Given
that I just wrote an article describing someone who does like to
stay on the cutting-edge of technology, I felt that I should
explain why low-end is a better choice - for me at least.
Not only do you save money, but you can generally be just as
productive with a machine that's a bit slower than you can with the
latest 2.7 GHz dual processor Power
Mac G5.
"Oh, look - that MP3 is playing faster on this new
computer!"
The reality of course is that whether you have a blue & white G3 running at 350 MHz
(like mine) or the latest G5, many tasks just can't be done any
faster with a new machine. Writing an email doesn't take half the
time on a G5. Instant messaging friends doesn't happen any faster,
and showing PowerPoint presentations isn't "75% faster!"
If a 2.7Ghz G5 could do this for me, I - and many other people -
would be happy to spend the $3,000.
"Look how much money I saved - I only paid $3,000 to become
twice as productive!"
That's a lot of money for a computer these days (then again back
in 1990, people would've been grabbing up Mac IIfxs had they been $3,000 instead of
$10,000).
With the Mac mini selling
for $500 and coming with just about everything most home users
could want, spending more than $1,500 on a computer is questionable
- unless you really need the power right now.
So why not let someone else spend the $3,000? You can buy the
machine refurbished in a few months for $2,500. Apple-refurbished
Macs offer a one-year warranty just like any other Mac, and they're
just as good as a brand new computer. (Editor's note: Low End Mac
purchased its last three Macs that way.)
"This new machine lets me burn DVDs and play the latest games
and watch TV and….
"Why did I buy it? To check my email."
Don't buy more than you really need - unless you specifically
intend to use it. If you want to make your own DVDs, by all means
buy a machine with a DVD-burner. But if you only use your CD drive
to install software, you might as well save a bit of money, buy a
computer with a DVD-ROM or Combo drive, and spend the extra money
on something that you'll actually use.
The same goes with the video card - why get a 256 MB card if you
only type up Word documents? But if you're doing intensive graphics
or animation, a good graphics card is a must.
"I spent 6 hours copying my files to this new computer, but none
of them'll open!"
Sometimes switching machines can be a hassle. If you've had your
computer for several years, you've most likely installed
applications for which you've lost the CD (*cough* Umax scanner
drivers *cough*) or created documents that open only in
applications that aren't compatible with a newer operating
system.
Compatibility is always an issue when upgrading anything on your
system. Some old games used to work in nothing but 640 x 480
resolution, and some newer LCD displays were incompatible with
them. Microsoft Office 98 had some trouble running on Mac OS 9
without a patch, and most scanner and printer drivers eventually
stop getting updated, requiring you to either keep the OS you have
or replace the device.
I think I'll probably end up replacing my blue & white G3
sometime in the next couple months, but what I will replace it with
is still up in the air. A new machine is out of the question - I
don't need all the power, and I don't necessarily want to spend
that much money either.
But at the same time, a Mac mini won't do it for me, since I
can't use a standard 3.5" hard drive in it, and the 32 MB video
card just isn't enough to meet my needs. At this point it looks
like a refurbished or used G5 might be the machine for me, but I'll
see what happens.
What's for sure is that I know a low-end Mac can make me just as
productive as a high-end one - and I'll have money left over to
upgrade the RAM and hard drive.
