I have to get a PC : (

[evanrousso]

Well, after getting my macbook a few months ago I thought that I was going to be using macs from now on. I was planning on getting an iMac after Leopard was released and was going to start saving money for it. But, low and behold, my old desktop PC just died. It won't even turn on. I cannon justify spending the money to get an iMac right now considering I wanted to BTO mine with more RAM and a larger hard drive. This would make the iMac around $1800 to $2000. I can get a Dell with the same specs for almost $1000 less.

If only the Mini had the C2Ds in them.

 

[mkrishnan]

Is there a reason you really need the second computer? Why not just use the monitor and keyboard with the MB? And then purchase an iMac or a C2D mini eventually either new or refurb at a price that's acceptable to you? You already have a Core Duo computer... no desktop short of something with multiple Core processors is going to be dramatically faster CPU-wise. And if you're willing to accept a Mini if it had a C2D, I'm assuming the graphics card is also not an issue....

 

[yanasax]

I won't lie, that sucks.
Over the summers I usually have to use a PC, I hate it, I feel so foreign on it after being on a mac for so long.

 

[Killyp]

DON'T!!! You WILL regret it! SERIOUSLY!!!!

Install windows on your MacBook for the time being. Plug an external monitor and mouse/keyboard in, it doesn't suck as much as you'd think!

I can guarantee you will really wish you hadn't got the iMac. The PC will end up costing you more in the long run, and will give you nothing other than a disappointment and it will lose it's value faster than you can count to 1.

Wait it out! You'll be glad you did it in the long run! I went and wasted my money on a Dell 2 or so years back. SO wish I'd got a PowerMac instead now, having used the Mac platform for some time...

 

[MacBoobsPro]

Buying a PC also means paying £100 for Anti Everything

 

[slu]

There may be a slight premium for an iMac over a similarly spec'd Dell Desktop, but to say that it is $1000 less is just plain not true.

I'll use the 20 inch iMac for comparisons sake (Apple Store Prices)

Specs:

• 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• 1GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x512
• 250GB Serial ATA Drive
• ATI Radeon X1600/256MB VRAM
• SuperDrive 8X (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• Apple Keyboard & Mighty Mouse + Mac OS X (US English)
• 20-inch widescreen LCD
• AirPort Extreme
• Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

Price: $1574

Dell Dimension with 20 inch widescreen monitor:

Specs:

• Intel ® Core™2 Duo Processor E6400 (2.13GHz, 1066 FSB)
• Genuine Windows® XP Media Center,CD and Single TV tuner,Remote
• Express Upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium from XP Media Center Edition
• 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs
• 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
• 16x DVD+/-RW Drive
• 20 inch UltraSharp™ 2007FPW Widescreen Digital Flat Panel
• 256MB ATI Radeon X1300 Pro
• Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
• Dell A225 Speakers
• Dell USB Keyboard and Dell 2-button Scroll Mouse
• Logitech QuickCam Fusion Web Camera
• No Floppy Drive Included
• No Modem Option
• IEEE 1394 Adapter
• No productivity suite- Includes Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD
• No Security Subscription
• Trial pack- Basic and trial products from Corel and Yahoo
• 1Yr Ltd Warranty and At-Home Service
• 6 Months of EarthLink Internet Access Included
• Integrated 10/100 Ethernet
• Windows Vista™ Capable

Price: $1,318

Since I could not get the specs exact, here are the main differences:

Dell has a slightly slower processor
Dell includes a TV Tuner
Dell has no iLife-Type Suite included in price
Dell has no AV included in price
Dell has no 802.11x included (or option to include)
Dell has no Bluetooth included
Dell has a Faster Dual Layer DVD burner
Dell does not have gigabit ethernet
Dell does not have a Firewire 800 port

So the real price difference seems to around $250. Which is not nearly $1000. And I would argue that the cost of an iLife type suite of apps and AV eat that $250 up for the average person. Or perhaps adding a FW 800 port and 802.11 and bluetooth could eat that up. You get the point.

But get your Dell and enjoy yourself. Whatever works for you is great. But stop spreading mis-information like this is still 1997.

 

[savanahrose]

I guess that put an end to that argument.

 

[TBi]

Buying a PC also means paying £100 for Anti Everything

Or get AVG anti-virus (free), windows defender (free) and zonealarm firewall (also free).

I'd recommend using an external monitor with your Macbook though. It is faster than the Mac Mini and you get everything in one setup until you can afford your iMac. The bonus of this is that the cable to link an external display to your macbook will work on your iMac which will let you use your old monitor as a second display. Would be worth investing in a cheap USB hub if you are taking this route so you will only have to plug one USB connection into the macbook.

Remember that the Macbook runs in clamshell (lid closed) mode just like the MBP. This means it functions just like a mac mini, with all the graphics resources going to the external monitor.

 

[WillMak]

Wow a dell similar to an imac is only 250 less? Thanks! My parents want a new computer and I have sugested a mac for them. Should I wait until Leopard or just get it now?

 

[Maxwell Smart]

I use a Macbook (specs in sig) as my main computer hooked up to a 20" LCD and I absolutely love it. It does everything I want and more. I actually have a windows machine (Athlon 64 3500+, 1GB RAM) That I never even use any more because in the rare case i need to run a windows app I just use parallels

 

[Umbongo]

Wow a dell similar to an imac is only 250 less? Thanks! My parents want a new computer and I have sugested a mac for them. Should I wait until Leopard or just get it now?

Bare in mind he added a $72 option for tv tuner, the media center CD and a remote, which may or may not be needed and the E207FWP offers the same as the iMac does from a display point of view saving another $100 over the 2007FPW. Memory is also alot cheaper to upgrade. Though in my opinion the advantages of the iMac and OS X outweight the difference in cost. No reason to wait for leopard of they are hurting for a new machine.

 

[slu]

Wow a dell similar to an imac is only 250 less? Thanks! My parents want a new computer and I have sugested a mac for them. Should I wait until Leopard or just get it now?

I'd say it depends on what your parents do with the machine and how desperate they are for a new machine.

If they just do basic stuff (email, web, word processing) and they are in desperate need, I would not wait.

There is specualtion that Leopard will be announced at MWSF, but this is not a guarantee, as the stated ship time is still Spring 2007.

If you wait, you could be waiting 4-6 more months...or just 2-3. And I'd bet the iMac won't be upgraded until after MWSF at the earliest. That could be a long time to wait...I wouldn't wait that long.

Good Luck!

 

[slu]

Bare in mind he added a $72 option for tv tuner, the media center CD and a remote, which may or may not be needed and the E207FWP offers the same as the iMac does from a display point of view saving another $100 over the 2007FPW. Memory is also alot cheaper to upgrade. Though in my opinion the advantages of the iMac and OS X outweight the difference in cost. No reason to wait for leopard of they are hurting for a new machine.

That is fair on the monitor. I didn't even know there was a less expensive 20 inch wide screen available from Dell. But the TV tuner/remote option was added to "equal" the Apple Remote/Front Row.

However, one can argue that MCE/TV Tuner/Remote is more functional/useful solution than the Apple Remote/Front Row though (and I might agree), thus it would be considered a plus for the Dell.

It does cost more to BTO RAM from Apple to 2GB ($175 to $111), but 3rd Party upgrades are the same...but it is also a fair point as many people do not want to add their own RAM.

I suppose one can slice and dice this to prove thier point to move the price of the Dell up or down a hundred bucks or so, but I think my main point that a similar spec'd Dell does not cost $1000 less is still valid.

That being said, I am with you. The iMac + OS X is worth the "premium" to me...especially since the Mac premium is now smaller than it has ever been.

Hell, for what I paid for this Rev A. iMac G5 in Sept 2004, I could get a very nearly maxed out 20 inch iMac today.

And I might have to get me one of those E207FWP as a second monitor...the price sure looks good!

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Slu should tell us what Dell model this is, also I think you should go reconfigure that computer. A 1300 pro video is pretty low for what Dell charges, for the same price you can get a 7600 class video card that will smoke that 1300 and 1600 class cards. Also I just bought a E521 for under $700. That matches you specs for the most part but a little smaller drive & AMD cpu. AMD4200,1 GIG 533,160gb drive,DVDR/W,7300Le 256 videocard.Vista,2yr antivirus $687. Plus bought a TV tuner for $20 at newegg and am looking at a 7600GS video upgrade for $89. That totals $787

 

[slu]

This is for a Dell Dimension E520.

This was chosen since it is the only consumer Dell desktop with a Core 2 Duo.

Video Cards were chosen since they are closest in spec. You can get a better card in a Dell, or replace it later, which is a plus for some, but not everyone.

It is not fair to compare with an AMD rig since you cannot get one from Apple.

And I am not saying you can't get a cheaper PC from Dell; you can get a decent machine for around $700-$800 like you said (and I assume no monitor), but if you spec the machines similarly, the price difference is not as great as some would have you believe.

 

[T0mmyGunZ]

dont forget there are endless coupons you can get for dells so it will usually be cheaper than the specs posted imo

 

[slu]

So I just spec'd an E521 similar to the iMac and Dell I spec'd earlier:

• AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core 4200+
• Genuine Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005
• Express Upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium from XP Media Center Edition
• 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs
• 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
• 16x DVD+/-RW Drive
• 20 inch E207WFP Widescreen Digital Flat Panel
• 256MB ATI Radeon X1300 Pro
• Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
• Dell A225 Speakers
• Dell USB Keyboard and Dell 2-button Scroll Mouse
• Logitech QuickCam Fusion Web Camera
• No Floppy Drive Included
• No Modem Option
• IEEE 1394 Adapter
• No productivity suite- Includes Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD
• No Security Subscription
• Trial pack- Basic and trial products from Corel and Yahoo
• 1Yr Ltd Warranty and At-Home Service
• Integrated 10/100 Ethernet
• Windows Vista™ Capable
• Award Winning Service and Support

Price: $1,038

Now, I would argue the TV Tuner should be included to get the remote, but that is debatable. I could have also saved $50 by getting the video card you got, but I wonder why they charge less for this card if it smokes the X1300?

And I still upped the HDD to 250, monitor to 20 inches, and added a webcam (their cheapest), Firewire, and speakers. I assume you didn't get these.

Now this over $500 less and a pretty capable machine, but I still think you need to put a Core 2 Duo in there to make it a real comparision. Especially since I have no idea how an AMD X2 4200+ compares with a 2.16 GHZ Core 2 Duo.

 

[balamw]

It does cost more to BTO RAM from Apple to 2GB ($175 to $111), but 3rd Party upgrades are the same...but it is also a fair point as many people do not want to add their own RAM.

I agree with the basic thesis, just not some of the details. The difference for equal systems is not $1K. However, memory is one point where you are factually misleading.

Unfortunately Apple uses notebook memory in all the iMacs so it will cost you more than the similar generic desktop memory will. Note too that C2D iMac=Merom C2D Dell=Conroe, so even though they have the same name it's not really quite the same thing....

B

 

[FFTT]

All you really need is a good fast external HD and a nice flat screen display
and a copy of XP Home or XP Pro with SP2.

What exactly are you doing that so despirately requires Windows?

 

[Scottyk9]

Is there a reason you really need the second computer? Why not just use the monitor and keyboard with the MB? And then purchase an iMac or a C2D mini eventually either new or refurb at a price that's acceptable to you? You already have a Core Duo computer... no desktop short of something with multiple Core processors is going to be dramatically faster CPU-wise. And if you're willing to accept a Mini if it had a C2D, I'm assuming the graphics card is also not an issue....

This thread should have ended here...

Where is the OP??

 

[mkrishnan]

This thread should have ended here...

Where is the OP??

Probably at Dellrumors.com.