You could even purchase Dell's dinky Studio Hybrid model and, for £499, you'd get a slightly faster Core 2 Duo, another 40GB of hard disk space, double the RAM and an HDMI port to make it a genuine little Media Center PC. Never mind the fact that the Mac operating system doesn't integrate any TV tuners into its 10ft UI, Front Row, with anything like the grace of Media Center. Moreover, where the Dell's got an impressive 18.5in display, the Mac mini doesn't even come with a keyboard or mouse.
The iMac too no longer seems like the value for money that it once was. Even compared to the alternative all-in-one offering from Sony – a company hardly famed for producing underpriced hardware – it fares badly. The VGC-JS2E/S – available for around £900 – has the same size screen, a faster processor, more RAM and a bigger hard disk than the £949 entry-level iMac. The differences aren't huge, but they're there, and in a computer from a company rocking a similar boutique vibe to Apple.
It's not over yet
Despite this, all the other reasons to become a Mac user are still valid. Macs are beautifully designed and engineered, not simply from an aesthetic perspective but, more importantly for many, in usability terms too. The operating system is generally fast, elegant and – thanks to its Unix pedigree – secure and incredibly powerful as well.
It's easy to have ideological problems with Apple's business approach, and you should never fall into the trap of thinking that Apple is a nice, hippy company run on sunshine and granola. But the very thing that's the Achilles heel of its computers, media players and mobile phones – that unwavering desire to control and mould each user's experience of operating each particular device – is at the same time its greatest strength.
By shaping how users interact with its computers, Apple – and the vast ecosystem of developers who are creating software with the same grace and lair as Apple – assures its customers a much smoother ride. If you've become tired of constantly tweaking, petting and coaxing your PC to behave properly, it may still be time to think about giving a Mac a chance.
Yet that qualifier highlights the problem, because while in the past we might have suggested picking up a Mac mini or entry-level MacBook or iMac, just as a way of experimenting with Mac OS and seeing whether it was the right thing for you, we're less blasé now.
Today, not only are the Mac mini and iMac more expensive here in the UK, but the global economic situation is giving many of us reason to be much more cautious with our money. Buying a second or third computer for the household 'just to see what it's like' would be irresponsible for many individuals, regardless of the sound fiscal argument for economy-stimulating expenditure.
Still. These prices may be a blip, brought about in part by the weak pound and also by the lack of effective competition. It's likely that the more tech-savvy parts of the population are holding out on elective hardware upgrades until Windows 7 is released, and businesses too seem to be marking time before the next big round of computer purchasing.
Maybe once Windows 7 has proven itself in the market we'll see Apple working harder to compete, though with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard due out around the same time, it's highly likely that Apple will fight this battle with better and more advanced technologies rather than simply lowering prices.
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Your comments (19) Click to add a new comment
mrt731
July 11th 2009
19. kent909 the Mac you are referring too has only a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The Dell has an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor. The Dell is a more powerful PC.
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kent909
June 26th 2009
18. B.S. A 24" iMac costs $1499 and a 24" Dell XPS All-in-One costs $1499.
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mbb
June 26th 2009
17. I take the previous poster's point about being able to put together a higher-spec machine than the iMac for less money, but it's not really comparable.
Even ignoring the OS, I suspect lth's computer does not include an IPS panel display covered by glass and an all-in-one design created from a single, machine cut piece of aluminium.
Do you care/think this is significant? Perhaps not. Does it raise costs? Oh, you betcha.
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lth
June 25th 2009
16. Having been forced to use a Mac at work, I don't really think that they are all that they are cracked up to be in terms of user interface. I think it's largely just what you're used to.
£950 for what you get is pretty steep considering that I've just put together the bits for a PC that absolutely spanks the cheapest iMac spec for a touch under £600.
As others say, it's a brand and a "lifestyle choice" but as with so many designer brands, you are mostly paying for the label, not the components or quality levels.
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gandharva81
June 24th 2009
15. Since because Mac Operating System is not user friendly but attractive in shape only.
So this is much more expensive in place of Windows, Windows is user friendly and easy to operate.
Thanx
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g24
June 23rd 2009
14. I have been using Windows PCs AND Apple Macs consistently for many years and when it comes to spending my own money and trusting my own data, it has to be a Mac.
Beneath the dubious eye candy and steamroller marketing, Windows is a *terrible* OS - it is stuffed with legacy code along with support for an almost infinite combination of hardware permutations, most of which it will never see. This makes for bloat, bugs and that persistent blight of security vulnerabilities.
Apple's OS X by comparison enjoys solid and secure Unix underpinnings with a slick and usable UI. The hardware is mostly very well designed and engineered, and OS X is actually designed for the hardware - this *does* make a difference. Somehow Macs manage to deliver a more productive and enjoyable user experience too.
By comparison, my slightly cheaper Windows notebooks either fall to bits or grind to a halt after about two years - I recently binned a failing 2.5yr old Acer and switched back to a MacBook - way, way better, in a different league. Macs seem to have a much longer and more useful life, another factor which should be taken into account when making price comparisons.
You do get what you pay for and all things considered, Macs are pretty good value for money when you take everything into account and disregard the pointless specs list. Cheap PCs, particularly notebooks, are just that, cheap and very nasty. Apple just doesn't operate in that market - for cheap and nasty, look elsewhere.
I don't get all this cynical ill-informed Apple-bashing bile. Of course there's an element of brand halo and marketing pixiedust which I actually dislike, but I'm afraid the products do pretty much live up to the hype. For most users who aren't interested in specs and just want something fast, solid, secure, good looking and great to use Macs are a pretty smart choice, on merit, not just hype.
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