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"Comparisons, Comparisons"
People are now starting to argue about how much of a bargain the mini Mac is compared to a PC. You can see one such comparison here at OSViews.
Tech Report didn't like this at all, and did its own.
I think they both miss the boat for the following reasons:
1) No DIYer in his right mind would configure a completely new system the way OS Views configured it. If cost were a prime factor, they'd take the Athlon XP. If it were not, they'd spend a little more for more up-to-date equipment.
2) More importantly, no DIYer in his right mind would ever build and configure a completely new plain-vanilla computer for a plain-vanilla user, simply because the end result would cost more than an OEM machine. A DIYer has other reasons for rolling his own. He wants to overclock, or he wants a configuration not available from the OEMs, or he wants a different kind of case, whatever it is, he wants to do something above and beyond what an OEM will give him.
3) The OSViews places an extraordinarily high price on the value of bundled software. As you'll see, you can get as good or better software for a PC, too, with a little finagling.
Apple v. Dell
What we're going to do is compare a mini Mac system to a plain vanilla Dell Dimension 4700 system, upgrading the configuration where needed to reasonable levels. We'll then point out what you get for your money, and try to judge the two from the average Joe perspective.
CPU
Apple: 1.25GHz G4
Winner: Dell, big. If you're feeling kind-hearted and generous, the G4 is the equivalent of a 2GHz Prescott. 2.8 is more 2.0, 40% more for those numerically challenged.
OS
Apple: Mac OS X
Winner: Apple. While we don't think there's really that much difference between the two (Macsters seem to think XP stands for Xtreme Punishment), for the average Joe, we'll give it to Apple for two reasons:
1) Mac OS X seems to induce an orgasmic-like state among its users, while not even Bill Gates gets orgasms from Windows. Maybe your friend/associate will get orgasms, too.
A little more seriously, from a hardware perspective, Macs are but a small variation on the PC. Most Mac components ARE PC parts with a Mac driver, and the ones that aren't are no great shakes, anyway. If there truly is a Mac advantage, it's in the OS.
2) Obscurity has its benefits. Since the vast majority of machines run Windows, that's what malware writers aim at. If you're going to write one little program that is evil/profitable, whom do you target, the 90%+ group or the 2% group?
However, since the average Joe doesn't much care why he's relatively protected against those bad things he absentmindedly keeps clicking on, this is probably a big advantage for such a person.
On the other hand, this big plus is largely tempered by the learning (or perhaps unlearning is more accurate) curve for a new OS.
PS: For the average Joe, there is no point buying XP Professional.
Memory
Apple: Upgraded to 512Mb single-channel PC2700 (+$75)
Winner: Dell. 256Mb is not very realistic for either system, and could constrain Joe when he's getting hot and heavy (for him, that is) so we upgraded both to 512Mb. Dual-channel is better than single channel, but given what the typical Joe does, it's only a small edge.
Keyboard/Mouse:
Apple: Wired keyboard and mouse (+$58)
Winner: N/A It's a trivial category, so let's call it a draw.
Hard Drive
Apple: 40Gb 4200rpm ATA drive
Winner: Dell, big. ATA vs. SATA makes no difference here, but 7200 is a lot more than 4200. Apple penny-pinched too much here, even notebooks normally come with 5400 rpm drives.
CD/DVD
Apple: Upgrade to SuperDrive ($100)
Winner: Dell. It's unrealistic to not have at least a CD burner these day (if only for backup), but Apple only offers a read-only drive or its DVD burner, so we upgraded to a SuperDrive (4X SL, no dual layer) for that. Dell offers DVD burners, but they charge too much ($125 for a 16X/DL capable burner), so we'll get a (black DVD) burner with 16X single 4X DL capacity along with decent software (Nero Express is fine). Dell offers PowerDVD with the CD-ROM.
So we end up with a CD Drive and a much more capable DVD burner for less than the price of the SuperDrive.
Update 1/16/05: Some have noted, correctly, that I made a mistake not noticing that the base model CD/DVD included in the mini Mac is also a CD-RW. That was an inadvertent error on my part, and I apologize for that.
If we adjust for this, the price of the mini Mac system goes down $100, but the price of the Dell replacement drops from about $80 to $36.
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