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journal: mac
iMac vs. The World: Round 1
We’ve all heard how Macs are supposedly so much more expensive than PCs, but now that Apple is going Intel, is this still the truth? Some may ask if this was ever even true in the first place. Now that the playing field has been leveled some, we’ll be able to get a better idea of where Apple stands in terms of price.
This is the first of a “whenever I damn well feel like it” series comparing the price and specifications of the iMac to various Windows PC counterparts, mostly to satisfy my own curiosity and maybe crush some myths. This comparison does not take into account more subjective factors such as design. Also, this comparison only take into account initial cost of purchase, not total cost of ownership.
For this comparison, I took a 17” Gateway Profile 5.5C and a 17” iMac Core Duo. I went with the stock iMac and a customized Profile, since the base Profile was rather stripped down. The results were somewhat surprising.
[scroll down; sorry for the layout b0rkedness] [Layout fixed by Arden]
| Gateway Profile 5.5 | iMac Core Duo 17” |
|---|---|
| 3.2 GHz Pentium 4 640 with Hyperthreading | 1.83 GHz Core Duo (dual core) |
| 160 GB 7200 RPM SATA hard drive | 160 GB 7200 RPM SATA hard drive |
| 512 MB DDR SDRAM | 512 MB DDR2 SDRAM |
| 17” LCD display, 1280x1024 resolution | 17” LCD display, 1440x900 resolution |
| DVD+/-RW CD-RW drive | Dual-layer DVD+/-RW CD-RW drive |
| Integrated Intel Graphics 900, up to 128 MB Shared VRAM | ATI Radeon X1600, 128 MB GDDR3 VRAM |
| gigabit ethernet, no modem, no 802.11 a/b/g, no Bluetooth | gigabit ethernet, no modem, built-in 802.11 a/b/g, built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR |
| two firewire 400, six USB 2.0, 1 serial, 1 parallel, VGA-in, VGA-out, PC card slot | two Firewire 400, thee USB 2.0, mini DVI |
| 1-year hardware warranty | 1-year hardware warranty |
| no camera, no remote | iSight built in, remote included |
| Windows XP Professional | Mac OS X 10.4.4 |
| $1474.99 | $1299.00 |
I picked the Profile mainly because it is an all-in-one machine, as is the iMac. I tried to match the specifications as best I could between the two machines. I went with the 3.2 GHz Pentium 4 on the Gateway since it is a good balance between power and price. It’s hard to get a good read on how the Pentium 4 compares to the Core Duo right now, however, although systemshootouts.org’s Processor Equivalency Chart places the 1.83 GHz Core Duo well above the 3.2 GHz Pentium 4 640. But for the sake of this comparison, I’ll call it a wash; there’s no such thing as a slow computer these days. I went with the base software bundle on the Profile, and left out the modem as well; same with the iMac. I was disappointed by the lack of a video upgrade on the Gateway; I would have like to have seen how a dedicated graphics card would impact the outcome. And the 1280x1024 resolution is OK, but I was hoping for more. Even more disappointing is that the 19-inch Profile 5.5 model has the same 1280x1024 resolution. Sigh. [UPDATE 2/15: I was apparently thrown off by the resolution, as the Gateway’s display actually has slightly more pixels than the 17” iMac. My criticism of the Profile’s 19” display stands, however.]
The numbers speak for themselves: the iMac is for the most part a more complete, more powerful system for almost $200 less than the Gateway. If I were to bring the Gateway’s software bundle up to par with the iMac’s (by adding Quicken Deluxe 2006, Microsoft Plus! Game Pack: Cards and Puzzles, Paint Shop Photo Album Deluxe Edition), the total for the Gateway rises to $1544.97. Even then, the Gateway does not include anything comparable to iWeb, GarageBand, iDVD, OmniOutliner, OmniGraffle, or ComicLife.
At least in the case of an iMac and Gateway Profile 5.5 fresh out of the box, the old Apple marketing slogan from the mid 90’s holds true: “Macintosh: It does more. It costs less. It’s that simple.” The iMac wins round one.
Stay tuned for Part 2, where I’ll pit the iMac against another PC, maybe an HP tower or something!
[UPDATED 2/14: minor fixes]
[UPDATED 2/15: more fixes]
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| Nick | comments | views |
thinkback
Since my post was deleted, I will repeat it.
Arden is incorrect in the above post.
The M70 is a 19� widescreen and weighs the same as the 17� version. It is bundled with tons of features and is portable (you can take it anywhere, even the toilet).
It is not at all heavy or cumbersome like an iMac, and an iMac can never be considered “portable�.
Okay, I was wrong about the weight of the M70… only because I couldn’t find anything out about it on the Samsung website due to national availability, which is the most obvious place to do research on something like this. But anyway…
Yes, the M70 is more portable than the iMac, but that’s because the iMac is a <span style="font-size: 48px; font-weight: bold;">god damn DESKTOP computer</span>. It’s not a “portable” computer because it’s not intended to be. That being said, I’d consider the iMac to be semi-portable because it’s much lighter than most desktops, has a hole that one can use as a handle, and (depending on the configuration) doesn’t need very many cords running into the back. I’ve taken it places before, and it’s much easier to transport and set up on-the-go than most (desktop) computers.
Bias writing and reading is one thing, but you can never ignore what is happening around you.
I’m not sure this comment is necessary, since you basically stated you’re anti-Apple in another post, yet you think everyone ELSE is biased.
| Feb. 23, 2006 | |
| Arden | 6:40 pm |
Okay, I was wrong about the weight of the M70… only because I couldn’t find anything out about it on the Samsung website
Hey, that is exactly your problem. You claimed to know something about the M70 without any research :
I imagine it weighs about as much as a desktop, too
The iMac weighs 10kg, the M70 less than half that.
So how come I was able to find specs for the M70 despite not being in either Korea or the US? Heck, I’m not even in Asia.
the laptop is, well, a notebook. And just barely:
the iMac is a <span style="font-size: 48px; font-weight: bold;">god damn DESKTOP computer</span>
What is just barely about the M70?
It is a true desktop replacement but still in notebook form. The iMac is a desktop monitor PC that is neither portable like a notebook, nor powerful or upgradable like a desktop.
not only does the screen detach, making it just barely a step above a desktop
Just barely? I sense...I dunno...desperation or something. A detactable screen is a welcome concept, you can actually replace the standard 19” monitor for something bigger, like 32 inches (it supports anything that is HDTV compatible).
In fact, the concept reminds me of the older Commodore 128 or Amiga, remember that?
Regardless, the standard widescreen 19” monitor is big enough for anyone.
I’ve taken it places before, and it’s much easier to transport and set up on-the-go than most (desktop) computers
Sure it is, I’ve had no problems moving my desktops, but I rarely move them so its no big deal.
I’m not sure this comment is necessary, since you basically stated you’re anti-Apple in another post, yet you think everyone ELSE is biased.
Here’s what I wrote :
I’m as anti-Apple as much as this site is pro< span style="color: #007700">-Apple.
So if this site is really pro-Apple, then I must be more anti-Apple (otherwise I don’t even care!).
In fact, the concept reminds me of the older Commodore 128 or Amiga, remember that?
Yes. I had both.
But I prefer a separate keyboard so I can upgrade to a 32” one. 
informer, remember that you can connect another monitor to the iMac and extend your desktop, if you want.
| Feb. 23, 2006 | ||
| 11:14 pm |
The days of the iMacs are over as far as the desktop monitor combos are concerned, unless Apple decides to make TV desktops of which other companies already have a healthy lead.
As for extension of desktop space, it looks much neater when the monitors are in matching pairs, say a pair of 42” Westinghouse monitors 
51.
Since my post was deleted, I will repeat it.
Arden is incorrect in the above post.
The M70 is a 19” widescreen and weighs the same as the 17” version. It is bundled with tons of features and is portable (you can take it anywhere, even the toilet).
It is not at all heavy or cumbersome like an iMac, and an iMac can never be considered “portable”.
Bias writing and reading is one thing, but you can never ignore what is happening around you.