Comments on: The Macintosh is cheaper…?? http://www.kgadams.net/2007/11/07/the-macintosh-is-cheaper Technology, computer games, MMOGs, science...and other nerdy stuff Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:31:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kelly Adams http://www.kgadams.net/2007/11/07/the-macintosh-is-cheaper/comment-page-1#comment-14454 Kelly Adams Fri, 09 Nov 2007 04:15:32 +0000 http://www.kgadams.net/2007/11/07/the-macintosh-is-cheaper/#comment-14454 You raise some good counter-points. I don't claim the article is right, but it made me think. I consider computers to be "disposable" or "consumable": 2 quarts of milk, a pound of sugar, and a couple of gigahertz with a side of RAM. I use a computer until it no longer delivers the value I want: pretty much what you say you do, only my threshold for replacement comes a lot sooner because I play a lot of games and generally like the newer toys. But what if computers were more like cars? I buy a car wanting a good, solid vehicle with some features I want, sure, but a part of my decision process is definitely driven by resale value. If I actually thought someone would want my computer in a few years, and would pay me something for it, might that not be part of the purchase decision just like with a car? The rate at which computer technology is changing seems to be slowing down: maybe that will lead to a situation where the resale market has a lot more meaning than it does now. Regarding what people are paying for when they pay more for a used Mac...some of it is certainly that they recognize the name. But another factor is that a Macintosh from three or four years ago can still run the latest OS. A four year old PC would have a devil of a time running Vista. I'm not saying that the four year old Mac would be as fast....but it would still work, and it would still identifiably be a Macintosh. Not that *I* would want a four or five year old Macintosh :) You raise some good counter-points. I don’t claim the article is right, but it made me think. I consider computers to be “disposable” or “consumable”: 2 quarts of milk, a pound of sugar, and a couple of gigahertz with a side of RAM. I use a computer until it no longer delivers the value I want: pretty much what you say you do, only my threshold for replacement comes a lot sooner because I play a lot of games and generally like the newer toys.

But what if computers were more like cars? I buy a car wanting a good, solid vehicle with some features I want, sure, but a part of my decision process is definitely driven by resale value. If I actually thought someone would want my computer in a few years, and would pay me something for it, might that not be part of the purchase decision just like with a car? The rate at which computer technology is changing seems to be slowing down: maybe that will lead to a situation where the resale market has a lot more meaning than it does now.

Regarding what people are paying for when they pay more for a used Mac…some of it is certainly that they recognize the name. But another factor is that a Macintosh from three or four years ago can still run the latest OS. A four year old PC would have a devil of a time running Vista. I’m not saying that the four year old Mac would be as fast….but it would still work, and it would still identifiably be a Macintosh.

Not that *I* would want a four or five year old Macintosh :)

]]> By: Chris http://www.kgadams.net/2007/11/07/the-macintosh-is-cheaper/comment-page-1#comment-14452 Chris Fri, 09 Nov 2007 01:38:14 +0000 http://www.kgadams.net/2007/11/07/the-macintosh-is-cheaper/#comment-14452 There are people that will pay $700 for an old Mac. Is it "worth" $700 dollars? I guess to them it is, but there is no functional basis for that value IMO. Does an old Mac work better than a new PC? No. So people must be paying for the name, the look, the logo. And of course, they have every right to do so. But that's not anything that I really look for in a computer. Would I pay more for a computer just because years down the road I can sell it to someone ... even if I personally don't think there is intrinsic value to back up the price I'm asking for? No. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that. To be honest, most things I buy are ancient, obsolete or worn out by the time I am done with them... I tends to keep stuff a long time so re-sale is not a big factor in any of my purchases. The only things I where resale is an issue are things I'm not happy with. And I'd just as soon have not bought those items in the first place. But then again, I'm not a Mac buyer ;) There are people that will pay $700 for an old Mac. Is it “worth” $700 dollars? I guess to them it is, but there is no functional basis for that value IMO.

Does an old Mac work better than a new PC? No. So people must be paying for the name, the look, the logo. And of course, they have every right to do so. But that’s not anything that I really look for in a computer.

Would I pay more for a computer just because years down the road I can sell it to someone … even if I personally don’t think there is intrinsic value to back up the price I’m asking for? No. I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that.

To be honest, most things I buy are ancient, obsolete or worn out by the time I am done with them… I tends to keep stuff a long time so re-sale is not a big factor in any of my purchases. The only things I where resale is an issue are things I’m not happy with. And I’d just as soon have not bought those items in the first place.

But then again, I’m not a Mac buyer ;)

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