Apple lives the conceptual computer envisioned by Jobs and Wosniak interpreting XeroxParc. It is simple. It works. It does what you want. I makes what you need. No instructions needed. Just go, do. Forget 'computer', 'technology'. The Mac is a tool. Like a screw driver, or better yet, a sewing machine, typewriter. Did anyone ever have to keep reading manuals, need 'HELP' to use those instruments? No. And, as an aside, using MS Help is like querying the Library of Congress and being referred to 75 million volumes.

I will never use a PC again. I can't afford the time wasted, the money to keep having it debugged, or the desperation of missing deadlines because the gd MS OS is a piece of elaborated s^%t.

Oh, by the way: the original first DOS was fine. And let's remember Billy Boy Gates didn't write it–didn't even have rights to it–he stole it, then conned it off on IBM. The rest is history. Yes history. Shadows of everything, every thing from each iteration of dos remains in your blessed windows, xp, v.7, whatever.

Take that bite out of an Apple. You'll never look back.

I am a HUGE fan of Apple. My entire life I've used PC's. My entire life I've been disappointed by how slow they operate and how buggy they are. When it was time for me to get a new computer…not because the computer was too old, but because my (Dell) never worked correctly, I headed to Best Buy to buy yet another laptop PC. This was about 9 months ago and I hadn't seen the new Macs (and in my opinion most non-computer nerds had not either).

Not only did I not buy a laptop, I bought a DESKTOP Mac on the spot that day. All it took was one look. I knew there reputation was great, I had heard all the buzz, but seeing it in person blew me away. The design was super slick and the 24" flatpanel with the computer BUILT IN to the screen was incredible. Since getting my Mac I've never had a better computer. I use it for nearly everything, including watching movies. It's LOADED standard with software you can't get on a PC.

I use my Apple far more than any PC I've ever owned. It wasn't at all hard to learn how to use as long as you know how to point and click. I have since added Bose speakers and now it's also (using i-Tunes and Front Row) my overall media center. PC users probably don't even know what Front Row is, I feel sorry for them, really. I spend hours in front of it, often opting to watch shows on it rather than my 55" TV.

I also have an i-pod which I'm very happy with and hope to some day have an i-phone, once I get rid of my wretched Crackberry.

I will happily pay up for an Apple product that actually WORKS over the general crap out their in PC land. You can't buy this kind of brand loyalty, i'm a convert for life as long as they keep making products that work.

As for those who say they can't stay on top by remaining innovative, you HAVE to be kidding me. They are LONG known for having the most easy to use computers (which by the way, all the schools are now using so what do you think the business world will be using in 20 years???), they practically invented the MP3 industry and now are dominating the mobile phone industry.

Bottomline, I love my Mac and I will never buy another PC ever again. PC's are the next typewriter.

http://www.apple.com/macosx/technology/unix.html

If it is a semantic argument you make, well then you're making a semantic, not technical argument. If you insist it doesn't meet the industry's specification of Unix, then you're mistaken.

On another note, Apple's products are very well priced for what they are and the value they provide. The growth of Apple is not from zealots, but from everyday people that value what Apple offers over the competition. Peple who don't want or need the additional value Apple provides at a higher price don't need to buy an Apple computer. That's cool.

When Apple didn't provide additional value, they struggled. If Apple doesn't offer meaningful value, then people don't buy it. Look at Apple TV. It is not a hot commodity because people don't value what it is bringing to the table. It works for some so sales are adequate to keep it going while Apple figures out how to add more value and try to make it more meaningful to people.

For the comment earlier OSX is NOT *nix based. It is FreeBSD based which is Unix like but not *nix based. Get your facts straight before saying something foolish.

Macs can and will be hacked. Security through obscurity will end quickly. Despite what people think just because *nix (or a *nix like OS) is secure it's not because there aren't security holes. It's because *nix servers by default have no ports open. *nix servers aren't generally used for browsing the Internet or have a gajillion plugins/extensions running. *nix servers generally don't have weak passwords.

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that what I write following this deals with the "average user," not a power user or those with an IT/CS degree or Cisco/Microsoft/CompTia or other certifications.

Macs however DO have ports open. They DO browse the Internet. They DO have a gajillion of plugins/extensions installed. They DO have weak passwords. All of those lead to hackers hitting Macs once it's a viable target which will happen sooner then later.

As for the OSX vs Vista argument. Get over it. To date I have yet to see anybody from the iCult prove that Vista sucks or Vista is broken. If you can prove to me that Vista is "broken" please do. And I mean a true problem. Not something stupid like "I don't like UAC." Those who bash Vista either have never used it and/or have bought into the FUD from things like the Mac commercials.

Despite what people say a Mac is certainly NOT worth the price you pay. My year old Dell laptop is a 2.2GHz C2D, 4GB RAM and cost me under $1000. Wow…200MHz slower and more RAM for less the half the price of the lowest end Macbook Pro. I won't even bring up the price difference between my self-built desktop compared to an iMac or Mac Pro either.

My speculation: Apple is just another in a long line of fads, and is enjoying it's day in the sun like MS, IBM, Sun, and others before it. I doubt the success will carry on much after Mr. Jobs retires or shuffles off this mortal coil – will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Thanks for the chatter about Apple. The company does have an advantage, similar to IBM & SUn, in being the developer of 'integrated' hardware/software for its products, perhaps limiting its' product penetration, adpoption and advocacy of the masses (ala Google), yet maintianing a superior systems engineering and systems configuration model that remains quite technically efficient and appealing to a more discriminating and loyal consuming public.

For a more macro comment concerning Apple and technology sector in general. let investors and crtics be mindful of this- 'there is no alternative to evolving technology', thus long-term both consumer and investor are rewarded by participating in this field. The existing mortgage-based recession will abate in a few years, as the US/world, shakes off its seduction by phony mortgage and real estate investments (never to be 'real' soon), technology developments willprovide the economic engine that pulls the world off of its' slump. The revolutionary science and engineering of nano technology promise to change everything from the industrial-electrical age to the nano age, just as electricity changed all of our lives.

Also,

@Tom

*nix actually doesn't dominate enterprise space if you include users and not just servers. However Microsoft is making in roads even into servers (especially with Share Point, but no idea if that will have any staying power)… That being said I like both *nix and Windows Server, so I'm happy no matter what.

@Henry

I've used Macs, use to program on Macs actually, and I've hacked Macs. It's not difficult. The main issue is they use open source products but don't have a patch system that keeps up with the fixes. They're usually a couple months behind (even for major holes sometimes)… Although they've been getting better about that.