I call BS. Have you looked inside a Dell before? They use an Intel Reference Motherboard provided by Intel (which traditionally has been highly reliable), and Intel Processor (same as anybody else), Micron RAM, Seagate/Maxtor/WD/IBM/Hitachi Hardrives, LG/NEC optical drives, most of the other components are integrated, the Video cards are generally oemed from the reference board manufacturers. I think BadAnalogyGuy doesn't know crap.
How is this parent post a Score:5 insightful? At best this maybe a Funny post, but it seems to me to be Trollish. For most people, Dells are very reliable computers. Tech support is sometimes used, and from my experence with the Small Business division, they are American, and very friendly. The Home division uses Indian workers.
Have you never seen external drives. I've seen them at Fry's, Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears, CompUSA, Costco, Sam's Club, Staples, Office Max, Office Depot. Also, games that run on Steam (as opposed to gasoline), also do not require a CD. You can also image the disk and play it on a virtual drive, while leaving your optical drive free.
This challenge is a cop out. Here is why. The Mac will have features that will not be available to the PC, and the only way to make equivalent in EVERY spec will drive the cost of PC using completely non-sensicle components up.
If we were to take the Base Macbook Pro = $1999.00 15.4-inch TFT display with 1440x900 resolution 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo with 2MB shared L2 Cache (1) 667MHz frontside bus 512MB (single SO-DIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM 80GB 5400rpm Serial ATA hard drive Slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory
Dell 1505 = $1818.00 15.4-inch TFT display with 1680x1050 resolution 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo with 2MB shared L2 Cache (1) 667MHz frontside bus 1GB 80GB 5400rpm Serial ATA hard drive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 with 256MB GDDR3 memory Windows Media Center with remote control
When comparing the two systems without discounts found on bargain websites, there is close to a 200 dollar difference. Spec wise, the Dell has twice the ram and twice the video ram (albeit on a lesser video card). I call it a wash. But the Dell system is quite a bit cheaper.
Lets look at what you CAN buy if you are willing to wait one or two weeks. Bensbargains.net or your favorite deal site and you will fill a big coupons for this Dell.
E.g For the gamers. Configure this Dell Inspiron E1505 Dual Core Notebook with 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 HyperMemory upgrade for a total of $1128 + $50 upgrades - $300 off $999 code RH0TFJGWX9JHCM [Exp 3/23, 4k] + $0 shipping = $828 shipped. Higher threshold coupons are available. Buy a $35 off coupon from eBay to increase your profits. Intel Core Duo 1.66GHz, 15.4" WXGA, 512MB DDR2, 40GB SATA, 8x DVD+/-RW 10/100 + 56k + 802.11g, X1400 256MB, 53 WHr Battery, XP Media Center
Before you say anything about applying a coupon. When you do a comparison, you do it at what you can buy the item at. You don't go to a car dealership and buy it at MSRP. Apples just don't have as many discounts as a place like Dell. These discounts are weekly or bi-weekly. With the bensbargain deal, you'll get the equivalent deal with the Processor upgrade ($150), Screen ($100), Remote ($29), and Hardrive ($40). $319 in total options. $828 (which includes 50 dollars more in optiosn) + 319 - 50(subtract 50 for options included in the deal to use coupon) = $1097. $1999 - $1097 = $907 dollars. $907 dollars is a LOT of MONEY.
Thickness: 1.44" Footprint 14 x 10.45" Weight: 6.18lbs
This will probably get modded low, but I believe that Parent posts get modded high when they challenge people to research this info, and when I do it, nobody will actually see it, but at least I know where I come from is true. I'm sorry the Apple spec wise difference does not justify $907 difference which is equivalent to the PC being only 55% of the price of the Mac.
If you haven't noticed websites like Fatwallet, Anandtech, Slickdeals, Spoofee, Bensbargains, Dealnews, Techdeals, where regularly computers are sold with 17 and 19 inch flat panels for 400-600 dollars after tax. These are pretty powerful Dells, Compaqs, HPs, and an occasional Sony. I think that I would easily be able to get 250-350 dollars for a 2 year old one of these on Craigslist. If you don't believe me, look for yourself. Esp since you are including a flat panel. It's hard not to get at least 300 for one with a 19 inch flat panel these days.
Sounds like you don't know his reference to the Get Well Card to Dell. I'm sorry that you can only write one sentence at a time. Sounds like you haven't graduated from first grade, at least you don't use Crayons still. What is your goal for even typing that reply?
And why is that? Since Apple's market capitalization increased over Dell's for a day, they've bone from approximately 70 billion dollars market cap to 52.88 bil. Dell went from 69- 69.75 (yesterday). Dell has purchsed a high end PC manufacturer and continues to be the top PC manufacturer in market share. Apple continues to be a niche player and catering to the/. readership. They have released a overpriced centerchannel with a sub, and a leather case, and new computers that a lot of people are trying to make run Windows. Apple may not be beleaguered, but they certainly shouldn't be bragging about the fact that their main source of growth is no longer their computers or their software, but ipods, and ipod accessories.
Your statement is patently false. It's also an example of marketing and poor analogies. I am a reliablity engineer, I'm sorry to tell you that a Mercedes, BMW, and Volvo are not considered quality cars. The old example is the one where someone asks, which car is of higher quality, the Tercel or a S class Mercedes. The answer is the Tercel. 1) Lower Parts count, 2) decreased complexity 3) Less assembly 4) higher volume 5) Toyota has higher quality manufacturing plant 6) higher reliablity. The Mercedes has nicer parts, but the quality and reliability of the Tercel is greater. Everybody always makes this analogy and it's always wrong. If you want to compare the Mac to a high end car, you have to understand that you are comparing a car that is not as high in quality or reliablity. The Tercel will on average, get you from point a to point b much more often, at lower cost, and less hassle. If want a car that has lots of maintenance issues, breaks down often, but looks nice doing it... get a Mac... I mean Mercedes.
Even with 1 million launches and only 1 failure, it's not statistically valid to say that you have.999999 reliability. That would be demonstrated reliablility. But given what you said, it would be 0 reliable and get more reliable if the first launch failed and then 999,999 after that were successful. The reliability of the system can be predicted in several different ways. Including simulation, parts count, part-stress analysis, physics of failure, all of which are generally a combination of test and theoretical data. To have a predicted reliability of.999999 from only test, you'd have to have well in excess of 1 million successful launches and 1 failure. (At least with any degree of statistical confidence).
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I call BS. Have you looked inside a Dell before? They use an Intel Reference Motherboard provided by Intel (which traditionally has been highly reliable), and Intel Processor (same as anybody else), Micron RAM, Seagate/Maxtor/WD/IBM/Hitachi Hardrives, LG/NEC optical drives, most of the other components are integrated, the Video cards are generally oemed from the reference board manufacturers. I think BadAnalogyGuy doesn't know crap.
How is this parent post a Score:5 insightful? At best this maybe a Funny post, but it seems to me to be Trollish. For most people, Dells are very reliable computers. Tech support is sometimes used, and from my experence with the Small Business division, they are American, and very friendly. The Home division uses Indian workers.
Have you never seen external drives. I've seen them at Fry's, Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears, CompUSA, Costco, Sam's Club, Staples, Office Max, Office Depot. Also, games that run on Steam (as opposed to gasoline), also do not require a CD. You can also image the disk and play it on a virtual drive, while leaving your optical drive free.
This challenge is a cop out. Here is why. The Mac will have features that will not be available to the PC, and the only way to make equivalent in EVERY spec will drive the cost of PC using completely non-sensicle components up.
If we were to take the Base Macbook Pro = $1999.00
15.4-inch TFT display with 1440x900 resolution
1.83GHz Intel Core Duo with 2MB shared L2 Cache (1)
667MHz frontside bus
512MB (single SO-DIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
80GB 5400rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory
Dell 1505 = $1818.00
15.4-inch TFT display with 1680x1050 resolution
1.83GHz Intel Core Duo with 2MB shared L2 Cache (1)
667MHz frontside bus
1GB
80GB 5400rpm Serial ATA hard drive
(DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 with 256MB GDDR3 memory
Windows Media Center with remote control
When comparing the two systems without discounts found on bargain websites, there is close to a 200 dollar difference. Spec wise, the Dell has twice the ram and twice the video ram (albeit on a lesser video card). I call it a wash. But the Dell system is quite a bit cheaper.
Lets look at what you CAN buy if you are willing to wait one or two weeks. Bensbargains.net or your favorite deal site and you will fill a big coupons for this Dell.
E.g For the gamers. Configure this Dell Inspiron E1505 Dual Core Notebook with 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 HyperMemory upgrade for a total of $1128 + $50 upgrades - $300 off $999 code RH0TFJGWX9JHCM [Exp 3/23, 4k] + $0 shipping = $828 shipped. Higher threshold coupons are available. Buy a $35 off coupon from eBay to increase your profits.
Intel Core Duo 1.66GHz, 15.4" WXGA, 512MB DDR2, 40GB SATA, 8x DVD+/-RW
10/100 + 56k + 802.11g, X1400 256MB, 53 WHr Battery, XP Media Center
Before you say anything about applying a coupon. When you do a comparison, you do it at what you can buy the item at. You don't go to a car dealership and buy it at MSRP. Apples just don't have as many discounts as a place like Dell. These discounts are weekly or bi-weekly. With the bensbargain deal, you'll get the equivalent deal with the Processor upgrade ($150), Screen ($100), Remote ($29), and Hardrive ($40). $319 in total options. $828 (which includes 50 dollars more in optiosn) + 319 - 50(subtract 50 for options included in the deal to use coupon) = $1097. $1999 - $1097 = $907 dollars. $907 dollars is a LOT of MONEY.
Dimensional Difference below.
Weight 5.6 pounds
Footprint 14.1 x 9.6 inches
Thickness 1.0 inches (2.59 cm)
Thickness: 1.44"
Footprint 14 x 10.45"
Weight: 6.18lbs
This will probably get modded low, but I believe that Parent posts get modded high when they challenge people to research this info, and when I do it, nobody will actually see it, but at least I know where I come from is true. I'm sorry the Apple spec wise difference does not justify $907 difference which is equivalent to the PC being only 55% of the price of the Mac.
If you haven't noticed websites like Fatwallet, Anandtech, Slickdeals, Spoofee, Bensbargains, Dealnews, Techdeals, where regularly computers are sold with 17 and 19 inch flat panels for 400-600 dollars after tax. These are pretty powerful Dells, Compaqs, HPs, and an occasional Sony. I think that I would easily be able to get 250-350 dollars for a 2 year old one of these on Craigslist. If you don't believe me, look for yourself. Esp since you are including a flat panel. It's hard not to get at least 300 for one with a 19 inch flat panel these days.
Sounds like you don't know his reference to the Get Well Card to Dell. I'm sorry that you can only write one sentence at a time. Sounds like you haven't graduated from first grade, at least you don't use Crayons still. What is your goal for even typing that reply?
And why is that? Since Apple's market capitalization increased over Dell's for a day, they've bone from approximately 70 billion dollars market cap to 52.88 bil. Dell went from 69- 69.75 (yesterday). Dell has purchsed a high end PC manufacturer and continues to be the top PC manufacturer in market share. Apple continues to be a niche player and catering to the /. readership. They have released a overpriced centerchannel with a sub, and a leather case, and new computers that a lot of people are trying to make run Windows. Apple may not be beleaguered, but they certainly shouldn't be bragging about the fact that their main source of growth is no longer their computers or their software, but ipods, and ipod accessories.
Funny enough, you might have also picked the number 2. Today's comment is brought to you be the number 2, which also happens to be prime.
Your statement is patently false. It's also an example of marketing and poor analogies. I am a reliablity engineer, I'm sorry to tell you that a Mercedes, BMW, and Volvo are not considered quality cars. The old example is the one where someone asks, which car is of higher quality, the Tercel or a S class Mercedes. The answer is the Tercel. 1) Lower Parts count, 2) decreased complexity 3) Less assembly 4) higher volume 5) Toyota has higher quality manufacturing plant 6) higher reliablity. The Mercedes has nicer parts, but the quality and reliability of the Tercel is greater. Everybody always makes this analogy and it's always wrong. If you want to compare the Mac to a high end car, you have to understand that you are comparing a car that is not as high in quality or reliablity. The Tercel will on average, get you from point a to point b much more often, at lower cost, and less hassle. If want a car that has lots of maintenance issues, breaks down often, but looks nice doing it... get a Mac... I mean Mercedes.
Dell Business has this Dimension 3000 Desktop with 17 in E173FP Flat Panel Display $599 - $100 rebate = $499 with free shipping.
P4 2.80GHz , 256MB DDR, Dell Keyboard/Mouse, 40GB Drive
DVD8x/48x CDRW, Integrated Audio/Video, 10/100 Ethernet, Free ISP, 2-Yr Warranty
2 year warranty, 17 lcd, keyboard mouse. The rebate actually come. Check bens or fatwallet to know that dell is good for it.
It seems to me that the Mac Mini is not a superior system and any way. (well video maybe).
Even with 1 million launches and only 1 failure, it's not statistically valid to say that you have .999999 reliability. That would be demonstrated reliablility. But given what you said, it would be 0 reliable and get more reliable if the first launch failed and then 999,999 after that were successful. The reliability of the system can be predicted in several different ways. Including simulation, parts count, part-stress analysis, physics of failure, all of which are generally a combination of test and theoretical data. To have a predicted reliability of .999999 from only test, you'd have to have well in excess of 1 million successful launches and 1 failure. (At least with any degree of statistical confidence).