"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time." -Abraham Lincoln, (attributed)
Posted on 01/19/2005 10:12:58 PM PST by Swordmaker
For years, people have criticized Macs for being more expensive than Windows PCs. Although at one time that was the case, those of us in the know realized a couple years ago that when you look at comparably equipped Macs and brand-name Windows PCs—that is, once you add the hardware features and software to a Windows PC that come stock on a Mac—the differences in price are much smaller, if they exist at all. This aspect of “price comparisons” has been lost on many tech pundits and analysts (as is the fact that Macs generally come with an excellent software bundle unmatched on budget PCs).
Now, to be fair, one of the rebuttals to the above argument has always been, “Well, what if I don’t want all the extra features that come stock with the Mac? What if I just want a cheap, limited computer?” And it was a valid point. But with last week’s announcement of the new $499 (see Best Current Price) Mac mini, Apple undercut that argument something fierce. Now Mac users, too, can get a stripped down computer for a lot less money.
But it was only a matter of time before someone would argue, “It’s still not price-competitive with the cheapest Dell.” And within days we’ve got our first such columns and articles, all of which leave me scratching my head, wondering if these guys are as bad at comparing products when they shop for themselves as they apparently are when comparing products for their columns.
The first one I came across can be found at the popular online investment site The Motley Fool; it includes this shot across the mini’s bow:
Mac fans who’ve been sipping Steve’s Kool-Aid have often claimed that price—in addition to various Microsoft conspiracies—is the only thing keeping the masses from switching to their favorite brand, but take heed. Even if that were true, a quick online check shows you can get a comparable, full Dell system for $450...I’m also pretty sure Ma and Pa Kettle can do the third-grade math that escapes the headline writers for now, which shows the cheapest Mac system you can build around this thing is still 78% more expensive than a comparable PC.
(I’m assuming the “78% more expensive” comment refers to a system with a $999 Apple display and a $58 keyboard/mouse bundle, ignoring the fact that the Mac mini can also be used with the least expensive such peripherals on the market—a savvy shopper could get a 17” CRT, mouse, and keyboard for ~$70.)
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This is an excerpt. Read the ORIGINAL ARTICLE
[Endnote: When I was writing this article, I also looked at the bargain machines from other Windows PC vendors. As I browsed these companies’ websites, something popped out at me: The different ways in which Apple and the Windows PC vendors (including Dell) “strip down” their low-end models. The Mac mini is stripped down externally—no mouse, keyboard, or display—while still being a full-featured machine internally. Windows PC makers generally take the opposite approach: You get a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, but limited hardware features and little to no software. And speaking of software, why do so many Windows writers neglect to include the value of bundled software, monetary or otherwise, when they “compare” computers? I suppose it’s because the “free” software that comes with most Windows PCs stinks—in the budget PC world, if it comes with the computer it must not be very good. Tip to Windows writers: You’ve been led astray. The software that comes with a computer can be free and great.]
APPLES to Oranges comparison - PING!
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Buying an Apple ibook was the best decision I ever made. Don't ever buy a celeron powered anything, not even a celeron powered toothbrush. Those loons with the volvos covered with rainbow apples were right all along :o)
"have often claimed that price -- in addition to various Microsoft conspiracies -- is the only thing keeping the masses from switching to their favorite brand"
I've never claimed that. :') Macs are the better choice for those who want to get things done, with a special edge in creative fields, while Wintel machines are for those who like to replace whole systems on a regular basis. ;'D
Just ran across another great idea... A Mac Mini Mini-Cluster... think about it... be the first kid on your block to own your own supercomputer!
Compare specs.
The PC will always be superior for less, including in processor speed.
As for software, who cares. The vital stuff is bundled usually (Word etc.)
And, if you already have it, why get it again?
Energy Consumption:
Mac Mini 85 Watts, cost to operate per year ........................... ~$15.00
Dell Dimension 2400, 250 Watts, cost to operate per year ..... ~$40.00
Desktop acreage used:
Mac Mini 6.5" x 6.5" ............................................. 42 Square Inches
Dell Dimension 17" x 7" ....................................... 119 Square Inches
Sound Level:
Mac Mini - ~22 DeciBels
Dell Dimension - ~45 Decibels
bump and thanks!
"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time." -Abraham Lincoln, (attributed)
If it had gigbit ethernet, yeah, okay; having only 10/100 puts a crimp in decent clustering...
Heh... not sure I need that kind of capacity. Maybe if I had fixed-address broadband and were running a server out of the house... ;')
You haven't shopped Dell lately. Go price a dual Xeon workstation with equivalent features to the Mac G5. Count maybe a 3.2GHz model Dell.
The vital stuff is bundled usually (Word etc.)
The cheap ones often bundle either nothing or maybe WordPerfect. The Mac Mini comes with iTunes (okay, that's free anyway for the PC too), iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand, Quicken and AppleWorks. I've not been impressed with AppleWorks, but the rest is excellent, quality software that people otherwise pay for. In addition, you get a full-featured OS instead of the castrated XP Home Edition. That's a few hundred dollars worth of software at least.
That's 85 watts maximum. IIRC, the G4 chip in the Mini dynamically controls its speed to conserve energy when processing power isn't needed. Processors spend most of the time basically idle unless you do a lot of rendering or something of that sort, so it's likely that the average power consumption over a year could be halved.
Oh, come on - just because the power supply is rated at max 250 watts, that doesn't mean the machine is constantly drawing 250 watts. I'd bet good money that at a full load, at most that system draws less than half that much power, and at idle, probably draws about 1/4 that much.
No, it's not for a cluster, just for a colocation. You'd probably have to build some USB to Gigabit bridge to even try clustering, and then I don't think it'd be as efficient as a rack of XServes.
By the way, welcome to the cult--er--club. :-)
I have no idea how this comparison will turn out, but here we go:
DELL XPS
--Pentium 4 Processor 550 w/HD Technology (3.40GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
--Win XP Pro
--2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM
--500GB SATA RAID 0 (Data Striping)
--19" Dell Ultra Sharp Digital Flat Panel Display
--256MB PCI Express x16 NVIDIA GeForce 6800
--16x DVD-ROM Drive
--16x Max CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW)
--Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS (D) Sound Card
--Dell 5650 Surround Sound 5.1 Speaker Sys w/Subwoofer
--Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003
--Misc Software
--4-Year Limited Warranty w/XPS Tele Support
--4-Year At-Home Service
$4199
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