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By Bob LeVitus
For as long as I can remember PCs running Windows (or
other operating systems) have been perceived as cheaper
than Macs. Until now it’s
been true for the most part. I’d argue that superior
engineering and design cost more—a BMW costs more
than a Buick; a Tag
Heuer wristwatch costs more than a
Timex; and so on. But many
Windows users swear that you get more for your money with
a PC.
With Apple’s recent Power
Mac, PowerBook, and
iMac announcements and prices,
it’s a moot point.
Feature for feature, Macs are not more expensive than PCs.
And
I think most Mac users would agree that today you get more
for your money with a Mac.
Macintosh prices start at just
$799. Sure, that’ll
only get you an old-style iMac with a G3 processor, but
even at that low price Apple provides a lot of bang for
the buck: a built-in 15-inch CRT display, ATI Rage 128
Ultra graphics with 16MB of VRAM, a 40GB hard drive, 128MB
of RAM, 56K V.90 modem, 10/100Base Ethernet, built-in antenna
for AirPort, four USB ports, two FireWire ports, integrated
Harmon-Kardon speakers, built-in microphone, and analog
audio input and output mini-jacks that support up to 16-bit
stereo and 44.1kHz sampling rate.
Yes, you could almost
certainly find or build a PC with comparable specs at
a comparable price, but it would lack
something you just can’t add to a PC at any price—iLife.
Every Mac includes iTunes, iMovie,
and iPhoto, and if you
choose a Mac with a SuperDrive (Apple’s
name for their optical DVD/CD recorder), iDVD.
And, of course, the iLife applications only run under Mac
OS X.
While there are similar programs available
for the PC, they usually cost extra, and are usually not
guaranteed
to work with your particular hardware configuration.
Apple
nailed it. The iLife software is free with every Mac and
Apple guarantees it will all run perfectly. Can
you think of a single PC vendor willing to make that claim?
As I’ve said so many times before, Apple is one
of a very few consumer electronics companies capable of
providing
a seamless digital media experience. Under Windows, digital
media production usually requires hardware and software
from a plethora of vendors; Apple, on the other hand, owns
it all from cradle to grave. They own the CPU, the operating
system, the video subsystem, the input/output subsystem,
the optical media drives, the hard disks and controllers,
and most of all, they own the digital media application
software.
My old friend Rik Myslewski, now Editor-in-Chief
of MacAddict, said it even better in his March editorial:
"Apple’s greatest strength—aside from the creativity
of its minions—is the fact that the company is, as
Steve says, ‘the last one in the world who make the
entire widget."
"Creating both the hardware and much
of the software that runs on it helps ensure not only that
everything works together flawlessly (well, that’s
the intent, in any case), but also that all the OS’s
under-the-hood muscle is used to its greatest advantage."
I
asked well-known industry analyst and pundit, Creative
Strategies president, Tim Bajarin, to give me his take
on all the new Macs and lower prices. He replied, “Apple
is finally starting to realize that they must be more price
competitive given the strong competition from the PC vendors
for the same audience. These products represent real values
for any customer who wants a PC that is powerful, versatile
and easy to use and at these prices, are worth a serious
look from anybody considering a PC for any reason.”
Bob LeVitus is a leading authority on
Mac OS and the author of 41 books, including The
Little iTunes Book and
Mac OS X for Dummies, 2nd Edition. E-mail comments to
doctormac@boblevitus.com.
Copyright © 2004 Bob LeVitus
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