[goldengoose7]

Originally posted by Spliff:

Four of my friends have Macs. Three of them have now switched to PCs for one reason and one reason only: cost. They all saved $1000 Cdn and got PCs that are faster than the fastest current Macs. Fortunately, the fourth friend just picked up a dualie g4 1.25 Ghz, but Apple just dropped the prices, making it affordable for him to buy.

Its always sad when you see people making such foolish buying decisions.

If those folks expect to see a 5+ year life out of their new PCs they are in for a big disappointment.

When all is said and done, when you factor in downtime, tech support nightmares and replacement of hardware components, the average PC user pays 30% more for the privilege of owning a so called "AFFORDABLE" PC than they would a comparable Mac.

As usual for the average Joe SixPack PC owner...ignorance is bliss.

[Link]

I do have to agree with you on this one, I haven't seen many PCs built to last.

My friend's emachine.. crappy brand but the specific machine had decent build quality (and one of the few ever to use a slot 1 board)....

it's begining to have motherboard/power supply problems.. quite possibly one of the most common problems I see happen on custom built/cheap PCs as they age.

Sure, you can avoid it by geting a more expensive motherboard, but tell that to the thousands, if not millions of people who use SIS branded boards

The average PC has a working life of 2 years while the average mac has a working life of 5 years.

You can get good machines though, dell, alienware, and some of the higher end stuff
with other brands..

I have multiple friends who have imac DVSE models who intend to keep them for a while (one of which getting an ibook sometime next year.. maybe sooner).

[IgoByte]

I don't know about you guys but I personally find Apple's switch campaign very repelling.

I also don't see anything wrong with PCs. I can build my own very excellent PC, running Windows XP Pro, a very good OS (as is Widnows 2000 Pro & Server) for much less than a comparable Mac, and I can also make it look as pretty as I want to. I have a Shuttle XPC (small-format) and find it looks very good. With an AMD Barton 2500+ processor, 1GB of PC2700 DDRAM, a 200GB HDD, a media reader, DVD-RW/+RW drive and Radeon 9600Pro (because of heat and noise issues) it can do anything the same or better than any Mac on the market. It even has three firewire ports! I have a 20" LCD monitor with that and I'm happy.

I also have an IBM ThinkPad T40 and am also very satisfied. It's built like a tank, making it very practical for every-day outdoor use, even, which is not something I can say of Apple's notebooks. With a Pentium M 1.6Ghz CPU, 1GB of DDRAM, 80GB HDD, Combo Drive, built-in combo wi-fi, bluetooth, etc., I really can't complain. It works like a desktop, yet weighs under 5lbs. It's thin and small, yet has a great 14" SXGA (that's 1400x1050 resolution) screen and an amazing keyboard (with a great trackpoint and trackpad implementation. All this, and its battery lasts for over four hours, while watching a DVD. Granted, the ThinkPad T series is quite pricey, but what would make me switch to a Mac?

I also have a Mac; a 12" powerbook. It's nice. It looks very cute and works pretty well. It does, however, seem significantly slower than the T40, even just for every-day stuff, but that's no biggie. I'm also having a hard time getting used to working on it: it's a small notebook with a small screen, it looks like it's very prone to scratching, etc., so I have to take extra care, and I just have to get used to using this different OS (I mean how do you even switch between open windows without the taskbar?), but that's all OK (I just recently got it). I'm making an effort and trying to use it on a regular basis, just to get used to it. That will become easier when I get a wireless card for it. OS 10 is nice, but I don't see what's so special about it. OK, it doesn't seem to crash much, but neither does Windows XP/2000.

So, now that I have a Mac, am i considered a switcher?

I like both platforms, but prefer Windows for several good reasons. For now, they coexist together.

[IgoByte]

Originally posted by goldengoose7:
Its always sad when you see people making such foolish buying decisions.

If those folks expect to see a 5+ year life out of their new PCs they are in for a big disappointment.

When all is said and done, when you factor in downtime, tech support nightmares and replacement of hardware components, the average PC user pays 30% more for the privilege of owning a so called "AFFORDABLE" PC than they would a comparable Mac.

As usual for the average Joe SixPack PC owner...ignorance is bliss.

So, a mac's lifespan is 5+ years? Does this go for Apple computers purchased in 2003 or the 1990's?
I've build countless computers (PCs) and I must tell you that they are all essentially made up of the same components. I don't see any reason why a mac should be able to last longer. The only reason this happens is because Apple has full control over everything, including every aspect of their PCs, the OS and much of the software too, I guess. Which PC manufacturer does this? Bottom line: PCs don't last as long because they evolve more rapidly and are more readily available to everyone and anyone.

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by Mrjinglesusa:
About price differences: I like the comparison of buying a Ferrari vs. Toyota. What kind of market share does Ferrari have? Not much, but those who do have them LOVE them. They paid a premium for it because it is a BETTER car. Does everyone NEED a Ferrari? No. Does everyone NEED an Apple? No. But those of us who have paid a small premium are enjoying the best computing experience there is.