View this article at: http://dev.macnn.com/articles/07/11/08/macs.cheaper.than.pcs
Thursday, Nov 08, 2007 10:20am

Salon: Macs indeed cheaper ...

Despite popular perceptions, Macs are cheaper computers to own than PCs, a new article argues. Although the Salon piece concedes that most Macs are more expensive than comparatively-powered PCs when purchased, they are said to maintain better resale value, offsetting any initial costs. Held up as examples are last year's HP Pavilion Media Center A1640n, and a Mac mini; although the Mini would have cost $799 versus the A1640n's $699, while being less powerful, the resale value for the A1640n has plummeted, and is now between $236 and $257 on eBay. By contrast, the Mac mini is going for $445 to $500, netting a $50 advantage. [corrected]

Similar price balancing can occur with notebooks. A Dell Inspiron E1505 from last year, selling for $999, is now on resale at a peak of $550. A comparable MacBook would have been $1,099, but these are now on eBay for costs between $710 and $800, easily recouping the difference or improving it. The article contends that the difference is attributable to an inherent longevity in Macs, which makes them useful for as much as five years, whereas some PC owners may have to upgrade every one or two years. Apple also has more brand value, particularly because it has devotees who will only buy Macs.