Apple Archive

Why a Low-End Mac May Be All You Really Need

, 2005.07.15

Given that I just wrote an article describing someone who does like to stay on the cutting-edge of technology, I felt that I should explain why low-end is a better choice - for me at least.

Not only do you save money, but you can generally be just as productive with a machine that's a bit slower than you can with the latest 2.7 GHz dual processor Power Mac G5.

"Oh, look - that MP3 is playing faster on this new computer!"

The reality of course is that whether you have a blue & white G3 running at 350 MHz (like mine) or the latest G5, many tasks just can't be done any faster with a new machine. Writing an email doesn't take half the time on a G5. Instant messaging friends doesn't happen any faster, and showing PowerPoint presentations isn't "75% faster!"

If a 2.7Ghz G5 could do this for me, I - and many other people - would be happy to spend the $3,000.

"Look how much money I saved - I only paid $3,000 to become twice as productive!"

That's a lot of money for a computer these days (then again back in 1990, people would've been grabbing up Mac IIfxs had they been $3,000 instead of $10,000).

With the Mac mini selling for $500 and coming with just about everything most home users could want, spending more than $1,500 on a computer is questionable - unless you really need the power right now.

So why not let someone else spend the $3,000? You can buy the machine refurbished in a few months for $2,500. Apple-refurbished Macs offer a one-year warranty just like any other Mac, and they're just as good as a brand new computer. (Editor's note: Low End Mac purchased its last three Macs that way.)

"This new machine lets me burn DVDs and play the latest games and watch TV and….

"Why did I buy it? To check my email."

Don't buy more than you really need - unless you specifically intend to use it. If you want to make your own DVDs, by all means buy a machine with a DVD-burner. But if you only use your CD drive to install software, you might as well save a bit of money, buy a computer with a DVD-ROM or Combo drive, and spend the extra money on something that you'll actually use.

The same goes with the video card - why get a 256 MB card if you only type up Word documents? But if you're doing intensive graphics or animation, a good graphics card is a must.

"I spent 6 hours copying my files to this new computer, but none of them'll open!"

Sometimes switching machines can be a hassle. If you've had your computer for several years, you've most likely installed applications for which you've lost the CD (*cough* Umax scanner drivers *cough*) or created documents that open only in applications that aren't compatible with a newer operating system.

Compatibility is always an issue when upgrading anything on your system. Some old games used to work in nothing but 640 x 480 resolution, and some newer LCD displays were incompatible with them. Microsoft Office 98 had some trouble running on Mac OS 9 without a patch, and most scanner and printer drivers eventually stop getting updated, requiring you to either keep the OS you have or replace the device.

I think I'll probably end up replacing my blue & white G3 sometime in the next couple months, but what I will replace it with is still up in the air. A new machine is out of the question - I don't need all the power, and I don't necessarily want to spend that much money either.

But at the same time, a Mac mini won't do it for me, since I can't use a standard 3.5" hard drive in it, and the 32 MB video card just isn't enough to meet my needs. At this point it looks like a refurbished or used G5 might be the machine for me, but I'll see what happens.

What's for sure is that I know a low-end Mac can make me just as productive as a high-end one - and I'll have money left over to upgrade the RAM and hard drive.

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Recent Apple Archive articles

iPods, notebooks, and other modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, 2007.12.07. 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, 2007.11.19. 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?, 2007.11.14. 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.
More in the Apple Archive index.

Links for the Day

Mac of the Day: Mac IIfx, introduced 1990.03.19. This 'wicked fast' 40 MHz Mac trumped the 33 MHz DOS world.
February 14 in LEM history: 98: A perfect compact Mac - 00: Extended computer warranties worth the cost? - Making your PC work with your Mac - 01: Customize Microsoft Word - 02: Quadra revives a passion for computing - 03: Real world performance - DIY Pismo screen replacement - Best Mac for writing - 03: Fastest browser on the Mac - 06: 15" MacBook Pro - Impressions of a newly acquired Lisa - Finding and using free WiFi - Apple should liberate OS 9 - 07: New Mac mini cheaper than upgrading a Power Mac - 08: Falling in love with OS X
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