“For years, Macintosh computers have been praised for their cool looks and elegant simplicity while being knocked for often carrying a hefty price premium over Windows-based machines sold by Dell Inc. and others. It’s time to think different – again,” Robert Weston reports for The Associated Press.
“The recently released Mac Pro maintains the Apple shine in design, usability and software but also does something unexpected: It turns the old Mac versus Windows PC price equation on its head,” Weston reports. “A low-end Mac Pro will cost you $2,124 compared with $3,071 for a nearly identically configured Dell Precision Workstation 490. The Mac is about $947 cheaper – and the gap widens when you start piling on options such as more memory, faster processors and bigger hard drives.”
Macs are “also capable of running Windows if you’ve got a copy of the Microsoft Corp. operating system and supporting software from Apple or others,” Weston reports.
Weston reports, “The Mac Pro workstation is not only competitively priced, it’s fast, too… And the latest Macs are cool, literally. In fact, they run so much cooler that Apple was able to remove about half the fans used on the older machines. It frees up room for more features and makes for a considerably quieter system. The Mac Pro also is expandable. It comes with two optical drive bays, four PCI Express expansion slots and four hard drive bays. The computer also can handle up to 16 gigabytes of system memory.”
“Once again, Apple has produced a computer that really shines. With its ability to run Windows software too, it’s an attractive system for any Mac or Windows-based business or high end consumer who needs a powerful machine at a competitive price,” Weston reports. “The difference in price – and that it was in Apple’s favor – was so surprising that I contacted Dell to confirm that I had not made a mistake in configuring its workstation.”
Weston reports, “Dell spokesman Marco Pena suggested that the numbers might be closer after configuring the Mac to include a three-year warranty similar to the Dell offering. ‘But I think we’re still going to end up a little higher than the Mac,’ he said. ‘The results were a bit surprising to me too,’ he said. ‘But it is what it is.'”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Ken” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Thurrott pits Apple Mac Pro vs. similarly configured Dell, figures out the Mac is less expensive – August 18, 2006
Thurrott: Apple Mac Pro ‘at least competitive and often cheaper’ than similarly configured Dell – August 17, 2006
Dell cannot compete with Apple’s new Mac Pro price or feature set – August 15, 2006
Apple Mac Pro with/ 20” Cinema Display less expensive than Dell Precision 690 sans monitor – August 10, 2006
Bear Stearns: Apple’s new Mac Pro, Xserve pricing well below comparable Dell systems – August 09, 2006
Dude, you got a Dell? What are you, stupid? Only Apple Macs run both Mac OS X and Windows! – April 05, 2006
“and the gap widens when you start piling on options” actually, the gap closes in as you add on options. These AP guys make half of their stuff up. I’m surprised they didn’t find a way to blame Bush for Microsoft’s incredulity.
For those of you complaining about Apple’s consumer models being still priced too high I should like to pose a question. What kind of a company do you think Apple would become if it decided to go after the bottom feeder segment of the computer market? I don’t want Apple to build computers for the masses if it means losing the characteristics that allow it to make those “insanely great” products we all have come to love and depend upon. The masses are asses; let them suffer with Dull Windoze.
Hello Ernie,
Time to step away from the Mac SE and come to 2006 where Macs run on Intel processors…
Hello
Damn – I thought Ernie was joking – He really is that dumb!
Stupid people deserve stupid machines
Oh the joy!
It WAS a joke iPodBoy. Just got a wild idea to see what kind of responses I’d be lambasted with.
‘R’ definitely takes the cake for the funniest response… “Ernie, World; World, Ernie.” LOL!
Apple don’t have to compete with Dell across the range. They just need to be cheaper with a couple of machines so the message about Macs always being more expensive doesn’t work anymore. It’s one of those free-marketing stories that sell Apples without them dipping one dollar into their advertising budget.
Dell are going to start going down the pan pretty soon. HP are taking market share back off them in the corporate space and consumers are wising up to their rubbish after-sales service. All they need is one quarter of losses rather than profits and both their market share and market cap will tumble.
And good riddance. Even if you must use Windows, HP products are such better quality than Dell it isn’t even funny.
“and the gap widens when you start piling on options” actually, the gap closes in as you add on options. These AP guys make half of their stuff up. I’m surprised they didn’t find a way to blame Bush for Microsoft’s incredulity.
Have you actually tried to configure on DELL website anything resembling a Mac Pro for anything less that $800 MORE than the Mac Pro?
Even Dell repr on the phone has not been able to.
Been too much on Windows to have neurons short circuited?
Again, even a Dell repr has not been able to give me a similar to a Mac Pro Dell for anything less than $800 MORE than the Mac Pro.
“It is what it is.”
I say that phrase nearly every day, as it is one of my favorites. I can now add a new reason to my list of reasons to use it.
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“Have you actually tried to configure on DELL website anything resembling a Mac Pro for anything less that $800 MORE than the Mac Pro?”
http://www.comeacross.info/2006/08/25/debunking-the-latest-half-true-hype-from-apple/