Even with the discount and the ipod, i'm still getting a laptop with half the specs of an hp or dell. I get that down the line i could sell the laptop to cover some of the replacement cost, but i only really replace stuff once its stopped working and is cheaper to replace than to fix. My hp is begining to die on me from overheating, so i am looking to replace it. A mid-range macbook pro costs around NZ$3500, while an hp with double the specs and average asthetics costs only NZ$1500. I'd have to be insane to go for the mac, it's just too expensive.
At the end of the day, some people find the looks and build quailty of macs to be a strong factor in their decison, however all i need is a powerful machine and still be able to eat for the rest of the month. Macs just arent for me.