If this part here is a serious requirement, then you only have one choice, the iMac.
Computers generally don't last that long ever, but the average for a Windows PC is about 2 to 2.5 years. The average for a Mac is about 3.5 to 4 years before they get slow enough to be a pain to use. Some are still useable for up to 6 years if you don't mind the slowness. That's my experience based on many years of Windows PC and Mac ownership and working as a tech in a mixed Windows/Mac environment for about as long.
The only way the Dell will last longer is by upgrading it to the point that you are not really left with the same computer. In other words all those people that will claim that their Windows box has lasted for some incredible amount of time have basically replaced the HD, the video card, added memory etc. to the tune of the same cost as buying a totally new PC every 2 to 2.5 years.
Macs have always lasted longer, and maintained usability longer as they are just built better and out of better materials. In addition the OS is a lot leaner and faster and maintains backwards compatibility longer also.
Note that I am typing this on a six year old G4 tower running Leopard, 😱 that has only had a slightly faster HD put in (3 years ago) and more memory added (about double the amount it came with).
Works fine. 😀
Thats wrong on all accounts. He said himself he is using a 10yr old Dell. My mom is using a similair aged HP, it came with Windows ME installed, which was around summer 2000. Works perfectly fine and has never once in its entire lifespan needed rapair or maintenance, the only thing upgraded was ram and HDD, she does not want to upgrade to a new computer. It hasnt even seen an OS reinstall in several years.
Macs dont last longer for using programs, that doesnt make any sense. If that were true then PC's would need to have insane specs compared to Intel Macs by now just to run notepad. They are almost identical in performance for their timeline, a 5 year old PC will run photoshop just as crappy as a 5 year old mac.
The hardware inside the machines are not better either. They are the same. Exactly the same. There are no apple branded HDD's or ram, Apple uses the same generic crap that Dell and everyone else uses to save money. You will not find a high end Western Digital HDD or high spec OCZ memory in a Mac, youll find whatever apple can get at the cheapest rate at the time of manufacturing.
"Macs are more backwards compatible" is crazy. Windows backwards compatibility just beats OS X's backwards compatibily with a huge ugly stick. Microsoft probably cares a bit too much about making old ass programs work, it hinders the advancement of the OS since it needs to work with previous programs and drivers. Apple has been criticized for horrible backwards compatibility before, OS 9 apps are officially out the window and PPC apps run like ass. Then theres the apps that keep requiring the many new versions of OS X, forcing people to keep buying the new versions.
Yes you have to upgrade a PC with ram and a HDD to make it last 10 years. Macs are not magically exempt from this either. You said yourself that you upgraded the ram and HDD on your mac, how are you supposed to run Leopard with 64mbs of ram? And the video card on the imac is simply laughable compared to the 8800GT in the XPS, the 8800 will be playing new games 2 years after the card in the imac should have just stopped trying.
The XPS WILL last longer than the iMac. Unless it breaks down (I know some fanboy will say "dells always break! Macs are invincible!"). Assuming neither computer has defects then the XPS will cream the iMac in longevity thanks to the great video card. But either way I would advise against trying to make any computer last 10 years, its just too slow and makes your life a pain.
