Originally Posted by
pdxer
those still have a lower spec video chip, slower memory, slower cpu, no firewire, no bluetooth and unknown battery life.
apple doesn't want to play in the under $1000 laptop market, at least right now. if $500 is what you want to spend, it obviously won't be a mac. a $500 laptop is going to have a lower spec than a $1000 laptop, whether it's a mac or a dell or whatever.
You are splitting hairs. And you know it.
Video is "somewhat slower" if at all. Same goes for chip. 2Ghz vs. 2.13GHz, firewire is of marginal utility at best unless you transfer from a video cam. The Macbook has FW 400 which isn't faster than USB 2.0, either. I'd rather have an HDMI out.
But a bigger screen, twice the Ram and twice the disk space for hundreds of dollars less is not splitting hairs. The specs of these machines make them clearly superior overall and much more so when price/value is factored in.
Overall, it is nicer to work with a Mac and the reliability and quick start-up times play an essential role in that experience. However, I still find that PC is more ergonomic, see my examples, and much more price-worthy.
It's like with everything else, to get the last ten percent of performance you pay double. That's what Mac is.
Till