Here's a quick comparison of the new iMac with an equivalent Dell:
Apple | Dell | Who wins? | |
Chip | 700 MHz G4 | 1.6 GHz Pentium 4 | PC somewhat faster |
RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB | tie |
HD | 40 GB | 40 GB | tie |
CD-RW | 24x 10x 32x | 24x 10x 32x 40x | tie |
Comms | 56K, Ethernet | 56K, Ethernet | tie |
Software | AppleWorks, Quicken | Antivirus, Word, Money | tie |
Video | 32 MB nVidia | 32 MB ATI | tie |
Monitor | 15" flat panel | 15" flat panel | tie |
OS | OS X 10.1 | Windows XP | You decide |
Other | USB, FireWire | USB, FireWire | tie |
Sound | Internal speaker | H-K speakers | PC |
Warranty | 90 days support, 1 year parts | 1 year support and parts | PC |
Price in CA | $1,450 (approximately) | $1,250 (approximately) | inc. tax, shipping. PC cheaper |
Design | Pritty | OK | Mac |
Of course, with the PC, if you go with a much larger 19" CRT monitor, you can save a lot of money. Or, if you really want the flat screen, you could add a DVD drive and still save money as opposed to the Mac. All in all the new iMac looks fine, but it's still not offering a real price performance advantage over a PC.