Are Mac Pros Cheaper than Dell Precisions?

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The Inquirer set out to discover the truth in a piece that contrasts the price differences between similarly matched systems from Apple and Dell. In the comparison, the Mac Pro is pitted against the Dell Precision 490. While the results aren’t quite those described at the Apple fanboy rally, they do signify a relevant change total cost when compared to similarly outfitted machines:

Dual Core Intel Xeon 2GHz x 2 (4MB shared L2 cache)
Dell: $2,086.00 (with a $200 discount for small business)
Apple: $2,124.00

Dual Core Intel Xeon 2.66GHz x 2 (4MB shared L2 cache)
Dell: $2,866.00 (with a $200 discount for small business)
Apple: $2,424.00

Dual Core Intel Xeon 3GHz x 2 (4MB shared L2 cache)
Dell: $3,686.00 (with a $200 discount for small business)
Apple: $3,224.00

Long have PCs held the Apple horde at bay through significantly lower prices, with Dell typically offering the lowest rates of all. As you can see, however, Dell narrowly wins on the entry level systems, while Apple poops in the face of the PC stalwart on the more advanced rigs, achieving a spread in excess of $400. With the price gap now closing and Macs now running OS X and Windows, it is conceivable that even more users will follow the exodus to Apple country. It’s your move, PC.


Apple thrases Dell on Mac Pro pricing
[The Inquirer]