Ultrabooks vs. 13" MacBook Air: Is the Apple Tax Real?

[Guest]

Load of crap. You forgot to mention the issue of versatility. Though, I guess if you're going strictly on physical value, you may be right. The simple fact is there are more software titles available for Windows computer than there are for all of Apple's platforms combined. The reason being that Microsoft doesn't charge or collect percentages from developers. I remember back when we still had a Compuserve in NYC the Windows software section was a block long, the Apple software section was about 20 square feet.

 

[Guest]

Buy any Windows PC today, get a $14.99 upgrade to Windows 8 Pro when it's released.

 

[Guest]

according to other tech blogs, windows 8 will be available as an upgrade for win 7 users for around 15 dollars. Unless you are upgrading from vista or xp (not sure about the upgrade fee for these two), the "upgrade tax" is still lower than that of apple. my 2 cents.

 

[spydercanopus]

Ultrabooks are to Macbook Air as Android was to iPhone. Apple is the only innovator on the field at the moment. Windows 8 will change that, hopefully.

 

[Guest]

Nice linkbait Tech Spot, this proves nothing. Cherry-picking only 3 comparisons out of potentially hundreds, at the low end at that, and then not even drawing a solid conclusion.. yeah sorry. Linkbait.

 

[Guest]

I'd pay the price of an ultrabook to not have to use Apple OSanything.

 

[Guest]

There is definitely an Apple tax, but it is not so much on the hardware as it is in the peripherals. Try and buy a laptop charger... 80 bux. I can goto radio shack and get a generic plug for a windows machine for 1/2 that price. As someone mentioned before, usb cables and wall plugs that are white with an apple on them... insanely priced. Goto the Apple accessory isle in any store and see the $20 price hike on anything made for an iPad, iPod, or Macbook and that is from third party companies cashing in on the Apple tax.

 

[Guest]

I love reading some of the stupid posts here. You people are so blinded by your ignorance. I used to be a PC nut. I build my own pc's and have used every OS Microsoft has ever put out. About two years ago my brother got a macbook pro and I tried it. Almost immediately I loved it. Now we have a MBpro, a macbook air, and several PC's in the house, and I can say Mac is better than Microsoft. Windows just fails far too ofter, MAC OS never does.
OSX updates are free (as are windows updates) and easy to apply. New OSX versions are $20-$30. OSX is much faster and less cluttered than windows. I have also installed and tested Win8, and imo Microsoft is admitting defeat to OSX, by trying to make windows look more like OSX's app driven GUI. It may work on a tablet or phone, but it's just retarded on a PC. I won't be using it.
OH, and by the way, with bootcamp (free with OSX) I installed windows 7 on my Macbook and it runs better than it does on a PC. Conversely, I have also built a 'hackintosh' (google it); that is, installing OSX on a PC as it's only OS. Runs awesome, and I used OSX Lion which I had already purchased for $29.
Mac wins.

 

[Guest]

Who said something about these machines not coming with an OS? The Zenbook Prime comes with Windows 7 and can be upgraded to Windows 8 (which, by they way, will be a much more significant upgrade from Windows 7 compared to Snow Leopard and Mountain Lion) for only 14.99 as soon as it is available.

 

[Guest]

worry about updates, etc. later.

Later? Really.... Wow.
Worry about saving money later too? That is why people are reading this article isn't it? To save money that is..? Later.???

 

[Guest]

OSX fails plenty. I'm not saying that because I'm a Windows fanboy, but because I've had as many OSX crashes as Windows crashes. I push my computers hard, and both operating systems have their breaking points and bugs.

I just had a 3 year old iMac die. The cost of repairs would have been as high as buying a new iMac. Doing it myself would cost $400. The Apple tax isn't just from purchases, it also applies to repairs by authorized repair centres.