MACS ARE EXPENSIVE.
It is the general concensus that Macs are more expensive than PCs. Naturally, most of us believe this without thinking about; why would we bother to question such an accusation? 95% of us use Windows anyways; it's not worth our time to delve into such research. I, however, found that it was worth my time. The research that I did was simply into the comparison of the most modern Apple notebook and the most modern Dell notebook; I will not compare a Mac to a discounted wholesale notebook.
It turns out that depending on how you value certain hardware components and software applications, you may find that a Mac can be a better deal than a Dell. To prove such a statement, I spent too much time creating the table below, which compares two very similar notebooks: an Apple MacBook and a Dell Inspiron. I should note that I calculated the final prices by customizing each notebook at its respective company's online Canadian store.
So it looks like, if you can pass up on a modem, a few USB ports, and a few hundred pixels of scren size, you will get a (somewhat) cheaper machine that not only has so much more included (and useful) software, but is also hugely attractive. I could have upped the Dell's price and included Windows Media Center edition and a 40-button remote, but that would make the Dell seem too much more more expensive. And the point of this article is not to reach a conclusion that Macs are cheaper than PCs, because they aren't.
The question is really about which is a better deal. Price does play a big part, but so does the OS, the software, the specs, and the special hardware features. How can you even compare the value of Windows and Mac OS X. While OS X is much, much cheaper than Windows XP (and do you compare it to Professional or Media Center Edition?) it could be argued that Windows is more feature-rich. Also, how much do you value a virus-free world, not having to purchase Norton or McFae? There's really no way to honestly state which is a better deal. If you knew me, you'd know I would argue ('till I die) that the MacBook is a better deal, but my values obviously differ from yours.
The point of this post is not to declare a winner, but rather, to point out that the cultural consensus that PCs are a much better deal than Macs is not the case.
It turns out that depending on how you value certain hardware components and software applications, you may find that a Mac can be a better deal than a Dell. To prove such a statement, I spent too much time creating the table below, which compares two very similar notebooks: an Apple MacBook and a Dell Inspiron. I should note that I calculated the final prices by customizing each notebook at its respective company's online Canadian store.
 |
VS |  |
| Apple MacBook | Model | Dell Inspiron 640m |
| Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger) | OS | Windows XP Home (SP2) |
| 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo | Processor | 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo |
| 1GB 667mhz DDR2 SDRAM | Memory | 1GB 667mhz DDR2 SDRAM |
| 80GB SATA | Hard Disk | 80GB SATA |
| 64MB Intel Integrated | Video Card | 64MB Intel Integrated |
| 13.3" Glossy [1280 x 800] | Screen | 14.1" Glossy [1440 x 900] |
| DVD±RW/CD-RW [SLOT] | Disc Drive | DVD±RW/CD-RW [TRAY] |
| Wi-Fi (802.11g) | Wireless | Wi-Fi (802.11g) |
| 1 Year | Warranty | 1 Year |
| iLife 2006 Front Row |
Software | WordPerfect |
| Integrated iSight Bluetooth 2.0+EDR 1 Firewire 400 Ports 2 USB 2.0 Ports Mini-DVI Port Built-in Mic Apple Remote |
Other | Exterior Media Controls RJ11 Modem port S-Video 4 USB 2.0 Ports Monitor Port 5-in-1 Card Reader |
| $1,629 |
Price | $1,779 |
So it looks like, if you can pass up on a modem, a few USB ports, and a few hundred pixels of scren size, you will get a (somewhat) cheaper machine that not only has so much more included (and useful) software, but is also hugely attractive. I could have upped the Dell's price and included Windows Media Center edition and a 40-button remote, but that would make the Dell seem too much more more expensive. And the point of this article is not to reach a conclusion that Macs are cheaper than PCs, because they aren't.
The question is really about which is a better deal. Price does play a big part, but so does the OS, the software, the specs, and the special hardware features. How can you even compare the value of Windows and Mac OS X. While OS X is much, much cheaper than Windows XP (and do you compare it to Professional or Media Center Edition?) it could be argued that Windows is more feature-rich. Also, how much do you value a virus-free world, not having to purchase Norton or McFae? There's really no way to honestly state which is a better deal. If you knew me, you'd know I would argue ('till I die) that the MacBook is a better deal, but my values obviously differ from yours.
The point of this post is not to declare a winner, but rather, to point out that the cultural consensus that PCs are a much better deal than Macs is not the case.
posted by luke seeley at 10:46 PM
4 Comments:
you convinced me to sell my powerbook to get a macbook...apple thanks you
i would still pick the Dell Notebook over the MacBook... thxs tho
Here in the US, Dell offers insane deals on their Inspiron line, practically on daily basis through coupon codes that you can apply when the configured laptop is in your cart. Sites such as www.techbargains.com and www.bensbargains.net post these coupons all the time. The typical coupons are the $300 off a $999 purchase, $450 off a $1499 purchase and $750 off a $1999 purchase.
I have a 1.83 Ghz MacBook Pro that I paid $1900 for, but I recently ordered a Dell Inspiron E1505 for someone else, using the $750 off coupon. That system was configed as follows:
2 GHz Core Duo
1 GB RAM
1680x1050 15.4" TrueLife display
120 GB 5400 rpm SATA HDD
8x Dual Layer DVD Burner (Wish my MBP had this)
9-cell battery
Radeon Mobility X1400 256 MB
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
Windows MCE 2005 (this OS is actually based on Pro and not the Home Edition)
Audigy HD Audio
TV Tuner and MCE Remote
Guess how much it cost? $1286.
Do I feel bad that this laptop blows away my $1900 MBP in most features? No. I'm a shallow, consumerist, trendy gadget whore and I was willing to pay the extra dough for the Apple design, 1 less pound of weight and the little extras such as the MagSafe connector and backlit keyboard. OS-X is one awesome, good-looking, easy-to-use Linux distro and I love playing with it but I didn't really _need_ it. You see, I'm what you'd call a PC power user. With a few tweaks and free pieces of software, XP Pro (or MCE2005) turns into a very secure, fast and stable OS. Norton and McAfee? No thanks. No one should pay for that buggy bloatware when something like AVG Free works so well while using so little system resources. The thing is that I'm a very heavy XP user and I haven't even come close to getting infected with a virus or a trojan in many, many years and only have downloaded stuff infected with that stuff (Adware trojans) once or twice. All it really takes is not using IE, keeping up with Windows Updates, virus definition updates and using your brain when it comes to choosing the web content you access. Something like Windows Defender or SpyBot provide a nice safety net.
Ok, I'll be realistic and admit that the vast majority of PC users wouldn't know a thing about XP security tweaks or that they don't have to pay for bloated software suits to get virus protection. Yes, OS-X is much safer "out-of-the-box", but you do have to pay a hefty premium for the previledge of using it. Bah, who am I kidding? Most people don't know about those Dell coupons either. :)
luke, simon, and tom.
we shall be the macbook three.
i can't wait.
we the three.
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