Reply #72: Justifications: [View All]

[Atlant]

1. Similarly-configured Mac and PC laptops are NOT "a thousand
bucks" different in price. Bought from "name-brands", they are quite
similarly priced. I know; I've bought several Mac laptops in the last
few months.

2. You offered the "can't upgrade" canard. Aside from the built-in
video, there is essentially nothing inside a Macintosh that can't be
upgraded using essentially the same parts as a PC. My Macintosh
PowerBook/G3 started life with 64MB of RAM and an 8GB hard drive.
It now houses 512MB and an 80GB hard drive as well as FireWire
(IEEE-1394), USB, and IEEE-802.11b ("WiFi") wireless networking.
I still use the original 300 MHz processor card, but if I wanted,
faster processor daughter cards are also available.

Our PowerMac/G4 has gone through a similar evolution, growing from
256MB to 1.25GB and 27GB to something over 200GB with dual screens
and wireless networking.

3. You speak of no virus problems because you run the latest
anti-virus software. Did that not cost you anything? Is the time that
you spend updating the anti-virus software worth nothing? In my
mostly Mac and Sun home, we don't run anti-virus software; these two
operating systems are inherently more resistant to viruses than
Windows.

4. You mention iBooks running hot. This complaint has been lodged
against the modern metal-enclosed PowerBooks, but not against the
plastic-enclosed iBooks. In fact, the 14" iBook is quite efficient
with its power; at its announcement, it posted the longest run-time
of any full-featured laptop.

Atlant