Print 60 comment(s) - last by TakinYourPoint.. on Jun 21 at 11:54 PM

Customer get education pricing and a $100 iTunes gift card

You can always count on Apple to bring a out a yearly promotion to get parents to buy new Macs for their college-aged children. This year is no exception, although the added perks this go around are decidedly less tasty than last year.

Students will receive a $100 gift card which can be used in Mac App Store, the App Store, the iTunes Store, and the iBookstore. In order to qualify for the promotion, the new Mac must be purchased from the Apple's Online Store for Education, any Apple Retail Store, or an Apple Authorized Campus Store. The promotion runs from June 16 through September 20.

Although a $100 gift card is certainly nice, Apple was quite a bit more generous last year by offering an 8GB iPod touch with the purchase of a new Mac (MSRP: $229).

Education pricing will also be in effect which gives customers as little as $50 off the purchase of a new computer (MacBook Air) or as much as $200 off (MacBook Pro). 

In addition, customers who purchase a new Mac between now and the official launch of OS X 10.7 Lion next month will get a free upgrade.

Comments     Threshold


Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/16/2011 10:25:26 AM , Rating: 5
...friends of mine send their kids to a hoidy-toidy private school, and were bragging about how good the education is, and how well their kids will be prepared to enter the workforce, yadda yadda. And then they gushed about the Apple laptops all the kids got.

"So," I asked the proud parents, "You know of any businesses that run on Macs?"

<blank stare>

"You do realize that there is effectively no Mac usage in business right?"

<blank stare>

"Teaching your kids to use Macs is counter-productive...they'll have to unlearn Apple stuff and learn Windows stuff once they leave school, and therefore be at a competitive disadvantage to kids who were taught to use Windows machines from the start. Kids with good Windows skills will have a head start on your kids."

<blank stare>


"Well...they come with the tuition though."

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Dr of crap on 6/16/2011 10:35:27 AM , Rating: 2
But they paid more for the Apple then the others so it must be better, right?

I bought a Dell for my son for less than $800, and it does all the stuff he'll need it to do for school. Loaded on Office suite and he's ready to go.


RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By dxf2891 on 6/16/2011 10:44:36 AM , Rating: 2
I bought a laptop for $3oo and loaded the Mac OS on it. Apple computers are just too expensive and uses the same hardware in Windows laptops.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By tekzor on 6/16/2011 10:49:13 AM , Rating: 2
oo != 00

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/16/2011 10:56:10 AM , Rating: 1
...why nerf a perfectly good Windows machine like that? Because you really didn't want access to 95% of the software on the planet?

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Red Storm on 6/16/2011 11:07:30 AM , Rating: 2
Are you implying Windows is perfect? 0_o

While I do prefer Windows over Mac OS, I have yet to see a Windows laptop with a trackpad as good or better than on the Mac Pros. The physical interface is important on laptops, and Apple's trackpad is the best out there.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/16/2011 11:11:10 AM , Rating: 1
Nope. Said nothing of the sort, you injected that yourself.

As for me, I have never seen a trackpad that seemed any different than any other trackpad - Mac or otherwise. I've always preferred the little-stick-in-the-keyboard pointing device like Thinkpads have/had - Toshiba has/had them off and on too. But realistically, unless there's no space to do so (like on a plane), I use a mouse anyway.

In all cases a mouse give the best control. In the event when it's not practical to use a mouse, use whatever's there and it's no big deal.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Reclaimer77 on 6/16/2011 11:49:07 AM , Rating: 1
Only a hopeless Apple nut would use the trackpad as his deciding factor in what platform to buy. Really? The trackpad is your dealbreaker?

And, get this through your head, MICROSOFT IS A SOFTWARE COMPANY. They don't make laptops or the trackpads for said laptops.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By ClownPuncher on 6/16/2011 11:52:37 AM , Rating: 3
I don't think I would make a purchasing decision like that based only on the trackpad.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By jimhsu on 6/16/2011 4:59:41 PM , Rating: 2
There is one thing I can't stand with Mac OS X in particular (the software side that is) -- the default mouse acceleration settings. Might have improved in later versions, but when I used it, I could barely click on the OK on a dialog box, much less do anything productive in productivity apps (*cough* Photoshop). Yes, I later found about fixes for that (external software, natch), but I'm just bringing up seemingly minor factors that have an adverse effect on user experience while switching.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By jimhsu on 6/16/2011 5:05:29 PM , Rating: 2
I just found out that OS 9 and earlier indeed had different (and more Windows/UNIX like) acceleration curves. That kind of explains why I never noticed the problem with OS 8, but did when I got my first MacBook Pro.

Oh, and I always turn "Enhance pointer precision" off on any Windows system the moment I use one. Always.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By TakinYourPoints on 6/16/2011 7:46:50 PM , Rating: 1
Best trackpads and keyboards out there, hands down, same with accessories like international power adapters and airline power adapters. They are so well thought out and practical.

The only other notebooks I would consider at this point are Lenovos, everyone else cuts corners bigtime on important things like physical interface and ergonomics.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/17/2011 10:53:20 AM , Rating: 2
No. No they haven't. Your assertion is false.

By TakinYourPoints on 6/21/2011 11:48:05 PM , Rating: 2
Wow, amazing argument you have there.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By TEAMSWITCHER on 6/16/11, Rating: -1
RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/16/2011 11:04:06 AM , Rating: 2


1. A lir.
2. Soaked in kool-aid.
3. Probably never had a job in your life

That's the dumbest thing anyone has ever said. Other than the point of installing Windows on your Mac - which actually makes it useful.

For what reason would an Apple user install Windows? Oh, that's right...because then their "computer" can actually do things. Installing Windows on a Mac is the ultimate expression of admitting the failure of the Mac platform. Because you just abandoned it.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By guffwd13 on 6/16/2011 3:04:27 PM , Rating: 3
Man, you really hate on people that don't agree with you. At the end of the day, why do you really care what other people use? They don't think they're better than you... they just do what they do. If anything, if your method is better, that'll work out in your favor. So why do you feel the necessity to parade around telling everyone they're wrong and stupid?

Like I've said before, the company I work for uses Macs almost exclusively. Works just fine for us. You may be different.

There's no such thing as "one size fits all" and everyone has different priorities. That's what makes the world go round.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/16/2011 4:17:05 PM , Rating: 3
You people just don't get it.

Choosing a Mac over a PC isn't a "different but equally valid" decision. Apple is a predator - they're taking advantage of you. They sell wildly defective products at ridiculously inflated prices and then blame you when they don't work right. They won't play nice with others (see: Flash), they're incompatible with 95% of the software on the planet, and they make baseless claims about how "better" their product is or how "worse" competing products are.

And you suck it up. It categorically isn't like Chevy vs. Ford. It's more like "normal citizen" vs. the crazy Judgement Day people who were just running around, having given all their life savings to some whacko who claimed the world was ending a few days ago.

There categorically is no other way to frame it - a Mac purchase is irrational in every way imaginable, and you're being taken advantage of by a predatory vendor. Like Bose, or Monster Cable.

You need to wake the eff up, turn off your reality distortion field, and smell the f%cking coffee already.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By TakinYourPoints on 6/16/2011 7:55:24 PM , Rating: 2

I know my friends at Google would laugh in his face if he gave them the same argument, same with the motion picture post-production facilities I go to which are almost all run primarily on OS X and Linux.

Hell, my friends at Microsoft own Macs and iPhones along with their PCs, they must all be brainwashed zombies, only logical answer!

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Targon on 6/16/2011 10:27:03 PM , Rating: 2
Researching what the competition offers isn't the same thing as using a Mac because you prefer it. Seriously though, MacOS X vs. Windows 7 is more like having a religious preference, but the majority of Mac users are more like Islamic fundamentalists who can't figure out that not everyone agrees that it is the best, and as a result, you end up with a bunch of fanatics on the Apple side.

If someone has a preference for MacOS, then fine, but when they claim that it is so much better without being able to say why, they seem more like they have been brainwashed. The only thing that Apple really has as an advantage is that you see far more high quality displays on the Mac side, while the PC side is STUCK at 1920x1080 or 1920x1200, with a TINY TINY percentage having a higher end display.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By TakinYourPoints on 6/17/2011 3:42:13 AM , Rating: 3
The same argument goes the other way.

Both platforms have strengths and weaknesses. I have much more experience on the Windows side but I've owned a few Macs over the last eight years, mainly for work purposes (video portfolios, etc) and notebooks, but I've sunk far more cash into my gaming PCs. Either way, I understand why I'll continue buying and using both platforms, same with my friends from Microsoft or Google who use Macs (well, in Google's case there's also the fact that OS X or their own internal Linux distro are required over Windows). Tomorrow I'm having dinner with a friend who works in IBM research, and his main machine is a Macbook Pro. I'm assuming they and the numerous other professionals I know who use the platform know WTF they're doing and exactly why they use it.

Bottom line is that irrational internet fanboys on both sides annoy me. Motoman and Tony Swash are two sides to the same ridiculous coin. Assuming that all users on either side are completely brainwashed and didn't do their homework is ridiculous.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/17/2011 10:00:23 AM , Rating: 2
You are wrong, ultimately for this simple reason:

ALL factors regarding Macs vs. PCs, when viewed rationally, either favor the PC or at worst are a wash between the two.

There is no way, ever, to justify buying a Mac over a PC.

ALL of the arguments people like you have tried to make over the years have been debunked, exhaustively, all over the internet for all to see.

But just like the crazy cultists who continue to insist that no, the world really is ending, just apparently not today, you and all other Macolytes have your reality distortion fields turned up so high that you simply can't even *see* the world for what it is.

All you do is blabber. You regurgitate the Apple propaganda. You have no facts, and therefore you have no argument. And you need help...but as always, you have to admit that you have a problem before you can get help - and we all know that's not going to happen.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By guffwd13 on 6/17/2011 11:43:29 AM , Rating: 2
He wasn't actually regurgitating anything. He was giving a middle-of-the-road this-is-why-people-like-different-things point of view.

You look at everything in black in white, which is fine. Its absolutely necessary for certain mindsets. But you seem to fail to see (and this has to do with an awareness of others and subsequently self as self depends on how one fits within a greater context), that the gray area is far more vast and just as valid. You could never be a lawyer, or a businessman. In law, there is no right or wrong. There is only who finds the best argument. Thats why a good lawyer is worth more than a bad one.

Does this make lawyers or businessmen or like-minded people useless? Quite the opposite, really. Its a necessary part of the world. We as a society would not function without that ability. In fact, its what makes us more human and is the trait the lends to our superiority over animals.

But I digress. My point is, just because you don't agree are understand how someone else could value something different, does make them any more wrong or you any more right. You'll just have to agree to disagree, that's all that's left. The world will continue to spin and people will continue to buy Apple, HP, Microsoft, Google, Bose (I, too, shudder at that one), and Monster Cable (which isn't nearly as bad as Audioquest or Tributaries). For some people, they think they're getting something great. If they can afford it, and they think its good, then they're happy. And the primary means by which to control a civilization (which is absolutely necessary for survival) is to keep people happy.

You're trying to stir up the pot too much, you risk making things more worse than better. Yes your primary audience on this forum is like-minded people to you (people who actually think about things around them), but it would be wise to be careful who you're trying to convince.

If the whole world thought like you or me or others on this forum, not only would the world be damn-ass boring, it'd also be total chaos. Which could be fun, I don't know, but it certainly would be more of a headache too.

My two cents, anyway.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By FastEddieLB on 6/18/2011 2:56:13 AM , Rating: 2
In the niche market of professional music, Mac has an advantage because, according to my research, the best music editing and input software is exclusive to OSX.

Deal with it.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By kchase731 on 6/21/2011 11:32:51 AM , Rating: 2
there is one reason to pick a mac over a pc. and its simple. industrial design.

that said i have been using windows on a mbp for years. i just the other day replaced my mbp with a dell 15z. i would have done it a while ago except i have been looking for a 15" chassis at ~1" thick with good performance for a while (i would have bought a dell 16z but they are SLOW). its hard to find in pc world. so ultimately i paid a premium for form over function. i was ok with that as i could install windows, and use it for daily out of the office network admin work. my company also will not support osx. i can however supply my own machine (and get a credit)...and if i install windows on a mbp they'll support that.

that said. it was still a personal not company i replaced that with a 15z. the biggest key for anyone in biz (well at least me) is outlook and exchange its just industry standard and calendar and contacts work correctly. anyone who says this works in osx is lying. it requires several apps (mail, ical, contacts) and they are not integrated as nicely.

By TakinYourPoints on 6/21/2011 11:54:33 PM , Rating: 2
See, irrational frothing posts like yours are exactly what I'm talking about. The last thing my post can be seen as except by the most insane fanboys is "biased". It is as middle of the road as it gets while you have one of the most black-and-white mindsets I've seen, and that's saying a lot considering how retarded people can get on internet forums.

Don't be surprised that people can't take your posts seriously.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Pirks on 6/20/2011 12:45:34 AM , Rating: 2
Motoman and Tony Swash are two sides to the same ridiculous coin
Man I wanna see both doing a fight, this would be a show of shows!!! A rabid Apple fanboy Tony versus even more rabid Apple hater Moto, jee I can almost smell ozone and see lightning and thunder if these two clash, ohhh we need to make a movie about them... kina like Tony is Batman and Moto is Joker and they _FIGHT_!!! MAAAN I WANT THIS MOVIEEE!!! Imagine them both crazy fanatics fighting :))) Can you imagine this? Can you?

But if not for these two crazy guys the DT forums would be much more boring for sure, so let 'em post people :)

By TakinYourPoints on 6/21/2011 11:50:30 PM , Rating: 2
It may make DT more boring, but it would also make it about 10000 times less retarded

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By damianrobertjones on 6/16/2011 11:49:26 AM , Rating: 3
I'm sorry, but if an employee wanted to bring 'their' mac into this business for work use I'd refuse point blank. Using their mac WITHIN the network is far too dangerous unless I take measures to ensure that it's properly taken care of.

- can I control the mac via group policy?
- Will the mac let a virus straight through into the network?
- Will the mac entertain the company standard applications?
- many more questions.

Times might be changing but I.T. staff must protect their network and that means: No apple, or, a locked down Apple.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By lukarak on 6/16/2011 1:26:25 PM , Rating: 2
Well, we use both Mac OS X devices and Windows devices and Linux devices in our network. It's a job requirement, and it works without any problems, along with our personal machines as well. But we are an IT company. Maybe it's different elsewhere.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By brshoemak on 6/16/2011 12:49:59 PM , Rating: 3
Yeah, well unless your entire company is either composed of like 4 people, or your IT department is also the receptionist then

I have dealt with medical centers of 300+ people and offices of 5 people. Some of the doctors use Macs with the explicit knowledge (signed document) that IT will provide them with limited support due to them not being known quantities from a security and compatibility standpoint. ie. Don't make me support your Citrix for iPad/Android app you happened to find when we don't officially use it and don't have the time to learn up on every piece of hardware/app minutiae.

I won't help when your Pandora app locks up.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Akrovah on 6/16/2011 1:14:03 PM , Rating: 2
Almost no company will let users use personal, non-company owned devices on the company network. Certainly no company I have ever worked for.

I am incredulous towards your argument.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By theapparition on 6/16/2011 1:58:10 PM , Rating: 1
Not a single company worth mentioning would allow a corporate policy that allowed users to use personal computers.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Targon on 6/16/2011 10:36:50 PM , Rating: 1
So a super-cheap laptop that is provided by the company doesn't compare to a $1500 MacBook? Oh God, what's wrong with the world?!?

There are many cheap POS laptops with the cheapest components in them, generally Intel based. While Intel may make a great CPU, the low-end Intel based laptops and desktop machines tend to have very very low end components that just don't work well. If you are looking at the $500 range for machines, Intel based will give you a faster processor, and the rest is problematic. A $500 AMD based machine may not have as fast a processor, but the supporting components will be acceptable quality.

If you go to a $1000 Windows based laptop, it tends to blow the doors off the Mac in terms of performance, even if the build quality does not feel as good in many cases. The real key is that if you plan to run Windows, you wouldn't overspend to get a Mac. So, how is the Mac better?

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By TSS on 6/16/2011 11:20:20 AM , Rating: 2
Well that's what you can expect from private schools. I saw a great documentairy on the subject (which i sadly can't remember the name of) in which they showed non-profit charity schools where getting much, much better results then very expensive private schools. Something like a 93% vs 71% graduate average (people actually graduating), while the education they did recieve was as good or even better then the private schools.

They even showed massive lotteries beeing held. With 110 spots available 800+ people entered it, including families that can afford private schools but want the better education of the non profit schools. All has to do with tracking, the non-profit schools don't track kids and thus offer the same opperunities to all.

So in that regard the private school business model these days doesn't differ from apple's business model. It's only logical those 2 would find eachother.

And of course, if your friends are preparing their kids for politics or mangement, they'll have a leg up if their used to apple computers. They'll be up to speed when their staff hands them an Ipad and says "this will make you look cool for your constituents". Having a brain in that situation is a negative thing these days.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By cheinonen on 6/16/2011 11:24:52 AM , Rating: 1
That's right, because I can't get a copy of Office for my Mac. Oh that's wait, I have it installed. Or I can't possibly do any software development on a Mac. Except that I do, and over half of my friends that are software developers use a Mac as well. Lets set aside all the people that work in publishing or graphics that almost all use Macs instead of Windows and have for years. The two programs I need Windows for easily run in VMWare Fusion on my Mac for those times I need to load them, so perhaps it's time to retire this argument.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/16/2011 11:27:50 AM , Rating: 2
That's so cute.

The fact of the matter is that Macs in business are, what, less than 1% of the installed base? Seriously. It's in that ballpark.

Your anecdata is of no value. As is the Mac business marketshare.

Retire an argument? You, sir or madam as the case may be, have made no argument yourself.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By mellomonk on 6/16/2011 1:44:02 PM , Rating: 3
You can through marketshare numbers around all day. Who cares. This is all a silly argument, for this is a web based world. I work for one of the largest banks in the US. Do we run windows software? Sure. Do we write Windows software? Not in the last five years. It is all IP based stuff nowadays. Now they are talking HTML5 and the like. Our computing resources need to be workable from everything from big iron to smart phones. I use Windows at home and work, but have a Macbook. It works fine in the work environment. Access VPN and mainframe, check. Email and Powerpoints, check. Nobody knows or cares what OS the computer is running. That is so 10 years ago. If I need to access a windows app, windows is a click away to launch in VM. When our programers come in it is striking to see how many use MBPros nowadays. Except for the old guys and their Thinkpads.

As for Macs in schools, great. Flexible with the ability to run any OS out there. Durable, ever see a $500 laptop hit the floor? Ouch. And a much smaller malware threat, though that may change as their marketshare is growing. Kids are going to grow up in world where computer resources are everywhere. Phones, cars, TVs. And they are going to run a variety of OS and apps. The OS is like day one stuff. It is about what they are going to do with the machines , not how to keep them running. MacOS and Windows are now so good they are more and more fading in the background, where they belong. Heck Google asks why have an OS? Chromebook anyone?

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By name99 on 6/16/2011 3:37:41 PM , Rating: 2
Cue SNL: "Really?" That's the argument you're going with? That Mac's are not common enough in the world?

You do understand the SUBJECT of this post, don't you? And why do you think Apple is offering less generous incentives this time round? Do you understand how supply and demand work?

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/17/2011 10:57:02 AM , Rating: 2
Do you understand that Apple computers have been a mainstay in educational facilities for, like, forever? And in all that time, they've gained nothing in the business world?

Do you understand why? It's supply and demand. There is no demand for Mac in the real world. That's how it works. No demand, no supply - it doesn't matter how many schools/students have Macs - it's an irrelevancy, because once you get into the real world, Macs are utterly insignificant.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Akrovah on 6/16/2011 1:21:25 PM , Rating: 2
Yes, graphics and publishing are big in Mac, because the Mac got an early foothold back when PCs were still running DOS and those idnustries have yet to discover that the same software is now available for the immensly cheaper and easier to maintain Windows OS. But still, how big is the workforce in those industries in comparison to "real" businesses. Even the cash registers at your local grocery store run using Windows, and someone has to suppor them.

And I'm willing to bet that all of those software developer friends developing software on Macs are probably also only writing software for Mac. In other words, catering to a relatively small market in comparison to Windows developers.

By TakinYourPoints on 6/16/2011 8:07:02 PM , Rating: 2
The other thing to keep in mind is that visual effects have a long legacy of Unix based operating systems, going back to Silicon Graphics workstations running IRIX in the late 80s. The move to a BSD based operating system with OS X has continued to keep Macs relevant in a post production workflow, and this is outside the applications and entrenched use of Macs among artists. Seeing a mix of OS X, Linux, and Windows workstations paired with Linux servers doing render duty is extremely common.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By lukarak on 6/16/2011 1:22:04 PM , Rating: 1
Exactly the same with me. 12GB mac at home running both win and linux VMs, and 8 GB macbook pro running one of those when needed. But mostly i don't need it. I use office, Eclipse and xcode in Mac OS X and some microsoft tools in windows VM, and i do all of the daily tasks in Mac OS X. Its what i'm used to, but i'm by no means any less experienced in windows usage. I just like Mac OS X better for 95% of the stuff i need to do on a computer.

And until somebody makes a same quality laptop as apple does, i won't even consider purchasing something else. Not because it has an apple, but because i like the construction and design. The ability to run all three OSes relatively easy is just a plus.

I also have an older 2007 C2D macbook white, with 64 GB SSD and 500 GB hard drive with 6 GB memory that is, after more than 3.5 years still extremely useful, and well built. Sure, the plastic cracked, but i had it replaced for free just two weeks ago.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/16/2011 1:33:30 PM , Rating: 2
And until somebody makes a same quality laptop as apple does,

Check with Fisher-Price.

By TakinYourPoints on 6/16/2011 8:00:43 PM , Rating: 2
Many people I know in web development do the same thing you do, code in OS X and run Windows in a VM if they need to. It is super common and offers a lot of flexibility, especially since so many web development tools and environments are native. There are many advantages to running a Unix based operating system that can also run Windows at the same time.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Aikouka on 6/16/2011 11:30:51 AM , Rating: 2
To be honest, the fact that they're more Mac savvy probably isn't a big deal like you're making it out to be. As long as they know how to use Office, your computer skills are typically considered up to par for what's expected. Of course, certain jobs may require other skills, but we're going for basics here :).

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/16/2011 11:33:39 AM , Rating: 2
...have you ever watched a Mac person have a hissy fit about being "forced" to use Windows?

It's pretty freaking hilarious - especially since part of being a Mac user is an indoctrination into the belief that Windows is somehow "evil."

"Why is the start bar at the bottom? That's crazy! What's with this right mouse button? Oh, this is ridiculous!"

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Nutzo on 6/16/2011 2:03:46 PM , Rating: 2
I've seen it too many times. Most people find it's much easier to go from Windows to Mac than from Mac to Windows.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/16/2011 2:56:13 PM , Rating: 2
Windows -> Mac: User realizes there's no real difference between the two, and it all pretty much works the same way. BFD.

Mac -> Windows: User has been "educated" that Windows is evil, it's difficult to use, it's going to blow up at any second, etc. Therefore, hissy fit ensues the instant you even suggest they use a Windows machine - despite the fact that there's no real difference between the two.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Targon on 6/16/2011 10:30:14 PM , Rating: 2
Of course there is a difference, Windows machines use a two or three button mouse, and that's too complicated for many Mac users to deal with. What's that other button for? I can't use a mouse that has two or three buttons, it's too complicated!

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By raabscuttle on 6/16/2011 12:21:14 PM , Rating: 2
You sir are 100% correct. Despite Apples gains in iOS, OSX is pretty stagnant at between 5-6% of worldwide OS market share. Of course, in all fairness it does have to be pointed out that Windows is slightly down from their 91% of worldwide OS to 88% in the last year. Better jump ship!

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/16/2011 12:25:19 PM , Rating: 2
...and more to the point of my post, regardless of the fact that Macs are ~5% of the world's computer market in general, they're surely less than 1% of the *business* computer market. Probably less than one in a thousand.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By name99 on 6/16/2011 3:33:08 PM , Rating: 2
So in the circles you hang out in, the kids do NOT expect to become academics?
Because every conference involving academics that I see, across a wide variety of disciplines, half to more of the participants are using Macs.
Likewise people with REAL power in business use whatever damn computer they feel like --- certainly that's the case with my CEO friend, and my friend who sits on the boards of a few companies.
Likewise lawyers use whatever computer is most convenient. etc etc etc

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Motoman on 6/17/2011 10:03:43 AM , Rating: 2
People who use Macs do so because they've bought into the propaganda. Period. That applies to everyone you've just mentioned.

There categorically is no valid reason, ever, to use a Mac over a PC.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By Pirks on 6/20/2011 12:56:39 AM , Rating: 2
Hey, look, there's also categorically no reason to choose Lexus over Chevrolet but still... people choose Lexus over Chevrolet all the time, and even pay more! How come? Is it JUST because of Lexus propaganda? And nothing else? Are you ABSOLUTELY sure this is ONLY the propaganda at work, huh? ;) No, seriously, tell me what you think about this one.

By Wiggy Mcshades on 6/17/2011 8:39:34 AM , Rating: 2
I went private schools my whole life and then to one of the best universities in the US and it was full of morons. Certifiable morons and little else. Computer OS aside their kids are literally going to be so unprepared for anything that life has to throw at them that at the first sign of a struggle they'll most likely collapse. The schools cost a lot because they pay to get the "best" teachers, but these are people who are just respected in their field of study. That doesn't make them good teachers, it makes them good at what ever their degree is in. I literally had one real teacher in my whole life, because he taught how to teach yourself and nothing more, despite the fact my education's price tag would of bought a house. When Suzy is a coke head you can be the one bragging.

RE: Oh that's a great idea...
By MADAOO7 on 6/17/2011 5:41:30 PM , Rating: 2
Teaching your kids to use Macs is counter-productive

This statement is baseless and honestly, a bit asinine. Almost all of the corporations you speak about are using computers to check email and to do basic word / excel processing. Most of which is in MS Office - which is essentially the same on Macs and PCs. This is especially true in college, where most of students are using their laptops for facebook and typing papers.

By Red Storm on 6/16/2011 10:05:18 AM , Rating: 2
I bought a Mac Pro last year and got the free iTouch, which I was able to sell quickly for $230. This new deal pales in comparison. :\

And they still collect.
By ThatNewGuy on 6/16/2011 10:26:22 AM , Rating: 2
I find this humorous because no matter what is purchased, Apple still collects their 30% on all their apps.

I've got a better deal
By MrFord on 6/16/2011 10:39:21 AM , Rating: 2
Buy a PC. It's like a $400 student pricing rebate!

It's especially funny when the student, with it's brand new shiny MacBook, ends up paying an extra $100 to install Windows 7 in BootCamp to be able to run the school-provided free Office 2010 license.

If only the other option parents were looking at was anything else but the $399 15in Celeron Acer at Best Buy, I'm sure it would help keep them in PCs. So often people go for a Mac, because "my last laptop was sooo slow and kept breaking down and the battery wasn't working after a year etc." only to find out they got the back-to-school deal with 1GB of RAM and a 3-cells battery. If you can convince them to spend $700 on a much better spec'd laptop with a better build quality, they are generally very happy about it, and won't look back to the Mac.

Better yet, get a year-old or refurbished business-grade laptop for the same price. That will last forever.

By the way, I know there's schools that are moving to Macs for students and teachers.


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