Theocacao: MacBook Pro vs Dell E1705 Laptop

MacBook Pro vs Dell E1705 Laptop

[Update: Apple has upgraded the processor in the midrange MacBook Pro to 2.0Ghz, removing an additional $150 from the price gap between Apple's and Dell's offerings.]

In ZDNet blog post, George Ou compares the cost and specs of a MacBook Pro to a Dell E1705. Both are based on the Intel Core Duo. Unfortunately, the comparison is muddled a bit by a $650 coupon. He says these are common but I don't know Dell well enough to say how true this is.

In terms of gross hardware and purchase price, the Dell seems to win out easily, particularly with a 17" screen. In fact, maybe this should cause Apple to reconsider the pricing a structure at least a bit. That said, this is a fairly shallow analysis of a deep topic. I don't mean that to be cutting -- just making the point that this post defines "value" in very narrow way.

Overall Value

My experience is that Windows really isn't adequate for most people. My roommate has had his laptop for about a year, and even given that he really only uses iTunes and Firefox, he regularly encounters problems that he isn't equipped to solve. Things are just simpler on Mac OS X.

Buying a cheaper Windows-based computer does not mean you're getting a better value. Satification is determined by overall experience. Specs are part of this, but it's hardly the whole story. Unfortunately, the consumer isn't armed with enough information to understand this.

There's no point in going into Tiger vs Windows XP, nor the fact the MacBook Pro includes iLife, which is better than anything you can get on Windows. You guys and gals already know about that stuff.

You can't directly interact with the hardware. You can only really use the software that sits in front of the hardware. In the case of a Mac, the software and hardware are actually designed to work well with each other. This is what the consumer expects but rarely actually gets.

The Missing Specs

There are some specs that were left out of the blog post. The MacBook Pro, of course, comes with an iSight camera and a remote control. The Mac is also 5.6 pounds to 7.94 pounds of the Dell. It looks like the Dell doesn't come with XP Pro, either. It's not clear to me if the Dell E1705 (or XP, for that matter) can support a second monitor. Does anyone know?

Bottom Line

There is something to be said for a large price difference between an Apple and Dell laptop, and maybe this is something Apple needs to look at. A modest difference, though, is to be expected. Apple designs and makes computers, Dell simply assembles them.

Some people are always going to see value in terms of broad specs for a given price. The Dell will be cheaper, but it will never be fundamentally better than any other Windows notebook. Apple offers things you can't get from Dell.

Those that realize the experience with the software and overall design are what truly determine satisfaction would be happier with a Mac. Apple appears willing to leave it up to the market.

Note: Dan Frakes has a good analysis of this. Thanks, Marcus.

MacBook Pro vs Dell E1705 Laptop
Posted Feb 14, 2006 — 23 comments below

MJ — Feb 14, 06 765

I went through and did the comparison.

For some the 17" screen will be a winning feature - this machine is a MONSTER though. It's a pound heavier than Apple's 17" powerbook!

For those who don't appreciate the software though (illogically), the Dell is better "value". And that's okay. They can buy it and run Windows or Linux on it. I think there's room in the world for people who want to run Windows or Linux.

Dan Price — Feb 14, 06 766

This ZDNet article really annoys me. Maybe it's just me, but PC users always seem to be trying to justify their choice of platform by emphasizing the off-the shelf price of high end Macs, as if that's all that matters.

Firstly, my company (in the UK) uses Dell's exclusively and I've never heard of the coupon this guy describes. At $650, you have to wonder, what's the catch?! He also fails to mention specs significant to portable owners, including battery life, connectivity (FireWire, networking, audio in, etc), screen quality, weight and of course, functionality out-of-the-box. The Mac also comes with a superdrive as standard: on the Dell it's an option. Ditto for wireless networking and DVI. Once you take away that 'coupon' and include the specs that they guy didn't cherry-pick to make the Dell look good, the Mac actually looks like better value. And that's without the software...

His past references to Mac users as brainwashed 'diehard disciples' doesn't win him many points for objectivity and his 1:10 user statistics look in doubt given the number of angry comments. See the 'Blah Blah Blah' post among others. This is not good journalism.

Marcus S. Zarra — Feb 14, 06 767

I also read this with great interest and was surprised that the author seemed to intentionally load up the Dell side of the equation. I also ran across this "response" which seems to put things into a more Mac friendly light.

http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/02/13/pricecomparison/index.php?lsrc=mwrss

Changes things a bit I think.

Marcus S. Zarra
Mac OS X Business Software
www.zarrastudios.com

Scott Stevenson — Feb 14, 06 768

The midrange MacBook Pro has been bumped up to 2.0GHz.

SeoxyS elf — Feb 15, 06 772

As it's an intel core duo, how is it possible to run XP on it? I heard that only Vista and Mac OS X can run on these computers which have a diferent BIOS (whatever that is). And is it possible to run Mac OS X on it? It should be as it's basicly the same hardware...

Scott Stevenson — Feb 15, 06 773

Are you sure the Dell has a different BIOS-like system? I thought it was just the Mac.

Slestak — Feb 28, 06 855

I purchased an E1705 using a 650.00 coupon code from GotApex.com. I didnt consider the powerbook (would do like previous poster said and load Gentoo on here as an alternative to Windows.) Just wanted to give creedence to the existence of the 650 buck coupons.

It was 650 off of an Inspiron configured to at least 1999.00.

Andy — Mar 16, 06 936

Not only does the $650 coupon exist, but so does a new $750 one as well. From what I gather, it's an "affilate" coupon that Dell has provided different online "affiliates" to help advertise their products. Most of these coupons can be used a maximum of 10k times.

Mac vs. Dell. XP vs. OSX. Let's be honest...on the hardware side of things, they're neck & neck. There is give & take in types of applications & speed between the two systems.

For $1800 and some change (shipped) you get the following Dell setup:
1.83 GHz T2400 Duo Core
1 GB 667 DDR2 Mem
60 GB 7200 RPM HD
256 MB GeForce Go 7800 vid card
8x DVD/CD burner
1 53 mw battery AND 1 80 mw batter (2 total!)
Intel Wifi & Bluetooth cards

Here's the downside: these jerks have delayed my order 23 days! Unheard of! I orded on 3/1 and have received 3 delay notices each consecutive week. Lame. Their customer service is a waste of time too.

So if you're patient, you can get a sweet system. But Dell will give you the runaround and don't believe any of their shipping dates.

Scott Stevenson — Mar 16, 06 937

Mac vs. Dell. XP vs. OSX. Let's be honest...on the hardware side of things, they're neck & neck

Hmmm, maybe in terms of the internals, but I think the industrial design is pretty different. I have a Dell laptop here (not the e1705) and it's miles away from a MacBook.

Dave — Mar 17, 06 940

I tried ordering a customized E1705 through Dell direct, and noticed that there was no option to upgrade the graphics to the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7800 card. The only upgrade option listed was the ATI RADEON x1400. What gives?

christopher baus — Mar 20, 06 942

I just ordered the e1705 with the $750 off coupon. I got the upgrade monitor, x1400 ATI video card (which is in stock), 2ghz cpu, and upgrade battery for $1275.

After market I added 2gigs of 667mhz RAM and Seagate 7200 RPM 100gig drive for $400 from newegg.

So for <$1700 I bought a compile ripping monster of a laptop with an extra 60gig harddrive. Although I do wish I could get more RAM.

I considered the MacBook, but unfortunately my job dictates that I run Windows and Linux. If VMWare could get a out OS X version I might have considered the MacBook more seriously.

In the meantime well the mac might be sexier, I think the performance of the dell at the given price is going to be tough to beat.

Scott Stevenson — Mar 21, 06 945

In the meantime well the mac might be sexier, I think the performance of the dell at the given price is going to be tough to beat.

Perhaps. I don't think it's practical to expect Apple is going to beat Dell on raw performance for price most of the time, as that's what Dell's value proposition is. The difference, of course, is that a Mac has a better overall experience and arguably (much) better application software. Whether you're willing to put up with a less desireable experience for less price is a judgement call.

Erik — Mar 26, 06 982

I just ordered an e1705 and looking at all this previews on the net. The info in this article is useless to me (no offence). No texnical specification and comparing between the platforms. BTW: I would like to see a proper graphics test based on FPS comparing ATI 1400x (Max) vs GeForce 7800 go (Dell) maybe some of you would be surprised (and that is in hardware and software structure). From what I understand is that Mac are for more stupid people who don`t have any idea how system works and are not able to solve the problems (confusions) that system interacts with like in Windows platform. It`s just more simple. Just click and watch, program will do the rest. Thanks but nothing for me. I need to have as biggest as possible control under my computer. Fore simple users, Mac is probably the answer (not if price matters)

Erik

Scott Stevenson — Mar 27, 06 984

are for more stupid people who don`t have any idea how system works and are not able to solve the problems

The point, of course, is that we have other things we'd rather be spending our time on. :)

Ed — Mar 28, 06 991

As a PC user (starting with Windows 3.0) the power of configuration has been getting more and more difficult to get to with the Microsoft products over the years. The latest release of the Mac OS (OS X) is built on BSD and easily allows a user the ability to get as deep into the operating system as they like - admittedly, quite easily. Microsoft has been spending years building wizards to remove the requirement of intelligence from the user and often to no avail. If you doubt me consider the fact that Microsoft is one of the few companies to take a product that failed miserably (Microsoft Bob), add it to an existing product (Microsoft Office, among others) and call it a feature (the annoying paperclip can be changed to a round circle, the same Microsoft Bob icon, only in Red instead of a puke colored yellow).

And yes, you have the registry editor but I've had to use msconfig to remove the startup of MSN Messenger more times than I care to mention. Really, I'll take the hidden power and apparent ease of use of the Apple platform over the headaches of using the 'Microsoft Tools' that are being shoved down my neck.

And if you think I was never a fan of Microsoft, you're wrong. I was an MCSE -AND- an MCT for years. I don't even own a mac... YET... (it will be ordered later this week!).

Robert — Apr 15, 06 1102

Having experience with both platforms and how people, from newbies to expereinced computer useres, interact with them, I'd say that for the most part both have their storng and weak points. It all comes down to what you want to do with your machine. Some people will naturally get along better with Windows machines and some will get along better with Mac's. Saying something universally, like one machine or OS is better than the other doesn't make sense. Either machine can be a hands off, auto-everything or a person can dig into the user interface or hardware and customize it to their needs/likes.

That's my 2 cents.

Robert

Robert — Apr 15, 06 1103

Excuse the above typos. I didn't go back and check before I posted, like I should have.

Robert

Nevil — Apr 27, 06 1141

I just ordered a E1705 (4/20) with the following config for $848 - Core Duo 1.66Mhz/667 Mhz, 1G RAM, 80GB HDD, XP Home Media Center Edition, 8x CD/DVD Burner and other regular stuff. I used a differenct coupon code(expired 4/26) of 40% off on systems priced $999 and above. I also shopped for Macs but inspite of those being cuter by the looks, I don't think I would have spent that much money to just get a better OS; especially for me, I definitely can deal with MS xp and get it configured my way since I've been working with MS for over a decade now. But I agree to the fact that Mac would be much more simpler and easier for novice computer users. Overall, I believe I got a heck of a deal with free shipping and amazingly, dell shipped mine before time too(4/26)! So far so good.
All in all I think, I agree to the fact that Mac has both, hardware and software, much insync than MS. I don't see how you can isolate Dell alone with this fact from all the other Intel Based MS XP providers like HP etc.
Just my 2 cents.

Nevil — Apr 27, 06 1142

Nevil — Apr 27, 06 1143

Elementry — May 23, 06 1324

In response to questions:

Of course the GeForce 7800 on the Dell E1705 supports two monitors....

The GeForce 7800 (Now this GPU comes standard and the 7900 GS is only about $117 more) is a much better GPU then the ATI X1400 on the MacBook Pro I would have to say at least 10% because http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=237&type=expert
says that the "Go 7900 GTX [is] 14% faster than Radeon Mobility X1800XT in 3DMark 05"
Both of these GPUs bing the next step up i believe.

Windows XP can run on a core duo machine. The BIOS is not different. Apple chose to use a different boot loader on their machines. (you can run windows xp with bootcamp anyways)

For anyone wishing to play games the Dell wins hands down even if you installed XP on the Mac.

"My experience is that Windows really isn't adequate for most people. My roommate has had his laptop for about a year, and even given that he really only uses iTunes and Firefox, he regularly encounters problems that he isn't equipped to solve. Things are just simpler on Mac OS X."
-This doesn't make any sense something being adequate and not working as expected are two different things. Also saying that windows "isn't adequate" and "Things are just simpler on Mac OS X" is a contradiction I believe your problem would be Windows is too much more than adequate.

It is actually kind of interesting to read the uninformed comments and the odd remark in the actual post about the dell not supporting a second monitor. I hope people will become informed about their computers and for some reason mac owners don't seem to be. Honestly I would love a MacBook Pro but I would need a windows computer also.

P.S.
I don't care if Tiger allows the user to dig down deep into the system I don't think the majority of mac users actually do it.

Scott Stevenson — May 23, 06 1327

This doesn't make any sense something being adequate and not working as expected are two different things. ... Also saying that windows "isn't adequate" and "Things are just simpler on Mac OS X" is a contradiction

I think we just disagree. Usability is certainly a factor in how adequate a product is for its target user.

I hope people will become informed about their computers and for some reason mac owners don't seem to be.

Rather sweeping statement. Are you sure it's true? :)

john — Aug 10, 06 1566

My Dell Dell Inspiron E1705 2.0 ghz, 2 gb 667 mhz ram, 80 gb 7200 rpm hardrive, nd 7900 GS, windows media center edition, nd 17 inch true life wxga, arrived within 1 week of my order date, its built is sturdy, and they didn't mess up on parts iether, customer service has been good i think, especailly the online chatting option. And the 750 dollar off coupon thing is indeed true, theres also 30 percent off too, i don't know if it still is but when i was looking it was, every time it expired it just came back. I didn't use it though, i got a nice 35 percent off on it plus 70 dollar discount upgrade for the 2 gb ram. I only paid 1500 for this and it runs like a charm, gaming beast too. Theres software like object dock you can download online that makes your desktop mac style, which is pretty cool. e1705 is the way to go. A mac of similar specs is mid 2000's, and they don't even offer the higher end nvidia video cards.

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