[extropy-chat] A nonZen story

[Samantha Atkins]

On apple laptops a quite serviceable IBook G4 goes for about $800 in 
the US now.  That is with built in wireless.  This compares quite 
favorably with inexpensive windows laptops. Considering the amount of 
useable software pre-installed this is a quite good price.

- samantha

On Mar 18, 2005, at 3:48 AM, BillK wrote:

> On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 17:54:57 -0800, spike wrote:
>> I asked about this.  He complained about a Microsoft tax:
>> he refuses to buy a machine that has any Billware already
>> loaded.  He lives out in the sticks too, I don't know
>> if that is a factor.
>>
>
> You're all talking about different animals. Amara wants an Apple Mac
> laptop, Spike's friend wants a Linux box, Dirk is offering a Windows
> complete setup.
>
> The computer industry in UK is very competitive. You can get anything
> you want, but you get what you pay for. There is very little excess
> profit margin for suppliers.
> (Apple excepted - they live in their own little world).
>
> If you need a lot of handholding, (i.e. your first pc), you go to the
> big stores like PCWorld and buy a Windows setup with everything the
> salesman can talk you into. Say £600 upwards. But you get (in theory)
> phone help, engineers that come round to your house, support desks in
> the store where you can bring stuff back to get it fixed, no problem
> swaps if something breaks, etc.
>
> If you can do it all yourself, (i.e. your 3rd or 4th pc) you go to one
> of the small shops who will assemble a box with no operating system,
> exactly as you specify. You are talking about £200-£300 depending on
> how exotic your spec is. Insert one of the new Linux cds, like
> Xandros, and half an hour later you have a running Linux system.
>
> It is still hard work to avoid using Microsoft. You need to buy Linux
> magazines to find out where to get stuff, get to know your local Linux
> group, join Linux groups online, etc.
> i.e. you have to educate yourself to survive outside the cozy Windows 
> cocoon.
>
> Laptops generally are still about 50% - 100% more than desktop boxes
> and Apple is more expensive still. And Linux tends to be a bit picky
> about which laptops it is completely happy to run on. Some laptops
> have specialised hardware that need their own Linux drivers written.
> Laptops for Linux is a favourite topic in Linux support groups. ;)
>
> At present Linux and Apple boxes are generally ignored by almost all
> the viruses and spyware that infest the Windows world. They still get
> flooded with spam emails tho! :)
>
> BillK
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