Comments on: Of Course Macs Are More Expensive… Aren’t They?

By: ReelSmart.com » Macs Cost More, Right? Well No Actually!

ReelSmart.com » Macs Cost More, Right? Well No Actually! — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 22:57:50 +0000

[...] Well let them read these stories from “Musings From Mars” blog where he compares Apple to Dell and IBM: of-course-macs-are-more-expensive quick-pricing-update-time-to-pick-on apple-beefs-up-imac-line-widens-price dont-all-computers-need-help-desk-guy [...]

By: electrical engineering jobs

electrical engineering jobs — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 19:26:16 +0000

Great blog. Found your blog while searching for more information at yahoo . Your blog has quite a lot of interesting thoughts. Keep up the good work, thnx

By: Leland

Leland — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 00:03:27 +0000

Dontcha just love Windows users who don’t know how to read? It’s not surprising that they end up with Dell’s when they’re satisfied to just gloss over details like how many processors a system has. Of course, Dell’s website is perfect for people like that… too many details for anyone to absorb in one sitting.

Torsten, go leave your Windows droppings elsewhere. My article clearly compares a dual G5 to a dual-processor Dell Xeon (not a P4, not a single processor system). The Dell has an option for a second processor, so, to make the comparison as equal as possible, I added that to the Dell configuration. Here’s what my detailed accounting of the two pro-class desktops says about the Dell processor:

Dual Xeon 3.2GHz*
* Corrected for equivalency as calculated at SystemShootouts.org . The dual 3.4 GHz Xeon selected originally was a $600 upgrade.

Seriously, though, this is exactly how Microsoft and the PC ecosystem stays in business: They count on ignorant consumers not being able to compare Apples with whatever it is they’re offering. Like our friend Torsten here.

By: Torsten Rosendal

Torsten Rosendal — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 23:11:52 +0000

Well, I have to hand it to you: That “comparison” between - not PC and MAC - but DELL vs MAC, is just about the worst cutÂ´n paste job from all the no-brainer posts on div. apple-geek-forums around the globe.

Why do you think MAC finally gives up on IBM and moves to Intel instead?

The best/worst example, is when you compare a DUAL G5 to a single core, sinlge chip P4. That shows you dunno WTF your rambling about my friend.

So please, do us all a favour and shut up when you know zip.

Thanks (this is not personal)

Helmuth Kool

By: Charles Gaba

Charles Gaba — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 17:19:51 +0000

Hi there…I’m the webmaster of the System Shootouts website which has been referenced throughout these comments several times.

First, I want to thank everyone for the kind words about my site; I put a lot of work into it, so it’s nice to hear some words of encouragement from time to time (yes, I have some Google ads on the site, but they pretty much just cover the hosting costs).

Second, I wanted to clarify a couple of points, just for the record:

1. Many of the references to my site treat the Processor Comparison chart as if it’s the end-all/be-all of benchmark measurement. If you read through the background below it, you’ll quickly see that the “performance equivalences” I list are, ironically, the LEAST accurate and MOST biased part of the site, simply because there are so many variables involved.

Hopefully, most of this will become a moot point once Apple switches to the Intel processors, though of course there will still be the AMD factor, etc…

Aside from the processor comparisons–and to a lesser extent, the video cards–every other feature compared between the various systems should be pretty objective. The *data* listed is 100% accurate; the “winner” listed (bold-faced yellow) in each catagory may or may not be objective or subjective depending on the situation (ie, an 80 GB 7200 RPM hard drive is pretty obviously better than a 40 GB 5400 RPM drive; for software, it’s a bit fuzzier, since opinions can vary widely about which particular piece of software is “better” overall).

By: Andrew Hedges

Andrew Hedges — Fri, 09 Dec 2005 18:17:58 +0000

I just ran a couple of comparisons on Dell.com and Apple.com. This is timely because my parents’ wretched Win98 white box just died and I’m trying to convince them to get a Mac.

In my comparisons using the specs I would personally find acceptable, I found a Mac mini cheaper than an equivalent Dell Dimension B110, but I found the 14″ iBook to be a couple hundred dollars more than the equivalent Dell laptop (I forget which model).

The most striking comparison I made was between the 17″ iMac G5 and a Dell Precision 380 w/a digital 17″ LCD. You mention above that you would probably buy a Windows machine if you were a hard-core gamer. For the price of the Precision, you could get an iMac AND an Xbox 360!

How ’bout them Apples?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Dell is very expensive too, which makes both comparisons meaningless. With PCs, at least, you have a choice, you don’t have to buy from a single vendor.
Oh, and by the way, Windows XP 64 has been released.

By: SubSpawn

SubSpawn — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

First of all I must say, I found it a very pleasant article and well written.

Perhaps a bit too much focused on complementary software but after reading all of the comments I must agree. By the way: I think almost everyone who claims he doesn’t need pro packages with his PC will download the illegal version sooner or later or you just have to be a open source geek

Some minor comments: MacOS X is NOT based on free bsd afaik but on Darwin, another BSD unix. And offcourse, darwin is as solid as brick. Like almost every Unix-system is. You simply cannot compare “windows” stability with unix-based stability. And yes I’ve seen Mac’s crash too, but never on the kernel (BSOD’s do tend to occur alot more on PC’s ;))

Now for MacOS X begin slow, I don’t really agree. What happens for instance when you click the “File”-menu ? As you expect, it appears on your screen. What happens with all Windows versions ? No it does NOT appear.. the stupid thing sits there waiting for 400 ms before it starts appearing with scrollmovement that lags your PC even more when using a pre-P4 generation PC.
I can hear you windows-freaks shouting allready “you can turn those features off !”. Certainly you can turn it off, each time I install a PC for me I tweak all the settings so windows can run “fast” for me. Some examples are: all the animation must be turned off, shutdown timers set to 1 sec instead of 20 sec,menushowdelay on 0 msec insted of 400, and lots of other options… I even made a profile for all the settings with qtec’s X-Setup Pro. But can an average home user who is deciding what to buy perform all those tweaks ? I think not. What do you do with Apple ? Simple, one page with all the settings (unlike everything hidden in screen after screen after screen like MS loves to do). And any home user can easilly turn off the animation from the bar at the bottom and so forth. By the way, a mac is very controlable by a keyboard.. it has very handy shortcuts (we all know the control+C and such) for everything. I still want a fast “create folder” combination in windows. I recommend MacOS X for both professional usage as for total beginners. Pro’s can work awfully fast in it with keyboard and it’s shell and beginners can find themselves in the simplicity which is Apple’s biggest advantage.

As said in the article, the 3-page options in Dell are just… overwhelming, they slap you arround with unnecessary bullshit.
Which I even as a pro IT specialist hardly ever read since they’re always the same.

A diskdrive is a diskdrive, not a “diskdrive color gray measurements: blabla, 90 screws incorporated in the diskdrive, a magnetic field of this and that strenght designed by x who lives at and was born in …”. At least Apple has the advantage of being simple and to the point.

Zero viruses is right at the moment for Mac OS X, there is no argument about that. Offcourse there are several flaws (too much in my personal opinion) but none has been proven succesfully exploited by a real virus… unlike PC’s.

Some important points were mentioned in other comment posts such as the TOC are not included. Maybe Scott can include them too (in this article or a followup).

Personally I find Mac hardware purchased seperatly in an Apple store extremely high in Europe (Belgium to be exact). That really pushes up the annual costs for maintaining your Mac’s when you’re talking businesses at corporate level. But then again… calculate the costs you have when you’re running wintel boxes. Win2K3 server is very expensive compared to MacOS X Server, along with SMS, Exchange, Antivirus, etc.. I ‘m very certain that Mac’s turn out to be cheaper in that marketsegment too, even when purchasing a big lot (yes Apple also gives corporate discounts when you ask for it).

As said, only the Mac hardware upgrades are a total ripoff overhere. I mean like, 3 times the price for RAM as PC’s… and the RAM is just the same. That I cannot understand, but other than that small detail, in purchase a Mac is not more expensive as an average PC.

The only realistic way to make a PC alot cheaper than Mac is to be a geek and buy all the parts from the cheapest Ã©l cheapo store and build it yourself (which 90% of all the people won’t do).

Ow yes.. almost forgot to mention.. the lifetime and support cycle for a mac is much longer than PC. A PC that’s 3 years old is considered to be “an old piece of junk”, Mac’s can easilly be used for at least 4 to 5 years. At my work we run the latest MacOS X on a G4 400 and it’s still fast enough. Don’t try to run XP on a system that was 5 years old before XP first appeared (which would be trying to run XP on a Pentium MMX).

By: sean

sean — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

You’re right about the software - I guess I hadn’t thought of that really, I use mainly free software so I’ve purchased little in my life.

And yes, the free AV programs on Windows are excellent, and do come with free updates. I use AVG, which is updated every day and works great. Check here:

http://pricelessware.org/thelist/sec.htm#Anti-Virus

“AntiVir personal edition” is another one, I’ve never used it but I’ve read good things about it and if it’s on that list, I guarantee it’s good.

Viruses are a pain in the ass for Windows users, true. And it all mainly comes from IE and OE. I’ve never had problems with viruses, in fact I’ve only had one in the 5 years I’ve been using Windows and it wasnt a major one by any means (quarantined and destroyed instantly). I think this stems from the fact that I dont use IE and OE (I use the Mozilla alternatives). Also I’m really careful about what I do and what I download. Unfortunately many people aren’t educated about this and hence the problems we have.

Notice I’ve never mentioned whether or not I think Macs are better, I was just arguing about them being cheaper. I like both Windows and Mac, my PC’s are a LOT faster and fancier than my ibook so I tend to use them a lot more, but I do like Macs, and would totally without a doubt recommend them to anyone who isn’t “good” with computers.

By: Leland Scott

Leland Scott — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Hi Sean,
Thanks for your latest post. Glad to know you’re not really an asshole, and that you don’t think I’m a total idiot.

But seriously, something to think about is that often you’ll get the best bargains in software by getting them with your computer to begin with. Not counting Apple (I mean, Quicken costs $70 retail), the Dell selections by and large were big discounts off retail. The first one I checked just now was Word Perfect Office 12, which I selected as a Dell upgrade for $79. Do you know how much Corel wants for this? (I assume it’s the cheaper “standard” edition.) $299.99. Yes, you can probably get it for less elsewhere, but I seriously doubt you’ll get it for anything close to $79 except from Dell. I haven’t checked the rest of these, but I suspect that’s typical.

Why would software be less expensive in a package like Dell’s? Because new computers are the single best distribution system for software vendors, and you can bet they’re lining up for the chance to be one of the selections on Dell’s lengthy checkout screens. That means they’re dealing in massive bulk, at a big discount to retail.

This is, after all, the Microsoft strategy, right? Get that software onto the sucker’s desktop, and they’ll use it cause it’s there, not because it’s necessarily better. That’s precisely how they won the browser wars, and how so many virus-crippled people got stuck using IE and Outlook Express.

Besides, software companies don’t really make money from the initial sale… they make it from the upgrades they hope you’ll make. They want to be your friend for life, so they’re more than happy to throw in a cheap license to get you going.

(Gee, why is my mind shifting to thoughts of drug dealers all of a sudden?)

Finally, you mention there are free antivirus and antispyware programs for Windows. Assuming they’re really any good, do they also offer free subscriptions? It’s not the software that keeps you virus-free, it’s the quality of the subscription. And I’ll be surprised if that doesn’t cost something. But I’m happy to be educated if there really is a free option.

Of course, I’m still shocked that people find using antivirus/antispyware software tolerable at all. The interruption to your worklife and your PC’s performance is so irritating. I think it’s the way people who are trying to have a conversation in an incredibly noisy restaurant feel. You can still talk, and you’re still having fun. But when you suddenly silence the room, don’t you feel so much better?

That’s the way the Mac and viruses are. You won’t really understand how liberating being virus-free is until you are.

Cheers,
Leland

By: sean

sean — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Allright - sorry, before I didn’t notice there was a way to leave your name if you didnt have a blogger account (which I dont). I wasn’t trying to be an anonymous coward, even if I did write something nasty and immature on my website (that’s just the way I am).

Ok, the software’s important. I agree. And there’s no replacement for OSX or iLife on Windows, so Mac wins their hands down. But I would never buy software or hardware extras from the company selling the computer (unless I had to to get it). It’s like buying candy at a movie theater - the company’s making such a small margin on the hardware that they rape and pillage when it comes to the add-ons. And I do kind of have a problem with you adding on the anti virus because there are many free alternatives to the crap that Norton and McAfee release every year and call “software”. Their AV and security programs are some of the worst programs ever written for Windows.

Your post infers that I am anti-mac, I said previously that I am not anti-mac, I own an iBook and before that I had an iMac (and before that a quadra…). I like Macs a lot.

The price I got was in fact just during one of dell’s “sales”. It was certainly one of their better ones but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I just specced out my computer with today’s deals and it’s about $300 more, more inline with Apple’s price, but still better. So you wait a week and try again - that’s how it goes.

By: Leland Scott

Leland Scott — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

This is to the anonymous poster who told us about the great deal he got on an Inspiron 6000.

Your point seems to be that I shouldn’t include software bundles with the cost of the hardware. I disagree, and I made it clear in my article. A computer is not just hardware, it’s very much also software. And software isn’t free. (Well, some is, but you can’t count on it.) I realize that some people (like you) don’t care about the software, but that doesn’t make including software invalid, because it’s very much a part of the value of the entire package.

Anti-Mac types love to say that software doesn’t count, because that way they have a better chance of winning the game. But what I’m saying is, I don’t like to play the game that way. That’s the Windows way of playing, and it ain’t fare to Macs. I think it’s biased towards Windows to not include software in your analysis of a computer’s purchase price.

Also, I made clear that my analysis wasn’t taking into account any special deals that may or may not be offered at either site. (Except of course for the phony “discounts” Dell offers all the time.) The price you got for that Inspiron 6000 was obviously NOT retail.

Just for fun, I left the software out (well, except for antivirus subscription… you just can’t buy a Windows machine without that) and put together a Dell Inspiron 6000 with specs that match the 15″ PowerBook I use in my article. Without the software, it comes in about $200 less. That’s about what I would have expected, although I’d still argue that the value of the iLife suite, together with iCal, iSync, Sherlock, Quicken, and so on (not to mention the Mac OS itself) are a fair trade.

Here are the specs:
1.686 pentium-m, 533mhz front side bus
Windows XP Pro
512 DDR2 RAM (1 module–that’s an important point)
1280×800 15″ screen
ATI x300 graphics card with 64MB RAM
Built in wireless 802.11 b/g AND bluetooth
80GB HD
CD-R/DVD drive
Price: $1799 (reflects a $250 discount from $2049)

The comparable Apple PowerBook is $1999.

So, if you DO include the software bundle, the price of comparable Dell and Apple systems are roughly the same. My point is to dispell the widespread belief that Apple computers are much more expensive than PC’s. They simply aren’t. Look at the update I did today on the IBM Thinkpad advertised in the Washington Post. It’s a lot more expensive than an iBook even without the software.

And keep an eye on Apple’s Special Deals page… if you’re looking for a bargain, you can find them there too. I’m just not counting special deals in my “game”.

Also, I have a lot more respect for the opinions of people who actually leave their names with their comments. It’s easy to say things if you don’t have to back them up, or answer counter-arguments.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

While I’ll not claim that I am unbiased, I do view computers as tools. Some better for some purposes than others. From what I’ve read here, I don’t think the author or most of the respondents share that view. Macs are made better? I had an HP laptop that was a real road warrior for four years before I gave it to a computer illerate friend and they’ve used it for another year without problems. More powerful? Depends on the application, I suppose. Personally, I use Linux for “power” applications and servers. Choices? Limited. Cheaper? Not where I shop. Bottom line: Macs are great tools for some applications but I’ll stick to an open architecture for now, thank you.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

QUOTE:
“… and you’ve proven exactly what this guy stated in the first paragraph of his article. Dells look cheaper because people compare the clock speeds on a 1 to 1 basis.”

I’m sorry, but you are just dumb. Notice that right after I posted the comparisons, I said the dell beat or tied the apple, “processor excluded, as that debate will never be resolved”. Learn to read. Thanks!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve noticed nobody actually made a comment as to how it actually _feels_ to use a Mac as opposed to Windows.

The interface is slow on a Mac (trust me, I have a PB15). The Windows GUI feels faster overall and does actually let you get work done faster (provided you know what it is you want done)

That said, the Mac UI is beautiful. I just hope the Tiger upgrade I have to pay for makes it as fast as WinXP/2000 to _use_. I think us Mac users have had to pay for.. what? 3 or 4 upgrades since 2001? Didn’t XP come out in 2001?

I’m glad hardware prices have sort of dropped since the 90s (I used to have a Mac+). Makes it easier to see comparisons like these being done. Back then, the comparisons were about ease of use and all the savings you could make on learning the PC.

There’s an element of pride in owning a Mac. Just don’t let it cloud your judgement too.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Just a few notes about your article. First an unimportant matter, I believe you can access 4 GB of memory not 3 GB on 32-bit machines.
I’m not sure what you mean by “Windows PCs are still stuck in 32-bit computing, and it’ll be some time before they catch up.” Do you mean the OS or the programs? Because the 64-bit version of Windows is already out and there are 64-bit Intel and AMD processors out.
I don’t necessarily like Dell’s interface but the statement “at Apple’s online store, the choices are pared down to a very reasonable number, and the differences are very clear. There’s still room for customizing your selection, but it doesn’t take 3 pages like it does on the Dell site!” bothers me because you simply do have more choices so you may need 3 pages to customize it.
This statement bothered my a lot, “For some reason, Microsoft thinks it’s important to sell a version of Windows that doesn’t have certain features, such as backup, remote control, remote networking, web serving, and the like.” I don’t think the average user cares about remote control, web serving and the like so it makes perfect sense for MS to provide a cheaper version.
Other people have stated before that the $299 system may be stripped down but many average users would be perfectly happy with that since they only will use it for word processing and email.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Since I'm in the market for a computer I decided to do, what I would call a requirements based comparison. This is actually the comparison a true customer ought to do. Decide what you need then see where you can get it at the least cost.

So I went to dell.com and customized a computer that fits my requirements. Then I went over to apple.com and tried to configure an equivalent computer. It seems to me that the Apple was much more expensive than the Dell.

Here are my specs for the Dell:

Dimension 3000. 2.8 GHz P4,
XP Home ed.
256MB RAM
Dell Kybd &Mouse
17 inch LCD Flatscreen Monitor
Integrated Video Card
160GB Hard Drive
3.5 Inch Floppy Drive
Integrated 10/100 ethernet
IEEE1394 Adapter
USB WLAN 802.11 B/G adapter
Netgear Wireless Router 802.11 b/g
Total Cost: $1093 ($993 after discount. $764 with 17inch crt monitor).

I really could not find anything comparable in the Apple store at a price in the same ball park. I began with the Apple mini but that was soon over $800 at 1.4Ghz processor, 80MB hard drive and without the Wireless Router plus it seems the mini does not come with a monitor. The nearest I got was a customized iMac G5 with the following configuration:

â€¢ 256MB DDR400 SDRAM - 1 DIMM
â€¢ 160GB Serial ATA drive
â€¢ AirPort Extreme Card
â€¢ None - Bluetooth Module
â€¢ Keyboard and Mouse + Mac OS X - U.S. English
â€¢ 17-inch widescreen LCD
â€¢ 1.6GHz PowerPC G5
â€¢ Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
â€¢ NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra w/64MB video memory

Subtotal $1,478.00

Clearly, to me much more expensive than the Dell. In fact if I drop the flat screen monitor with the Dell (which I don't actually have to have. Also I did not find any option to switch monitors with the Apple) it comes in at $764 Almost half as much as the Apple. Note that the Apple does not include a wireless router. Which I would still have to buy. Also come to that, I'd have to get at least a 2 button scroll mouse. As far as room for compromise goes, the Apple also comes up short. If I were to pay more I's rather spend the extra on more memory a faster processor, an extra hard drive and more warranty. The price differential here gives me plenty of room for that with the Dell.

Finally the WinXP professional choice. Of all the people I know who recently bought a PC for purely home use not one picked XP professional. In fact the professional tag scared them away. Its not a large sample but I think the comparison done by the author is skewed in favor of Apple by the choice of XP professional.

emk

By: Leland Scott

Leland Scott — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I removed a comment from someone spreading the myth that Windows PC’s only have viruses because they’re so popular. That’s just not the case. There are inherent flaws in Windows that makes it easy to write viruses and spyware for them. Macs don’t have 3-5% of all known viruses (the low end of the estimate of Mac’s market share), they have ZERO viruses. That’s because the Mac OS is built on Free BSD, an extremely secure variant of Unix. And because Apple has been smart enough to keep it secure. Don’t buy that B****it about the relation between viruses and market share. You can be sure that there are enough Mac-haters in the world that many hackers will have tried their hardest to write one… and failed, so far.

The purpose of this website is to dispel myths and misunderstandings about Macs, so please don’t try to use it to spread them.

By: Leland Scott

Leland Scott — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

To the anonymous user who found a Dell Dimension he likes for $1,078 and doesn't think there's anything comparable at Apple... You're not looking carefully. The Dell you've chosen doesn't have a graphics card. That means it'll be terrible for playing games or watching movies, and you'll find you have to upgrade if you want to do that. That's about $200. The 17" flat-panel monitor they offer you is an analog rather than a digital video output. That means it has much inferior video quality, and there are probably other negatives as well, since the analog varieties sell for $200-$300 less than a digital display. The Apples all have digital displays. That's $500 right there, so you're practically back up to the iMac G5 you priced out. You don't mention whether your Dell has a CD burner or DVD reader, but if it doesn't there's a cost to that.

As far as Windows XP Pro goes, Microsoft is just selling you a crippled load of goods that you'll want to upgrade from eventually. None of these crippled functions is present in Mac OS X. Here are the 10 Things Dell says you want XP Pro for. While not all of them may pertain to you, I'm sure there are some that will. (You say, for example, that you plan to do wireless networking. XP Home will be a pain for that.)

1. Helps Protect Your PC
Automatically keep your PC up-to-date with Microsoft's latest security enhancements including the Windows Security Center, Windows Firewall, and more to help protect your computer from viruses and worms that can spread through the Internet.

2. Quickly Connect to Wireless Networks
Windows XP Professional provides rich, wireless network support, helping you simply and easily connect to wireless networks whether in your home, office, or out on the road.

3. Keep Your Notebook More Secure
The Encrypting File System, only in Windows XP Professional, provides a high level of file protection from hackers and data theft by transparently encrypting files with a randomly generated key. If your notebook gets stolen or lost, unauthorized users should not be able to read or view your confidential files.

4. Get More Life Out of Your Notebook Battery
Save battery power when you're working on the road, at the library, or coffee shop. Windows XP Professional extends battery life by managing the way your notebook uses power. Now you can work longer on battery power and more accurately forecast how long your batteries will last.

5. Set Up and Share Your Computer Quickly and Easily
Quickly set up and connect all the computers, printers, devices, and an Internet connection in your home or office with the all new Network Setup Wizard. Sharing a Windows-based computer with others has never been easier; quickly access your personal files and accounts without having to close applications or restart the computer.

6. Easy To Use
The clean, simple design of Windows XP Professional puts the features you use most often at your fingertips, helping you find them quickly.

7. Work From Anywhere
The Remote Desktop feature found only in Windows XP Professional allows you to remotely access your PC running Windows XP Professional, from another Windows-based PC, so you can work with all of your files and applications while away from your office or home PC.

8. Recover Easily From Problems Caused by System or Application Changes
If something goes wrong with your computer, you can easily remove and roll back any system or application changes without losing files and other valuable information.

9. Join a Network or Domain
Windows XP Professional is designed to work with Windows Server networks and includes capabilities for both small office networks with up to 10 PCs and Windows Server based networks.

10. Work With the Tools You Need to Get Things Done
Choose from a huge range of software, hardware, and services designed to work together seamlessly including support for many older applications designed for earlier versions of Windows.

Microsoft only calls it "professional" to make it sound grand, or like something those dummy home users won't need. But actually, the functions lopped off of the Home edition are pretty important, and it's actually irresponsible of Microsoft to sell their OS without them.

Finally, you should keep an eye on the Apple "Special Deals" store. For example, right now there is a iMac G5 on sale there for $1,099--16 percent off retail. You can't customize it, but it would be easy to do some upgrades on this puppy at home, or get your local Apple store to do them. This is a 1.6GHz G5 with 256MB RAM, an 80GB hard drive, a CD-R/DVD Combo drive, and 17-inch display. It has the same 1-year warranty that's standard with Apple hardware. You could also go with an eMac, which I didn't cover in my review. They're very fast all-in-one systems like the original iMac, and there's one on sale for $799 that includes a 17" CRT display.

A brand new eMac with 1.25GHz G4 can be had for $1,103 with the following specs:
- 512MB SDRAM DDR333 - 1 DIMM
- 160GB Ultra ATA drive
- AirPort Extreme Card
- Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
- 1.25GHz PowerPC G4
- Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
- ATI Radeon 9200 with 32MB video memory

Plus you get the entire software suite that makes the Apple experience so superior. It's really a great bargain. Remember that this includes a dedicated graphics card as well, and that the 1.25GHz PowerPC chip isn't nearly as slow compared with the Dell's Pentium as it sounds.

Just some more food for thought...

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

“they have ZERO viruses.”
http://antivirus.about.com/od/macintoshresource/a/macosxflaws.htm>http://antivirus.about.com/od/macintoshresource/a/macosxflaws.htm
http://www.cknow.com/vtutor/vthistory.htm>http://www.cknow.com/vtutor/vthistory.htm

By: Leland Scott

Leland Scott — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

NOTE: I’m leaving the links the anonymous poster left alone because, even though they’re broken HTML and won’t lead anywhere, if you try to follow them you see how desperate some people are to prove that Mac OS X has viruses and/or spyware. Really quite idiotic if you know what you’re talking about.

The first link is a MICROSOFT page, which naturally they post trying to make themselves look no worse than the Mac. The info on the page describes a “flaw” in Mac OS X. A flaw is not the same thing as a virus. A virus is a program that is written to take advantage of a flaw and that succeeds in doing so to damage your system. In fact, no virus ever successfully took advantage of this flaw, partly because Apple sealed the flaw too quickly for them to have much chance.

The second link is a history of viruses, and I think it mentions some early Macintosh viruses. But those were for the OLD Mac operating system, version 9, which Apple hasn’t updated since 2001, when Mac OS X was introduced. Since that time, there have been NO successful viruses against Mac OS X.

Why can’t you Windows folks believe me? It’s because you have become accustomed to thinking of viruses as a natural part of computing… like the blue screen of death.

But it doesn’t have to be that way folks… honestly.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Leland, don’t let the PC lovers get you down.

Leave them to their inferior, cobbled together systems reminding one of the vehicles in Mad Max III, whilst you cruise around in your shiny sleek Porche.

I always laugh at those guys who soup up their Hyundai’s, and these PC weenies are the same with their systems. My car is better than a {insert sports car costing 10 times as much here}!

At the end of the day, it’s largely what you do with the machine anyway. I must admit, Motion and FCP really push hardware and more cycles would be handy - as always. A realistic hardware comparison speed-wise would be to see OS X on x86 properly optimised. Apple have OS X/x86 running apparently, so only they would know.

To me, *any* speed or cost gain made by PC’s is largely over thrown by the outragously complex Windows XP. Running Linux can be almost as bad - all you geeks who love tinkering are having a ball, but moms and pops are ignorant and want to remain that way - the only Kernels they know of sell chicken and looked after Elvis. For them, the choice will be a Dell online or HP PC from their local BestBuy.

Is Leland’s comparison fair? Maybe, depending upon why you’re buying the machine. For home users, his comparison sounds reasonable. For businesses, with all the wheeling and dealing going on, probably not, since they may buy 1000 at a time, get corporate discounts, remove/add hardware/software. For hackers/gamers who roll their own - no - they know where to go to get the cheapest components and “cheapest” software of all.

Some say the OS X GUI feels slower. It probably is, but take a look at what it’s doing behind the scenes and you might appreciate the genius in it’s design. Then take a look at the latest in hardware requirements for Longhorn. Remember, the lickable OS X GUI runs reasonably well even on a lowly 450Mhz G4 circa 1999. Longhorn will require almost 10 times as much horse power - power not even here yet.

It’s my opinion:
Price/performance - PC’s are likely to win on raw speed for your dollar.
Hardware/Software Engineering, general style - Mac’s win hands down.

bsm

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I know we’re talking prices here, as the following is more of a comfort thing.

But any support for the statement that Macs are (generally) less noisy than PC’s?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Ah, but the biggest problem with Macs is that I can’t run the latest and greatest version of Java. Java 1.5/5.0 is still not available on OSX despite being available on Linux, Solaris, and Windows for over a year. Java 1.6/6.0 (aka Mustang) weekly builds are available now for Linux, Solaris, and Windows.