Why Give a Mac?
- 2000.12.22
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Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core 8GB kit $232 / 4GB kit $116 / 2GB kit $72. New Macbook 2GB DDR3-$65. HARD DRIVES available -- Free shipping / LIfetime warranty.
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Some people may know of the Macintosh LC 475 or Quadra 605. When these came out in late 1993, Apple really pushed to sell them. "Macintosh. Does more; costs less." For a little more than US$1,000, you could get a nice Quadra 605 with 4 MB of RAM, a 160 MB hard disk, a 25 MHz '040 CPU, and ClarisWorks software.
In that same year, a 25 MHz 80486 system cost considerably more once you added all of the features the Mac had that the PC did not. Apple later released a PowerPC upgrade for the LC 475/Quadra 605. The only major upgrade for '486 computers was the Pentium Overdrive, which only worked on certain models - most of the clones were left out. Apple's had PowerPC upgrades for all of its 68040 and 68LC040 desktop computers.
The Macintosh is more cost effective, easier to use, more compatible, and quicker to start up and shut down than a PC.
While there are many '486s in use today, they are not nearly as upgradeable as a Quadra 800 or Centris 650 from the same era. Macs cost less over time because they last longer and have more features built in - which means fewer compatibility problems with future versions of the operating system. When you buy a Mac for someone, you are making a solid investment in something that will last the user several years.
The Mac is easy to use. Of course, all Mac lovers know that, but some people think that the Mac is for beginners. If the Mac is for beginners, how come you are able to go into the System Folder to move around extensions without harming your machine? Try moving around DLLs on a PC.Ö (Make sure you have your Windows CD around while you are doing it!)
In the mid-90s, Apple hit it right on with their advertising - the voice recognition ad (how smart the Mac is), the floppy disk ad (how compatible the Mac is), and the Christmas present ads (it took those poor people so long to figure out how to install that program into the PC that they had to break it down into two ads!)
Some people admit that the Mac is great, but they don't want have one because they don't want to look like a Machead in front of their friends. In fact, many people who own a PC own a Mac as well. I openly admit that I use a PC, too - I have a 200 MHz Pentium tower and a '486SX IBM ThinkPad 360cs that I use along with my Macs. I prefer working on my Macs, but the PCs are there in case I need them.
A Mac is compatible. Very compatible - in fact, so compatible that you can run Windows on it! If you are looking for a computer for someone who currently uses a PC and has Windows programs, get a Mac and Virtual PC. On a new Mac, it runs almost as fast as a recent PC, and it can run almost any PC program out there (as long as it doesn't need access to a serial port).
Another reason to use a Mac is its quick startup and shutdown time. Think about it. A PC goes through it's long memory test first. If you have 64 MB or more RAM, it can take a while. Then it will look for drives. That takes a few seconds. Then up comes the system information, if your computer provides it. Then it loads the config.sys and Windows. That's almost a minute there. That's not counting the fact that you may have some startup programs your computer launches or a server to log onto.
A Mac, on the other hand, first shows a happy Mac, then a "Welcome to Mac OS" screen. It then proceeds to load extensions, and, if you have a fairly recent Mac (G3 300 or better), your extensions will load very quickly and total boot time will be about a minute.
When you shut down a Mac, it will turn itself off pretty much right away. When you shut down a PC, it has to exit Windows first, so that takes longer.
PCs are not bad machines at all. Many new ones, made by companies like Dell and Sony, are very fast and very inexpensive. Nowadays, PCs are coming out at speeds up to 1,000 MHz. That's quite a ways from the original 60 MHz Pentium chip.
PC companies have come a long way since the original Pentium as well. Compaq now seems to be focussing on the Internet with it's Internet keyboards and "Instant Internet" access. Dell is focussing on making sure you never forget it's name, www.dell.com, when the computer starts up, "America Online provided by Dell," even a Dell CD player program. IBM is trying to focus on other things besides just computers - like e-business solutions and the PowerPC processor. Gateway is starting to become less and less popular, and clones, like my tower, are almost nonexistent (other than the ones that PC-geeks build themselves).
You are making a big decision when buying a computer for someone else - a decision that they have to live with whether they like it or not. Buy a Mac and you can guarantee that it will last them several years, that it will be compatible, and that it will be quick and easy for them to do their work on.
Before I go, I would also like to wish everyone a happy and safe
holiday season and a happy "real" millennium.
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: 'Sawtooth' Power Mac G4, Aug. 1999 - Available in speeds from 350-500 MHz, 'Sawtooth' introduced AGP video to the Mac.
- Group of the Day: G4 List is for those using Power Mac G4s or G4 upgrades.
- November 22 in LEM history: 99: Gradebooks - 00: Leveraging Apple design - Quadra 630 to Power Mac 5200 - 02: Laptop or desktop? - 04: SuperDuper: Quick, easy, efficient backup - Cross-platform programming for the rest of us - 05: Mac video surveillance on the cheap - Which OS is best for my vintage Mac? - No 'best browser' for the Mac - Sorry state of browsers for classic Macs - 06: Core 2 means cooler running 'Books - 2.0 GHz G4 upgrade
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- The Long Term Value of a High End Mac, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 11.21. Low-end Macs are more affordable up front, but the flexibility and upgrade options of a top-end Mac can make it the better value in the long run.
- iPhone #1 Worldwide, Google Voice Search for iPhone, iPhone 3G Battery Pack, and More, iNews Review, 11.21. Also British accents throw off Google voice search, lots of new iPhone apps, universal USB car charger, new protective cases, and more.
- 15 Reasons Macs Are Better, Quad-core iMac in January?, USB 3.0 Spec Finalized, and More, Mac News Review, 11.21. Also 25 years of Macs, 'Snow Leopard' in Q1?, SimpleTech's faster and greener hard drive, Hyperspaces, StarOffice for OS X, and more.
- DisplayPort Copy Protection, Trackpad Update, Netbooks Not to Be Taken Lightly, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.21. Also Apple set for record sales, 4-finger gestures on original MacBook Air, MacBook Apple's best consumer notebook to date, Cricket laptop stand, bargain 'Books from $490 to $2,299, and more.
- Virtualization Shootout: VMWare Fusion 2 vs. Parallels Desktop 4, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 11.20. Both programs do the same thing, but one runs Windows XP smoothly alongside Mac apps, while the other bogs down everything but Windows.
- Just Right: Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear MacBooks, Charles W. Moore, 'Book Value, 11.20. Some people like small and light notebooks, others prefer huge desktop replacements, but the best value tends to be in the middle.
- Apple Caves to Hollywood with DRM on iTunes Videos, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20. HDCP on the new MacBooks means that you may never really own those videos you buy from the iTunes Store.
- Leopard Runs Very Nicely on PowerPC Macs, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 11.19. Some claim that Mac OS X 10.5 is so optimized for Intel Macs that it runs poorly on PowerPC hardware. That's simply not the case.
- No High Definition iTunes Video for You, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.19. The October 2008 MacBooks are preventing users from viewing some high-def iTunes content from being viewed on their external displays. Poor form!
- Every Working Computer Is Useful to Someone, Allison Payne, The Budget Mac, 11.19. Whether it's a PowerBook 1400, G3 iMac, or Power Mac G4, it could be all the computer someone needs.
- 3 WeatherBug Options for Apple Users, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.19. Have instant access to current local weather conditions with a Dashboard widget, iPhone app, or Firefox plugin.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.20. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733, $100; 800, $199; 1.25 GHz, $300; 800 MHz dual, $200, 867, $300; 1 GHz, $350; 1.42, $400.
- Best iBook G3 Deals, 11.20. Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 366, $199; 800 CD, $180; 600 CD-RW, $240; 700 Combo, $290; 900, $369; 14" 600, $360; 900, $449.
- Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.20. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
- Best iMac G4 Deals, 11.18. Used 15" 700 MHz Combo, $243; 800 MHz, $280; 1 GHz, $380; 17" 1.25 GHz SuperDrive, $400; 20", $549.
- Best MacBook Air Deals, 11.18. New 1.6 80, $1,150 after rebate; 120, $1,744 a/r; 1.8 80, $1,794 a/r; 1.6 128 SSD, $2,150; used 1.8 64 SSD, $1,500; new, $2,200 a/r; 1.86, $2,398 a/r.
- Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals, 11.18. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $30; 10.1, $20; 10.2, $60; 10.3 CD, DVD, $100; CD, $119; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $58; 10.3 Server, unlimited, $150.
- Best iPod nano Deals, 11.17. Refurb 3G/4 GB, $79; new, $114; refurb 8 GB, $99; new, $125; 3G/8 GB, from $134; 16 GB, from $189. Prices include ground shipping.
- Best Titanium PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.17. Used 1 GHz with SuperDrive, $478 plus shipping.
- Best Xserve deals, 11.17. Used G4/1 GHz, $999; G5/2 GHz, $1,288; new 2.0 4-core Xeon, $1,900; refurb 3.0 4-core, $2,599; 2.8 GHz, $2,499; 3.0 8-core, $3,499.
- More deals in our archive.
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