There are many decisions to consider before buying a new computer. Mac or PC? Desktop or Laptop? How much should I Spend? What Brand should I Buy? And so on. Two key questions that you must ask yourself is Why am purchasing a new computer and What will I use it for? Be honest with yourself because this is critical in buying the right computer. An underperforming computer will cause frustration and prove to be inefficient, however a computer that has too much enhanced performing power maybe far more than what you will need at the moment and not worth investing in because it will be outdated in a few years. We hope these links will help with your decisions. If you have a specific question, please contact us at infoandsales@cableandcomputers.com.
Whew!!! Computer prices varies as much as gas prices.
However there is some method to the madness. The price of a computer is closely related to the performance power (you get what you pay for). From a performance standpoint of view a $399 computer is considered entry level with minimum resources to handle the demands of power feature software.
Middle of the road computers ($599 – $699) are better performers and will usually handle most of the software packages in use today.
Higher end computers ($899 & up) will handle the software in use today with ease and lend room to software under development.
Entry level computers |
usually has a low amount of Ram Memory, a low end processor, and a slower hard drive. |
Average computers |
will have about 4 to 6 Gigs of Ram Memory, an Intel i3 or i5 processor. |
Performance computers |
will have from 4 to 8 Gigs of Ram Memory, a Quad Core processor, and a fast hard drive that spins at 7200rpm |
Both platforms are equally good. Both have their share of problems. Besides the learning curve of moving from a Windows platform to Mac OS, or vice-versa, moving from Windows XP to Windows 8 could be just as challenging.
So here is a comparison of what's inside…
Lets go further… Side by side comparison
| Apple MacBook | Lenovo Windows Laptop | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5 | Intel Core i5 |
| Ram Memory | 4 Gigs | 6 Gigs |
| Hard Drive | 500GB | 1000GB |
| Screen Size | 13.3” Display | 15.6” Display |
| Price (BestBuy February 2015) |
$1,099.99 | $649.99 |
I can go on but I think you are beginning to get the picture. So far in every spec listed above the MacBook has less of the same components but more of one major component, price.
Even deeper… Off the shelf, Microsoft Windows costs more than Apple OS. If you were to purchase the OS to upgrade your computer, Windows Home Premium cost $119(BestBuy), whereas Apple OS X is about $19 - $59(Apple Store).
So what are you getting that compels you to spend $450 more for less computer? Maybe it’s the brand, or the culture. Think about it, you can check email or surf the net on just about any device. If you are working in any type of office environment, a student, or home office, chances are you are using Microsoft Office. So what gives!!!
As IT technicians we have nothing against any Apple Products, we own both platforms, but we know why we bought them. I must add that there are specialized software programs that work better on Mac platforms, and some software programs that only work on Mac platforms, but those programs are very few, and users of those programs are spending more than $1099 for a basic MacBook.
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