[ale] stupid pricing games

[Geoffrey]

Robert L. Harris wrote:
> And that's exactly it.  It's a preference to avoid the OSX due to cost.  
> Something apple
> needs to think about.  At home I've decided wife and kids get Macs (my 
> oldest wants
> linux though, he might get 2 machines :> ).

Dual boot Linux with OSX on the Mac.

> All my servers, firewall, 
> etc are Linux.
> After the call to M$, I've banned windows from the house...
> 
> Robert
> 
> 
> On 7/1/09 10:48 AM, Jim Kinney wrote:
>> Good points, Robert. For me, as _I_ am front line support (as well as
>> tier 2-9, architect, tape monkey, and anything else for making systems
>> run for the family) I have such a strong preference for free software
>> over _ANY_ non-free software I can't provide much in the way of
>> support when the call happens.
>>
>> Hardware is hardware is hardware.... Some is better than others. I can
>> run free software on mac hardware now but I can't _buy_ it without the
>> OSX software and I sure can't build it. So I avoid it.
>>
>> On Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 10:42 AM, Robert L.
>> Harris<robert.l.harris at gmail.com>  wrote:
>>    
>>>   A bit of insight from someone who until recently was buying both for
>>> work.  The quality of hardware,
>>> it's ability to just survive day to day abuse,  the Mac will outlive the
>>> dell.  I've returned more Dells than
>>> I can count but I've only had 1 Mac issue and that was a bad WD drive.
>>>
>>>    On a more important note, I had to call both vendors for support not
>>> too long ago.  On the Dell, when
>>> I booted it, it reported the license as 'pirated' even though it was
>>> legit, little sticker on the back and
>>> everything.  Microsoft refused to do anything and told me I had to go
>>> buy a new OS.   Doesn't matter
>>> if it was brute-forced, mis-detected or whatever, they did not even
>>> care, I was SOL, no discussion.
>>>
>>>    My apple airport extreme, little white box, went offline.  I called
>>> apple and they informed me the
>>> support on the device was 80+ days gone.  The next line spoken was from
>>> the tech on the other side:
>>> "Do you have another apple product?"  I told them I had a macbook pro
>>> here.  They checked the serial
>>> and it was still in support.  They listed my call and the airport under
>>> the macbook.  While diagnosing I
>>> accidently hung up on the tech.  He called me back before I could hit
>>> the redial button.  We spent two
>>> hours figuring out the firmware had lost it's config (first time I've
>>> seen this) and resetting it.
>>>
>>>    When you,  your wife, child, boss needs something fixed NOW!,  which
>>> response do you want?
>>>
>>> Robert
>>>
>>>
>>> On 7/1/09 8:30 AM, Geoffrey wrote:
>>>      
>>>> Pat Regan wrote:
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>> Geoffrey wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>> Well, the dell I'm comparing my Mac with is a top of the line high end
>>>>>> laptop, so I would have expected it to have a 'top of the line high end'
>>>>>> display.  The damn thing is like a freaking mirror.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            
>>>>> When I last bought a "high end" laptop the business class Latitude I was
>>>>> considering buying was significantly cheaper than the closest comparable
>>>>> Macbook that I could find.  From what I've seen of Apple's current
>>>>> pricing, this is likely still the case.
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>> I would disagree.  I can compare the purchase of a Mac for my daughter
>>>> and a Dell for my daughter's boyfriend.  Virtually the same hardware,
>>>> except the Mac has a larger hard drive.
>>>>
>>>> Dell: $1800
>>>> Mac:  $2100
>>>>
>>>> Grant it, there is a $300 difference, but I consider that well worth the
>>>> difference (in my perceived) hardware quality.
>>>>
>>>> Both were purchased on a student discount offering from the two vendors,
>>>> thus I would expect I'm making a fair comparison.
>>>>
>>>> Not to mention that I got a free iTouch with the Mac purchase (another
>>>> $199 value), which was subsquently given to a very happy nephew for
>>>> graduation. ;)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>> --
>>>
>>> :wq!
>>> ====================================================================
>>> Robert L. Harris                     | GPG Key ID: E344DA3B
>>>                                           @ x-hkp://pgp.mit.edu
>>> DISCLAIMER:
>>>        These are MY OPINIONS             With Dreams To Be A King,
>>>         ALONE.  I speak for              First One Should Be A Man
>>>         no-one else.                       - Manowar
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Ale mailing list
>>> Ale at ale.org
>>> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
>>>
>>>      
>>
>>
>>    
> 


-- 
Until later, Geoffrey

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little
temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
  - Benjamin Franklin