Technology Apple

[dilla]

While I can vouch for Apple products serving me well and being very durable and all, I certainly don't deem all Windows machines to be significantly inferior. While I enjoy the peace of mind of having a laptop that works the same as it did when it came out of the box and a design that doesn't look antiquated three years later (same design, I know, but it still looks better than most other Windows machines that haven't triend emulating the MBA's design ((Samsung))), I certainly don't think the Lenovo you're showing me is any worse durability-wise, than my MBP.

When I said an Apple product is worth its premium, to me, durability is a huge thing. But it's not the only thing. I understand the OS is developed in-house. It isn't like HP and Dell taking Windows from M$ and cutting costs by not having to develop their own OS. I factor that into the premium. I factor in the material from which the MBP is made from is more durable than plastic used in many other laptops, and not just the cheap ones, mind you. I don't stress the hardware of my MBP as much as someone else may and I still toy around with Logic Pro and do edit pictures on Aperture. I don't game, so I don't need a quad-core i7 with 16 GB of RAM. Sure, I could get a much better spec PC for the same price as the highest-end MBP, but it wouldn't matter to me because I'd never reach it's potential, or even half of it.

That's where the OS comes into play for me. My MBP is my Bada Samsung phone that you had. It works the best for me. I don't need 8 GB of RAM, even though I want it. I don't even need an SSD, even though a similarly priced Windows machine would probably come with it. But I realize, if I want the user experience that I want and like, I'll have to shell out a little extra for an OSX notebook. Its high reliability ratings don't mean it will never fail. And it doesn't mean the Lenovo or Sony laptop will ever fail.

If your hatred against a product is because of its fan base, I think it's a bit silly. If you can see past the advertising genius that Apple is, whether it be truth or lies, and if you still like the device but don't get it, that's an issue with you. Just because iPhone users or Mac users around you are cocks, doesn't mean the device is a cock as well.

About that quote "Only 11 percent of customers are aware of and can link the Galaxy Tab back to Samsung, while 65% of consumers are aware and can link the iPad back to Apple"

If it were the other way around, you would be mentioning how it means that Android is now gaining traction in the market, especially Samsung, and how great this is for Android and how inferior Apple products are to Android devices. Instead, you (not you, but any critic) will point out how stupid people are and how Apple fans are sheep and don't know anything outside of Apple.

 

[masta247]

If your hatred against a product is because of its fan base, I think it's a bit silly. If you can see past the advertising genius that Apple is, whether it be truth or lies, and if you still like the device but don't get it, that's an issue with you. Just because iPhone users or Mac users around you are cocks, doesn't mean the device is a cock as well.

It's not hatred against a product. I don't really hate Macbooks or any Apple products per se, like I mentioned. That's just one of the reason I don't like the company making them. The attitude they are presenting. Having a choice, I'd rather buy things from other companies which are more humane in my book. That's also why I don't buy Microsoft products whenever I have a choice now, and I used to like them back when Microsoft had sane management.
In case of Apple that's just a minor reason for not buying their products though, that was just a rant about the company. I mostly criticize Macbooks for being overpriced (and I also don't buy them because I prefer and can do much more with Windows 7). I said a couple of times, they are quite decent everyday laptops and they look good. Let's just say that for their price you have a whole world of possibilities that are technically better feats of engineering. Macbooks are good not because they are powerful or because the components and materials used are worth the money, but because they are a pleasure to look at and are technically good for what they're made for - everyday, casual use minus gaming. I agree with the Samsung Bada analogy, that's why I brought it up in the first place. I might one day be a Macbook user despite being aware that I wouldn't be doing the best possible thing a tech-aware person should do, but one that could at some point suit me better - for example when I won't need a Windows laptop anymore and will be able to settle for a simple, better looking one I could see myself using Macbook as a personal laptop for leisure and traveling, desktop PC at home for gaming and a business Windows laptop for work.

Let's say I was a millionaire, chilling on a balcony with an ocean view and I needed a laptop for browsing, email, basic communication and stuff like that. I'd totally rather get myself a Macbook Air and enjoy its curves. At that point it'd be just more fun to use and I wouldn't feel its limitations.

About that quote "Only 11 percent of customers are aware of and can link the Galaxy Tab back to Samsung, while 65% of consumers are aware and can link the iPad back to Apple"

If it were the other way around, you would be mentioning how it means that Android is now gaining traction in the market, especially Samsung, and how great this is for Android and how inferior Apple products are to Android devices. Instead, you (not you, but any critic) will point out how stupid people are and how Apple fans are sheep and don't know anything outside of Apple.

I wouldn't. I don't like Galaxy Tabs and I didn't mean it that way. I meant that it's surprising that 89% of people don't know that Samsung makes Galaxy tabs and that 35% of people don't know that Ipads are made by Apple. That's unexpected, my 90 year old grandfather knows that Galaxy Tabs are made by Samsung and Ipads are made by Apple.

That quote was used by Apple themselves as an argument in court, I wouldn't bring it up if favoring Android was the point.
Also, I don't think anyone needs convincing that Android has gained traction It far exceeded iOS sales in the smartphone market (even in the US) and worldwide tablet market a while ago. Apple were never about market share though. Their global share in the computer market has reached an all time high of 5%. It's still very low, but it doesn't really stop them from being the wealthiest tech company - because of the huge amounts of cash that they make from every single computer sold. Same with Iphones - that's basically a mid end phone in a neat shell and a basic OS made so it doesn't feel slow on a mid-range chip - it's priced higher than a high end, and it sells. (That's what I meant by feeling ripped off buying their products)

 

[dilla]

Do not think that some sort of premium should be excised for Apple products because they develop their own OS? Or that they pay to get technology first, like Thunderbolt ports? I don't know how much would be considered "fair" and I think it would vary amongst consumers, but many manufacturers like Dell and HP have it easy in that they just gotta slap some parts together, install Windows on the HDD and that's it. Out the door. Doesn't Apple have to be responsible for both?

What about things like the Retina Display? Does any other company offer the same quality, or better screen for less?

About the value and quality of the parts of a MacBook, are you saying that when a lineup refresh comes out, the hardware is already outdated compared to what other companies offer at a similar price? What about the fact that most MacBooks now come with SSDs? Sure, they may charge for upgrades on that, but most Windows machines, I think, still come with HDDs. 1 TB and such. If we're talking "tech-savvy" consumers, wouldn't they forgo the insane capacity of an HDD and go for an SSD instead?

On top of that, there are things like the backlit keyboard which PC manufacturers still don't implement across their lineup. Do people not want that? I find it useful and I think if more people used it, they would too.

It seems like there are several small things that are somewhat-exclusive or characteristic of Macs that shrinks that margin profit many criticize Apple for. Sure, the profit is still there, but that's what a premium is, right? You pay extra for something that looks nice and, arguably, is more reliable and groundbreaking. It seems that Apple makes a concept more popular and the rest of the industry just follows. Look at the Air. Sure, someone at some point may have made something similar to the Air before Apple did, but no one took notice of it until Apple's marketing showed how it fit into an envelope and was so light you could throw it like a frisbee (might have been a hoax marketing ploy, but...). You can't blame Apple for improving on something or making it more desirable to consumers. Blame consumers for falling in love with a brand due to fashion or status, or whatever it is that draws the general public to Apple.


You should come to the US and see the Apple Store at any mall. It's always jam packed with people checking out their lineup. It would be silly to hate on a company that can attract so many people just to window shop. And, naturally, after looking at the products long enough, many of those people will buy those products because they like and want them. There's no Dell Store. There is a Microsoft Store, and they are just blatant rip-offs of the Apple Store anyway.

I honestly think many people's hatred of Apple or its users is simply because of Apple's popularity. People being butt-hurt, if you will.

 

[masta247]

Do not think that some sort of premium should be excised for Apple products because they develop their own OS? Or that they pay to get technology first, like Thunderbolt ports? I don't know how much would be considered "fair" and I think it would vary amongst consumers, but many manufacturers like Dell and HP have it easy in that they just gotta slap some parts together, install Windows on the HDD and that's it. Out the door. Doesn't Apple have to be responsible for both?

See, that's something I really don't like - having the OS come with the hardware. One thing is I have any OS for free for being a tech university student, another thing is I want to pick exactly what I want my laptop to run. I believe Apple don't deserve a premium for shoving something down your throat and not leaving you a choice. For the sake of argument though, When "Windows OEMs" do it, even when the "more expensive OS" comes with the laptop the license fee is included, which is surely more expensive. Also, Apple has the comfort of tweaking the OS to their hardware and the other way around as well, so they have it easier. OEMs have to make the hardware for the OS they're made to run with no options to customize the OS itself - so if the Windows 8 is the current Windows that is slapped by default, OEMs have to make sure their laptop will run great with it. In reality though, it's not a lot of work, since all laptops, including Macs pack basically the same technology that just works with anything you slap on it - all X86 processors run the same instruction set etc. etc. That's why you can install any X86 OS on any laptop and it'll work fine.

What about things like the Retina Display? Does any other company offer the same quality, or better screen for less?

I know that some companies like Lenovo and Sony use these panels on their laptops. The first IPS panel on a laptop was on a 2004 IBM laptop I believe. The Lenovo X2xx line packs them (the x220i, x230 etc.). The pixel density isn't as high though, but it was an IPS panel of great quality.
IPS panels on laptops could never sell though for reasons I can't comprehend.

About the value and quality of the parts of a MacBook, are you saying that when a lineup refresh comes out, the hardware is already outdated compared to what other companies offer at a similar price? What about the fact that most MacBooks now come with SSDs? Sure, they may charge for upgrades on that, but most Windows machines, I think, still come with HDDs. 1 TB and such. If we're talking "tech-savvy" consumers, wouldn't they forgo the insane capacity of an HDD and go for an SSD instead?

SSDs were packed in laptops years before Apple first started using them. X-series Lenovo laptops had these first gen Samsung's 64gb SSDs, later on the 128gb ones. Now Lenovo use 256gb SSDs. I'm using Lenovo as an example because I know their product lines well, I'm sure other companies act alike at least with their higher end models. "Windows laptops" is such a huge generalization though.

On top of that, there are things like the backlit keyboard which PC manufacturers still don't implement across their lineup. Do people not want that? I find it useful and I think if more people used it, they would too.

I think any business laptop without a backlit keyboard would get ridiculed. IBM/Lenovo had it in all of their Thinkpads since the 90s, and it's there till now. I know for sure most of HPs and Dells mid to high end lineup have that as well. It's not like it's something specific to Apple products in any way.

It seems like there are several small things that are somewhat-exclusive or characteristic of Macs that shrinks that margin profit many criticize Apple for. Sure, the profit is still there, but that's what a premium is, right? You pay extra for something that looks nice and, arguably, is more reliable and groundbreaking.

Frankly, I see how Macs look good but in my book they are not groundbreaking whatsoever. There's nothing but the design where they stand out imho, there's nothing else that seems to be exclusive to them other than the design and the fact that they come with Mac OS and are a little more troublesome to run Windows on (for example because of keyboard differences).

It seems that Apple makes a concept more popular and the rest of the industry just follows.

I think it's only kind of true with the design. I think there's nothing Apple did with their laptops from the functional point of view that "the industry" seemed to copy.

Look at the Air. Sure, someone at some point may have made something similar to the Air before Apple did, but no one took notice of it until Apple's marketing showed how it fit into an envelope and was so light you could throw it like a frisbee (might have been a hoax marketing ploy, but...).

There was a whole segment for laptops like Air, it was called "ultraportables". I have one of pre-air laptops - the Lenovo X300. It's basically the same size and weight as Air and has everything Air does, but comes with a higher res screen, a 128gb SSD, a DVD burner and reader, more ports, a card reader, GPS, 3G, backlit keyboard AND a LED light, titanium shockproof locked cover, fingerprint scanner and 2x more ram than the first Airs had. The whole X-series from Lenovo were basically what the Air was, Air only made a better fashion statement amongst the less tech savvy crowd. There was a whole market segment for these devices though, Air was nothing new apart from the design. When Air came out everyone was comparing it to the X-series:

Maybe you haven't heard about these because you weren't concerned with these laptops until Apple had one.

You should come to the US and see the Apple Store at any mall. It's always jam packed with people checking out their lineup. It would be silly to hate on a company that can attract so many people just to window shop. And, naturally, after looking at the products long enough, many of those people will buy those products because they like and want them.

I saw these stores. I felt intimidated by guys who had no idea what they're talking about to sell their products, and a crowd of people who had no idea what the talking guy talked about. I agree that the experience is very different than here though, there are no Apple stores here. I think these stores fit in the American mentality better anyway.

It might be the reason why Apple has it easier to sell features that are objectivelly great but others couldn't - because people are so technologically dumb. For example IPS screens on laptops - Retina Macbooks sell relatively well despite being ridiculously expensive, maybe that's because it takes a fancy salesperson to shove it down people's throat to make them realize that it's cool tech. Maybe when other manufacturers give people a choice, people are too stupid to make a good one.

After all you have to know what you're buying to go online and buy a specific Lenovo laptop. People who buy Apple products though, I guess most of the purchases in the US are made the old-school way, in store. And people buying these products actually listen to salespeople's advice, which is counterintuitive from my perspective. Apple salespeople want to push cool tech though, mostly because it costs and grants them more $$ so despite of it being wrong, it kind of moves the market in the right direction. Then when the sales on that kind of product seem fine and the product gets enough popularity to reach the casual crowd, Apple fans scream that Apple just invented a revolutionary feature.

There's no Dell Store. There is a Microsoft Store, and they are just blatant rip-offs of the Apple Store anyway.

We have a few Dell stores here. We do have Sony, Samsung and basically any other laptop manufacturers' stores. I think I saw Sony and Lenovo stores in the US as well. I surely checked out a Sony store in Vancouver.
Nobody wanted to shove anything down my throat there though, so maybe it's a strategy that doesn't work there well.

I honestly think many people's hatred of Apple or its users is simply because of Apple's popularity. People being butt-hurt, if you will.

I think that's what Samsung's hated for now, Apple is not that popular. Looking at the statistics almost nobody buys Apple - because seriously, 5% of the computer market is less than an average OEM gets. It's just when someone does buy their product it's a huge deal, because he pays a lot of cash for the product, making Apple the richest in the world. I think that's where the hatred comes from apart from their dubious practices - from the fact that they are earning money that in a lot of peoples' opinions they shouldn't be making. A lot of tech savvy people believe that Apple make money on peoples' ignorance, lack of will to educate themselves and simply shallowness - to boast that they have an Apple product because in their minds it makes them "cooler".

I agree that the hatred sometimes goes too far, so these days any constructive criticizm is perceived as hating, because a lot of people hate Apple only because their friends who know what's up said that it's not a great company to buy products from. At this point I might like certain products from Apple. If I wanted to buy one because it genuinely served my needs well, people would mock me for that. I mentioned several times that I like the design on Macbooks, my friends jokingly doubted by tech knowledge just because of this, but this shows how all Apple products are viewed even by people who don't understand the underlying causes of the criticizm. There's a lot of unnecessary pressure from both camps.

 

[dilla]

I can see your points. But numbers don't lie. You can attribute Apple's sales to whatever, they still sell and make great products. I actually went shopping with my mom today and went to an Apple Store for the first time in about a year or so to look around. Jam packed again. I don't care what type of users were in there, everyone was trying out the products, even the iMacs and MacBooks, whose market segment is supposedly dying and giving way to the mobile sector.

I showed my mom the iPad Mini and she immediately started rattling off her friends that had them, including my aunts who got them as gifts recently. I took her to show her the Airs and she was amazed at how light they were. I jokingly admonished her for getting the shit Dell notebook she bought a few months ago when she could have had the Air for more portability and probably an overall faster, better user experience. The wake time was ridiculous which I noticed when I accidentally closed the lid to lift the notebook up to show her how light it was.

Next I showed her the iMacs and their ridiculous displays. The wireless trackpad is pretty sick. They've changed the trackpad technology ever so slightly since 2010 and my MBP's trackpad, and it's a bit smoother. The click feel is different too. Interesting to note.

While we were leaving the store my mom said "after using these, who would go back to what they were using before?" I always thought our household could use an iMac. But that was before my dad got an MBP and my mom got her Dell, giving everyone in our household their own computer. But man, that display is sick. Once SSD prices come down and are bigger in iMacs, it might be worth looking into those. I really like them.

 

[masta247]

I can see the reason for "casual" people (not the "Annoying Apple crowd", lol) liking Apple products and I respect Apple products for those things - most of these are devices that are decent all-around consumer products that are simply not likely to disappoint - whether these are Macbooks, Iphones or Ipads. They are mainstream products that are made to be at least average at most things they do, and above average for things an average Joe would want to do with them. You pay a higher price premium for getting the "one size fits all", without having to make too many choices you might not understand. That's their selling point in my book. They are maintaining this by not introducing products that could be considered "super shitty" by most people, they can afford only having things that are at least somewhat appealing to a huge group of casual users.

Yeah, numbers don't lie. Sure, Iphones and Ipads sell huge amounts of units, but the computer market is majorly dominated by Windows. I don't doubt that in the US lots of people have something from Apple. All I'm saying is, I don't think it's the sales numbers that are the reason they're hated for. Perhaps that was part of the reason why people massively hated on the Iphone. At some point it almost dominated the smartphone market. I don't think it's the case with Macbooks, iMacs and such though. Their share hovers at about 5%.

 

[dilla]

What would you say to the many tech startups that use Apple products? That it's still meant for "casual" users? What about "technology" don't entrepreneurs of "technology startups" understand?

Of course sales of the iPhone and other Apple products are a reason for Apple-butthurts to hate Apple. It's the only statistic Android fanboys use. How quickly Android is growing and how its numbers compare to Apple and how it's losing marketshare.

No one really brings up the customer satisfaction awards Apple wins. Or reliability. Even if other OEMs have shit products that bring down the top-notch products they do make, it's still asinine that people have to wade through that shit just to buy a notebook for simple tasks. Maybe Apple wouldn't have reason to charge so much if other manufacturers stepped their game up and made all their products meet a certain, high standard like Apple does.

And I doubt Apple makes it "easy" on customers. It's much easier and cheaper to buy a shit $400 Dell with retardedly old hardware and have that go to shit in less than 18 months than it is to look at the Apple lineup and decide which one fits your budget and needs and have that Apple last you much longer than 18 months.


I think you give the general public too much credit. You can look to any other industry and see how stupid people do not research their investments and buy the most ridiculous products. Ridiculously expensive or ridiculously poor in quality. SUVs and pickups in the car market. You mentioned the food market and dipshits that are content with a burger or hot dog every single time they go out. People are like that with computers and electronics in general. Whether you want to believe that or not. It may be hard to because you're in the field now, but even we here on SH aren't THAT knowledgeable. You might be the only one that has CPUs and GPUs and their specs memorized on here, as well as their performance benchmarks. You ask someone what model of Core i5 is faster than Core i7, and I guarantee you no one at Best Buy or any other electronics store would be able to tell you.

http://www.jdpower.com/content/pres...-mobile-phone-satisfaction-study-volume-1.htm

This is a bit old but gets the point across http://www.pcworld.com/article/244603/tablet_reliability_and_satisfaction_ipad_comes_out_on_top.html

http://www.zdnet.com/consumer-reports-apple-still-tops-in-reliability-7000007770/

http://www.pcworld.com/article/244419/laptop_reliability_and_satisfaction_macbooks_rule.html

 

[Pittsey]

Oh.... My...... Gosh,......

 

[dilla]

Well, we should go back to posting Apple news.

I think Bill is wrong on this one

http://bgr.com/2013/05/06/bill-gate...+TheBoyGeniusReport+(BGR+|+Boy+Genius+Report)

The iPad might have its flaws, but I doubt not having Office (as of right now) is one of those things. And I also doubt the Surface Tablet is what the iPad or any tablet should strive for.

I did read that the mobile Office suite they were planning to bring to both Android and iOS might be in jeopardy. But that's not a big issue. Google Drive/Docs has that covered for both OSs.

 

[Pittsey]

What kind of nob is going to knock out a document in office on their tablet?!?!?!

 

[masta247]

I read a recent longer interview with Gates regarding the future of computing and Windows, and I thought he was very deluded. I think part of working at Microsoft means just becoming deluded.

 

[dilla]

What kind of nob is going to knock out a document in office on their tablet?!?!?!

With a keyboard, it's possible. You can do it on the go, if your tablet has replaced your notebook.

Also, for students that use Office for lecture PPs or to type up their own notes, it's useful. It doesn't have to be Word, but it needs to be a word processor, and there are plenty of free ones on Android.

But there is a market for it, for sure. I use them to view PPs in class if I don't bring my MacBook. If I had a keyboard, I may even type my own notes in Word or edit the PowerPoints myself. If I had a stylus, I would draw the diagrams.

And it does seem M$ has lost its way. They're trying some real kooky shit out and it's failing big time, every time. The look of Xbox Home is similar to Win 8, with tiles and such, and it's horrible. It's so bloated, scrolling through menus on the Xbox can be a pain with all the lag. And this has been a problem from day-one with the 360, even before it introduced this stupid tile business.

 

[Pittsey]

You won't get me putting together a spreadsheet or writing more than half a page on a tablet. I need a proper keyboard and a larger screen.

For everything else that I would do. Google Docs is fine.

 

[dilla]

Yeah, I can't say I would find that as the preferred method either. But for some people a tablet has replaced their PCs. As in they no longer own a PC or have packed it away or something.

 

[dilla]

I think I might be the only one on this board capable of running Mavericks on my MBP. Unless SOFI upgraded from his MacBook recently.

Downloading the dev preview right now. This will be the third time in three days I've started. The first two times I quit halfway through thinking it I would just wait for the grand master just before release, but I'm too anxious to give it a shot.

I read some comments in the Apple section on Reddit and it appeared that it seemed to be working fine. My computer is kind of/kind of not my livelihood, but only for documents I have saved for school. If the OS was unstable, I could always roll back or if I didn't have time I could use my tablet because most of my files are in the cloud anyway.

I really like that Mac Pro design. It looks pretty neat, but I'm sure it's gonna cost a left nut and a half, as all Pros have in the past.

Apple claims the new MBAs have better battery like and I think Anandtech, or some other reputable site (The Verge, maybe?) said they got something like just a few minutes short of 12 or 13 hours. Can't remember which, but it was a standard battery life test. Then, Apple also said Mavericks would further improve that battery life and people on Reddit were saying they were showing some improvements, but I'm not sure just how much.

I'm thinking about selling my MBP on the island before I leave. I don't know how much they sell for here normally, but I'm hoping some schmuck can toss me a grand for it. Extremely optimistic, but we have some dumb people here. Whether it be Nigerians that would pay $3K back in Nigeria for a base model MBP, or this one moronic Canadian girl that loves the way MBPs look but has a dinky VAIO which she is not content with. Even if I got $800 for a 3 year old 4GB RAM, C2D computer with a 250GB HDD, I would have made a killing. I could blow smoke up their asses by downloading the programs they want, like Office, PhotoShop, Aperture, etc., and tell them it's factored into the cost as well.

We'll see. I'd end up going back to the States and buying a new one if I did this, otherwise this thing is still great for however long it lasts.

 

[Casey]

iOS 7 looks like ass. What a joke. I know graphic design students that could design a better UI.

Hilariously bad.

Also, looks like Jony Ive is redesigning a few other things while he is at it

http://jonyiveredesignsthings.tumblr.com/

(Spoiler alert : I laughed so hard I fell of my chair. Do not click this link whilst drinking anything, you may spit it all over your computer and I will not be liable)

 

[Pittsey]

I actually really liked the look of ios7.

 

[dilla]

Yeah, it's not that bad, but they are definitely playing catch up with their mobile OS. I'm not a frequent user of iOS, save for my iPod Touch, so it's not that big of an issue for me. My device can't upgrade to iOS 7, so there's that.

I'm running Mavericks right now and it's a tad bit cleaner. Still a Dev Preview so there are some bugs, namely compatibility with some apps, but that should change in a month or so.

I'm wondering how a 13 inch MBA would suit me over a 13' MBP, if I were to upgrade soon. I feel I could see a similar boost in performance with 4 more GB of RAM and an SSD. We've had this discussion before. I may do that and see how it goes.

 

[S O F I]

I can probably stay with my current MB for about two more years. I bought it Spring 2009 and just upgraded the ram about a year ago. The battery has gotten pretty bad, though.

But I wonder what's next. Do I buy a MBA? I don't see why I wouldn't but at the same time, I kinda like the idea of having a tablet and a desktop. But I move a lot - I don't want to deal with that shit.

 

[dilla]

Yeah, I really like the iMacs as well, but I can't imagine using one that much, whether at my parents' house or my own when I get one. I think a 13" MBA would be fine for me, but I also feel that the SSD prices need to go down. I can't live with 128GB. Or... I don't want to. I wonder if they'll make that user-replaceable again so I don't have to worry too much about it. Same with the RAM on some MBs. You can't change them yourself.

I just want to be up to date with the processor. Even I don't feel the strain, a C2D is retarded in 2013. And if these new Haswell machines live up to the hype, then the battery life is going to be outrageous.

As for your battery, a friend of mine is an Apple Genius and told me sometimes they hook you up for free with a new battery. If not, it's about $100, I think, depending on your model. My battery is at 85% overall health after three years. It has only lost 15% of its charge. Most Windows machine do that in the first month.

It was kinda funny to see someone I know have his DC charger port blow out on him, just the weekend before finals. Bought the laptop not 18 months ago and it's already shat on him. It was an ASUS Ultrabook.

This is why I'm not going back to PCs anytime soon.