- 2003.02.04 -
Tip Jar
Some of the PC columnists are really starting to get on my nerves as
they sound like a broken record. Actually, a lot of them got on my
nerves long before they started sounding like a broken record, but that
is a discussion for another time.
If I hear them say, "Apple computers cost sooooo much more than PCs"
one more time, I am going to rip the Athlon right out of my only
non-Macintosh computer and toss it over the back fence.
There is a huge difference in cost and value, and most of these guys
don't get it.
Now before I get accused of painting with a wide brush, I will be
the first to say that I have been pleasantly surprised at the good
press Apple has gotten lately, particularly in publications that
traditionally don't even mention Apple unless it is to take their name
in vain. I continue to applaud David Coursey of ZD's Anchor Desk, a
traditionally PC-centric kind of guy who approached Apple one day with
an open mind and came away a changed man. The "open mind" is the key
here.
Please allow me to introduce you to my case study, which I call, "A
Study in Contrast." In one corner is my trusty Power Mac 7500, and in the other
corner my white box clone PC, which I shall refer to as "iMClone." On
second thought, I better not refer to it by that title - it might tick
off Martha Stewart. Let's just call it the "clone."
The Power Mac 7500 was built in 1995, eight years ago. Eight years.
That's like 1,000 years in computer time. The Power Mac 7500 is to
the dual 1.42 GHz Power
Mac G4 what the Roman chariot is to the Dodge Viper. They both
serve the same purpose, but hardly in the same fashion.
Despite this comparison, my PM 7500 somehow manages to continue to
do everything I need it to do. Over the years, I have spent about $350
in upgrades. I have swapped the old PowerPC 601 for a G3 processor and
upgraded the RAM, L2 cache, and hard drive. I think I upgraded the
VRAM, too, but it has been so long I have forgotten.
For the lump sum of much less than $400 in upgrades over the course
of eight years, I essentially have a PowerMac G3/450 with a 20 GB hard
drive and 256 MB of RAM. Not top of the line, but not too shabby.
Today, the 7500 runs every program I need, including the latest
versions of AppleWorks, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop (okay,
version 6,which is admittedly not the "latest," but it will have to do
until I can afford Photoshop 7), Internet Explorer, and the list goes
on. Thanks to some nifty third-party utilities, it even runs Mac
OS X - and runs it well. I have my new/refurbished iBook for portability and my
iMac DV/SE because
my wife got a PowerBook
G4 and I inherited it. I have never really needed the iMac as a
desktop, since I have the 7500.
Contrast this with the clone. I had it built brand-new in 1998. It
has a Cyrix 233 MHz processor, 64 MB of RAM, and an 8 GB hard
drive. These were close to top-of-the line specs in 1998, at least for
what the average consumer (me) could afford to pay.
- I know I said the Athlon was my only non-Mac computer, but what I
meant was that the Athlon is my only non-Mac computer still serving a
useful purpose. The clone used to run Windows 95 until I outgrew that
OS. It won't run Windows 2000 or XP without at least a memory upgrade.
If I did upgrade the memory, 2000 and XP would probably load but would
take all day.
Replace the processor, you say? That would be great except that this
motherboard won't support a processor much faster than the 233 already
in it.
Replace the motherboard? Yes, except it is an AT style, and I don't
think they make those anymore, what with ATX and all
Okay, then replace the power supply and drill new holes in the case
to make the new motherboard fit. Sure, that is possible, but it is way
more time and effort than I wish to spend.
When I upgraded the 7500, I snapped open the case, pulled out the
old processor, and snapped the new one into the slot. It had plenty of
open RAM slots, so I just had to pop in the additional RAM. The L2
cache and VRAM were also of the just unplug and replace genre.
I had to actually remove some screws to upgrade the hard drive, but
that was just to put the mounting rails on the new hard drive. The
point is, it was all pretty easy. Certainly easy enough that even a
novice could have done it.
I don't think a novice should replace a motherboard, power supply
and who know what else on a PC.
My PowerMac 7500 is upgraded, and it could be upgraded a lot more. A
1 GHz G4 processor upgrade is available and would take about 60
seconds to install. I don't need that right now, as the G3 is
sufficient. But it is good to know I have that option. I have room for
more RAM, too.
Eight years later, it is still a more than capable machine. Five
years later, the PC is a boat anchor.
You get what you pay for. 
