Funny. You do see statements like this all over the internet from time to time and we are all entitled to an opinion. Having used PCs since DOS days and through many incarnations of Windows (I still have a company one here), it was blessed relief to discover OSX. The hardware has been great too but it is really secondary to the operating system. I still chuckle when I read these blanket statements. There is one flaw in the logic above, in the last line: there is actually NO PC alternative to a Mac, is there?
What's funny? The fact that Apple charges substantially more for less than the PC alternative? Yes, I agree, that's funny. I must admit I was always a Wintel guy and always wondered why MACS were so much "better". I was forced into Wintel PCs because my software wasn't ported to the MACs and the fact that I always built my own made customization simple. Apple hardware and Apple software, well what if I have very specific needs and or wants? PC is the only way to go. Needless to say I decided to buy an Ipod, I thought the design was great except for the volume control and the on/off or lack thereof. Oh well, it broke, got another, it broke, go another and bought an IPOD touch for the wife, they have been working. Bought 3 IMACS, all 3 died, bought an MPB and gave it to my son. Let's face the facts, if you use any type of CAD software, Mathcad, Ansys, Softplan, Autocad, 6-figure accounting software you can forget a MAC, none of the specialty software is ported to a MAC, why? We may all hate MS and Bill Gates but the fact is Windows, Word, Excel etc. are the standards and for the most part work great. I love the fact I can fix my own PCs with EASE, have a video card go bad in an IMAC, try to upgrade the CPU. Have a hard drive go on an IMAC and see what happens! You can add a stick of memory in an IMAC with ease, that's it. Apple displays, not even close to the top of the line. Lenovo notebooks are substantially better than MACs, but even I admit they aren't as good looking for whatever that is worth. The MAC Pro? I can built a much better machine for substantially less money and I can customize it any way I like. I love SCSI hard drives, where's that as a MAC option (I know add it myself after I paid $5K for the machine and have Apple tell me "We don't support that" What about if I need or want a high-end video card?
You doubt that Apple is a greater marketing machine than a producer of great products? Apple goes for the aesthetics, that's marketing 101, make it look good and make it work "Good Enough" add just enough features that they will be upset just enough that our customers will still buy our overpriced products. The IPHONE with ATT, what a JOKE!
So tell me, what can you do with a MAC OS that I can't do with a Windows? I know you will say I can run all my software on a MAC, just use Parallels or Bootcamp; I'm not using the MAC OS and it's just another layer. Most of my software only runs on a PC, there is NO MAC ALTERNATIVE, but you didn't know that, "Ignorance is Bliss"
My favorite line is "The hardware has been great too but it is really secondary to the operating system." That's great for you, some of us need the best hardware money can buy and guess what? It's not MAC hardware.
I want to be able to switch batteries on my notebook, give me the MAC alternative? Apple makes everything so that you can't upgrade it or fix it yourself. Need a new battery? Bring it in we'll rape you.
I still chuckle when I read these types of moronic statements, there is a PC alternative for everything Apple makes and it goes above and beyond. I can make any type of system that I want with a PC, you can't with a MAC. Apple doesn't make any high-end notebooks, they don't even have a numeric keypad with their 17", they lack so many features in every single one of their notebooks it's actually pathetic. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh..... but now it all makes sense, Apple only has a single digit (7% +/-) market share. FUNNY ISN'T IT? This isn't an opinion, it's a well known FACT, do you know the difference?
"there is actually NO PC alternative to a Mac, is there?" As I thought about it some more, there is in fact PC alternatives to MACs (Overpriced, Over-hyped, Hard to repair)
If a MAC gets it done for you and thats what makes you happy, then buy one.