1. They think they are so innovative - Biggest ego of any public company
Claim:  
The iPhone is heralded as the most innovative and novel idea since sliced bread because of its cool touch screen and UI.
Refutation:  
Um, yeah, PDAs with touch screens have been around for a decade. I happen to own one that is 6 years old, and oh, yeah, it has a processor that is 3x faster than the one in the iPhone and it was only $350 6 years ago, not $600 today. Wow, they are so cool. They even use the latest technology (8 year old processors, touch screen technology. Xerox had touch screen copy machines as far back as 15 years ago so this is definitely brand spankin new technology folks).
Do I need to say any more about how NOT innovative Apple is?
 
2. Can you say over-freakin-priced $$$
Claim:  
You are getting the best that money can buy.
Refutation:
Only need one simple example here. Last year I built myself a new PC with 8 GB of DDR2 800 MHz RAM, a 500 GB HDD with 16 MB of cache, a Core2 E6850 (3 GHz dual core, 1333 MHz FSB), and Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit (which absolutely pisses on OS X).
Now, those of you who aren't stupid enough to buy a Mac will know that those specs aren't even close to the best that was available at the time, and yet the very best Mac you could get at that time had 1 GB of DDR2 667 MHz RAM, a slower than crap 300 GB HDD, and an E6300 (1.8 GHz dual core @ 1066 MHz FSB). Oh, and the entry level price was only $1,700. I paid a little more than $600 for my new rig. You would think that for that much money they could at least give you technology that isn't 2 or more years old. Oh, but it sure looks stylish and I am so glad that that cool looking style is going to help me get better performance in the latest games. Oh, wait, you can't even play the latest games on a Mac. You can't even buy a video card for it.
 Need I say more on this point?
 
3. Software
Claim:  
The best software is only available on a Mac.
Refutation:
They usually point out the video/photo editing, and graphic design tools when they bring up this argument. Hmm, lets see, Maya and Lightwave can both be put on a Windows machine, Photoshop CS can be put on a Windows machine. Um, did I miss anything? Oh, yes, I did. All those programs run faster on a PC because PCs don't have anchient hardware and they generally have more than 512 MB of RAM.
 
4. User Friendly and Intuitive design
Claim:
Macs are so much more user friendly than PCs and far more intuitive.
Refutation:
They must be refering to the bouncing icons at the bottom of the screen. That's worth the $1,700 alone don't you think? Um, what was that about user friendly and intuitive? Windows Vista is all I need to say.
 
5. Compatibility, Connectivity, Automatic Hardware Recognition
Claim:  
The Mac can even speak Chinese. Haven't you seen their latest PC bashing commercials on TV. What's that, you fell asleep becasue two people standing in a room wearing 70's clothing and reading through a dialog wasn't as interesting as the Ballet your girlfriend made you watch last week?
The Mac can connect to anything even when the PC goes huh?
Refutation:
Uh, again, Windows Vista (even linux can do that so why did you bring that up again?)
 
 
6. Hardware choices
Claim:
(I hear only silence. Why? Oh, yeah, because Apple doesn't give you choices. You get their proprietary crap or their proprietary crap)
Refutation:
Uh, yeah, I can go to any freakin computer store in the world, brick n mortar or online, and choose from thousands of options for every single component for my PC - no proprietary crap.
 
Shall I continue?  ...
 
 
Check out my Apple junkie burning blog.
[url]www.techopinionshare.blogspot.com[url] (look for post titled Amazed by Consumer Choices in Cars and Computers)

I thank the stars that MS won the war a long time ago - else we would all be prisoners in a very sad little world.

I listen to the "Maximum PC" podcast a lot, and one of the guys on there said that Macs are like a religion.  That's why they put up with the high prices.  Almost like blind faith.
 
My sister just bought a $1200 MacBook to replace her dead ibook.  I tried to point her in the direction of a cool Acer laptop for $599 with way better specs than the MacBook, but it fell on deaf ears.  I have owned and used many Macs during my life, but you can't beat the bang-for-the-buck of a PC.  

Although from an administrative standpoint, Macs are a lot easier it seems.  I'm in IT and have used Windows for 10 years and have my Apple certification.  So...I've used both.  One thing Windows does not have down is the network locations like Mac does.  Also, if you just want to connect to a server, you just go to the Go menu, click connect to server, and enter it's IP, then all your login info and pick which folder you need into.  Good luck with that in Windows.  I looked in vain for a comparable option.  

Macs don't have ancient hardware they use Core2Duo's and pretty much what a PC does. I do agree that they tend to be overpriced compared to a PC and even the cheaper models are crippled specs, Apple knowing that the extras will be added boosting the cost . Apple have marketed their products as 'Cool and hip' while PC's are 'Geeky' apparently, unfortunately buyers have fallen for it.
  I know of some Apple owners who claim they are the best thing since bread or something. I'll let them enjoy their overpriced machines, each to their own I suppose.

.......
 
 
 
This site needs a Mac section for us to ignore.

haha^
 
Macs are overpriced for what you get > but then the OS is more utilised to this hardware and runs quicker > but then you cant upgrade and are limited to alot of software and games > windows supoports everything you will probably ever need, but is slower.
 
Where should we compromise? I dont like macs, and have always chosen microsoft. Even if i had a mac,i would want microsoft software. Surely it will then run like a PC.  
 
Saying macs are better for design stuff etc. is stupid becuase both operating system wil lrun the best software for this sort of industry. Macs may perhaps run it quicker. I really want to format my pc, clean install vista and try a mac out, see HOW much quicker it might be. Thats the only thing that interests me about them

Macs are getting better, in fact I think some of the newer iMacs can be had with 8800gs video cards.  Also, the Mac Pros can be customized, though they are quite expensive.  The fact is if all you want is a basic machine, a Mac is perfect, if you want the money to spend.  If all you want is email, typing, chat, internet, Mac is perfect for that.  Games and what not, Windows.  
 
However I almost guarantee there are less driver issues, etc on Mac because of the specialized hardware.  Windows is great, but when I have used Windows for 10 years and I first used Vista, I had to take a few minutes to learn where all the settings and everything was.  Then for the new version of Windows MS is talking about doing some kind of deal where you pay for what you need, in other words, buy the OS, then say you want other things like media center, etc etc you pay a subscription basis.  Not me man.  I hate the idea of a subscription basis for software.  When you buy it, it's yours in my opinion.  That's another reason I use all free antivirus programs like AVG for example, because I'm not on a subscription basis.  And as far as MS is concerned, I may go buy a basic OS, but I'll find Open Source or free software to substitute for any missing features before I pay them more than I have to.  
 
In all honesty though, take a look at OS X 10.5, the new Leopard system, see if it does not act in some ways like Windows with the way you can set things  I think it will be funny when we get a linux version that can run all of our Windows programs and our games and all of that which gets put out for free, then Microsoft may end up as a status symbol, buy it for the styling or something b/c linux will probably be free.  Watch it sometime, it all seems to be converging, and I wonder how long before everybody is running stuff so close together till you may be able to run Mac software on a PC or on linux.  There are even hacks I think to make Linux look like OS X 10.5.  Just something to start thinking about.  One other thing, you may not like apple, but who drives a lot of new ideas?  Some pc makers are starting to bring out an all in one computer that is an LCD and has the mobo, chip, etc all built in behind.  Apple started that in 05-06 with the iMacs.  Just start watching, b/c the way apple is set up may be the way the pc world goes sooner or later.

I'm a Windows net admin who also has to network macs and linux boxes all the time.  I hate macs - when they work, they work well.  When there is a networking issue, it can take quite a while to track down the issue because of its minimized dialogs.  However, having said that, most true mac users know there are less usage issues because of proprietary standardization and those particular types of users would rather pay the big bucks for that big brother option.  As far as ease of support, for me it would be Windows then Mac a close second, with Linux trailing far behind.

ever since they screwed me on the IIgs back 1986 I never bought anouther apple product. They discontinued it the day after I bought it!!  

They discontinued the IIGS the day after you bought it?  But didn't Apple continue to support the Apple II lines until like 1993?  I guess that meant they carried parts for it until '93.  I read the autobiography of Steve Wozniak called "iWoz".  Real interesting book.  A lot of info. about the development of early Apple computers. I highly recommend it to any geek.  
 
In the early 80's, when Apple was developing the Macintosh line, Woz didn't want to participate.  He saw the Apple II/III as being just as capable a machine as the upcoming Macintosh, and for less money.  Jobs definitely had the requisite vision and philosophy.  Woz initially wanted to stay at HP as an engineer even though he personally had invented the personal computer, because Woz didn't think that 2 guys could just "start a company" even though Woz had singlehandedly invented the first practical personal computer.  I guess Woz had forgotten that the founders of HP, the company he loved working for, got their start as "2 guys in a shed in the Bay Area."    

But to pkellmey, you learn to appreciate that locations setting don't you?  I love windows, have been using it since windows 95-98 were the mainstream.  But Windows problem is they are a fit all do all OS.  Things are so complicated to find because it's all layered on everything else.  Like if I want to do basic network diagnostics or connect to a server, I'm probably either linking up a virtual drive and setting all the parameters or getting into the old style command prompts.  On the mac, use network diagnostics or just hit the command key  and the k key at the same time, box pops up and just enter the IP of the server, login and I'm done.  
 
I like macs, but they still can't do everything I want.  And not enough expandability unless you pay big bucks.  So windows has a place.  But apple is still decent.  That said though, the problem for people who will want to upgrade is proprietary hardware and the pricing of it.  

Apple does flat-out suck.  It's a shame that Tom's Hardware has become so biased with regards to Apple.