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From: ingemar@isy.liu.se (Ingemar Ragnemalm)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: give me solid facts: why is the mac better than MeSsy DOS/WINDOWS
Message-ID: <ingemar.668090810@stuart>
Date: 4 Mar 91 12:46:50 GMT
References: <91.056.16:01:18@ira.uka.de> <672@newave.UUCP> <1991Feb28.015446.16531@eng.ufl.edu>
Sender: news@isy.liu.se (Lord of the News)
Organization: Dept of EE, University of Linkoping
Lines: 51

scot@sun1.ise.ufl.edu (Scot Gardner) writes:

>In article <672@newave.UUCP> john@newave.mn.org (John A. Weeks III) writes:
>>
>>1. Macintoshes are cheaper (when comparing similar name brand machines)
>Similar?? Your kidding, right? AT? 386? 486?
>If YOU can get them cheaper, then it's not by much.

I look in the catalog of our local dealer. They have Macs, IBM and Nokia
(PC clones, supposedly high quality). They don't have lowest-possible-price
PC clones, you know the ones that work for two days before needing the first
repair.

Just have a look at the prices (university prices - and you know that Apple
doesn't discount as much any more, right?):
Mac LC (16 MHz), 12" hi-res grayscale (decent monitor), 2MB, 40M HD: 15000 SEK.
The same with 13" color: about 19000 SEK.
386SX-clone, 16MHz, 14" color, Windows, 2MB, 40M HD, mouse: 29980 SEK.
IBM 386SX 10MHz (!), 14" color, 2MB, 30M HD: 29540 SEK.
IBM 386SX 16MHz, 14" color, 4MB, 120M HD: 47990 SEK.
(Seems like that HD costs a lot.)

If you want a math coprocessor:
Mac IIsi (20 MHz), 15" b/w, math pr., 5M, 40M HD: 30400 SEK.
The same with 80M HD: 35090 SEK. (Expensive HD, Apple! But you win anyway.)
386-clone, 20MHz, 15" b/w, math pr., 4M, 100M HD: 47600 SEK.
IBM 386, 25MHz, 15" b/w, math pr., 8M, 120 M HD: 78870 SEK.
IBM 386, 20MHz, 15" b/w, math pr., 4M, 115M HD: 65930 SEK.

(SEK = swedish crowns.)

Yes, I know there are cheaper clones around, so you can get a "noname"-style
PC for less that a comparable Mac. A Mac can fail too, but I do believe
that they have a higher quality than the low-budget PC clones. Sure you might
find a cheap PC that works for a while - if you are lucky.

Compared to the PCs of known high-quality brands, the Mac seems to be
priced on a nice level. Note that I didn't compare lowest cost computers,
since I wouldn't consider a "toaster" with the LC around. I usually advise
people who consider buying a cheap Mac to get an LC with 12" grayscale.

So, as long as you are looking at known brands (is that what "name brands"
means?) it seems like the claim holds pretty well:

Macs aren't very expensive.

--
Ingemar Ragnemalm
Dept. of Electrical Engineering	     ...!uunet!mcvax!enea!rainier!ingemar
                  ..
University of Linkoping, Sweden	     ingemar@isy.liu.se