[grawk]

ok, G4 DESKTOPS are a lot more than 3 years old.

 

[Sparky191]

If you know what you are doing using either should be no problem.

You can get a lemon regardless of make/brand.

 

[Arainach]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not much! Apple used the G4 processor at least up to January 2006, when the PowerBook G4 was replaced by the MacBook Pro. So it all depends which computer they are talking about... Never seen a larger institution (like school) upgrading computers, beside probably adding more RAM. They usually run them for 3 years, then replace with brand new ones. Regardless if they use PC or Mac.

I've seen High Schools upgrading (Windows) machines in multiple instances.

And the point is that if they go Mac they can't AFFORD to upgrade every 3 years because each round of upgrades costs significantly more.

 

[grawk]

Apple's prices have been coming down, not going up...

 

[Kirosia]

Not-so-funny story, I had to print something out on campus, and I was in an unfamiliar building. Searched around for a computer lab, and finally found one after quite a bit. Walked in, took off my earphones and spun around, only to realize I was in a mac-only lab. (Didn't even know we had them) Left like a mad man, found the PC lab, and saw that I lost my earphone cover. Couldn't go back cause I really didn't know where I dropped it, and only would've looked stupid. So yeah, macs both robbed and shamed me. Now there can only be hate.

 

[Arainach]

And yet they're still dramatically higher. The very cheapest Mac sold (the Mac Mini), which probably doesn't even fit the needs of most schools (things such as expansion ports, ability to physically secure, etc., etc.) is $599. For comparison, the Dell Inspiron line starts at $299 - HALF the price.

 

[iriverdude]

yup, I can't see how anyone can say macs are cheaper, they're double the price, usually with lower spec as well.

 

[grawk]

No one's saying they're the cheapest computer available, only that the cost has been going down. So if the school's pattern is to replace every 3 years pc or mac, the mac solution doesn't go UP in price 3 years later, it goes down. Plus, total cost of ownership favors the mac, because the resale value of the mac is higher.

 

[Arainach]

The Mac Solution is still higher every 3 years, which is absolutely beyond the budget of most schools/businesses. I mean, really, you're looking at a minimum of $1200/machine for Mac, which is ludicrous. The Mac Mini is NOT appropriate. I have one sitting right next top me. I could fit it in a backpack/purse in seconds, and its happy simplistic Mac design leaves no way to secure it to anything.

 

[iriverdude]

PC £343 inc vat

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2Ghz, 4MB L2 Cache
Screen: 15.4" Widescreen CrystalBrite Display
Hard Drive : 250GB Hard Drive
Memory: 2048MB RAM (2 x 1GB Ram)
Optical Drive: High Defination DVD Drive
Graphics: nVidia Geforce 8600M GS 256MB
Networking: 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N & Gigabit LAN
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
Webcam: Yes, 0.3 MegaPixel Webcam
Other Items: 1 year warranty, 5 in 1 card reader, 8 cell battery, Dolby Home Theater Virtual Surround Sound speakers
HDMI Output, S-Video Output, Firewire Port

MacBook Pro £1368
15-inch: 2.4GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB Memory
250GB hard drive1
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M + 9600M

I thought twice as much. Oh dear, if you buy a Mac you're daft...buy a PC bung on Ubuntu and laugh away saving £1000. Granted Mac has faster CPU but if you're not gaming, you won't know the difference. Even if you want to match CPU only a bit more.

And since OSX isn't for gaming, GPU is not worth it.

 

[grawk]

Yup. Anyone that doesn't use ubuntu is daft.

 

[iriverdude]

^My point being it's 'nix as is OSX. If you don't want to use Microsoft, which is why people buy Mac's.

I personally don't like Linux it's a bit geeky, and I game. I do have it installed on a partition on one of my HD's. XP for other stuff and gaming.

 

[grawk]

I buy macs because they work better than anything else for what I use them for. You can argue I'm daft, or whatever you'd like, but I'm a well informed consumer, and for my needs, macs just work better, and are a bargain for what they cost. If you like fiddling with your computer as a hobby, the mac might not be the best choice for you. After working on various sized unix systems for over 20 years professionally, I don't need to fiddle with my home system for fun. I'd rather use it as a tool that does what I want when I want.

 

[iriverdude]

PC's run the applications I use, are cheaper, more powerful, I can upgrade myself. Keep bits I want, and junk the ones I don't. Or move to another system I can fiddle with the hardware and software (or not) once setup they run fine. Mac's are not a bargain for what they cost.

If I didn't play games, I'd still need to use a windows emulator for the applications I use. If you're going to use bootcamp with Windows, you may as well just buy a PC since you're paying multiples of PC components.

 

[krmathis]

Here we go again...