No, I want a $1500 computer that performs like a $1500 computer.
Apple doesn't make any $1500 desktops except the iMac (which you reject).
Porsche also doesn't make any $25,000 sports cars.
Same solution applies to both: do without, buy a competitor's product, or compromise by changing your constraints & try again.
Believe it or not the iMac or the highway paradigm is not the ways its always been. Before late 2005, it was an entry level machine. The $1500 and up segment was the domain of the PowerMac.
IMO, that price point was an anomonly, particularly since there's been a long history of the bottom model of the PowerMac often being lobotimized for those who are willing to pay for simple expandability without power (including sometimes even using a different motherboard, such as on the G5/1.6GHz). Thus, the sweet spot for best product value has generally been the "one up from the bottom" model, which if you look at recent Apple history, one finds their release price history to be:
1997: G3/266: $2399 (Gossamer)
1999: G3/350: $1999 (B&W)
1999: G4/400: $2499 (Sawtooth, not Yikes)
2000: G4/450: $2499 (Gigabit)
2002: G4/933: $2299 (MDD)
2003: G4/1.25: $1999 (Firewire800)
2003: G5/1.8S: $2399
2005: G5/2.3D: $2499
2008: Xe/2.8D: $2799
Add $1 to each of them to get rid of the marketing "99s" and we find that all of these price points are $2K or higher.
Similarly, if we find the statistical median, it is $2400 ($2399), and that all of these prices are within 20% of that value...including today's.
And this is despite the fact that we're spanning a period of a decade, which as per westegg.com, we have experienced 29% worth of inflation over that period. This means that the 1997 G3/266 that originally was $2399 would in today's dollars now cost over $3088. Amd since the current Mac Pro is $2799, this means that on a constant dollar basis, its roughly 10% cheaper.
Of course, there's anomolies that can be argued as exceptions. The 'best value' here is arguably the last G4, but if we recall that historical period, this product was a stopgap speedbump of trailing technology that occurred while we were waiting for the G5 to finally ship. The G3 "Yikes!" is a similar example, and was even reflected in its codename.
I also refuse to pay for an obsolete system just so a control freak can have his kicks. The user does not exist to serve Apple, its a partnership. They give the machine I want (or at least did) and I give them my money.
Same here. However, it is a trade-off of the lesser of two evils: I don't want to go suffer through Vista, so I'm going to stay with Apple...and to maximize value, simply wait for the product line refresh. From there, I can either buy the best-and-newest at top dollar, or I can buy the discontinued prior model at a discount. I've used both approaches at different times (I wasn't about to pay $6,800 for a IIci back in 1990, so I bought a discontinued IIcx instead for a "mere" $5K).
If they don't and I'm put between a rock and a hard case became of it, I'm going to voice my displeasure.
Sure, but as the Rolling Stones said:
"You can't always get what you want..."
I'm still waiting for my personal jetpack, and a flying car that folds up into a briefcase.
And on a more realistic basis, would really like it if the full frame dSLR housed underwater camera system that I want would be <$3K (its actual cost will be around $9K).
-hh