Alienware to Customers: You're retards, give us your money.

[Toast]

If you catch one of the many good promos/stackable coupon codes at sites like http://www.fatwallet.com, it is very easy to buy a Dell pc for less than the do it yourself cost.

Some of these boxes are sold at negative gross margin to Dell, and Dell gets a much better deal on components than you will.

[Mi_Tes]

I really wanted a pink computer - as irrational as it sounds

ColorCases.com

Too bad it is red and not pink, but it is kind of cute anyway.  :)

Edit - not that anyone cares - but just found pink cases for sale now.  Starts at $449.90 for the case alone and with keyboard/mouse it is $599.85.

[Lum]

You can't build a homebrew Apple Macintosh system. Too many proprietary parts.

With the exception of the cases, you can build a homebrew Apple system.

Without the Apple firmware chip, you can not run the Mac OS.

Go, go, LinuxPPC.

Main difference between Apple and PC homebrews is the limitation of choices (and it's a BIG difference), but yes, you can build your own apple box.

Except that 99.5% of people define a Macintosh as its operating system. Building a Motorola CPU box running Unix is easily doable, but very very few peopel will call it a Macintosh.

[Soukyan]

You can't build a homebrew Apple Macintosh system. Too many proprietary parts.

With the exception of the cases, you can build a homebrew Apple system.

Without the Apple firmware chip, you can not run the Mac OS.

Go, go, LinuxPPC.

Main difference between Apple and PC homebrews is the limitation of choices (and it's a BIG difference), but yes, you can build your own apple box.

Except that 99.5% of people define a Macintosh as its operating system. Building a Motorola CPU box running Unix is easily doable, but very very few peopel will call it a Macintosh.

So is it a monopolistic practice if I can't run your OS on anything but your overpriced hardware because of a proprietary chip? In other words, it is something I cannot remove even though I don't want it. ;)

Naw. I suppose you need the majority of market share before the word monopoly can really apply. Ah, well. I can dream.

[stray]

So is it a monopolistic practice if I can't run your OS on anything but your overpriced hardware because of a proprietary chip? In other words, it is something I cannot remove even though I don't want it. ;)

Naw. I suppose you need the majority of market share before the word monopoly can really apply. Ah, well. I can dream.

It's an implementation of Open Firmware (which is what DIY PPC machines use), with the addition of some Apple specific code to bootstrap the OS, among other things. Not having it would be like not having a BIOS on your PC (though it's a little more than that). It's one of the reasons why Macs are more hassle free and appliance-like than PC's.

Yeah, you want it.

It's not really monopolistic though. This is the way most computers, consoles, and digital devices are made, with the exception of the x86 PC and a few others.

Apple hardware isn't that overpriced though. That was true pre-2000, but it's somewhat of a myth these days. Nowadays, there isn't that much difference between equivalant PC's. Rumor has it that they'll be announcing a sub-$500 Mac at Macworld this week too.

[d4rkj3di]

If I had the disposable income, I might buy some ridiculously overpriced thing at Alienware just for the geek cred factor.

True geek cred comes from building your own rig, and modding your own case (bonus points if you used a chainsaw!).  Movie Geek cred comes from shit like owning an Alienware, hacking the fucking Gibson, or reprogramming communication satellites from Tim Robbin's laptop.

[Dren]

I'll spray paint a case pink for you for $10 labor.

That cat shaped one will cost you though ;-).