Macs 'Cheaper' Than PCs

If you don't have an Apple yet, Salon is pretty sure it's because you think Macs are more expensive than PCs. With Apple's fortunes rising on the waves of iPods, iPhones and the dazzling new Leopard operating system, price remains for many the last obstacle to switching to a Mac. But Macs are actually cheaper after you do all the math, says Salon's Machinist columnist Farhad Manjoo.

Yes, initial cost is higher, but used Macs fetch much better resale prices than similar PCs. That's because Macs age better than Windows computers, which after a couple years are often "gummed up with spyware, viruses and other nasty stuff," says Salon. The real cost of owning the computer is sticker price minus resale value, and that's when Macs come out ahead. (More iPhone stories.)