Testing the "Apple Tax" re: Overpriced Apple Devices

[nate]

Probably not what most expect.

 

http://bgr.com/2013/12/26/mac-pro-windows-diy-cost/

[Blarg]

The new Mac Pro is the most powerful and flexible computer Apple has ever created...

 

,,,on the list of cons is the fact that you pretty much have to purchase the system configured the way you plan to use it for its lifetime.

 

Somehow the first sentence is negated by the second.

[Blarg]

Also the concept of the article is pretty stupid, that you can't build a comparable PC version for less. You are talking the difference between a manufacturer that buys bulk discount parts and an assembly line to reduce series production costs over going to Fry's and buying retail parts and building a computer.

 

It's like saying you can't build a Mercedes from parts for less than the cost of a Mercedes from a dealer. Well, uh, duh.

[Thomas]

It's like saying you can't build a Mercedes from parts for less than the cost of a Mercedes from a dealer. Well, uh, duh.

 

 

Disagrees, kinda.

[Thomas]

The Mac Pro is a really awesome machine for a really niche market.

[mancini79]

Why didn't the author piece out the cost to make a mac pro from scratch?? Probably because he wouldn't get the result that favored Apple. Eric nailed it, it will obviously cost more piecing anything out. I paid $250 for my new laptop. If I went Apple, it would cost me $1k. That's an expensive Apple Tax.

[nate]

I have built tons of PCs... that is not the case.  You can always find cheaper parts, you get what you pay for.  That was the point of the article.  They aren't insanely marking up the cost of the hardware, the hardware they use is higher quality so it costs more.

 

They mentioned that buying in bulk is cheaper as well.

[gotbeer]

I think the biggest misconception of the article is you are talking about a 12 core xeon processor that is brand spanking new.  So the market on motherboards is very limited on it, which will jack up the price of the  motherboard.  In 6 months, the mac will still be the same price, but the PC version will have dropped through the floor once companies start making the motherboard.  Heck, looking at Dell, I don't see them have the 12 core xeon yet.  So even the 12 core might be an exclusive or limited quantities which will shoot up the retail price.

[red321]

The new Mac Pro is the most powerful and flexible computer Apple has ever created...

 

,,,on the list of cons is the fact that you pretty much have to purchase the system configured the way you plan to use it for its lifetime.

 

Somehow the first sentence is negated by the second.

 

Most of these machines have a fairly "limited" lifetime. You aren't buying them to play games, companies are buying them for high end video production and the like. I would image the lifetime of those machines are fairly limited, as in 2 or so years the new hardware will be so much better companies will be buying new equipment anyways. Isn't that your bailiwick? How often do you swap out hardware?

 

The use of the lightening port for expansion is interesting.

 

[Blarg]

Hardware swaps are not as often as you may think. I am on a 4 year old HP Z800 for high def mastering but using 4 month old software. When you go proprietary or certified hardware the changeover is slower than consumer devices. More often it is software upgrades that are designed for the specific hardware that you are using. Many of the offline editors are on 6 year old Mac G-4 workstations and the only upgrades are on the BOBs (break out boxes) that are provided by Avid.

 

We don't use consumer graphics cards and they actually would suck for gaming. They are engineered entirely for the single narrow focus of what the particular software requires of it, in my case Avid Symphony and do not have firmware releases that keep up with the evolution of gaming.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Eric Notti

[red321]

Wow...wouldn't have thought that. I figured editing would be on the cutting edge for the most part. I know from a photo perspective I can get away with upgrades every couple of years. Hell, I only replaced the Mac laptop because I couldn't upgrade the OS to the minimum version required to run the latest version of Lightroom and I figure the desktop PC which I loaded up with RAM is a year old and should be sufficient for the foreseeable future. Though I will admit, SSD makes a huge friggen difference and I probably should have done it sooner.

 

But given what you are saying...might make it more likely companies are willing to pay a premium for a device they are going to have that long.

Edited December 27, 2013 by red321

[Blarg]

ABC uses 10 year old Sony D-5 tape decks that are compatible with nothing. They are archaic but paid for so they won't be replacing them. 

 

Instead they are moving to file based delivery instead of tape to avoid spending millions in replacing an older technology. File base is a pain in the ass for us but easy for them to drop onto a server and have it stream instantly without needing a tape assist to make sure the right show is in the deck. We still deliver a tape backup for now but in a couple years that technology is phasing out.

 

It is pretty quick and easy to make changes to tape format shows. You just make an insert into the section that requires the fix, over writing what is there with the new corrected picture and audio. When you are done you pop the tape out of the deck and send it on its way. Done in minutes.

 

File base requires rendering a completely new output and if your program is commercial free you are stuck rending out in real time the entire program. I am looking forward to the quicker than real time exports but we encode so much meta data into each show it might be a while before the technology catches up. HD delivery files are data pigs.

[nate]

Two of my best friends work at Cal Arts, they use 10 year old computers for video editing.  Same with a GF I had years ago that went to Art Institute.  Video editing is mostly about the software.

 

Eric is the expert in that field and my experience is years old but it was way more about the capture device and software than it was the hardware.

 

Edit: meant Cal Arts not Art Center.

Edited December 28, 2013 by nate