The Mac Observer: AAPLTalk System Shootouts - US$2,400 Desktop System Shootout

DATES CONFIGURED: 8/12/02 - 8/14/02
READ THESE IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS & EXPLANATIONS BEFORE PROCEEDING!!!

--Must include at least 17" LCD
--Must include either DVD-RW or DVD+RW

All images and logos are copyright 2001 to the respective companies listed.
System images & logos will be removed upon request by the respective companys' representatives.

Company

Apple

Dell

Compaq

Hewlett Packard

Gateway

Sony

17" iMac Flat-Panel

Dimension 8200

Presario 8000

Pavillion

700x

RX770 Digital Studio

Design/ Styling

"Lamp"-style / White

Black/Silver Tower

Beige Tower

Baja Blue Tower

Platinum Tower

VAIO Styling Tower

Mobility:

All-in-one design

23 lbs. total

(all PC systems listed range from appx. 40-60 lbs. including tower + flat-panel display + speakers)

Component Access?

Quick access to memory & wireless cards

(all PC systems listed have thumb-screw or other relatively easy access for panel removal & component access)

Deskspace Used:
(CPU + Display)

88 sq. inches

(all PC systems range from appx. 260 - 300 square inches including tower + flat-panel display + speakers)

Noise Volume:

Ultraquiet Fan

Loud (full-size cooling fans)

Energy Use:
Energy Notes

130 Watts total

appx. $24 / year

(all PC systems range from appx. 350 - 400 watts of electricity total
including tower + flat-panel display + speakers; appx. $60-70/year in electric bills)

Processor:
Rating Notes

1.2 GHz P4
800 MHz
PowerPC G4

2.26 GHz P4
2.26 GHz
Pentium 4

2.2 GHz P4
1.67 GHz
Athlon XP 2000+

2.3 GHz P4
1.8 GHz
Athlon XP 2200+

2.4 GHz P4
2.4 GHz
Pentium 4

2.2 GHz P4
2.2 GHz
Pentium 4

L1 Cache:

64k

128k

L2 Cache:

256K on-chip

512K on-chip

256K on-chip

512K on-chip

L3 Cache:

Memory Type:

SDRAM PC133

RDRAM PC800

DDR-SDRAM
PC2100

RDRAM PC800

DDR-SDRAM
PC2100

Frontside Bus:

100 MHz bus

533 MHz bus

266 MHz bus

533 MHz bus

400 MHz bus

Memory Amount:

512 MB (2 x 256)

256 MB (1 x 256)

512 MB (2 x 256)

512 MB (1 x 512)

1.0 GB (2 x 256)

Max RAM:

1.0 GB (2 slots)

2.0 GB (4 slots)

1.0 GB (2 slots)

2.0 GB (4 slots)

1.0 GB (2 slots)

Hard Drive Capacity:

80 GB

120 GB

Hard Drive Type:

Ultra ATA 66

Ultra ATA 100

Ultra DMA 100

Ultra ATA 100

Hard Drive Speed:

5400 rpm

7200 rpm

CD-Rom:

24x CD

48x CD

32x CD

48x CD

40x CD

CD-RW:

8x4x CD-RW

12x10x CD-RW

40x12x CD-RW

8x4x CD-RW

DVD-Rom:

6x DVD

8x DVD

16x DVD

? x DVD

8x DVD

DVD-/+RW:

2x1x DVD-RW

2x2x DVD+RW

?x?x DVD-R/RAM

2x1x DVD-RW

Floppy Drive:

Yes

Zip/Other Drive:

Memory stick

PCI/AGP Slots:
Available / Total

0 / 1

2 / 5

3 / 7

2 / 4

3 / 6

2 / 4

Internal Bays:
Available / Total

0 / 1

1 / 2 (?)

1 / 2

External Bays:
Available / Total

0 / 1

1 / 4

0 / 3

2 / 4

0 / 3

Mouse Included:

(Intellimouse)
USB wireless Optical
4-button scrollwheel

USB Optical
2-button
scrollwheel

USB 2-button
scrollwheel

USB Optical
2-button
scrollwheel

PS/2 2-button
scrollwheel

USB Ports:
available = after keyboard & mouse

3 available
5 total
(2 on keyboard)

4 available
4 total
(2 on front)

3 available
4 total
(2 on front)

5 available
6 total
(2 on front;
2 are USB2)

4 available
4 total
(2 on front)

Firewire Ports:

2 On-board

2 ports (PCI)

3 ports (PCI)
(1 in front)
1 Cable

1 in front (PCI)

1 (PCI)

2 + Cable

Available* Legacy Ports:

1 serial
1 parallel
1 PS/2

2 serial
1 parallel
1 PS/2

1 serial
1 parallel
1 PS/2

1 serial
1 parallel

Graphics Card:
Rating Notes

nVIDIA
GeForce4 MX 440

nVIDIA
GeForce4 Ti 4200

nVIDIA
GeForce4 MX 420

nVIDIA
GeForce4 MX 440

nVIDIA
GeForce4 Ti 4200

nVIDIA
GeForce4 MX 440

Video RAM:

32 MB DDR

64 MB

64 MB DDR

128 MB DDR

64 MB DDR

VGA Out:

Yes

DVI/ADC Out:

DVI

S-Video Out:

TV Out:

Yes

Dual Display Support?

Mirroring Only

Yes

LCD Display:

17" viewable LCD

100% digital;
180° swing arm

17" viewable LCD
digital

17" viewable LCD

18.1" viewable LCD
digital

17" viewable LCD
digital

Max. Resolution:

1440x900

(widescreen)

1280x1024

Audio In/Out:

Headphone jack
Ext. speaker jack
built-in microphone

Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Audio jack

Speakers:

Logitech Z-340 stereo speakers w/Subwoofer

Harman Kardon HK-395 Speakers
w/ Subwoofer

Creative Inspire 2400 2.1 speakers w/Subwoofer

Cambridge SW 320 2.1 speakers w/Subwoofer

Boston Acoustics BA745 speakers w/Subwoofer

Stereo Speakers

10/100 Ethernet:

Yes

Yes (PCI)

Yes

Yes (PCI)

Yes

Gigabit Ethernet:

56k Internal Modem:

Yes

Yes (PCI)

802.11b Wireless Network Card?

Integrated 802.11b Antennae?

Yes

Hardware Extras Included:

Lord of the Rings DVD

Included OS:

Mac OS X 10.2;
Mac OS 9.2;
BSD Unix;
Apache Web Server

Windows XP
Home Edition

Windows/DOS Support:

Windows 95/98/ME/ 2000/XP
(via Virtual PC)

Windows 95/98/ 2000/NT/XP

(Native)

Mac OS Support:

Mac OS 8,9,X

(Native)

Mac OS 8 only (via emulation)

Linux OS Support:

Various flavors (Native)

Unix OS Support:

Various flavors (Native)

Word Processor Included:

AppleWorks 6.2
(Word compatible)

MSFT Word XP
MSFT Works 6.0

MSFT Word XP

MSFT Works 6.0

MSFT Word XP
MSFT Works 6.0

Corel WordPerfect 10
(Word compatible)

Spreadsheet Software Included:

AppleWorks 6.2
(Excel compatible)

MSFT Works 6.0

MSFT Excel XP

MSFT Works 6.0

Quattro Pro 10
(Excel compatible)

Presentation Software Included:

AppleWorks 6.2

Corel Presentations
(PowerPoint compatible)

Database Software Included:

AppleWorks 6.2

MSFT Works 6.0

Drawing/Painting Software Included:

AppleWorks 6.2

Calendar/PIM Software Included:

OS X Address Book

MSFT Works 6.0

MSFT Outlook XP

MSFT Works 6.0

CorelCentral 10

Planning/Project Software Included:

MSFT Publisher XP

Web Browser Included:

Internet Explorer 5.2
Netscape 4.7

Internet Explorer 6

E-Mail/Address Book Included:

OS X Mail
OS X Address Book

Outlook Express 6

CorelCentral 10
Outlook Express 6

Media Player Included:

Quicktime 6
DVD Player
Media Player 7 avail.
RealOne Player avail.

Media Player 8
DVD Player
Quicktime 6 avail.
RealOne Player avail.

Quicktime 6
Media Player 8
DVD Player
RealOne Player avail.

Financial Software Included:

Quicken 2002 Deluxe

Money 2002

Quicken 2002

Reference Software Included:

World Book OS X

Encarta 2002
Streets & Trips

Encarta 2001 Std.

Encarta 2002

Encarta 2002
Streets & Trips

Graphics Editing/
Digital Photo Management:

iPhoto 1.1

Image Expert
Picture It!

Unknown ?

ArcSoft My Photo Center

Picture It!

Photoshop Elements

Picture Gear
PhotoPrinter 2000

Digital Video Editing:

iMovie 2

MGI VideoWave 4

Studio DV

ArcSoft ShoBiz

Pinnacle Express

MovieShaker

Premiere LE

Music Software/
CD Burning Software:

iTunes 3
Disc Burner

MusicMatch 6.0

EasyCD 5.0

MusicMatch 6.1
HP RecordNow

Pinnacle Express

SonicStage (?)
RecordNow

DVD Burning Software:
(reqires DVD-RW)

iDVD 2
Disc Burner

HP RecordNow(?)

Pinnacle Express

Simple DVD Maker
DVDit!
DVDGate

Games Included:

Chess

Otto Matic
Deimos Rising

Mine Sweeper, Asstd. classic games

Additional Software Included

FaxSTF
Palm Desktop
Asstd. system software

Asstd. system software

Media Bar
Smart Capture
VisualFlow
Asstd. system software

Free ISP/
Other Services

1 month EarthLink

6 months MSN

Virus Susceptibility/
Security Issues

45 known viruses

over 50,000+ known viruses (see FBI warning)

Built-in Firewall?

Yes

Warranty:

3 yr. ltd./mail-in

3 yrs. phone

1 yr. ltd./at-home
1 yr. phone

1 yr. ltd./mail-in
1 yr. phone

1 yr. ltd./at-home
1 yr. phone

1 yr. ltd./mail-in
90 days phone

Quality of Products & Service:
Consumer Affairs

"Good Guys"

"Rogues Gallery"

Navigation?

Easy

Poor

Easy

Terrible

Customization Allowed?

Some

Full

Some

Full

Very Little

Subotal:
(includes rebates, add-ons, etc.)

$2,412

$2,297

$2,318

$2,408

$2,313

$2,420

+ Ground Shipping:

No Charge

$105

$85

Free (Ltd. Time)

$99

Free (Ltd. Time)

Total Price
as configured:
(Includes cost of all add-ons, rebates, etc.)

$2,412
tax not included

$2,402
tax not included

$2,403
tax not included

$2,408
tax not included

$2,412
tax not included

$2,420
tax not included

The information above is as accurate as I could make it based on a reasonable time studying the respective companies' Web sites. There is no guarantee that these configurations, prices, and features are the best that one could come up with; assorted bundles, free internet access, free extra memory, and so on can most likely be found for any of the above systems. The point of this chart is to demonstrate that Apple's lineup holds its own against any brand-name computer, even in areas in which it has traditionally had resistance. In short, do not base your purchasing decisions solely on this chart or information. Neither I, nor The Mac Observer will be held responsible or liable for any purchase decisions you make based on this presentation.

Charles Gaba started the AAPLTalk System Shootouts at AAPLTalk.com, and has brought them to TMO. Charles is the creative talent behind Brainwrap Web Design.

AAPLTalk System Shootouts Archives

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