It's not "Apple Tax", it's Microsoft's "Going Out of Business" Discount.

Right, the company that makes a total of 1 billion a year in profit in game sales looks to be slowing down because it's offering a volume discount. I guess 12:09 marks the end of the world for Microsoft.

Vista was 500++ USD & windows 7 which far more superior is less than windows xp pricing, so I figured... just an opinion, I'm not trying to offend anyone.

Well Microsoft is not immune to a shitty economy ... they should be glad they don't have to use more drastic measures to sell their OS. Most businesses can manage to survive fine without upgrading software and hardware for dozens of years if they really push it. It's not like 15 years old software or older isn't common thing to use for lots of businesses.

@ Cryogenic

True, that is really true. A friend of mine still keeps am intel 386 running MS DOS for his "actual" accounting purposes in his company. By instinct the IRS will go to the "regular" PCs to check & print it out--that's where the "adjusted" version belongs.

Only those avoiding Macs and fed up with Vista (pre SP1) problems should go for WIndows 7. For everyone else, there's good old XP.

P.S. I only keep a windows xp in my Mac for Counter Strike. If latest CS calls for windows 7, then I'll get it.

Who the hell would base a business on Windows? Ok yea lots of people, my dad works for the city and they're using XP on a bunch of OEM IBM laptops that are locked to the desks and hooked up to a 19" Compaq monitor, but point is, that's a complete waste of money. No, not the buying a laptop to use it as a desktop, but why use a crappy unstable OS like Windows for mission critical tasks? It'll hamper efficiency... Why not use a free Linux distro and save thousands of bucks on licenses?

If there are any IT guys out there, please take some time and explain why businesses buy Windows even though it's so unstable? Yea I'm a 15 year old student... so I'm like "there goes the tax money... stupid government..."

frecking nutty kid..grow up a bit more so you can see the light of day...the reason people still use windows is because of the directory services and integration with corporate products, apart from all major apps running exclusively on this platform

@blackshots

You are right too, besides all that, many companies still do not count in PC maintenance costs within the following 5 year time and that's why they avoid Macs, Sun, & etc, thinking that the upfront costs are too costly.

My PC-user friends had averagely been going back and forth to respective service centers more than 7 times in a year time, greeted with hostile attitudes. They only get what they are entitled to (despite of still valid warranty) only after arguing with the manager for more than half an hour each time.

In my case, I only went to local Apple service centers 3 times in that same first year: First for busted battery, second for having them yank my busted superdrive, and third to pick it up the replacement and have them put it back in my Mac.

Other people's experience with customer service may vary but so far I'm happy with my choice of computer.

-ND