InformationWeek - The historic Mac vs. PC debate has new fodder for each company's marketing campaign.
Apple MacBooks received higher overall scores than Windows laptops in the latest testing by Consumer Reports, but the Apple systems cost from three to four times as much. The results play right into Apple's assertion that it makes high-quality computers as well asMicrosoft (NSDQ: MSFT)'s latest pitch that PCs are cheaper to buy.
Among its "recommended computers" based on evaluations byConsumer Reports experts, Apple MacBooks topped each of the laptop categories: lightweight, 14 inches to 16 inches, and 17 inches. Most of the computers were purchased atBest Buy (NYSE: BBY).
In the lightweight category, the 13-inch MacBook Air received 60 points out of a possible 100. The Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) Pavilion dv3-1075us came in second with a 55.
But while the overall scores were not far apart, the price tag was. The HP system was priced at $850 compared with the MacBook Air's $2,300.
The same big price differential was found in the 17-inch models, but the comparison in overall score was much greater. The MacBook Pro scored 80, while the runner upDell ( Dell) Studio S17-162B received a 64. Pricewise, the MacBook Pro sold for $2,800 and the Studio for $750.
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