Using all 300 of Leopard’s new “features” could cost you over $1200


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Leopard is going to be here on Oct. 26th, and I can’t wait. Chances are, if you’re reading this Apple blog, that you’re probably pretty pumped as well. As I was going over the “300” new features (some of which, REALLY shouldn’t be touted as “innovations”), I noticed something that I found a bit alarming…the additional cost of things you’ll have to buy to get everything out of Leopard.

Now, I understand this list is going to get some people riled up, and that some of you will argue that “everyone already has that stuff” – but you’re wrong. Not everyone has all of these things. It is entirely possible that some users have NONE of these things. I only have 2 of them. If I want to really use everything Leopard has to offer, I’m going to have to spend a heck of a lot more than $129.

1. An External Hard Drive – if you don’t already have an external hard drive that you’re using exclusively for back-up, and that is of greater size than the hard drive on your Mac, you’re going to need to buy one to use Leopard’s highly promoted Time Machine application. I currently have a 350 gb external drive – but its filled with videos, music, games, and artwork files. I can’t use it for Time Machine.

2. .Mac – Several of the features listed on the “300” page refer to .Mac syncing. Syncing of Dashboard, Dock, System Preferences and more. If you want to use these features, .Mac is a necessary purchase – otherwise, they won’t work.

3. A Webcam – I know, I know – iMacs, and Mac notebooks comes with iSight cameras built right in. As a result – the 3rd party Mac webcam business is in the tank, and older Mac owners and Mac Mini owners are going to have a hard time even finding a webcam…but if you don’t have one, or have one built in – at least half a dozen of these 300 new features won’t work.

4. A Printer – 8 of the 300 new features are specifically for printers, and if you don’t have one – you can kiss those amazing innovations goodbye. Who doesn’t have a printer, you ask? Well – I don’t. I haven’t needed one for years. I assume most people do, but there are plenty of us that are paper free in this digital world.

5. Windows – Ah, Bootcamp. It’s a big one – it’s one of the features that Apple has listed towards the top…but it’s useless without a copy of Windows. So, you’ll be needing to make that purchase of one of Vista’s many choices, or find an old copy of XP on a shelf somewhere, if you want to take advantage of the Bootcamp features at all.

If you add up a $250 external hard drive, $179 .Mac family subscription, a $99 webcam (and I can’t find one for Mac any cheaper), a $150 printer, a copy of Windows Vista Ultimate at $399 , and a Leopard family pack at $199- I’m looking at a possible $1,275 dollars to use all those amazing new features. That’s seriously what it would cost to get both my Macs in my house up and running on Leopard will all features flying.

That adds up quick.

Now, put your pitchforks down fellow member’s of the Cult of Mac, I’m not saying Leopard is a rip-off, or a bad deal – in fact, I think more than anything, I’m kind of making fun of that ridiculous page of 300 features. I mean, seriously, iChat “invisibility” is not a feature I’d be bragging about – every other chat client in the world has had that for YEARS.

There is some great stuff in Leopard, and I can’t wait to start using some of it. The Finder, Quick Look, the new Preview, Spaces, and Stacks are all great features that are more than worth the price of admission for me – but I think it should be clear that to use EVERYTHING Leopard has to offer, you’re going to make some additional purchases.


Kossi Adzo

Kossi Adzo is a technology enthusiast and digital strategist with a fervent passion for Apple products and the innovative technologies that orbit them. With a background in computer science and a decade of experience in app development and digital marketing, Kossi brings a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective to the Apple Gazette team.

27 Comments

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  1. The only thing I have is a .Mac, but I’m still looking forward to all of the other new features. It’s defiantly worth the $129 to me… especially when your alternative is Vista, which is an overpriced, bloated, non-functioning, piece of crap. Look at how much money people had to spend on new computers just so they could run that operating system.

  2. My friends has 3 kids, and not a lot of money. He’s pumped about Leopard. It sucks that he has a G4 from like 3-4 years ago. He can’t afford a new machine right now, and throwing Leopard on his machine probably isn’t worth it. Same problem with iLife 08.

    I keep telling him to eBay the old machine and buy a core

  3. Michael,
    Crazy right? It doesn’t matter what you say. There is always going to be someone that bitches and moans about it, takes it to the extreme and totally the wrong way.

    About my friends Mac? Totally! I said the same thing. We’ll see if he goes for it.

    @Slevin:
    Good idea on the iPhone credit.
    I wonder how many people are kicking themselves for blowing it on iPod accessories that they didn’t really need instead of holding out for Leopard.

  4. It’s sensationalist your post.

    1) most people will not buy a family pack so it’ll be $129 plus tax for leopard unless you order from Amazon.com or the like. It’ll only cost you $29+tax if you use your iPhone rebate to purchase it like I am.

    2) No where does it say you need Vista ultimate, if you need to use vista you can get by with the cheapest version which is the vista home basic for 177 on amazon if you need the upgrade its only 58 bucks

    3) .Mac can be had for 80 on amazon for a single license.

    The external HD is up to the individual user on how much the user wants storage space. But one can find good cheap deaps on externals for less than 250. I got a 500GB one for about 200 + tax.

    I don’t know much about web cams so I’ll leave that out.

    Now I know people are excited about Leopard (I’m planning on leaving work early to get mine and a T-Shirt too!) but I compare the headline of this article to those who bash Apple and just drive hits to their website via outrageous headlines. I’m a fan of AG but its sad to see it you sink to a new low in order to just drive hits.
    3) Printers can be had at less than 150. Granted you are sacrificing quaility but a decent color printer can be had for 100 dollars.

    4)

  5. @Slevin

    You get that it’s poking fun, right? Of course you could bottom out the figures and pick the absolute minimum of everything…but all things considered, I’m just kidding. I was trying to be sensationalists on purpose…ya know, kinda like saying there are 300 new features when most of them shouldn’t count is…you know…sensationalist.

    😛

    Although, you should know that you do HAVE to have Vista Ultimate if you want to legally run it in Parallels or VMWare Fusion…so if you’re going to buy a Vista for your Mac – it really should be Ultimate.

  6. I just grabbed a WD 500gb hd from Amazon the other day for $165 which included shipping. I got the hd in 2 days and did not pay for shipping.

    Other items such as .Mac subscription most users I would say are not using. And maybe you don’t have a printer but most people do. Also, nobody says you have to use bootcamp, its a nice feature for those that do but certainly not something to factor into the cost of what Leopard will be.

  7. I’ve got 4 out of the 5 of these things, the 5th being .Mac, which I will probably get soon enough but not for syncing–I only own one Mac at this point.

    I would think about 99.99% of people own a printer.

    The other 2 items, the iSight and Windows–I have but don’t use.

    Next…

    And I’m spending $109 on Leopard because I’m getting it at Amazon. (Sidenote: sad that it’s cheaper to buy at Amazon than to buy at Apple at the “education” rate!)

  8. @kyre

    He could probably ebay his machine – then buy a machine that was a year or two old off ebay and be WAY better off than he is now.

  9. Don’t forget that you will have to buy a DESK and a CHAIR ($1,000). If you buy your Mac at an Apple store, you will have to use a CAR ($10,000) to get there. You’ll also need a HOUSE to sit in while you use it ($400,000) – that brings the total cost of using Leopard’s features up to a whopping $412,200!!!

  10. Cripes! You just made me realize that if I buy the new car I am looking at, that I also need to pay for gas, maintenance, insurance, tolls, parking, etc. I never thought how expensive a car could be!! Perhaps if I buy another model? One tinted with Windows?

  11. In Mexico, if you install the system in english, you need a basic course of the idiom. That is around $1,200 dlls

  12. @kyre Have your friend buy from Powermax.com, they take trade-ins.

    @Dave do you mean tainted with Windows? As in MS Windows, a lot of cars have Windows computers running in them now. Sad

  13. I am sitting in an all day strategy meeting in DC. I have been reading this post and comments on an iPhone under the table. It is all I can do to keep from LOL! Thanks! I needed this! Thx.

  14. Ummm…

    Some of your numbers ARE a little off.

    The Family Pack, for instance. Licenses for FIVE Macs. You left out the cost of buying four more Macintoshes!

    As for Windows costing me $399, get real. You’d have to pay me to use Windows. How much? A lot more than $399.

  15. >If I want to really use everything Leopard has to offer, I’m going to have >to spend a heck of a lot more than $129.

    Lucky for you you won’t have to spend a penny, since your bosses at Microsoft will pay for it. After all, they can’t expect you to do a good job of shitting on Leopard otherwise.

  16. @Boo

    LOL!

    That’s the best one I’ve heard all day.

    You’ve figured me out! I’m 144 episodes into a DAILY Apple podcast just to gain your trust, only to throw you this curve ball at the last minute and single handedly destroy Apple!

    Written on my iPhone.

    :p

  17. I like to look at the list as a change log for mac osx. New improvements over the last version, sure some of them aren’t really bragging type, but it is an improvement that we never had before.

  18. Interesting. I don’t have a printer, don’t have .mac, don’t have iSight and my G4 doesn’t run windows.
    I guess I had to sort of expect that I will miss out on many features because of using a G4 Mac. Well, I guess I would be just happy if it runs at all at acceptable speeds on my trusty Powerbook… gotta wait for the reviews before buying though.

  19. You have convinced me that Apple was wrong to list any features requiring external hardware or services. These obviously shouldn’t count as actual new features as they might mislead someone into inavertantly upgrading to Leapard. Thrifty people, enlighted by your article, should just stick with their current OS version that doesn’t require an external hard drive for backup or a printer for printing.

  20. I would be interested , where u buy ur external harddrives for 250 $
    i my self looke into that for Time Machine, and must say even considering 1€ = 1.5$ there are solutions with 500GB well under 200$.

    And arguments like if u wann use bootcamp features ……
    I mean , u only wann use bootcamp features, if u really need windows
    and in that caes u probably have alreday a licence of window.
    and if not there must have been a reason to use leopard and windows, in which caes its not extra money , its extra money u in any case needed to spend

  21. You’re kidding about the prices, right? Looking at the Apple Store ( not exactly bargain basement ), I see three printers for $100. They’re two Canons and an HP all in ones. There’s also an Iomega 500gb external for $140. I’m sure some reseach might find a cheaper webcam.

  22. After taking a nap, I found a Mac webcam for about $60. You can find it at https://www.ecamm.com/mac/imagewebcam/ . Sorry, I’m so bad at this that I don’t know how to make that clickable. Amazon has the family pack for $189
    I found Windows XP at https://www.3gplaza.com/estore/control/3gplaza/productdetails?id=61258&srccode=PW They want $83I cannot tell if this would work, but it looks like it.

    So drive $140, .Mac $179, webcam $60, printer $100, windows $83, Leopard family pack $189. That totals $691. Even if you spend $100 on shipping that’s nearly $500 savings found with less than an hour of looking.

  23. I’m coming at this months later, but did you add in that you have to buy a Mac in order to use Leopard? That’s another big hit right there!