Quote Originally Posted by marg View Post
What you are paying (a lot) more for is the Product design and the quality "finesse" of the OS. If you can afford the ARTE, then go for it. But it is not a necessity.
I agree. I'm a Windows and Linux user, because I like to choose the components that run on my system. I also like to configure my system the way I want to. I really dislike having everything pre-configured for me at the touch of a button without knowing exactly what was configured, the same way I hate having a mechanic tell me that they adjusted something in my car to make it run better but won't tell me what he fiddled with.

But that's the beauty of the MAC. It just works out of the box. No hassles.
That's why whenever people ask me advice on what computer to buy, I always tell them to get a MAC. If they tell me that it's not within their budget, and they want the same stuff I've got, I make them sign an agreement that they won't seek technical support from me after I help them buy their machine.