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July 8, 2009

Desktop Hunters

Filed under Computers

This is David.

image

He told us he wanted a desktop with...

"a super-fast processor with lots of cores, lots of RAM, lots of hard drive space and looks cool"

...for under $3,500.

We told him...

image

 

"I like the look of the new Dell Studio XPS 435, so let's start there."

image

"I went to dell.com and configured it just how I wanted...

image

  • 3.33GHz Intel Core i7-975 with 8 cores
  • 12GB RAM
  • 1.5TB Hard Drive
  • ATI Radeon HD 4870 with 1024MB RAM
  • Blu-ray Burner (reads/writes CD, DVD and Blu-ray)

...for a grand total of $3,054."

 

 

"Ok, let's see what Apple has. The Mac Pro looks nice."

image"I configured an Apple Mac Pro with similar options...

image

  • 2.93GHz Intel Xeon with 8 cores
  • 12GB RAM
  • 1.0TB Hard Drive
  • ATI Radeon HD 4870 with 512MB
  • SuperDrive (read/writes CD and DVD)

...which adds up to a total of $6,549."

 

 

"The Dell Studio XPS 435 has all my qualifications. When compared to an Apple Mac Pro, the Dell has...

  • A 13% faster chip (3.33GHz vs. 2.93GHz)
  • 50% more hard drive space (1.5TB vs. 1.0TB)
  • Twice as much graphics card memory (1024MB vs. 512MB)
  • A Blu-ray reader/writer (Apple doesn't have an option for this)

...all for $3,495 less than the Apple Mac Pro."

"I'm going to buy the Dell Studio XPS 435."

image

"I got exactly what I wanted for *well* under $3,500."

 

image

"I'm a PC and my new system blows away the fastest Mac for half the price."

 

 

P.S. I am naming my new PC "Lauren."

 

 

Comments (19)

bubba:

My question is did someone in the parking lot say we have $3500 cash and if you can find the computer you want for less than $3500, the cash is yours to keep?

This is the web version of the ad...so I'll get the computer for free and they'll put cash in my paypal account.

Approved, but we really would like you to buy two of them - baby needs a new pair of shoes!

Seriously, I love the Studio 435, and that's a screaming processor in there. Let us know what you think.

.trey

bubba:

Russ...I'm eagerly awaiting your comments on this posting. I'd love to see how a Mac fanboy spins the posting in favor of Apple products...or is the lack of a comment the best a fanboy can do?

...Theresa, you can feel free to post a comment too.


I made a comment on this, but it is curiously missing here. Hmm.

@Mike:

You posted a comment on facebook, not here.

Theresa:

the only comment I feel qualified to make is that picture makes David look like someone you wouldn't want to allow near your children.

Mike:

Who would let David near their children?

bubba:

...ahhhh....nice to see the comments being redirected to the picture and not the content of the posting.

Mac fans can't argue against David's posting. I guess they are still waiting to hear from Apple marketing department or for the latest Mac commercial that spins the facts or try have you beleive that when Macs can't do something it is a "feature".

Theresa:

don't confuse me with my husband. when I mentioned the post to him he said something about cheap computers and getting what you pay for. to give some prespective on my computer knowledge, I'm still using the iMac that I bought in 2002 because it was cute. and it still is.

Bubba:

@Theresa
Or in case of you husband you don't get what you pay for because he is overcharged for his Mac. What an idiot.

I'm still waiting for decent comments from the Mac crowd...

Nick:

"I'm still waiting... for the Mac crowd."

LOL, I'm picturing a Far Side cartoon, where all the piranhas are swimming around wondering why the silly (yummy, nom nom) mammals don't want to come to the party!

Theresa:

@bubba:

there's no need to be an asshole.

bubba:

Nice ma- nice manners, babe.

Hey, this might make some interesting readin':

Apple has 91% of market for $1,000+ PCs, says NPD

Move over Microsoft. Apple can claim big, big market share numbers, too. According to NPD, in June, nine out of 10 dollars spent on computers costing $1,000 or more went to Apple. Mac revenue market share in the "premium" price segment was 91 percent, up from 88 percent in May.
By the way, Apple's command of the premium market is way up from first quarter 2008, when, according to NPD, Mac revenue share was 66 percent. Gee, and it seemed so high when I broke that story.

http://www.betanews.com/joewilcox/article/Apple-has-91-of-market-for-1000-PCs-says-NPD/1248313624

That stat is meaningless. Another way of stating the same information:

Apple has 0% of the under $1000 computer market, a market which accounts for 92% of all computers sold.

What *is* interesting is that Apple is losing market share.

Apple market share dropped from 8.5% in 2008 to 7.6% in 2009. This is competing against *Vista*. Windows 7 launches in October...I expect it will do better than Vista.

http://theappleblog.com/2009/07/16/mac-market-share-suffers-from-netbook-envy/

Russ Urquhart:

I think it is an interesting statistic, but i think we've determined, that's a matter of perspective.

With that said, let me ask Dave and Bubba (sorry you didn't want to meet me the last time Dave and I met, I would have loved to talk to you).

What statistic or metric do you recognize as successful? In other words, if we were to get beyond our respective 'fanboy-isms", is there a well defined metric/statistic, that you would say PC maker A, B or C, according to this statistic, did well/succeed, regardless of whether A, B or C was PC, Mac or Linux? (And even this gets murky as Mac's really have their own hardware, PCs/Windows are not as tightly bound to a specific hardware manufacturer and configuration, and Linux really is a roll-your-own, (imo) setup.)

So what metric would you two guys say determines a "success"?

@Theresa: You've taken some flack! Frankly you're the only reason i'm really responding!

Russ

The stat that *would* be significant is % of *total* market.

If Apple can get to 33% of the market, then I'd take them more seriously.

With less than 10% of the market, you will constantly find software/hardware you want/need that will not work. You must ask if there is a Mac-version.

With more than 90%, you assume it will work.

A quick check of newegg.com shows 169 software titles for Mac compared to over 2,600 for the PC.

Another interesting stat:
Apple passed Google in market cap last week, and will soon pass IBM.

Chris:

Who spends $3500 on a single computer? I'd rather have a $1000 and a car (And yes it would be a PC).

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on July 8, 2009 2:16 AM.

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