Macs 'Cheaper' Than PCs

No, really. Salon does the math: It's all about the 'amazing' resale value of the Apple
By Jane Yager,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 7, 2007 3:17 AM CST
Macs 'Cheaper' Than PCs
Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces the new Apple iPod Touch in San Francisco, in this Sept. 5, 2007, file photo. Apple Inc.'s fiscal fourth-quarter profits jumped 67 percent and easily beat Wall Street expectations, capping a record-breaking year that saw unprecedented momentum in its Mac business, ceaseless...   (Associated Press)

If you don't have an Apple yet, Salon is pretty sure it's because you think Macs are more expensive than PCs. With Apple's fortunes rising on the waves of iPods, iPhones and the dazzling new Leopard operating system, price remains for many the last obstacle to switching to a Mac. But Macs are actually cheaper after you do all the math, says Salon's Machinist columnist Farhad Manjoo.

Yes, initial cost is higher, but used Macs fetch much better resale prices than similar PCs. That's because Macs age better than Windows computers, which after a couple years are often "gummed up with spyware, viruses and other nasty stuff," says Salon. The real cost of owning the computer is sticker price minus resale value, and that's when Macs come out ahead. (More iPhone stories.)

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