You're on crack

Indeed, Macs have a great resale value on eBay but you know why - Mac users hold on to their Macs forever. I have a seven year old G4/400 - and I have no desire to sell it. Macs hold their resale value because people hold on and keep using them for a long time. So, while yes you can eBay a Mac every 2-3 years and get a new one - more likely you'll keep using it for a long, long time. Or, just add to your collection.

I had a G3/600 iBook - I got a newer iBook G4 and had intended to sell the iBook G3... but then I thought I could dedicate it to iTunes and keep it near my stereo and pretty soon it had an USB->optical audio gizmo from M-Audio and an infrared remote and I kept using it exclusively for iTunes. Eventually it's hard drive died (as all hard drives do) and not wanting to replace it, I sold it for parts on eBay (still brought in $100) and got an AppleTV to take its place.

The various anti-Apple hordes of letters are all over the place. The guy who switched to PCs when XP came out - apparently hasn't heard of MacOS X because XP came out in 2001 right around OS X 10.0 - so he's complaining about instability in MacOS 9. Nice.

Simply put, PCs are a dime a dozen - why would anyone buy a used one. They're indistinct collections of off-the-shelf parts. This does mean you can, build-your-own machine or do a lot of upgrades and great for you if that's what you want.

But each Mac is unique and remain usable for many, many years - and this does enhance their value - which is why the used Mac market exists. But the Mac's high resale value doesn't mean you'll be reselling a Mac every 2 years - it means you'll hold onto it for 5 or 6.

I have used lots of Macs and PCs over the years. But currently I'm all PCs. The Macs are pretty but they are ultimately more useless because of their limited (and more expensive!) software and hardware, limited peripheral compatibility, and limited ability to interface (or even easily transfer files!) into business networks that are PC-based.

I don’t want to get to intellectual, but that’s the most retarded thing I’ve ever heard!

Please explain what software a Mac “can’t” run?

Xcel? It’ll run it. Either in the Mac version of Microsoft Office or fire up BootCamp and run Xcel. Unless you have some other super special software that can’t run on a Mac that is “critical” to business or home use. Please enlighten us.

Transferring files is “too difficult”? And how is this task “too difficult?” Do Mac accept jump drives? Yup. Can you burn a CD? Yup. Can you move them using the internet? Yup.

Basically you sound like a Microserf who loves Bill Gates and is shouting “Macs Suck!” and not actually demonstrating how this machines are so “useless.”

Sorry, but I just had to call you on that.

Maybe this will be covered in the next installments of this commentary, but the biggest cost of owning a PC is the exorbitant cost of software that has been inadequately tested and fights with everything else in your computer.

I've spent way more on tech support and upgrades that refuse to inter-act than I did on the original price of the computer. My next machine will be a MAC, because everyone I know who owns one is thrilled with it and thinks I'm retarded for not switching sooner.

Not to mention my lost productivity (common among friends with PCs) when I spend about 40% of my time at the computer dealing with problems or the computer's failure to perform as it was allegedly designed. I leave it on for days now, becaue every time I boot it up there is something different to discover in how it chooses to function each time. There are times when it just seem better to deal with the calamities you already know.

It would be impossible to calculate the icy hatred I feel for Microsoft. I am not alone, which is not as comforting as having companionship should be.

At these prices the damn thing should work. And it doesn't. And don't even ask how many computers simply died and could not be recovered. Geesh, I'm a slow learner! The final blow was when I asked my computer guy this week if he also sells MACS because maybe, after all, I'm not too old to learn a new system. His response? "What, and lose my job security? I wouldn't have anything to do if I just serviced the MACS I sold." Join me now for a loud and long ARGGGGHHHHHH!

Once again, Farhad has written a column that pertains only to those people with money to throw around on gadgets. When oh WHEN will he write a column that takes into account the idea that vast numbers of people in this country don't have that kind of extra cash?

I've just bought a new PC. It's nice and fast, and it's a relief not to deal with the problems I had with my old one. Wanna know how old it was before I switched over, Farhad? EIGHT YEARS. That's right - for eight years that PC gave me loyal service.

And I'm not even considering putting it on eBay. You know why? Because I've had it for EIGHT YEARS. Like most people who have a computer, I can't afford to switch over every couple of years because the new model is OMGCOOOOL. I got every last moment of service out of Ol' Faithful before even thinking of changing up.

It's bad enough we've got huge corporations urging people to throw their money away by replacing every widget the minute there's a "better" one. (Better? How better? If my machine does what I need just fine, why should I get another one?) We don't need people who are supposedly looking out for us to join in the same "gotta get MOREMOREMORE" chorus, thank you.

Oh, and P.S. - not everybody who uses a Mac likes it. I have never wanted one despite having used them many times. Why? Because I'm not interested in spending my worktime with something that looks and behaves like a damned TOY. All the cutesy winking icons, swirly action, fiddly tunes - YECCCCHHH. I need to work, not amuse myself with Fischer Price graphics, KTHXBI.