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Many of the myths about Mac costing more are due to outdated facts and not understanding value. It is easier to play on these myths than to correct them, and so stores and many users let the myths perpetuate -
Buyers forget to normalize initial costs with the following factors (that add value to the Macs) -
- that Macs processors outclass the PC processors at
the same speed - and are rated anywhere from 20% - 200%
faster (I tell people very conservatively to estimate
PPC's as 30-40% faster)
- Macs come with many capabilities that PC's do not.
Like ADB,
Networking, SCSI (either 2-SCSI cards or SCSI and
EIDE), Sound input and output, speech recognition,
often better application bundles, etc.
- Macs often have higher quality components than PC's.
For example many Macs come with SCSI drives instead of
lower quality IDE, higher quality cases and
power-supplies, better floppy drives, higher quality
(durability) for CD-ROM's. (Though the Mac clone makers
will often use the same commodity components as PC clone
makers in many cases).
- Macs are #1 in customer satisfaction and reliability.
(That should have some value). And they come with a 1
year on-site warranty and free 800 number support. Some
people value reputation, name brands and quality ratings
- others do not (and take their chances) - but there is
no doubt that there is some value to a name.
- Macs are usually more efficient with their RAM or HD space. (Application installs on PC's can take up to twice the disk space - but the actual data storage is usually the same).
Here are some samples (these numbers were a snapshot taken at various times). These only show relative costs (not what you could buy today). If you price compare today, I think you will find similar results.
See [REFERENCE - COSTS] for supporting evidence and cost comparisons.
Conclusions
There have been many other cost-comparisons in the past. It was true that Macs initial purchase price was once higher (5+ years ago) - but that was only if you failed to factor in the value you were getting (as many PC users did). This is where the myth that Macs are more expensive got started. However, the actual lifetime cost of owning a computer has always been lower for Macs, and Macs Purchase Costs have been lower for the past 4 or 5 years if you were to compare tit for tat (the Hardware you were getting, and similar quality, etc.). So it is time for this myth to be exposed to the harsh light of truth - Macs do not cost more than PC's, and often cost far less.
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