Mac vx. PC: The Stereotypes May Be True

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Rob Lister

welp, do it today. show your work. i double-dog dare ya

Before you count your winnings... make sure you understand what "equivalently specced" implies. Just because two different systems have a 4Ghz Intel processor, 6Gb of Ram and a 1Tb hard-drive doesn't make them equivalently specced.

I'm not taking sides... I'm just saying.

[wizwor]

Originally Posted by Hellmark

Entry level, avoid mac. However, last time I did some realistic price comparison of higher end machines, a Mac Pro was within $50 of the comparable Dell.

I do think it is stupid that Apple has forsaken the lower end market. Most people don't want to spend $1500 on a decent machine. (yes, I know that there are cheaper macs, but that is about the point at which you're not getting raped by the Apple tax)

I don't think it's stupid. If I were in business, I would target the price insensitive market. There is a lot more money to be made there. If you can make a hundred billion dollars in a niche, that's the business model to embrace.

BUT, for the rest of us, there are $300 laptops and $200 desktops that get the job done. To pretend these computers do not exist or do not matter is silly. When I'm shopping for a kid, I assume he will abuse the crap out of the computer. Since I cannot afford toughbooks, I go for cheap.

My wife has been abusing a $240 Acer laptop (not netbook) for three years. The cover on one hinge is missing. The case looks like it has been sandblasted. The screen has indications of trauma. I would feel bad if I had paid $1500 for the machine, but $240 I can live with.

Just wish I had paid $240 for her Explorer

[Rob Lister]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

You were the one making the claim. I dispute your claim. You should do the leg work.

But I'll do half of it for you.

iMac:
21.5" 1920x1080 resolution screen
2.5GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
4GB RAM
500GB Hard drive
AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512MB
Bluetooth multi-touch mouse or trackpad
Bluetooth keyboard
Firewire and thunderbolt interfaces
web camera
Small desk footprint

Bundled Software:
Mac OX S Lion
iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband
Mail, iCal, Addressbook
Time Machine backup software

tech specs are here: http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html

Note that this machine hasn't changed in price since it was released nearly a year ago. You should find this an easy challenge.

$1199.

Please find something similar in a Windows PC for $599 (half price). Full Windows 7 please, and roughly equivalent bundled software.

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?

[monkeyluis]

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?

Add in MS office. Not some home & student crap either.

[monkeyluis]

i'm not even close to what they describe as a mac user.

[Rob Lister]

Originally Posted by monkeyluis

Add in MS office. Not some home & student crap either.

why? the mac didn't have that or Pages.

MS office for pc and MS office for mac are the same price, afaik

besides, i use openoffice.

[monkeyluis]

Originally Posted by Rob Lister

why? the mac didn't have Pages.

MS office and MS office for mac are the same price, afaik

besides, i use openoffice.

because most people will want to add it in. most jo schmos don't know this open office you speak of.

[Rob Lister]

Originally Posted by monkeyluis

because most people will want to add it in. most jo schmos don't know this open office you speak of.

then it is a wash, cost wise, because neither computer comes with it.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

... Then the whole icon thing started with Apple AFAIK and even the ipod was reasonably innovative...

Well... not really!

"the whole icon thing started with" Xerox Alto, Apple stole it. And the iPod was far from the first MP3 player.

But your right, the original Apple and Apple ][ were pretty inovative.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

You were the one making the claim. I dispute your claim. You should do the leg work.

But I'll do half of it for you.

iMac:
21.5" 1920x1080 resolution screen
2.5GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
4GB RAM
500GB Hard drive
AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512MB
Bluetooth multi-touch mouse or trackpad
Bluetooth keyboard
Firewire and thunderbolt interfaces
web camera
Small desk footprint

Bundled Software:
Mac OX S Lion
iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband
Mail, iCal, Addressbook
Time Machine backup software

tech specs are here: http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html

Note that this machine hasn't changed in price since it was released nearly a year ago. You should find this an easy challenge.

$1199.

Please find something similar in a Windows PC for $599 (half price). Full Windows 7 please, and roughly equivalent bundled software.

My Dell fits this list pretty well except it's 8 GB RAM and a TByte drive and it was $799 with Windows 7 Home Premium.

Oh, mine doesn't have a webcam, guess I'll need to add twenty bucks to the price.

[wodin]

I saw an article a couple of weeks ago that lauded Jobs as a true innovator, he figured out how to sell less for more!

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by monkeyluis

Add in MS office. Not some home & student crap either.

Why would someone want to pretend MS office gives as much functionality as cheaper software on the market? Hell, word won.t even output epubs.

You see, a lot of people do not have a brand name = superiority mental complex that short circuits their capacity to evaluate products objectively.

There is absolutely no point in getting into price comparisons with Mac users since these price comparisons are always fundamentally flawed since the objective is to find a PC that meets Apple's specifications rather than to find a PC that reflects the purchaser's needs.

This is most evident in their insistence upon the bundled software: very few people will need anything more than Windows Home Premium and Office Home & Student, yet Mac users like to insist upon Windows and Office Professional. Sure, that comparison may reflect feature parity. But if you don't need the features, why would you spend more? Of course, the exact same thing can be said for hardware specifications. I recently helped a friend buy a PC. The salesmen were pushing him towards the $500 models, I showed him the $350 models because it fit his needs. Thing is, Apple doesn't offer that choice. Heck, they don't even offer and upgradable/serviceable model under $2500 (sorry, but upgrading goes beyond a hard drive and RAM).

[Belle2Be]

Hey guys I just took an unscientific study, apparently 90% of college students majoring in photography use macs, and the other 10 are too cheap for anything over 100 bucks. Amazing.


That article is stupid. Where do they find the people to ask I wonder?

[david_e]

Originally Posted by Phogg

You see, a lot of people do not have a brand name = superiority mental complex that short circuits their capacity to evaluate products objectively.

You see, not everyone has such deep rooted feelings of inferiority that they are forced to equate brand names with self worth.