T. Joseph Carter wrote: > Let's see what Dell has to say. > > $2824
This is a fairly silly comparison. Why match every useless feature Steve saw fit to bundle into the G5? Instead, let's see what Apple would charge for a Mac that matches the box ComputerBase built for me in July. I needed a new motherboard, CPU, and RAM. I chose a P4 (hyperthreaded, 800 MHz FSB, 2.4GHz), 2 GB of PC3200 RAM, and an Intel D865PERL. (Not my first choice of motherboard, but I needed the new computer the same day. So for comparison, use the prices charged at The Macintosh Store on 8th. (-: ) I didn't need disk drives (already had 'em with RedHat and two years' work preinstalled), CD-ROM, DVD, video, sound, firewire, NIC, case, power supply, or video editing software. The closest thing, pricewise, in the Apple Store, is a 1.6 GHz G5. With 2GB RAM, it's $2945. Never mind that if I'd bought a Mac that day, I'd also need a new display and all new software, which is never free on Macs. Oh, did The Macintosh Store have G5s in stock in July? Might have had to settle for a G4. I paid $550. Got it in an hour. There. I've just "proven" a Mac costs 5X as much as a comparable PC. (-: Is my comparison any less valid than yours? (Yes, I'm aware that my comparison is about as valid as a SCO legal brief. But so is yours.) The thing is, the PC ecosystem is broad, deep and complex. There are five vendors competing for every niche in it, from CPU to video card to case to the little screws that hold the PCI cards in. The Mac "ecosystem" is single source from top to bottom, exactly three products at any time, cleverly positioned so that only the top product has all the useful features. When Apple screws up -- ships a faulty/unreliable product, can't meet demand, or misses a development schedule, Mac users have no alternative. PC users just buy another brand. One is rain forest, the other is parking lot. The other thing is, the Mac has a closed, proprietary software architecture. Just like Windows. More so, in fact, since Apple owns it from the apps to the chips. The PC, especially with Linux or *BSD, is infinitely diverse. You always have choices, including the choice to rewrite it your way. (That's why we're FOSS zealots, after all.) I'm glad you like your Mac and your iBook. I'm glad they work for you and for the other EUGLUGsters who have them. But don't for a minute think Apple has the only viable platform. Disclaimer: I've owned three Macs. I've worked at Apple. I first developed for Mac in 1985. -- Bob Miller K<bob> kbobsoft software consulting http://kbobsoft.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ EuG-LUG mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.efn.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/eug-lug
