What is the value of a computer?
I have been using my MacBook Pro for more than 4 years. Never needed to bring it in for repairs.
Before that, I used a PowerBook for 8 years. The only reason I replaced it with the MacBook Pro is that I dropped it and killed the display.
My 4-year-old MacBook Pro runs the latest OS (Mountain Lion). Can 4-year-old Windows machines run Windows 8? Anyone?
Purchase price is a foolish way of comparing machines like computers and cars and furnaces. One valid metric is cost-of-use.
Would you buy car B because the purchase price is $500 less than car A if car B gets 5 miles less per gallon fuel economy? Would you buy less-expensive furnace B instead of furnace A if furnace A is twice as efficient heating your house?
Buying a computer only on the basis of price is equally short-sighted.
Another valid metric is improved productivity. For example, if you can achieve 10% more work with higher-priced computer A than you can with lower-priced computer B you can then calculate how long it will take to pay off those extra dollars. After that moment, you're ahead of the game even though you paid more at time of purchase.
You might also consider, when choosing a computer, who you'll be speaking with if you have a question. Apple's phone techs all speak American English. I've never had a problem making myself understood or understanding the person who is supposed to help me when calling Apple phone support.
You might also want to consider the value of the convenience of having an Apple Store to turn to if you need a repair. Before selecting a computer, you should learn if you'll need to ship your computer off for a few days if it needs repairs.
When considering the cost-of-use and increased productivity and immediacy of help, MY experience is that Macs are quite a bargain.
You can do all this yourself--the math isn't too difficult.
