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Yes, Farhad, the Mac/PC debate should be relegated to dustbin of history. It's old news. In Japan, personal computer sales are going down. They will soon go down here also. Phones, TV's, videogames, and PDA's are all also now part of the computing ecology; an ecology which is growing larger all the time.
The fault line has shifted - quite substantially. Today's zeitgeist concerns free/open vs. proprietary; not Steve vs. Bill (a real yawner, kind of like comparing beltway democrats and republicans, who are all basically the same). The fan boys all bought their iPhones and now what? Leopard? Phghght.
Neither Apple nor Microsoft stands a chance of remaining relevant ten years from now. Consumer computing is becoming entirely commoditized. Who's going to bundle a $150 operating system and $500 worth of so-called productivity applications on a computing device (whatever it is) that costs $150; when all the very same functionality, nay, better functionality, is available for absolutely nothing? Companies with a death wish, that's who. Anyone who tries to dominate the center with proprietary software is doomed. The only place proprietary software stands a chance is in specialized markets like videogames; where artistic creativity, not the umpteenth implementation of an office suite or drawing program, will distinguish one vendor from another. Open standards, not Steve's turtleneck, is the new cool. Get with the program, so to speak.
As for the resale value of a computer tipping the value balance. That is really weak, my friend. How many people do you know who take the time to try selling their four year old computers? Right.
Enjoy your iPhone, because Apple's (and Microsoft's) shiny days in the sun are numbered.
