A $5000 MAC is a $1000 Dell with a $4000 OS based on a free OS thats had it's guts ripped out so you can only use .5% of the hardware/software out. Apple doesn't manufacture or design there hardware, foxcon does. All they do is design minimalist cases that are impossible to work in but look good with your Akia sofa. There for people who get confused by options and buy things based on looks as opposed to price/proformance. I don't blam people for just wanting to turn it on and do the few this want with no hassel but to pay more for less is just stupid. Get a Eee and save a buck.
unsmart, you really are unintelligent.
A $5000 Mac Pro is a $7500 Dell workstation, with components optimised by Apple for their OS, but still with some type of compatibility in mind, and the best OS around, already installed, and with the ability to install all other major OSes alongside, and hell, even get them to work at the same time (VMWare Parallels).
The MacBook when released was extremely good value for money. It was actually cheaper than most similarly priced laptops, back in '06, but it has now been surpassed, yes, but considering that Apple might be planning a refresh, I do believe they might have a cheaper notebook up their sleeves (considering the lower-priced laptop market is bustling, Apple will likely want to target that area, for people that want a Mac, but can't afford it).
The MacBook Air IS expensive, but to be fair, it's almost a one-of-a-kind product. Try to find another notebook that is that thin, that light, and still has space for a 13" screen, and you will be hard pressed. Even if there was competition, the price would be similar, as the components would mostly be very similar, and manufacturing lower-powered processors means picking the best cores, which could be 1 batch in every 5, or something else as silly.
Apple started with hardware and software custom designed by them, read the history. They managed to make motherboards with almost half the components of other manufacturers, cutting cost, time to manufacture and the price to the consumer. Their original ideals mayh not quite have survived on through to this day, but they still try to make things as minimalistic as possible.
I am by no means a hardcore Apple advocate and user, but I do enjoy their products (the Sawtooth by my side is brilliant, still pretty quick for its age, even when running under a modern OS), and hate when people knock their products without knowing anything about them. Oh, and having one single bad experience with a product shouldn't take away from enjoying a product from a certain company. For example, you might not have good luck with an Antec PSU, but it doesn't mean all of their PSUs, and all of their products will not work well.
Also, yes, it is a bit different to Windows, but no, that shouldn't mean a thing. That's like saying you hate Linux because it's not Windows, even though you're told it's superior. Well remember when you first used a PC? Remember when you couldn't find how to do this and that? Remember how you had to remember a bunch of crap? Well, Macs have that too, when you use one for the first time, get over it, get over yourself, you're not special.
Urm, where the hell was I going with this?
Oh yeah, well, GJSNeptune is right, to be fair, PC stands for Personal Computer, nothing else. An Apple brand computer is a personal computer, therefore a Mac and a PC are one and the same.
Also, companies still use IBM and 80x86 just because the x86 computers we use today stem from it, but it's a trend that's likely to be abandoned soon. The last few times I read IBM-PC compatible or 80x86 anywhere on a box, or requirements, etc. was on an ancient box of floppy discs I had laying about.
I was pointing out the MAC guy/girl we all know who thinks a MAC is some magic piece of elfin made computing folk art. They would pay any price for it and believe it's far better then any PC could ever be but have no idea why or how that is. I know everyone knows one there most likely and artist type how has to drink only fresh ground organic coffee with steamed soy milk. I'm just exaggerating again so please don't flame me for it.
