[macgeek2005]

If Apple sold a tower with the specs of a 15" MacBook Pro, and:

1. It only had room for one hard drive.
2. Room for only one optical drive.
3. No expansion slots.
4. No CPU upgrade options.
5. A Max of 4GB of ram.
6. No option for a high end card.

.. it would cost about $500.

So therefore, portability is the only advantage of a machine that is vastly inferior to the Mac Pro in every other way.

[Rumor]

You're not very good at trolling.

Yes, a portion of the price is portability.

It isn't $2000.

A MBP isn't supposed to replace a Mac Pro or compete with it. A Mac Pro is a workstation.

[SierraDragon]

That is correct, portability is of huge value to many folks. E.g. I cannot take my tower to a photo shoot, or to a client's office, or put it on my lap in the living room.

What amazes me is that some folks still buy iMacs for pro graphics usage, even though iMacs have all the limitations listed by Macgeek above but with no portability.

-Allen Wicks

[Cold Warrior]

Let's not feed the troll.

[Blizzake]

sorry had to

[slpdLoad]

Having some problems with your Mac Pro and needed to bash some product you don't have to make yourself feel better? You'd think with all that computing power, you wouldn't be that bored.

[Lateralus]

Hey MacGeek,

Remember when I banned you? Remember when I banned you the second time ? Remember how I banned you for twice as long as the first time? Remember how I told you that each time I had to ban you from now on, the length of time would double?

I remember.

[MrForgetable]

no, you pay about 1500 for portability, since the desktop costs you mention costs 500.

2000-500=1500 for portability.

[highstakes]

he should be permanently banned.

[Lateralus]

September 14th will have to do for now. Don't wanna break my word, ya know?

[Rumor]

We should change your handle to Lateralus of the Banhammer Clan.

[Simon]

What a completely stupid argument.

A Mac mini costs $599 and appears closest to what you list. Although compared to a MBP it comes with a slower CPU, much weaker GPU, no screen, etc. If Apple now added all those missing features and slapped it all into a tower you'd be looking at a box around $1500. Apple would never price the box much lower and watch it snatch away all the sales of it's flagship iMac line.

And that then leaves you with a $500 price difference which BTW also buys you a nice, thin, and bright 15" TFT display. And that my friend is something every MBP buyer is willing to pay. The advantage of having that kind of power in a slim and portable package that can be used almost anywhere easily justifies the surcharge. If you fail to understand that, I suggest you stay clear of all portable computers.

[firefly]

Steering the discussion away, I have to ask: Simon, what do you do with all those Macs???

[Simon]

Originally Posted by firefly 

Steering the discussion away, I have to ask: Simon, what do you do with all those Macs???

The newer ones are for work and personal use. The older ones make up my "Mac museum".

[MacosNerd]

What happened to MacGeek2005, I thought he was a mac zealot for a while not a troll.

Was that he got tired of people making fun about his swords or other aspects of his life that he posted in the lounge.

[Rumor]

He is pissy because he regrets buying a Mac Pro. Something about it is going to be obsolete when a revision is released.

[MacosNerd]

Yeah I saw some comment about how bummed he'll be when apple releases an update. kind of stupid.

He's got to learn its a fact of life and as long as the computer does what it was bought for no big deal.

[Big Mac]

You mean he regrets the one his parents bought him?

[slpdLoad]

That too.

[Dakarʒ]

This should practically be moved to the Lounge because of its hilarity.

[mfbernstein]

But... but... but...

I was looking forward to more ridiculously wrong predictions about the next {Mac Pro,iMac,MacBook,MacBook Pro,Mac Mini,iPhone,fill in the blank}. Now I'll have to find entertainment elsewhere? Sigh. Why does MacNN hate teh funnies?

/snark off.

(Seriously though, 2000-500=2000 only for extremely small values of 500. I didn't know innumeracy was a necessary prerequisite for trolling.)

[malone]

Originally Posted by mfbernstein 

(Seriously though, 2000-500=2000 only for extremely small values of 500. I didn't know innumeracy was a necessary prerequisite for trolling.)

To be fair, he said "about $2000", and $1500 is "about $2000" if you, uh, round to the nearest thousand.

On that note, all the iPods, Apple TV, and lower-end iPhone are free, if you round to the nearest thousand. And free's a pretty damn good deal.

I just wish we'd all round to the nearest ten million. My salary would be zilch, but my house would be free.