There really isn’t a pure competitor for it. As of now, a cheap netbook isn’t all that similar, in what it does nor what it can do, unless you have an unlimited data plan and plug your cell into that cheap netbook. But then, you have the content stream. Who makes it easy, at an acceptable price? Apple.
Face it, most people don’t want to dink around with the innards of their toys, their televisions, their cell phones or other media devices. They just want it to work, and to look good doing it. The sort of wild west environment, of buying bits and pieces and constructing your own idealized computer are being relegated to hobbyist status. No doubt people built their own radios and televisions, close to a century ago. Who does now?
My father did, and he had a third grade education. I used to love digging in and upgrading my old Macs, when they were not easy to dig into.
I used to over hall engines for my cars, I had my own boreing bar so I could overbore and put in bigger pistons, now I am happy that they just start and go, I have not looked under a hood in over 10 years, and I don't intend to.