Well, if you compare a complete Mac, with a complete PC, including
comparable hardware and software, they actually came out close to even!
BUT, if you compare a complete Mac with an absolutley bare 5150PC, and
shop for reasonable prices on RAM, drives, monitor, etc., with shareware
software and/or packages for which you might be eligible under sifte
licenses, then the PC comes out substantially cheaper.
I wanted word processor, spreadsheet, Assembler, anda few compilers; those
cost an amazing amount less from third party vendors for what I wanted
compared to the "package" that IBM wanted to bundle.
And, if you consider a generic XT clone, such as VIPC, etc., then the PC
is WAY cheaper.
I heard (another unsubstantiated story), that the engineers were tasked to
make the Mac a $500 computer; but when done, Apple chose to charge more
than that.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred ci...@xenosoft.com
On Wed, 24 Jan 2024, Murray McCullough via cctalk wrote:
I know a great deal of writings by techno-historians, computer-industry
experts and technology enthusiasts concerning the Apple Mac, and now 40
years old, have covered this topic both on and off the net. Unlike
originally stated I now feel that the MAC was an important change agent in
regards to the all-in-one computer landscape. Why Apple priced it
‘prohibitively’ high, particularly so here in Canada, I’m not sure.
Arguments such as an integrated ecosystem to securing a marketing and brand
loyalty come to mind. Certainly applies to the world of Apple doesn't it!
What I remember most from that time though was their 1984 Super Bowl
commercial! It went a long way to putting Apple and the microcomputer
industry on the mass-consumer market.
Murray 😊
