[MacBrogdon]

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. . .Those machines look pretty comparable to me. With the Dell, you get a faster processor, a larger screen, a larger hard drive, an expansion slot for wireless internet, and longer free support service all for $230 less than the Mac. What advantages does the Mac have? OSX, better design, and no viruses.
Is the Mac worth it for me? Absolutely.
Is the Mac worth it for my friends? Not always.
That's my take. Let me know what you think or if you find flaws in my Mac/PC comparison.

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Well here is my take on all this. I think you make some insightful points.
As for price.
Apple's pricing and upgrading cycles leave people in odd situations. When I bought a MacBook last year I got it just after an upgrade and it was less expensive than a Dell (I didn't check for my MacBook Pro I got a month ago). The MacBook didn't change in price, but the Dells got less expensive. I took a look after the MacBooks got their upgrades in May and I found that Macs were again less. I guess now the Dells have beaten them out in price. My conclusion: if Apple keeps up with their upgrades then the Macs are comparably priced. But right now the Mac is being sadly neglected by Apple (I better stop here before I get into my anger issues with the resource-hog iPhone).
I think the thing to also consider is the included Applications with a Mac. I really did pull my first Mac out of the box and started to make a move, played with garage band, and organized all my pictures with iPhoto. I was very impressed with the functionality of all the included Apps. Heck, I still use TextEdit to do my initial writing before opening any of the word processors I bought. The included Mac apps are top of the line and very usable. I think these need to be taken into the consideration of the price.
But, the average PC person just doesn't see these things at first (unless they are like me. I did a lot of research into OS X and Macs before I bought one). My approach is to get people who I think will really benefit from the switch to play on my Mac after I open an app I think they will like. . .

[MacBrogdon]

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"...OS X is made by the Devil."

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Awesome "OS X is made by the Devil". How great is it that us Mac users have the Devil's own Operating System? I think that it could not get better... This should be a marketing point for Apple, Inc. -- Microsoft Windows Xp & Vista is made by the Angels, however Mac OS X is made by the Devil itself, Why buy a namby pamby goodie tooshoes Operating System like Windows Xp & Vista when you can buy the Devils own operating system OS X -- after all the Devils in the details. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

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My wife's father works for IBM. In her house growing up Mac was the Devil and Steve Jobs was the antichrist. Now my wife is a Mac user. . . /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[MacBrogdon]

Before I logoff for the night. . . Rob Griffiths THANK YOU writing something about the Mac.
Oh, how I have longed for Mac talk these past few weeks. . .

[estumpges]

Oops, I got the Dell's processor speed wrong. It is actually 2.2GHz (I just updated this in my previous post).
Also, with regards to the optical drives, I probably got the naming convention wrong. Both drives in my comparison read, and write both CDs and DVDs. I couldn't find the write speeds for the Dell drive, however, I presume they would be similar if not identical to the Mac's Super Drive.
As you note, the screen size is a subjective point considering that the resolution is the same. In reality, the screen size is close enough to be considered an insignificant difference. Also, Apple's hardware is generally several steps above Dell and other companies, so I bet the Apple screen would look nicer than the Dell.
I failed to realize that your article was targeted primarily at desktops. My mistake. You do have a point about the high MacBook sales. This trend doesn't seem logical to me, but that's beside the point. I'm just happy Macs are rapidly gaining market share.
I don't have time to put together a Mac/PC desktop comparison at the moment, a few weeks ago, I looked on Dell's site found that the Mac Pro doesn't line as well as it used to in comparison with Dell's prices.
I think Macs are great for people who are willing to pay a little more for a higher quality product. Thanks to Microsoft's recent stunning "successes" like Windows Vista and and the Zune cough cough, more people are deciding to give Apple a try. Let's just hope this trend continues and Apple doesn't do anything to turn converts away.
I know everyone's sick of hearing exclusively about the iPhone right now, but the fact is, the iPod, and potentially the new iPhone are providing the driving force behind Apple's increased computer sales. As long as Apple can keep improving their OS and their computer hardware, I'm willing to put up with as many portable electronic devices as Apple is capable of dreaming up. I think after Leopard is released, everyone will have a better idea of whether Apple is beginning to drop the ball with regards to the computer end of their business. Until then, I'm willing to give Apple the benefit of the doubt.

[estumpges]

You make a good point about the Mac's included software. Although I wish iWork came as a part of OSX instead of an add on, I am very happy with the overall package of software Apple includes on all new machines free of charge. I'm especially happy with a new Apple program called Grapher that Apple sneaked into OSX in one of the last major updates. Its programs like this that make me realize how great Apple's software really is. It all works seamlessly together because it's designed by Apple's excellent software designers. On Windows, most software is designed by third parties and doesn't necessarily work well with other installed apps.
I also agree that the most persuasive way of getting people to switch is to let them try a Mac for a while. After a brief learning curve, most people are able to really appreciate Apple's simplistic, yet powerful approach to software design.
On the downside, Windows users have to buy new versions of software they already own for PC if the want to use it in OSX. Of course they could use their Windows software with Boot Camp but then they miss out on the OSX experience they paid for in the first place.

[montoid]

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I don't think I'd consider a mac on the simple fact of price/upgradeability and performance.

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[/indent] Your G5 Dual will retain its value and usefulness far longer than generic PCs, don't you think? And the ability to run multiple OS's further increases the life of the hardware. My Pismo powerbook is over 7 yr old now, and it's still going great, and does everything I need quite well. All I've done is upgraded the RAM and the drive. I think we forget that even 2 extra years' service from a Mac (compared to a generic PC) translates to savings in three ways: (1) fewer total purchases overall; (2) the delay in needing to replace hardware means the future hardware will have even greater capability and lower price than if it was purchased sooner (because with time, prices drop and power increases); (3) fewer changes in hardware/software/OS means less time and productivity lost to the "learning curve" of adapting to new versions.

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Err, I've had three macs during the time I've had my one solitary home XP Inspiron laptop?!

[moose_n_squirrel]

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I failed to realize that your article was targeted primarily at desktops. My mistake. You do have a point about the high MacBook sales. This trend doesn't seem logical to me...

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All I know is that four friends or relatives needed to buy a laptop over the course of the past year. None of them were Mac users before. All were presented with PC and Mac alternatives and no hard sell from either camp. They looked at some machines, separately and many months apart from each other. The Macs really appealed to them.
All of them bought MacBooks and are very happy with them.
The last one got the best deal - the new MacBook with the 1GB RAM preinstalled. I told her she could put down $1100 to buy that and have no need to upgrade anything in it for a long time. (The earlier ones came with only 512MB RAM and I told them they should bump it to 1GB, but I don't think most of them have.) If it was fast enough, had WiFi, and ran Office, they were satisfied. They are the Word/Web/Mail crowd. Who needs 2GB and SLI video for that? The battery lasts a heckuva long time - they love that.
None of them asked about the graphics card or expansion cards or whatever other techtronics we agonize over in forums. The RAM is actually OK for their needs. It will take them years to fill up their hard drives, since none of them have time to collect torrents like basement geeks do. Just text files, MP3s, and JPEGs from the camera. I check back and one still has 30GB free.
That's the mass market.
(I'm still using a PowerBook because it still isn't slow after 3+ years, thanks to Apple's OS X optimizations. I laugh when somebody asks me about my "new" laptop.)

[montoid]

I've had "three" Macs in the same period of time that I've had "one" home XP laptop!?!

[montoid]

Some serious pigeon-holeing going on here;
"Office/Web surfing/emailers will never be interested in the insides of their machine?"
Not neccessarily!
"None of them will collect torrents or fill up their hard drive?"
Not neccessarily!
In my experience all computer newbies evolve their interest and usage, user's are not as rigid as you make out . . .

[Peter Cohen]

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I think one thing might need to be pointed out (even though most people already are aware of this): Game players come in a very large spectrum.

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This is very, very true. If you ask the average Mac user, "Are you a gamer," chances are you'll hear "No." Being a "gamer" has a connotation that resonates with few of us. But if you ask the average Mac user, "Do you ever play games," you're likely to elicit a very different response, even among those for whom Sudoku might not be as interesting a pastime as, say, Doom 3.

[jpmhughes]

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Err, I've had three macs during the time I've had my one solitary home XP Inspiron laptop?!

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Really? Why?
I have always had Macs longer.
When I do move to another machine I almost always give away my old one to a friend or relative.
I just recently stopped using my 450Mhz Cube which I used for over six years without any problems.
I can not say the same about the PC's I have used.
Jim

[moose_n_squirrel]

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Some serious pigeon-holeing going on here;
"Office/Web surfing/emailers will never be interested in the insides of their machine?"
Not neccessarily!
"None of them will collect torrents or fill up their hard drive?"
Not neccessarily!
In my experience all computer newbies evolve their interest and usage, user's are not as rigid as you make out . . .

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I am not pigeonholing at all. Read my post, at no point did I say it was about all noobs. I am factually reporting actual usage of my small sample of people I know well.

[MacBrogdon]

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. . .On the downside, Windows users have to buy new versions of software they already own for PC if the want to use it in OSX. Of course they could use their Windows software with Boot Camp but then they miss out on the OSX experience they paid for in the first place.

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I think they would not need to go out an buy new software right away. With Parallels and CrossOver for Mac they can use their Windows software right on top of OS X. Parallels is great because they can have a Windows environment and with a click of the mouse they're back in OS X, or they can let their Windows apps run side-by-side with their OS X apps. CrossOver lets you run your Windows apps side-by-side with OS X apps like Parallels does, but with CrossOver you don't need to buy and install a copy of Windows! I think it would be a great way for many PC users to transition themselves to a full OS X experience.

[jpmhughes]

Also, something no one is mentioning, is that many suppliers are now bundling Vista or XP with a Mac purchase. For only a hundred or so more dollars.
So that isn't even a consideration.
The only valid point made here so far is the "midrange" type of Mac.
Which we will be seeing pretty soon.
If the past has proven anything, it is that Apple does respond to peoples requests.
This is one area that has been lacking for quite some time.
Jim