Quote - > Quote - ":.....The $2419....."

is probably why I'll never be able to afford to own a Mac. I'm quite happy with my $899 quad core Gateway.  I'd have to be able to get four times as much done with the Mac, to be able to justify it.

Actually, amortization already does that for you.

I bought my main CG box (a Mac dual G5) in 2004... four years ago. I could very conceivably continue to stretch it out until 2009 if I desired. I have yet to see any OEM-built PC last past three years of hard use... either the parts die off, the OS demands an upgrade that the box isn't capable of supporting, etc...

So I could either continue using the dual G5 until 2009, and have the $2100 originally spent on it amortize down to $350/yr for reasonable high-end performance throughout the majority of its lifespan. Stretch it out to 2010, and it drops to $300/yr.

Or... I could buy a $900 box every three years, plus OS/Antivirus/etc upgrades as they come out, which comes to just a little over the same amount - just that you have to deal with such things as bitrot and obsolescence in the meanwhile.

/P

Computer before the one I use right now was a $699 E-machine, bought in early 2005, That amortizes to $200 a year by now, and still going strong. So does my 2001 Sony Vaio which was around $1100. That one amortizes to about $150 a year.   Early 2008 I bought quad core Gateway for $899, and a year and a half ago I got my honey an easy to use mid to low end HP, for $399 (He doesn't do graphics or any high end use, just email and word.)  Since 2001, I have four computers here for just over $3000.

I don't chase OS and software upgrades as they come out, saves you a lot of money, and they're definately something one can live without. What OS comes with the computer pretty much stays on it till the computer dies, with the exception of service packs. If you use AVG antivirus, it's free.

Hi, my namez: "NO, Bad Kitteh, NO!"  Whaz yurs?
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