Member Comments

Apple is a premium-price brand, but my experience of their service is as bad as the norm for NZ retailers. I wanted to purchase an iPad device. When I rang the Apple sales line, about three sentences in the salesperson was trying to convince me that it was necessary to buy the warrantee upgrade -- clearly the Consumer Guarantee's Act (CGA) is ignored by Apple as much as by other NZ retailers. When I then was actually buying the iPad at my local JB Hifi (in Albany, Auckland), all was very good until at the checkout when the salesperson also told me how important it was to buy a warrantee upgrade. When I mentioned the CGA, she told me that it was up to manufacturers to decide how long a device would be covered by that Act!

So it appears that all NZ suppliers (including Apple, JB Hifi, Noel Leeming, Bond and Bond, Harvey Norman, and Dick Smith) do not understand their responsibilities under the CGA, and moreover openly flout this Law by trying to convince customers to purchase extended warrantees. I can only assume that their employees are instructed to do this due to the profit margins being high on such warrantees.

It is time for the government to clamp down on this behaviour.

"Because Apple makes most of the computer hardware and system software itself"
This is flat out incorrect apple makes no hardware , all components are supplied by PC component suppliers.
Macs are just PCs with Mac OS installed and pretty boxes.
Many of these suppliers are low tier. For example Foxconn (the suicide factory) is considered a bargain basement PC supplier as is Acbel, long time PSU supplier for apple. Apple buyers believe they are buying high quality, but they are kidding themselves.
If you want a high quality PC, you need to build it. Apple like all name brand PCs, uses cheapo parts to cut costs.
Another downside you don't mention is the lengths Apple go to to make servicing their products difficult -for example they have patented a special 5 point security screw which is actually illegal to import into the US!!.
See: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2010/09/premier-chat-006-transcript-kyle-wiens-of-ifixit.ars

As a graphic designer I've been a Mac user for 15 years and to me they make PCs look like toys. Yes you do pay a bit more for the Mac experience but that's because they're worth it.
One thing not mentioned in the reviews is the option of buying an Apple extended warranty which in my opinion is well worth looking into. Unfortunately it's the nature of computers that you do get technical problems, and albeit far fewer than with their PC counterparts, Macs do break down.
Another thing to note is that Macs hold their value way better than PCs. Just check out TradeMe and you'll see that on the second hand market they still fetch a pretty good return.
Plus of course, if you really want to run Windows you can with the addition of third party software. Some say it actually runs better on a Mac but I wouldn't know because I've never had a need to try it.
Geoff.

Macs are by far the best, why?
• Less compatibilty issues with USB devices etc & you don't need to install devices they just work!
Sure you may need to see if its "Mac" compatible, for printers etc, but that's easy.
You would have to do the same for PC's not all devices work with all machines, the downside
to PC's is that its usually messy installing & more time consuming to get devices to work.
• Less Viruses, in 14 years of using mac's I have only every had 1 and that was
before OSX.
• User friendly & it's find your way around the system
• Less crashes
• Programs work on any machine, because they are all made the same
software just works! Providing you have the correct OS of course.
• Looks way better than any PC, infact PC's copy Mac designs
• Batteries last longer
• Built with materials & components
• Last Longer, they are just better built.
Final note: Sure they may cost a little more that the equivalent PC,
but you're buying a Mercedes of a Computer.

I've had 2 iMacs (daughter broke the screen on the first) and have never had virus trouble, or had a crash. If a PC could do that for me I'd probably buy one. Theyre more expensive but last longer and do what they're supposed to do when theyre supposed to do it. It has worked with everything I've ever plugged into it (although I always ensure its Mac compatible anyway) and its just a really beautiful machine - end of story!

it's a sad fact that cheap is almost invariably nasty. If you want a Windows machine that will last you will have to pay much the same for it as you would for a Macintosh. If you value all the hard work you do on your computer you won't want to risk it breaking down before the end of its useful life.

There really is no choice, having used Macs for business (spreadsheets/word processing/digital camera etc., since mid 1980's while my wife due to office preferences uses PC.
Have never had a virus - PC at least once a month. Have never had a fault or service problem - PC office has service technician visit on regular basis.
Overall the higher price for a Mac versus cheaper PC but PLUS ongoing maintenance costs results in PC much more expensive. Would not consider buying a PC.

I still prefer Mac, but have had many problems with them - this happens about 1 week out of warranty usually. In my 2nd Mac, the headphone jack stopped working and the laptop wouldn't work unless plugged in (so it wasn't portable at all), and sometimes it didn't work even if it was plugged in. It would sporadically die, then turn itself back on (usually in a lecture).
Onto my third now, have had it for a year and it's not going badly, although I did need to have the entire CD drive replaced and it still isn't writing CDs/DVDs. I can't be bothered taking it back again, in case they say its a software issue that I'll have to pay for. Would HIGHLY recommend the Sony laptops which both my brother and sister have (Sony Style do a two year warranty on everything too).