Comments on: Behind Microsoft's 'Apple tax' gambit

By: Rick, London ON

Rick, London ON — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:48:48 +0000

To Robert

Just finding the ‘hard drive’ on the computer. Really sucked trying to find where my wife saved her school reports.

How did you miss the HD icon on the desktop? There are a number of videos on Apple's site designed specifically for those making the switch from Windows to Macs.

If you find it hard to remember where you save stuff, you can TAG your files. Then search for your tag. I have 8 drives, comprising 4 TB of drive space. By setting tags on files/folders I can easily find an item. Tags also solve a problem I had when filing items that could belong in two folders.

I was a hard-core PC user starting with the first IBM PC. I switched to Macs 2 years ago, and my increased productivity easily pays for the computers in just a few months. Now when I'm working on the Mac, I'm focusing on the task. Gone is tinkering with the PC.

By: Craig, Calgary, Alberta

Craig, Calgary, Alberta — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:49:16 +0000

If I wrapped up a PC and put it under the Christmas tree for either of my university aged kids … I might has well have wrapped up a dog turd.

Apparently university cool also means you must spend a $100 on a pair of jeans or $50 on a hair cut.

What is wrong with kids today? My mom cut my hair when I was a kid so why do they need a professional barber.

I bet if we asked Steve Ballmer would admit that his mom still cuts his hair.

LOL

By: Jason, Honolulu, HI

Jason, Honolulu, HI — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:29:30 +0000

Aside from all this MAC vs PC bickering.

A fun fact: Microsoft had to hire a team of Apple-using creatives to come up with their current ad campaigns.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/126/believe-it-or-not-hes-a-pc.html

By: Rick S, STL, MO

Rick S, STL, MO — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:52:02 +0000

The "AppleTax" report is not even close to reality. But what I do not understand is why does Microsoft worry so much if people by Macs anyway. Most Mac buyers are likely to buy MS Office and perhaps WIndows XP anyway and I bet MS make more money per copy sold on those buyers!

AND, MS does not make the PCs. They sell them the same software that Mac buyers buy. SO perhaps they should just change their marketing plan and say "so, you just purchased your cool Mac… don't forget to by Office and Windows too!"

BTW: I had an HP laptop. ABSOLUTELY the worst laptop I ever owned. They replaced it once under warranty and the 2nd one was just as bad. I used Windows on the Mac way more reliably and that HP was donated to a recycle center. There is a difference between "Less Expensive" and "Cheaper"!

Macs are "cool" AND well constructed.

By: Mike, NYC, NY

Mike, NYC, NY — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:47:29 +0000

Check out this great site to track quarterly earnings

http://www.Fortune500Earnings.com

By: 07 gman

07 gman — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 03:35:25 +0000

A couple of points:

1)Mac's are more expensive, (they start at OVER $1000)

2)The GLOBAL ECONOMY is melting down

3)Um, in case you didn't know, this is America, it's all about the money! (Check the site's name, it's called FORTUNE magazine)

4)An as an American, if I have to SPEND MORE MONEY to get something, I can always look elsewhere can I?

4)Hello PC.

By: srini kumar, los angeles, ca

srini kumar, los angeles, ca — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:34:46 +0000

I'm imagining this presentation given by the guy in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas holding forth about the dangers of drugs to the cop convention.

"KNOW YOUR APPLE FIEND!"

By: John Aubin, West Hartford, Vermont

John Aubin, West Hartford, Vermont — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:11:42 +0000

I think it was the definition of a cynic: "one who knows the cost of everything but the value of nothing." The incredible part is that the installed base of PC's vs Macs is like 10 to 1, why does Microsoft feel the need to put these kinds of comparisons together? Anyone who's ever used a Mac doesn't argue about this stuff anymore.

By: VanDyke Brown, New York, NY

VanDyke Brown, New York, NY — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:52:39 +0000

All of these threads about Windows versus Macs have this central theme: People who have actually used both Windows and Macs overwhelmingly prefer Macs. People who have never owned a Mac prefer Windows. I used Windows for 15 years. When I bought my first Mac I had to also keep my HP box running. When I got my first Intel Mac I ditched the crappy HP box and ran XP on my Mac with Parallels. I find myself needing the virtual XP less and less. I can't wait for the moment that I never again hear the Windows startup chime. As for the price difference: My 9-year-old Apple laptop (Pismo) runs OS X just fine. What 9 -year-old Windows laptop runs Vista?

By: Stan Arvkarian, Mansfield, OH

Stan Arvkarian, Mansfield, OH — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 03:52:34 +0000

As someone who use both Vista and OS X regularly on a Mac Pro, I detest using Vista and only use it for some specific programs. It is buggy, slow, ugly, and feels cheap. OS X is a pleasure to use. There certainly is a value and benefit to using something that just works and is pleasing to use at the same time. It's like driving a Lexus versus a Kia.