Because Iain suggested that Macs were cheaper than PCs, I thought I'd compare the two just for kicks:
| Apple iMac | Dell Dimension 4300 | Who wins? | |
| Chip | 500 MHz G3 | 1.6 GHz Pentium 4 | PC ~2x faster |
| RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB | tie |
| HD | 20 GB | 40 GB | PC 2x bigger |
| CD-RW | 8x 4x 24x | 16x 10x 40x | PC 2x faster |
| Comms | 56K, Ethernet | 56K, Ethernet | tie |
| Software | Quicken, AppleWorks, etc. | Antivirus, Word, MS Works, Money etc. | PC slightly better |
| Video | 16 MB ATI | 16 MB ATI | tie |
| Monitor | 15" | 17" | PC bigger |
| OS | OS X.1 | Windows XP | both high quality |
| Other | USB, FireWire | USB only | Mac better |
| Sound | Built-in | H-K speakers | PC slightly better |
| Warranty | 90 days support, 1 year parts | 1 year support and parts | PC better |
| Price in CA | $1,081.42 | $1,088.12 | Inc. tax, shipping; Mac $6.70 cheaper |
| Design | Beautiful indigo | Pleasing grey | De gustibus non disputandum est |
As you can see, the Apple computer is a pretty bad deal these days (at least in terms of pricing).
By the way, all prices were current as of 5 pm EST, October 22, 2001.
