MYTH: Macs are more expensive than Windows Machines.
TRUTH: Apple does not sell any underpowered (512MB ram) machines. Mac does not sell any screen smaller than 24”. No more 20, 19, 17 or 15 inch screens for their desktop lines. The resolution on their laptop machines is also significantly above those of the low end PC market. They do not use low end Celeron or crippled CPUs either.
The lowest cost Mac you can buy new is last years remaining inventory of MacMini withe GMA graphics for $445.
If you compare that price to any other cheap PC, the quality, resale value, and hardware of the price comparable PC is still blown away. And this mini is over 2 years old in design.
The new Mini is $599 and hase 10 times the graphics power of the previous model. Many are using this new mini for 1080p media servers for home theater purposes.
In short, while Apple only carries mid to professional grade systems, even in these categories, Mac remains cheaper than comparable PCs.
None of these factor in cost of use. No anti virus costs in labor or capitol. No defragging or other PC required services are needed on Mac. No hardware or driver upgrading is needed with an OS update. No malware, spyware, or any of the hair pulling want to kill something frustration costs.
Mac, may seem more expensive if all you see is a cheap plastic box with a DELL on it for $399 and have no concept of the corners cut, the little to no resale value and how much more it will cost to upgrade it to barely functional while keeping your sanity.... but Mac is the best value by far.
Rachel, I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you on this. Apple still has the 20" iMac in its product line for $1199. Apple has also just introduced a basic 17" iMac designed for sale only to educational institutions for $899.