Excellent article. Thanks, Shawn. Very helpful, specifically breaking the system down into the various sections. Do you have any recommendations on where to buy?

Very detailed article. Would like to however put some elements into perspective for the benefit of the readers.

There are 2 types of computer users – the “technocrats” and the “non-technocrats”.

In the world of the creative industry the majority of users are non-technocrats as they focus on doing what they do best; use a tool that will allow them to express and push the boundaries of their creativity as best they can. And this is the world that Apple has created an eco-system for – hence the high levels of loyalty of Apple products amongst the creative industry dating back 20 years.
The Reason – Apple creates and owns the entire “widget” (hardware, operating system and in some cases application layers), offering a stable platform between the various layers. By taking ownership of the widget, they can ensure that the best product possible is manufactured to provide functional simplicity for use by the creative individual in his area of specialization. This provides the user with a working platform without the “stress” about compatibility, performance, stability (OS and/or Application), system errors or failures and viruses.
Yes CPU performance is important, Memory is critical, Storage is key, but the overwhelming factor is the performance of the entire widget when performing due to the inherent design, engineering and specs of components in use. Apple negotiate with component suppliers to produce the exact same spec’ed product that will be used in all manufactured computers in the life cycle of a specific model.
Apple products have a working life cycle of over 5 years if not longer.

Needless to say that the Windows world is dominated my multiple hardware developers, multiple component manufacturers, and numerous variations or versions of Operating Systems, that may not necessarily be in-sync with the multitude of hardware products that may be installed. Outcome – inconsistent performance of products, price variations from different vendors using different components, unstable products resulting in on-going support and upgrades, both OS and Apps. Result – The need to have a product that should be upgradeable being key for use.

Most applications are available on both platforms, especially in the world of graphic design, photography, video and other creative areas. It does not make sense for software developers not to target both platforms as a strategy when considering the installed base. There may be some applications that have only been developed for the Windows world such as accounting system etc, but these are now moving onto a cloud-based solution and therefore makes no difference as long as the browser in use is compatible.

Connectivity – industry standards in use across most spectrum and peripheral devices – what is need to “talk” to the outside world is USB, Ethernet, Bluetooth, HDMI and one or two very specialist connectivity devices for a specific vertical application. Some hardware manufacturers may not include a specific port, either strategically or because of design.

I am most certainly not suggesting that people should not go and “assemble” their own computer, but what I am saying is that the alternative for non-technocrats is just as appealing if not more, to take away any “headaches” related to system stability, functionality and/or performance.

For the Windows world be very careful that a vendor does not sell you a product that is price competitive as the reason will more than likely be because of inferior components in use. Hence price differentials within the Windows world as well. A branded product will always be more expensive than a clone because of this reason.

For the Apple world go to a certified Apple Reseller or iStore and they will be able to provide you with an appropriate solution for your needs – there will be no reason to “upgrade” the platform if correctly spec’ed at the time.

If the perception is that an Apple laptop is too expensive in this country (and I do agree that the distributors possibly milk the exchange & importing costs issues – there are no import duties), then when you next travel overseas buy your laptop there. All Apple mobile products have a worldwide warranty.

Always draw comparison between a Branded PC with an Apple product and not with a Clone PC.

If a person is a “non-technocrat” then my recommendation is to look at an Apple product for ease of use and piece of mind.

I am still using a standard 2015 Macbook with 8Gb of memory and a Retina display and am able to edit photo’s without a hitch, although the CPU in use is now dated – almost 9 years of use. The return on investment is substantial when considering the total cost of ownership over that period.