From: smoon@strfleet.gsfc.nasa.gov (Sang J. Moon)
Subject: Re: Macs cost too much (NOT!)
Organization: NASA GSFC Code 534.3
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 14:30:42 GMT

In article <yL0aoB27w165w@mantis.co.uk>, mathew <mathew@mantis.co.uk> writes:
> 
> ASI509@DJUKFA11.BITNET writes:
> > In article <5794.2a6ac834@hayes.com>, bcoleman@hayes.com (Bill Coleman) says:
> > >Huh. Isn't your time worth something? Isn't that part of the reason for
> > >buying a computer in the first place -- in order to save you time and
> > >hassle to get something done? If the computer creates work instead of
> > >diminishing it, then it hasn't fulfilled it's job.
> > 
> > Depends on who has to pay for the machine. If it`s my boss then you`re right.
> > But there are even people out there who repair their cars themselves. I _can_
> > install OS/2 or Windoze on an Intel box (i.e. I know how to push in the disks
> > and for some hundred $$$ I do it myself.
> 
> Yeah, well, I can install Windows as well.  But now that I've done it about
> ten times, I'm getting a bit pissed off doing it.
> 
> Windows seems to have a half-life of about 30 days.  Around once a month
> something decays and stops working.  This happens even when I don't fiddle
> with it.  For example, this month my DOS shells stopped working properly. 
> They were causing internal errors in the Clipper compiler.  I hadn't touched
> the settings for my DOS shells since the month before, when I last installed
> Windows.
> 
> To get my compiler to work again, I had to blast the windows directory and
> reinstall again from scratch.  As I say, I have to do this about once a month.
> Each time, it takes me about an afternoon to get everything reinstalled the
> way it was to start with.  Fortunately it's not my time; I don't mind being
> paid to watch applications re-installing.
> 
> I fiddle with the System on my Mac at home all the time.  I go in with
> ResEdit on the System and Finder.  I try out all sorts of qool INITs (I
> generally run six or seven of 'em.)  In spite of this, the System appears to
> be solid.  I often leave the machine booted up for days at a time without
> problems, and I've never had to reinstall the System.

[stuff deleted]

I've been using System 7 with tuneup 1.1.1 for about 6 months now, and I've
had to reinstall system 7 and/or rebuild the desktop file an average of
twice a month.  With 75MB of stuff on my hard drive, this has been the
biggest waste of my time.  If time is money, saying that the mac saves
money this way is not totally true.  From my experience with both macs and
PCs, it seems that no matter what machine I use, I am able to waste the
same amount of time "fiddling" with either machine.  Installing software
takes just about the same time.  Deinstalling software is just as agonizing
for either machine.  Installing an interface board on a PC takes a little
effort, but it's a one time effort usually and in the long run does not
take any significant time.  Anyone can see that macs have their share of
problems by browsing through the comp.sys.mac hierarchy.  I do like the mac
better than the PC because of the little extras it gives, but macs cost
2 to 3 times more than corresponding PC systems regardless of the extra
"fiddling" time needed for PCs.  At work I use a mac because I don't pay for
it, but at home, I bought a 386-40 because it gives the best computing value
for it's price.

The system I got was:

386-40Mhz CPU w/64K cache
4 MB RAM
1.2MB & 1.44MB floppies
211MB IDE 15ms hard drive
1Kx768 VGA card with 1MB RAM
2400 baud internal modem
28dp non-interlaced SVGA monitor
101 enhanced keyboard
high resolution mouse
2 serial/1 parallel/1 game ports
DOS 5.0
Windows 3.1
printer cable (already had a printer)
public domain software

for $1678.95 including tax.

If you respond to this post, please list the system you bought and
how much you paid for it.  It shows what you actually have to back your
views.  It may also show that you had much more money than I had to spend.
In which case, there should be no need for everybody yelling their heads
off because I too would buy a mac if I had that much money to spare.

> mathew
> -- 
> Ceci | n'est pas une pipe.

Sang J. Moon

Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc