Blogs: Apple Tax

[Updated: More about battery life and price] Yesterday, at Intel's Developer Forum (IDF) in Beijing, we were told that the next wave of Ultrabooks will start at $699. These new, less-expensive, skinny laptops are just around the corner, apparently. But how is that low price-point possible? I've got the answers in The Long View...
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With April 15 fast approaching, Microsoft has been warning about the so-called "Apple tax" that people pay for buying Macs. Their newest claim: A family of four will pay $3,367 over five years if they buy Macs instead of PCs, not just for the initial machines, but in ongoing costs hardware and software costs. But do the numbers really add up? I've got details in my blog.

A few days ago, Steve Ballmer stirred up a hornet's nest when he said that Apple users pay a $500 tax for buying Macs instead of PCs. What he neglected to mention, though, is that plenty of people believe they pay a Microsoft tax for using Windows --- and it's not the price of operating system they're complaining about.

Steve Ballmer recently caught flack for essentially saying that Apple users pay an Apple tax of $500 for buying Macs compared to PCs. Does that mean that Linux users are forced to pay a Microsoft tax every time they buy a PC with Microsoft software on it?

Steve Ballmer took plenty of hits on the Internet last week for claiming that Apple users pay $500 more than a similar PC just so they can get an Apple logo on the machine --- in essence paying an Apple tax. The truth is, though, the man was right.