The very next time you are told “Macs cost more than PCs” please refer to these websites below. This argument has gone on forever. At one time this might have even been true. But that was long long long time ago. I get this all the time when people compare a cheap very low end entry machine to a high end iMac 20” or a PowerMac DP. Or when they compare a barely usable PC laptop to a nicely equipped iBook or PowerBook. When you throw in the Mac mini ($499) to the mix it really drowns out this nonsense.

Just like cars, or other analogy objects. Please tell them NOT to compare Apples to Oranges or Apples to Lemons in this case!

Lets see that both machines have similar optical drives (DVD, CD, burner, etc), similar HD (capacity and speed), ports (USB, Firewire, VGA, etc), similar monitors (size, type, quality), similar video cards (very important), Airport card, Bluetooth, warranty and support (this includes AppleCare, free classes at Apple Store, etc), RAM, and how about software!!!!! All Macs come with iLife and many other apps. Does the Windows PC? Isn’t software what we use when we sit down with a computer?

Design and functionality should be mentioned here also. We care what our other appliances look like. Why not our computer we spend so much time with. Dell’s big innovation in design is they come in “black” now! Still like all the others are those big ugly towers that have changed little in years. Not so at the Apple Store.

How about COO (cost of ownership). This includes time and money. Not every computer needs a help desk expert just to keep running. My main Mac at home is still viable and used everyday and it is six and half years old.

How about AntiVirus, Spyware, and Adware cost for Windows. Maybe I should point out that for $99 a year for .Mac comes included services (email, web space, syncing, online calendars, address book, and mail) and traditionally antivirus software (although Tiger version has not appeared yet). Plus many other benefits like additional tutorials and backups.

Running all that AntiVirus, Spyware, and Adware cost for Windows also takes quite a toll on your computer as well as your wallet and time. Well all that stuff must run full time to protect that swiss-cheese like OS. That slooowwwwsss down your machine quite a lot.

What about backups. Well “cloning” a real bootable drive on OS X is a snap using free CCC (donationware, Carbon Copy Cloner). With this and a firewire or internal HD you can clone all contents of your HD and have a completely “bootable” backup. Try it on Windows using a “pay for” app like Ghost (it is so much fun). Also .Mac has Backup utility included.

Now there is the other one… “There is no software for Macs”! Well I will leave that for another time. Let’s just say it is also false. There are over 12,500 native apps for OS X and they are growing at fast pace. I will point out that is is not the quantity but the quality that really counts. There is anything you would ever want, believe me on this. Including Microsoft Office and running Virtual PC so you could actually run Windows on a Mac! There are few apps NOT available or equivalent for OS X. So much so many Linux users love and use OS X.

Now they say, I am just talking about basic purchase pricing of hardware and software on a new machine. So are we. Price up that Dell for the same comparable as say an iMac and you will see. Better yet it is already done for you. See below.

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

  Email Post   Print Post | Tags: .mac, pc