Prior to the Mac running on Intel, the argument was largely baseless because the systems ran different OSes. It really was like comparing apples and lemons (pun intended). But now that the Mac runs on the "x86" architecture, the argument is even more baseless. In fact, there is no longer an argument. And this post is my attempt to convey why "The Debate is Over."
Now that the Mac runs on the "x86" architecture, there is no more need to debate the price of a Mac vs. the price of an IBM, or Acer, or Dell, etc., etc. Why? Because they are not in the same league! First, the Mac can run 99.9% of everything that can run on the IBM, Acer, etc. (with the exception of peripherals that require a connection -- like RS232 -- that the Mac does not have). Of course, the Mac can run one very important thing that these machines can't: OS X. Not to mention the all of the thousands of applications that run only on OS X, like TextMate, OmniGraffle, etc.
However, that is not my argument, actually. The fact that the Mac can run more than these other systems, and even run Windows better than these systems (VMWare Fusion running with the Mac's superior "sleep" technology puts PCs to shame) is not the point. It's not the point because it doesn't have to be.
So, what is the point then? The point is that they are the same, and yet different at the same time. Back when the Mac was run by the PowerPC, you really couldn't make the argument that the Mac was like a Porsche and a Dell was like a Chevy because they didn't run on the same roads, i.e., the Mac ran OS X and the PC ran Windows, etc. But now that the all of these computers run on the same architecture (this is the same part), this sameness is what makes them different. You see, the Mac really is a Porsche, now: it not only runs on the same roads, it runs on the same roads faster, and with a lot more style.
Basically, you have a choice now: If you want a cheap computer, buy an Acer. Who cares. Just buy it and be happy with it. You want a computer that was actually designed by someone who cares about design? Then buy a Mac. (The sharpness of the MacBook edge not withstanding. But hey, every company gets things wrong every now and then.)
The Mac is not about status to me. It is about design. I care about design. I choose to buy products that were developed by people who have as much, if not more, passion about design than I do. Hey, I could go out an buy a really ugly, cheap La-Z-Boy chair, but I'm not going to do it, because I care about how my place looks. I could buy a cheap, white, ugly refrigerator for my kitchen, but I'm not going to do it because I would then have to look at it every day.
See, the simple fact is, there are people out there who care about design, and there are people who don't. The really great thing is, when it comes to computers, people who care about design actually have a choice now! The people who care about design, and yet have to run Windows for whatever reason, can now buy a Mac! They can run Windows natively, or run it under something like VMWare Fusion (which I highly recommend).
So, there really is no debate anymore: You want a cheap computer that was put together by a bunch of geeks with no sense of style and who's product philosophy is, "People just want a cheap computer", then buy a Dell. If you want a computer that was designed by people who actually know what "modern industrial design" is all about, then buy a Mac.
And to the Mac fan-boys out there: Stop defending Apple by talking about iLife, etc., etc. It doesn't matter! Apple is now taken seriously by business, so there is no need to worry about being marginalized by a decreasing market share. It just isn't happening anymore. The Mac is not going away just like Porsches are not going away. Use your Mac, and enjoy it. And if the geeks want to continue debating prices, let them do it. It's meaningless chatter now anyway.
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