Is Buying a Mac a Frugal Decision?
Are you a PC person or do you own a Mac? If you prefer your PC then there’s a good chance that you think that Macs are too expensive to purchase. That’s true if you only look at the outright cost of a Mac compared to a PC. However, it can be argued that investing in a Mac is going to save you money in the long run.
Here are 5 reasons that switching to Mac is a frugal decision:
- Macs last longer. One of the things that you have to consider when making a frugal purchase is how long it’s going to last you. Buying a product that has a good price but doesn’t last very long isn’t a cost-effective shopping decision. In general, Macs last longer than PCs.
- Macs require less fixing. Many Mac users will tell you that the reason they love the expensive brand is because they rarely have to take it in for repairs. PC users, particularly of certain brands, simply can’t claim the same thing. Spending less on ongoing tech support can save you a lot of money over the lifetime of your computer.
- Macs retain their resale value. The value of a PC declines quickly as soon as you start using it. Although there is obviously some depreciation with a Mac as well, the resale value for these computers tends to stay higher for a longer period of time.
- Macs don’t need expensive security software. A lot of people will tell you that Macs never get viruses. Mac users are a lot less likely than PC users to pay loads of money for extra security software and protection because the built-in protections seem to do the trick.
- There are many ways to reduce the cost of a Mac purchase. This may or may not be true with your PC purchase depending on the brand and when you buy it.
In a recent interview with Stephanie Berenbaum, gadget guru Gregg Steiner argued the point that Macs are the money-saving way to go for your home office.
Hey, seems you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed, so you will be the first to get our free money saving tips. New today, free Tribal UK Promotional Codes. Save £5 off £175 at Tribal UK. Thanks for visiting!
WOW, just… WOW. I recommend actually performing some thorough *research* before posting a blog entry like this.
As a Mac and PC owner (the powerbook being my primary computer), a technician for 18 years, and currently a director of IT operations for a large multinational company, I can assure you that every thing you’ve posted here is demonstrably FALSE.
Again, if you wish to be taken seriously, I suggest YOU do your OWN research.
I spent 2300.00 on my macbookpro in 2006, and another 200 on a fan repair and new battery. At the end of this year, that will be $500.00 per year for the use of my Mac. I could get a $500.00 PC laptop with much better specs than I have now….hmmmmm. Nevertheless, I love my Mac.
Oh, and there are freeware security solutions out there, duh.
I love my mac and my macs have always been super reliable… however repairs when needed are STEEP… stepping on a mac or pc laptop is just as easy a mistake but one is way more costly!
Personally if you don’t need much computing power then I would go for a low end pc…. If you need the graphics side of things or a mac as a editing professional then so be it. I think it’s mostly a case of what you will use the machine for.
Thanks,
Forest.
frugalzeitgeist.com
Chase: While some points may be a stretch, I don’t think your statement of “every thing you’ve posted here is demonstrably FALSE” is accurate. Take, for example, #3. Apple computers have extremely good resale value, and PC’s tend to have extremely poor resale value. Think Honda vs Kia here. People love used Hondas, and pay a premium. No one wants a used Kia, and the resale value shows.
Let me address your points in the order they appeared:
1 Macs last longer.
I have an old iMac. and an old dell laptop in my living room. while running mac os9 or X is possible its unable to do most anything on the web, save basic browsing. the dell, however loaded with linux is able to fly along with no problems on any site, including youtube.
2 less fixing.
you can find a computer tec willing to work on a pc on most any street corner. most issues can be fixed quickly and easily, and replacement parts are quite affordable and made by many different companies, whereas mac tecs, and parts are all priced comparitively to the system itself. expensive.
3retain their value
lets be honest, how many people try to sell their computer? for those who do, its not ment to be an ‘investment’.
Furthermore, when you spend $500 on a desktop PC, you dont really expect to get a high resale value for it.
4 expensive security software.
I havent paid for security software in 10 years. there are dozens of free, open source solutions. not to mention linux as a whole. nobody says that PCs have to run windows.
5 discounts
if price wasnt an issue than there would be no need for a 15 point list on how to drop its price.
many of those points encourage you to buy used, outdated, and refurbished hardware.
well if you did that with a pc, your price would drop below $400
hard to compare?
not really
If you want to be a fanboy, go for it, but dont try to disguise it as a well educated argument.