Apple Vs. Dell:
By Matthew Tichenor
We have all seen Apple’s attempts to prove that the Mac offers a formidable processor that performs as well or better than the competitors. Recently there has been much heated debate about Apple’s so called ‘inflated’ prices. The theory is that the competitors offer much more bang for your buck. On July 23rd Steve Lohr’s New York Times Article “Apple Ascendant?” suggested:
In the last few years,
Apple has become a much more competitive company. One result is that the
traditional price-performance gap between Apple and industry-standard Windows-
based machines has closed dramatically. In fact, with the aggressive
price-and-performance improvements announced at Macworld last week, Apple has
essentially closed the gap, even gaining the upper hand on some lines.
After
reading this I thought it might be interesting to compare prices between
Apple’s line of computers and the industry’s most notorious price
conscious computer line from Dell.
The
results were interesting to say the least.
Note:
When I began, it became obvious that it is very difficult to compare systems
from two different manufacturers. Each company has its own packages, but for
the most part I was able to configure very similar systems. The most obvious
discrepancies lie between the processors. I decided, in Apple’s favor,
not to stick with the usual yardstick of MHZ comparisons, I compared the best
choices for either system, pitting Apple’s 867MHZ G4 against
Intel’s P4 1.8 GHZ. Some would suggest that this is unfair, but in many
cases Apple’s other specs far outweighed Processor Speed. Among other
things, Cache size, Bus speed and monitor specs were often better on the Apple
systems. For the purpose of this article each system was configured to match as
best as possible, RAM, Processor, Video Card, HD, Ports, Monitors, Warranties,
Networking, Optical Drives, Software, etc. It should be pointed out that Apple
is seriously lacking in the Video Card selection. While the PowerMac G4 offers
a couple of nice choices, the Powerbook’s selections need remedying,
often the Dell systems came with substantially better video cards and double
the Video Ram. I must also say that all comparisons are rough at best and
certain specs may have been mistakenly over-looked: getting technical info on
the Dell machines was cumbersome and difficult. Furthermore, certain Dell
configurations came up with error messages suggesting incompatibilities. Why
offer the choice if it is not compatible with the rest of the system?
Apple’s website was by far easier to use and system configurations were
much easier to create. Dell’s online ordering system was convoluted and
sometimes incomprehensible. One very important advantage has to go to Dell -
certain upgrades were cheaper at Dell’s site than at Apple’s. Also,
Ram and Hard drive upgrades were consistently more expensive at Apple. Because
of space concerns, I did not include all of the specs for the systems. A
Lexmark printer was added to each system.
Winners
for each category were chosen depending on whichever system was the Best Buy.
Round 1
High End: The PowerMac 867MHZ G4
vs. The Dimension 8100 1.8GHZ Pentium 4
PowerMac 867MHZ G4 $4376
w/ SuperDrive, 256MB RAM, 60GB, Apple 17’’ LCD, Airport, Lexmark
Z53, GForce3, Zip Drive, Pro Speakers, 1YR Warranty
Dimension 8100 1.8GHZ
P4 $4000
W/ 256MB
RAM, 60GB, 17” Dell LCD, GForce3, Floppy, CDRW/DVD, Lexmark Z53, Added
Firewire card, Wireless Networking, Video Software, 1YR Warranty, Zip Drive
Conclusions:
Notice
anything? The Mac is clearly more expensive, but it adds one key feature, DVD
Burning. The G4 comes equipped with the Superdrive and iDVD , making DVD
creation as simple as using a Mac. The Dell comes with a floppy drive. Well, it
also includes a CDRW / DVD player but in order to get at the Superdirve the
buyer would have to tack $1000 on to the Dell pricetag. Not to mention the fact
that the Apple LCD is twice the display compared to the Dell monitor.
If all
processors were created equally this would be an easier comparison. Whether or
not the 1.8GHZ is a much faster chip is hard to say, yeah the G4 beats it in
some Photoshop tests but for everyday results the Pentium 4 might be better.
That said, I would rather spend the money to get a DVD creating supercomputer
than buy an external Pioneer DVD writer for $1000 and have to configure it
myself.
While the
Dell has a faster chip on board, Apple still seems to be the winner in this
category with more bang for the buck.
Winner: Apple PowerMac G4
Round 2
Portable Power: The PowerBook G4
500MHZ vs. The Dell Inspiron 8000
1GHZ
PowerBook G4 500 $4017
W/ 256 MB
RAM, 20GB, Airport, DVD, External VST CDRW, 3YR AppleCare, Lexmark Z53,
15.2” Widescreen Display
Inspiron 8000 IGHZ $3669
W/ 256 MB
RAM, 20GB, GForce 2, Floppy, DVD, Added Firewire, Wireless Networking PC Card,
External CDRW, 3YR Warranty, Added Video Software,
15”
Display
Conclusions:
This
category is the hardest to judge. While the Dell comes in at $340 less than the
Powerbook G4, there is a lot to be said about the quality of the G4. The Apple
Powerbook is lighter, thinner and made of pure Titanium. The Mac also comes
with a widescreen display, but the 15” display of the Dell Machine offers
higher resolution. The Dell has swappable drive bays and a much better Video
card, while the Mac has built-in networking, built in firewire, and easy RAM
upgradability. One further point of interest is the much talked about battery
usage. Not having both machines on hand it is difficult to compare. That said,
Apple’s battery technology is known to be exceptionally good at keeping
the powerbook running for a long period of time.
Tough to
say, but I think in this case the Dell system offers more for your dollar. Yes,
the Titanium Powerbook is a million times sexier and lighter, but it’s
poor video card and lack of swappable drive bays limits it’s
capabilities. Maybe the next revision will address these problems, but until
then the Dell machine has to be considered the ‘better buy’.
Winner: Dell Inspiron 8000
Round 3
Affordable Power: The iBook 500
MHZ vs. The UltraMobile 700MHZ P3
IBook 500MHZ $2417
(WOW!!)
W/ 256MB
RAM, 10GB, DVD / CDRW, Airport, Lexmark Z53, 3YR AppleCare, 12” Display
Dell UltraMobile
700MHZ P3 $3138
W/ 256MB
RAM, 10GB, CDRW (no DVD), Wireless Networking, Lexmark Z53,
3Yr
Warranty, No FireWire, 12”
Display
Dell Inspiron 4000
900MHZ P3 $3344
W/ 256MB
RAM, 10GB, Floppy, CDRW / DVD, Wireless Networking PC Card, Added FireWire and
video software, 3YR Warranty, 15” Display
Conclusions:
The Apple
iBook seems to be a blessing from Heaven. It is absolutely packed with features
and carries a very low price tag. It is slightly heavier than the Ultraportable
700 but substantially lighter than the more appropriately compared Inspiron
900. The iBook has everything built-in, while the Dell systems require
configuring of extra cards for simple things like Firewire and Networking
(Ethernet or Wireless). The only shortcoming of the iBook is its smallish
12” display, but because of its relatively high resolution, it still
beats the two Dell machines. The iBook is the clear winner in this category, by
a long shot.
Winner: Apple iBook
Round 4
Entry Level: The iMac vs. The
Dimension L Series
The 500
MHZ iMac is a well-rounded entry-level computer. Many consumers have begun
complaining about the somewhat high entry-level price of $999. When compared to
Dell’s advertised price of
$699 for its Dimension L Series 900 Celeron, that extra $300 seems like
a lot of savings. Yet, just as I suspected, the Dell system is deliberately
under configured when compared to the low-end iMac. You have to add several
items to the Dell system before you can truly compare. Her are a few of the
things the Dell system lacks:
CD-RW
Speakers
Ethernet
Card
FireWire
Card & Cable
Printer
(iMac comes with $70 Lexmark)
None of
these items are throwaways. For me, a new computer better have Firewire,
Ethernet, and decent speakers - never mind the CD Burner.
Once the
dell system has been updated to more accurately reflect the iMac, the new
prices are as follows.
IMac 500 MHZ $999
Dell Dimension L 800
MHZ $1017
I also
compared the top of the line iMac with a similarly configured Dell:
IMac SE 700 MHZ $1817
w/ 256MB,
Airport, 60GB, Lexmark Z53 & 3YR AppleCare
Dell Dimension 1GHZ $1824
W/ 256MB,
Wireless Network, 40 GB (max), Lexmark Z53, CDRW DVD, 3YR Warranty
Conclusion:
The Dell
system comes equipped with a floppy drive, but as far as software is concerned,
the Macs come with iMovie and iTunes among other great titles. The Dell system
comes with Microsoft Works and Windows. The Mac includes a 60GB Drive while the
max on the Dell system is 40GB. Seems to me that Apple wins in this category.
Winner: Apple iMac
Summary:
Out of
the four lines that Apple offers, from low-end consumer to high end
professional, the Apple computer beats the Dell system 3 out of 4 when
considering price. Seem odd?
It’s
simple; Apple offers users a system that is completely configured out of the
box. You get everything you need at the suggested price, including great
proprietary software that works. With the Dell systems, you are left picking up
the pieces after the sale. After you have added everything the Mac has to
offer, the prices become much more comparable, and in my research, the Apple
systems are actually a better deal. Imagine buying a computer without Ethernet
or even Firewire; don’t tell me schools don’t want to network their
computers - it’s unheard of! Apple consistently offers better specs on
all of their systems making their prices look higher than competitors who offer
systems with sub par specs. Furthermore, Apple’s systems come bundled
with excellent software packages including iTunes, iMovie, iDvd, Appleworks and
the powerful new MAC OSX. At the Dell site, certain low-end editions of
software are available bundled, but for the most part adding much needed
software titles raises the price of the computer. Even if one questions these
results, or compares processor speeds, they have to admit that the old idea
that Apple computers always carry a hefty price tag when compared to PCs is no
longer true, Apple’s prices are extremely competitive. Compare for
yourself, it has never been easier. Just go to WWW.APPLE.COM &
WWW.DELL.COM. Just make sure that when you compare
two computers, the specs are the same.