He implied that the computers were equivalent by saying he didn't need to pay a $1600 penalty just for "ease of use". In other words, the only benefit he saw between the $2000 MacBook and his $400 laptop was 'ease of use'.
If he doesn't use software that is top-notch or needs high performance then his statement is 100% correct, there's no real difference besides "comfort".
Regardless of whether or not he would use the (probable) better components of the MacBook, it is priced $1600 higher in part because of those components.
I never said it had those specs. I said the $400 PC was "fine for me". If I wanted to buy the cheapest Mac equivalent to my $400 PC (which is 15") , it would have to be the $2000 macbook Pro and it would come with a lot of other stuff that I simply don't need. Since the original poster expressed the concern "I find it hard to justify spending so much more over something that may or may not be worth the extra cost" I think my example was relevant and potentially helpful, regardless of what you and crazydave think.
You also added that you could not see paying a $1600 penalty for "ease of use". The $1600 difference is much more involved than "ease of use". Your $400 laptop works fine for you and that is great. The correct statement would be that you could do everything you need to do with a $400 laptop and leave it at that. You don't need a faster processor, faster memory, faster/more powerful graphics, but to say the price difference is due to 'ease of use' is disingenuious. With respect to computers, it's a personal preference. I have a 27 inch iMac at home, but when I travel I use a $500 Windows laptop. There is inherent value to me in both.
Even the desire for the PC to be all-in-one is something that has to be considered carefully as to whether that is something you really want. Personally I prefer a seperate pc and monitor and they are usually much easier to upgrade or repair. But a quick search on amazon found this all-in-one HP for $699.99 with a touch screen. But without knowing what the OP is going to use the computer for other than microsoft office it is hard to say what specs he will need/want. If office is the most demanding program that will be used along with some web browsing, then the cheapest computer you can find out there will likely do the job just fine.
Seriously CrazyDave and Bobrek are hypocrites. Deep down they're just Apple fanb that gets upset when people try to counter anything about Apple. It's ironic how they are proclaiming others are starting the PC vs Apple pissing contest when they aren't any better themselves. I'm not a big fan of Apple but if you want an all-in-one computer iMac you're getting is a good product even though it's a bit over priced(well most all-in-one computers are overpriced). If it was me of course I'll build a better PC with that price range. But you can also dual boot with Windows 7/8 easily with that iMac if you not fond of OSX. I just recently build a mini ITX PC(for surfing the web, watching videos and very light games) with Windows 8 for $400 with a core i-3 2120, Gigabyte GA-H61N-USB3, 60GB Corsair SSD and SilverStone Sugo SG05B case. Windows 8 detected installed and updated everything without a glitch. Another all-in-one PC you might want to take a look at is the ASUS ET2410 Series All in One Touchscreen(not good for gaming). If you want to do gaming you will have to look for the HP version. Windows 8 will be touch friendly so that's a bonus if you like the touch option. Kids will love it if there are kids in your family. <iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5uweFtodNok" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/37UPmd-rkt8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The macs are overpriced. If you decided to spend the same amount on a PC you would get a system that was equally good if not better. Ease of use is overrated , frankly Windows is not that hard to use. For the most things that people do at home you could get a PC for half the price that did all that just as good. Having worked on both systems, outside of some really high end video manipulation programs there is not much the macs can do better if the PC system is comparable specs wise.
Pretty sure I didn't proclaim anything, nor do I see any 'hypocrisy.' Kudos on the name calling though. Were you not so trying to be so offensive up front, I would have commended you on finishing your post with something constructive here. Seriously.
Honestly, if I was looking to get a newer Mac, I would look hard at the mini. Everything I've read seems to say its a great box, good price. Seems like a lot of people are using it as a HTPC as well.
Entry level Dell All-in-one is $799 http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...s&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&model_id=inspiron-one-2320 23" Screen, Core I3, 6GB Ram, 1TB HD, Intel HD Graphics Entry Level iMac ~ $1200 21.5" Screen, Core I5, 4GB Ram, 500GB HD, AMD Radeon HD 6750M
Eh, not a bad deal, but that Dell has a dual core i3 with 3MB cache while the iMac is a quad core i5 with 6MB cache. In addition the iMac has dedicated video, a Radeon 6750, while the Dell has integrated video. I also don't see anything about the camera, though the picture seems to show one and I'd imagine almost all AIO should have them. In addition, don't know if that Dell has the range of newer ports you get on the iMac, like Thunderbolt or Displayport. The bigger trade off is the screen IMO, and the hard drive size. RAM would be easy enough (and cheap enough) to alter. Not really comparable at all IMO.
The I3 is only a dual core I believe, compared to the I5 quad core. Also the iMac has a real graphics card (not a spectacular one by any means) compared to the onboard Intel. And those are the 2 components you can't really change unlike RAM or HD. I'm just going to guess if you get something a little more comparable to the iMac it might $1000? If you aren't looking for much power and the OS doesn't matter than the choice is obvious. It boils down to your personal preferences, and to me the real decision starts with the OS and deciding how much you value that additional comfort and efficiency (if at all...that's up to you again). Check out Windows 8 too if you haven't already. I'm on my computer all day for work, and afterwards use it heavily for my 2 serious hobbies - music and video production. I plan on using my next computer for another 5 years so you can bet I'm going for the best experience possible. Conversely I don't give a sh** about cars, I go from A to B and think 0-60 times are the most pointless thing ever. I wouldn't buy a new one even if you gave me a trillion dollars right now. So you might want to figure how you view your computer in that context as well.
