Windows 8 Surface Price Outrage!!

[cstarter2000]

This may not sound relevant to C++, but is anyone else disappointed at the prices Microsoft announced for the Surface RT? I mean, $500 for the 32gb RT tablet without the keyboard is outrageous. I was planning to buy one to type up code and then e-mail it to myself to access it from my home laptop. But now I'm disapointed in Microsoft.

[darkestfright]

Still better pricing than the iPad, so whatever.

[ModShop]

ModShop's First Law of Pricing

Apple Product Cost > Everything Else * 3

_{True story.}

[Grey Wolf]

Grey Wolf's First Law of Pricing

Thing are worth how much you are willing to pay for them.

[ModShop]

Just because you have the money and are willing to part with it doesn't mean that you should. If you had the choice between two houses, each identical in all but color (same neighborhood, for the sake of argument), but one costs 3x what the first costs, which would you buy? Same thing with computer products. A low end laptop costs ~$400, whereas an identical Apple machine costs ~$1200. Which would you buy? Paying an extra $800 for a brand name seems rather retarded illogical to me. I'm not a Microsoft fanboy, far from it, but its really a choice between the lesser of 2 evils (same thing with the last couple of presidential elections).

[Grey Wolf]

ModShop wrote:

If you had the choice between two houses, each identical in all but color

and the colour of the cheaper house is one that you can't stand. So now you take into account the additional cost and and time etc. of have the colour of the cheaper house changed. The other house is the right colour and you could move in straight way without having the hassle associated with the first house. Is the difference in price worth it?

Or; you could look behind the cosmetic similarities of the houses and look at where the costs are saved. Will that cheap nasty boiler need replacing in a few years. Does one just about meat building regulations and the other exceeds them by some margin.

" A low end laptop costs ~$400, whereas an identical Apple machine costs ~$1200." You say identical I would say not.

[xerzi]

You've read about where apple makes its products right ? I also remember that macbook which ran at 100C and all apple said was it ran within intels parameters. If you are looking for something reliable I wouldnt jump to the conclusion its reliable because its made by apple.

[kbw]

A fool and his money are soon parted.

[Grey Wolf]

xerzi wrote:

You've read about where apple makes its products right ?

What exactly are you referring to?

I also remember that macbook which ran at 100C and all apple said was it ran within intels parameters.

I've had PCs that shutdown due to them overheating but have never had that happen with a Mac.

If you are looking for something reliable I wouldnt jump to the conclusion its reliable because its made by apple.

I never have done. I buy Macs because I prefer Mac OS to Windows. I buy non-Mac PCs because I work in a Windows only shop.

In fifteen years of buying Apple products I have never had to return or send them away to be repaired. The most I have had to do is replace a hard-drive (after a considerable life). The same can not be said for the non-apple tech that I buy. Now I'm not saying that Apple don't have problems, just my experience of them.

[Grey Wolf]

kbw wrote:

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Thomas Huxley wrote:

Economy does not lie in sparing money, but in spending it wisely.

[kbw]

To add to Grey Wolf's comments:

I've had DVD drives fail on Apple laptops, but that aside I have found Apple kit very reliable.

I even have an old PPC G5 that has a bad battery that manages to discover, on boot, the config and start up reliably. That New World BIOS is simply brilliant.

Moving to OS X Lion cost me around £25. Moving to Windows 7 costed me £200, and I ended up going back to XP because I have yet to see an improvement in Windows 7 over XP.

[Cheraphy]

If you're willing to put in the time and effort with your research, you can build an identical desktop computer to a high end mac at a fraction of the cost. If you don't like windows, don't install windows. There's always some *nix variant, even OSX.

If you want to pay for the convenience (and arguably the status symbol) that Apple presents, then go for that. Just don't go around with the pretentious attitude that their current advert campaign seems to represent. :P

[xerzi]

Grey Wolf wrote:

What exactly are you referring to?

The working conditions of the factories they use for manufacturing.

I've had PCs that shutdown due to them overheating but have never had that happen with a Mac.

I never said it shutdown, that was the point, it allows itself to run at such a high temperature that reduces the lifetime and performance over time because it doesn't.

If you are spending more money just so something lasts you longer, you are spending your money wisely, as you have quoted. Is it wise to spend money on something that in a years time there will be something twice as fast for the same money ? I know there are people that buy each iteration of the iPhone even if it is only cause it is hyped. How long do you really need something to last, it isn't even a matter of build quality, it will become slower over time and with technology advancing so quickly how often will you upgrade. Don't get me wrong, I still use the first iPod Touch and a motorola razr v3, if you really wanted to you could make it last as long as you want. I recently bough the nexus 7, I didn't even look at the iPad as the price is ridiculous, no build quality or otherwise would make me even consider getting it. It only cost me $200, so in 2-3 years when a few new tegra chips are out which will be much faster then what I have now I could spend another $200 tablet to get faster hardware while still remaining under the iPads price. Where as if I bought the iPad it will only be getting slower and I can't buy another iPad without dishing out another pile of cash.

I never have done. I buy Macs because I prefer Mac OS to Windows. I buy non-Mac PCs because I work in a Windows only shop.

I only prefer Mac OS if only because it is unix based. I have it installed on my PC (not a mac :P). Buying a Mac only for the operating system is a bit extreme though.

In fifteen years of buying Apple products I have never had to return or send them away to be repaired. The most I have had to do is replace a hard-drive (after a considerable life). The same can not be said for the non-apple tech that I buy. Now I'm not saying that Apple don't have problems, just my experience of them.

I could say the same thing for all my desktops. If anything I saved money while getting better hardware by building my most recent one by myself.

[Grey Wolf]

The working conditions of the factories they use for manufacturing.

Are yes, Big Bad Apple are responsible for the working conditions at the factories of Chinas largest private-sector employer. Let's not mention Amazon, Sony, Microsoft, etc.

If you are spending more money ... dishing out another pile of cash

My point is that it is each persons criteria that is needed for them to decide the worth of anything. To me the iPad is not worth the money, neither is the Surface

[xerzi]

Never said they were the only one. From what I've read they are worse then any of those other companies you mentioned if only because of the quantity they have to ship in, only counting one day they are in the millions.

[Grey Wolf]

Apple do not own the factories, they do not run the factories, they are not responsible for they working conditions in the factories.

[chrisname]

Did you know that if you knowingly buy stolen goods, you can face charges for accessory to theft? Same principle.

Edit:

Grey Wolf wrote:

I buy Macs because I prefer Mac OS to Windows

Well... http://i.imgur.com/Ebjp1.jpg

Also, you imply that Apple hardware is superior quality...

You could look behind the cosmetic similarities of the houses and look at where the costs are saved. Will that cheap nasty boiler need replacing in a few years

... and then admit that they're made in the same factories as non-Apple hardware:

Big Bad Apple are responsible for the working conditions at the factories of Chinas largest private-sector employer. Let's not mention Amazon, Sony, Microsoft, etc.

[Grey Wolf]

chrisname wrote:

Did you know that if you knowingly buy stolen goods, you can face charges for accessory to theft? Same principle.

so if you are going to tar Apple with that brush you need to keep going with all the companies that have products made for them by Foxconn and the like.

Even after that you suggest that I break the law by running OS X on non-apple hardware...tsk!

Also, you imply that Apple hardware is superior quality...

... and then admit that they're made in the same factories as non-Apple hardware:

Where products are made has little to do with the quality of them. Things can be made in the same factories to different quality standards using different components.

[chrisname]

Grey Wolf wrote:

so if you are going to tar Apple with that brush you need to keep going with all the companies that have products made for them by Foxconn and the like.

No, I agree, every company that uses Foxconn has blood on its metaphorical hands. It's horrific that this still happens. I just didn't understand how you could be so blasé about it.

Grey Wolf wrote:

Even after that you suggest that I break the law by running OS X on non-apple hardware...tsk!

Hehehe... me, break the law? Never!

Grey Wolf wrote:

Where products are made has little to do with the quality of them. Things can be made in the same factories to different quality standards using different components.

I really doubt that's the case.

[Grey Wolf]

I just didn't understand how you could be so blasé about it.

I was being sarcastic about the general media insinuation that it is just an Apple related issue.

I really doubt that's the case.

Everywhere I've worked have run lines to different standards.
Intel manufacture to three grades: commercial, industrial and extended. Electronics are manufactured to Commercial, Industrial, and Military grades.
and so on...