Popular wisdom is that Apple computers are simply more expensive than their PC counterparts. Now that the innards of the PC and Mac are both based on Intel chips, we thought we'd put the two to the test to see if conventional wisdom actually holds up, or whether Apple has made strides towards being affordable for the mass market.
To compare the two, we took the midrange iMac and compared it to HP's Slimline s3600t computer. There are a few notable differences between the two, most notably the HP doesn't have the all-in-one design of the iMac, and uses the Windows Vista operating system instead of Mac OS X. Despite the differences, we moved forward, trying to configure an HP to first come in alignment with the specs of the iMac, and then trying to custom build an HP computer that matches the price of the iMac.
Unsurprisingly, Apple still charges a premium for its computers. With components like RAM and hard drive trumping the iMac, and being able to include a Blu-ray player in the HP Slimline, Mac computers still maintain their status as the BMW of computers. Rather than paying for raw performance, users will be paying for things like elegant industrial design, a slick operating system and the cachet of owning a Mac, while PC buyers will be paying for the computing parts and having to deal with some of the frustrations of owning a PC like driver incompatibility and Vista problems. (We've put the entire breakdown into a table at the end of the article.)
Users looking to spend iMac prices and get a bit more out of their machine might want to take a look at Psystar. The computer company is somewhat of a rogue, since it sells its own custom computers with preinstalled copies of Mac OS X Leopard, which is a direct violation of Apple's software agreement. We configured one of their machines, the OpenPro, for $1,500 which had a much faster CPU and larger hard drive than the iMac, but again didn't offer the same industrial design or all-in-one form factor. (We also put a breakdown comparing the iMac and OpenPro in a table at the end of the article.)
The answer to the big question: Which should I choose? Realistically, Mac computers are like a luxury car. Users who respect looks, industrial design, and a robust operating system might find the Mac to be a great choice. However, users who've used Windows their whole life and don't feel frustrated with the way Windows works will be just fine with an HP or Dell. Personally, I own mostly Macs, however I've built and owned my fair share of Windows machines too. Like any technology purchase, ask yourself if you feel constrained when you try to use your current technology. If your answer is, "yes, I feel constrained," it might be time to switch. If you don't feel frustrated by your current setup, Windows machines are less expensive and give you more bang for the buck.
Take a look at the tables below and hopefully they'll help you make up your mind. Do you save money and go for a Windows machine? Is a Mac the only way to go? How about Psystar? Are they a viable contender for your cash? Let us know which machine you prefer in the comments.
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| Price | $1,499 | $1,215 | $1,520 |
| Name | iMac | HP Pavillion Slimline s3600t series (match specs) | HP Pavillion Slimline s3600t series (match price) |
| OS | OS X Leopard | Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit) | Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit) |
| Display | 20-inch at 1680 x 1050 | 20-inch at 1680 x 1050 | 20-inch at 1680 x 1050 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo (2.6GHz) | Intel Core 2 Duo (2.6GHz) | Intel Core 2 Duo (2.6GHz) |
| RAM | 2GB | 2GB | 4GB |
| Graphics | ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB of GDDR3 memory, DVI | 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 9300, DVI-I, VGA, HDMI | 512MB ATI Radeon HD 3650, DVI, VGA, HDMI |
| Hard drive | 320GB | 320GB | 500GB |
| Optical drive | 8x DVD burner | 16x DVD burner | Blu-ray player & 16x DVD burner |
| Wireless | 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 | 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 | 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 |
| Sound | Integrated stereo | Integrated 7.1 surround | Integrated 7.1 surround |
| FireWire | 400 (1), 800 (1) | 400 (1) | 400 (1) |
| USB ports | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Webcam | iSight | None | None |
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| Price | $1,499 | $1,521 |
| Name | iMac | Psystar OpenPro |
| OS | OS X Leopard | OS X Leopard |
| Display | 20-inch at 1680 x 1050 | 19-inch (unknown resolution) |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo (2.6GHz) | Intel Core 2 Duo (3.16GHz) |
| RAM | 2GB | 2GB |
| Graphics | 256MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO | 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT |
| Hard drive | 320GB | 750GB |
| Optical drive | 8x DVD burner | 20x DVD burner |
| Wireless | 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 | 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 |
| Sound | Integrated stereo | Integrated stereo |
| FireWire | 400 (1), 800 (1) | 400 (3) |
| USB ports | 3 | 2 |
| Webcam | iSight | None |
- News by glossary term:
- GPU, RAM, Firewire 800, Hard disk drive, CPU, Firewire 400
- News by brand:
- Apple Mac OS X, Psystar OpenComputer, Apple iMac, Microsoft Windows Vista, HP Slimline
- Profile pages:
- Psystar OpenPro, Apple iMac, Apple Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, HP Pavilion Slimline S3330f
Sony PS3 Slim image gallery
Comments (6)
Add a comment Inappropriate or promotional comments may be removed.
JMNorthwood (11:10 PM on Tue Nov 4, 2008)
Although I'm primarily a PC user, I will be getting a Mac when I can afford one. I can see myself having both in the house, as they'll be used for two very different purposes. My photography and design work will be handled on the Mac, while my data processing and gaming will be addressed on the PC.
Anonymous (11:40 PM on Fri Nov 28, 2008)
I think the macs are allot better. I have own both a pc and a mac and the mac is much more user-friendly to work with. on the other hand pcs are a pain in my ass and consistently needs money to be put towards anti virus protection which in the end slow down my computer. You also need to keep your pc clean for a sort of smoth run. When on my Mac i do everything with out worries and just enjoy a beautiful sleek design.
Ryan Carter
(2:54 PM on Fri Dec 5, 2008)
There are tons of free Virus-Scanning solutions for PCs and they are better than some of the paid-for services. I don't consider that a valid reason to throw PCs out of the lineup. Macs have the same organizational issues as a PC if you don't maintain it. Sure, Macs look nicer, but honestly they are still subject to the same crappy software everyone downloads that muck things up, but perhaps to a lesser degree. I think you have to make a hardcore side-by-side comparison to say whether or not a PC or a Mac is better in your own situation. The option of a Mac that will run both Mac OSX and Windows is looking all the more attractive all the time.
Anonymous (6:11 PM on Fri Dec 12, 2008)
I went out and bought the imac above (2.66ghz), it is very cool. I was also thinking about buying a Dell, but instead ended up buying a mac. I don't regret it at all. Buying ram for a mac isn't expensive, just don't buy it from apple, it's also really easy to install.
Suzanne (6:08 PM on Sun Jan 4, 2009)
I am looking to buy a laptop does anyone have an opinion on whether to get a HP laptop or the IMAC Pro?? Thank you. Don't you still have to buy anti virus stuff for the HP??
Anonymous (10:59 PM on Thu Apr 9, 2009)
The cost between the two are pretty good, I mean with the PC you still have to buy a 20 inch screen. Most good 20in screens can cost around a couple hundred bucks or so, and now iMacs have gotten a good boost and a bigger screen as well.