Instead of comparing the quality of Apple computers to an elitist BMW, maybe we should use Harley Davidson instead. Imagine a class of people who dare to be different, and stand apart from the crowd, but still are part of a deep-rooted culture of like-minded people and American values. Okay, not so much anymore since Apple has become the new in-thing and a little too popular for my liking, but you catch my drift.

Your basic premise is value over the long term. I think it's little different from the value you seek in any large cash investment purchase, whether it's a car, motorcycle, or computer system. I agree. The Mac is a better value, especially if you intend to sell your machine to upgrade to a faster one in the future. You can also argue with the right mix of software and peripherals, you can be more productive with your work flow, and commit less time to routine maintenance (security updates, virus definitions, spyware detection updates, etc.) than a PC running Windows. More time to work and play, less time to worry about crapware infecting your computer and corrupting your data. Bar none, if you like browsing the Internet, the Mac is the perfect machine to do it with.

Some people just want cheap, and don't worry about selling prices or quality and craftsmanship. Perhaps the Mac isn't for them, and that's fine with the world. To each his own devices. Their loss.

A couple of caveats I'll point out. Certain Macs aren't known for their expandability. Don't buy an iMac if tinkering with your computer is important to you. Look at the Mac Pro if you keep the side covers off of your tower case. A Mac may take more time and effort to find the match of software you'll need, compared to the bounty of Windows software available for PCs. I've always believed you should buy a computer based on the software you need to run. But with a little extra effort and moderate degree of will to adapt, it's not a big deal for most Windows converts to use a Mac as their main computer.

Since Windows can now run on Intel based Macs with OS X, you can always dual-boot either OS, or simply run a Windows virtual machine on your Mac. Sort of the best of both worlds on one machine. Pretty sweet and one less reason to bypass the Mac.

I've always regretted selling my Apple IIGS. Ah, the memories come flooding back. I'm not so sure I'll part with my iMac or PowerBook anytime soon. But the itch to upgrade is gnawing at me something fierce.