Entry Level Mac-Wintel Comparo Page

Last Updated 1/5/98

The two tables below were constructed to illustrate how Apple and the remaining Mac clones compare among themselves and with an "equivalent" quality manufacturer of Windows/DOS PC's in features and price. They include only the lowest level 603e CPU and 604e (or G3) CPU computer by each manufacturer that is not essentially discontinued, i.e. it excludes closeout specials offered through catalog resellers in so far as that can be determined. The table no longer includes APS, Motorola, POWERtools and PowerComputing because they are no longer making computers and those on the market are close out specials. It does not include Daystar Digital because it did not manufacture a computer at this level. Nor does it include any cloners who build or have announced that they will build Mac clones but are not shipping in the USA at present. This leaves just Apple, Mactell, and UMAX.

Apple's market sectors are: 1) Home/Educational, 2) Home Office/Small Office, 3) Business, 4) High-end Graphics/Workstations and 5) PowerBooks. However, most recently Apple announced it will focus its greatest effort on the educational, creative and mobile markets but it is really hard to tell with the release of the new PowerMac G3's.

Macs Only! is targeted principally at the personal computer users in sectors 1) or 2). I think they are most likely to buy a system in the entry-level range with a 603e or a 604e CPU, though not necessarily the lowest level system. The tables below only contain the lowest level but "complete" computer from each manufacturer to serve as an indication of what's happening at the lower margin.

I picked Dell Computer and Gateway 2000 as the Windows systems in this comparison. Why? Dell and Gateway 2000 are "name" manufacturers that sell mostly by mail order like the Mac clone manufacturers do at present. Both also usually attain a user satisfaction rating similar to that of Apple Computer. I selected Dell's entry level Dimension Pentium MMX 200MHz and Gateway 2000's G5-200MHZ Pentium systems as the rough equivalent to the 200 MHz 603e, though tests show the 603e as faster for the same MHz--Apple has moved decidely upscale in this category, discontinuing the 4400/200 and 6500/225. At the higher level is Dell's Dimension XPS Pentium II and Gateway 2000's E3110 Pentium II 266 MHz systems as the rough equivalent of the 604e (180-200 Mhz) to G3 233 MHz Apple systems. Again, Apple has moved decidedly upscale in performance but not so much so in price compared to the Wintels.

The Macs and Clones compare pretty favorably with the Wintels. Mactell and UMAX continue to produce Mac OS computers for under $1000 but not as low as Compaq which has hit $699 for a 166 MHz Pentium-equivalent processor.

603e CPU Systems*

Feature	Manufacturer
	Dell	Gateway	Apple	Mactell	UMAX
System Price	$1481	$1364	$1999	$795	$995
Performance	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Model	Dimension	G5-200	6500	XB	C500LT
CPU/MHz	Pent./200	Pent./200	603e/250	603e/200	603e/200
- Upgradable	n/a	n/a	N	N	Y
L2 Cache (K)	512	512	256	512	256
Bus Speed (MHZ)	n/a	n/a	50	40	40
Hard Drive (GB-type)	4.3-EIDE	2.0-EIDE	4.0-IDE	1.0-IDE	2.0-IDE
RAM (Base in MB)	32	32	32	16	16
- Type	SDRAM	SDRAM	FP	EDO	FP
Video (MB)	2	2	2	2	1
- 3D Acceler.	N	Y	Y	N	N
CD-ROM	14-32X EIDE	12-24X IDE	24X SCSI	16X	8X SCSI
Sound (Bits)	16	16	16	16	16
Ethernet	N	N	N	N	N
Modem	Y-33.6/56K	Y-56K	Y-56K	N	N

*Last Updated: 1/5/98. Price: Source--Apple, Mactell, UMAX, Dell and Gateway their web site. Does not include any bundle rebates. Features: Source--manufacturer's web site or MacMall catalog. Performance: Source--MacBench 4.0 by Macworld Magazine. A larger number is better. n/a: "not available" or "not applicable" as appropriate.

604e & G3 CPU Systems*

Feature	Manufacturer
	Dell	Gateway	Apple	Mactell	UMAX
System Price	$1873	$1764	$1999	$999	$1795
Performance	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	449
Model	Dim. XPS	E-3110 DT	G3-233	XB204MT	J700
CPU/MHz	Pent. II/266	Pent. II/266	G3/233	604e/200	604e/180
- Upgradable	n/a	n/a	~Y	N	Y
L2 Cache (K)	512	512	512	512	512
Bus Speed (MHZ)	n/a	n/a	66	40	50
Hard Drive (GB-Type)	4.3-EIDE	2.0-EIDE	4.0-EIDE	1.0-IDE	2.1-SCSI2
RAM (Base in MB)	32	64	32	16	24
- Type	SDRAM	SDRAM	SDRAM	EDO	EDO
Video (MB)	4	2	2	2	2
- 3D Acceler.	Y	Y	Y	N	Y
CD-ROM	14-32X-EIDE	12-24X-EIDE	24X	16X	8X
Sound (Bits)	16	16	16	16	16
Ethernet	Y	Y	Y	N	Y
Modem	N	N	N	N	Y - 33.6

*Last Updated: 1/5/98. Price: Source--Apple, Dell, Gateway, Mactell and UMAX are their web sites. Does not include any bundle rebates. Features: Source--manufacturer's web site or MacMall catalog. Performance: Source--MacBench 4.0 by Macworld Magazine. A larger number is better. n/a: "not available" or "not applicable" as appropriate.

Disclaimer! This information was put together as accurately as possible from the cited sources at the time it was assembled. It may be incomplete or otherwise defective and is offered for what it is worth to the reader with no expressed or implied warranty.

In addition, this page is not designed to indicate necessarily which is the best system to buy. That would require covering the entire entry-level range plus discontinued models from higher levels as well as used and refurbished systems and their available price ranges. Prices for even the new systems in ads in the backs of magazines seem to vary by a couple of hundred dollars but the features included are usually not listed. I repeat, the comparison is mostly designed to serve as an indication of what the manufacturers are doing at the entry level margin.

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