Originally Posted by
thesameguy
Okay, now we are back to the root, and this is insane. I buy $1000 computers for the office. It's just what I do, and I have for 10 years.
In 2006 a $1000 computer was a Pentium D 830 3.0GHz with 2gb of RAM and an 80gb hard drive. A DVDRW was extra cost. Intel integrated graphics, built-in Broadcom Ethernet and Realtek sound. Windows XP Pro 32-bit.
In 2009 a $1000 computer was a Core2Duo E7500 or E8400 3.0GHz with 2gb of RAM and a 160gb or 250gb hard drive. DVD-RW drive. Intel integrated graphics, built-in Intel Ethernet and Realtek sound. Windows 7 Pro 32-bit.
In 2012 a $1000 computer was a Core i5 3470S 2.9GHz with 4gb of RAM and a 1tb hard drive. DVD-RW drive. Intel HD Graphics 2500, built in Atheros Ethernet and Realtek sound. Windows 7 Pro 64-bit.
In 2015 a $1000 computer was a Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Processor with 8gb RAM and either a 1tb hard drive or 256gb SSD. Intel HD Graphics 530, built in Intel Ethernet and Realtek sound. Windows 7 Pro 64-bit or Windows 10 Pro 64-bit.
Each one of these was a MASSIVE leap in performance at the same price point. Each one of these machines is smack-dab in the middle of the performance spectrum with mid-range processors, RAM loadouts, and storage capacity. These are all commodity office-grade machines - hence the same price point and me buying lots and lots of them. Computers in general got much, much cheaper in the early '90s and then again in the early '00s. Since around 2003 or 2004 computers have remained at about the same price across the board ("low," "medium," and "high" spec) while delivering more performance for the same price. So, if a $1000 computer is a mid-range office machine regardless of when you bought it in the last ten years, since inflation decreases the value of any monetary unit, computers of the same spec within the grand computer landscape at a point in time have gotten CHEAPER, not more expensive. Your assertion that the same relatively level of performance costs more annually is utterly, demonstrably false.
We can do laptops next if you like. I don't buy hundreds of them, but I do buy dozens.
Edit: We can also do gaming machines. I've got a few dozen XPS models ranging from the 435t with i7-950s to new XPS 8900s with i7-6700s. These are $2k price point boxes. Typically top-end i7s, the biggest hard drives, lately small SSDs, and mid-range discrete graphics.