Computer Hardware/Accessories

» Barbara Nicholson Bell - The economics

Or, you could buy a decent small new car for $10,000, with air bags and good mileage and a 10 year warranty (the equivalent of the PC for $300), and take good care of it by changing the oil, rotating the tires, etc. By contrast you could buy the Cadillac SUV for $56,000 with the heated seats, 24 airbags, two drop-down DVDs and the terrible mileage. This, to me, is the equivalent of the $1700 iMac Intel Duel Core machine.

If you don't need the heated seats, the drop down DVD players, and can't afford the monthly payments of that Cadillac, it's not such a wonderful deal, is it? While with reasonable care and maintenance that little $10k car could easily last 10 years and you could give it to your kid as he goes off to college.

My point is that your comparison was illogical. You distorted (as did your source) the actual reasons why people buy certain computers (or cars). Few people waste money on junkers whether they're cars or computers. They buy what they actually need, and can afford.