shell, their a-bit-above-average screens, and decent keyboards (although the keyboards are absolute JUNK compared to a Windows Desktop mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX switches). I knew they were expensive, but I decided to go have a look for myself at the Apple Store.
GOOD GOD! I just about fainted when I saw the 17" MB-P STARTING AT $2500!!! That's with a Core i7 26x0m, ONLY 4GB of DDR3-1333 RAM(!!!), a 750GB 5400rpm HDD, and a Radeon HD6770M 1GB... That's the base model, and it's two and a half grand!
So, I configured my own to see how much it would cost to get one that meets my needs...
MACBOOK PRO 17
2.5ghz Intel Core i7 2.5ghz Quad-Core CPU
8GB SO-DIMM DDR3-1333 RAM (2x4GB)
256GB Solid State Drive (SATA3.0Gbs; only ONE storage drive!) -OR- 512GB Solid State Drive (SATA3.0Gbs)
AMD ATI Radeon HD6770M 1GB GDDR5 PCI-e 2.0 x16 Discrete Graphics Card
"SuperDrive 8x" Optical Disc Drive (DVD±R/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
17" 1920x1080p "Hi-Res Anti-Glare" Matte Screen
Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter, "Magsafe" Airline Adapter, 2.0m Thunderbolt Cable
TOTAL PRICE: $3,897 (256GB SSD) $4473 (512GB SSD)
***AND THAT IS WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OUTSIDE OF THEIR "INCLUDED 90 DAY" CR*P****
With their Extended Protection Plan plus their One-on-One Immediate Support Thing, at $349 and $99 respectively, the new totals would be:
$4345 (256GB SSD) $4921 (512GB SSD)
Then, taking into account the 6.5% Sales Tax, you're looking at:
$4627.43 (256GB) $5240.87 (512GB)
That is for ONE 17" laptop with 8GB of RAM, a two-generation-old video card, a CPU that will be outdated in 45-70 days, and a TOTAL of 512GB of storage. So, considering this would be for work/school (everything from confidential research to Grad-level papers/thesis, as well as demanding 3D chemical modeling programs and simulations, photo and 1080p video editing, and internet browsing; not the main PC but I need one that is powerful but portable as the crazy water cooling on my high-performance rig at home is a bit tricky to move...), and data redundancy is incredibly important, to the point that I need at least 4 physical backups and 2 "cloud-based" backups, I would also need the following:
- Secondary Data Backup on Home Network (RAID10, 4x2TB WD CavBlk 7200RPM HDDs, USB3.0/eSATA6Gbs) $750
- Backup Power Supply for Network RAID Array (APC Green Surge-Protector/Backup Power Supply with Intelligent Power Monitoring; 180min backup power) $600
- Another Dual-Band 450+450 a/b/g/n High-Performance Router (with Gigabit Ethernet, USB3.0, and eSATA support) $200
- Another RAID1 Array for my Home Server (2x2TB WD CavBlk 7.2krpm HDD's, SATA6.0Gbs) $350
All said and done, it would cost about $6600 (256GB) or $7500 (512GB) to get a MacBook Pro that would suit my needs, and then integrate it into my PC-only home network.
Just so you understand... SEVEN THOUSAND AND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR A FREAKING LAPTOP!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???
It's not even that good of a laptop! Yet it's their most powerful "portable workstation", they simply don't offer anything with more "muscle". I could get a laptop that would EQUAL the performance of the MacBook, have at least 90% of the physical durability, and it would cost MAYBE $1.6-2k and that's with two data drives (one 256GB SSD and one 750GB 7.2krpm HDD). For the cost of the MB Pro, you can get a laptop with an 18.5" screen or bigger, a genuine 6-core i7 SandyBridge CPU, 16GB Triple-Channel RAM (if not more), two storage drives (one SSD and one Hybrid Drive), a Blu-Ray Burner, and the current flagship mobile graphics card (I would guess NVidia GTX 580M 1.6GB or AMD/ATI Radeon HD6970M 2GB or something? Don't keep up much on MOBILE GPU's); and you wouldn't have to spend another $180 just to have the "privilege" of being able to hook the laptop up to a bigger screen/television/projector via DVI/HDMI by using a bunch of adapters that exist solely to take your money because you're a Mac fanboy.
- Was the iPod a fantastic move forward in portable music? Yes, ABSOLUTELY. (IT WAS NOT a "Revolution")
- Did the iPhone (Ver1.0) play a huge role in bringing smartphones to the mainstream? No Doubt!
- Are the effects of the MacBook Air still being seen in the mobile PC industry? More and more Every Day (although I think other, new "ultra-portables" have the MB-A beat)
- Did the iPad live up to its hype? No, not even close, but it DID make tablets popular amongst, well, everyone...
- Has Android matured to the point where it is a truly superior concept (and for the most part, execution) for smartphones compared to the iPhone/iOS? UNDOUBTEDLY
- Is the idea of an open-source marketplace (along with a "modding" community tens/hundreds-of-thousands strong) superior to the company YOU ALREAD PAID HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO for their phone controlling what you can and cannot do with your[SUB](their)[/SUB] phone? ABSOLUTELY
- Is it not better to constantly innovate, create, improve, and enhance a company's offerings than it is to rehash old ideas/products by putting them in a new case and selling them as the greatest creation yet, i.e.: (iPod v1,2,3,4/iPod Mini v1,2/iPod Nano v1,2,3,4/iPod Classic/iPod Touch v1,2,3/iPod Shuffle v1,2,3,4,5etc; iPhone, iPhone3G, iPhone3GS, iPhone4, iPhone4S; iPad, iPad2; HALF OF THOSE THINGS LOOK IDENTICAL!)?? OF COURSE!
Does anyone notice how we Galaxy Nexus owners mostly consider Google having essentially a direct line into our phones ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF IT?
Does anyone else notice how one of the biggest "cons" of the iPhone is that APPLE IS CONSTANTLY IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING YOU CAN SEE OR DO ON IT?
Google gives away its Android OS FREE to developers, phone manufacturers, etc.
Apple has the mindset that the phone you just paid $450 for isn't actually YOURS, rather, you are just paying to use THEIR INVENTION.
NOW TELL ME: HOW IS APPLE A GOOD COMPANY? They are more money hungry than 99% of corporations in the world while at the same time trying to convince everyone that they are the "cool, new, hip, misunderstood, underdog company" and that Google is a power-hungry evil giant faceless corporation that secretly hides code in its programs that, when the Big Red Button at Google Headquarters is pushed, will cause every Android phone to promptly initiate self-awareness and then crawl up into your @SS while you sleep and destroy you from the inside out.
Yet, ironically, the same people who believe this are the ones who are getting bent over and taking it from behind by Apple RIGHT NOW! But hey, as long as it's "cool"...
Gah, I do apologize for the rant. I was not anti-Apple AT ALL until I went looking at their MacBook Pro's and after getting over my initial shock, literally LAUGHING in the "Team Member's" face when he told me the price and couldn't even tell me what model CPU was in the thing. They are insane.
They make a few nice products, but unlike other "higher-end companies" (as Apple clearly wants to be) such as BMW, Porsche, Maingear, Lian-Li, Samsung, Sony, Harmon Kardon, Heckler & Koch, Polk/Klipsch, and so on, with Apple you DON'T GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, you get an average product encased in an aluminum Uni-Body Illusion of Quality.
Feel free to disagree, I am happy to debate this because it is MY OPINION based on MY EXPERIENCE. Others will have different opinions, and so long as they are legitimate (backed up by SOMETHING), then I will respect it and you; but flaming someone based on their opinion, especially after providing examples, is just pathetic.
However, I do believe most on this forum are significantly above "flaming", so we shall see...
My fingers hurt... time to go watch some TV.
Sincerely,
nleksan
