are iPads overpriced?

[mintymint]

I think it's being exaggerated how overpriced Apple's products are. They definitely cost more, but I don't think the price difference is that outrageous. That ad above is obviously meant to sell Kindle Fire HD tablets, so it's understandable that it makes them look like a hands down better deal. But I looked up some more specs and found that some advantages the iPad Mini has are a 25% faster processor, a more current and powerful graphics chip, a 5MP rear facing camera vs no rear facing camera on the Kindle, the Kindle is about 33% heavier and more bulky, and the iPad mini can take 1080p video vs 720p. And although they make a big deal about one being HD and one being SD, it's really only the difference between 1024x768 and 1280x800. I wouldn't call that an earth shattering resolution difference on a mini tablet of that size. So I don't think it's so clear cut in that example.

Let me take the 15" Retina Macbook Pro as another example. The base configuration costs $2200. It has a 2880x1800 pixel screen, 256GB SSD, quad core third generation Intel Core i7, up to 7 hours of battery life, and a switchable integrated/dedicated GPU all in a package that weighs only 4.5 pounds and is 0.7" thick. These are important factors to me. Setting aside the more aesthetic design elements like the spiffy aluminum and glass construction, is there a PC laptop out there that equals these specs (no, I'm not just talking about raw processing power) for the same or lower price? I'm not sure there is, and it's been out for almost a year now. I definitely think there's something worthwhile being offered there. I would definitely want one just for the hardware and design, regardless of what OS I chose to run on it after I bought it.

Apple's operating systems are just proprietary Unix software. If you build a PC and install any Linux distro on it, you get the same thing. PCs also "just work," and "feels cool" is subjective and somewhat irrelevant. It's like the difference between two solid green t-shirts; one of the t-shirts has the Nike logo on it and the other one is plain. In the end they're both still green, but one costs more money because it has a logo on it. The difference in cost lies in the branding. It's the same with Apple products.

I would hardly call any Unix-based OS "the same thing." Obviously which specific OS is chosen makes a huge difference for people's user experiences, not to mention all the different desktop environments/GUIs that can be chosen on top of that. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many different ones out there being developed. There's a lot more difference than "branding" between stuff like OSX, BSD and all the Linux distros out there. There are vastly differing user experiences.

This is not entirely true for computers and other electronic devices. An Apple computer and a PC both do the same thing. They both provide the same thing (although Windows based PCs have a much broader selection of applications, hardware, and software development options, as well as access to the latest hardware). Besides the user experience, the only difference between Apple products and competing products is aesthetics. Computer manufacturers like Dell, HP and Lenovo are starting to produce desktops and laptops with the same (if not better) build quality of Apple products. Apple is slowly but surely turning into a dying fad.

Windows definitely has the best support for the widest range of hardware, as well as the newest hardware including untold numbers of peripheral devices. I also find that the Windows versions of many cross-platform applications seem to be more polished.

The iPad is such a locked down system, that I'd honestly feel restricted and constrained just by owning one. Android devices actually feel like they can be tailored more and more to the needs of the individual The priceerformance ratio is just a bonus, in my opinion.

Yes, it's a lot more restricted. But I think one benefit to buying an iOS device over an Android device that's often overlooked is the updates and support of the OS. If you get an iOS device you can generally rely on receiving reliable and timely updates and improved versions of the OS for several years that come straight from Apple. With android devices, the burden rests on each manufacturer to take the latest version of Android and alter it according to their own specifications and hardware and then distribute that to the end user. It's a much slower process, and often results in hardware support being dropped much more quickly. So often times you end up getting slower OS updates for a shorter period of time, losing out on new features.


Edit: All that said, I totally just bought an ASUS Transformer

 

[9006]

Of course it's slightly exaggerated, it was promoting a rival device. I thought it was amusing.

To be more accurate, the above items are different and not really comparable. It's been designed primarily as a digital book, the iPad is much more versatile so higher specs are kinda understandable.

I agree with some of what you say, Apple products are definitely classy, they have a certain elegance. But because they focus most of their efforts on the design, they create their own limitation. Often with something that's so good there's negative, and the biggest problem for me is the fact that most of their products haven't been designed to be up gradable, therefore you just pay for what you see, in order to upgrade you'd have to pay out yet more money for the next, which fits in nicely with today's throw away society.

Take your MacBook Pro as an example;

• HDD is has not been designed to be upgraded
• RAM cannot be upgraded, granted it's 8GB
• Battery is not replaceable
• Is simply too thin to contain any DVD/Writer drives standard on all other laptops

So basically if anything goes wrong with this, it's next to useless and wouldn't be any use even as a door stop: it's too thin. Sure the warranty would probably cover it, but for me something that's not up gradable and therefore forcing you to upgrade to a newer product is unfair.

Even in the early days of Apple, when Wozniak & Jobs created the Apple II he said no to an expansion slot used for upgrades that was available on the Apple I (Despite it being a self build) and this is the kinda image he had for all his products; control.

Basically you make a choice, would you go for style, aesthetics, that works well but is ultimately limited? Or something that's more customizable, controllable, versatile for less the price? I think I'd choose the latter.

But hey, that's my choice.

I think it's being exaggerated how overpriced Apple's products are. They definitely cost more, but I don't think the price difference is that outrageous. That ad above is obviously meant to sell Kindle Fire HD tablets, so it's understandable that it makes them look like a hands down better deal. But I looked up some more specs and found that some advantages the iPad Mini has are a 25% faster processor, a more current and powerful graphics chip, a 5MP rear facing camera vs no rear facing camera on the Kindle, the Kindle is about 33% heavier and more bulky, and the iPad mini can take 1080p video vs 720p. And although they make a big deal about one being HD and one being SD, it's really only the difference between 1024x768 and 1280x800. I wouldn't call that an earth shattering resolution difference on a mini tablet of that size. So I don't think it's so clear cut in that example.

Let me take the 15" Retina Macbook Pro as another example. The base configuration costs $2200. It has a 2880x1800 pixel screen, 256GB SSD, quad core third generation Intel Core i7, up to 7 hours of battery life, and a switchable integrated/dedicated GPU all in a package that weighs only 4.5 pounds and is 0.7" thick. These are important factors to me. Setting aside the more aesthetic design elements like the spiffy aluminum and glass construction, is there a PC laptop out there that equals these specs (no, I'm not just talking about raw processing power) for the same or lower price? I'm not sure there is, and it's been out for almost a year now. I definitely think there's something worthwhile being offered there. I would definitely want one just for the hardware and design, regardless of what OS I chose to run on it after I bought it.

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

Like I said, I would rather go with what feels most financially comfortable, rather than what everyone else has.

I am a student, who isn't working. I can't afford the iPad, but I don't want a piece of honeysuckle either.

 

[9006]

but I don't want a piece of honeysuckle either.

I don't think they even have a touch screen, do they?

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

Not sure. I don't own a kindle fire.

I actually researched it, and decided between an iPad or a Samsung galaxy. The store I went to didn't have apple, but they had a discount on their Samsung tablets.

 

[Gutted]

I think it depends really on what you want. IPad might suit some as they can do some things other tablets can't. Also I think IPad's have slightly better specs then other tablets. They are overpriced if you ask me though. I've been advised to get a Google Nexus 7. For something like £200, I could get the one I want. An IPad Mini would set me back £270+

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

All I want is something to stream movies and music from the cloud, read kindle books, keep track of appointments, send emails, play games, get on social networking sites, take pictures and video, read and write on forums, and check my grades and work on homework.

This can be achieved with an iPad or an android tablet, but I went with what was cheaper and more affordable. My school textbooks were more expensive than this tablet.

 

[Dissident]

The iPad is way overpriced. Their hardware isn't all that great and iOS is a complete clusterfuck. Not to mention that almost all of the software you need to use for it (that's any good) is paid software. You have to pay tons of cash for a brand name and then still have buy everything you would need to use on it? No thanks.

 

[Boston Lager]

If you can get a 2nd hand one in good condition then definitely go for it. The interface and ease of use is what you're really paying for.

 

[Dissident]

You mean lack of interface?

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

Apple does do what it's supposed to, but an Android does more, and with more power. It's cheaper, too.

Kind of like Macs run right out of the box, but Windows has a lot more horsepower.

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

I take all of this back. I'm now the owner of an iPad 4, and I love it. The Android tablet crashed too much.

 

[Punisher]

I take all of this back. I'm now the owner of an iPad 4, and I love it. The Android tablet crashed too much.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

I'm not throwing away my Samsung Galaxy tablet, Punisher. I still will use it.

But it's only been a few days on this new iPad, and I already feel at home. I had to struggle with the Android tablet, as much fun as it was.

 

[sk66rc]

I got my iPad 2 when it first came out... I have 32gig wifi only version & it does everything I need it to do... At the time I got it, I was working as a translator/Interpreter... I have spent a lot of time online & having a lot of documents transferring back & forth from the agencies/clients I worked for... 90% of my work was done on it exception of the times I was at the office... Funny enough, that's when I got rid of the smart phone I had & 2 laptops & a desktop computer I had at home... On average, I used to get somewhere between 3,500 - 5,000 emails in a month & 2,500 - 3,000 minutes of voice calls every month... Little dinky slide phone, GB230, & an iPad 2 took care of 95% of tasks I needed for the job... Not to say all this weren't impossible by other products but I've gotten plenty of use out of mine... The way I look at it, anything can be over-priced if you're only looking to do minimal things on it, playing games & listening to music, etc... Somebody once told me a tank of air may not be worth $1,000 to a casual scuba diver but for a man who's drowning with no help in sight, it may be worth $5,000... I guess the way I see it, worth of a product, any product, is really determined by personal preferences & what they can mean to the person...

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

I got my iPad 2 when it first came out... I have 32gig wifi only version & it does everything I need it to do... At the time I got it, I was working as a translator/Interpreter... I have spent a lot of time online & having a lot of documents transferring back & forth from the agencies/clients I worked for... 90% of my work was done on it exception of the times I was at the office... Funny enough, that's when I got rid of the smart phone I had & 2 laptops & a desktop computer I had at home... On average, I used to get somewhere between 3,500 - 5,000 emails in a month & 2,500 - 3,000 minutes of voice calls every month... Little dinky slide phone, GB230, & an iPad 2 took care of 95% of tasks I needed for the job... Not to say all this weren't impossible by other products but I've gotten plenty of use out of mine... The way I look at it, anything can be over-priced if you're only looking to do minimal things on it, playing games & listening to music, etc... Somebody once told me a tank of air may not be worth $1,000 to a casual scuba diver but for a man who's drowning with no help in sight, it may be worth $5,000... I guess the way I see it, worth of a product, any product, is really determined by personal preferences & what they can mean to the person...

I don't really like typing on the tablet. I use my laptop and Desktop for that.

My iPad and Android tablet are great for watching movies and tv shows, reading eBooks, and getting on Facebook. They serve the same function as my smartphone, only the screen is bigger. I can't take them seriously as a computer, though, because they don't have the full functionality of a computer. I can't code programs on them. I can't use Photoshop. I can't edit movies. I can use Garageband, and record albums, but I don't have the full functionality of a program like Logic Pro or Reaper. Etc. And forget trying to write Word documents on them, it's slow, and painful.