Buy now or wait?
We have mentioned more than once that computer prices this back-to-school season will likely be the lowest in years. There are several reasons why you can get more bang for your buck this year.
AMD and Intel have slashed the prices of the Athlon and Pentium processors by nearly 50 percent as they plan to release their next generation multi-core processors. It may be tempting to hold out for one of these newer processors, but many people think it will be 3-5 years before software and hardware companies fully utilize the power of these processors. By that time the new processors will be cheap and you will be shopping for your next computer.
Prices are also low this year because companies are preparing for the new version of Windows to come out next year and they are getting rid of hardware that may not work best on Windows Vista. This sounds like another reason to hold out.
Before you hold off on that new computer now for the new version of Windows, keep in mind that Windows 95 didn't really work well until they came out with Windows 95 Service Release 2 less than a year before they released Windows 98, Windows 98 didn't reach its peak performance until they worked out the bugs and added the features people really wanted in Windows 98 SE. Windows ME was essentially a way for Microsoft to collect a few more bucks while they worked out kinks to Windows XP. Even Windows XP has had its problems and now Windows XP SP2 is required for all users.
Microsoft has never released a solid product in its first edition. It has always taken about 2 years for them to work out the kinks. In some cases, such as Windows ME, there were so many kinks that they scrapped the project early and just released a whole new version of Windows.
This is one of those articles that will show itself as dated very soon. Within 2-3 years people will be reading this tip and say, "Can you believe that processors once only had one core?" or they may think, "Windows Vista - what a lemon!"
No matter what, you will never catch up to technology. When you are ready you just have to jump in. If you have been holding off on buying a new computer because you are waiting for some sort of standard to be set, it will never come. In the mean time, your life isn't getting any easier without a computer and typically the user suffers because they just get further behind as computers get faster and more complicated.
If you are the kind of person who feels obligated to be on the cutting edge, this link should demonstrate how far ahead the cutting edge is and how much it could truly cost you.
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Before I go to bed....
About Best Buy: "Best Buy is prepared to expand a new Mac pilot program to additional retail stores if the concept proves to be successful, a couple of Wall Street analysts say"...from a June article here http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1788
About viruses: Maybe you're right, maybe not. Only time will tell. In the meantime, I'll just keep on hacking away on my machine that remains completly impervious from the junk that cripples thousands of "protected" PCs every day.
Never had the desire to look at Picasa. Maybe I'll check it out. And since I'm lucky enough to have a MacBook Pro that boots both OS X and WinXP, I can play in both worlds when I need to. Maybe you could download a copy of iPhoto and try it...oh wait, nevermind.
So far as the video's concerned, I'd point to the verbiage on my favorite T-shirt..."You can't fix stupid."
There's a better way, Adam. Come into the light, my brother!
This is what we are talking about...
Debate, opinions, interaction! When Adam and I rolled out the NEW HelpMeRick.com site in January, we were hoping to see a lot more of this type of discussion. Thanks for keeping it up and we hope that you do herd more people over to our site to read our "Shotguns" and tips.
Many of our Shotgun features are ripe for the picking for computer users to pick a side and discuss and debate each other over the merits of our many wandering subjects!
ps: My PC (knock on wood) runs as well and problem free as any Mac that I know about and has given me years of quality service by just following simple setup and protection advice that we outline on this very site.
What a great debate!
Thanks for the great discussion. In all honesty, I don't hate Macs. I think I said that early on.
In reality I am very anti-brand loyalty. I feel that as soon as I become loyal to any brand, be it Mac, Windows, Ford, Chevy, etc., I limit myself to accepting the possiblity that through the wonders of capitalism and competition a competitor or someone else may come up with a better system.
I think that this discussion is one of the best out there that provides an honest comparison between Macs and PCs.
Thanks for your comments and defending the Mac.
On not being a hater
A good debate, indeed. We should herd more people here to join in the fun! Folks just don't know what they're missing.
I'll climb off my soap box now and yield the floor back to you. As much as I hate to admit this in "public," I was surfing the net, looking for a Windows support class when I surfed on here. My hackles were already raised.
I really do tip my hat to you WinXPerts -- oooh, you shoud copyright that name!
My comment on Macs
I have nothing against Macs or Mac users, but Macs are not for everyone. True, they don't get viruses, but when you do have a problem (contrary to popular belief - Macs have problems too) you must know someone who is a Mac expert.
It is also important that you never need any accessories or software sooner than they can be mailed to you since most stores don't carry much, if any, Mac stuff.
Macs are great as long has your friend or family member who uses a Mac doesn't mind you calling and asking questions about the Mac.
No one will argue that Macs aren't prettier. But they also won't argue that they are cheaper or more functional.
Think of Macs vs. PCs as a comparison of salad bars. Macs are like the Salad bar at Pizza Hut. You have a very nice little salad bar with everything you could always want on a salad. But, If you decide to make a non-traditional salad you are out of luck.
PCs are like the local all-you-can eat salad bar. You are more likely to have longer lines, marshmallows dropped in the gravey and salty chicken strips, but the variety and customization options are endless.
More about Macs
Adam, Adam, Adam...
To counter your arguments, yes, Macs have problems, but you really have to work very hard at trying to screw something up before a Mac will quit working. Open the wrong folder and touch the wrong file on a PC and you're done.
It's true that you can't go down to the local OfficeWhatzit and buy Apple software -- at least not today. However, Best Buy stores across the country are beginning to stock Macs, and I would imagine that one day in the not too distant future, our own shiny new store in Grand Junction might follow suit. If that becomes the case, the store will certainly stock software.
So far as accessories go, you can plug just about anything into a Mac that you can plug into a PC and it will work. And, I might note, that it will likely work right out of the box, without having to go through the tedious step of installing drivers that might jack up something else on your system.
As far as Macs being cheaper, that's largely because their standard configurations are more powerful than anything you can buy off the shelf from the local meglogmart. In fact, the Mac Pro introduced last week is actually LESS expensive than a similarly configured PC built by Dell – the big box store of computer manufacturers.
Plus, with the Mac operating system, you get excellent photo manipulation software, digital video editing software, audio engineering software, dvd authoring software, page layout and publishing software, font management software, project management software, calendering and scheduling software, on and on and on., all STANDARD and all FREE.
Macs, to date, are immune from the nasty social diseases that PCs so readily pass to one another. Some believe that immunity can be attributed to Apple's market share, but most experts realize that it has more to do with the fact that a Mac's operating system is built on top of UNIX and is much harder to hack.
I can understand why people who make their living fixing PCs turn their noses up at Macs. The simple fact of the matter is that if more people had Macs, there would be a greatly diminished need for people to fix them. Macs just work. Period.
a comment on your comment
Most of your points are well noted. In other words, I agree with almost everything you said.
Here are the points I disagree with or otherwise have comments on.
First, for anyone considering a Mac - the possibility that one day a local store might carry software and accessories for a Mac isn't any help. and Best Buy is actually slowing down the amount of Mac stuff they carry not increasing it.
Second, Macs are not less vulnerable to viruses or spyware, there just aren't enough of them to be worth a bad guy's time. Terrorists don't set off suicide bombs where there aren't any people and virus writers don't launch viruses to 3% of all computer users.
The day Macs over take PCs expect to see just as many viruses and spyware on the Mac OS. In fact, viruses proper rarely infect PCs any more. Today the biggest threat is spyware and no OS can be completely safe from spyware since it is most often installed with permission from the user as a part of a fake program. Mac Spyware is on the rise and it will only get worse.
Some will argue that Obscurity is no longer an arguement, but until Macs break the 10% barrier no one really knows. Firefox was supposedly completely safe, but right after they hit the 15% share they had to release three updates in less than a month.
Last, I am no stranger to Macs. I have several clients who use them and I see them as often as I see any of my other clients. I help them with glitches, training and tune ups.
I am not arguing that Macs are inferrior. I just don't think that they are superrior. They are just different.
By the way...If you like iPhoto you will love Picasa!
Ok, that was a dirty trick.
Ok, That was a dirty trick too.
Ok - to be fair. For anyone who does own a Mac, here are some sites you can go to when you do have problems with your Mac.
MacFixIt
How to Deal with OSX Problems
Tiger Incompatabilities and Workarounds
Again, my point isnt' that Macs are worse, they are just different.
Here is a little video explaining what I mean:
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Mac's, is it true ?
Is it true that the Mac's computers do not get viruses, spy-ware, or browser-hijacks ???
Tell us about them!
Don't forget to consider a Mac
As someone who has spent many an hour cleaning/fixing the computers of my friends and family, I can't recommend switching to Macs enough these days. Especially now that you can run windows on a Mac if you really have to. The amount of maintenance required to keep a windows machine running smoothly is astronomical compared to Macs. Mac's don't get viruses, or spy-ware, or browser-hijacks, etc... plus the hardware is just so much sexier...
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