[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Rob Lister

dell sells a similar machine but it won't let me downgrade it enough to get lower than 900
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...piron-one-2320

i got it down to 6gb ram and tb hard drive.

hp touchsmart, same deal, but still cant downgrade enough to get to mac specs. $579
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/sh...s_ts320_buy_uf


wanna do laptops too?

Nice try.

The HP has a smaller screen (couldn't find specs for the quality of the screen) and slower graphics card, no firewire or thunderbolt. Granted, the HP did come with 1TB not 500GB hard drive.

When I added in the items to match the Mac spec (except firewire and thunderbolt), I got to $1107.98. 2.5GHz Quad core, remember.

• Genuine Windows 7 Professional [64-bit]
• AMD quad-core A8-3820 Accelerated Processor [ 2.5GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, Max Memory Speed: DDR3-1600]
• FREE UPGRADE to 4GB DDR3-1333MHz SODIMM [2 DIMMs] from 2GB
• 1TB 7200 rpm SATA hard drive
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word & Excel w/ ads. No PowerPoint or Outlook
• No additional security software
• Integrated graphics - ATI Radeon HD 4270
• Speaker System Z313
• Slim Tray SuperMulti DVD burner
• Premium Wireless-N LAN card and Bluetooth(R )(2x2)
• 6 in 1 memory card reader, 2 x USB 2.0, audio
• No TV Tuner
• Integrated sound
• HP wireless keyboard and wireless optical mouse
• Roxio PhotoSuite 9 Deluxe
• SAVE $20 on Roxio Creator 2012

Even leaving off the iPhoto and iMovie software equivalents, it come to $989.98.

The Dell is interesting. 23" screen which is a bonus. But nowhere near half the price.

You lose, I think. You have not found a similar spec machine anywhere near half the price.

Of course, you can find machines that are half the price. Which may be all some people want. I didn't dispute that.

I did say that you couldn't get the same spec machine for half price. Thanks for demonstrating that that's true.