We had a demo of DELL, Apple, Lenovo and HP at Karaikal on 23rd & 24th October'13. For many, including me, MacBook Air was the first choice. But I ended up booking Dell. Here are the reasons why;
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MacBook Air does not have the following as stipulated by our circular
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Does not have win 7 pro / win 8 pro. (Remark: Win OS can be dual loaded. But we have to buy it (Rs 6k-7k extra) and install it.)
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RJ45 port (Remark: Even though adapter is provided free by Apple, they conveniently forgot to bring it to Karaikal. We then provided an adapter, but they still could not connect even with the OSX drivers from CD available. No confirmation from any region about LAN connectivity for MacBook Air)
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SAP could not be loaded even in MacBook Pro. (Remark: 1. They said that a paid version of SAP is available for OSX and attempts (by whom?) are in progress for acquiring this. 2. Alternate is said to be - install windows 7pro / 8pro and then SAP)
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An issue of Network Access Protection also exists
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No clarification regarding the above issues from ONGC.
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Other Issues
- Generation of processor not known-rumours are that it is 2nd gen (Remark: They were very secretive in this regard)
- No HDMI port (Remark: Thunderbolt cable not provided (Rs 2500/- extra). Also any adapter eg. Thunderbolt to HDMI, would cost another Rs 2500/- extra)
- Two USB 3.0 ports only. (Remark: They could not conclusively state that connecting older printers/ DVD writers etc. with older versions of USB would not be an issue)
- MacOffice is free (but not licensed copy). (Remark: Iworks to be bought from apple store. Each module (Word, Excel, PPT etc. would cost Rs 1000/- each)
- Prices of Macbook have been reduced by US$ 200 to 300 in the international market as of 23/10/13. However, still not in India. Also the announcement says that the new OSX ‘Mavericks’ upgrade and Iworks will also be free (Remark: Apple dealer here could not confirm this)
- Even laptop bag is not provided and costs extra
The last straw was when the Apple dealer, on being repeatedly asked about the generation of processor, instead of giving a direct answer, replied “When you buy a BMW, you do not ask what engine it is having”
These observations are for your guidance only. It is not for belittling Apple. I am not responsible if someone takes a wrong decision based on the above.
Regards
