Is OS X worth 400 dollars?

I am currently looking at the 13 inch MBP and the Asus U30JC which is also a 13 incher.

I wrote out a pretty long post detailing the differences between the two machines, but let's just say that the Asus has a faster processor (core i3), discrete graphics, the same RAM, some good battery life(asus claims 9 hours but I don't believe it)...bottom line the Asus has better specs all around.

The MBP is better in terms of its aluminum unibody and its trackpad...but guess what, the Asus has all those too, it has aluminum and a multitouch trackpad which supports two finger scrolling and pinch to zoom. The MBP does do it better though, I will give it that, and the body is more solid.

Based on this, I think you are going to ask why I am even considering the MacBook Pro. It's all about Snow Leopard. I enjoy using OSX much more than Windows. It's not like I can't use Windows 7, but given the choice, I will go for OSX 10/10 (unless I am playing games, which I will be doing a little bit of and is also a big plus for the discrete graphics of the Asus)

the MBP 13 retails for $1200, while I have seen the Asus at $800 already even though it is pretty new.

Bottom line is, is OS X worth $400?

 

You're asking a question that only YOU can answer. If YOU can justify the extra $400 for OSX, then it's worth it, if you can't justify it, then it's not worth it. Period!

Unfortunately threads like this are nothing but flamebait.

 

Did the OP even take a look at the screen on the Asus, I'm sure it's a low contrast screen with very limited vertical view angle. It washes out unless you're sitting at the right sweetspot. The MBP's screen is much better than any PC notebook I've seen under $1000. I don't think it's as cut and dry as OS X costing $400 more. Does the Asus have a backlit keyboard? Does the Asus have an ambient light sensor for the screen to auto adjust due to lighting conditions? Does the Asus use passive cooling so it's fans run silently? Does the Asus have a magsafe power connector to protect the notebook from getting knocked off the table if the power cord gets kicked?

 

I really could not put any specific value on the software itself, its more about the total package.

 

the screen in the Macbook Pro is MUCH better...
the graphics are basically the same... besides losing some system memory....

I know you'll think the 310m is better since its discrete, but I've been using this 320m in the MBP for a couple days, and its awesomely fast... no slower than a 310m for sure.

 

As said before have a look at the screens. Asus cuts corners by using cheap screens. Not very bright, average contrast, not so good black levels, poor viewing angles and a 45% gamut.

The MBP has all the opposite and a 72% gamut.

Still the average consumer is often satisfied with the Asus screen.

Would OS X by itself be worth 400 dollars? Certainly not to me.

 

I think this Asus is an extremely well made notebook. I have to echo some of the sentiment said about the screen quality and the only real way to compare the two is to sit them side by side. The GPU in the 13" MBP is the 330m with 256MB RAM. The one in the Asus is the 310m with 512MB RAM. The screen res is higher in the MBP at 1440x900.

IMHO though, the rest of the feature set is better in the Asus. It really depends on what you are using your computer for. Get what you like, both look like excellent machines.

 

That about sums it up!

Like others have said there is more to it than just the OS. How close are the systems on size and weight? You've already said you would take OS X 10/10 times. I guess a better question to ask you is: is it worth saving $400 for something you don't want?

 

Uhm... He's looking at the MBP 13". It has an integrated 320M and it has a 1280x800 res screen.

 

I personally think you are paying $400 more for things less obvious than OSX.

Sure you get OSX but you also get Apples more specific attention to details. The quality is better. The screen is better. The backlight keyboard. The Magnet plug. The whole package is simply better as a whole. There is more eye candy as well.

The choice is yours but if you are keeping the laptop for more than 2-3 years, you will certainly love spending the extra $ on the Macbook.

 

Negative rep for me - you are absolutely right. I was peeping the 15" specs and didn't notice it.

In that case, the Asus looks even stronger to me. If the screen and battery life are even close I say choose the Asus (and I am a Mac guy at heart).

 

I took a minute to check out a review of the Asus on Cnet. They mentioned a few things that would concern me. First off it is a little bit heavier and thicker than the MBP. Secondly while it has aluminum there is quite a bit of plastic as well so it is not a 1:1 comparison. The keyboard is not backlit, the trackpad isn't as functional and has a single rocker type button for right and left clicks. Asus lacks Bluetooth but has an extra USB.

This quote I found a little disturbing. "In our benchmark tests, the Asus U30Jc fell a bit behind the latest Core 2 Duo MacBook as well as Sony's Vaio Z116GX/S, which has an even faster Core i5 processor (but is also much more expensive). That said, the Asus handily beat two upscale 13-inch ULV laptops, the HP Envy 13 and the Dell Adamo XPS."

I suggest checking out the review's benchmark tests they are quite eye opening.

 

Came in to post this. I think the hardware alone is worth the extra dough. OSX is just software ... Like all other applications that have similar functions (Maple vs Mathematica. Maya vs Autodesk) You might prefer it, you might not.

 

Comparison between U30Jc (Core i3) and the latest MBP 13.

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (2010) - Benchmark Test Results

 

One point to make is that the titular question is misleading; it should be "Is OS X worth 400 dollars more than Windows?" Besides that, there is of course the hardware differences between the U30JC and the MBP; as others have said, to make this kind of comparison you need to assign monetary values to those differences as well.

 

hmm i thought it was just 29.00
asus screen sucks but it does what it needs to do.

 

Interesting results, it seems that the graphics in the MBP are better than the discrete graphics of the Asus. Pretty impressive from an integrated graphics solution. The processor is indeed faster on the Asus but IMO the speed of OSX over Windows 7 makes up for that.

 

Lol, good one.

Sure, you can list off all the little perks. Does the MB have a removable battery so carrying a backup doubles the battery life? Does the MB have easily accessible parts so that the heatsinks can be cleaned out easily? Does the MB come standard with 2 yrs warranty + 1 yr accidental damage? Does the MB have HDMI? Does the MB have 3 USB ports?

Oh and Khris, please don't reply to my post. Our discussions ended a long time ago, especially with you sending me PMs then blocking replies. I know your tendency is to flame every single thread that might bring MB's holiness into question, but I'm just trying to point out the other side of this rather one sided discussion here.

 

We could do this kind of thing all day and get nowhere. Since its fun though...

Do Asus systems top the Consumer Reports ratings for laptops or tech support? Nope, that's Apple's spot. Does a Mac come preloaded with tons of crapware? Nope, but the Asus does.

 

Actually, considering the OP is weighing each choice, it would be in his best interest if we DID in fact "go on all day about this". Someone just needs to organize the pros and cons into a chart and let the OP decide which one he wants to go with. I think that IS going somewhere.

 

That is true, I was referring to arguing amongst ourselves being non productive. Since I'm posting, how do you check your email on the Asus?

 

For completeness:



ASUS best, HP worst for notebook reliability

 

Check email? Hmm.. I suppose Outlook will do. Well, I got other means to check email (non computer) for work related items, and at home.. I just use my personal web-mail. Not a power user with that. Perhaps somebody else can help with this one.

 

Eh... ya, well, the added 1.8% chance going from Asus to Apple doesn't really mean all that much. I suppose though that it does show that their quality are both very high, anyway.

 

seem pretty similar, with a few pros and cons to both and most differences are negligible.

get the one you want, then. I don't think you'll see a meaningful difference in performance from either.

 

I agree. It was just a response to the question "Do Asus systems top the Consumer Reports ratings for laptops?".

Well maybe not the Consumer Reports but they do top this rating.

 

If you like OSX then buy the MBP. You will love it. If you prefer Windows and want a decent PC then the Asus. The MBP will be of a much, much higher build quality. I just ordered a ul30vt. I own a 13" mb aluminum. I wanted the vt for its lighter weight, better battery life (thought the new 13"mbp does come close), but mostly for better gaming (9400m vs. 310m). I know bootcamp and all, but I the mbp gets hot while gaming. The single fans cranks but with a pretty high pitched whine. The ul30vt fairs better with cooling. So for me because I already own a macbook (9400m) and now own the ul30vt(310m), I pretty much have filled my mobile computing needs. BTW, I got the Asus for 1/2 of the price of my mb.
Hope this helps.

 

yea, for some reason, the assumption Apple fans make is that the cool style and unibody construction means higher quality than the plastic computers.

it's simply not the case. won't stop them from saying that build quality in the Apple world is superior over and over again, but it's still not true. Apple computers are a little more solid than Dell, a little less solid than Sony. As with any computer you buy from any manufacturer, you may or may not have a problem. your odds by buying an Apple are no better or worse than most regular PCs, regardless of price.

 

Apple makes plastic computers, but again their engineering and build quailty is by far the best. I am no fanboy. I actually prefer being on my PC daily, but Apple makes very solid computers.

 

Well, that might be true for consumer grade laptops, business laptops are at another level. The HP Elitebooks and so on cater to a different market that requires a higher level of reliability.

 

on the surface, sure. but the reliability is middle of the road.

it is what it is.

if you want *transcendent* reliability, engineering and build quality, you need a pro-grade computer.

interestingly, they cost no more than a well-spec'd 15" or 17" MBP.

 

My point is that Windows no longer includes a mail program unless you use a browser based service or download one. I never really understood that move other than trying to bring down the size of the OS.

There is a BIG difference between an overall rating for a system or tech support and the percentage of systems that have glitches. I give kudos to Asus for topping the field but in reality the difference is very small. I'd trade top overall ratings on fit, finish, usability and tech support over a slightly smaller chance of needing tech support any day. But if that one rating does it for people, I'm fine with that.

 

O, I see what you mean.

Well, that Windows Mail thing is ok. I'm fine with them not including it, because unless I'm on a work PC (where Outlook is installed anyway), I never use that kind of a program. In any case, that thing is easily downloadable (though I agree, if you need it it's better if it's already there..), along with all the other things like Windows Live Messenger, etc.

 

I would assume it had something to do with all those mid-2000's antitrust suits from Europe. Probably figured it'd be better to leave it as an optional Windows Update download.

the curse of being the biggest, I guess.

 

As you probably know I am not a big Apple fan, I don't even like OS X. But I rate the build quality of the Unibody Mac as extremely high. Thing is, all review sites agree. You really think they've all got it wrong?

Notebookjournal gives the unibody MBP a 5 star rating. That means they rated the firmness of every part (lid, keyboard, hinges, palm wrest etc.) with the highest rating. Sony did not get 5 stars ever.

Notebookcheck:

Laptopmag:

So you really think all these professional reviewers see it wrong?

I owned several Sony's (Z, SZ, TT). None of them was as strong as the unibody Mac.

When I wrongly inserted the power plug in my Z, a chip came of. There are many reports of people having scratched screens with the Z.

The only valid point against the Unibody is that aluminum can dent. That's true but I'd rather have aluminum dent then plastic break.

 

I don't think they are actually professional.
My idea of a good review is the laptop in action.
Many reviewer site don't even attempt to test the full thermal dissipation capabilities of laptop which IMO is more important than "firmness".
Full thermal dissipation means maxing out the CPU and GPU simultaneously and checking if the laptop overheat and shutdown.
Your laptop will last longer if it operates at a lower temperature at maximium capacity then if it can stand your weight.
This is real reliability.
It is like judging how great a woman is by looking at her only and bringing her home only to know that she is actually hot tempered, selfish and stupid.

You can put her through test and quizzes however only know what she is like when you force her capabilities to the max and see if she suffers a nervous breakdown.

 

Looks to me like Stefan Trunzik is a professional:
Stefan Trunzik - Chefredakteur Notebookjournal - Online Media | XING

If you're still in doubt, check out the opinion of Cisco Chang of PCMag. He's a professional too, as far as I know.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2332519,00.asp

And professional or not, it's not really the point. These guys handle and review many laptops, they're considered experts.

Well the discussion was about build quality. Reliability should be covered by the research I quoted, where Asus does a little better than Apple.

If this research is really reliable is questionable of course. It might well that many Asus netbooks were included that may be far less used than notebooks.

 

Well, the very same research also showed that netbooks tended to fail quite a lot more than other notebooks. If anything, this would reflect even better on ASUS' more expensive models, since they had the lowest failure rates despite making quite a lot of cheap machines.

 

Personally I don't look at the so called "reviews" anymore.
Why?
They write about unimportant things like how great it looks how great the casing feels when it is the electrical components that does the computing, list the specs, run some benchmarks and there you go, a review.

They don't go and check for things like bugs in the system or list abnormal behaviour things consumers will encounter in the long run which are more important.

Guess I am probably looking at the wrong stuff people usually go for, I preferring looking at Engineering attributes than anything else and Metal casing doesn't cut it.

 

I say get the MBP for $400 more, first of all, you can put windows on it, so you'll have both OS's. Second of all, Macs retain value ALOT better than other computer brands out here including HP, Dell, ASUS, ACER.... etc...

 

It's called Windows Live Mail, and it comes with Windows 7.

That aside, Apple computers are not cheap ... But I think you get what you pay for. I'm certainly happy with mine. Spending less time searching google on how to make this work or how to perform that task ... Everything just works.

Edit: Damn it, I just tried to do a two finger swipe to scroll up the page ... I forgot my work computer is not a Mac but a Dell.

 

I thought MS stopped pre-installing all that stuff. As for the finger swipes I do the same thing sometimes. So how do you like expose with the 4 finger swipes?

 

It's really great ... I mean, it doesn't "sometimes" work, it works with an accuracy of 100%. I'm not usually a Trackpad person cause I feel mice are more efficient but this Trackpad isn't bad at all ... The gestures really make getting stuff done on your computer a breeze.

One thing I wish was that expose could be activated with a 3 finger swipe down ... That option should have been given to users I think.

 

no, it doesn't. you have to download it in the Windows Updates along with Messenger, some writing app, movie maker, and some other stuff.

 

applause.gif

exactly what I mean. rare is the true "professional" review.

 

It came with my PC.

 

With Windows, everything just works too. You don't need to search Google for performing common tasks, unless you had screwed up your PC.

 

i cant figure out how to see shared files that are on my PC's while using my mac. It "just doesn't work."

 

oh? well snap. I had to download it on all of mine...but my computers didn't come with Win 7. I installed the OS from an upgrade disc.

 

That's odd microsoft's website that I linked too says otherwise. Perhaps it was downloaded during the initial setup.