Apple announces $499 Macintosh

AppleInsider ^ | January 11, 2005

[Bulwark]

I don't play games with snots who think they're better than everyone else.

Right back at ya!

[avg_freeper]

I recently purchased a computer for a charity organization I'm in. My main concern was getting a cheap system. I was surprised to find that Dell beat everyone I looked at including Gateway. The base system which included a monitor was less than $400. And as I added extras like Office, anti-virus, 256Mb extra mem., a printer, etc.. the price was still good at about $800. I didn't even consider a mac.

I'm taking a OOP class which I found is going to be implemented in Java 1.5. Mac won't have 1.5 until the release of Tiger sometime this year. I currently have a mac but now plan on getting a PC for this reason.

I've never built my own but I'm thinking about going that route.

[HAL9000]

In terms of quality, the brain-damaged Wintel platform is rapidly being relegated to third-world status.

But Windows will continue to be the preferred operating system of terrorists and pedophiles.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Then it's your mistake you even replied. You're the fool.

[KwasiOwusu]

"A celeron processor. The Dell loses by default"


I thought you'd try that. :)

I have right on my screen the $499 Dell:
Dell : an Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor (2.80GHz, 533 FSB)
Apple : 1.25GHz

Dell wins easily

Dell : 512MB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz
Apple : 256 MB

Again Dell wins with TWICE the RAM of the Apple.

Dell : 40GB3 Ultra ATA/100 7200RPM Hard Drive
Apple : $40 GB

About equal but I gotta see what kind of cheap hard drove the Apple has first

Finally
Dell : 17 in (16 in viewable,.27dp) E773c CRT Monitor
Apple : NONE/ZERO/ZILCH

Dell wins by far.

[JenB]

Building your own is easy and fun! Other than getting a case with a power supply pre-installed (I don't mess with electricity) I'm doing all my own stuff.

You can get components fairly cheaply at online surplus site. I like newegg.com a lot, have had no problems with them. Buy the computer one piece at a time, as things go on sale and you have money. And better yet, you'll know your system intimately by the time you get done. It'll be customized to your needs.

[mhking]

It plays DVDs, burn CDs, and is very quiet and tiny.

"It rolls down stairs, alone or in pairs, rolls over your neighbor's dog,
It's great for a snack, it fits in your pack, it's log, Log, LOG!"

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[Bulwark]

I have right on my screen the $499 Dell:
Dell : an Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor (2.80GHz, 533 FSB)
Apple : 1.25GHz


That's what you have, that's not what's offered on the site. But basically, the Dell wins in some areas, the mac in others. It's not a slam dunk either way.

[cyborg]

ROTFL

[cyborg]

I have a Dell laptop with celeron. It is CRAP.

[KwasiOwusu]

"In terms of quality, the brain-damaged Wintel platform is rapidly being relegated to third-world status."

In terms of quality, Dell smokes CRAPPLE any day, from most costumer satisfaction surveys I have seen.
Is it not CRAPPLE that kept giving us the exploding laptop computers only recently?

In terms of market share CRAPPLE is rapidly being confined to the crap heap of history.
These guys USED to have over 25% of the market not that long ago.
Today they are struggling for 2%.
CRAPPLE is less than third world status.
Your words not mine.

[mhking]

I've been wanting another Mac; this'll probably make me go get one (that, plus the fact that the kids have been hounding me for more than a year to get another computer to replace the old boat anchors I've saddled them with.

[KevinDavis]

I'm looking for new laptop (A used one that is ) and I take Dell laptop is not that good...

[KwasiOwusu]

"that's not what's offered on the site"

It is.
Look at the Dimension 3000 Budget on the left at this link.

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/featured_desktop1?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

[hchutch]

Price of a Dell Dimension 3000 Desktop w/2.8 GHz, 512 MB RAM, and a 40 GB hard drive: $549. For an additional $169, it goes up to a 160 GB hard drive. No telling what eMachines will bring to the table.

Mac's simply outclassed performance wise.

[cyborg]

The high end Dells are excellent. Don't get the cheap value junk I got.

[Bulwark]

Look at the Dimension 3000 Budget on the left at this link.

ANd I still don't see a winner. Sure, faster processor, but it still has only a cd-rom drive, the HORRIBLE integrated graphics stuff. And so on. It's just not very compelling.

[KwasiOwusu]

"ANd I still don't see a winner"

It beats this Apple.
That's what matters. As for integrated graphics, it's got a great performance. I should know. I use one myself.

[1L]

Get an IBM thinkpad now before they are sold under a new name, if that happens. Best laptop, period.

[kdot]

We have 2 Sony VAIOs and a Dell in our house. Both Sonys have been back to the factory for repairs. The Dell is 3+ years old and we never had a minute worth of problems. Never had a virus. Never lost any data.

As far as Apple products go, I believe if commodity priced hardware could run the software and the marketshare increased, viruses would be created and propagated.

BTW, my first computer was a Macintosh Plus. I loved it for all the right reasons. All of my employers since then have had Windows products. I've made my living writing client/server software for a long time and think Windows is just fine.