Making Headlines

The matter of Mac vs. PC cost analysis has proved a divisive issue for Fort Lauderdale computer repair experts and consumers alike.

I recent article in Computerworld, which focused on the relative costs of Mac and Windows hardware, struck a chord along these lines.

Some of the key points:

-- In a pure, hardware-based comparison, focusing on the hardware only, including CPU, chips, RAM capacity, video drives, display, hard-drive capacity and specs, ports and potential upgrades, dimensions and weight, et cetera, the Mac stacked up surprisingly well.

Of course, Ft. Lauderdale computer repair experts caution that this kind of on-paper objective comparison of Macs and PCs does not really imply evaluation of hardware.

Nor does it tell consumers much of anything at all about the software or operating systems. It is strictly what it is - an on-paper comparison - and what it is will only take you so far.

-- A primary focus of this Mac-PC debate is that Macs sometimes beat Windows PCs in the price-performance department, while sometimes the reverse proves true. In all, there’s a relative parity.

There is a time component to this kind of analysis, as well. Windows PC makers lagged behind Apple for a while on the CPU front, but with the release of the Santa Rosa platform, many are catching up.

The value meter may be tipping a bit toward Windows PCs now as a result.

Such ebb and flow is a natural part of values of machines and the business of computer repair, however.

It never rests. Pricing and product quality are always in flux. And it’s definitely true that Mac pricing has not always approached parity.

There's also the matter of applications.

Just because one user don’t want a particular small feature that the Mac offers doesn’t mean that everyone else doesn’t want it. And vice versa.

So if you desire a specific set of features that falls between specific Mac and the way those machines can be configured, then a Windows PC may, in fact, be a better value — for you.

This point isn’t unique to computer sales.

Buy a Toyota, for instance, and you’ll find there are 3-4 car models for any type, and the only options are dealer installable. Like Toyota, Apple has smartly positioned its specific models in recent years.

There’s also a corresponding point to be made, local computer services believe: The Mac lineup consists of five model lines and 12 basic SKUs (or specific models), each of which offers additional configuration.

There are three desktop and two notebook model lines.

When you look closely at these model lines, there are economy, middle-of-the-road and high-end models. Macs are no longer just premium computers. Apple has changed its stance on that markedly over the past 10 years.

If you’re not that familiar with Macs, you have to open your mind, take a look at the different Mac models and closely compare the specs.