BenRoethig said:In other words, if it isn't completely tricked out, it isn't a real computer.
No, what I was saying is that you're comparing Apples to, well, piles of crap that are randomly slammed together in the cheapest way possible by companies that don't create integreated systems. Compare a mac to IBM's computers, hell, even throw them at Dell since they're making a profit and show some inkling of understanding that software is about as important as hardware, but don't try to take a pile of junky third-rate parts and say that it's a fair test.
The low end Athlon 64 boxes may not be as fast or look as good as the high end systems, but they are good enough for 90% of the public.
So is Ford, McDonalds, and Wal-Mart, but that doesn't make any of them good, nor does it mean that it's what we ought to be striving for. In each of the above cases, you get the bottom of the barrel in the disguise of "value," which people buy into because they're fundamentally ignorant and more concerned with shaving a buck off here and there than getting a quality product.
And more importantly, they are affordable and upgradable.
Hint: Most people buy a new machine rather than upgrading. You are in the minority if you swap out parts.
What did I get when bought my G3? A $2300 non-upgradable computer that was obsolete in six months and unusable ofr all but word processing two and half years later.
I have a G3 computer that's still pretty usable, actually, but it's a laptop and so it's already intended for a slightly different market. However, I think that you need to provide a bit more data on that "non-upgradable" machine of yours, since I happen to know that plenty of G3 machines now have G4s in them.
I don't know about you, but I can't afford to shell out two grand on a new computer every other year and I have no intention of getting another all in one after the Performa 5200.
I've never spent two grand on a computer, and I've always used macs. Always. The trick is to not be greedy and realize that there are some things that other hardware do better. I use my computers for computing, a console or three for gaming, my TV and DVD player for watching movies (sometimes I watch them on my machine)... Get the picture?
And quite frankly, after dealing with x86 HARDWARE for two years, spending that kind of money every two years is unjustified as well. What it comes down to, I would like an upgradable computer with a great operating system that I can afford. Unfortuately, no such computer exists.
Quite frankly, after dealing with x86 hardware on behalf of the hordes of clueless end-users out there, I don't want a machine I have to fiddle with BIOS, drivers, and other nonsense just to use. It took over an hour to get my coworkers' wireless hub to recognize the USB bridge he'd plugged in, while my Airport card scanned his network and was talking to it from the moment I opened the lid of my iBook.
It's not Apple's fault that you're either too stubborn or too poor to buy their machines, nor is it your fault that you don't want to pay their prices. Do the only thing that matters and vote with your dollars, just like I do. I use OS X on a daily basis, touch Windows only when I have to, and I've never paid more than about $1,600 for a computer.