I asked the question because I think it is an interesting social phenomenon. While I personally think Apple makes great computers and that the OS X experience tramples Windows, I have seen many people who have started to use Macs as badges or simply status symbols. These people use the computer as a silent statement that they are are financially well off. Which I personally think is silly, but again an interesting social phenomenon.

I certainly don’t question Apple’s right to charge however much they want for their products nor do I think it is unfair. In fact I couldn’t care less about what government programs there are in that country (which I assume is the US) and I certainly don’t have a problem with people that go to private schools as I send my son to one everyday. You see, in THIS country (which is Brazil) those who can’t afford to go to a private school have to get in line for a chance to attend a public school which is so bad that it makes a mockery of the very word school. This would be laughable if it were not said.

To tell the truth, I don’t really believe that you have to pay more for a product that is better. Had you followed a link in my article to a previous article I have written on the topic of the actual cost of owning a computer and which takes into consideration things as battery replacement and an actual comparison of the hardware, you would have seen that I made the case that the MacBook is actually a lot more affordable than a corresponding Dell computer, while being technically superior. The article was titled The Cheap PC Myth.

It almost sounds like you don’t think it is fair if one brand costs more than another and that you feel that no one should be deprived of anything that they desire. Could it be that your question is the product of our entitlement mentality in this country. You know, the feeling that there should be a government program for every desire we have from cradle to grave. The basic feeling that some people should not be going to really great private schools while the less fortunate have to go to those nasty inner city schools.

Does a computer brand have to turn into a case of class warfare? Will Apple Computer be convicted publicly of producing a computer that deprives the masses from a meaningful life?

Why would you waste your energy on this issue? Everyone knows that you have to pay more for something that is better and Apple has a better product. If that changes, their product won’t sell. Let’s keep it simple.