Dear Steve Jobs
Steve, you've put me in a pickle. As a huge fan of Apple computers and a former employee, I was very excited about the new Intel chips. However your price drop in product in general has me at a disadvantage. I've always enjoyed that Apple Computers were sold at a premium price and didn't depreciate as quickly as regular Windows machines.
I've decided I NEED the new MacBook Pro...
My problem is this. I have a 1.8 GHz, 20" iMac with several upgrades, that I bought exactly a year ago with the total price being $2100. Normally, as Apples don't depreciate I could easily ask $1500 for a very new machine with lots of extras. Because of the price drop in product- the question now stands "Why should I buy your used one when I can get a new one for just a few hundred dollars more"? How can I sell my iMac for a fair price with these conditions, to buy your newest product? I was avoiding the whole eBay thing, because I didn't want to lug the box to the post office.... It looks like I'm going to have to.
Thanks for listening Steve,
Your loyal customer and fan
16 comments:
As a former Apple employee and also an Apple fan, I think you should consider something.
The first iPod was dumb, so was the second one. But by the time Apple made the third generation iPod (four buttons on top and the wheel), it was great. From there they just improved it, but the third gen was the turning point.
The design of the PowerMac G3 was really good. The PowerMac G4 wasn't that different, but more powerful. The PowerMac G5, from a design and repair standpoint, is amazing. It's quiet, even with all those fans. It's powerful and it's super sexy in a geeky kind of way. And the PowerMac G5's hinged door on the side is nothing like its previous two cousins. Yes, the third gen PowerMac was the turning point for the Apple tower (that can run Mac OS X).
The first iMac changed the way people thought about how computer can be designed. The second iMac took that a step further but made the design a little clunky (getting the guts out of that thing is a mess). But the third generation of the iMac, the one you have, is amazing.
What am I saying? It takes Apple three times to get something done really, really great.
The MacBook Pro is not a PowerBook. It's a new machine. It's the first in a line of new machines. From Apple's history, they still have two more models until they make it right.
Just something to chew on.
I can't believe your iMac is not fetching a premium. It's a sophisticated G5 that smokes it's Intel counterparts. That was straight out of Jobs' mouth.
Oh yeah - the iMac has no known hardware issues, and that's direct from Apple. They've never heard of them having PSU or capacitor issues. Nope. Never. And they don't know anything about vanishing support forum posts.
-pd
Thanks for the advice Steak!
I've been dying to go wireless as long as you've known me. If you remember it was between a PowerBook and this amazing iMac that I have... I opted for the desktop. Our busy lives have proved that a laptop is where we need to be. As well as have needed to be since the beginning. I thought for my design work, I would need the stationary iMac but in fact it the opposite. I need the portability for clients, I'm sure you understand that one. Not to mention "the man" needs to be able to work on his homework while travelling.
Although, I agree with you 100% on your views... How can I wait the three or so years between good design and amazing design? I can't wait that long.
Let's label it this way I'll be "testing" the first MacBook Pro. When something new and more fantastic comes out I can just sell it and trade up again... We'll hope and pray that there isn't the same issue with the prices... Maybe now that they've dropped they will stay comparable. Hopefully-
pd- you nailed it... it is a sophisticated, beautiful machine and i'll be sad to see it go! (we won't mention my PSU replacement in december)
i'm reduced to offering it for $1200 what a rip... i know someone out there will score an incredible deal with an incredibly under-priced iMac.
You might truly be testing the MacBook Pro. Photoshop isn't yet ready for Intel processors, and has to use Apple Rosetta program to run. As it is, Photoshop will actually run slower until they get it Intel-ready. What do you do with your computer again? :)
Oy- didn't think of it like that.... Luckily, I use Illustrator more than Photoshop! (is that all adobe products or just photoshop?) I'll be putting Rosetta to the test as well.... Actually, it will be the all around test machine- Walter will be attempting AutoCad on it, he's excited that his next computer might finally be a Mac!
Before Walter tries running AutoCad on a MacBook Pro, he should know that it'll be really slow. Why? Because you can't install XP on the new Macs. So he's have to use an emulater (like Virtual PC, yuk).
Here's why:
http://www.betanews.com/article/XP_Wont_Run_on_Intel_MacBook_iMac/1137003330
I thought you wouldn't need to use VPC on the MacBook Pro... That it would be eventually possible that it could run natively on the Mac?
http://www.macworld.com/2006/01/features/intelfaq2006/index.php
ask evan for the "wine" site, i can't find the email with it he sent me.
Steak- why are you trying to talk me out of this? If I don't like it, I can always sell it and get something different....
Sara,
You're free to do what you want. I just wanted you to be informed about what you can and can't do with the new Macs. You won't be able to just put XP on the Mac without a hack. Apple said they won't prevent it, but they aren't going to make it easy, and even if you can get it running, it might just be slower than if you bought a $500 Dell.
You know me, I'm a Mac fan. But I've been burned by Apple before because I wasn't fully informed before I bought. Before you lose money by selling your Mac and getting a new one, I just wanted to make sure that you and your readers do their homework before buying.
If you're a regular joe blow user, then the new Mac is great. If you're using pro apps like anything Adobe, Quark or things like Pro Tools and video editing, it might be best to wait until all the software companies are on board.
very good point... i too have been burned by not being "in the know" from apple products. buying my cube even though i love it was a big mistake. and thanks for watching out for me.... i really do appreciate it.
i do in fact use the pro apps daily- now i'm at a quandary... we need to be wireless. we've made committments that will be much easier. so, what to do? it wouldn't KILL me to wait longer, but it would be a hinderance to productivity.
but now that i think about it... i can install the software i have now, it can run through rosetta and be slowed down a bit. (which is probably where i'm at now full speed on my iMac) then get the new software when it releases, i'm sure they're working on it. Adobe has been good about releasing new software every year or so lately, and CS2 has been out awhile now... as soon as the new software is released then i'll be golden.
i'm so bad about putting a lot of thought into things when i get excited about them... thanks for making me think things through....
o and walter using it for AutoCad, is just an eventual bonus... he's dying for his own Mac, he's got a fairly fancy peecee at home, and that serves his purpose at the moment.
o- i sent you an email a few days ago, and you haven't responded.... but you've posted 4 times today!
been doing a little digging on google for the matter of my Adobe software-
[1:54 PM] "You can be absolutely assured that you will be able to run Adobe applications natively on Intel Macs."
[1:53 PM] Bruce Chizen CEO of Adobe is on stage. He said that Adobe wouldn't exist if it weren't for Apple.
-http://live.macobserver.com/article/2005/06/wwdc2005_keynote.shtml
this doesn't bode well for the designer in me, but also i do most of my design at work... my freelance gigs, aren't that intensive, that even an iBook wouldn't get the job done- but he has some good points about software.
http://designorati.com/graphic-design/editorial-112/2006/adobe-dragging-its-feet-with-intel-macs-not-quite/
note- they guy writing on the second website i posted, puts me off a bit... i'm NOT about bragging rights for the newest thing... but since it's out there, it's wireless, and i don't want to move backwards in technology, then why not? i'll just have to wait for CS3 to be released later this year....
still something to think about, still at a quandary....
Are you looking for wireless or portability? I mean, your iMac is wireless, right?
portabilty... and no my iMac isn't wireless. when i bought it, my thought was- it's a desktop what do i need wireless for? the wire clutter doesn't bother me... keyboard and mouse, no biggie.
my biggest concern is portability, but i won't go backwards in technology and waiting isn't much of an option either. does that make sense?
that makes sense.
it's a tough call. you'd probably do OK either way then.
it's a tough call..... thanks for all the thoughts and suggestions, i really do appreciate it!!!
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