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Farhad, your math doesn't add up. You did not consider 8% opportunity cost per month for the additional upfront investment. That comes to $8 per month, $96 per year... so the "initial" investment is in fact $200 more and not $100.
If you have ever skimmed through the CDs/DVDs that come with a computer, there is usually a "Restore" DVD/CD included. So you just pop that in and bring your computer back to "Factory Default", and you are ready to sell with a swiped HDD. So this is not a factor for a resale decision. (For people with critical data on their drive, you'll need to run DoD grade hard disk sweeper, no matter if it is a Mac or Windows PC).
Most people use the computer until it is either EOL (end of life) or is passed down. Of the 320 million computers in use in the U.S., how many do actually end in the "resale" chain? I just checked on eBay, there are about 2500 PCs and just under 1500 notebooks listed (and they might not sell on first try).
About 60 million new computers, desktops and PCs, are sold in the U.S. per year. That's over 164,000 PCs a day, that means about 2.4% are in the eBay resale channel. How many cars sold end up at some point in the "used car" channel? (If anybody knows, I don't, but I'm sure it is more like say 50% to 70% or even more).
Are you trying to sell us that it is the best solution for us and the environment to buy a less powerful Mac and getting a new one every year?
The goal should be to increase a computers life cycle, reduce shipping costs, etc. 80% of a computers lifetime energy is used during manufacturing and only 20% while you and I use it. Extending the life by 1 year, saves about 20% of a computers lifetime energy.
I don't get your column. Sorry.
