|
|
 |
by Charles Gaba
|
Visit Charle Gaba's new System Shootout site for the latest shootouts!
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||
|
$700
Desktops |
 |
 |
||||||
|
Apple eMac
|
Dell Dimension 2350
|
|||||||
|
$699 as configured
|
$728 as configured
|
|||||||
 |
||||||||
|
Design/Styling:
|
All-in-one; built-in handle
|
Black/silver minitower + CRT
|
||||||
|
Ease of set-up:
|
4 cords/cables
|
about a dozen cords/cables; color-coded
|
||||||
|
Weight:
|
50 lbs. total
|
59 lbs. total
|
||||||
|
Component Access:
|
quick access to wireless/RAM slots/Serial #
|
Thumbscrews for easy component accessibility
|
||||||
| (open debate on whether school computers should be wide-open for easy upgrades or semi-sealed to prevent student tampering) | ||||||||
|
Deskspace Used:
|
270 sq. in. total
|
383 sq. in. total
|
||||||
|
Noise Volume:
|
Virtually silent (Ultraquiet fan)
|
Standard cooling fan noise
|
||||||
|
Energy Use:
|
170 watts continuous (appx. $20/yr)
|
330 watts continuous (appx. $40/yr)
|
||||||
 |
||||||||
|
Processor:
Notes |
800 MHz PowerPC G4
 1.2 GHz Pentium 4 |
2.0 GHz Intel Celeron
1.4 GHz Pentium 4 |
||||||
|
L1 Cache:
|
64k
|
8k
|
||||||
|
L2 Cache:
|
256k on-chip
|
128k on-chip
|
||||||
|
Memory Type:
|
SDRAM PC133
|
DDR-SDRAM PC2100
|
||||||
|
Frontside Bus:
|
133 MHz
|
400 MHz
|
||||||
|
RAM Included:
|
128 MB (1 DIMM)
|
128 MB (1 DIMM)
|
||||||
|
Max. RAM:
|
1.0 GB (2 slots)
|
1.0 GB (2 slots)
|
||||||
 |
||||||||
|
Hard Drive Capacity:
|
40 GB
|
30 GB
|
||||||
|
Hard Drive Type
|
Ultra ATA 66
|
Ultra ATA 100
|
||||||
|
Hard Drive Speed:
|
5400 rpm
|
7200 rpm
|
||||||
|
CD-ROM:
|
32x
|
48x
|
||||||
|
CD-RW:
|
--
|
--
|
||||||
|
DVD-ROM:
|
--
|
--
|
||||||
|
DVD-RW:
|
--
|
--
|
||||||
|
Floppy Drive:
|
Ext. USB/Firewire Zip/floppy drives avail.
|
no floppy drive included as configured
|
||||||
| (open debate on whether floppy drives are still useful for outdated school media or are a liability since they allow one more way to infect computers with viruses, etc.) | ||||||||
|
Other Drive:
|
--
|
--
|
||||||
 |
||||||||
|
PCI/AGP Slots:
|
0 available / 1 total + 1 Wi-Fi slot available
|
3 PCI available / 3 total
|
||||||
|
Internal Bays:
|
0 available / 1 total
|
0 available / 1 total
|
||||||
|
External Bays:
|
1 optical drive bay filled
|
1 optical drive bay available (2 total)
|
||||||
 |
||||||||
|
Mouse Included:
|
Ambidext. USB optical mouse
|
PS/2 2-button scroll mouse
|
||||||
| (open debate on whether a single-button is better for children since it's easier to learn for lefties, vs. 2-button wheel being better for contextual menus, etc. Slight edge goes to 2-button here) | ||||||||
|
Keyboard Included:
|
USB Keyboard
(vol./mute/eject keys+2 USB ports) |
standard PS/2 keyboard
|
||||||
|
USB Ports:
|
5 USB 1.1 ports (2 on keyboard)
|
6 USB 2.0 ports (2 on front)
|
||||||
|
FireWire Ports:
|
2 on-board ports (400 Mbps)
|
--
|
||||||
|
Other Ports:
|
--
|
1 ser., 1 par., 2 PS/2
|
||||||
 |
||||||||
|
Graphics Card:
|
ATI Radeon 7500
|
Integrated Intel 3D Graphics
|
||||||
|
Video RAM:
|
32 MB DDR-SDRAM (dedicated)
|
"up to" 32 MB (shared)
|
||||||
|
VGA Out:
|
Mirroring via optional adapter
|
Yes (no mirroring or spanning)
|
||||||
|
S-Video Out:
|
optional adapter
|
optional PCI card
|
||||||
|
Composite-Out:
|
optional adapter
|
optional PCI card
|
||||||
|
DVI Out:
|
--
|
--
|
||||||
|
Display Included:
|
integrated 17" (16" viewable) flat-screen CRT
|
17" (16" viewable) flat-screen CRT
|
||||||
|
Native Disp. Res.:
|
1280x960
|
1280x1024
|
||||||
|
Audio In:
|
Built-in microphone; audio-in; digital-audio
|
audio-in; digital-audio
|
||||||
|
Audio Out:
|
headphone jacks; audio-out; digital audio
|
headphone jack; audio-out; digital audio
|
||||||
|
Speakers Inc.:
|
integrated H-K stereo speakers
|
none included
|
||||||
 |
||||||||
|
10/100 Ethernet:
|
10/100 Base-T Ethernet (integrated)
|
10/100 Base-T Ethernet (integrated)
|
||||||
|
56k Int. Modem:
|
no modem included
|
no modem included
|
||||||
|
802.11b Airport
|
Internal 802.11g card slot; Integ. antennae;
|
External USB 802.11b adapter available.
|
||||||
|
Wireless Network:
|
Built-in 802.11g access point (req. opt.
card)
|
--
|
||||||
|
Bluetooth?
|
optional 3rd-party Bluetooth cards available
|
optional 3rd-party Bluetooth cards available
|
||||||
 |
||||||||
|
Hardware Extras:
|
--
|
--
|
||||||
 |
||||||||
|
Included OS:
|
OS X 10.2; OS 9.2 (dual-boot); BSD Unix;
Apache web server, Rendezvous networking; System-wide PDF support (any file) |
MSFT Windows XP Professional
|
||||||
|
Windows Supp.:
|
DOS/Win 95/98/ME/2000/XP via opt. VPC
|
DOS/Win 95/98/ME/2000/XP native
|
||||||
|
Linux OS Supp.:
|
Various flavors supported natively
|
Various flavors supported natively
|
||||||
 |
||||||||
|
Word Processor:
|
AppleWorks 6.2 (Word Compatible)
|
--
|
||||||
|
Spreadsheet:
|
AppleWorks 6.2 (Excel compatible)
|
--
|
||||||
|
Presentations:
|
AppleWorks 6.2
|
--
|
||||||
|
Database:
|
AppleWorks 6.2
|
--
|
||||||
|
Drawing/Painting:
|
AppleWorks 6.2
|
--
|
||||||
|
E-mail/Cal/PIM:
|
Address Book; iCal; iSync; OS X Mail; iChat
|
Outlook Express
|
||||||
|
Project/Planning:
|
--
|
--
|
||||||
|
Financial:
|
--
|
--
|
||||||
|
Reference:
|
World Book Encyclopedia 2003 OS X
|
--
|
||||||
|
Digital Photo:
|
iPhoto 2
|
Dell Picture Studio/Image Expert Std.
|
||||||
|
Digital Video Edit:
|
iMovie 3
|
MSFT MovieMaker 2
|
||||||
|
Music/CD Burn:
|
iTunes 4; Disc Burner; Sound Studio
|
MusicMatch / --
|
||||||
|
DVD Burn/Author:
|
Disc Burner
|
--
|
||||||
|
Games Included:
|
Chess; Otto Matic; Deimos Rising (?)
|
Solitaire, Minesweeper
|
||||||
|
Other Software:
|
QuickTime 6; DVD Player; MSFT IE; Safari; Earthlink; AOL; Acrobat Reader
Hardware Test CD; Other assorted additional software bundled. |
Windows Media Player 8; DVD Player; MS IE 6.0; MSN 8;
Other assorted additional software bundled. |
||||||
 |
||||||||
|
ISP/Services:
|
1 Month Free Earthlink; 90 Day .Mac Trial
|
6 months free Earthlink (requires modem)
|
||||||
|
Viruses/Security:
|
almost NO known viruses
(60,000+ for Windows) |
60,000+ known viruses
|
||||||
|
|
Built-in Firewall; not vulnerable to IIS DDoS
|
built-in firewall
|
||||||
|
Warranty:
|
1 yr. Ltd.; 90 d. phone support
|
3 yr. Ltd.; 3 yr. phone; 3 yr. on-site
|
||||||
|
|
3 yr. AppleCare available for $119
|
|
||||||
|
Product Quality
& Service: |
Exemplary "Good Guys"
http://www.consumeraffairs.com |
Banished to the "Rogues Gallery"
http://www.consumeraffairs.com |
||||||
 |
||||||||
|
Total Price:
|
$699 as configured
|
$728 as configured
|
||||||
 |
 |
|||||||
|
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 Back to The Mac Observer For More Mac News! |
 |
© All information presented on this site is copyrighted by The Mac Observer except where otherwise noted. No portion of this site may be copied without express written consent. Other sites are invited to link to any aspect of this site provided that all content is presented in its original form and is not placed within another . |
 |
