[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

That's the point.

Apple does not make a machine for the $500 user. It's not their business.

Cut n paste from previous thread,

Go to Apple and Dell.com

Configure some machines.

Apple 17 Inch Powerbook. Base Price. $2,799 upgrade HD to match Dell configurable option, $2,849

Dell Precision M6300. (Closest base config to MacBook but still lower spec) Base Price. $2,314 with $915 Instant Savings = $1,399.
Configure spec to match Apple, memory, processor, video card, etc.. base price goes up to $3,643 - instant savings of $915, total for Dell is $2,728

For a nearly $3,000 box I don't see a delta of $120 as a premium. And what about that instant savings from Dell? Without it they are $800 more. Is their box really that much or is it the old shell game, inflate the price and then give a deep discount so it looks like you are getting a deal when you really are not?

Let's look at work stations.

Apple Macpro base box Dual QuadCore 2.8 Xenon = $2,799

Dell Precision T5400, configured to match the MacPro, $3,923-$150 instant savings = $3,773.

So the base Dell that matches the base Macpro is $1,000 more.

Bottom line, yes you can get hardware cheaper, much cheaper than Apple, BUT you are buying cheaper hardware. That's why it's cheaper.

Not everyone needs a $3,000 computer. If you only need a $500 computer then buy what fits your budget. If you are in the market for a high end machine, then that's a different story.

Fair enough, I can't argue that. But you have to understand the people like me represent probably 90% of computer users. People that run relatively simple programs and tasks, and just want something that works and works quickly. So for the average user, there's no real advantage to a $1500 Mac over a $500 Dell.

What kind of crazy stuff do you people do anyway? Even my old crappy Gateway laptop will easily run AutoCAD, and slowly run CATIA v5 (high demand 3D CAD software).