Macs are more expensive than PCs?

MacBook vs. Dell XPS M1330

I configured online a MacBook and Dell XPS M1330 with specs as closely matched as possible. Both had 2GB of memory, a 160GB hard drive running at 5400 rpm, a 2.4-GHz Intel Core Duo 2 processor, Intel integrated graphics media accelerator (X3100), and Bluetooth 2.0. I chose the Dell 56Whr battery option (an extra US$79), which is comparable to the MacBook’s standard 55Whr battery. I also added the $99 optional bundle of Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements to the Dell laptop. The MacBook ships with Apple’s iPhoto and iMovie applications, part of its iLife suite, at no extra cost.
The bottom line: The Dell laptop that I configured cost $1,308. The MacBook was $1,299.

Price advantage: Apple, by a hair.


MacBook Pro vs. HP’s Compaq 8710w Mobile Workstation

My configurations had this in common: 17-inch displays with 1,680-by-1,050 pixel resolution, dedicated graphics cards, 250GB hard drives at 5,400 rpm, 2GB of memory, and 2.6-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors.
There were some differences, of course. For example, the HP computer features a biometric fingerprint scanner, which the MacBook Pro lacks.
The bottom line: The MacBook Pro that I configured was $3,049. The HP Compaq 8710w was $3,561. Adding the Adobe image and video editing software brings it to $3,661. The HP Compaq 8710w came standard with a three-year HP extended warranty. A similar warranty from Apple costs an extra $349. If you factor that in, the price difference makes the MacBook Pro just $263 less than the HP notebook.

Price advantage: The MacBook Pro.

Full story:
http://www.macworld.com/article/134373/2008/07/laptop_price.html?lsrc=rss_main