01-12-2010, 03:47 PM
you twice make a point about shipping... i'm not sure why, i couldn't tell you when i last paid shipping for something.
you said you bought your system for $715. i couldn't find a single example going for more than $550, and that was only one... on average, I'd say $450 was the going rate.
and i'm not arguing resale after a year; that's silly, why would you resell/upgrade after a year? let's assume we all do our homework before making such a large purchase and don't sell for a few years.
let's look at a dell latitude d620 versus a first gen 15" macbook pro, both machiens from early 2006:
d620 msrp: $900
d620 resale [today]: $250
d620 cost to own: $650
mbp msrp: $1700
mbp resale [today]: $1200
mbp cost to own: $500
sure, dell always has deals. while not as steep as the dell deals, you can always find a mac for less than msrp as well. point? straight up math says the mac is cheaper to own. factoring in what we know about dell and the market, the dell might edge is out at the end of factoring all that, but clearly not by any large amount.
if you can't understand that math, i can't help you. you get something nicer for roughly the same money in the long run... the exact analogy i was making with the impala versus an accord or camry.
and the points you make about what i can do with the extra money? well, a) i think i've shown that there is no extra money by buying a pc, and b) i'm pretty filthy rich right now... i do all those things already.
you said you bought your system for $715. i couldn't find a single example going for more than $550, and that was only one... on average, I'd say $450 was the going rate.
and i'm not arguing resale after a year; that's silly, why would you resell/upgrade after a year? let's assume we all do our homework before making such a large purchase and don't sell for a few years.
let's look at a dell latitude d620 versus a first gen 15" macbook pro, both machiens from early 2006:
d620 msrp: $900
d620 resale [today]: $250
d620 cost to own: $650
mbp msrp: $1700
mbp resale [today]: $1200
mbp cost to own: $500
sure, dell always has deals. while not as steep as the dell deals, you can always find a mac for less than msrp as well. point? straight up math says the mac is cheaper to own. factoring in what we know about dell and the market, the dell might edge is out at the end of factoring all that, but clearly not by any large amount.
if you can't understand that math, i can't help you. you get something nicer for roughly the same money in the long run... the exact analogy i was making with the impala versus an accord or camry.
and the points you make about what i can do with the extra money? well, a) i think i've shown that there is no extra money by buying a pc, and b) i'm pretty filthy rich right now... i do all those things already.
I Am Mike
4 wheels: '01 RAV4 (Formerly '93 Civic CX, '01 S2000, '10 GTI, '09 A4 Avant)
2 wheels: '12 Surly Cross-Check Custom | '14 Trek Madone 2.1 105 | '17 Norco Threshold SL Force 1 | '17 Norco Revolver 9.2 FS | '18 BMC Roadmachine 02 Two | '19 Norco Search XR Steel (Formerly '97 Honda VFR750F, '05 Giant TCR 2, '15 WeThePeople Atlas 24, '10 Scott Scale 29er XT, '11 Cervelo R3 Rival, '12 Ridley X-Fire Red)
No longer onyachin.
4 wheels: '01 RAV4 (Formerly '93 Civic CX, '01 S2000, '10 GTI, '09 A4 Avant)
2 wheels: '12 Surly Cross-Check Custom | '14 Trek Madone 2.1 105 | '17 Norco Threshold SL Force 1 | '17 Norco Revolver 9.2 FS | '18 BMC Roadmachine 02 Two | '19 Norco Search XR Steel (Formerly '97 Honda VFR750F, '05 Giant TCR 2, '15 WeThePeople Atlas 24, '10 Scott Scale 29er XT, '11 Cervelo R3 Rival, '12 Ridley X-Fire Red)
No longer onyachin.