Re: PC or Mac?

["Byron Q. Desnoyers Winmill" <byron@b60z27hbb464i.ab.hsia.telus.net>]

Michael J. Mahon wrote:
> And a 200MHz Pentium is over three years old.

Well over three years old, and there is no real reason to upgrade it,
unless you believe that supporting a bloatware OS (such as XP, or OS X)
is compelling.  Sure, OS X has a few interesting features but it will
not radically change how we use our computers.

> As long as the reason really _is_ compelling, then everybody wins,

We still have to deal with the digital divide, and landfills.

> a fundamental bottleneck [...] is the bandwidth to the typical home

I think there are three problems which have to be dealt with for the
next revolution: bandwidth to wireless devices, battery life, and
screen resolution.  With these three advancements we will truely have
access to global communications networks, at our convenience.

> If all you need is word processing and small spreadsheets, then
> you have no motive to upgrade, and an Apple II will do very well.

Should people who mould words, or small time number crunchers, have to
upgrade simply to communicate their ideas?  You may not realise this,
but it is becoming more difficult to put an Apple II online.  If the
world goes 'broadband' then it will be difficult to get anything less
than a Pentium or PowerMac online.

> machine is around $1000-$1200 [...] if one upgrades every three
> years or so [...] that is less than $15 per month for digital
> delights.  Not so expensive, really.

Using about CAN$1000 for a low end system, and a three year upgrade
cycle (on the hardware alone), that works out to CAN$0.92 per day
(or $27.45 per month).  That does not include Internet access (around
CAN$20 per month for dialup, CAN$40 for ADSL or cable).  That does
not include software or repairs.  Your $15 per month is probably
reaching $45 per month.  While that may not sound very expensive, it
can mean a lot for people on a tight budget or for people who have
priorities other than computers[*].

[*] I am not claiming that I know any such people, but that there is
    possible that such people exist.

> if the regular upgrade cycle [...] lengthens to once every four
> years [...] then the PC industry will have to contract to half its
> present size

Huh?  The computer industry can still chase other markets.  There
are a heck of a lot of people without computers you know.  There is
also progress without an upgrade cycle: say somebody introduced a
revolutionary new category of software which does not require CPU
cycles.  In that case we are enhancing, not replacing.

Byron.