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Read other letters about this article
... except that it uses quite a few more words than should be considered necessary for such a simple proposition. In fact, the entire article can be said somewhat more pithily, to wit:
"Macs may cost more up front, but retain their value much better in the marketplace, and therefore a several year old computer, while nearly worthless if a PC, still has genuine value if a Mac, more than offsetting the original extra outlay."
Does Manjoo's article say anything more than that? Anything at all?
And, if my acting like his editor doesn't show up the need for the man's writing to be edited, let me present this quote as Exhibit B:
"The present article is an attempt to prove to you that, on price alone, the Mac is not the BMW of computers. It is the Ford of computers."
"The present article"? You mean, the thing we're reading right now? What kind of stilted grammar is that?
Besides, in the same quote, he goes on to make a point which is totally at odds with his thesis, which is that the Mac is precisely the BMW of computers. Or the Acura. Meaning, you pay more, but you get that back, and more, in quality and resale value. It has nothing to do with Fords, which most readers would take as a symbol of a cheaper, mediocre, anonymous product that depreciates relatively quickly. In fact, I'm sure Manjoo would agree that he's calling the PCs "Fords", and many users (even PC users) would agree with that characterization.
So we're left with a fluffy, padded article that doesn't really say much. But it's not about Britney, so I suppose we'll have to be grateful for what Salon chooses to bestow upon its readers. For the banner headline.
