That myth is still making the rounds.

http://theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33576
http://www.macworld.com/2006/08/features/m...price/index.php

 

It only looks cheaper until you actually assemble it. The difference in cost between the 2 is negligible. A Mac will be within 10% of the price of a comparable PC.

Real Examples, same configurations:

Dell Precision M90 notebook $3136 v. Apple MacBook Pro 17" $3099
Dell Dimension XPS 700 $3609 v. Mac Pro $3279 **
Alienware MJ12-8550i $3863 USD v. Mac Pro $3139 CAD ***

** not a fair comparison because Dell only offers a single dual core CPU whereas the Mac Pro has 2 dual core Xeon CPUs. To get the same CPU level as a Mac Pro in the Dell line requires going to a server platform with limited graphics and other options. It may cost more but in terms of performance it's not half the power of the Mac Pro.

*** To get parity I had to equip both systems with a Nvidia Quatro FX 4500 graphics card as they used different lower end cards. To compensate I reduced both final prices by $2000, the rough upgrade cost of the QFX. Both use the same CPU, same drives, same RAM and all other options and accessories are otherwise the same.

Thus the concept of Macs being expensive is just plain wrong. They are very price competitive with other OEM at the same level.

 

with the use of intel chips.. they outdate faster than PowerPC too... LOL

 

I'm not going to debate it to death, but those are some high-end machines being compared there. I'll get an Alienware when I start running out of pockets to keep my money in. It's entirely possible that if we're looking at the upper end of the market that the prices and performance are comparable, but 95% of the consumers are looking for mid-range computers in the $1000-1600 range.

At that price you'd have a sexy little imac original with a CRT tube in one of 7 pretty colors...okay that was an exaggeration

 

Mikey with due respect you are highly misinformed. Take 2 minutes to browse the catalog at http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebO...ts/canadastore/

There is no debating it, just look at the pricing for yourself.

 

Nah, no respect due. I am misinformed.
I guess I'm falling out of the IT loop now that I'm not really in that industry anymore.

I guess now that I have a PC I'm inclined to just replace or upgrade the components that are causing me difficulty, meaning I never have to spend more than a few hundred $ at a time. It becomes deceivingly inexpensive to me.