The MacBook Pro: Righteous or Stupid?

So, I just dumped 2500 pre-tax dollars into a MacBook Pro for a client’s son.

Let me tell you what this buys you in the wide world of Apple:
15.4″ wide-screen monitor
2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo Processor
1 GB of Ram
100 GB hard drive
DVD/CD burner
256 MB Video Card

That sounds pretty good, but let’s see what $2500 pre-tax buys you with, say, ohhh, an exploding Dell?

Almost the exact thing. I kid thee not. Other than a 17″ monitor – which kind of defeats the purpose of a laptop. Apparently, the days of the over-priced Apple are over. I have no idea what’s going on here. On top of that, you can run Windows XP via Boot Camp for Mac. My biggest problem with Apple computers is their crappy OS. Now, I know all the MacNazis say that it’s better, but I’m sorry, there are just more apps for PC – and I can actually FIX a PC if something goes wrong. And yes kids, things DO go wrong with Macs. They still crash. They just crash ‘differently’. I have proof – I was just at CompUSA playing with the MacBook Pro 17″ and as I’m scrolling through the application bar, it magically locks up. No kidding. Just freezes. “Nooo, not an apple! it couldn’t be!”

Yes folks, I’m sorry even Mac’s are still just computers – not magic chalices of goodness flown down from heaven by Steve Jobs.

Honestly, I’m the last guy on the block to say, “dude, buy a mac.”

But, I’m making an exception in the case of these laptops. There is still no reason to buy a Mac desktop, but the laptops are just really, really nice.

Just one thing though Mr.Jobs, where the hell is the right-click? GIVE UP ON THE ONE BUTTON THING, IT WAS MEANT TO BE EXPANDED UPON. There, I said it and I feel better now.

UPDATE 9/15/2006: Okay, upon further recent research, I would not buy a Mac. I just priced out a Dell XPS laptop with a LOT more do-dads for the same price. AND it comes with a two-button mouse. Once again, I’m sorry Mr.Jobs, you will not see my checkbook today. Better luck next time.

iPhone: fact or fiction

Okay, so there’s yet another fake iPhone ad here: http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/another-fake-iphone-ad-191320.php

And the folks at Gizmodo.com are saying that in one week we’ll have our iPhone announcement. What I don’t get is that if there is an iPhone, it will be available through one carrier. Let’s say… Cingular. So, if Cingular carries this phone, everybody will want to be on Cingular until Apple says, “okay it’s been a year, now everybody can have it.”

This seems to be the general mentality of the cellular companies. No real competition over deliverable service – just ‘who has the coolest devices’. I think people are more apt to switch companies over a particular phone/PDA than the actual quality of what is delivered. I say to hell with that.

Make all phones chip/CDMA ready and available anywhere. Market will dictate the prices and customers will choose which carrier they want. Just by the nature of the technology and government controls within that technology (line licensing) this will open the doors to new providers and force prices down. A win/win for all.