“If you’re looking for a new computer, “my first suggestion is to think Apple Macintosh. Too many PC people just ignore the Mac because of the conventional wisdom that they’re too different, too marginal, and too expensive,” Phillip Robinson writes for Knight-Ridder News. “Not so.”
“They are different, but almost entirely in ways that make them easier to set up and use. And they’re different in that they aren’t vulnerable to the viruses and spyware that attack today’s Windows PCs. While you’re using the most common programs, though, such as email, Web browser, and word processor, you may not even know whether you’re on a Windows PC or a Mac: the programs are so similar,” Robinson writes.
“About that ‘marginal’ worry, that there aren’t programs for Macs. Just not true. There are thousands, plenty for most everyone. The only people who really “need” to stay with PC instead of Mac are those using some odd, specialty program that is only available in a Windows PC version,” Robinson writes. “And as for the “expense” of Macs, that’s a lie that just won’t die. It comes from PC makers willing to strip a few models down so they can advertise lower prices. However, you shouldn’t buy those stripped models. For example, the lowest-price Mac, the eMac, costs $800. [But, buy the time to add features to a Dell to match the Apple eMac’s, the Dell is] now a $918 computer, even counting discounts and special sale prices and upgrades. The eMac is still just $800. Plus, even when you do add the options, they won’t work together as smoothly and easily as when they’re built right into the original hardware and software team of a Mac.”
“You can make similar comparisons with other Windows PCs and other Mac models. The Macs only look more expensive because they come fully equipped. PC owners too often struggle with their ‘lower-cost’ machines because they don’t realize that important parts were left out. They assume everyone has to suffer through using a computer,” Robinson writes. “Not so. Ask a Mac owner.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: There are articles and then there are articles. This one’s left us too verklempt to continue this take…
Related MacDailyNews article:
Wendland: Your next PC should be Apple’s iMac G5 – ‘the finest personal computer I’ve ever used’ – December 11, 2004
PREACH IT BROTHA!!!! AMEN!!!
Verklempt? I’m dumbfounded!
Finally, more voices of reason are starting to spread the word. Myths can take years to disappear, but this sort of article sure helps. Is there a new wind a-blowin’?
(with the voice of Mike Myers)
Mmmm…
Talk amongst yourselves…
I’ll give you a topic. ‘Greco-Roman’ archicture was neither ‘Greco’, nor ‘Roman’.
Discuss…
Whoops. I meant, ‘architecture.’
One too many adult beverages. Sorry.
At least it’s not ultracrepidarian
The only people who really “need” to stay with PC instead of Mac are those using some odd, specialty program that is only available in a Windows PC version,” Robinson writes.
Ooooooooo, burn.
Good article but he seems to imply that the base ($800) iMac will record CD’s and DVD’s. It will record CD’s and play DVD’s. You need to the Superdrive equiped iMac to do both.
Also, I own an eMac identical to my sister-in-law’s. Mine is NOTICEABLY faster. The only difference: Mine – 512K RAM, Hers – 256K. The speed difference is striking. If you buy an eMac (or any Mac) pay the small price to increase internal memory.
Wow, 512K RAM.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” /> A true throw-back.
Somebody buy that guy an ice cream!
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We’ve just maxed our iMac G5’s to 1GB of RAM, they are bolted to the desk for fear they will take off, such is their speed.
Good article
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Anyone know where we can got to send a complimentary article to the editors? It says where you can contact the author. Let’s work as hard to thank people who write accurate articles as we do to correct inaccurate articles.
I found a contact page (wasn’t labelled as such) at http://www.buffalonews.com/contact_us/
Their business editor is shown on: http://www.buffalonews.com/email/dept_emails.asp
Their main editor is shown on: http://www.buffalonews.com/email/dept_emails.asp?dept_id=1
Let them know what an informative article this is!
Here’s what I sent:
———————
“Phillip Robinson’s article “Choosing a Mac computer for the holidays” on Dec 13 was very informative and enjoyable. It’s a pleasant surprise to see an article about computers that doesn’t fall prey to typical inaccurate information.
Mr. Robinson clearly knew what he was talking about, and had his readers’ best interests in mind when it came to what computers would work best for them. He doesn’t tell people “buy what’s cheapest,” but rather lets his readers know that, as with most things, you get what you pay for. He dispels the common misunderstanding that a $500 computer from Dell is just as good as an $800 eMac from Apple. Once you’ve added everything the eMac comes with, the Dell is _more_ expensive, not to mention harder to use.”
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
———————
Obviously, don’t write what I wrote, word-for-word – that would defeat the purpose.
I gotta upgrade the ram in my G5 iMac. It came bumped up to 512k but it’s still slower than my old beige G3 on many things. Goodness knows how these iMacs even run on the 256k Apple sell it with.
Wow! Finally an article where the guy actually looked into the facts! Amazing. One funny thing I noticed though:
“you could buy and install a second hard drive. Well, not really. Experts can do that, but for most of us, it’s cheaper to get the bigger hard drive in a new computer without any of the installation complications.”
Get an external Neptune drive from OWC (or any other FireWire drive for that matter). Basically runs $1 a gig, you plug it in and you use it. There is no “installation”. I know, he was talking about installing an internal drive on a PC, but it just cracks me up to see how difficult even the easiest task is on the Windows side.
A friend of mine just bought a new Dell last week (I tried but he’s very stubborn). I’ll have to forward this article to him.
They better watch out, too many more articles like this and some people might actually catch on to what a good thing MacUsers got going.
Actually my little sister just got her first computer, a 14″ iBook with 1 gig Ram, bluetooth, airport, superdrive, etc! Man, her computer is now better than my Tibook. Now she has to get online with it. They got a Linksys wifi router (802.11b but good enough for what she wants to do with it). Seems they also got an Airport Express though. I told her to hook it up to her stereo for streaming tunes and have it daisy chained to the linksys to expand her range. Has anyone done this Linksys/Airport Express combination? I am set up like this but with an Airport Extreme base station/Airport so I don’t know how it will be with the Linksys router. Also do you think she will have any problems with doing iChat AV video chats through it?
Now we just have to get my other little sisters family on an iMac G5 (which they are saving up for) and my brother in law on a Mac of some description (he is leaning towards an iBook too).
That should be that I am on an Airport Extreme base station/Airport Express set up. Sorry.
Hey, the article is shown with Jobs and the 30″ beast and the subtext “A big-screen Apple Macintosh computer is a popular choice for many Christmas shoppers.”
Yea, well, I’d like to know how many of us are getting 30″ screens with their Apple Macs this Christmas!!
(so then I can come and stay with you!)
Got my father in law a G5 iMac Thanksgiving weekend. He was dreading the idea of a Mac, now he ranks it as the all time best Christmas present he’s ever received. Just wait til he gets broadband!
Jack A asked:
“I told her to hook it up to her stereo for streaming tunes and have it daisy chained to the linksys to expand her range. Has anyone done this Linksys/Airport Express combination?”
Jack, you can use the Airport Express as a “wireless access point” to join with the Linksys router network, but you can’t use it as a range extender/repeater unless you have a Airport Extreme/Airport Express combination.� The following Apple discussion thread might be helpful for you:
http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@117.MV3baNUTDNA.1@.68a0ff7a
Thanks Solid!!