Apple Design Helps Older Macs Retain Their Value
- 2003.04.18
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Not only do new applications make a computer outdated, the system's looks also contribute.
The PC that currently resides in our den is from about 1998, and although it is five years old, it's been upgraded considerably since it was purchased. When I bought it, it had already had a replacement motherboard, processor card, sound card, video card, and DVD-ROM drive. I added a 60 GB hard drive, network card, and CD-RW drive - about the only thing that remains of the original machine is the case and the power supply!
Even though it isn't particularly slow and runs Windows XP Professional well (I know, I said I'd never upgrade, but I did find that XP Pro actually runs better than Windows 2000 on this machine), but it is starting to look a little bit old.
"Modern" PCs come with black or silver cases with blue LEDs. This machine has none of that.
The same goes for the Gateway 2000 laptop I am typing on (for
use until I get my new one). While it works fine, runs fine, and
even has a DVD-ROM drive, it is close to five years old - which
means it's about 2" thick and very heavy (around 8.5 lbs). Perhaps
this is why these computers don't cost more than $200 to buy on the
used market, even though this particular 
one is
easily as fast as a WallStreet
PowerBook and offers more features, such as built in USB, a
floppy, and a "combo" drive. But it still isn't particularly
desirable.
Perhaps that's because Apple laptops are designed to withstand changes in style better than most PC notebooks. The basic style of the PowerBook G3 was present from 1998 all the way into 2001, when the PowerBook G4 was introduced. The G4 case style has been around for almost two years now and is carried over to the newer 12" and 17" aluminum PowerBooks.
Honestly, the G3 PowerBook still looks modern, even the older 233 MHz model. Unfortunately for the Gateway 2000, it has the same looks as a notebook from 1995 - and since Gateway has changed their logo several times, it makes this computer appear even more dated.
Apple's consistent logo (plain white since 1998) makes their portables - even older ones - look more up to date than laptops from other manufacturers.
I find that older IBMs are the same way; IBM has kept their textured case, basic keycap design, and ThinkPad logo the same for at least ten years. While it's easy to tell a 1993 ThinkPad from a 2000 model, it's more difficult to tell a four year old 300 MHz 600E from a new 1.8 GHz R40.
But PowerBooks still command the higher price. While a more
consistent design is a factor, the other factor seems 
to be that Mac technology moves more slowly than PC
technology. Four years ago, the 500 MHz
PowerBook G3 was the fastest Mac laptop you could buy. A 500
MHz PC laptop was quite respectable as well. However, today Mac
notebooks have only reached 1 GHz, while PC laptops frequently
come in 2 GHz versions.
Since there is only a 2:1 difference between a 1 GHz and a 500 MHz processor, the older models still command a higher price. But 2 GHz and 500 MHz are quite far apart, and older PC notebook prices are generally low.
There is still the case that most people don't even understand that performance in basic tasks (word processing, web browsing, email) doesn't differ greatly between the 500 MHz and much faster machines. Sure, the 2 GHz will load Windows faster, but your email's not going to pop up on the screen much more quickly.
Apple laptops will reach eventually 2 GHz and beyond and perhaps undergo a complete restyle. Then PowerBook G3 Pismo and Lombard prices will plummet, and prices on the 15" G4s will fall a bit as well. In fact, when the current 15" models get restyled, I am sure the price on the old 15s will drop considerably as well.
After all, they'll no longer look just like the current model.
Recent Apple Archive articles
- iPods, notebooks, and other modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, 12.07. Whether it's an intermittent failure or a broken display cable, more often than not it's cheaper to replace a broken electronics device than repair it.
- Options for replacing your older iPod, 11.19. Whether you've run out of space on your old iPod or want features it doesn't have, here are your options in new and used iPods.
- Could the $200 'green' PC with gOS Linux become a threat to Apple?, 11.14. The low cost, low power Everex desktop comes with a customized version of Ubuntu Linux, has a Mac-like Dock, and sells for $400 less than the Mac mini.
- Leopard different, a bit buggy, but worth the upgrade, 11.02. Leopard on a Power Mac G4 and a MacBook Pro: It runs well on both computers, but each has some odd bugs, and some of the changes are a step backwards.
- More in the Apple Archive index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 'Yikes!' Power Mac G4, Aug. 1999 - The only Power Mac G4 with PCI graphics was built on a modified G3 motherboard.
- Group of the Day: SuperMacs is for those using Umax SuperMac clones.
- November 21 in LEM history: 00: OS upgrades, downgrades - AltiVec vs. Pentium III - 01: Saved by the clones - Computer of the future - 02: Apple Education: Let's get to it - 03: Panther lets Macs and PCs work together, - Lombard SCSI bug - 05: 3 survivors from the 1970s - Real world battery life inadequate - Windows to Mac file transfer with Zip disks - $99 alternative to Microsoft Office - 06: Parallels 1.0 far more polished than beta
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Just Right: Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear MacBooks, Charles W. Moore, 'Book Value, 11.20. Some people like small and light notebooks, others prefer huge desktop replacements, but the best value tends to be in the middle.
- Virtualization Shootout: VMWare Fusion 2 vs. Parallels Desktop 4, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 11.20. Both programs do the same thing, but one runs Windows XP smoothly alongside Mac apps, while the other bogs down everything but Windows.
- Apple Caves to Hollywood with DRM on iTunes Videos, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20. HDCP on the new MacBooks means that you may never really own those videos you buy from the iTunes Store.
- Leopard Runs Very Nicely on PowerPC Macs, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 11.19. Some claim that Mac OS X 10.5 is so optimized for Intel Macs that it runs poorly on PowerPC hardware. That's simply not the case.
- No High Definition iTunes Video for You, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.19. The October 2008 MacBooks are preventing users from viewing some high-def iTunes content from being viewed on their external displays. Poor form!
- Every Working Computer Is Useful to Someone, Allison Payne, The Budget Mac, 11.19. Whether it's a PowerBook 1400, G3 iMac, or Power Mac G4, it could be all the computer someone needs.
- 3 WeatherBug Options for Apple Users, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.19. Have instant access to current local weather conditions with a Dashboard widget, iPhone app, or Firefox plugin.
- Anticipating Macworld: Nehalem, Snow Leopard, and Updated Desktops, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.18. Intel's Core i7 CPU has to make it way into the next Mac Pro, nVidia GeForce graphics will drive the iMac and Mac mini, and 'Snow Tiger' will unleash the animal within.
- Love My Refurb MacBook Pro, Eudora Forever, and the Lightest AA Batteries, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.18. Also questions about nVidia GeForce 8600 problems in earlier MacBook Pro models and importing Eudora mailboxes into Eudora successors.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.20. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733, $100; 800, $199; 1.25 GHz, $300; 800 MHz dual, $200, 867, $300; 1 GHz, $350; 1.42, $400.
- Best iBook G3 Deals, 11.20. Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 366, $199; 800 CD, $180; 600 CD-RW, $240; 700 Combo, $290; 900, $369; 14" 600, $360; 900, $449.
- Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.20. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
- Best iMac G4 Deals, 11.18. Used 15" 700 MHz Combo, $243; 800 MHz, $280; 1 GHz, $380; 17" 1.25 GHz SuperDrive, $400; 20", $549.
- Best MacBook Air Deals, 11.18. New 1.6 80, $1,150 after rebate; 120, $1,744 a/r; 1.8 80, $1,794 a/r; 1.6 128 SSD, $2,150; used 1.8 64 SSD, $1,500; new, $2,200 a/r; 1.86, $2,398 a/r.
- Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals, 11.18. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $30; 10.1, $20; 10.2, $60; 10.3 CD, DVD, $100; CD, $119; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $58; 10.3 Server, unlimited, $150.
- Best iPod nano Deals, 11.17. Refurb 3G/4 GB, $79; new, $114; refurb 8 GB, $99; new, $125; 3G/8 GB, from $134; 16 GB, from $189. Prices include ground shipping.
- Best Titanium PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.17. Used 1 GHz with SuperDrive, $478 plus shipping.
- Best Xserve deals, 11.17. Used G4/1 GHz, $999; G5/2 GHz, $1,288; new 2.0 4-core Xeon, $1,900; refurb 3.0 4-core, $2,599; 2.8 GHz, $2,499; 3.0 8-core, $3,499.
- More deals in our archive.
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