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Apple Archive
Apple Design Helps Older Macs Retain Their Value
- 2003.04.18
Not only do new applications make a computer outdated, the system's looks also contribute.
The PC that currently resides in our den is from about 1998, and although it is five years old, it's been upgraded considerably since it was purchased. When I bought it, it had already had a replacement motherboard, processor card, sound card, video card, and DVD-ROM drive. I added a 60 GB hard drive, network card, and CD-RW drive - about the only thing that remains of the original machine is the case and the power supply!
Even though it isn't particularly slow and runs Windows XP Professional well (I know, I said I'd never upgrade, but I did find that XP Pro actually runs better than Windows 2000 on this machine), but it is starting to look a little bit old.
"Modern" PCs come with black or silver cases with blue LEDs. This machine has none of that.
The same goes for the Gateway 2000 laptop I am typing on (for
use until I get my new one). While it works fine, runs fine, and
even has a DVD-ROM drive, it is close to five years old - which
means it's about 2" thick and very heavy (around 8.5 lbs). Perhaps
this is why these computers don't cost more than $200 to buy on the
used market, even though this particular
one is
easily as fast as a WallStreet
PowerBook and offers more features, such as built in USB, a
floppy, and a "combo" drive. But it still isn't particularly
desirable.
Perhaps that's because Apple laptops are designed to withstand changes in style better than most PC notebooks. The basic style of the PowerBook G3 was present from 1998 all the way into 2001, when the PowerBook G4 was introduced. The G4 case style has been around for almost two years now and is carried over to the newer 12" and 17" aluminum PowerBooks.
Honestly, the G3 PowerBook still looks modern, even the older 233 MHz model. Unfortunately for the Gateway 2000, it has the same looks as a notebook from 1995 - and since Gateway has changed their logo several times, it makes this computer appear even more dated.
Apple's consistent logo (plain white since 1998) makes their portables - even older ones - look more up to date than laptops from other manufacturers.
I find that older IBMs are the same way; IBM has kept their textured case, basic keycap design, and ThinkPad logo the same for at least ten years. While it's easy to tell a 1993 ThinkPad from a 2000 model, it's more difficult to tell a four year old 300 MHz 600E from a new 1.8 GHz R40.
But PowerBooks still command the higher price. While a more
consistent design is a factor, the other factor seems
to be that Mac technology moves more slowly than PC
technology. Four years ago, the 500 MHz
PowerBook G3 was the fastest Mac laptop you could buy. A 500
MHz PC laptop was quite respectable as well. However, today Mac
notebooks have only reached 1 GHz, while PC laptops frequently
come in 2 GHz versions.
Since there is only a 2:1 difference between a 1 GHz and a 500 MHz processor, the older models still command a higher price. But 2 GHz and 500 MHz are quite far apart, and older PC notebook prices are generally low.
There is still the case that most people don't even understand that performance in basic tasks (word processing, web browsing, email) doesn't differ greatly between the 500 MHz and much faster machines. Sure, the 2 GHz will load Windows faster, but your email's not going to pop up on the screen much more quickly.
Apple laptops will reach eventually 2 GHz and beyond and perhaps undergo a complete restyle. Then PowerBook G3 Pismo and Lombard prices will plummet, and prices on the 15" G4s will fall a bit as well. In fact, when the current 15" models get restyled, I am sure the price on the old 15s will drop considerably as well.
After all, they'll no longer look just like the current model.
Recent Apple Archive articles
- iPods, notebooks, and other modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, 12.07. Whether it's an intermittent failure or a broken display cable, more often than not it's cheaper to replace a broken electronics device than repair it.
- Options for replacing your older iPod, 11.19. Whether you've run out of space on your old iPod or want features it doesn't have, here are your options in new and used iPods.
- Could the $200 'green' PC with gOS Linux become a threat to Apple?, 11.14. The low cost, low power Everex desktop comes with a customized version of Ubuntu Linux, has a Mac-like Dock, and sells for $400 less than the Mac mini.
- Leopard different, a bit buggy, but worth the upgrade, 11.02. Leopard on a Power Mac G4 and a MacBook Pro: It runs well on both computers, but each has some odd bugs, and some of the changes are a step backwards.
- More in the Apple Archive index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 17" iMac G4/800 MHz, July 2002 - The iMac 'grows up' with a 17" 1440 x 900 display.
- Group of the Day: LisaList supports Lisa users.
- November 8 in LEM history: 99: OS 9: I think I like it - 01: The simplified Mac life - Soured on Windows - Flea market Mac - 02: Little room for improvement in new 'Books - Combo drive upgrade for iceBooks - 04: Re-Porter - 05: Fix the old iMac or buy a Mac mini? - Apple's Copland project - 06: MacBook Core 2 - MacBook value equation - Cheap is as cheap does - 07: Problems with Classic mode in Tiger - The G4 Power Mac that won't run Leopard
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Quad-Core CPU Makes Sense in MacBook Pro, OS X 10.6 Causing Overheating, Overseas Power, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.06. Also Late 2009 MacBook reviewed, how to add RAM to new MacBook, 18.4in Acer notebook used Intel i7, and SanDisk SSD chosen for Sony VAIO X.
- Dumping Macs for Google Apps, SSD in iMac, Late 2009 iMac Performance Problems, and More, Mac News Review, 11.06. /newsrev/09mnr/1106.html
- WiFi Paranoia, iMac-O-Lantern, Magic Mouse Does Click, Free Clipboard Managers, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.05. Also strange time stamps, problem with ColorIt on Intel Mac, and the story behind OS X 10.5.4 install discs.
- IDE Is Dead; Long Live SATA!, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.04. SATA has displaced parallel ATA. While IDE hard drives haven't disappeared, the best deals are in SATA hard drives.
- QuickTime X in Snow Leopard Imports, Trims, and Publishes Video Quickly and Easily, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 11.04. The long, slow process of importing video into iMovie to edit it, then render it to another format, is history as QuickTime X does that much more quickly.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Mac Pro Deals, 11.03. Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,300; 3.0 8-core. $2,299; refurb 2.66 4-core Nehalem, $2,149; 2.93, $2,549; 2.26 8-core, $2,799; 2.93, $4,999.
- Best iPhone Deals, 11.03. New 8 GB iPhone 3G, $$99; refurb 16 GB 3GS, $149; new, $199; 32 GB, $299.
- Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.03. Used 867 MHz SperDrive, $348; 1 GHz, $499; 1.33 Combo, $298; SD, $559; 1.5 Combo, $448; SuperDrive, $589.
- Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; G4/366, $49; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733 MHz, $69; 933 MHz, $209; 1.25 GHz dual, $299.
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 11.02. Used 2.0 GHz, $800; 2.2, $900; 2.4, $1,000; refurb 2.53, $1,449; 2.66, $1,699; 2.8, $1,949; 3.06, $2,169; new 2.53, $1,579; 2.66, $1,799; more.
- Best Mac mini Deals, 10.30. Used 1.33 GHz G4 mini, $379; 1.42, $389; 1.5, $419; 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $350; Core 2, $439; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $770; Server, $990.
- Best G4 iBook Deals, 10.30. Used 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $225; 1.33 GHz, $298; 14" 1 GHz, $349; 1.33 GHz, $398; 1.42 GHz SuperDrive, $498.
- Best Classic Mac OS Deals, 10.30. System 6.0.8 floppies, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5, $20; 7.5 CD, $4; 7.6 $13; 8.1, $11; 8.5, $20; 8.6, $90; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $30.
- More deals in our archive.
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